Tag Archives: Jesus

A Choice

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Life is found in interesting places. One of my favorite books of the Bible is Ecclesiastes. In this book, the author seeks to gain every pleasure in life. He seeks after everything he could possible get. At one point he said that he withholds no pleasure from himself. There’s nothing that he desires that he doesn’t get.

And he says all throughout the book, vanity, vanity, it’s all vanity. In other words, all the things that he thought would give him pleasure and life were really worthless. They didn’t give him pleasure. The didn’t give him life. The left him feeling empty.

Today, Jesus offers us another pathway to life.  Listen to what He says in Luke 9:23-25:

And he said to all, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will save it. For what does it profit a man if he gains the whole world and loses or forfeits himself?

So, today, we see Jesus come with another offer. Instead of seeking to gain our desires and our wants, we should live seeking His. We should lay down our lives for His sake and His kingdom, and in doing that, we find life.

So, today, we are left with a choice. Will we see to live seeking what we want and desire, thinking that this will lead us to happiness and peace. Or will we live seeking not just what God wants, but actually laying down our desires. Not choosing us, but choosing Him?

It’s sounds like a hard choice. But it’s really not. The Word tell us choosing our way leaves us empty. Jesus promises us today that laying down our life for His sake gives us life. And in dying to self and living for Him, we find more life than anything we think this world coud offer.

Today, and each day, we have a choice. Live for us, live for Jesus. Only one road gives life.

Today we a choice. What will we choose?

Almost Missed Jesus

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Listen to what happens today in John 1:45-49. It’s a powerful passage and can be a warning to us today:

Philip found Nathanael and said to him, “We have found him of whom Moses in the Law and also the prophets wrote, Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.” Nathanael said to him, “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?” Philip said to him, “Come and see.” Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward him and said of him, “Behold, an Israelite indeed, in whom there is no deceit!” Nathanael said to him, “How do you know me?” Jesus answered him, “Before Philip called you, when you were under the fig tree, I saw you.” Nathanael answered him, “Rabbi, you are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel!”

What happened here? What is the big deal? Something big. Something huge. Something nearly life changing.  Nathanael almost missed Jesus. He almost missed His chance to encounter Jesus.

Why?

Philip came to him and said, we’ve found the Messiah. Nathanael, when he heard Jesus was from Nazareth assumed nothing good could come from there. Nothing.

So, because of his preconceived ideas, he almost missed Jesus. Because he had prejudged who he though that Jesus was, he almost missed Jesus

That’s a real lesson to us today. Jesus may appear to us in ways that we don’t expect. He may speak to us through things that we’d never expect. He may call us through people we’d never expect.

In Matthew 25, Jesus tells us that when we serve the least of these among us, we are serving Him. In Hebrews, we are reminded to show hospitality, for we never know when we may be entertaining angels.

Believe it not, God wants to speak to you today. Today, quiet yourself. Allow yourself to hear His voice. Allow yourself to really listen for Him today.

And know that He may come to you today in unexpected ways. Through a child. Through someone you don’t like. Through a stranger. Through a trial. Through a challenge.

Though some way you would never expect.

Nathanael almost missed Jesus today. Let’s not make the same mistake. May we be on the lookout for all the ways that Jesus want to speak to us today. And may we be listening.

Braggin’

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As an Ole Miss fan, I don’t get the chance to brag very often on my team. Right now, it’s a lot of holding my head down and avoiding eye contact. One day I may get to.. One day!

In our lives, there are lot of things that we brag on. Our teams. Our families. Our jobs. The things that we do well. Our stuff. Our favorite restaurants. So many things that we enjoy or that are a part of our lives; we enjoy bragging about them.

We all do. If something impacts us or means something to us, we will brag on it.

So, today, let me ask. When was the last time you bragged on Jesus? When was the last you bragged on what He has done in your life and what He’s doing in your life?

Listen to what happens today in John 1:40-42:

One of the two who heard John speak and followed Jesus was Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother. He first found his own brother Simon and said to him, “We have found the Messiah” (which means Christ). He brought him to Jesus. Jesus looked at him and said, “So you are Simon the son of John? You shall be called Cephas” (which means Peter).

We see here in the passage Andrew was affected by Jesus. We see Him changed by following Jesus. So, what does He do? He goes and He finds His brother Peter and says, we have found Him. We have found the Messiah. We have the one that can make a difference in our lives. We have found the one that has made a difference in my life.

He went, and he bragged on Jesus.

So, today, as we spend our time braggin’ on the things that we enjoy and have impacted us, or braggin’ on the things that we are good at, have we taken the time to brag on Jesus? He makes the biggest difference in us all.

Today, and each day, if we brag on anything, may we brag on Jesus.

May we brag on the difference He has made in our lives. May we brag on the change He has brought to our lives. May we brag on the peace, the hope, the life, the joy, the purpose, the very life that He has given.

Cause in the end, what compares to Him? What can this world offer that compares to Him? What can be as great as Him?

So today, as we live our lives, and we tell others about the great things in our lives; the great things we’ve experienced, the great things we’ve see, may Jesus be on the top of that list.

Today, may we spend time braggin’ on Jesus!

The Power to Change

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One of the sayings you hear a lot about Jesus in scripture is that He teaches with one that has authority. The wind and the waves obey Him. The religious leaders are shocked and confused by His teaching. The political leaders are left in silence by what He says. The spirits of evil are forced to leave when He commands them.

He doesn’t live, teach, heal, or care as someone “normal.” We all understand that. After all, He is the son of God. We get it. He comes forth in scripture as one called by God, enabled by God, who is the very Son of God.

He is one that has authority. He is one that has power. He is one that brings, above all, the power to change.

Listen to what we hear in Mark 1:27-28:

And they were all amazed, so that they questioned among themselves, saying, “What is this? A new teaching with authority! He commands even the unclean spirits, and they obey him.” And at once his fame spread everywhere throughout all the surrounding region of Galilee.

Over and over again in scripture, we see Jesus bring the power to change. We see people encounter Jesus, and be changed. We see people convicted of sin, and repent. We see people healed by His touch, His word, His command. We see change occur wherever He goes. All throughout scripture, Jesus brings the power to change.

And He brings that power, not just in scripture, but in our lives as well. He brings the power to change.

We can change. We can be different. We don’t have to be the same. Really. That’s the power and the authority of Jesus. He can change us. He can save us. He can restore us.

He can bring hope, life, and peace. He really can change us. Really.

Today, let’s truly and honestly, give it to Him. Give Him the things that we need to change. That we want to change. That we want to see healing in.

He can do it. And He can do it in us. He is the Son of God. He is life. And He can change us.

Today, may we know the power of life. And may we allow Him to change us more into His likeness.

Words for a New Year

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I write this on January 2, 2012. There’s no telling when you will read this, it may today, or it may six months from now. Who knows. But no matter when you read it, this passage is a powerful call to a great New Year’s resolution, a great daily resolution, a great goal for each day.

Love. That’s the call of Christianity, that’s the command of Jesus Christ to His followers. Listent to what Jesus says in John 15:12-13:

“This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends.

In this passage, it isn’t too much longer until He would be betrayed and handed it over for the cross. He wanted to leave His follower with a clear and concise understanding of what He wanted from them.

He could have said go out there and strive to be perfect with everything you are. He could have said be the more religious person you can think of. He could have given a variety of different commands.

He didn’t. He said this – Love.

But that was always His commandment. What was His greatest commandement for us? Love the Lord your God with all your heart, mind, soul, and your strength. And love your neighbor as yourself.

Love. That’s our command as Christians. And that’s a great resolution for us in 2012, and each day of our lives. To love God with all that we are. And to love each other.

Today, will you love? Even the ones that are hard to love? Even the one’s that don’t make it easy to love? Even the ones that create a challenge to love?

That’s Jesus’ command for us today. And in doing that, we will show the world that we are His disciples. Today, may we follow His command.

Today, may we love.

God With Us

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God with us. That’s the hope of the Christmas season. That’s the hope of really, life. God with us. God of creation, God of redemption, God of salvation.

With us. With you. With me. Today.

Listen to what God says through the prophet Isaiah today:

Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.

That’s the miracle of Christmas. It’s a time of joy and peace. A time to spend with family and friends. A time to worship, to pray. To praise. To focus on what matters the most in our lives. To remember. To refocus. To rejoice.

Immanuel. God with us.

Think about that one simple comment for just a moment right now. There will not be a moment in your life today, a moment that passes by you right now, that God is not with you. A moment where God is not at your right hand. A moment where God is not closer than your next heartbeat.

That’s the miracle of Christmas. God entered into our world. To save His world.

Through the spirit He enters into our lives. To save our lives. And so that we can be a blessing to others.

Today, He is with you. He has not, and will not, leave your side.

Remember that. May the knowledge of His presence guide you, shape you, protect you, keep you, correct you, and encourage you.

Today, God is with us! May we never forget the message of Christmas!

Going through the Motions of Religion

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Normally I reflect upon some daily suggested scriptures that can be found in our weekly Salt and Light bulletin at Asbury.  Today, though, in my own personal devotional time, I read a verse from Matthew 23 that really resonated with me. I wanted to talk a litte about it. Sorry for going off the board!

In Matthew 23, Jesus criticizes the Pharisees. They were the religious teachers of His day. They were the ones that thought the law and were the authorities for most people on what the law required and how a person of faith was supposed to live.

They wanted the people to keep and live by the law, because they were afraid. They remember what happened in the past when the people didn’t keep the law. We see in the Old Testament God say – if you keep the law, you will be blessed and have this land. If you don’t keep it, you will lose it.

The people didn’t keep it. They did their own thing and went their own way. And because of that, they lost the land. So, the leaders associated it, keeping law = land. Breaking law = losing land.

So, they were going to keep the law. And they added to the law their own laws as safeguards. They were’t going to take any chances.

So, when Jesus comes and does things they perceive as breaking law, like healing on the Sabbath, they go crazy. No! You can’t do that! No! Stop it! The reason they go so agree is because they were afraid. They had misplaced keeping the law for the point of faith.

And we see Jesus correct them today. Listen to what He says in Matthew 23:23-24:

“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you tithe mint and dill and cumin, and have neglected the weightier matters of the law: justice and mercy and faithfulness. These you ought to have done, without neglecting the others. You blind guides, straining out a gnat and swallowing a camel!

He said that they had kept parts of the law, but had missed the weightier and more important parts. Justice. Mercy. Faithfulness.

They had “right actions.” But they hadn’t given God their hearts. They were going through the motions of religion. But they had missed the point of it all.

Today, God doesn’t just want you act religious. He wants control of your heart. Because if He has your heart, He will have your actions.

Today, don’t worry about being religious. Worry about giving Him your everything. And if He has your all in all, He will have you actions. Today, don’t worry about going through the motions of religion. Today, make sure you are giving Him the faith of your heart!

And when He has that, you will have all you need!

What to do When Tempted

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There are some things that we are all going to face. There are certain things that every human that has ever lived throughout history has had to face or deal with.

Hunger. Exhaustion. Sadness. Joy. Pain. Wonder. Love. Anger. These are all human emotions, human experiences. Everyone reading this, no matter where you has felt, or will feel these things.

There is another thing that is common to humans. Temptation. Everyone of us in the world will face temptation. Each of us will. It is what it is. It is part of the human experience. We see today, in Matthew 3: 3-4, that even Jesus faced temptation.  Listen to what happened:

And the tempter came and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, command these stones to become loaves of bread.” But he answered, “It is written, “‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.'”

We see the devil come to Him and tempt Him. This is one of the three temptations that Jesus faced in the wilderness.

So, if the devil tempted Jesus, who was, you know, the very son of God, do you thing we will face temptation? Of course we will. You will be tempted. It will happen.

So, what do we do? What do we do when we are tempted? Look what Jesus did. He quoted the Bible back to the devil. He had a firm foundation of scripture that He recite in the time of temptation.

What do we need to do when tempted? First, a verse of two either written down, or even better, committed to memory that you can call up in times of temptation.

For example – James 4:7 – Submit yourselves therefor to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. Know that through the power of the Holy Spirit in your, when we stand upon faith, temptation will flee.

Hebrews 12:4 – In your struggle against sin you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your own blood.

These are just a few, and here is a list of some good verses that may be a help in times of temptation.

And second, pray. When you face temptation, pray. As God to help you. Strengthen you. Uphold you. Be with you. And He will. Turn to Him when you face temptation. And He will be there.

Today, temptation will come. What will you do about it?

Not of this World

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Sometimes as Christians we get too caught up in the stuff of this world.

Now, I’m not just talking about silly stuff that takes up too much of our time (i.e., trying to figure out who Ole Miss’ next coach is going to be), but stuff that is really important. I’m talking about the big things. Stuff that really does matter.

Politics. Money. Our job. The economy. The future. These things are all really important. These things really do matter. These things should concern us.

It’s easy to let all of our time, our efforts, our energy get devoted to these things. It happens to us all. But today, listen to what Jesus says in John 18:36-37.

Jesus answered, “My kingdom is not of this world. If my kingdom were of this world, my servants would have been fighting, that I might not be delivered over to the Jews. But my kingdom is not from the world.” Then Pilate said to him, “So you are a king?” Jesus answered, “You say that I am a king. For this purpose I was born and for this purpose I have come into the world—to bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth listens to my voice.”

First, He is a King. Our best friend, our savior, He is a king. The very one who hears our prayers, who walks with us daily, who advocates to the Father on behalf; He is a King. That should give us confidence and security.

But, His kingdom is not of this world.

And for us as His followers, the subjects in His kingdom, this world is not our home. As much as we love it here. As great as it is. As much joy as it might give us as times. This world is not our home.

We have a better home. We have a better place. We have a place of true life awaiting us. Jesus said that His kingdom is not of this world. And those that know the truth listen to His voice.

Today, listen to His voice. Calling you deeper. Calling you to Him. Calling you past the things that take up all your time and energy and give you such stress. These things that you think offer you true life; but don’t. The things of this world, both good and bad.

Listen to Him. Listen to His voice. Live in your true home.

And today, as Christians, our job is to make this world as much like our true home, as possible. So, we work for good. We love. We serve. We give. We encourage. We forgive. We want to make this earth as much like heaven as possible.

As we pray, Thy will be done on Earth, as it is in Heaven. May we work for this today.

But may we remember, that as great as this life is, this world is not our true home. Today, may we live with eternity in our eye.

It All Comes Down to Jesus

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What matters in life? What matters in faith? What is the most important thing that we can talk about deal, with with, focus on?

For each of us, we have different answers. It may be family. It may be work. It may be million different things.

For some it may be something like politics. It may be something like hobbies or sports teams. It may be something like church denominations or theologies. It could be a number of things for us.

And these things are important to us. But, they are not what is most important. They are not what what matter the most most. What matters the most? What is most important?

Jesus.

Listen to what Pauls says today in Colossians 1:15-20:

He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. For byt him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him. And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together. And he is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent. For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross.

This is what Paul tells us today. Jesus is all that matters. He is the visible image of the invisible God. So, in other words, to see God look at Jesus.

Do you want to really know who God is? Look at Jesus. He shows the heart of God. He reveals who God is.

In Him we see God’s mercy. God’s love. God’s grace. God’s heart. We see the desire of God for all to know Him, and to feel their worth. Through Jesus, we know that no matter what has happened in our lives, God really does love us!

Jesus holds all creation together. Everything was made through Him. All things hold together through Him. He is the head of the church. And through Him God is reconciling all things to Himself.

It all comes down to Jesus. Everything. In life. In faith. In church. In family. In everything. He is what matters the most. He defines it all. He is life.

He is life. Not anything else that we may try to hang our hat on. Jesus.

Today, is He your everything? Does everything come back to Him? Is He your life, your light, your source, your strength?

He is where life is found. In Him and through Him. Today, may He be the foundation of our lives and of all that matters in our lives.

It all comes down to Jesus. Today, may we make Him, and nothing else, the center of lives.