Digging The Word

Looking For Justice In An Unfair World

2012-01-27T10:46:00.000-05:00

A lesson about prayer teaches us about God's character.

Luke 18:1-8 One day Jesus told his disciples a story to show that they should always pray and never give up.

2 “There was a judge in a certain city,” he said, “who neither feared God nor cared about people. 3 A widow of that city came to him repeatedly, saying, ‘Give me justice in this dispute with my enemy.’

4 The judge ignored her for a while, but finally he said to himself, ‘I don’t fear God or care about people, 5 but this woman is driving me crazy. I’m going to see that she gets justice, because she is wearing me out with her constant requests!’”

6 Then the Lord said, “Learn a lesson from this unjust judge. 7 Even he rendered a just decision in the end. So don’t you think God will surely give justice to his chosen people who cry out to him day and night? Will he keep putting them off? 8 I tell you, he will grant justice to them quickly! But when the Son of Man returns, how many will he find on the earth who have faith?”

Jesus wanted to teach his disciples some more about prayer, he had already granted their request to learn how to pray in Luke 11:1-4 when he gave them what we call "The Lord's Prayer." This time around he wanted to teach them about the longevity of prayer and the nature of the person that we are praying to.

In Jesus lesson about praying, he talks about the persistence that may be required before getting an answer and he talks about seeking justice from God for the wrongs that are committed against us.

Our God loves justice

Job 34:12 Truly, God will not do wrong. The Almighty will not twist justice.

Psalm 99:4 Mighty King, lover of justice, you have established fairness. You have acted with justice and righteousness throughout Israel.

Jesus told his disciples that they should be faithful in prayer, doing it always without giving up, just like a nagging woman that won't stop. The judge in the story made it clear that he didn't play favorites and that he was fair with everybody. That's how it is with God, he is our impartial judge and he will bring justice, it ia a part of his nature that cannot be changed.

We may have to pray for a long time about the same injustice but we can have hope in the fact that God is just and he will eventually make everything right in this world. No wrong will go without punishment except for the wrongs that have been forgiven by Jesus blood.

God wants us to be just

Zechariah 7:9 “This is what the LORD of Heaven’s Armies says: Judge fairly, and show mercy and kindness to one another. 10 Do not oppress widows, orphans, foreigners, and the poor. And do not scheme against each other.

The world that we live in is a very unfair place, things happen everyday to people that don't deserve it and other people get away with stuff that they shouldn't have. God wants us to seek justice but it is something that we should seek for others more than for ourselves.

Mercy and kindness should rule in our lives and we should strive to treat other people fairly. Throughout the Bible we find the message from God to deny ourselves, treat each other fairly and help out everybody that you can, we should let our heavenly father be the just judge that he is and let him deal with the wrongs that are made against us.

God's justice is:	Impartial	Infallible	Inescapable	In Christ
	1 Peter 1:17	Hebrews 4:13	Romans 2:3	Romans 3:25-26

I need to be nice at all times, at home, at work and in traffic between those two places. Help me to be forgiving.

Help me Lord to reverse the trend of society by helping others and being nice in this world that needs a lot more niceness. Help me to pray without ceasing for all of my needs.

God Says "Trust Me" And He Means It

2012-01-25T07:24:00.000-05:00

If I could just be as faithful as God is to his promises.

2 Timothy 2:11-13 This is a trustworthy saying:

If we die with him, we will also live with him.

If we endure hardship, we will reign with him.

If we deny him, he will deny us.

If we are unfaithful, he remains faithful, for he cannot deny who he is.

Trust me! Usually when you hear those words you know that you need to proceed carefully, but not so when the one saying "trust me" is our God, when he tells you to trust him, you can take it to the bank.

"If" is a tiny little word with a lot of power, it is a word that invites us to make a choice, in this scripture we have an invitation to live a new life. Paul wrote this message to Timothy, who was being mentored by Paul, he gave Timothy an invitation to a new way of life.

Not an invitation like some preachers are offering today, it isn't an invite to health, wealth and happiness, rather it is quite the opposite. Paul is saying that if we die to self and if we endure hardship, then things will be better. You have an invitation to live for Christ and make your life count, the invite that Paul gave says that we will live and reign with God, we will get a new life. It looks a lot like the invitation that Jesus gave us.

"If" means that you have a choice.

Mark 8:34-38 “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must turn from your selfish ways, take up your cross, and follow me. 35 If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for my sake and for the sake of the Good News, you will save it. 36 And what do you benefit if you gain the whole world but lose your own soul? 37 Is anything worth more than your soul? 38 If anyone is ashamed of me and my message in these adulterous and sinful days, the Son of Man will be ashamed of that person when he returns in the glory of his Father with the holy angels.”

It is only an offer, nobody is pushing you into anything, the offer that Jesus made to us is to be his follower, sounds like a good idea, but what does it take to be his follower?

There are two things that I must do and two things that I cannot do. Jesus said that to be his follower I must not be selfish, or ashamed and that I must take up my cross and give up my life. Jesus said that if I want to really live then it has to be in a way that doesn't indulge my human tendency toward self preservation.

God can be trusted.

Numbers 23: 19 God is not a man, so he does not lie. He is not human, so he does not change his mind. Has he ever spoken and failed to act? Has he ever promised and not carried it through?

Who are you going to trust in? Here are a few people that would help you with the answer:

Joshua reminded the children of Israel that "every promise of the LORD your God has come true" (Joshua 23:14)
Abraham knew that God would be faithful to his promise. (Romans 4:20-22)
King David spoke of the Lord's faithfulness over and over again. (Psalm 25:10, 31:5, 33:4)

God asks that we give up a lot to follow him. That shouldn't be such a scary thing for us to do when we realize that his faithfulness is worthy of our trust.

Help me Lord to trust in you one hundred percent.

Business As Usual

2012-01-24T09:46:00.000-05:00

Are you ready to fly when Jesus returns?

Luke 17:26-30 “When the Son of Man returns, it will be like it was in Noah’s day. 27 In those days, the people enjoyed banquets and parties and weddings right up to the time Noah entered his boat and the flood came and destroyed them all.

28 “And the world will be as it was in the days of Lot. People went about their daily business—eating and drinking, buying and selling, farming and building— 29 until the morning Lot left Sodom. Then fire and burning sulfur rained down from heaven and destroyed them all.

30 Yes, it will be ‘business as usual’ right up to the day when the Son of Man is revealed.

Throughout scripture we can see plenty of examples of people being caught off guard when God decides that it is time to judge. It could be that he judges the whole world or a single individual, the people involved are never ready for God's mercy to end.

Imagine what you would think the first time that you saw Noah building a huge boat, would you be concerned at all? How about when the animals started gathering around in pairs? Would it still be business as usual? (Genesis 6:1-22)

The people of Sodom were carrying on with their lives doing whatever they pleased when the day came that God ended their lives. The fiances of Lot's daughters thought it was a big joke. Nobody realized that they would not be having breakfast that morning. (Genesis 19:1-29)

The children of Israel were losing battles and didn't have any idea why. Achan knew why, but he thought that he would get away with it, so he was living his life "business as usual" when judgement came he definitely wasn't ready. (Joshua 7:1-26)

Judgment will come, but God prefers mercy.

Ezekiel 33:10-11 “Son of man, give the people of Israel this message: You are saying, ‘Our sins are heavy upon us; we are wasting away! How can we survive?’ As surely as I live, says the Sovereign LORD, I take no pleasure in the death of wicked people. I only want them to turn from their wicked ways so they can live. Turn! Turn from your wickedness, O people of Israel! Why should you die?

We can kid ourselves into thinking that everything is going to be okay and live life "business as usual" but God is in control and his plans will go on, judgement will happen. Man has been trying to figure out the date of Christ return ever since Jesus day. We are so busy asking the wrong question, one that we cannot even answer, that we neglect the most important question. Here is a better question: When he comes will you be ready?

When Christ returns to get his church it will be business as usual for most people, that isn't the way that God wants it to be, he is a God of love and so he gives us many opportunities to accept his gift of mercy, but he knows that some people will not accept it.

Your complacency will do you in.

Zephaniah 1:12 “I will search with lanterns in Jerusalem’s darkest corners to punish those who sit complacent in their sins. They think the LORD will do nothing to them, either good or bad.

Prophecy has been coming true for thousands of years but does anybody really care? Are we paying attention? God has proven his love and mercy for so long and he has also shown us what he must do if we refuse it, but do we care? Judgment day is coming and we must be careful that we not grow complacent and allow it to catch us by surprise like a thief in the night. (1 Thessalonians 5:1-4)

Thank you Lord for your free gift of salvation that you have given to me because of your love and mercy. I must tell others of your love and how you want to give mercy and love instead of judgement.

God Blesses More Than We Thank

2012-01-21T08:21:00.000-05:00

One out of ten lepers appreciate Jesus

Luke 17:11-19 As Jesus continued on toward Jerusalem, he reached the border between Galilee and Samaria. 12 As he entered a village there, ten lepers stood at a distance, 13 crying out, “Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!” 14 He looked at them and said, “Go show yourselves to the priests.” And as they went, they were cleansed of their leprosy.

15 One of them, when he saw that he was healed, came back to Jesus, shouting, “Praise God!” 16 He fell to the ground at Jesus’ feet, thanking him for what he had done. This man was a Samaritan.

17 Jesus asked, “Didn’t I heal ten men? Where are the other nine? 18 Has no one returned to give glory to God except this foreigner?” 19 And Jesus said to the man, “Stand up and go. Your faith has healed you.”

Modern medicine has an effective treatment for leprosy but back in ancient civilizations it was greatly feared and those that were affected had to isolate themselves from society.

There were different methods that Jesus used when he healed somebody, in this situation he told the guys to go see the priest before they were actually healed. The Old Testament law said that they were to go to the priest after they were healed so that he could verify the healing and offer an animal sacrifice as part of a cleansing ritual. (Leviticus 14:1-32)

The ten left Jesus to go to see the priest and then on the way there they were healed. Out of ten that needed relief, there was only one that returned to Jesus and this one happened to be a Samaritan, the people that the Jews despised. The crowd must have groaned when Jesus pointed that out to them.

We can never thank God enough for his kindness.

Psalm 95:6-9 Come, let us worship and bow down. Let us kneel before the LORD our maker, for he is our God. We are the people he watches over, the flock under his care. If only you would listen to his voice today! The LORD says, “Don’t harden your hearts as Israel did at Meribah, as they did at Massah in the wilderness. For there your ancestors tested and tried my patience, even though they saw everything I did.

Ninety percent of the men healed that day did not acknowledge that God had blessed them and changed their lives. That statistic probably stands true for every generation that has ever lived. We do not acknowledge God's love and compassion for all of the blessings that we have been given. His chosen people took him for granted and we all do the same. Worship was the appropriate response to the touch of Jesus in his life, Luke's gospel says that the man fell at Jesus feet and said “Praise God!” How often do we remember to stop and run to Jesus feet?

Reasons why people forget God

Easy circumstances Dt 6:10-12
Idolatry Jdg 8:33-34
Pride and stubbornness Ne 9:16

Consequences of people forgetting God

Spiritual adultery Hos 1:2
Social decay Hos 4:1-3
The destruction of the nation Dt 8:19-20
The death of the sinner Ps 9:17

God has healed me and provided for every need that I have ever had, he has blessed me a lot more than I have ever said "thank you." I need to remember that I was made to worship him and I have more than enough reasons to do so.

Thank you Lord for all of your blessing. From salvation from my sins to the awesome planet that you chose to create for my pleasure to the daily provisions that you have provided, there isn't anyway to adequately say thank you.

You might like to read:
Video - A Psalm Of Thanks // I Am Thankful For God's Goodness // Take, Eat And Drink

Loving Your Neighbor Isn't Optional

2012-01-18T09:50:00.000-05:00

The rich man had no concern for people in need.

Luke 16:19-23; 31 Jesus said, “There was a certain rich man who was splendidly clothed in purple and fine linen and who lived each day in luxury.

20 At his gate lay a poor man named Lazarus who was covered with sores. 21 As Lazarus lay there longing for scraps from the rich man’s table, the dogs would come and lick his open sores.

22 “Finally, the poor man died and was carried by the angels to be with Abraham. The rich man also died and was buried, 23 and his soul went to the place of the dead.

There, in torment, he saw Abraham in the far distance with Lazarus at his side.

31 “But Abraham said, ‘If they won’t listen to Moses and the prophets, they won’t listen even if someone rises from the dead.’”

Earlier in this chapter in Luke, we learned that Jesus wants us to use our money to benefit others, after being mocked, Jesus tells the parable of the Rich man and Lazarus to drive home the point.

The first character in the story is the rich man, this guy had it all, clothing, food, luxury, he even had a home that was nice enough to have a gate. He had the "American dream" type of lifestyle.

The second character in the story was a very poor man that had nothing but sores and hunger pains, he wasn't living the dream, he had to deal with sores all over his body and constant pains.

We don't know much about the rich guy, we just know that his main sins are neglect of the poor man and making an idol out of his wealth. He didn't realize that Jesus taught us that people matter more than money and that we should use money to win people to faith in Christ.

Jesus was very serious about loving our neighbor.

Matthew 25:42-46 For I was hungry and you gave Me nothing to eat; I was thirsty and you gave Me nothing to drink; 43 I was a stranger and you didn’t take Me in; I was naked and you didn’t clothe Me, sick and in prison and you didn’t take care of Me.’ 44 “Then they too will answer, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry, or thirsty, or a stranger, or without clothes, or sick, or in prison, and not help You?’ 45 “Then He will answer them, ‘I assure you: Whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for Me either.’ 46 “And they will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.”

The decision to believe that Jesus is God's Son and that he came to earth to pay for the consequences of your sin is your most important decision. The next decision is a natural followup to the first, loving your neighbor in the same manner that God loved you, the two are so closely related that it is almost impossible to separate them. The Apostle John had a hard time with the idea, he said:

Is that even possible?

1 John 3:16-17 We know what real love is because Jesus gave up his life for us. So we also ought to give up our lives for our brothers and sisters. If someone has enough money to live well and sees a brother or sister in need but shows no compassion—how can God’s love be in that person?

Friend or foe my neighbor deserves my love and compassion because of the undeserved love that I received from God through his son. Not loving the people that God has placed around me is not an option.

Lord, help me to love the way that you loved me.

You might like to read:
God's Adoption Program // We Will See Them Again // The Golden Rule

Can You See Me Now?

2012-01-17T09:27:00.000-05:00

The Pharisees loved for people to admire them.

Luke 16:14 The Pharisees, who dearly loved their money, heard all this and scoffed at him.

15 Then he said to them, “You like to appear righteous in public, but God knows your hearts. What this world honors is detestable in the sight of God.

Proverbs 21:2 People may be right in their own eyes, but the Lord examines their heart.

The Pharisees have an addiction problem, if there had been a local chapter for "Be Seen As Righteous Aholics" then they would have to signup. They were so full of self righteousness that they were rebellious right to God's face.

In the last blog post we were looking at "Using Your Money Wisely" In that lesson Jesus taught about the use of money, a subject that the average church goer hates to hear and the Pharisees didn't like it either and in a style similar to the Pharisees, a lot of us react negatively as well.

There were many times that the reaction to Jesus teaching was scoffing or mocking, the Pharisees wanted to appear righteous and honorable, but Jesus would expose them as less. The Pharisees should be mad, after-all they have spent a lot of time on their image and then Jesus has the nerve to tell them that they don't measure up, he tells them that they wasted their time because he looks at the inside.

Jesus stressed the importance of a good heart, he doesn't like heart problems, he said that the people with a pure heart will be blessed (Matthew 5:8), he said that I am to love God with all of my heart (Matthew 22:37), he said that good deeds can only come from a good heart (Luke 6:45).

The Pharisees were known for their "book learnin'" but Proverbs says that they will never get it:

A mocker seeks wisdom and never finds it. Mockers hate to be corrected, so they stay away from the wise. Mockers are proud and haughty; they act with boundless arrogance.- Proverbs 14:6, 15:12, 21:24

I must be careful that I assess who I am and if I am living with God's approval. I can easily have man's approval for a while but God's assessment of my condition is the one that matters. I need to remember that Jesus said that his own heart is gentle and humble (Matthew 11:29) and remember that he wants the same from me.

Help me Lord to inspect myself accurately when I hear a teacher or pastor sharing about your ways.

You might like to read:
Humility Is More Important Than You Think // God's Way // Are You Looking Good

Using Your Money Wisely

2012-01-15T06:15:00.000-05:00

Don't try to hog it all for yourself.

Luke 16:9-13 Here’s the lesson: Use your worldly resources to benefit others and make friends. Then, when your earthly possessions are gone, they will welcome you to an eternal home.

10 “If you are faithful in little things, you will be faithful in large ones. But if you are dishonest in little things, you won’t be honest with greater responsibilities. 11 And if you are untrustworthy about worldly wealth, who will trust you with the true riches of heaven? 12 And if you are not faithful with other people’s things, why should you be trusted with things of your own?"

13 “No one can serve two masters.For you will hate one and love the other; you will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.”

Just about everybody loves money, some love to save it but most people love to spend it. In today's verses Jesus tells us that our allegiance to money and our faith in what it can do for us is at odds with our faith in God. God tells us to use our money for his purposes.

Jesus told a parable about a dishonest manager that is a little bit confusing, after-all isn't honesty the best policy, that's what I was always told. We need to realize that the dishonesty wasn't the point of the story.

Jesus said that the world's wisdom was better than the wisdom of some his followers.

Proverbs 23:4-5 Don’t wear yourself out trying to get rich. Be wise enough to know when to quit. 5 In the blink of an eye wealth disappears, for it will sprout wings and fly away like an eagle.

Jesus explains that the point of the story is that the manager used the money to benefit other people so that later they would recall his kindness and they would help him out. Jesus told us that unbelievers typically deal financially with each other so that they will win friends, whereas the believers often fail to use their financial resources to win people to faith, who will become their friends forever in heaven. The world tells us to use people to get money but Jesus says that people matter more than money and that we should use money to get more people.

We all have resources that we use everyday, the problem is that we usually use them for our own immediate satisfaction, we normally think of using our resources for our own benefit and we neglect to use them for the benefit of others or in order to advance God's kingdom.

Loving my money is a huge mistake and I will be severely disappointed when it disappears, but the friends that we win for Christ will be our friends forever, they will become part of the treasure that we are supposed to be storing up in heaven. (Luke 12:33-34)

You might like to read:
What's In Your Wallet? // What's Important To You // Mercy! Do I Have To Do That?

Welcome Home

2012-01-12T12:06:00.000-05:00

Have you ever had a crazy idea that you needed to be rescued from?

Luke 15:11-13, 20 To illustrate the point further, Jesus told them this story: “A man had two sons. 12 The younger son told his father, ‘I want my share of your estate now before you die.’ So his father agreed to divide his wealth between his sons.

13 “A few days later this younger son packed all his belongings and moved to a distant land, and there he wasted all his money in wild living.

20 “So he returned home to his father. And while he was still a long way off, his father saw him coming. Filled with love and compassion, he ran to his son, embraced him, and kissed him.

Where did you get an idea like that? Maybe you have said those words to somebody or maybe those words have been said to you. Have you ever heard of the guy that sold every pixel of a webpage? He made a million dollars doing it. Crazy ideas can be good as long as they are not morally wrong.

Jesus paints a vivid picture for us in the parable of the prodigal son, he shows us the decisions that we make and what we do and then he shows us how God reacts.

What we do to ourselves:	What God does for us:
Approach God with selfishness Approach God with greed We separate ourselves from God We are not good stewards We lose our values We feel ashamed	Gives generously Allows us to go Waits anxiously for our return Has compassion Loves us without regrets or a grudge Celebrates our return and restoration

The craziest idea has to be to walk away from our heavenly Father and think that the grass is greener somewhere else. We all do it, we think that if we choose our own way then things will turn out better, we think that we will have more fill in the blank. Just like a child going at it with his earthly father we do the same thing with God, we usually don't know what's good for us as much as our earthly father and we surely know a lot less than our heavenly father.

Need to get back home? Don't be afraid to go.

Luke 15:23-24 We must celebrate with a feast, for this son of mine was dead and has now returned to life. He was lost, but now he is found.’ So the party began.

If you moved away from home, remember that God is waiting with open arms to treat you better than you deserve, he is ready to celebrate your return. There isn't any room for grudges or revenge, the son that stayed home resented the fathers welcome to the prodigal son, he couldn't stand the celebration. We should celebrate the father's merciful attitude, after-all we have all benefited from it.

You might like to read:
What's Important To You // Do This Lord, And I Promise // What Were You Thinking

You Can't Reach The Lost If You Hide From Them

2012-01-11T05:00:00.000-05:00

Do you rejoice when the lost are found?

Luke 15:1-10 Tax collectors and other notorious sinners often came to listen to Jesus teach. 2 This made the Pharisees and teachers of religious law complain that he was associating with such sinful people—even eating with them!

3 So Jesus told them this story: 4 “If a man has a hundred sheep and one of them gets lost, what will he do? Won’t he leave the ninety-nine others in the wilderness and go to search for the one that is lost until he finds it? 5 And when he has found it, he will joyfully carry it home on his shoulders. 6 When he arrives, he will call together his friends and neighbors, saying, ‘Rejoice with me because I have found my lost sheep.’ 7 In the same way, there is more joy in heaven over one lost sinner who repents and returns to God than over ninety-nine others who are righteous and haven’t strayed away!

8 “Or suppose a woman has ten silver coins and loses one. Won’t she light a lamp and sweep the entire house and search carefully until she finds it? 9 And when she finds it, she will call in her friends and neighbors and say, ‘Rejoice with me because I have found my lost coin.’ 10 In the same way, there is joy in the presence of God’s angels when even one sinner repents.”

Eating with sinners! How could Jesus do that again? The Pharisees fussed at him before when he was having dinner with the "scum" right after he asked one of those "scum" to be his disciple. (Luke 5:30-32) After that incident Jesus still had the nerve to feed over 5,000 people, and you can imagine that there must have been some lowlife people there that day. (Luke 9:10-17)

Jesus always makes things simple and to all of this criticism Jesus explains a very simple concept: "To reach sinners you can't avoid them." How could anybody find anything that is lost if they avoid the places where the lost thing could be? Easy enough?

We have all been lost sheep.

1 Peter 2:25 Once you were like sheep who wandered away. But now you have turned to your Shepherd, the Guardian of your souls.

The Pharisees didn't realize that at the foot of the cross we are all equal, we are all lost sheep and we are all worth looking for. Jesus knew that none of us is worthy but by his grace he has enabled us to be friends of God. (Romans 5:11)

These two parables about things that are lost are telling me that:

I have to get out there away from the safety of the flock, go find a lost sheep and bring him back to the Savior.
I need to turn on the lights and pierce the darkness so that the lost can be found.

Thank you Lord for saving me and calling me your friend. Help me to feel a stronger urgency to find the lost.

You might like to read:
Satan In A Pinch // I Am Thankful For God's Deliverance // Be Born Again

What's Important To You

2012-01-09T06:56:00.000-05:00

Your actions should be matched up with the right attitude.

Luke 14:25-30, 33 A large crowd was following Jesus. He turned around and said to them, 26 “If you want to be my disciple, you must hate everyone else by comparison—your father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters—yes, even your own life. Otherwise, you cannot be my disciple. 27 And if you do not carry your own cross and follow me, you cannot be my disciple.

28 “But don’t begin until you count the cost. For who would begin construction of a building without first calculating the cost to see if there is enough money to finish it? 29 Otherwise, you might complete only the foundation before running out of money, and then everyone would laugh at you. 30 They would say, ‘There’s the person who started that building and couldn’t afford to finish it!’

33 So you cannot become my disciple without giving up everything you own.

Popularity polls can be very misleading, they seek to know who is popular but they never ask why that person is popular, somebodies popularity could be based on misconceptions instead of reality.

In this scripture today, Jesus popularity was way up, the crowds are all excited and willing to follow him around as he teaches, heals and gives away free food. But was his popularity based on misconceptions about who he is and what his agenda is? It looks like following Jesus is a free ride, he talks about love, he feeds us and he keeps us healthy.

Jesus wasn't ever slow to set the record straight and today's scripture is no exception. Jesus told the crowd that "following" him required so much more than just "following" him through the dusty streets of Israel. Jesus told them that their allegiance would have to change, he told them that they would have to change their attitude and their actions.

Attitude is everything in following Jesus, trying to make yourself great or following just for the rewards is futile and if you think that a rigorous compliance to all of the rules will get you anywhere then you need to talk to the apostle Paul about his Pharisee days.

Right behind attitude is your actions, denying yourself and accepting the cross that Jesus has asked you to carry should only come from someone having the proper attitude, if you try to carry your cross with the wrong attitude then you won't carry it very far before you decide that it isn't worth it.

Is it worth it to give up so much for Jesus?

Matthew 11:28-30 Then Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light.”

It seems like you are giving up so much, Jesus is asking you to live a different lifestyle from the rest of the world, but what does the world really have to offer? Wouldn't you rather live for so much more?

The world is trying to sell you on ways to find joy, peace and happiness but the only way to get lasting results is from following Jesus Christ, he said that we will receive many benefits from following him and that carrying our cross will be so worth it. (Matthew 7:24-25, 19:29, Mark 10:29-30, Luke 11:28, John 14:27, 15:10-1)

You might like to read:
Joseph Makes The Right Choice // Obedience Brings Blessings // Deny Yourself

Humility Is More Important Than You Think

2012-01-07T09:28:00.000-05:00

Jesus shares some tips on humility with us.

Luke 14:7-14 When Jesus noticed that all who had come to the dinner were trying to sit in the seats of honor near the head of the table, he gave them this advice:

8 “When you are invited to a wedding feast, don’t sit in the seat of honor. What if someone who is more distinguished than you has also been invited? 9 The host will come and say, ‘Give this person your seat.’ Then you will be embarrassed, and you will have to take whatever seat is left at the foot of the table!

10 “Instead, take the lowest place at the foot of the table. Then when your host sees you, he will come and say, ‘Friend, we have a better place for you!’ Then you will be honored in front of all the other guests. 11 For those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.”

12 Then he turned to his host. “When you put on a luncheon or a banquet,” he said, “don’t invite your friends, brothers, relatives, and rich neighbors. For they will invite you back, and that will be your only reward. 13 Instead, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, and the blind. 14 Then at the resurrection of the righteous, God will reward you for inviting those who could not repay you.”

Here are some practical tips from Jesus to help you save face:

1. If you are a dinner guest, remember that somebody more important may be there, don't take a chance on getting pushed out of the best seat.

2. If you are hosting a party, don't invite the important people, all of the rich people and your friends that can pay you back.

In both scenarios we find that we have to make a choice to look out for others ahead of ourselves. You see the party may not be all about you, that can be hard to believe, we get caught up in our own importance and we forget that the rest of the world may not be as impressed as we are with ourselves.

We want to do just enough for other people so that we won't be embarrassed when they out do us. Sometimes we find that we do unto others that will do back for us, if I give then I will get, but Jesus said to give to those that won't give you a payback.

We need to get rid of our pride because it gets in the way of loving people the way that Jesus wants us to, our pride is a sign that we don't see others as valuable as Jesus wants us to see them. We can't see their value when ours is so inflated, we can't see their needs if we are staring at our own needs all of the time.

Why do we hold on to pride?

1 Peter 5:6-7 So humble yourselves under the mighty power of God, and at the right time he will lift you up in honor. 7 Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you.

Fear gets in the way of humility but I should remember that the Bible tells me that God is almighty and he cares for me, I can be humble and I can give up all of my worries because I know that the almighty God is looking out for me better than I can ever do.

In God's economy the first are last and the lowly are exalted, look at the example set by Jesus when he came to earth, he came humbly and gave up his rights and honor that was due to him and yet now he is in the seat of honor at God's right hand. (1 Corinthians 15:24-25, Hebrews 10:12)

Who am I Lord that you are thinking of me? Since you are thinking of me I don't need to, help me to be humble, to see the world through your eyes and help me put others first.

You might like to read:
Jesus Kingdom Isn't About Your Rank // Are You Looking Good // Greatness Redefined

God Has A Bad Reputation

2012-01-03T03:30:00.000-05:00

The Pharisees are impossible with all of their rules.

Luke 13:10-16 One Sabbath day as Jesus was teaching in a synagogue, 11 he saw a woman who had been crippled by an evil spirit. She had been bent double for eighteen years and was unable to stand up straight.

12 When Jesus saw her, he called her over and said, “Dear woman, you are healed of your sickness!” 13 Then he touched her, and instantly she could stand straight. How she praised God!

14 But the leader in charge of the synagogue was indignant that Jesus had healed her on the Sabbath day. “There are six days of the week for working,” he said to the crowd. “Come on those days to be healed, not on the Sabbath.”

15 But the Lord replied, “You hypocrites! Each of you works on the Sabbath day! Don’t you untie your ox or your donkey from its stall on the Sabbath and lead it out for water? 16 This dear woman, a daughter of Abraham, has been held in bondage by Satan for eighteen years. Isn’t it right that she be released, even on the Sabbath?”

Jesus was teaching in the synagogue when he noticed that a woman in the congregation had a physical deformity and he had compassion on her. A demon had afflicted a woman for 18 years and suddenly the demon was homeless, Jesus kicked him out with just one touch.

Jesus had cast out the demon and straightened her spine with one simple touch and the woman was praising God, but not everybody was happy about it. What about the man in charge of the synagogue, well he told her that she should have waited for her healing to come on the right day.

Every Jew had the compassion to take their farm animals to water instead of making them go an entire day without and yet they criticized Jesus for reaching out his hand and touching a woman with an earnest need. The sabbath rules were never meant to be of more importance that helping your neighbor.

How did they come to the point where they forgot that God is love? When did we get to the point that we decided that God is rules?

God is love

Psalm 86:15 But you, O Lord, are a God of compassion and mercy, slow to get angry and filled with unfailing love and faithfulness.

God wants obedience and a willing heart to do what is right. Yes he is a God of judgement and he will punish those that do not accept the gift of salvation but ultimately God is love, he shows his love to his children and to those that do not believe yet. God loves us enough that he sent his son to die for our sins while we were still his enemy.

Thank you Lord for building a bridge so that I can have a relationship with you.

You might like to read:
Suffering Doesn't Always Come From Judgment // The Night That Changed Everything // How Generous Will I Be

Suffering Doesn't Always Come From Judgment

2012-01-01T05:30:00.000-05:00

Nobody is immune from suffering here but will you suffer the ultimate tragedy?

Luke 13:1-5 About this time Jesus was informed that Pilate had murdered some people from Galilee as they were offering sacrifices at the Temple.

2 “Do you think those Galileans were worse sinners than all the other people from Galilee?” Jesus asked. “Is that why they suffered? 3 Not at all! And you will perish, too, unless you repent of your sins and turn to God. 4 And what about the eighteen people who died when the tower in Siloam fell on them? Were they the worst sinners in Jerusalem? 5 No, and I tell you again that unless you repent, you will perish, too.”

Ever since the beginning of time, man has supposed that if he did the right things that only good would come his way, if you do bad stuff or neglect to do good stuff then you will be punished. The book of Job is thought to be the oldest book of the Bible and in it we see that Job's friends used this logic on poor Job. We have all heard of ancient civilizations that offered sacrifices to the god's so that they will in favored by them, if you forget to sacrifice to the rain god and you will be going through a drought, that's the rationale they used. (Ecclesiastes 9:1)

In today's scripture we see that Jesus changed the direction of the conversation from a political tragedy, to a natural catastrophe. He told the crowds that in either situation the catastrophe didn't happen because the people were out of God's favor.

Instead of trying to determine a cause for the tragedies, Jesus tells them that they need to be ready for eternity, no matter what causes them to get there. The good news is that we don't have to die, Jesus said that there is a way to avoid death which is the ultimate in suffering.

"You will perish, too, unless you repent of your sins and turn to God."

Only repentance can change death from a tragic end into a bridge to a new life, we cannot avoid this tragedy by being good or being in the right family, just as descendants of Abraham didn't automatically have God's favor. (Luke 3:8) It isn't about who you are but instead it is about who he is and what he has done for us.

We don't have to perish.

John 3:16 “For God loved the world so much that he gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life."

I am going to suffer in this world but thankfully I do not have to suffer the ultimate tragedy of death. Thank you Jesus for changing my final destination.

You might like to read:
God's Adoption Program // The Golden Rule // Pop Quiz

The Promised Light Is Here

2011-12-29T10:30:00.000-05:00

Jesus love and faithfulness brings light to everyone.

John 1:1-14 In the beginning the Word already existed. The Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He existed in the beginning with God. 3 God created everything through him, and nothing was created except through him.

4 The Word gave life to everything that was created,and his life brought light to everyone. 5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness can never extinguish it.

6 God sent a man, John the Baptist, 7 to tell about the light so that everyone might believe because of his testimony. 8 John himself was not the light; he was simply a witness to tell about the light. 9 The one who is the true light, who gives light to everyone, was coming into the world.

10 He came into the very world he created, but the world didn’t recognize him. 11 He came to his own people, and even they rejected him. 12 But to all who believed him and accepted him, he gave the right to become children of God. 13 They are reborn—not with a physical birth resulting from human passion or plan, but a birth that comes from God.

14 So the Word became human and made his home among us. He was full of unfailing love and faithfulness. And we have seen his glory, the glory of the Father’s one and only Son.

Did you hear the good news? The light that was promised for hundreds of years (Numbers 24:17, Isaiah 9:2, Malachi 4:2) is finally here, that's right, the one that said at the beginning of creation "Let there be light" was now here in the world that he made. He had John come to get people ready (Luke 1:77-79) for his arrival, he is coming to bring light to everyone, but so many people didn't notice.

Jesus entered our world and was ignored like an artist that visits a museum to see his own masterpiece and nobody realizes that he is right there in front of them, the artist hears the praise and the criticism from the observers, they would probably be embarrassed if they knew he heard them.

Are you living in the dark?

John 8:12, 12:46 “I am the light of the world. If you follow me, you won’t have to walk in darkness, because you will have the light that leads to life. I have come as a light into the world, so that everyone who believes in Me would not remain in darkness."

Jesus gave us the ability to exit the darkness and step into the light. I say he gives us the ability because he doesn't push us into the light, actually he said that a lot of us would love the darkness instead and they will hate the light, they don't want to face the facts that the light exposes. (John 3:18-21)

I want to stay in the light, in order to stay there comfortably requires that I stay away from sin, the light tells on us so we can't stay in it if we are up to no good. It is difficult to stay in the light if selfishness, gossip and pride are being exposed all the time.

Thank you Lord for bringing light to this dark world.

You might like to read:
The Night That Changed Everything // The Not So "Silent Night" // Toby Mac Song "In The Light"

The Night That Changed Everything

2011-12-28T16:26:00.000-05:00

Our relationship with God is totally different now.

Luke 2:8-12 That night there were shepherds staying in the fields nearby, guarding their flocks of sheep.

9 Suddenly, an angel of the Lord appeared among them, and the radiance of the Lord’s glory surrounded them. They were terrified, 10 but the angel reassured them. “Don’t be afraid!” he said. “I bring you good news that will bring great joy to all people. 11 The Savior—yes, the Messiah, the Lord—has been born today in Bethlehem, the city of David! 12 And you will recognize him by this sign: You will find a baby wrapped snugly in strips of cloth, lying in a manger.”

John 1:10-14 He came into the very world he created, but the world didn’t recognize him. 11 He came to his own people, and even they rejected him. 12 But to all who believed him and accepted him, he gave the right to become children of God. 13 They are reborn—not with a physical birth resulting from human passion or plan, but a birth that comes from God.

14 So the Word became human and made his home among us. He was full of unfailing love and faithfulness. And we have seen his glory, the glory of the Father’s one and only Son.

That night started out just like thousands of other nights, the shepherds pack their lunch, pickup their staff and their sling and head to the fields outside of Bethlehem. The sheep stayed in the fields during the night from Spring to Autumn when the grass was still available for grazing, a good reason that December 25th is not Jesus birthday.

The quiet fields burst into a worship service as the angel announced to the shepherds that Jesus was born which was followed up with a host of angels praising God. In their announcement the angels describe Jesus purpose and his ministry on earth, they said that he would be our:

Savior - Redeemer
Messiah - Anointed One
Lord - God

Finally the time was right for the next step in God's plan to set us free from the power of sin, now a new relationship with God is possible, a relationship based on family with God as our father.

Peace with God!

Romans 5:1,11 Therefore, since we have been made right in God’s sight by faith, we have peace with God because of what Jesus Christ our Lord has done for us. So now we can rejoice in our wonderful new relationship with God because our Lord Jesus Christ has made us friends of God.

Thank you Lord for coming and giving yourself so that we can have a brand new way of relating to you.

You might like to read:
The Not So "Silent Night" // Joseph Makes The Right Choice // I Am Thankful For God's Deliverance

The Not So "Silent Night"

2011-12-23T13:52:00.000-05:00

Can you imagine walking into Bethlehem that night? I imagine that it wasn't a "silent night."

Luke 2:1-20 At that time the Roman emperor, Augustus, decreed that a census should be taken throughout the Roman Empire. 2 (This was the first census taken when Quirinius was governor of Syria.)

3 All returned to their own ancestral towns to register for this census. 4 And because Joseph was a descendant of King David, he had to go to Bethlehem in Judea, David’s ancient home. He traveled there from the village of Nazareth in Galilee. 5 He took with him Mary, his fiancée, who was now obviously pregnant.

6 And while they were there, the time came for her baby to be born. 7 She gave birth to her first child, a son. She wrapped him snugly in strips of cloth and laid him in a manger, because there was no lodging available for them.

8 That night there were shepherds staying in the fields nearby, guarding their flocks of sheep.

9 Suddenly, an angel of the Lord appeared among them, and the radiance of the Lord’s glory surrounded them. They were terrified, 10 but the angel reassured them. “Don’t be afraid!” he said. “I bring you good news that will bring great joy to all people. 11 The Savior—yes, the Messiah, the Lord—has been born today in Bethlehem, the city of David! 12 And you will recognize him by this sign: You will find a baby wrapped snugly in strips of cloth, lying in a manger.”

13 Suddenly, the angel was joined by a vast host of others—the armies of heaven—praising God and saying,

14 “Glory to God in highest heaven, and peace on earth to those with whom God is pleased.”

15 When the angels had returned to heaven, the shepherds said to each other, “Let’s go to Bethlehem! Let’s see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.”

16 They hurried to the village and found Mary and Joseph. And there was the baby, lying in the manger. 17 After seeing him, the shepherds told everyone what had happened and what the angel had said to them about this child. 18 All who heard the shepherds’ story were astonished, 19 but Mary kept all these things in her heart and thought about them often. 20 The shepherds went back to their flocks, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen. It was just as the angel had told them.

There were thousands of people that had traveled home to Bethlehem that needed a place to stay. No doubt there were people that had never left their home town that could offer a place to stay to their friends and family.

Can you imagine how much noise these two groups of people made as they were reunited with their family and friends? I imagine that there were a lot of parties, a lot of feasting and a lot of alcohol being abused. They probably walked into town and saw all of this partying, shouting, loud music and they probably had to step around some drunks in the street.

After three days of walking from Nazareth to Bethlehem, perhaps she was able to ride a donkey, the expectant mom is ready to lay down in a comfortable bed. Instead they walk into a packed town that wasn't set-up for tourist and of course there isn't a room available.

Imagine Mary laying in a stable, just on the outskirts of town, she must have been nervous, being in a strange place surrounded by a town full of people that didn't care. Why did she have to give birth here? Why not back in Nazareth with a mid-wife and her mother?

There was a much more pleasant noise that night. It was coming from the fields just across the way from the stable, it started out as one angel giving an announcement and ended up being a huge crowd of angels singing and praising God.

The shepherds work was more important at night because of the threats from thieves and predators but they didn't let that stop them from checking out the exciting news. After-all the angels told them that "The Savior—yes, the Messiah, the Lord—has been born today in Bethlehem, the city of David!" How could they possibly stay with the sheep, they hurried to see baby Jesus and after they left him the shepherds told everybody that they could about him.

This world is full of noise from everywhere, most of it isn't good news, rather it is bad news, confusion and lies. I need to make some noise about Jesus, noise that tells about the peace and forgiveness that he came to earth to give.

Thank you Lord for the hope that you give us. Help me to shut-out the noise of the season and celebrate your birth.

You might like to read:
Joseph Made The Right Choice // Going From How? To Wow! // Peace On Earth, Really?

A Social Network Christmas

2011-12-22T13:54:00.000-05:00

The Christmas story found in Luke 2:1-20 with a social network twist.

What if Mary and Joseph had Facebook?

Would you believe the post about Mary's pregnancy?

Would you unfriend them to spare your own reputation?
Would you be excited to see the new pictures posted?

Unbelief, indifference, joy, our reactions to Christmas is very much the same as the original cast of characters that were in Nazareth and Bethlehem during the time of Mary's pregnancy.

You might like to read:
God Sent His Son // Journey To Bethlehem: At The Right Time // Journey To Bethlehem: Our King Is Coming

O Little Town Of Bethlehem

2011-12-21T12:36:00.000-05:00

Who would have imagined what was going on?

Live footage of Sarah McLachlan performing 'O Little Town Of Bethlehem' from her hit holiday album Wintersong.

These lyrics are so good:

O little town of Bethlehem
How still we see thee lie
Above thy deep and dreamless sleep
The silent stars go by
Yet in thy dark streets shineth
The everlasting Light
The hopes and fears of all the years
Are met in thee tonight

For Christ is born of Mary
And gathered all above
While mortals sleep, the angels keep
Their watch of wondering love
O morning stars together
Proclaim the holy birth
And praises sing to God the King
And Peace to men on earth

How silently, how silently
The wondrous gift is given!
So God imparts to human hearts
The blessings of His heaven.
No ear may hear His coming,
But in this world of sin,
Where meek souls will receive him still,
The dear Christ enters in.

O holy Child of Bethlehem
Descend to us, we pray
Cast out our sin and enter in
Be born to us today
We hear the Christmas angels
The great glad tidings tell
O come to us, abide with us
Our Lord Emmanuel

You might like to read:
It's Christmas Time! // Do You Know What Christmas Is All About // Carol Of The Bells

Joseph Makes The Right Choice

2011-12-20T06:44:00.000-05:00

Obedience may not be the easiest road to take.

Matthew 1:18-25 This is how Jesus the Messiah was born. His mother, Mary, was engaged to be married to Joseph. But before the marriage took place, while she was still a virgin, she became pregnant through the power of the Holy Spirit. 19 Joseph, her fiancé, was a good man and did not want to disgrace her publicly, so he decided to break the engagement quietly.

20 As he considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream. “Joseph, son of David,” the angel said, “do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife. For the child within her was conceived by the Holy Spirit. 21 And she will have a son, and you are to name him Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.”

22 All of this occurred to fulfill the Lord’s message through his prophet: 23 “Look! The virgin will conceive a child! She will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel, which means ‘God is with us.’”

24 When Joseph woke up, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded and took Mary as his wife. 25 But he did not have sexual relations with her until her son was born. And Joseph named him Jesus.

Pregnant! What do you mean? The wedding plans hadn't been completed yet, besides the wedding itself there was a big feast that lasted for six or seven days before Mary would go to live with Joseph, how could Mary be pregnant? He is in shock about it, after-all who would ever believe that Mary would have slept with a man before marriage, she wasn't that kind of girl.

Joseph had a decision to make, he could have kept this little family from ever happening if he decided to walk away, perhaps Jesus would have grown up in a single parent household, why should a righteous Godly man marry a girl that has been tainted? Joseph lived his whole life in accordance to the law, would he stick to the law and break off the marriage or even have Mary killed?

Joseph believed the angel and took Mary as his wife and raised baby Jesus as his own son. Joseph could have been concerned with his standing in the community, his reputation and his ego were hanging in the balance but despite the cost he chose to believe the angel and be obedient to God's will.

Joseph drops out of the story of Jesus life.

We do not know much about Joseph, he was probably a quiet and humble man and would have echoed the words of John the Baptist:

"He must become greater and greater, and I must become less and less." -John 3:30

Going against the norm is part of the lifestyle of a Christ follower, Joseph had rights that he chose to relinquish, our lifestyle should be one of obedience, love and mercy.

Help me to follow your will Lord despite the consequences.

You might like to read:
Obedience Brings Blessings // Obedience Doesn't Always Seem Logical // Questions For Joseph

Handel's Messiah - Hallelujah Chorus

2011-12-18T08:02:00.001-05:00

And he shall reign forever and ever!

From Andre Rieu's "Live From Radio City Music Hall" in New York City 2004, with the Johann Strauss Orchestra and the Harlem Gospel Choir.

Christ reign will never end.

Revelation 11:15-17 Then the seventh angel blew his trumpet, and there were loud voices shouting in heaven:

“The world has now become the Kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ, and he will reign forever and ever.”

The twenty-four elders sitting on their thrones before God fell with their faces to the ground and worshiped him. And they said, “We give thanks to you, Lord God, the Almighty, the one who is and who always was, for now you have assumed your great power and have begun to reign.

You might like to read:
Perfect Gifts // Peace On Earth, Really? // God's Adoption Program

O Come, O Come, Emmanuel

2011-12-17T07:17:00.001-05:00

Emmanuel - God with us.

Performed by the Choir of Clare College, Cambridge / Filmed at St. Edmundsbury Cathedral, Bury St. Edmunds, England

Are you ready?

Revelation 22:20 He who is the faithful witness to all these things says, “Yes, I am coming soon!” Amen! Come, Lord Jesus!

As we celebrate the first arrival of Jesus and prepare for the celebration of Christmas I must ask you if you are ready for His second arrival? If you do not have peace with God this Christmas would be a great time to celebrate a new way of life.

You might like to read:
Find Peace With God // I Am Thankful For God's Deliverance // Be Born Again

Going From How? To Wow!

2011-12-16T10:30:00.000-05:00

The angel announces the birth of Jesus.

Luke 1:26-38 In the sixth month of Elizabeth’s pregnancy, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a village in Galilee, 27 to a virgin named Mary. She was engaged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of King David.

28 Gabriel appeared to her and said, “Greetings, favored woman! The Lord is with you!”

29 Confused and disturbed, Mary tried to think what the angel could mean. 30 “Don’t be afraid, Mary,” the angel told her, “for you have found favor with God! 31 You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you will name him Jesus. 32 He will be very great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his ancestor David. 33 And he will reign over Israel forever; his Kingdom will never end!”

34 Mary asked the angel, “But how can this happen? I am a virgin.”

35 The angel replied, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the baby to be born will be holy, and he will be called the Son of God. 36 What’s more, your relative Elizabeth has become pregnant in her old age! People used to say she was barren, but she’s now in her sixth month. 37 For nothing is impossible with God.”

38 Mary responded, “I am the Lord’s servant. May everything you have said about me come true.” And then the angel left her.

From How?

Mary asked the angel how this could happen, pretty fair question since she didn't have an intimate relationship with a man yet, she was engaged but she hadn't been with anybody yet. This child wouldn't be conceived by man and so therefore this child would be holy and he would be the Son of God. (Luke 1:35)

To Wow!

Mary has plans just like every young lady, especially now that she is engaged to Joseph, a nice quiet life in Bethlehem was probably what she pictured for herself. But God has a way of changing our plans, upon hearing the news about her amazing child, Mary responds with surrender and gives her life to God.

Luke 1:46-49 Mary responded,“Oh, how my soul praises the Lord. 47 How my spirit rejoices in God my Savior! 48 For he took notice of his lowly servant girl, and from now on all generations will call me blessed. 49 For the Mighty One is holy, and he has done great things for me.

Mary's life was forever changed at this moment, that's how God works, you are going along minding your own business and then God sets you on a new course. Just like he did in Mary's life he doesn't give you a lot of information on the how, he just waits for us to say wow!

Help me to be surrendered to the plans that you have for my life Lord.

You might like to read:
Peace On Earth, Really? // Carol Of The Bells // God's Adoption Program

The Forerunner Of Jesus Is Announced

2011-12-15T06:47:00.000-05:00

The angel announces the birth of John the Baptist.

Luke 1:5-7; 11-20 When Herod was king of Judea, there was a Jewish priest named Zechariah. He was a member of the priestly order of Abijah, and his wife, Elizabeth, was also from the priestly line of Aaron. Forerunner

6 Zechariah and Elizabeth were righteous in God’s eyes, careful to obey all of the Lord’s commandments and regulations. 7 They had no children because Elizabeth was unable to conceive, and they were both very old.

11 While Zechariah was in the sanctuary, an angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing to the right of the incense altar. 12 Zechariah was shaken and overwhelmed with fear when he saw him.

13 But the angel said, “Don’t be afraid, Zechariah! God has heard your prayer. Your wife, Elizabeth, will give you a son, and you are to name him John. 14 You will have great joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth, 15 for he will be great in the eyes of the Lord.

18 Zechariah said to the angel, “How can I be sure this will happen? I’m an old man now, and my wife is also well along in years.” 19 Then the angel said, “I am Gabriel! I stand in the very presence of God. It was he who sent me to bring you this good news! 20 But now, since you didn’t believe what I said, you will be silent and unable to speak until the child is born. For my words will certainly be fulfilled at the proper time.”

Luke 1:66 Everyone who heard about it reflected on these events and asked, “What will this child turn out to be?” For the hand of the Lord was surely upon him in a special way.

As one of about eighteen thousand priests, Zechariah serves in the temple only twice a year, and even more rare is the opportunity to assist in the daily offering by going into the sanctuary to present the incense offering.

Zechariah and Elizabeth were good people, they lived a lifestyle that was consistent with God's law, they would have been great parents but it wasn't time for that yet. God had a special child for them to raise, a child with a very important mission.

Zechariah and Elizabeth didn't realize that they were waiting for God's timing for a purpose that was grander than they could have possibly imagined. Special children often came out of long periods of waiting and this one was no exception.

Women in the Bible that had to wait for children:

Sarah
Rebekah
Rachel
Samson's mother
Hannah

Genesis 18:11
Genesis 25:21
Genesis 29:31
Judges 13:2, 5
1 Samuel 1:9-28

I have to remember that God has bigger and better plans than I can dream of and sometimes my prayers can be so wrong or the timing can be very different than what God has in mind.

Help us Lord to be ready for you to work despite the delays.

You might like to read:
The King Is Coming // A Special Child Is On The Way // Do You Know What Christmas Is All About

The King Is Coming

2011-12-12T06:00:00.000-05:00

Are you excited about Christmas?

Zechariah 9:9-13 Rejoice, O people of Zion! Shout in triumph, O people of Jerusalem!

Look, your king is coming to you. He is righteous and victorious, yet he is humble, riding on a donkey, riding on a donkey’s colt.

10 I will remove the battle chariots from Israel and the warhorses from Jerusalem. I will destroy all the weapons used in battle, and your king will bring peace to the nations.

His realm will stretch from sea to sea and from the Euphrates River to the ends of the earth.

I remember growing up that there was a lot of preaching and even a song "The King Is Coming" but there doesn't seem to be much talk about Jesus return anymore. I wonder how it was for the people that had waited for hundreds of years for his first time here on earth. Maybe the excitement was just on the part of the prophets. In today's verses in Zechariah he tells us to "Rejoice! Shout in triumph!"

Hardly noticed, Jesus made a humble entrance to our world, nothing like a new born king should receive. Just think of all the uproar that there would be if Prince William and Catherine were to have a baby. On this night there were only a handful of people that even acknowledged that he had arrived.

There was a lot of commotion thirty-three years later when Jesus made his final entrance into Jerusalem, notice that Jesus victories as king were not quoted in the New Testament, they sang these words as he entered Jerusalem:

John 12:15 "Don’t be afraid, people of Jerusalem. Look, your King is coming, riding on a donkey’s colt."

They left off the part that he hadn't accomplished yet, he hadn't brought peace or defeated death and paid the ransom for our sins yet, we will be able to finish the song when he returns.

Is Jesus your King?

Philippians 2:9-10 Therefore, God elevated him to the place of highest honor and gave him the name above all other names, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth

This world needs a new kind of king, one that will defeat our enemy Satan and restore our world and our lives, that will bring peace, forgiveness and justice. What a day of rejoicing that will be! Christmas should get us excited, the cares and distractions of this world shouldn't get in the way, they are so small compared to the incredibly good news that our king is coming!

I am excited about Christmas because it is the story of God's love. Jesus deserves to be my king and the ruler of my life, he gave me this brand new life and I should live the rest of my days in submission to him. (2 Corinthians 5:14-15)

Thank you Lord for victory over Satan, I make you the king of my life!

You might like to read:
Nothing But The Truth // Perfect Gifts: Hope // Jesus Disciples Should Be Peacemakers

Peace On Earth, Really?

2011-12-07T07:56:00.000-05:00

Where is the peace that we were promised?

Isaiah 2:1-4 This is a vision that Isaiah son of Amoz saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem:

2 In the last days, the mountain of the Lord’s house will be the highest of all, the most important place on earth. It will be raised above the other hills, and people from all over the world will stream there to worship.

3 People from many nations will come and say, “Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of Jacob’s God. There he will teach us his ways, and we will walk in his paths.” For the Lord’s teaching will go out from Zion; his word will go out from Jerusalem.

4 The Lord will mediate between nations and will settle international disputes. They will hammer their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks. Nation will no longer fight against nation, nor train for war anymore.

Romans 5:1 Therefore, since we have been made right in God’s sight by faith, we have peace with God because of what Jesus Christ our Lord has done for us.

Take a look around you and you may think that there isn't any "peace on earth." The message that we see in the media and from our own personal experience is just the opposite, all around us we see:

economy going south all over the world,
people losing their homes and jobs,
earth quakes in unusual places,

nuclear weapons being developed by scary dictators,
the attack of our government on our Christian values,
Christmas shopping is a combat sport,

Skeptics are quick to point out that Jesus did nothing for world peace, just look at the chaos all around they, but they aren't looking at the whole story. Jesus told us right up front that peace would not be a world wide phenomena for a long time to come. Take a look at the times that Jesus lived in, look at the plight of the disciples and the early church, obviously world wide peace wasn't in the plans right away.

The peace that the believers have available to them is the only real peace on earth right now. I say that it is available to the believer but that doesn't mean that he really has it. We have to choose to take our focus off of the evening news and put it on God, the victory that Jesus won is the only reason that I can live with peace.

Did Jesus give us peace?

Yes, Jesus brought peace:

Matthew 26:51-52

Luke 2:14

John 14:27, 16:33

Acts 10:36

No, Jesus didn't bring peace:

Matthew 10:34

Luke 12:51

Luke 22:36

Revelation 19:11

Like the old hymn says, I need to "Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus" he is the only source for peace. Instead of the newspaper, I need to read the Bible, there is so much chaos recorded in the Bible but there is also the story of peace.

Thank you Lord for giving us peace in this crazy world, help me to choose peace each day.

You might like to read:
Let There Be Peace On Earth // Jesus Disciples Should be Peacemakers // Perfect Gifts: Peace

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