Being Sent

November 20, 2010

The life of Jesus. Read Today: Jesus ascends toward Jerusalem; Matthew  21:1; Mark 11:1; Luke 19:28

Mark 11:1 (International Standard Version)
1  When they came near Jerusalem, at Bethphage and Bethany, near the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent two of his disciples on ahead

We have established over the last few devotionals that the priest were out to kill Jesus. We know that the followers of Jesus are in danger as they want to kill Lazarus as well.  In the midst of all this, Jesus sends two disciples on ahead to Jerusalem.  He knew what was coming, they did not. I am sure they had heard the stories but when Jesus told them to go, they went.  

In my every day life, Jesus tells me to go and do things.  I do not always respond like I should because I fear embarrassment.  Is embarrassment worse then death? Why am I so timid compared to the disciples?  

I need to be more like them and not let things bother me, but do as Jesus tells me to do.


Read for next time: Two disciples get a colt; Matthew 21:1-7; Mark 11:1-7; Luke 19:29-35

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Pointing to Jesus

November 19, 2010

The life of Jesus. Read Today: Chief priests conspire to kill Lazarus; John 12:10-11

John 12:10-11 (English Standard Version)
10 So the chief priests made plans to put Lazarus to death as well,
11 because on account of him many of the Jews were going away and believing in Jesus.

If you become successful, people will want to get rid of you or what you do. Even a low level of success can bring problems.  I have had a small but steady following of people reading these messages but I have had people tell me ‘who do you think you are writing stuff like this.’  All I can tell them is I write them for me, and what God tells me, if others like them, then they are invited to read them.

Jesus had Lazarus with Him here.  The chief priest had decided to kill Jesus, that much is know.  But because Lazarus points to Jesus and says He is the one that raised me from the dead, He is a problem now.  Jesus was bad enough, but someone else telling about Him, that gets worse.  

When you get pointing to Jesus, others will want to kill your plans, or maybe kill you.  


Read for next time: Jesus ascends toward Jerusalem; Matthew  21:1; Mark 11:1; Luke 19:28

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Signs

November 17, 2010

The life of Jesus. Read Today: Crowds come to see Jesus and Lazarus; John 12:9

John 12:9 (New English Translation)
9 Now a large crowd of Judeans learned that Jesus was there, and so they came not only because of him but also to see Lazarus whom he had raised from the dead.

I have no problems with megachurches, I do have problems with people flocking to them to see the next latest, greatest sign from God.  It bothers me that we have to entertain people to get them in the door.  It is possible to build big churches with just the word of God being preached.

Jesus knew this was the end of His ministry. He and Lazarus made an appearance in Jerusalem and now all the people were flocking around because they wanted to see this man and hope for another miracle.

Tonight I was praying with my children.  I prayed for a good nights sleep for them, for strength to make it through whatever trials they were going through. And then it hit me.  Even though I go to a big church that preaches the word, I was still asking God for miracles even if they were good intentions.  I had to stop and ask myself, is what I receive going to influence how I believe?  If my son has a bad day tomorrow after we prayed for a good one, will I feel that God does not love me? Will I turn on Him like the people did on Jesus.

In my prayers I have to be careful that I am not looking for signs also. Only then can I know that my faith is not based on what God can give me, but what I have received in Jesus.

Read for next time: Chief priests conspire to kill Lazarus; John 12:10-11

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Doing all I can

November 16, 2010

The life of Jesus. Read Today: Mary's deed recounted; Matthew 26:6-13; Mark 14:3-9

Mark 14:8 (English Majority Text Version)
8 This woman did what she could; she undertook beforehand to anoint My body for burial.

This woman did what she could.  That is all that God can ask of me also.  That I can do what I can.  That is the question that I also must ask myself.  Am I doing all that I can.  I do not want to get into legalism, but I had designed this devotional to be daily and there are some days that I can not drag myself to the computer to do it, like this devotional today.  My mind tells me there are so many other things to do.  

So I need to do a check up from the neck up.  Am I doing all that I can do for Jesus?


Read for next time: Crowds come to see Jesus and Lazarus; John 12:9

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Hermits

November 12, 2010

The life of Jesus. Read Today: Mary anoints Jesus in Simon's house; John 12:2-8

John 12:2 (English Jubilee 2000 Bible)
2 There they made him a supper; and Martha served, but Lazarus was one of those that sat at the table with him.

I wonder if I was Lazarus if I would be like this.  If I had come back from the dead, from being in a whole other world, from paradise.  Would I want to just be among ordinary people?  Would I run away and not want to be part of the mundane and every day life of the people around me?  What would I be like.

I see here a person who, upon returning from the most delightful experience one could imagine, just returns to his daily life.  God had spoken to him, Jesus had raised him from the dead, and yet, here he is among every day people and talking and laughing.  

I am convinced that when we receive Jesus into our lives that we are not to just hide away from every one and everything like a monk in a monastery.  There is a time and a place for everything, and there is time to be away, seek time with Him, and receive.  They should not be the majority of our lives.  What we get, we need to tell others, like Lazarus did.

Read for next time: Mary's deed recounted; Matthew 26:6-13; Mark 14:3-9

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Waiting for a sign

November 11, 2010

The life of Jesus. Read Today: Jesus in Bethany; John 12:1

John 12:1 (1949/1964 Bible in Basic English)
1 Then, six days before the Passover, Jesus came to Bethany where Lazarus was, whom Jesus had made to come back from the dead.

Jesus never left anything to chance. What seems like a set of words to point out where Jesus is points out something very important.  Jesus went to where Lazarus had been raised from the dead.  While it may be lost on me in the current day till now, I am sure that Jesus did it to point something out to the people.  He is about to tell them that he is going to raise from the dead.  He had done this for Lazarus as well.  

Jesus at His most trying time was still trying to tell the people what was going to happen.  It is their fault that they could not see it.  I am not really that much different.  I move blindly through my life trying to tell God what His will for my life is when He often makes it so simple that if I would just stay still long enough I would see it.  The trick for me, and I am sure for many others, is seeing it and knowing it is God.

Read for next time: Mary anoints Jesus in Simon's house; John 12:2-8

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Ring Side Seat

November 10, 2010

The life of Jesus. Read Today: Jesus discussed by Jews and Priests; John 11:55-57

John 11:56 (English Standard Version)
56 They were looking for Jesus and saying to one another as they stood in the temple, “What do you think? That he will not come to the feast at all?”

Jesus, in the eyes of the people,  now has a problem, does He go to where they want to kill Him, or does he break the Hebrew law of not going to the Passover Festival in Jerusalem (all males who could get there were supposed to go).  Jesus did not really have a problem with this, he knew that the cross was on the way.

The people were looking for two reasons. They wanted to see the miracles that He did. They also wanted to see the confrontation between Jesus and those in authority.  What ever happened they wanted to have a ring side seat on what was going to take place.

If I start to do what Jesus wants me to do, there will be those who will want a ring side seat as well. I know this as people close to me have called me a phony for what little ministry I do.  Like Jesus, I have to keep a focus on the end of things and not on the present.  Sometimes that is very hard to do.  

Read for next time: Jesus in Bethany; John 12:1

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Getting Away

November 9, 2010

The life of Jesus. Read Today: Journey toward Jerusalem for Passover; John 11:54

John 11:54 (Bible in Worldwide English)
54 That is why Jesus did not go among the Jews in the open. But he went to another part of the country, to a town called Ephraim. He stayed there with his disciples.

There is a time for a minister to be out with the people he ministers to. There is also a time for him to retreat.  Jesus did it many times, the ones that we note the most are the times that He left the crowds and the crowds followed Him.  

Jesus knew that they were plotting against Him at this point.  They were looking for a way to trip Him up.  They could not do that if Jesus retreated and would not come out into the open. He knew the time was not right and He must have needed the time to get ready for what was to happen.

I need time also.  I cannot give my all to everyone else and not take time for myself.  While I an not doing what Jesus is doing, taking the sins of all on me, I still need to look at this example.  If I do not, I can not face what lies in front of me.  That is not to say I can stay in that place of waiting, but that I can know that I can take time to regenerate once in a while.

Read for next time: Jesus discussed by Jews and Priests; John 11:55-57

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Our Words

November 8, 2010

The life of Jesus. Read Today:  Parable of the Talents; Luke 19:12-27

Luke 19:22 (The Common Edition: New Testament)
22 He said to him, ‘I will judge you out of your own mouth, you wicked servant! You knew that I was a hard man, taking up what I did not lay down and reaping what I did not sow?

I have read this verse many time, and never saw something in it.  We get what we confess.  No I do not mean the name it and claim it religion, I mean we get exactly what we confess.  Jesus says that by our own mouths we will be judged.  So many people want to say that there good works will get them into heaven, but that just is not so.  We will be judged by the words that we choose to use.  We will either accept Jesus and be with Him in heaven, or reject him and be in hell.

Many people try to make it so that a loving God would not send people to hell just because they do not believe in His son.  They will have to realize that it is not God who does it to them, it is their own words.

Read for next time: Journey toward Jerusalem for Passover; John 11:54
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Healing

November 7, 2010

The life of Jesus. Read Today:  Jesus is near Jerusalem; Luke 19:11

Luke 9:11 (New Heart English Bible)
11 But the multitudes, perceiving it, followed him. He welcomed them, and spoke to them of the Kingdom of God, and he cured those who needed healing.

I have a need for healing in my life. I not only need it physically but emotionally as well.  Isiah says that Jesus was bruised for our iniquities and chastised for our sins.  So in His punishment and death, Jesus died for my sickness and sins.

Jesus went around healing people.  If it is not right for me to seek healing today, why would Jesus have done it then.  

I have a need to be able to be healed and Jesus has provided it for me.


Read for next time: Blind men healed near Jericho; Luke 19:12-27
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Seeking Jesus

November 6, 2010

The life of Jesus. Read Today:  Zaccheus is converted near Jericho; Luke 19:1-10

Luke 9:9 (Green's Literal Translation)
9 And Herod said, I beheaded John, but who is this about whom I hear such things? And he sought to see Him.  

There is a need in people’s lives. It is to see Jesus.  Herod did not realize this but he sought it anyway.  When I behave like Jesus, I give people a chance to see Jesus.  Like Herod, they may want to kill anything about Him, but in the end it is what they are seeking.  I need to show more of Jesus in my life.

Read for next time: Jesus is near Jerusalem; Luke 19:11
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