Tag Archives: Jesus

Christmas Lights

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tyThere’s a cool house down the road from my house here in Petal that’s got a programmed Christmas light show.   You can pull up to their house, turn your car radio to a certain station, listen to the music, and see the lights flash in rhythm to the songs being played.

It’s pretty cool.

I’ve always been a sucker for Christmas lights. I remember as young child that was always one of my favorite things to do, to go with the family and look at Christmas lights.  Loved it then, love it now.  That’s one of the many reasons why I love this time of year.

I thought about that, as I read today’s reading from Job 33: 29-30:

“Behold, God does all these things, twice, three times, with a man, to bring back his soul from the pit, that he may be lighted with the light of life.

I talked yesterday about how God has a plan in all this.  God knows what He is doing and He has a plan, not just for all our lives, but for creation, redemption, and all the world.  I think of that again when I read what it says in Job.  God will bring us back from the pit. And they will be lighted with the light of life.

Even those those words were spoken to Job, who do I think of when I read that?

The one that it talks about in John 1: 4-5:

In him was life, and the life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.

Jesus.  He is the light.  He is the light that overcomes the darkness.  He is the light of the world. And He is the light of of lives.

Think about that during Christmas.  Think of that during light shows. Think about during all this time.  Light has come. And that light is Jesus.  Remember.  Remember that.

Light has come.  And light WILL drive out the darkness.

Remember.

Don’t forget, you can click here to download Asbury’s mobile app and read these devotionals, as well as listen to my sermons on your smart phones.

God Knows What He is Doing

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I love the Old Testament.  I really do.  Right now, I’m reading a great book entitled Jesus on Every Page, which talks about how as Christians, the Old Testament, and the stories of the Old Testament, they are ours. They belong to us as well, and they paint a picture of God’s long term plan of redemption for His people.

God knows what He is doing. And He has a plan for saving His people, that was around, long before us.  God has a plan.  Listen to what the angel tells Mary today in Luke 1: 30-33:

And the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. And the Lord God will give to him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.”

trustJesus will sit on the throne of His father David.  He is from the tribe of Judah, the ancestor of David.

God promised David, way back in the Old Testament, that He would establish David’s kingdom, and it would last forever. That it would be an eternal kingdom.

Well, He wasn’t talking about an earthly kingdom, but a heavenly.

That was God’s plan, from the beginning. God knows what He is doing.

Long term, for the world. And for us. For me, for you.  God knows what He is doing.  He has a plan.  He has a will.  He knows what is going to happen. And He directs us where we need to be.

So, today, trust.  God knows what He is doing.  He really does. We see the foundations for God’s plan in Jesus Christ, being laid as far back as the fall, in Genesis 3:15 where He promises this:

I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring; he shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel.”

An offspring from Eve would one day crush the head of the serpent. Even in the fall, God was pointing the way towards what Jesus would do.

God knows what He is doing.  He does.

You can trust Him today.

Don’t forget, you can click here to download Asbury’s mobile app and read these devotionals, as well as listen to my sermons on your smart phones.

Let the Light Shine

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light1One of the things that we can be tempted to do as Christians is keep the light of Christ to ourselves.  It can be a lot easier to stay around, to hang around, to be around only Christians.

Because when we only stay around Christians, we know that people will share our values. They will share our desires. We know that they will like to do what we do, and will, in most ways, think like we think.

Only being around other Christians is safe.  It is comfortable.  It is more peaceful for us. And, truth be told, we really do need to make sure that our closest, most trusted friend are people that we can count on, and that will help us be the people that God wants us to be.

But, that said, if we only are around Christians, then how will people know the Good News of Jesus Christ.  Listen to what Paul says today in 2 Corinthians 4: 4-6:

In their case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.For what we proclaim is not ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, with ourselves as your servants for Jesus’ sake. For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.

Let the light shine in the darkness.  We have to take the light of Christ into the world, if we want to make a difference.  Let me say that again.  We have to take the light of Christ into the world if we want to make a difference. We have to form relationships. We have to become friends. We have to go where “they” are, and take Jesus with us.

That doesn’t necessarily mean we have to go and start preaching.  What it does mean is this. We have to go and form relationships.  We have to go and be friendly.   We have to go and take that love of Jesus, that’s inside of us, and love them in the same way.

Today, no matter where you are, or where you find yourself, let that light of Christ shine through you.

Don’t forget, you can click here to download Asbury’s mobile app and read these devotionals, as well as listen to my sermons on your smart phones.

Peace

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Peace is something that we all want.  We want peace with others.  We want peace with ourselves.  We want peace with God.  We want peace.

And as much as we want peace, it can be so hard to come by.  It can be so hard to find peace with others.  With God. With ourselves. We want that peace that passes understanding.  We want to rest our head on our pillow at night. We want to be at peace with others.

And sometimes, it’s just hard to have happen.  Sometimes, instead of peace, it feels like we are in a war.  And peace is never to be seen.  Listen to the words of Psalm 122: 6-9 today, talking about peace:

Pray for the peace of Jerusalem! “May they be secure who love you! Peace be within your walls and security within your towers!” For my brothers and companions’ sake I will say, “Peace be within you!” For the sake of the house of the Lord our God, I will seek your good.

Christ-Our-Peace-Postcard-2012In the season of Advent, peace is a major concept.  Jesus is the prince of peace.  He came to bring peace.   Peace to the world.  Peace to our relationships.  Peace to our souls.

And yet we find that there isn’t peace.

So, what do we do?

We work for it.  As best we can, in our lives, we work for peace. We work for peace with others.  Sometimes, yes, we must be the bigger person.  As Christians, that’s what we are supposed to do.

Through Christ, we can have peace with God.  He has paid the price, and you are forgiven.

And, through Jesus, we have peace with ourselves.  Because through Him, we are forgiven by God. So, we can forgive ourselves.

We desire peace. But that peace that we desire, it only comes through Jesus. Today, may we focus on the prince of peace. And may we find that peace that we are looking for.

Don’t forget, you can click here to download Asbury’s mobile app and read these devotionals, as well as listen to my sermons on your smart phones.

What is Your Purpose?

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We are in a season of the year that is called Advent.  Yesterday, Sunday, December 1, was the first Sunday in this season. This season is a time when we stop, and get our hearts ready for the Lord’s Coming.

His first coming as a gentle babe, born in the humble town of Bethlehem.

And His second coming, when He shall come as the victory King and Lord that He is.

His first coming was easy to miss, unless you were paying attention.  It wasn’t until the Wise Men came, that the priests and teachers of the Law in Jerusalem even knew that the Lord had been born.  His first coming was easy to miss.  His second, it will be unmistakable.

In our reading for today, we read from Mark 1: 6-8, where we see the that got things ready for Jesus’ coming.

Now John was clothed with camel’s hair and wore a leather belt around his waist and ate locusts and wild honey. And he preached, saying, “After me comes he who is mightier than I, the strap of whose sandals I am not worthy to stoop down and untie. I have baptized you with water, but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.”

stjohnJohn came to get things ready for the coming of Christ. And look at the one thing that he knew to be true and that he lived by.  It wasn’t about him.  It wasn’t.  It was about Jesus.

He knew that He was here to get things ready for Jesus’ coming.  That was His purpose.  That was what it was about. And that’s what He lived to do.  He lived with that great purpose.

Today, as we consider John the Baptist, we ask this question.  What is our purpose today?  What are we living for?  Who we are living for?  What is the purpose of our lives?

Do we have one?

Today, unless Jesus is our purpose, we don’t truly have a purpose worth having. Today, may He be our purpose, our life, our everything.  Today, if we are living for Him, we are living for our greatest purpose.

Don’t forget, you can click here to download Asbury’s mobile app and read these devotionals, as well as listen to my sermons on your smart phones.

Do Everything. Everything.

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I tell people that before I got saved as a senior in high school, I was not a pleasant person to be around when I played ball. I really wanted to win, which is a good thing.  I still feel that way.  If you are playing with a scoreboard, you should play to win!

But, for me the problem was when I didn’t win.  I’d act hateful.  I’d just act wrong.  I’d act in ways that just weren’t good.

And here’s the thing.  That still continued after I became a Christian.  I still acted in ways that I shouldn’t have.  And one day a friend of mine pulled me aside and told me to read the following verses.  So, I read Colossians 3:16-17, and this is what it said:

Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God. And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.

Cross in hand prayerIt was that last verse, verse 17, that got me.  Do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus. Everything.

Do everything in Jesus name. I realized that I wasn’t doing that. By the way that I was acting, the way that I was behaving, I was not doing it in His name, and I was not bringing Him glory.  So, I has to stop and think about how I was acting. And I had to change the way that I was acting.

Because the Bible was clear.  I had to do everything. Everything.  In His name. And for His glory. And for Him.

So, I needed to change my behavior to give Him glory.  That lesson stuck with me. And I still try to live by it, every day.

Today, may we seek to do all things in the name of Jesus. All things, big or small, important or non important.  All things in Jesus name and for His glory.

May we use every moment of our life for that purpose.

 

Don’t forget, you can click here to download Asbury’s mobile app and read these devotionals, as well as listen to my sermons on your smart phones.

Jealousy

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Paul is the man.  He was faithful.  Seriously, he started tons of churches.  I jokingly say that he wrote half the New Testament (he did write a large part of it!).  If anyone in the Bible served God to the fullest, we see that Paul did.

And we see another thing from scripture.  Paul suffered.  Paul went through a lot. It was never easy for Paul.  He suffered abuse, he suffered rejection, he suffered so very much for the sake of the gospel.

And, for many of us in our human skin, Paul had  to face the temptation for what may be the hardest thing for us to deal with as humans, jealousy

Listen to what he says in Philippians 1:15-18:

Some indeed preach Christ from envy and rivalry, but others from good will. The latter do it out of love, knowing that I am put here for the defense of the gospel. The former proclaim Christ out of selfish ambition, not sincerely but thinking to afflict me in my imprisonment. What then? Only that in every way, whether in pretense or in truth, Christ is proclaimed, and in that I rejoice.

eggsPaul said, some folks preach for the right reasons.  Some for the wrong.  That doesn’t matter, what matters is that Jesus is preached.  And now, it would be very easy for Paul to get jealous of those that are preaching for the wrong reason.

Perhaps get a little righteous.  Perhaps get a little angry.  Perhaps get a little jealous.

After all, here he is, doing it the right way.  Doing it right. Living right.  Doing right.  Making sure everything is done the way that God wants.

And there they are, not caring. Doing it wrong!  That’s not right!  It would be very easy to get jealous or judgmental.

And as long as they are the focus, that will happen.  When Jesus it the focus, it’s all ok. Because then He will be glorified and proclaimed, in all things.

And that was Paul’s purpose and point. And that’s what he lived for.  He kept his focus on the right thing.

How do you fight against jealousy?  Keep your focus on the right thing.

Don’t forget, you can click here to download Asbury’s mobile app and read these devotionals, as well as listen to my sermons on your smart phones.

Liar, Lunatic, or Lord

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I’m basically stealing today’s reflection from one of my heroes, CS Lewis.

Lewis had an argument for the divinity of Jesus that went along these lines.  Everyone believes that Jesus was a good moral teacher.  Even folks that don’t believe that He was the Savior of the Son of God, they would believe that He had some really great things to say. Even folks that would discount miracles would like His moral teachings.

But, CS Lewis would say that could not be the case.  Why?

Because Jesus said that He was the Son of God.  Some ways He said this are very bold, others are vague.  But Jesus left no doubt in who He was.  He even knew that folks would not believe Him and said this, in John 10:19-21:

There was again a division among the Jews because of these words. Many of them said, “He has a demon, and is insane; why listen to him?” Others said, “These are not the words of one who is oppressed by a demon. Can a demon open the eyes of the blind?”

451105132_640So, Jesus knew who He was. And Lewis said this, Jesus simply cannot be a great moral teacher.  He claimed to be the Son of God, and  is either a liar, a lunatic, or Lord.

If He’s lying, and not who He says He is, you wouldn’t take moral teaching from a liar, would you?

And if He is suffering illusions of grander, and claimed to be something that He wasn’t, you wouldn’t take moral teaching from him, would you?

No, the only way Jesus’ teaching has any relevance to us is if He is who He said that He is.

Lord.

So, in our lives, if we are going to take His teaching seriously, we must take who He is seriously.  We must take all of Him, not just the parts that we like.  We must follow Him.  We must.

He can’t just be a good man.  He can’t just be a good teacher.  He can’t.  He must be Lord.

Today, in our lives, who is Jesus to us?

Don’t forget, you can click here to download Asbury’s mobile app and read these devotionals, as well as listen to my sermons on your smart phones.

What Matters is Jesus

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One of the struggles for the church when Paul was evangelizing and starting churches was this – how much of the old life and the old tradition should they hold to?  Many of the new believers had come out of the Jewish tradition, while many of the newest believers were Gentiles (non-Jews). So, the question emerged, what should all Christians do?

Should they hold to the traditions of their ancestors and keep the laws about what to eat and what to drink?  Should they hold onto the old?

Or, should they break away completely?  Should they start over and walk away from the old traditions of the past? What are they to do?

Listen to how Paul writes about this in Romans 14: 17-21:

For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking but of righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. Whoever thus serves Christ is acceptable to God and approved by men. So then let us pursue what makes for peace and for mutual upbuilding. Do not, for the sake of food, destroy the work of God. Everything is indeed clean, but it is wrong for anyone to make another stumble by what he eats. It is good not to eat meat or drink wine or do anything that causes your brother to stumble.

cu_jesus_kidsPaul tells us this – what you eat or not eat, that’s not important.  What matters is Jesus and the Holy Spirit. What matters is being lead by the spirit, walking with the spirit, living by the spirit.

Not if you eat clean or unclean, if you wash or don’t wash.

It’s Jesus.

Now, Paul would say that if you choose to eat only certain foods, that’s fine.  Just don’t judge others (who love Jesus) that don’t have the same conviction as you.  If they love Jesus, that’s what matters.

So is it today.  Just because there is something in your life that you feel like is the most important thing in all the world, and someone else doesn’t share that same passion, or doesn’t agree with you, or doesn’t go to the right church, or listen to the right music, or do the “right” thing, it doesn’t mean that they aren’t Christian.

Point folks to Jesus today, not to your traditions or the things that are you preference. Do what you need to do for you faith. But don’t mistake the way that you live your faith out for your faith.

Love others.  Love Jesus.  Point to Jesus.  Live for Him.

And let God take care of the rest!

Don’t forget, you can click here to download Asbury’s mobile app and read these devotionals, as well as listen to my sermons on your smart phones.

It’s Not Fair

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One of the things that we want to do when we are hurt or wounded is to strike back. That’s just our natural response.  Even when we don’t, even when it doesn’t happen, that’s our impulse.  It’s what we want to do.  It’s what happens.

We want to hit back.

I tell people one of the things of the things that gives us great hope in our lives and is our faith is this.  Jesus Christ went though everything that we go through.  Everything.  All the hurt, the pain, the loss, everything.  And in that, He gives us the strength to endure and be faithful in our lives.

Listen to what the Word says in 1 Peter 2:22-23:

He committed no sin, neither was deceit found in his mouth. When he was reviled, he did not revile in return; when he suffered, he did not threaten, but continued entrusting himself to him who judges justly.

its-not-fairHow you feel when you feel abandoned, hurt, betrayed?  Jesus felt that way.

You know how you feel when life is not fair?  You know that feeling of things unfair?  Wrong?  Cruel?  You know that feeling?

Jesus felt it too.

It wasn’t fair for Jesus to suffer and die.  it was not fair for Jesus to take our pain, or failure, our hurt, everything.

It’s not fair for Jesus to have done those things.

And in spite of being unfair, what did he do?  He didn’t respond with anger.  He didn’t strike back.  Even though it wasn’t fair.

Why?  Because He loved us.  Even though it wasn’t fair.  He still loved.  He still cared.  He still showed grace.

Even through it wasn’t fair.

May we do the same.  May we respond today with grace, mercy, joy, and love. Even when it’s not fair. Because it’s what Jesus did.  May, through His strength, may we do that same thing.

Let’s show grace. Even when it’s not fair.

Don’t forget, you can click here to download Asbury’s mobile app and read these devotionals, as well as listen to my sermons on your smart phones.