One of the misnomers of the way that people think about the Bible is this. The Old Testament is full of the law and judgement while the New Testament is full of grace and mercy. That sounds right, but in … Continue reading
Mercy
Tag Archives: Life
It all Comes Down to Jesus
Today’s reading is one of my absolute favorites in all the Bible, and I think one of the passages that really shapes our view of who God is. It comes from Colossians 1: 15-20: 15 He is the image of … Continue reading
Plundering the Egyptians’ Gold
Part of the readings that we have within the season of Lent, and now in the season of Easter are readings from the Exodus. Today’s reading has one of my favorite little nuggets in all the Bible within it. Listen … Continue reading
Christ is Risen!
We have walked through these past Forty Days of Lent together. And now, oh now, now we come to Easter. The Lord is Risen. The Lord is Risen indeed! Yes, yesterday was Easter, but we are an Easter people. We … Continue reading
Faith Changes Things
Sorry for the lack of devotionals last week. Things should be back to normal this week! Today we are looking at part of the “Hall of Faith” as found in Hebrews 11. Listen to what it says in Hebrews 11: 23-28: … Continue reading
Where Life Comes From
One of the constant reminders of our faith, truths about our faith is this. Where is it that our strength comes from? 1 Corinthians 1: 26-31 today tells us exactly where that is:
26 Consider your own call, brothers and sisters: not many of you were wise by human standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth. 27But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; 28God chose what is low and despised in the world, things that are not, to reduce to nothing things that are, 29so that no one might boast in the presence of God. 30He is the source of your life in Christ Jesus, who became for us wisdom from God, and righteousness and sanctification and redemption, 31in order that, as it is written, ‘Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord.’
Paul is speaking here to early believers, that were not powerful or wealthy, or had any status at all. He’s telling them, remember, God will take the weak, so that when they boast, they have to boast in the Lord.
God will take the humble, the small, the insignificant and use them. He will use them, so that when they win the battle, there can be no doubt. The victory is because of the Lord.
I once heard a Rabbi say the reason why God chose the nation of Israel in the Old Testament was because He could not find a more insignificant people. That way, with every battle, He would have to the receive the glory.
Look at what the text says in verse 30 – He (God) is the source of your life in Jesus Christ. In other words, our life, our hope, our everything, they are in Jesus Christ. Jesus is our all in all. If we have Him, we have all that we need. If we do not have Him, we have nothing.
Jesus is our life. With Him, there is peace in the storm, there is sense in the madness, there is purpose, there is life.
Without Him, we could have everything, but in the end, have nothing.
Jesus is life. Really. He is. He is life.
And we know Jesus because God has called us to Himself. He is the source of it all. All that is good, all that is pure, all that is life.
It comes from God. That is where life comes from. It all comes from God. And as long as we remember where our life comes from, we will have the joy that comes from that life.
Today, remember where life comes from!
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Day Thirty-Eight with Mark: Mark 10:17-31
Today in Mark we look at Mark 17-31:
17 As he was setting out on a journey, a man ran up and knelt before him, and asked him, “Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” 18 Jesus said to him, “Why do you call me good? No one is good but God alone. 19 You know the commandments: ‘You shall not murder; You shall not commit adultery; You shall not steal; You shall not bear false witness; You shall not defraud; Honor your father and mother.’” 20 He said to him, “Teacher, I have kept all these since my youth.” 21 Jesus, looking at him, loved him and said, “You lack one thing; go, sell what you own, and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; then come, follow me.” 22 When he heard this, he was shocked and went away grieving, for he had many possessions.
23 Then Jesus looked around and said to his disciples, “How hard it will be for those who have wealth to enter the kingdom of God!” 24 And the disciples were perplexed at these words. But Jesus said to them again, “Children, how hard it is to enter the kingdom of God! 25 It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.” 26 They were greatly astounded and said to one another, “Then who can be saved?” 27 Jesus looked at them and said, “For mortals it is impossible, but not for God; for God all things are possible.”
28 Peter began to say to him, “Look, we have left everything and followed you.” 29 Jesus said, “Truly I tell you, there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or fields, for my sake and for the sake of the good news, 30 who will not receive a hundredfold now in this age—houses, brothers and sisters, mothers and children, and fields, with persecutions—and in the age to come eternal life. 31 But many who are first will be last, and the last will be first.”
This is another one of those passages that have a lot going on it in it. Let’s break down what’s happening
First, we see the rich young man. Here’s the take away from him. He was arrogant and thought he had it all together. He was coming to Jesus for affirmation more than for instruction. He thought he had all the answers already.
How do we know this? When Jesus tells him the commandments, he says, I’ve done all this. We also see this in Jesus initial greeting to him, when the man calls Jesus good, Jesus reframes it, saying no one is good but God. And then youth man basically says – nope, I’m good too! This young man things He has it all together and everything is great. And he’s missing the point.
Because next we see Jesus’ response. He loved him. He wasn’t mad at him. Jesus wasn’t trying to punish him. He was trying to set him free. His “stuff” had trapped him and made him a prisoner. Jesus was trying to set him free for real life, because He loved him. But Jesus’ words weren’t what the man wanted to hear. Or what the disciples. wanted to hear.
See because in that culture, wealth = blessing. So, if this rich man lacked what was needed to get into heaven, then who could get in? If he couldn’t make it, then what chance did a regular person have. We see Peter ask this, Lord, what about us? We’ve left everything to follow you.
And Jesus says, and you’ve found true life. True life is in following God. Not in following the world or following power or privilege or anything like. True life is in following Jesus. Even if it costs, it gives you life.
Because He is life. And if we “lose” something to follow, we actually gain. Because we gain life.
Today, may we seek after true life. May we seek after Jesus.
Friday we’ll look at Mark 10:32-44.
What questions do you have? How does this strike you? Shoot me an email, comment below, or connect with me through social media.
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Day Thirty-Four with Mark: Mark 8:27-38
Today we’ll finish out Mark 8 with verses 27-38:
Peter’s Declaration about Jesus
27 Jesus went on with his disciples to the villages of Caesarea Philippi; and on the way he asked his disciples, “Who do people say that I am?” 28 And they answered him, “John the Baptist; and others, Elijah; and still others, one of the prophets.” 29 He asked them, “But who do you say that I am?” Peter answered him, “You are the Messiah.” 30 And he sternly ordered them not to tell anyone about him.Jesus Foretells His Death and Resurrection
31 Then he began to teach them that the Son of Man must undergo great suffering, and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests, and the scribes, and be killed, and after three days rise again. 32 He said all this quite openly. And Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. 33 But turning and looking at his disciples, he rebuked Peter and said, “Get behind me, Satan! For you are setting your mind not on divine things but on human things.”34 He called the crowd with his disciples, and said to them, “If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. 35 For those who want to save their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake, and for the sake of the gospel, will save it. 36 For what will it profit them to gain the whole world and forfeit their life? 37 Indeed, what can they give in return for their life? 38 Those who are ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of them the Son of Man will also be ashamed when he comes in the glory of his Father with the holy angels.”
Today Jesus gives His disciples and His followers perhaps His greatest teaching on what it means to be the Messiah. As we talked about yesterday, people had in their minds what it would be to be the Messiah. So, today starts off with Jesus asking the disciples two HUGE questions.
First, who to do people say that I am? This is important, but not the most important question. What are others saying about Him.
The important one is this. Who do you say that I am? That’s the key question to really all of life. I mean, everything comes down to the answer of that question. Who do you say that I am? Who am I to you?
And in our lives, that really is that key question. Not what do your parents, your friends, your spouse, your children, your neighbors, your church, not what any of these think of Jesus, but what do you think of Jesus?
Who is He to you?
Friends, that truly is the question that matters more than anything else in all of life, because how we answer that question determines everything else.
Well, Peter answers right. He says you are the Messiah. And then Jesus begins to teach about what it meant to be the Messiah. And it wasn’t what Peter was expecting. It wasn’t about being an earthly king. It wasn’t about power or might. But to be the Messiah was about Jesus laying down His life for the sake and for the sins of the world. It was about the perfect Lamb of God, the sinless Son of God, redeeming us.
It wasn’t about power, it was sacrifice. And after the sacrifice, the power of life and resurrection triumph. But to get the triumph, to get to the empty grave, we had to go through the cross.
Well Peter hears this and says, no. That’s not right. That’s not what it means. That can’t be right.
And Jesus rebukes Him. He says – Peter, you are focused on earthly thoughts, not heavenly ones. For to follow Jesus is not the way of power, but of sacrifice. Because true life is not found in receiving, true life is found in giving. The world tells us to receive and receive and receive and receive. Jesus tells us to give. And in giving, we find life.
In laying down our life, we find our lives.
To be a Christian means to follow Jesus. And that’s the path that Jesus walked. And that’s the path He calls us to walk.
It is a path of life. Seriously. It’s the path that gives us life. Loving. Serving. Giving. There is life. It’s what our Lord taught us. May we follow!
Friday we’ll look at Mark 9:1-8.
What questions do you have? How does this strike you? Shoot me an email, comment below, or connect with me through social media.
If you’d like to receive these thoughts by email, be sure to click here and join my email devotional group!
Day Twenty-Six with Mark: Mark 6:45-52
Today in walk together through Mark, we see Jesus perform more healing. Listen to what happens in Mark 6:53-56:
Healing the Sick in Gennesaret
53 When they had crossed over, they came to land at Gennesaret and moored the boat. 54 When they got out of the boat, people at once recognized him, 55 and rushed about that whole region and began to bring the sick on mats to wherever they heard he was. 56 And wherever he went, into villages or cities or farms, they laid the sick in the marketplaces, and begged him that they might touch even the fringe of his cloak; and all who touched it were healed.
We see Jesus come into town after walking on the water, and we see that so many people come to Him for healing. They come from all over. They lay upon mats, they, they bring their friends, they want just a touch of Him, just a brush. People just wanted to touch the fringe of His cloak. This fringe would have been the knots that would have been tied nad untied as Jesus was praying. People knew that if they just had that brief encounter with Jesus, it would change things.
And that’s the truth of Scripture. Jesus changes things. You cannot touch Jesus, you cannot be touched by Jesus, you cannot encounter Him, and not be changed.
Jesus changes things.
We are tempted to look to willpower to change things. Or religion to change things. Or self-awareness to change things. Or many different things to change things.
But in truth, only one thing will change things. Jesus. He changes us. He changes us others. The people in this text understood that. They knew that He would change them.
And today, may we understand it, just the same. Jesus changes us. Changes others. Changes lives. Changes families. Changes the world. Changes churches, communities, everything.
Let’s live in His grace today. And let’s see what He changes in us.
Tomorrow we’ll look at Mark 7:1-23.
What questions do you have? How does this strike you? Shoot me an email, comment below, or connect with me through social media.
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The Answer is Jesus
What do you think of when you think of “witnessing?” When you think about sharing your faith, what do you think?
Many (most) of us don’t like to think about it. Our palms may start sweating. Our heart may start beating faster. We don’t want to do it. Even if we really love Jesus. Even if we know that folks need Him. Even if we want to tell others about Him, it still makes us nervous.
Yeah, I’m a preacher, and I understand! So listen to what we are told today in 1 Peter 3: 14-16:
14 But even if you do suffer for doing what is right, you are blessed. Do not fear what they fear, and do not be intimidated, 15 but in your hearts sanctify Christ as Lord. Always be ready to make your defense to anyone who demands from you an accounting for the hope that is in you; 16 yet do it with gentleness and reverence.
Peter gives us this word. Always be ready to make a defense (other versions say give an answer) for your hope.
Why do you have hope in a bad situation?
Why do you forgive others when they don’t deserve it?
How do you find the strength to get off the mat when knocked down?
How can you love, serve, and give?
Why are you different?
The answer is Jesus. Jesus is why. He is why we have hope, peace, and show mercy. He is why we can believe in the darkest hour. He is why our lives can be restored and bring restoration to others.
The answer is Jesus.
So, today, we witness. But we don’t have to witness with our words. Now hear me, I’m not saying we shouldn’t witness with our words. If the Lord wants you to talk to someone or say something, do it! What you say matters! It really does.
But, our lives, they scream as loudly as words. Today, may we live our that hope. And may our hope be so alive, that folks want to know why we have it.
The answer is Jesus.
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