Hiding Problems

May 24, 2011

The Life of Jesus; Today Read - Plot to kill Jesus; Matthew 26:3-5; Mark 14:1-2; Luke 22:1-2

EMTV: Mark Chapter 14
[1] Now after two days it was the Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread. And the chief priests and the scribes were seeking how they might get hold of Him by guile, and how they might kill Him.
[2] But they said, Not during the feast, lest there be a disturbance of the people.


It is interesting that the verse that is before this talks about how there were people who were following Jesus but they did so in secret as they feared the leadership. Now the leadership is hiding as well. They are concerned about the people because if they deal with the ‘Jesus problem’ the people will turn against them.  

Here we have two groups that are hiding from each other because of fear.  In either case, Jesus dies because they both sit back in fear, one of the leadership and the other of the people.

Real life is like that to.  I have some secret in my life and it will consume me because I fear that if people know the secret, then they may not want me anymore.  So I hide it from them if fear.  Meanwhile they have a secret and are afraid to share it with me because I might use it against them.  So even though we may be able to help each other through these problems, we do not because we live in fear.

It is only when we can bring these problems out in the open that we can get help for them.  Unfortunately, bringing them out in the open is the last thing we want to do. It is only when we reach the end of our rope that we cry out to God for the help we need, and then He sends us friends who we can share, and as the Word says, ‘iron sharpens iron,’ and we can grow into what we need to be.    

I need to not live in fear and learn to trust those who can help me. Even when I feel that I can not trust them.

Read for next time:  Judas bargains to betray Jesus; Matthew 26:14-16; Mark 14:10-11; Luke 22:3-6

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Secret Service

May 11, 2011

The Life of Jesus Today; Read - Final public appeals to unbelievers; John 12:23-50


John 12:42 ESV

Nevertheless, many even of the authorities believed in him, but for fear of the Pharisees they did not confess it, so that they would not be put out of the synagogue;

Years ago I was part of a start up church that met in a strip mall.  We had a long set of windows that let in a lot of sunlight.  Rather than spend a lot of money on blinds the pastor put up solar film on the windows.  This had a rather unique effect.  During the day time the light would be reflected and people could not see inside the building as they walked by.  At nighttime though, the light inside would reflect back into building and people walking by could see in but we could not see out.  The pastor one time joked that if you did not want to be seen going to church, that coming Sunday morning to the ‘secret service’ would be the one that you should attend.

It was not much different in Jesus day. There were people who wanted to believe in Him but did not want the world to know.  They lived in fear of what was going to happen to them if they did get find out.

In my day to day life, do I live in the ‘secret service’? Do people know that I am a Christian? Or do I look out for my self, and how I think people will see me?


Read for next time:  Plot to kill Jesus; Matthew 26:3-5; Mark 14:1-2; Luke 22:1-2

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Wanting to see Jesus

May 6, 2011

The Life of Jesus Today; Read - Greeks Seek Jesus; John 12:20-22

John 12:20-21 AMP

Now among those who went up to worship at the Feast were some Greeks.  These came to Philip, who was from Bethsaida in Galilee, and they made this request, Sir, we desire to see Jesus.

If I am living my life correctly then people will be able to see that I have Jesus in my life. Like these Greeks they will come to me wanting to see him.  So now the big question. Why do more people not come to me for this.    

I guess it might not be to hard to figure out.   Maybe I just do not show Him enough!  Maybe I just get so wrapped up in my problems. If I want to help others see Jesus them I need to have Jesus more visible in me.


Read for next time:  Final public appeals to unbelievers; John 12:23-50

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Time alone

May 5, 2011

The Life of Jesus Today; Read - People come early to hear Jesus teach; Luke 21:37-38

Luke 21:37-38(EMTV)
And in the daytime He was teaching in the temple, but at night He went out and stayed on the mountain called Olivet. Then early in the morning all the people came to Him in the temple to hear Him.

Jesus was always out to do the Father’s work, teaching the people.  It would have made sense for Him to have stayed in Jerusalem and be able to get to the teaching that much quicker.  But each evening He left to go to the county around the city,  Why?  Could He not find any friends to take care of Him? Was there not enough people to protect Jesus?

Or maybe there was a need for Him to go somewhere else for a real reason.  Maybe Jesus could only give out from what He could take in.  Maybe He needed to get a word from God to be able to give to the people.

In my busy life I can often not take the time to read and meditate on the word.  But then, when I need to be able to minister to others, I will not have it in me to do so.  Even when life is not busy, I have to learn to take time away from distractions like the TV and the computer, so that I can take some time to be with my Heavenly Father.

Read for next time:  Greeks Seek Jesus; John 12:20-22

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Strength in time of need.

May 4, 2011

The Life of Jesus Today; Read - Jesus predicts day of crucifixion; Matthew 26:1-2


ESV: Matthew Chapter 26
[1] When Jesus had finished all these sayings, he said to his disciples,
[2] You know that after two days the Passover is coming, and the Son of Man will be delivered up to be crucified.

Jesus has given His discourse on many things, acting like a prophet.  He now turns to His disciples and tells them what is going to happen.  

I am not sure that I could be so calm if I were in His shoes. He knows what is coming, and in place of making sure that He would be able to handle all the pressure He makes sure that His disciples are prepared for what is to come.  Where did He get that strength?

As I write these words tonight we have just gotten home from church.  My son has aspergers syndrome, high function Autism. He is for the most part normal but little things can set him off.  Tonight one did.  The ride home was quiet as he does not talk when he gets like this.While my daughter appeared to be OK, when she got home, she went to her room, closed the door and I could hear soft crying.  I knocked and went in, she said it was OK, she was having an anxiety attack.  Since I have had a lot on my plate lately I said OK and shrugged it off.  

But God had other plans.  The Holy Spirit talked to me and said that dealing with her brother sometimes can be a strain and that I needed to talk to her about it, tell her it was OK to have bad feelings when he acted up.  I really did not want to deal with this tonight.  I had enough of my own problems that I have been dealing with. When she came to say goodnight to me and pray with me, I looked up at her and told her what God had said to me. And the tears just flowed.  God had nailed it and used me to help her.  In my time of need, I got strength from God to minister to my child, and worked through one or two of my own problems as well.  

I do not compare my self to Jesus, but now, I know where His strength came from, to minister to others when He needed ministering to Himself.


Read for next time: People come early to hear Jesus teach; Luke 21:37-38
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Sheep or Goat

May 3, 2011

The Life of Jesus Today; Read - Warnings about the Judgment; Matthew 25:31-46

Matthew 25:45-46 (ESV)
Then he will answer them, saying, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to me.’ And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.”

Again a story of death and destruction or eternal life.  I having read this have wondered what the differences is between sheep and goats.  My Sunday School class even spent some time discussing this not long ago.  In reading this last night I took a few moments to review the differences.  Other than tails, fur and fighting styles there is not a whole lot different on the outside.  There is some chromosome differences, but we can not see what is on the inside.  The goat’s fir does not grow as full as a sheep, so there is some lesser value there I presume.  To the naked eye, it takes a lot to tell the differences.

And so it is with this parable.  The differences are not easily seen on the outside of the people.  I am sure they all went to church on Sunday, read their Bible and raised kids.  The difference is in what they did and did not do.  The sheep did things for God and the goats did not.  Works will not get me into heaven that is sure.  It is necessary to, however, act like the Christian that God wants me to be.  If I do, I can enter into His rest.  If not....

Read for next time: Jesus predicts day of crucifixion; Matthew 26:1-2

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My ability

May 2, 2011

The Life of Jesus Today; Read - Parable of the talents Matthew 25:14-30


Matthew Chapter 25:14-15(ESV):
14:For it will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted to them his property.
15:To one he gave five talents, to another two, to another one, to each according to his ability. Then he went away.

When I have read this in the past I always seemed to focus on the end. God (in the form of the master) appears to be so happy with the first few servants and so angry at the last. It reinforces the image of an angry God who wants to pounce on us.  The servant at least did not spend it on himself, and gave it back whole.  Why was God so mad.

And then today I noticed verse 15. “Each according to his ability.”  The master was not angry about the fact that he got the money back unchanged, he was upset that the man had not used his ability to make it something more.  The master knew that he had ability and could have increased it if the man had only tried.

God wants me to try. He wants me to take the abilities that I have inside myself and use them for Him.  If I do not, I have not surrendered my whole life to Him.  When I do not use them for days, weeks or even months at a time, I get God upset with me.  That is never a good place to be.

Read for next time: Warnings about the Judgment; Matthew 25:31-46
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Empty Lamps

May 1, 2011

The Life of Jesus Today; Read - Parable of the 10 Virgins. Matthew 25:1-13

Matthew 25:2-3 ESV

Five of them were foolish, and five were wise. For when the foolish took their lamps, they took no oil with them,


I think it weird that there were five virgins with no oil.  Why? What is a lamp without oil?  The fact is that they did have oil, just not enough. When the bridegroom ran late, they ran out.

My oil is the Word. I can get enough to keep it lit for a while by going to church and a light devotional. But if I want to keep it going, I had better keep doing a lot more.  Inned to read the Word regularly, I need to listen to tapes/mp3s, I need to read good books.  This will build up my oil supply.  But watching TV, surfing the Internet and the like, while they are not bad things to do, are not what is going to keep me ready for when the bridegroom returns to take me to my new home.

Read for next time: Parable of the talents Matthew 25:14-30

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