When a brother fails

June 30, 2011
The Life of Jesus; read today:  Jesus tells Simon he prayed for him; Luke 22:31-32


ESV: Luke Chapter 22
[31] Simon, Simon, behold, Satan demanded to have you, that he might sift you like wheat,
[32]     but I have prayed for you that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned again, strengthen your brothers.

I have had a ‘was that in the Bible’ moment. One of those where  you pick a verse to meditate, read, study on and then something jumps out at you that you never saw before.

I have always read these two verses like this: “Peter, Satan wants to have you and I am going to pray for you so that you will not betray me. “

Looking at it today I see something different: “Peter, I know you are going to fail me, it is in your nature to do so.  But I pray that when you fail, you will not loose faith in me, and you will be able to help the others.’

Big difference.  Jesus knew Peter was going to fail. Praying for him not to fail would have been stupid.  What Jesus said to Peter that day, and He says to me today is that when you fail, and you are going to, Jesus will be there to help you get back up if you will turn to Him.  Then with that pick up, you need to go and help the others of faith not to sin, or to help pick them up when they fall.  This is especially true if when they fail, they loose their faith in Jesus.

Read for next time: Jesus predicts Peter's denials; Matthew 26:33-35; Mark 14:29-31; Luke 22:33-34; John 13:36-38

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Your view of the world

June 28, 2011
The Life of Jesus; read today:  Jesus predicts the disciples' denial; Matthew 26:31-32; Mark 14:27-28

NET: Matthew Chapter 26

[31] Then Jesus said to them, "This night you will all fall away because of me, for it is written:'I will strike the shepherd, and the sheep of the flock will be scattered.'  [32] But after I am raised, I will go ahead of you into Galilee."

For a self-help group that I am part of at my church I have been reading the book Safe People (Cloud and Townsend).  It has been a real eye opener in why some of my relationships do not work.  Like many others, I am at times an unsafe person.  Why? The main reason is that I sin and that breaks a trust relationship that I have with other people.  The safe person realizes when he has done this and works on trying to fix what he has broken when and if it is possible.  

The authors then go on to define what sin is.  It is true it is from Adam and Eve and it is passed on to each one of us. In reality, what it breaks down to is that we have a desire not to be dependant on anyone or anything, including God.  We want to be the creator and not the created.  And so we now try to make the world our way.  When others do this as well conflict happens.

Today’s verse once again shows that the people of Bible time were not a lot different from me.  Jesus tells them that they will sin. Why will they sin? They will sin because the world that they had envisioned was not the world Jesus had. Without Jesus to hold them together, they would run and separate.  It was only when they received the Holy Spirit that they were able to see the world that Jesus saw it.

I need to have that vision of the world as my savior sees it.  In that case, when I do, I will be less likely to want my world and want His in its place.


Read for next time: Jesus tells Simon he prayed for him; Luke 22:31-32

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If you want to be 1st...

June 28, 2011
The Life of Jesus; read today:  Dispute about the greatest disciple; Luke 22:24-30

There is a show called 'Undercover Boss' that has a head of a company go to work at bottom levels of the company. Generally there is a humbling experience for both the boss and the people he is paired with.

One episode I saw had the boss of a casino in Las Vegas paired with the general workers. He saw both sides of them, the public smiling side and the non-public side where they talked about their trials. One woman seemed to be happy no matter where she was at. Asked the secret about her joy she took the boss with her during lunch break.

They went to a florist shop and picked up some flowers that were old and about to be thrown out but still looked good.  They then went to a nursing home and brought joy to the patients that received them. Each day, she explained she spent her lunch hour doing this with different stores and nursing homes.

MKJV: Luke Chapter 22
 [26] But you shall not be so: but the greater among you, let him be as the lesser, and he who governs, as one who serves.

In the end, when they had the reveal part of the show, he let her know how much she had influenced him, and he would be honored to go out with her on theses trips. Arrangements were made to take the older flowers from the casino and hotel and give them to her as well as a donation of fiances and a van.

More important however, was the fact that the man took his family on trips to do the same thing without that woman. He had learned that to be a really big person, you need to be a servant to others.


Read for next time: Jesus predicts the disciples' denial; Matthew 26:31-32; Mark 14:27-28

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Love one another...

June 23, 2011

The Life of Jesus; A new commandment; John 13:31-35

LEB: John 13:35. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples—if you have love for one another.”

Read easy verse to read and follow isn’t it?  Or is it?

It is easy to love those who are down and out, help them out with finances or something, no big deal.  And it is easy to love those people we see in church and Sunday school, after all we see them once a week.

But how about those you work with every day.  The one who really rubs you the wrong way. Or the one who got the promotion that you were supposed to get.

Shall I bring it closer to home?  Your spouse, your kids?

It is really easy to love those we do not deal with on a day to day basis. But those we are connected to the most need love as well.  And yet, our churches are filled with people getting divorces because they do not ‘love each other’ anymore.

If I am to show my love, ‘one for another,’ shouldn't I be showing that love to my wife as well as the stranger?



Read for next time: Dispute about the greatest disciple; Luke 22:24-30

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Darkness

June 22, 2011

The Life of Jesus; Judas leaves; John 13:27-30


WEB: John Chapter 13
 [30] Therefore, having received that morsel, he went out immediately. It was night.

The darkness is when the bad things happen to  me.  I am not talking about night time, but the darkness.  Yesterday was summer solstice, the longest day in the year. If there was a day of light and not dark ruling that would be it. As they day went on as I went from one job to the next, I felt alone, inadequate, not needed.  The darkness was surrounding me.

I have found that when the darkness starts to surround me, that is when I give in to sin the most.  While it is a struggle, I must work each day to keep myself from going down the dark path. If I do not do so, then like Judas, I may think I find what I want, but in the end it will be destruction.


Read for next time: A new commandment; John 13:31-35

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Betrayal

June 21, 2011

The Life of Jesus; Jesus predicts his betrayal; Matthew 26:21-25; Mark
14:18-21; Luke 22:21-23; John 13:21-26

I think it interesting that of the four Gospels, very few stories are
in all four.  The Last Supper is one of those.  Even in that event,
they all could not agree what happened, not that the four stories
cannot be the same event, just that they are different. Matthew hints
that Judas is the betrayer, but except for John, no one names him.  In
fact Matthew is kind of vague about it.

ESV: Matthew 26:23. He answered, He who has dipped his hand in the
dish with me will betray me.

Couldn’t that have been any one at the table? Or even worse, it could
have been me. How many times have I betrayed Him. And yet I take
communion and dip my hand in His dish.  Yet He forgives me each time.
The more I read the Bible, the more that I find it has people like me
all over it.

Read for next time: Judas leaves 13:27-30

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Do this...

June 20, 2011

The Life of Jesus; Today Read - The Lord's Supper; Matthew 26:26-29; Mark 14:22-25; Luke 22:14-20;  I Cor 11:23-29


ASV: Luke Chapter 22

 [19] And he took bread, and when he had given thanks, he brake it, and gave to them, saying, This is my body which is given for you: this do in remembrance of me. [20] And the cup in like manner after supper, saying, This cup is the new covenant in my blood, even that which is poured out for you.

Everything that Jesus did, He did for us.  I think I loose the concept sometimes.  I think of the Jesus as being someone who had a master plan to take care of bringing us back.  I loose concept of what he actually had to sacrifice for me. It is not hard to do in a world where we have so much mechanical work where one thing flows into another to think of this as just another step in the plan of Jesus.

So Jesus met with the men and said those words, ‘do this in remembrance of me.’ Now, when I take communion, I am forced to look at it as not just another step in a plan to let me go to Heaven, but as the Son of God, come to earth and going through so much pain.

I must never let what He did for me become mechanical.

Read for next time: Jesus predicts his betrayal; Matthew 26:21-25; Mark 14:18-21; Luke 22:21-23; John 13:21-26

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Foot washing

June 13, 2011

The Life of Jesus; Today Read - Jesus washes the disciples' feet; John 13:1-20


Common: John 13:10. Jesus said to him, "He who has bathed needs only to wash his feet, but is completely clean; and you are clean, but not every one of you."

My pastor recently preached on these verses and I learned something that I had not thought of before.  Peter was saying, Jesus, immerse me in you so that I will be clean. Jesus says in this verse, ‘no, you have followed me and committed your life to me, you have made mistakes, lets just wash the mistakes.

As I walk through the house after my shower if I do not have my slippers on, my feat will pick up the normal dust and dirt that comes with living in a house.  Because my feet are dirty, it does not mean that I have to take a shower to get them clean.  I could but it would be overkill.  All I really need to do is to wash my feet off with a wash cloth.

Likewise, when I sin, and I do, I do not need to seek salvation and dedicate myself to the Lord all over again.  All I need to do is ask God to forgive my sins.  I am already clean, I just got myself a little bit dirty.

That can help me get over the depression that sometimes comes over me when I fail one more time.  I know that I can ask forgiveness and be clean once more.


Read for next time: The Lord's Supper; Matthew 26:26-29; Mark 14:22-25; Luke 22:14-20;  I Cor 11:23-29

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Eating with Jesus

June 11, 2011

The Life of Jesus; Today Read - Fellowship in the upper room; Matthew  26:20; Mark 14:17; Luke 22:14

Through the wonders of technology I am typing these words as I am eating my meal at one of my jobs. I will later move them around and put them on the various places that I post them to on the home computer.  

Like most of my meals, I will eat alone. It is just the way I am and the nature of the jobs I have. Nothing bad about it.

Part of my time prepping for these devotions is finding a scripture, not much to worry about today.  There are only three to choose from.


BBE: Luke 22:14. And when the time had come, he took his seat, and the Apostles with him.

But it was food for thought today. I never thought about Jesus wanting to eat with me I know He wants to be part of all my life but to eat with me? He has better things with His time!

But hours before He is to die He is eating with His disciples. So as I sit alone again I must realize that I am not. Jesus wants to eat with me like He wants to be part of every part of my life.

Read for next time: Jesus washes the disciples' feet; John 13:1-20

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Who carries your water?

June 10, 2011

The Life of Jesus; Today Read - Peter & John sent to prepare for Passover; Matthew 26:17-19; Mark  14:12-16; Luke 22:7-13

It was the law for all Jewish people to celebrate the Passover, and Jesus, though He came to deliver us from the law was no different from anyone else.  The disciples were under this law as well.  So they turned to the Master to tell them what to do to prepare.  

LITV: Luke 22:10. And He said to them, Behold, you going into the city, you will meet a man carrying a pitcher of water. Follow him into the house where he goes in.

Now this would be scary to me! I mean, is Jesus just playing game here.  How can he know a man would be carrying a pot of water, that was woman’s work.  This could never happen.  Yet they walked in faith that Jesus knew what He was doing.  They were starting to know when Jesus said something it would come to pass.  So they did it. And just like Jesus said, there everything was and things fell into place.

I need to be more like these men. Walking in faith, knowing that my water carrier will show up at the right time.  I am going through some medical problems at the moment, getting tested for cancer again, Somewhere out there is a man carrying a water pot for me. I will walk in faith for him to be there.

Read for next time:  Fellowship in the upper room; Matthew  26:20; Mark 14:17; Luke 22:14
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Privacy

June 9, 2011

The Life of Jesus; Today Read - Judas bargains to betray Jesus; Matthew 26:14-16; Mark 14:10-11; Luke 22:3-6


ESV: Luke 22:6. So he consented and sought an opportunity to betray him to them in the absence of a crowd.

I know some say that Judas sought to betray Jesus so that Jesus would be able to bring the Kingdom in to existence they way that they wanted.  I do not buy that.  I would think that if that was the case, it would not matter if there was a crowd their or not, Jesus would have been arrested, called down the angels to get Him out, and the Romans would be gone.

He chose to seek an opportunity to betray Jesus when there was no crowd there.  Am I any different.  If I am going to sin, am I going to do it out in the open where all can see me. No, I will try to hide away from the eyes of people. Judas and I are not that much different.  He sinned to betray Jesus, and when I sin, I betray the death that He gave for me.


Read for next time:  Peter & John sent to prepare for Passover; Matthew 26:17-19; Mark  14:12-16; Luke 22:7-13

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