Adam Pereira

Christ Centered Teaching: Seeing the Need

2015-03-26T22:29:00.000-04:00

Have you ever sat under teaching from the Bible whether that be in a Sunday worship service, Sunday School class, youth group meeting, devotional time, or school classroom and enjoyed the preaching/teaching or personal study received while at the same feeling like something was missing? I know I have. In fact, I have preached and taught more times than I would like to admit with that same feeling. Maybe you could put your finger on what it was that was missing but then again maybe not. I would like to propose to you that the missing ingredient in far too many Sunday sermons and Bible lessons is Christ.

While on the outset you would think it would be obvious to keep Christ at the center it is actually much harder to do unless conscious effort is applied. In case you are unsure if you are missing Christ in your daily diet of God's Word or in your teaching, let me ask you a few questions:

When you are finished, who are you or others left focusing upon: self or Christ? Much of our preaching, teaching, and Bible study at best assumes the good news of the gospel and at worst ignores it. When we focus solely upon ourselves in a text (what we must do, how we can improve, what we must copy, etc.) we are setting people off on a wrong foundation that will not sustain them long term.

Do you see the "heroes" of the Bible simply as individuals we must emulate or as pointers to Christ? Don't get me wrong, we are to see people like David, Joseph, Abraham, Moses, etc. as faithful believers in whom we should follow in their footsteps but if we keep it at that we will miss the main point of the Bible. You see, each of these individuals pointed to Someone greater. The Bible uses these individuals to show us that as much as they did, they too sinned and failed God in many ways. Their rescue of others and obedience was but an imperfect picture of a greater rescue to come. Now, as we live our lives, we strive in the perfect merits, boldness, perseverance, and rescue of Jesus not self.

Do you teach or study the commands of Scripture apart from the Gospel? It is so easy to get caught in a grocery list mentality when it comes to the commands of the Bible. In other words, we preach both to others and ourselves the idea that "here are the commands now go do them!" There is one problem with this, we fail them all the time! But there is hope! That is where the gospel comes in! Jesus in His life, death, and resurrection perfectly obeyed and fulfilled all of those commands on our behalf and then paid for our failure of those same commands by dying for us! Therefore, even amidst my failure I know Jesus, through His perfect life and work on the cross, is holding me up! Hallelujah! Are you giving others that hope when you teach! Are you giving yourself that hope! Jesus' commands are not burdensome because He is the One holding us up and living through us! (I John 5:3)

Does your teaching or study of Scripture produce a greater passion in your soul because of what Jesus has done for you? We have to be careful on this point because feelings are never a gauge to truth. However, looking onto the truths of Jesus and His work will stir our hearts once it has gripped it! I have seen this so many times in my own life and in the eyes and lives of those who I can see starting to "get" the realities of the gospel. So many times we live passionless lives and have passionless Bible studies because we are not beholding anything to be passionate about! When I look at Scripture through the lens of myself it makes me want to run not rejoice! But when I study Scripture looking at the One who lived and died for me I rejoice in the relief, joy, and purpose that He brings to my life!

So how is it with you when you come to the Scriptures? If we are studying in a Christless manner we will live Christless lives. Are you consciously tracing the work of God in Christ throughout the Scriptures for yourself and others? As Jen Wilkin once wrote, "It is tempting to read the Bible as a road map for our lives or a guide for abundant living. But the Bible, strictly speaking, is not a book about us. It is a book about God. From Genesis to Revelation, it reveals and celebrates the character and work of God. We do gain self-knowledge, but only as we gain God-knowledge, learning to see our own character in relation to His." (http://www.crossway.org/blog/2014/07/5-ways-to-make-the-most-of-your-bible-study/)

Divine Pursuit

2015-01-28T10:52:00.000-05:00

It is amazing how things come up in life that completely take us off guard. It is amazing that we get
taken by surprise as much as we do given that there are so many variables in life. Yet, each off guard moment is a powerful and awakening reminder of how feeble and frail we really are.

My "surprise" moment came on just the second day of this new year. We were having a wonderful time heading back to PA after spending some much needed vacation time during the holidays. We stopped in Virginia at a hotel, swam in the indoor pool, ate pizza together as a family, and watched some tv. All was well. At around 10:30 pm, however, I was awoken by a heaviness in my chest and trouble taking deep breaths. I wasn't sure what to think! Mind you, I'm only 34 years old! I woke up my wife who was half dazed and told her my symptoms. We were both completely taken off guard! Anyway, to make a long story short, I headed to an emergency medical clinic which, providentially, was located within walking distance right behind our hotel! All of the tests they ran came back normal. The next day, after arriving at home, I continued to experience the same symptoms and they seemed to be increasing so back to the emergency room we went that night. Again, all of the tests came back normal so still no answers.

Later the following week, I went to my doctor who referred me to a cardiologist where more tests were run. All of my tests came back normal. My wife and I were praising the Lord that I have a good, healthy heart but were and are still left scratching our heads as to what this must be. As we still are pursuing answers with our doctor, I want to share with you that while I do not know, medically, what is causing my problems, I do have assurances, spiritually, as to what God wants to accomplish in my life.

I remember that first night, being nervous, laying on the medical clinic bed searching my mind for answers as to why the Lord was allowing this. The one thing that came to mind was this: God is pursuing me. I have preached this truth over and over again to our church congregation. God lovingly intervenes in our lives, even through difficult situations and circumstances, to pursue us and draw us closer to Himself. Yet, now it was and is time for me to live this out and go through this. How would I react in the midst of difficulty and trial? Would I look to Him and allow Him to draw me closer to Christ or would I be consumed with myself and draw me deeper into the narcissistic "woe is me" mentality? The answer to these questions have yet to be answered as I walk daily by faith. But I do know this: God wants my heart in deeper and more intimate ways. He will lovingly pursue me no matter how far I run, how much I recoil, or how independent I feel. This is exactly what I need.

This is where the gospel meets us everyday. It shatters and exposes us in our sin and need for someone outside of ourselves to be our rescue. It reveals any misconceptions that "we are enough". It tells us of One who loves us so much that He would pursue us even to the point of sacrificial death. It invites us to relinquish our self dependence, self reliance, and self interests in exchange for a marvelous rescue and relationship for which we have been created for. A loving God could do no less than reapply the gospel to our lives over and over and over again. Praise the Lord for His divine pursuit!

(It has been a while since I have written on here! I do intend on keeping up with my blog so pardon the longer period of silence.)

Keeping Our Eyes On God's Promise

2014-12-15T21:54:00.000-05:00

Have you ever tried to count all of the promises that are in the Bible? I know I haven't! According to one source, there are 3,573 promises (source). How accurate that is I'm not sure but even if it is off a little those are a lot of promises!

This past Sunday I just concluded our Christmas series entitled "The Promise: A Celebration of Christmas" (listen here). In this series, we unpacked the overarching promise of redemption that gave way to the Christmas story. It was because of God's promise to redeem that He sent His Son as a helpless baby. It was because of God's promise of redemption that God the Son lived a perfect life which gave way to a perfect sacrifice on our behalf. It is because of God's promise of redemption that we know that He will never stop working on us or for us (Eph. 2:10). It is because of God's promise of redemption that we know that when we feel like it's all over God has already written the true ending and it is marvelous (Rev. 21-22)!

You get the point!

What we have to see here is that every single promise in the Bible is because of God's one singular promise of redemption. It was declared from the very beginning in the midst of tragedy and chaos in the garden (Gen. 3:15) and it continues through today--yes even amidst your chaos!-- and for all of time! So, in light of this, how are you viewing God's promises? Do you realize when you start to doubt what God says you are really doubting His complete plan of redemption? Why? Because everything, and I mean everything, is staked upon that! If God were to ever be untrue to any one of His promises then that would mean that God would be untrue to THE promise!

We know this can't be the case so today let's heed Jesus' words amidst our doubt:

“Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life? And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.

Matthew 6:25-34

A Prayer For Strength

2014-11-22T16:25:00.000-05:00

Father,

How often we lack the strength that the day, circumstance, decision, task, and demands. How often we find ourselves trying to muster a strength from within ourselves which can only carry us so far. Lord, how often are You the last one that we look to for the things that we need. Father, we don't understand why You allow us to go through so many of the things that we do. How often would our ways and plans be different. Yet, Father, we desire your will above our own and when our desire is not for what you desire, we know that you understand that we are but dust. Please, we pray, grant us the strength which we do not have. Grant us that special strength that only comes from above that we, too, may glory in the cross of Your Son. Take what is a blessing and bless us with it. Take what is a trial and bless us with it. Take what is an adversity and bless us with it. Give us strength as we learn to trust. For Your name's sake, for Your glory, for Your children.

In the name of Your beloved Son,

Amen

The True Leader

2014-11-14T21:49:00.001-05:00

In bringing many sons and daughters to glory, it was fitting that God, for whom and through whom everything exists, should make the pioneer of their salvation perfect through what he suffered. Hebrews 2:10

How do you view God? Do you see Him as a demanding task master barking our orders and ready to call you out at the sign of any misstep or failure? I think many of us view God as the first depiction described in this image. Yet, is this mindset correct? How can we know what God is like?

Jesus answers this question for us. In John 14:7 He says, "If you really know me, you will know my Father as well. From now on, you do know him and have seen him." So, according to Jesus' own words and explanation, we know the Father by the Son. Jesus is our perfect example of who the Father is and what He is like.

So what example does the Son present of the Father to us? Hebrews 2:10 answers this question. Jesus is our "pioneer" or leader who paved the way to the Father for us through the perfection of His suffering on our behalf. You see, Jesus is the perfect representation of the bottom image of the picture. He is our leader and we walk in the path of His perfection and finished work.

So, going back to the original question, how do you view God? God is not the apathetic, harsh boss barking out orders relentlessly. He is the one who stepped down from the pedestal of exaltation to lead the way for us to Himself. Walk in this truth today and go forth boldly knowing you are walking in the footsteps of Jesus!

A Lesson From "The Law"

2014-09-08T20:43:00.001-04:00

Well, today (Monday) is my day off. We usually try to travel outside of our small town to just get
away for the better part of the day. On our drive, my wife and I were having a great conversation when I realized I was traveling downhill and was going about 80 mph. I started to break as I saw a police officer still a good way off parked in the median. As I passed (at only around 65 mph at this point), sure enough, I watched him in my rear view mirror as he slowly pulled onto the road eventually flashing his lights to pull over.

"Oh, no!" I thought. Not only was the reality that I would be given a ticket suddenly sinking in, but that this would be my second ticket in the past 2 months was eerily creeping over me! "This is not good!" I thought. Rachel was very calm and understanding in light of my current predicament!

As I sat in the car during that seemingly eternal time when the officer takes your information back to his car to make sure you are not a murderer or anything, I couldn't help but feeling like kicking myself for not heeding the last officer's warning 2 months ago to "watch my speed!". You see, I took my chances with the law and the law won!

As I continue to think back upon the events of today I cannot help but think of an even deeper principle. The Law (God's Law) is meant to crush us. It will win every time! It is meant to show us the deep depravity and error of our ways. It is meant to show us of our great need. While we can try to "do better next time" (like the police officer's words to me 2 months ago!) when it comes to the law, we always fall short. No matter how hard we may try, it will not be long before we find ourselves pulled over along the road of life having broken God's perfect Law.

BUT, thanks be to our God for a Redeemer! Where I have broken the Law, Christ has perfectly obeyed the Law. Where I have failed, Christ has fully succeeded. Where I fall short, Christ has reached God's perfect standard. Now, when I fail and must pull over alongside the roadways of life to look at my "ticket" of failures and insufficiencies, I see the blood red words of Christ written all over them and it says this: "PAID IN FULL".

Thank you Father that your Law points me first to my failure but does not end there! Thank you that your Law points me to Jesus and my daily need for Him!

Today's Prayer: A Prayer of Worship

2014-09-05T09:20:00.001-04:00

Father,

We come to You with grateful hearts, O LORD! How magnificent are Your ways and Your dealings with man! Our minds could never comprehend You yet You came down to our level by means of Your Son so that we could truly have a relationship with You. How blessed we are, Lord. No depth of riches, prestige, or earthly success could ever match what You have already done for us. Father, we are eternally grateful. May today our minds focus on what we have in You, not what temporal desires we would relish in even for only a few brief moment. God, You know what is good for You are good. You know what we need for You are what we need. Thank you for choosing us for Your own good pleasure. Thank You for making us Your very own. May we live everyday in light of these eternal truths, Father. We glorify Your name today. We desire, this day, to be living testimonies of praise for what You have done in and through us. Lord, we worship You today. May our praise be acceptable in Your sight. We are Your children.

Through Jesus we pray,

Amen

Today's Prayer: The Need for Guidance

2014-08-25T21:31:00.001-04:00

Please grant us Your mercy and Your goodness for the day. Make us aware of our own selfish pride and arrogant views that we so often hold against others. Release from the guilt that has already been taken care of at the cross. Guide us to the individuals you would have us touch with your love and favor. Help us to see that this life is not one in which we live for self but one in which we live for You and for Your glory. Please let us, as Your children, dwell in thankfulness, reliance, joy, and peace. Help us to see that the difficulties and trials we encounter are allowed by Your divine hand and that You will lead us through them as we place our trust in You. Help us to remember that You are the One who will lead us beside the still waters of refreshment. Father, may we never lose our focus. May we never take our eyes off of Your Son. May we go boldly on knowing You are in control. Thank you for providing a love that has never been known in this world before. Thank you for entrusting us with a divine call. Thank you for equipping us to serve You. God, give us this day Your gentle guidance.

In Your Son's name we come,

Amen

Show Us Christ

2014-08-12T21:44:00.000-04:00

I am currently doing a short sermon series at church on how to view the Scriptures. I find that there are generally 2 ways that we can approach the Bible. The first is a man-centered approach. This approach sees self at the center of the Bible. This view misses or minimizes the grand narrative of the Bible: God's mission of redemption of all things for His glory. In other words, the Scriptures are all about me: the path I must follow, my guide to blessing, my list of "do's" and "don'ts", etc. etc. etc. When we come to the Bible in this way, how burdened we become! How off track we can go! Sure the Bible has many commands. Sure the Bible speaks of blessing and fruitfulness. Yet, is all of this dependent upon us?

I believe the Scriptures point to a better way. In Luke 24:25-27 Jesus tells us that all of the Scriptures point to Him. Jesus is to be the focal point of our approach to Scripture! He is the one who has already perfectly obeyed every command of God. He is the One who sits enthroned in heaven with all blessings and any blessing we receive comes because of Him. He is the One who brings us freedom to live free from the shackles of sin and self for a greater purpose! It is all about Jesus! The Old Testament points us to Jesus and the New Testament expounds upon Him.

Much more could be said about this topic and will be in future posts. For now, I want to close by sharing with you a beautiful song that should be the prayer of our hearts every time we open the pages of Scripture both privately and corporately. Enjoy!

Click to watch on YouTube

A Reason to Give Thanks

2014-08-05T21:41:00.001-04:00

"Give thanks in all circumstances, for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you." I Thessalonians 5:18

Its been a while since my last post. A lot has happened in the Pereira household over the past few weeks including the birth of our beautiful little girl! As I sat thinking about my blog and what the Lord would have me write, a verse that has become very real to me over the past few weeks popped into my mind. Let's face it, this is one of those verses which is much easier to read than to live out! I recall sitting on the couch very frustrated over a life event that was really weighing on me. It wasn't anything overly serious like cancer, tragedy, or anything else on the top 10 lists of life crises. Yet, it was, nonetheless, greatly consuming my mind and energies and was burdening me. Imagine my surprise when I opened up my Bible app to take a look at the "verse of the day" when I Thessalonians 5:18 came up. It really hit me between the eyes. I had totally lost perspective on what God had called me to do!

God was, once again, trying to pry my fingers from trying to control even the "little things" of life to fasten my gaze upon Him and His sufficiency. When this happens, my flesh screams out in the pain of lost certainty while my spirit is ever mindful of the great need my God is trying to meet. This is where the rubber meets the road. This is where the battle lies.

So, what are we to do in such times of difficulty. Give thanks: not for the enjoyment of what we are enduring but for what God is seeking to rescue us from, ourselves. How can I give thanks? I certainly can't muster up any thankfulness on my part. My thankfulness stems from realizing God's part in what He is accomplishing in my life. As I look to Him, I remember that His will is being accomplished in my life. And best of all, I do all of this with the certainty and encouragement that Jesus is on my side, having already secured for me that which I could never secure for myself, acceptance and hope no matter what comes my way!

How about you? What has God allowed in your life that He wants to use to rescue you from you? That is something to give thanks for!

Baby Girl On the Way.......(sometime)

2014-07-07T22:43:00.001-04:00

As many of you know, Rachel and I are eagerly awaiting the birth of our 3rd child. As we joked with our church family on Sunday, we are not keeping our fingers crossed for a "timely" delivery. Rachel
was 8 days overdue with our 1st son and induced at 7 days over with our 2nd son. This baby is a girl so we were both hoping that maybe this child would be different. Maybe this one would be early.....well, maybe on time??? Well, tomorrow (July 8) is Rachel's due date and there does not seem to be much glimmer of hope.

One thing I notice, however, with both Rachel and I is this: everyday we are living with anticipation. Every day our minds are geared to the realization that there is not much time left (even though it doesn't feel that way--especially to my wife!). Everyday we are wondering when our new baby girl will make her presence known!

When I think of this, my attention is often turned to the anticipation of our Lord and Savior's return. Jesus will indeed one day return (Acts 1:11; Jn. 14:3) even though no one knows the exact time (Mark 13:32). But am I living in light of this promised and glorious event? Are my waking moments spent in anticipatory living of my Lord's soon return (Rev. 3:11)? Am I getting so bogged down in the details and routines of life that I am actually denying the reality of His coming through my thoughts and actions?

I mentioned earlier that everyday we are living with the anticipation of our little girl's birth. But if I am to be completely honest, while this is true, there are many moments when ministry, life, decision making, etc. distract me from the imminency of her coming. She is much more on Rachel's mind as she carries her every minute of everyday! Yet this does not negate the fact that our baby will come at an appointed time. So....will I be ready? Is my bag packed? Is the car seat in place? Am I mentally geared to raise another infant? I hope so!

How about you? Are you ready for Christ's return? Are you living in light of that victorious moment? Will you be caught unaware with your "bag unpacked" and the "carseat" left in the garage?

That day is coming! As John states, "Amen. Come Lord Jesus!" (Rev. 22:20)

Product Or Process?

2014-07-01T21:37:00.000-04:00

I just couldn't resist sharing this photo that I saw on Facebook the other day! It really made me laugh because it hit so close to home. How many of us have not felt this way before! Let me play out the

common scenario with you:

The Lord impresses upon your heart through the revelation of His Word a spiritual truth or need in your life. Your heart is tender because you want to follow in the ways of Christ. You sincerely ask the Lord to give you the needed quality in your life to better follow Him and reflect His glory. However, you soon become discouraged when you find yourself repeatedly failing in the very area that you gave over to the Lord and asked for His help with.

Sound familiar? I know it does for me. What do we do during these discouraging times? Too often, though not with the exact words, we reflect the attitude of the picture above. However, we fail to realize that God is doing the very work that we are asking Him to do by allowing us to face those very difficulties. You see, you cannot have the product without the process. God uses this process to grow us, strengthen us, and make us more dependent on Him.

So, in the midst of your failures, remember that God is working in you through those very failures. You do not need to depend upon yourself. Instead, realize that your weakness is further showing you your need for the perfection of another. You need Someone who has already perfectly obeyed where you are failing. You need Someone who has faced the very temptations that you are succumbing to but went through them without giving in. You need Someone who both understands you and has keeps you secure--no matter what. That Someone is Jesus. In our union with Christ, His obedience has been transferred to our account and made to be our obedience. His perfection is likewise our perfection. That is more than enough to keep us going and striving to follow in His footsteps!

Ruth: Redeemed By Love

2014-06-24T21:18:00.000-04:00

This past Sunday, I began a new series on the book of Ruth (you can listen in here). Many people see Ruth as simply a good love story. Others see in Ruth the perfect picture of the Proverbs 31 woman. Still others see in Ruth a picture of extreme devotion and faithfulness even in the worst of circumstances (1:16-17). All of these things are very true! Yet, is there still more to the story? If we stop with the above are we missing out on something deeper still?

In the story of Ruth, not only do we see a love story between a young widow and a well respected redeemer. We also see a love story between a desperate people and a faithful God. In the story of Ruth, not only do we see the Proverbs 31 woman in the flesh, we also see that same woman as a foreigner in dire need for redemption, just like us. In the story of Ruth, not only do we see Ruth's devotion and faithfulness to Naomi even in the worst of circumstances, we also see Jesus' covenantal faithfulness and devotion to "go" where God's people were; to "lodge" where God's people lodged; to become like God's people to make them His own; and to "die" and be "buried" in a foreign land. (Ruth 1:16-17; Phil. 2:5-8) This is the full significance of the book of Ruth! Our God is a redeeming God. What Boaz could do for one family in a temporal aspect Jesus would do for a whole people with eternal results! Jesus has won us back to God. We now stand firm in Christ with our future eternally secure because we have been redeemed through God's love! May we see all of the Scripture in light of this grand overarching story of God's redemptive love!

A Resource Suggestion for You: Exploring Grace Together

2014-06-16T22:37:00.000-04:00

As you know, the purpose of this blog is to delve into the truths of the unsearchable riches that we have in Christ Jesus. In doing so, I want to suggest resources that have been a help to me and my family in gaining a greater understanding and appreciation for the gospel and its sufficiency. I would like to introduce to you Exploring Grace Together, a short but profound gospel centered, 40 day devotional for families.

In these devotionals, Jessica Thompson takes the family through everyday circumstances that expose our frailties and weaknesses. However, rather than just diagnosing the issues of the heart she also presents the ever-present solution: the sufficiency of Jesus Christ and His grace. These devotions, geared to the level of children and the circumstances they encounter, will be sure to hit both child and parent directly. I would encourage you to put this book at the top of your families summer devotional reading time. As you do, be prepared to come face to face with your need for the wondrous good news of the gospel.

You can purchase this book here

The Church: Christ's Project

2014-06-12T23:53:00.000-04:00

Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her, that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, so that he might present the church to himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish. Ephesians 5:25-27

When you hear the word "church" what comes to your mind: maybe "hypocrites", "imperfection", "not worth it", "meaning well", "ups and downs", etc, etc. etc.? There are many, many positive and negative thoughts that can flood into a person's mind. But what goes through Christ's mind when he thinks of the Church? Let me answer that according to the above passage: "loved", "sacrificially purchased", "sanctified", "cleansed", "splendor", "perfect", "holy", "without blemish". Wow! How can Christ see the church in that way? The answer is two-fold: because of (a) what He has accomplished for her and (b) what He will accomplish in her.

Jesus, through His perfect death and resurrection, won a people to Himself. In winning a people to Himself, He took them and joined them to Himself in perfect union. That's right, Christ is wedded to His Church. His sacrificial love is the love exemplar of all wedded love. He purchased an undeserving people to Himself and now is fully committed to them, through thick and thin, promising to perfect them and glorify them to mirror His perfect image.

When we look at the state of the church and the imperfections that characterize so much of the Church today, such glowing language seems impossible. But since when has Christ been limited by mankind's failures? The sufficiency of His work on the cross is more than enough for the failures of His people.

It is for this reason that we cannot give up on the Church! The Church is God's idea. The Church has been called, united, and wed to Christ. It is His project! God promises to work through His Church and Christ promises to perfect His Church. That is why it bothers me when people say that they follow Christ but don't bother with the Church. What they don't realize is that you cannot have one without the other! If you have been united to Christ then you have been united to His people. The local church is but a picture of the universal Church and we are called to engage ourselves among the people of God wherever He has placed us.

They Had Been With Jesus

2014-06-02T21:33:00.003-04:00

"Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were uneducated, common men, they were astonished. And they recognized that they had been with Jesus." Acts 4:13

There are so many different things that we can focus on. So many voices call out to us. So many activities demand our time and attention. So many problems stare us in the face. If we are not careful, every minute of every day can be filled with the bondage of trying to "make things happen". Even in our churches today, so many different good things can overtake that which is best.

So, what should our focus be upon? Who should demand our attention? How should we approach our problems and in what should we put our energies into? I think the verse above gives us great insight. The passage says that Peter and John "had been with Jesus" and that was the determining factor. In other words, what really made a difference in their lives and ministries was not the strength they could muster from within nor was it their innate abilities or talents. It was the fact that they had learned from the person of Jesus and His truth took hold in their lives.

How about you? Are you learning from the person of Jesus? Has the truth of who He is, what He has done for you, and who you are in Him really gripped your heart? In other words, are you consciously focusing your attention on the person and work of Christ? You see, nothing else matters in life if we are not connected to the Source of life. Nothing can ever change if we fail to look to the One who brings change. The truth of who and who's we now are will not grip us if we are not learning from the One who is Truth.

I hope this challenges your heart to make Jesus the focal point of your life. I would like to close with a few final reflections that we must realize as we seek to draw upon the person and work of Christ:

1) Learning from Jesus takes time: The disciples had been with Jesus for well over three years before the events of this verse ever took place. As in any relationship, learning of your identity in Christ and of His sufficiency for all of life will take time. There are no shortcuts

2) Learning from Jesus Makes You More Reliant: That's right, more reliant! Contrary to popular teaching, growing in Christ makes you more dependent not less. As you realize your own weaknesses and Christ's sure sufficiency, you realize how you really can do nothing without Him (Jn. 15:5). Peter and John had just acted very boldly before men of great power but it reflected nothing upon themselves. They were "uneducated" and "common" men. Something more was at play here and the people around them knew it.

3) Learning From Jesus Always Points Others to Him: As in our verse, when people see the power of the gospel at work in our lives, it will not reflect upon us but will direct others to the source of our strength and message. We have nothing worthwhile that we can claim from our own hands. When our focus is upon Christ we direct the focus of others to Him as well.

Even In This?

2014-05-26T19:45:00.000-04:00

We have all been there. We have all found ourselves in the bewildered state of living somewhere between what we know and what we feel. We have all faced the difficult life situations of unmet expectations, shattered hopes, scary unknowns, difficult relationships, on and on we could go. To put it another way, we have all asked the question, "Lord, are You here even in this? Is this situation outside of the boundaries of your care and control?" Paul himself even told his fellow believers, "...for we were so utterly burdened beyond our strength that we despaired even of life itself." (2 Cor. 1:8) Surely, in such situations, Paul must have groped with the doubts, frustrations, and fears that we all too often face (only magnified 1,000 times!). So what was it that kept Paul going? What is it that we need to keep us going? I think the answer comes just one verse later. Here Paul explains, "But that was to make us rely not on ourselves but on God who raises the dead." (1:9)

Paul's confidence did not lie in what strength he could muster up. Paul's encouragement did not rise or fall on his own abilities or performance. No, Paul's focus and source of strength was in something very specific. Even more so, it was in a very specific person. It was in God Himself. This focus on God was not a vague generalization about God, however. It was a confidence in the work of God. Specifically, the work He demonstrated through Christ in raising Him from the dead. Being in Christ, Paul knew that the same deliverance that Jesus experienced in His resurrection is the same power that was at work on his behalf as well (Phil. 3:10). This is why, no matter what, Paul could say, "On him we have set our hope that he will deliver us yet again." (1:10)

So....back to the original question that we addressed at the beginning of this post. How can we answer the question, "Lord, are you here even in this? We can answer it with a resounding "yes". Even when our faith doesn't match our feelings, we can have the assurance that God is indeed for us because we have been radically delivered and identified with Christ. His victory is ultimately ours! There is no better confidence than that!

Exploring the Unsearchable Riches

2014-05-24T09:00:00.000-04:00

Welcome to my blog! I hope you will find this site to be a place where you can redirect your focus upon Jesus and be encouraged to dig deeper into the "unsearchable riches" of the gospel. I plan on posting weekly devotional thoughts, resource helps and links, and Scriptural truths to ponder. My life verse is found in Ephesians 3:8: "To me, though I am the very least of all the saints, this grace was given, to preach to the gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ." These great riches are right in Scripture, ready for us to search and find; just as one would a valuable treasure chest of gold. So.....let's begin that journey together as we discover and rediscover the glorious richness of Christ.

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