Waiting

September 30, 2010

The life of Jesus. Read Today:  Arrives near Bethany, 2 days later; John 11:17-18

John 11:17-18 (New English Translation)
17 When Jesus arrived, he found that Lazarus had been in the tomb four days already.
18 (Now Bethany was less than two miles from Jerusalem,

Waiting is hard.  As I noted the other day, I have had a diagnosis of a high percentage of Prostate Cancer.  While I believe that God can heal me, I do not take the chance of it lightly and have been to the hospital to check things up by doing an ultrasound.  I can picture Martha and Mary waiting for Jesus to come. They knew He could have healed there brother if Jesus had been there. But they had to wait for Him to come.

What makes it worse is that He was only 2 miles away.  It was not that long a trip.  Even on rough terrain I am sure that two miles could be covered in a day.

I am sure that the doctors could have looked at that report and told me better what was going on, but they have to wait to get it all correct.  Jesus had to wait for the right time to show His miracle by raising Lazarus.  

Waiting is hard, but scripture does say they that wait upon the Lord will renew their strength.  



Read for next time: Martha meets Jesus; John 11:19-29  
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Going to die

September 29, 2010

The life of Jesus. Read Today:  Jesus prepares 12 to go to Judea; John 11:7-16

John 11:16 (Twentieth Century New Testament)
16 At this, Thomas, who was called 'The Twin,' said to his fellow- disciples. "Let us go too, so that we may die with him."

While I think the faith was a little displaced, I think Thomas had the right idea.  He wanted to be with Jesus no matter what the cost, even if that cost meant dieing with Him.  Understand this is the same Thomas who was referred to later as ‘Doubting Thomas.’  And he shows his doubts here as well, not thinking through what Jesus said. But he was a man of doing something, and I have to admire him for that.

In my own life I look and see all the times that I could have stood with Jesus but I decided to let them go.  I am not saying that I am not forgiven about them, I am sure that I am. I am saying that I at times need a little bit of the DNA of Thomas in me.  I need to be able to go when Jesus tells me it is time to go.

Read for next time:   Arrives near Bethany, 2 days later; John 11:17-18
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On a dime

September 27, 2010

The life of Jesus. Read Today:  Jesus delays for 2 days; John 11:6

ESV: John 11:6. So, when he heard that Lazarus was ill, he stayed two days longer in the place where he was.

A few years ago, a pastor at my church preached a sermon on how God can change things ‘on a dime.’  To illustrate this point he gave us all a praise report card with a dime taped on it.  When the situation for what we were praying about finally changed, we were to turn in the card with the dime.  Many praise reports came through in the next few weeks.  Me, I still have my card with my dime, but I pray about it on a regular basis.  Since that time, I have had many more times that I could have used a card with a dime on it as a reminder that God changes things on His time.

Why God does this I do not know.  Sometimes I would like to ask Him.  I do know from the Old Testament incident where God did not give the promised land all at once to the people or else the wild animals would come in.  Getting everything we need immediately would not be a good thing for us.  But having a need drag out of several years, that is not good either, at least to me it is not.  

So I hold on to my card with a dime, believing God that things will change.  

Read for next time:   Jesus prepares 12 to go to Judea; John 11:7-16
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Giving Jesus the glory

September 27, 2010

The life of Jesus. Read Today:  Lazarus of Bethany reported sick; John 11:1-6

John 11:4 (New Heart English Bible)
4 But when Jesus heard it, he said, "This sickness is not to death, but for the glory of God, that God's Son may be glorified by it."

This one is timely for me.  This week I will go into the out-patient clinic at a hospital to get an ultra-sound done.  I got a negative report that I have a high chance of prostate cancer based on blood tests.  Wheels turn slowly with the medical insurance people so it has taken a week and a half to get this far.  What will the report show?  I do not know.  But I must have faith that no matter what the results, that if I have the sickness, that God’s son may be glorified in it.  

That is not always easy.  I want the report to be clean, no sickness at all.  But can I, if the report is not clean, stand up and let Jesus be glorified in it?  And how do I do that? Do I pray and believe for total healing so that it can be shown that God still heals?  Do I live my life as an example to others and not murmur and complain about what has happened to me?  So many questions.  

Read for next time:   Jesus delays for 2 days; John 11:6
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Millstone

September 26, 2010

The life of Jesus. Read Today:  Jesus instructs disciples; Luke 17:1-10

Luke 17:2 (New English Translation)
2 It would be better for him to have a millstone tied around his neck and be thrown into the sea than for him to cause one of these little ones to sin.

I have spent the last few years at my church involved with children’s ministry.  I can tell you that is how I feel about people who kill their children’s faith.  I have had kids hang on every word I say as I teach them.  And I have had kids that could not care less about what I am talking about, all in the same room.  Then, as the parent’s pick them up I understand why. The kids that were interested have parents that engage them in what we did, like ask questions about what they learned.  The ones that sat their bored like a rock on a log, well, their parents just came in and said, ‘let’s go.’  

A child’s faith is the purest form of faith there is to me.  Years ago, my daughter was up in the top bunk of the bed. She wanted to get down but the ladder that she got up with seemed a lot more scary to get down with. I could not quite reach her so she had to jump off the bunk to my arms.  She had faith that I, her father would catch her.

As I saw the kids leave, I know the ones that would jump in their parents arms and the ones who would not.  As a parent, I should never hang that millstone of lack of faith on my children, not when God gave it to them in the first place.  

Read for next time:   Lazarus of Bethany reported sick; John 11:1-6
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Back from the dead

September 25, 2010

The life of Jesus. Read Today:  The rich man and Lazarus; Luke 16:19-31

Luke 16:29-31 (New Heart English Bible)
29 "But Abraham said to him, 'They have Moses and the Prophets. Let them listen to them.'
30 "He said, 'No, father Abraham, but if one goes to them from the dead, they will repent.'
31 "He said to him, 'If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, neither will they be persuaded if one rises from the dead.'"

In my life I am going to find there are people who will reject salvation.  That does not mean that I do not pray for them. I have prayed for people to be saved for years and found out that they accepted Jesus.  It is just that some people are not going to have faith.  And salvation takes faith.  Someone coming back from the dead will not even convert them.  They might think it is a trick.

God wants all to be saved.  Some will not. I have to learn to accept that. It hurts because I know that people that are close to me will wind up being in hell for eternity.  I have to keep telling myself that, like the rich man and his brothers here, it is their choice to ignore what has been presented to them as the Gospel.  They have a choice and I can not be their conscious.


Read for next time:   Jesus instructs disciples; Luke 17:1-10
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Law

September 24, 2010

The life of Jesus. Read Today:  Pharisees scoff. Teaching on divorce; Luke 16:14-18

Luke 16:17-18 (GOD'S WORD to the Nations)
17 It is easier for the earth and the heavens to disappear than to drop a comma from Moses' Teachings.
18 "Any man who divorces his wife to marry another woman is committing adultery. The man who marries a woman divorced in this way is committing adultery.  

Why do these verses sit next to each other in the Bible?  Did Jesus really say them in that order and that close together?  My mind thinks that they do not really belong together.  

But the fog lifts as I think on them for a while. He was taking a shot at the Pharisees.  They had changed the simple law that Moses had give about divorce, do not do it! They put in their own rules in place of God’s law so that they could have their own way.

Likewise, in my life I try to change things to suite me.  I want to take God’s law and make it in my way.  God smiles and says, do not do it. But if you do do it, I have sent my son to take care of it.  While I do not live under the law, the ones that I could never keep, I am obliged to live the best I can.

Read for next time:   The rich man and Lazarus; Luke 16:19-31
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Two Masters

September 23, 2010

The life of Jesus. Read Today:  Parable of the Unrighteous Steward; Luke 16:1-13

Luke 16:13 (GOD'S WORD to the Nations)
13 "A servant cannot serve two masters. He will hate the first master and love the second, or he will be devoted to the first and despise the second. You cannot serve God and wealth."

I, in my life, cannot want two different things that are opposites.  If I say I love my wife, I cannot want to have an emotional or physical relationship with another woman. It is just not that way.  If I want to be able to understand God’s word clearly I can not put things like drugs or alcohol in to it.  If I want to show God’s love to others I cannot let my anger come out in inappropriate ways.

When I have a desire for something I have to take the time to see if it is leading me to my wants as well as the world, or if it points to that heavenly place I long for.

Read for next time: Pharisees scoff.  Teaching on divorce; Luke 16:14-18
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I went to Him

September 22, 2010

The life of Jesus. Read Today:  Lost Sheep, Coin, and Son; Luke 15:3-32

Luke 15:17-18 (International Standard Version)
17 “Then he came to his senses and said, ‘How many of my father's hired men have more food than they can eat, and here I am starving to death!
18 I will get up, go to my father, and say to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and you.

We all have things in our lives that need to be given to God. I have done it with a lot of things in my life but for this example I will use anger.  I used anger to get what I wanted, and I could justify it because I had needs not being met.  Substitute your vice of choice and you can say the same thing. It was only after wrecking all around me that I came to my senses.  As a child of God, this is not how I should be acting.  So I came to me senses and asked God to help me.  And you know what happened.

Luke 15:20 (International Standard Version)
20 “So he got up and went to his father. While he was still far away, his father saw him and was filled with compassion. He ran to his son, threw his arms around him, and kissed him affectionately.

God met me where I was at.  He did not try to change me, He let me find my way back to Him, and then He came running to help me back to Him.

It is only when we can see our brokenness that we can truly see that we need help from God.

Read for next time: Parable of the Unrighteous Steward; Luke 16:1-13
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Meeting you where you are at

September 21, 2010

The life of Jesus. Read Today:  Eats with Tax Collectors and Sinners; Luke 15:1 - 2

Luke 15:1-2 (New English Translation)
1 Now all the tax collectors and sinners were coming to hear him.
2 But the Pharisees and the experts in the law were complaining, "This man welcomes sinners and eats with them."

Recently talked about mega-churches, now how about the other types that people do not like.  Jesus was not afraid to get with the people and get their dirt on Him.  The pharisees  were appalled.  They never understood that they could never fill all of the laws so they were always in sin of one sort or another.  Jesus knew He was the way to salvation of all people.

So that brings me to the churches that seem to be having the sinners hang out at their door.  While these are not the churches I would care to attend, I see the need for them and welcome the fact that they are around.  We all can come to find Jesus in the way best for us.  He had just dined with the pharisees and tried to meet them where they were at, he can do the same for the sinners.  Jesus meets me where I am and helps me from there.

Read for next time: Lost Sheep, Coin, and Son; Luke 15:3-32
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Unsalted Salt

September 20, 2010

The life of Jesus. Read Today:  The Cost of Discipleship; Luke 14:25-35

Luke 14:34-35 (Bible in Worldwide English)34 ‘Salt is good. But if the salt has lost its taste, how can it be made salty again? 35 It is not good for the land or the dirt pile. People throw it away. ‘Everyone who has ears to hear, listen!"

To us today, this does not make a lot of sense.  We have a refined processed salt.  In the days when the Bible was written, the salt was not pure, often mixed in with other chemicals.  The true test was how salty it tasted.  If it did not have a salty taste it had lost its salty-ness.  So how did it loose it.

Exposure to the world is not good for salt.  The humid and wetness will eventually make it loose the salty taste.  As I get exposed to the world and its influences I will also loose the effect that I have on telling others about God.  I must learn to stay in the Word and not in the world, or I will be useless like unsalted salt.

Read for next time: Eats with Tax Collectors and Sinners; Luke 15:1 - 2
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Megachurch

September 19, 2010

The life of Jesus. Read Today:  Great Multitudes Travel With Jesus; Luke 14:25

Luke 14:25 (The Common Edition: New Testament)
25 Now great multitudes went with him; and he turned and said to them,

I have heard a lot of people complain about mega-churches.  I never heard God complain about them. In fact today’s verse shows He approved of them.  If not, why did He let ‘the multitude’ follow Him.  

Small churches are good, and so are big churches.  It is not the size that matters, it is the teaching that goes on inside it.


Read for next time: The Cost of Discipleship; Luke 14:25-35
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There is more room

September 18, 2010

The life of Jesus. Read Today:  Parable of the dinner  Luke 14:15-24

Luke 14:22 (English Standard Version)
22 And the servant said, ‘Sir, what you commanded has been done, and still there is room.’

No matter what I can do, there will always be more room at the table for new believers.  Jesus compels me to go out and find them, but the table will never be full enough.  The problem is if I am doing the job that God has told me to do in bringing others to know Jesus.  Do I tell others about Jesus? Do I tell enough others about Him?  Or do I just sit on my ‘blessed assurances’ and soak all the things that I need in?  


Read for next time: Great Multitudes Travel With Jesus; Luke 14:25
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Paying it Forward

September 16, 2010

The life of Jesus. Read Today:  Parable to the Host of the Feast; Luke 14:12-14

Luke 14:13-14 (The Living Oracles NT)13 But when you give an entertainment, invite the poor, the maimed, the lame, the blind; 14 and you shall be happy; for, as they have not the means to requite you, you shall be requited at the resurrection of the righteous.

I have the opposite problem of what is mentioned here but God can still deal with me about it here.  I often do not want to accept an offer from someone because I know that I can not return the invitation to them and I start to feel like I am a leech.  But God tells us not to expect the return of the offer, that we will be blessed.  

So should I feel guilty because I can not return the favor to others?  Or can I? I help other in ways that are not what would be considered entertainment.  In life we are all takers in some way, shape or form.  It is only when we do not give to others that problems happen.  The expression comes to mind of ‘paying it forward.’  While I help others I do so, and if some choose to help me, then I am receiving the reward of ‘paying it forward.’

Read for next time: Parable of the dinner  Luke 14:15-24
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How high should you go?

September 16, 2010

The life of Jesus. Read Today:  Parable of the Guests; Luke 14:7-11

Luke 14:8-9 (English Standard Version)
8 “When you are invited by someone to a wedding feast, do not sit down in a place of honor, lest someone more distinguished than you be invited by him,
9 and he who invited you both will come and say to you, ‘Give your place to this person,’ and then you will begin with shame to take the lowest place.

I should never try to make ourselves higher than what I am.  While false humility is not good either, it is important not to put myself higher that what I should be.  By putting myself as the most important person in any situation, from personal relationships to work situations, I set myself up for a fall.  Falls can bring depression and embarrassment.  God wants what is best for me and I need to live up to what He wants and let Him advance me.

Read for next time: Parable to the Host of the Feast; Luke 14:12-14
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Answered Questions

September 15, 2010

The life of Jesus. Read Today:  Man With Dropsy Healed; Luke 14:2-6

Luke 14:2-3 (The Emphasized Bible by J. B. Rotherham)
2 And lo! there was, a certain man, who had the dropsy, before him.
3 And Jesus, answering, spake unto the Lawyers and Pharisees, saying—Is it allowed, on the Sabbath, to cure, or not? But, they, held their peace.

Maybe I am missing something here. Verse 3 says that “Jesus, answering them said...”.  I am looking at verse 2 and I do not see where they asked any questions at all.  

Jesus knows my very heart.  He sees the questions inside me and He will answer them. Of course that is assuming that I will listen to what He has to say and more importantly, do it.


Read for next time: Parable of the Guests; Luke 14:7-11
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Chic-Fil-A or McDonald's?

September 14, 2010

The life of Jesus. Read Today:  In a Pharisee’s House on the Sabbath; Luke 14:1

Luke 14:1 (International Standard Version)
1 One Sabbath, Jesus went to the house of a leader of the Pharisees to eat a meal. The guests were watching Jesus closely.

When Jesus ate with sinners, they watched Him closely. When He ate with the religious leaders, they still did.  Jesus was under close watch all the time.

You know something, I am to.  As a Christian, I am under watch all the time.  The religious people of the world will criticize me if I Twitter something too worldly and the worldly people will get upset if I post some religious stuff.  If I go to a restaurant, do I have go to Chic-Fil-A cause it is Christian or is it OK for me to go to McDonald's because I just want a hamburger? So what am I to do?

I will do what Jesus does.  I will be lead by the Spirit of God and try to do what is right.  I  will try not to offend anyone, but know what I choose may well do so.  I cannot please all, only God and myself.  

God wants me to be the best me I can be.

Read for next time: Man With Dropsy Healed; Luke 14:2-6
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What do you do?

September 13, 2010

The life of Jesus. Read Today:  Pharisees Warn Jesus About Herod; Luke 13:31-35

Luke 13:31-32 (GOD'S WORD to the Nations)
31 At that time some Pharisees told Jesus, "Get out of here, and go somewhere else! Herod wants to kill you."
32 Jesus said to them, "Tell that fox that I will force demons out of people and heal people today and tomorrow. I will finish my work on the third day.

As a Christian, I am urged to love all men and do good to them.  On the other hand, it looks like Jesus never backed down from a fight. Jesus was warned it was time for Him to move on, that Herod wanted His death.  But Jesus said, tell him I am going to do as I planned and then he can have me.  

When big political events happen that affect me as a Christian, which verses do I follow?  

I think that it is time to pray in those situations.  I am sure that God wants certain things done. In this case He wanted Jesus to go to the cross so we could have eternal life.  Jesus knew what His job was.  In cases where I am not clear on God wants, I may need to just let things go and love on those around me.


Read for next time: In a Pharisee’s House on the Sabbath; Luke 14:1

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Narrow road

September 12, 2010

The life of Jesus. Read Today:  How Many Will Be Saved? Luke 13:23-30

Luke 13:25-27 (1949/1964 Bible in Basic English)
25 When the master of the house has got up, and the door has been shut, and you, still outside, give blows on the door, saying, Lord, let us in; he will make answer and say, I have no knowledge of where you come from.
26 Then you will say, We have taken food and drink with you, and you were teaching in our streets.
27 But he will say, Truly, I have no knowledge of you or where you come from; go away from me, you workers of evil.

There is a time and place where we can enter into the Kingdom of God.  After that the door will be shut.  While I want to take as many with me as I can, it will be there choice.  There is only one choice to make in life that will make an eternity of difference.  I can only hope to influence those around me to make the same choice. That they will go through the door with me.

Read for next time: Pharisees Warn Jesus About Herod; Luke 13:31-35

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The Final Destination

September 11, 2010

The life of Jesus. Read Today:  Jesus Travels Toward Jerusalem; Luke 13:22

Luke 13:22 (World English Bible)
22 He went on his way through cities and villages, teaching, and traveling on to Jerusalem.

Last time I noted that you have to look back to where God met you for the first time, that child like faith that God is with you no matter what.  

Well, just like Jesus, once you get back to that starting point you need to progress forward.  Jesus knew what the end was to be. That did not make it any more painful.  I do not know what God holds for me in the future, what pains are going to be there, or what joy either.  I only know that I must progress towards them.  There will be both problems and joys, I know I must go through both.  Like Jesus, I know in the end, the final point of the journey will not be my death, but my life eternal with Jesus.

Read for next time: How Many Will Be Saved? Luke 13:23-30

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Going Home

September 9, 2010

The life of Jesus. Read Today:  Jesus Goes to Aenon Near Salim; John 10:40-42

John 10:40(ESV)
40  He went away again across the Jordan to the place where John had been baptizing at first, and there he remained.

I have heard it preached from a number of pulpits.  If your ministry is not where it should be' go back to the last thing God told you to do.  But what if you are not in ministry?

My personal journey of late has been dry so this spoke to me.  Jesus returned to where he started.  He knew what was coming and did not feel real good about it.   Would you if you knew you were to die?  He had to get back to where it all started.  I will need to do the same. Not go back to where I first accepted Jesus but to the mental state that I was in.  That childlike faith that knew that God could cleanse me thought the blood of Jesus.

It is time to go back.
Read for next time: Jesus Travels Toward Jerusalem; Luke 13:22

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Are you in good hands?

September 8, 2010

The life of Jesus. Read Today: Jews Confront Jesus; John 10:24 - 39

John 10:28-29 (English Standard Version)
28 I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand.
29 My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all, and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father's hand.

When I looked over the verses for today I started to skip over this one.  When I first became a Christian, someone gave me a pack of verses to memorize.  This was the first one I memorized.  I have meditated a lot on it over the years and thought I had gotten every ounce I could out of it.  There is the never perish, the cannot be taken by Satan, the God the Father to back Jesus up, what else could there be?

And then I saw it.  “I give eternal life...”  Jesus gives us eternal life.  Not that He is going to give it. Now I know that I can not work for my salvation. On the other hand this tells me that I cannot loose it either.  Jesus gave it to me.  It is a gift that I have accepted.  I could have rejected it, but once I am in His hand, no one can snatch me away.  This does not give me a licence to sin.  If I love Jesus I will try not to sin. I do have an assurance from Him though.  

Read for next time: Jesus Goes to Aenon Near Salim; John 10:40-42

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