Another Jesus?

Matthew 9:35 Then Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every sickness and every disease among the people.

Matthew 12:15 But when Jesus knew it, He withdrew from there. And great multitudes followed Him, and He healed them all.

Matthew 14:14 And when Jesus went out, He saw a great multitude, and He was moved with compassion for them and healed their sick.

Hebrews 13:8 Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.

Is this the Jesus you know?

The Jesus presented in Scripture went about doing good and healing all oppressed by the devil.

There’s no indication of where Jesus went about and did anything bad or sought to cause pain and grief to anyone.  Jesus did not even do anything in retribution to His enemies and those who hated Him.

Jesus appeared to one of His enemies named Saul on the Damascus Road and rescued and converted Saul.  Saul became Paul and is now noted as one of Christ’s great apostles.

Jesus even healed the servant of a Roman Centurian!  That was uncommon compassion.

If Jesus was willing and demonstrated this kind of compassion and mercy towards many who did not even follow Him, what might He have in store for those who are His and love Him?

I find it difficult to think that Jesus would want bad things for His own but offer good things for others.

That strikes hard as a contradiction and would lead me to think I regard Him incorrectly.  That would mean I have looked to another Jesus other than the one I have revealed to me in Scripture.

I do not wish to have any conflicts in my thinking and believing with regard to Jesus and how He is presented to me in the Scriptures.  I want to believe in and follow the Jesus revealed to me consistently by the Scriptures.  I trust that is your heart as well.

Jesus loves you!  Jesus still heals!  Jesus still delivers!  Most importantly, Jesus still saves!

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Faith Can

Hebrews 11:17 By faith Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac, and he who had received the promises offered up his only begotten son, 18 of whom it was said, “In Isaac your seed shall be called,” 19 concluding that God was able to raise him up, even from the dead, from which he also received him in a figurative sense.

Faith makes it possible to not only know God’s will but also do it.  Abraham knew he had heard the Lord speak to him regarding his son Isaac.  He knew that Isaac was a promised child.  Because he was convinced by faith of such things when asked to sacrifice Isaac, he could be prepared to follow through, knowing God could not and would not go back on His word.

Of what from His word to you does faith convince you?  The way you know you are convinced by faith is that it has moved you to act on it somehow.  Faith is not stagnated or immobile.  Faith is active.  We are given faith to act, not simply to know.

You can know a thing, and it does not move you into action.  But if faith gets into you about something, you are energized to act on what you have come to believe.

Biblical faith has its roots in who God is and what God is like.  It produces a strong confidence in Him and His word.  Biblical faith can move us beyond what we know about ourselves into things that transcend our natural capabilities.

Biblical faith does not stumble at the promises God made and still makes to His children because of what can be known about the character of God.

Titus 1:1 Paul, a bondservant of God and an apostle of Jesus Christ, according to the faith of God’s elect and the acknowledgment of the truth which accords with godliness, 2 in hope of eternal life which God, who cannot lie, promised before time began,

Paul, as an apostle, was activated by Biblical faith in God according to His character because Paul was convinced by faith that God cannot lie and always speaks the truth.

Of what are you convinced of concerning God?  Are you convinced He cannot lie?  If you are, then are you familiar with what He has promised concerning you in His word and in your spirit?

It is when we become convinced by faith in Him regarding such things that we can step out in faith to do what we know is ours to do.  The first step of faith becomes clear when our will has submitted to the faith we have received in Him.

When Jesus returns, I want Him to find me being obedient to faith according to what He has shown me by faith is mine to do.  I encourage you to hear His voice and be familiar with what He has spoken in His word so you can walk by faith according to the Spirit as His return is very near.  Know Him, and let your life be energized by the faith that grows the more you know Him, and be blessed with every spiritual blessing in high places in Christ, just as His word declares!  Be blessed today and always.

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A Holy Temple

Ephesians 2:19 Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and strangers, but fellow citizens with God’s people and also members of his household, 20 built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone. 21 In Christ, the whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord. 22 And in Christ you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit.

God desires to put us together with other believers.  But not just put us together, build us together.  Being built together indicates being together with purpose.  It is not merely attending a meeting as though that is all there is.

It is coming together for the experience of His presence, which will also reveal the knowledge of His will.  God has a determined will for each of us individually. Within the scope of His will for us individually is that part of His will that we are joined to others in the faith at such a level that we must interact, be connected with them, and work alongside each other in His greater kingdom purpose.

Does a brick get to say to the brick mason I refuse to be placed where you want?  Or better yet, I refuse to be set in that wall at all?

To refuse the master Mason in being placed, there is a refusal of a greater experience of presence and growth, for it is in the placing that the temple for a greater habitation is built.

It is true that each of us possesses His presence, but here it is indicated that there is something of a much greater purpose and blessing than being alone can produce.

In the Letter to the Hebrews, the writer, moved by the Holy Spirit, seeks to reason with scattered Jewish believers being tempted to leave the beautiful expression of one new man in Christ and go back under Jewish traditions and law.  It would mean that they forfeit the gathering of the church to pursue something else.  Here is what the Holy Spirit counseled them.

Hebrews 10:24 And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, 25 not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching.

No father likes to see his children opposing each other.  He would much rather have them enjoying each other’s fellowship and, even better, joining together for one purpose.

The Father desires that we embrace being connected in fellowship at a local level.  This letter to the Ephesians is written to encourage the church at Ephesus.  They may not be able to meet regularly with the church at Jerusalem or Phillipi, but they can come together as the church where they are.

We are a holy temple for the Lord, and that is expressed on an even greater level when we come together with the intention of seeking Him and giving Him glory according to His greatness and goodness towards each of us.  Jesus is coming, that day is approaching.  I trust you are not only attending a fellowship but that you are actively participating in the purpose of the gathering.  If not, I encourage you to become a part of what you were created in Christ for.  Be the active part of the Holy Temple He means for you to be.  There is a blessing in it for you and for those you join yourself to.

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Unafraid And Determined

Acts 2:46 So continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they ate their food with gladness and simplicity of heart,

I recently contemplated this idea of the apostles and the temple, and some things jumped out at me when I read this verse.

They continued.  Now this would not be too big a deal if it weren’t for the background behind this story.  You see, these guys are going to a temple ruled by the same men who worked to orchestrate the death of Jesus.  They continued to go to a place ruled by men that opposed their leader and were partners in His death.

They continued going to a place that rejected who and what they were about.  Now this speaks volumes to me as we witness many finding any reason not to attend the gathering of the saints on the Lord’s Day.  Many claim they’ve been hurt, and I would assume that in many cases, that is true because of abusive and illegitimate situations.

But not all are that way, and I know of none as threatening as what the apostles faced in their day, yet they continued.

Not just them, but those who were with them continued.  They all, in one accord, embraced the challenge of not being popular, being rejected, and possibly even being persecuted for their faith.  They were mistreated by those at the temple too, yet they were not deterred.

Because they continued, wonderful opportunities presented themselves.

Acts 3:1 Now Peter and John went up together to the temple at the hour of prayer, the ninth hour.

On this occasion, a lame man from birth who was a beggar at the temple sought help from Peter and John, and they did not give him money but instead gave him what they did have: healing in Jesus.

This miracle would not have been recorded had they not continued!  They would not have been present for this had they quit going.  I guess we could say the early church was unafraid and determined since we have such a record of them continuing as they did in the face of such odds.

Under the New Covenant, what we celebrate each Lord’s Day is not opposed to Jesus but recognizes Him and what He has done.  If someone gets offended on their job, they do not quit and stay home.  They keep going back and just do their best to stay clear of whoever hurt or offended them.

It is sad that it has become so easy for many to give up on attending Lord’s Day gathering due to an offense, hurt, or some other reason.  The possibilities to find a place to gather are practically endless in this nation.  Surely there’s a safe place to gather somewhere.

There is growth awaiting those who will continue!  There is strength to be deposited from the Spirit when we resolve in our hearts to continue.  I encourage you not only to continue yourself, but if you know someone who has withdrawn from this wonderful privilege of fellowship, you will encourage them, according to grace, to return.  Jesus is coming soon, and as His return gets closer, our gathering together becomes all the more important.  I encourage you to be unafraid and determined like those who ran so well before us.

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Fullness Of Joy

Psalm 16:11 You will show me the path of life; In Your presence is fullness of joy; At Your right hand are pleasures forevermore.

This psalm is written by King David, who was under the Old Covenant at the time, yet he could identify with the benefits of being in the presence of God.

Under the Old Covenant, the people of God did not have the consistency of promises that is ours under the New Covenant.  Promises were conditional under the Old Covenant.  But under the New Covenant, the promises are yes and amen in Christ.

You cannot be in Christ and have Christ living in you and be without the presence in some measure.  Under the New Covenant Jesus put in place, He will never leave us or forsake us.

Hebrews 13:5 Let your conduct be without covetousness; be content with such things as you have. For He Himself has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.”

Once we become a New Creation in Christ, we are forever sealed by His presence, which gives us new life.  When this is believed, it is experienced, and that experience of Him produces the fruit of joy!

But this Psalm did not just speak of the fullness of joy.  It also identifies pleasures forevermore.

The Hebrew word interpreted as pleasures could have also been interpreted as being delightful, agreeable, or sweet.

In Christ, the wrath of God that was once upon us has been removed from us, and we are brought into pleasant places!  God is not out to get us!  In Christ, God is for us!

This reminded me of Romans 8

Romans 8:1 There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit.

Someone might say that sounds conditional.   But it is not conditional on God’s part.  It would only be conditional on our side of the coin.  You see, if I believe I receive the Spirit and walk in faith, I walk according to the Spirit and do not lean on my strength and ability to try to earn what I have already been given in Christ.

This is New Covenant living that is aware of His presence all the time and therefore set free to experience the fullness of joy and pleasures forevermore.  You can go through life with a smile, even in your troubled times, when you go beyond passing a Bible quiz about such things, believe the truth concerning them, and receive them to walk in them.

I encourage you today and always to live in the abundance of His goodness that is yours under the New Covenant Jesus established with His own blood. Look to Jesus for your righteousness with confidence, peace, and joy!  He will not disappoint.

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Trust Is A Must

My wife Sheila and I will have been married for 37 years this November.  Something is interesting about trust.  Where there is any insecurity about being loved, there is a lack of trust.  A healthy, vibrant relationship fosters trust because both parties know they are loved, and when a person knows they are loved, they also know the other party who loves them will always want the best for them.  They do not live suspicious of the other person being out to get them.

This is true in our natural relationships, but it is equally true in our relationship with Jesus.  If you question the love of God or Christ, you will struggle to trust them.  Doubt will interfere with faith and trust because you are unaware of their intentions.

Ephesians 3:19 to know the love of Christ which surpasses (Exceeds) knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.

The Greek word for knowledge in Ephesians 3:19 is Gnosis meaning knowledge or science. We are being told here that there is a love so deep in Christ that it cannot be intellectually discovered.  It surpasses knowledge.  Science will never know what it is because it is not logical that His love could be so great.

Through the love of Christ, we can experience God’s fullness.  But the key to the fullness we are meant to experience is based on our knowing Christ’s love.  I believe this is true because to be vulnerable and surrender to whatever God wishes to give us and do in us and through us, we must trust Him.  But trust is difficult for someone who isn’t sure of being loved.

A naive person may trust people, but their trust is not rooted in love.  It might be rooted in people pleasing, which may be rooted in fear of man, but not in love.  You can reluctantly decide to trust someone simply because your desire to avoid their displeasure outweighs your reluctance to trust, so you give in and take the leap.  But that is not the same as a “trust fall” rooted in love.  To have that kind of trust, you must know you are loved.

The Greek word translated into know in Ephesians 3:19 is Ginosko, meaning allow, be aware of, feel, perceive, be resolved, be sure, understand.

There is something so real and so deep about the love of Christ that it can only be experienced.  We are first made aware of it through revelation from the Holy Spirit.  No one truly knows His love based on mere deductive reasoning.  It requires the aid of the Holy Spirit even to get a glimpse of His love.  To experience it is something special, and when that happens, and we become fully convinced of His love, we find it much easier to trust Him.

The experience of the fullness of God is something very special. The Greek word for filled in Ephesians 3:19 means to cram, to furnish, satisfy, verify, accomplish, or make full.

In the actual Greek text, it reads this way.  “That filled all God.”  You and I are meant to be full of God.

Being full of God can only be made real to us by the person of the Holy Spirit.  But, if we question the love of Christ, we will question Jesus’ promise to baptize us with the Holy Spirit.  This baptism and companionship of the Holy Spirit is the actual experience of the fullness of God.  I pray you will know it today and always!

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Good Hope

When a person is loved, they are given things of special significance.   

When a man loves a woman and wishes to take her as his wife, he bestows on her a ring of great value to declare his love and to indicate his good intentions of dedicating his life to her until she comes to the end of her life or he comes to the end of his own.

Most people I know enjoy birthdays because they expect that family and friends who love them will bless them somehow on that special day.

We all find special ways to bless those we love throughout the year just because we love them.  This practice helps the ones we love to feel they have a good hope of always being loved.

When you think of these things that are so practical in our everyday lives for a moment and then read what it says in,

2Thessalonians 2:16 Now may our Lord Jesus Christ Himself, and our God and Father, who has loved us and given us everlasting consolation and good hope by grace, 17 comfort your hearts and establish you in every good word and work.

How does this convey that we have been given everlasting consolation and good hope?

By grace!  It is by the favor God has freely given us because of Jesus Christ.

Everlasting consolation and good hope are meant to produce something in our lives too.

It is meant to comfort our hearts and establish us in every good word and work.  In other words, experiencing everlasting consolation and good hope by grace is transformative because it is administered by God the Father and Christ the Son to our hearts, and when they are at work in us, it is life-altering.

This is why it is impossible that we can remain the same if we are actively interacting with God in the relationship Jesus made possible through shedding His blood on the cross to free us from sin’s penalty and bring us into favor with the Father.

The righteousness of God we have been given is not merely a positional reality or idealistic notion.  It is a powerful force that works in us, bringing us again and again into conformity to Jesus when we actively utilize the privileges it grants us.

Jesus went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil.  It stands to reason that the more we increase in Him, we, too, will be characterized as someone who speaks good words and has good works.

Be encouraged in the Father’s love and the love of Jesus Christ today!  Let their everlasting consolation and good hope well in you by grace, comfort your heart, and establish you in every good word and work.  You have been richly blessed in Christ!

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Be Strong

What would you say you are strong in?

When I was a boy living in South Florida and attending elementary school in phys ed, they would have competitions.  One such competition was who could do the most push-ups or sit-ups.   

Every boy wanted these bragging rights.  My class of boys, except for two of us, had already done their best.  I was to go next.  I blew everyone else away, far exceeding the number of sit-ups and pull-ups any others had done.  I was so proud of myself.  I thought I had secured my bragging rights.

But there was one boy left, my friend Rodney Hillsman.  You can imagine the surprise on everyone’s faces when he approached the number I had set.  Imagine the surprise on my face!  Imagine my disappointment when he kept going beyond what I had set.  My desire to brag was crushed, and my thought of being the most physical boy in my class diminished.

There are people in the world who are stronger than the acclaimed strongest man in the world.  They just do not enter the competition, for it is all.  In other words, there are a lot of Rodneys out there to bust our physical prowess bubbles.

Being strong is a trait many admire.  But being strong physically is not necessarily a thing God is all concerned with.  Though being strong is indeed something God cares about for us.

But the strong to be desired is a different kind of strong.

2Timothy 2:1 You therefore, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus.

In these times we live in, many in the church are very committed to working out and being fit physically, which can have its benefits, no doubt.  But I wonder how many are as committed, if not more, to being strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus?

When we set out to establish where our priorities should lie, being strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus should be at the top of our list.

Paul spoke of being strong, Peter spoke of growing in it, and Hebrews spoke of our hearts being established with it.

2Peter 3:18 but grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

Hebrews 13:9 Do not be carried about with various and strange doctrines. For it is good that the heart be established by grace, not with foods which have not profited those who have been occupied with them.

I do not wish to underrate the grace given in Christ, and I especially do not wish to come up short in my understanding and possession of it.

May I encourage you today to take to heart such encouragement from Scripture?  Grace is so important to our lives. Time spent being strong and growing in grace far outweighs all our other endeavors. Being strong, growing, and having our hearts established with His grace matters with God.  I encourage you to walk in His grace today and always!

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Love So Deep

Ephesians 3:19 to know the love of Christ which surpasses (Exceeds) knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.

There is a love so deep in Christ that it cannot be intellectually discovered.  It surpasses knowledge.  Science will never know what it is because it is not logical that His love could be so great.

The Greek word for knowledge used here is Gnosis meaning knowledge, science.

Because of the love of Christ, we can experience fullness.  But the fullness we are meant to experience is rooted in our knowing Christ’s love.

The Greek word translated into know here is Ginosko, meaning allow, be aware of, feel, perceive, be resolved, be sure, understand.

There is something so reel and so deep about the love of Christ that is meant to be experienced by us.  Something takes place when it is, and we become fully convinced and resolved of His love.

The experience of the fullness of God is something very special.  It is neither ordinary nor common.

The Greek word for filled here is pleroo meaning to cram, to furnish, satisfy, verify, accomplish, or make full.

In the actual Greek text, it reads this way.  That filled all God.

You and I are meant to be full of God.  This is made real to us by the person of the Holy Spirit.  But if we question the love of Christ, we will question His promise to baptize us with the Holy Spirit.  This baptism and companionship of the Holy Spirit is the experience of the fullness of God.

God is three persons but one God.  To know the Father through the Son Jesus Christ is an experience of only two-thirds of who God is.  To experience the fullness of God, the Holy Spirit is a vital part, and when the love of Christ is not resolved in the heart through faith as it should be, a person remains suspect of such a notion as being baptized and filled to overflowing with the Holy Spirit.

Being filled to overflowing with the person of the Holy Spirit is a tangible, unmistakable, and powerful experience.  It empowers us to be witnesses for Christ far more effectively than we might be on our own.

Jesus offers a deep love that transforms us and prepares us for what He promised to start with.  It sets us up to trust Him and to know His goodness at such a level that we can surrender to whatever He declares is good for us and what He desires for us.  I encourage you to know His love which surpasses knowledge, and if that doesn’t describe your experience yet, I plead with you to ask God to help you embrace it.

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Unsearchable Riches

Ephesians 3:8 To me, who am less than the least of all the saints, this grace was given, that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ,

When I read a phrase like this spoken by Paul, I have to pause a moment and reflect on it.

It is possible to read such a statement as To me, who am less than the least of all the saints as though he is insincere about it and merely trying to make a point.  But when I reflect on it more, I believe Paul was very sincere in his statement.  He was keenly aware of how he had persecuted the church for a time before Jesus appeared to him on the Damascus Road.

In other words, Paul was very aware of how much of a sinner he had been before Christ rescued him—Paul was a man who was committed to the law and devoted to the temple system of the Jews.  He was very zealous for the law, which was why he persecuted the church.  But when Jesus revealed himself to this man, and Saul became Paul as a follower of Christ, the transformation was tremendous.

So I do not think Paul speaks tongue in cheek when he says he is the least of all the saints.

But the greater point of this passage deals with the unsearchable riches of Christ.

Paul was sent to the Gentiles to preach the unsearchable riches of Christ!  These are riches that would not be found because someone went looking for them.  They are riches that overtake people by surprise when they are not searching for them.

The Gentiles were not looking for Jesus!  The Gentiles were not looking for a Messiah!  The Jews were, but the Gentiles were not.

Even though the Jews hoped for a Messiah, many failed to recognize Him when He came. Many missed the unsearchable riches because they stumbled at His goodness and mercy.

I am amused when I hear someone talk as if they have discovered all there is to know concerning Jesus.

It is time again for our minds to be blown by the revelation of His greatness and the vastness of His worth like never before.

The Apostle John, who declared himself to be the one whom Jesus loved and had laid his head on the chest of Jesus at the fire for breakfast with His disciples after His resurrection, was shocked when he encountered Jesus in Revelation.

It says John fell like a dead man.  In my circles, we refer to that as being slain in the Spirit.  The revelation of Jesus was so glorious that it overwhelmed John and rendered him powerless physically.  There are yet more wonderful things concerning Jesus that can be discovered by those who reject the notion of having mastered all there is to know concerning Him.  Those who will desire Him to such a degree and are willing to allow the Holy Spirit to reveal Him even more to them.  This is the work of transformation God desires in us that we would see His Son and be conformed to His image.

There’s yet more to discover!  Unsearchable riches that surprise even the most astute among us.  I hope you like surprises because, in Jesus, there are plenty.

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Jesus Is Coming!

Luke 12:35 “Let your waist be girded and your lamps burning; 36 and you yourselves be like men who wait for their master when he returns from the wedding, that when he comes and knocks they may open to him immediately. 37 Blessed are those servants whom the master, when he comes, will find watching. Assuredly, I say to you that he will gird himself and have them sit down to eat, and will come and serve them. 38 And if he should come in the second watch, or come in the third watch, and find them so, blessed are those servants.

Jesus is coming again, and I believe it will be soon.

Watching is not the same as standing still.  In our going, we are watching.  Right after being saved, I thought watching meant staring at the sky to see if He was returning.  I was as distracted driving as many with phones are today.  But I later realized that is not what it means to be found watching.  I could not watch the sky while I was sleeping.  Now I understand that watching is about faith and being a witness.

But I also know that a person will not make others aware of His soon return unless they are aware and convinced of it.  You see, watching is an act of faith.

Luke 18:8 ………Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will He really find faith on the earth?”

When Jesus shows up, the ones watching will be actively witnessing because faith is not static or immobile.  Faith is active!

The exciting thing is that when Jesus returns and finds those watching, He will gird Himself and serve them!  I believe He does this even now for those active in their faith.  I have found it true that the fastest and often deepest growth in a believer’s life comes when they serve as witnesses for Christ.

There is something powerful about partnering with Jesus as His witness.  Being a witness is simply testifying about Jesus so that others know the truth concerning Him.  When walking in faith, Jesus is very real to us.  The Holy Spirit moves powerfully through us!

We have no difficulty speaking about other things we believe to be real.  I’ve even known people who believe in Sasquatch (Bigfoot), and they have no problem talking to others about it.  Some believe in UFOs and are unashamed to talk about it.

Many do not think that to be strange.  Why, then, should it be difficult for anyone who believes in Jesus to talk about Him to others?  Jesus makes far greater sense than Bigfoot or UFOs.

I encourage you today to share with others the good news of Jesus.  I challenge you to ask the Holy Spirit to give the same eyes of compassion Jesus had; it will help you see why it is so important not to keep such a wonderful truth to yourself or just for your already Christian friends.  The word needs to get out!  Jesus is alive!  Jesus is coming soon!  We need to be asking,

Do you know my Jesus?  The One who took the sin of the world on Himself at the cross and offered God’s righteousness in exchange for your sin.  Have you put your trust in Him for eternal life, the forgiveness of sin, and receiving the Holy Spirit of promise?  Jesus loves you, and the best way to experience His love is to surrender to Him, trusting that He is good and desires to do you good.  I encourage you to be born again by the Spirit of God through faith in Jesus Christ.

It doesn’t require a 45-minute sermon to be His witness.  Just your testimony and clear communication about being saved through faith in Him.  He is coming; I want to be found watching.  I encourage you to be found watching for His return.  Jesus is coming!

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Moved With Compassion

Last night after answering questions my wife had regarding some deep theological realities concerning God and His ways brought on by her reading of the Scriptures that day, I found myself quietly lying in bed contemplating the seriousness of reaching this generation for Christ.

As I lay there fellowshipping with the Holy Spirit, a strong sense of overwhelming compassion came over me.  In my imagination, I saw all kinds of people from all walks of life, and regardless of how they appeared, I all of a sudden realized a sense of urgency in them needing to know who Jesus is and what He had done, and how that it was what they needed more than anything else in life.  They didn’t offend me with who they were or what they did; I was moved to tears in compassion for them.

One might think that my being a pastor and minister of the gospel would mean I would always be aware of such things in such a vivid manner.  But I am here to admit to you who will read this devotional that this was something different, which caught me a little off guard and surprised me.

Have you ever been surprised by God?  I mean, one of those moments where you thought you really knew that you knew Him in a particular area, and then suddenly He reveals Himself in a way to you at that moment that rattles you a bit but energizes you in your spirit?

As I lay there quietly, having Him rock my world, I stayed quiet so as not to bother my wife, who was trying to sleep beside me, and to avoid the moment from becoming an interaction about what was happening.  But in my heart, I was being overwhelmed with such a sense of urgency for this generation and even people I know whom I have witnessed the gospel to before.

Earlier in the evening, I sent out some thoughts that the Holy Spirit has been stirring in me lately via text. Thoughts I have been pouring over repeatedly due to the Holy Spirit’s stirring in me.  Jesus is coming soon, and many are not ready for His return.  The only way to push back on evil is to advance God’s righteousness, which is only available through faith in Jesus.

Matthew 9:36 But when He saw the multitudes, He was moved with compassion for them, because they were weary and scattered, like sheep having no shepherd.

Mark 6:34 And Jesus, when He came out, saw a great multitude and was moved with compassion for them, because they were like sheep not having a shepherd. So He began to teach them many things.

This is the Jesus who is alive within me.  It is what drives me to share things with others meant to bring hope, encouragement, if applicable, correction, but most desired is that it opens the way to know Him and experience His life.  But I am being moved more and more in my concern for the lost of this generation.  Not that I had no concern at all, mind you.  But in light of who Jesus is and His compassion, I have plenty of room to grow.

I want to be an even better witness for Jesus moving even more in the power of the Spirit toward others from a place of profound compassion.  I guess my devotion today is to humble myself and ask those of you who receive these to pray for me in this regard and perhaps to consider these things in your own time before the Lord as they might pertain to you.  I am convinced that the solutions this generation so desperately needs can only be found in Jesus, and the need to advance His kingdom has never been greater.

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Be A Light

Ephesians 5:8 For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light 9 (for the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness, righteousness, and truth), 10 finding out what is acceptable to the Lord.

Being born again is the most amazing thing to ever happen to someone.  As amazing as that experience can be, the journey does not end there.  Being born again launches us into a relationship with God that enables us to know what is acceptable to the Lord in the most personal way imaginable.

I’ve been married to my wife now for almost 37 years.  Our marriage relationship began on the day we said I do.  We entered into a covenant with each other at that moment that launched us into this journey of life together.

All along the way, we have been growing together, making discoveries about each other while seeking to be a blessing out of love for each other.  Our wedding rings that we each wear are like a testimony to others.  They testify that we belong to someone, that we are already taken.  That we have bonded ourselves to another person in a covenant relationship.

When it comes to marriage, a ring, in a way, is the initial light of that marriage.  But the intensity of the light of the marriage is seen in the way a husband and wife treat each other.

Are they thankful for each other?  Is there a specific reason for their thankfulness?  How do they treat each other?  Is there love, respect, and honor observable between them?

Walking as children of light means walking in a way that demonstrates our love and commitment to Jesus.  That begins with being a thankful person.  Thankful with a specific reason for it.

Colossians 1:12 giving thanks to the Father who has qualified us to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in the light. 13 He has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love, 14 in whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins.

Thankfulness cannot occur unless a person is convinced they have received something for which to be grateful. The more convinced one is, the more thankful they become.  I want to hopefully help us today with what we have to be thankful for, thereby aiding us in our effort to be children of light.

We should remind ourselves of how wonderfully forgiven and loved we are in Christ daily and allow it to cultivate our gratitude.  Being a light begins at the point of our heart being grateful for what we could not and did not earn.  I encourage you to be a light today to others.

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Glory

Jesus prayed in John 17

“I do not pray for these alone, but also for those who will believe in Me through their word; that they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us, that the world may believe that You sent Me.  And the glory which You gave Me I have given them, that they may be one just as We are one:  I in them, and You in Me; that they may be made perfect in one, and that the world may know that You have sent Me, and have loved them as You have loved Me. Father, I desire that they also whom You gave Me may be with Me where I am, that they may behold My glory which You have given Me; for You loved Me before the foundation of the world.”

Here, Jesus was praying for the ones who would believe in Him for generations to come.

That means He was praying for you and me.  I love how He yearned that a believer would be one with the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit just as Jesus was one with the Father.   In other words, Jesus prayed that we would know what real fellowship with God unhindered and wide open is.

We know His prayer was answered because Jesus gave His life at the cross to ensure it would be.  Jesus prayed earnestly, knowing it would require Him to lay down His life to see that prayer answered.  That is what He means when He is praying I in them and You in me.

What is the goal?  That we might be made perfect in one!  That we might be brought into close fellowship with God.

Why was this so important?  So that the world would know that the Father had sent Jesus.  Religious intellectualism will never reveal to the world that the Father sent Jesus and that Jesus loved us as the Father loves Him.  Only active, living, and close fellowship with God proves that the Father sent Jesus and that Jesus loves us as the Father loves Jesus.

At the heart of glory is a fellowship deep and rich in love.  Jesus wants us to be where he is so that we can behold the glory He had been given—a glory bathed in the reality of having been deeply loved from before the foundation of the world.

This, too, is fulfilled in Ephesians 1

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ,  just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love, having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will, to the praise of the glory of His grace, by which He made us accepted in the Beloved.

Again it says in Ephesians 3

To know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.

This is glory!  The glory of Jesus is shrouded in the love the Father gives Him and has had for Him from before the foundation of the world.  In Christ, we are invited to walk in the glory that close fellowship with the Father produces.  We are to know the love of Christ and walk in the fullness of God as a result of knowing it.  This is glory expressed on earth!

I encourage you to be convinced of His great love for you.  The cross is proof of it.  Stand in confidence today, knowing how deeply and completely Jesus loves you.

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Kingdom Living

Romans 3:28 Therefore, we conclude that a man is justified by faith apart from the deeds of the law.

Romans 4:2 For if Abraham was justified by works, he has something to boast about, but not before God.

Romans 4:5   But to him who does not work but believes on Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is accounted for righteousness,

Never underestimate the power of faith in Christ to be made righteous.

Knowing for certain that you are righteous opens a vast array of opportunities.

You have peace when you know that your relationship with God is good and forever will be. You receive the kingdom by faith in Jesus and all that He offers you.

In Christ, we are made righteous with God’s righteousness, not our own.

Romans 3:21 But now the righteousness of God apart from the law is revealed, being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets, 22 even the righteousness of God, through faith in Jesus Christ, to all and on all who believe. For there is no difference;

2Corinthians 5:21 For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.

No one can improve on the righteousness of God. It is set apart from any and all other kinds of righteousness, and it is the only righteousness God accepts.  It is the only righteousness that can produce peace and joy.  It is the righteousness we now have in Christ.

Kingdom living, which is living in the righteousness of God given as a gift, produces over-comers who, through faith, have inherited the promises!  It produces confidence, unlike anything you’ve ever known.

Kingdom living is living according to the Spirit.  It made it possible for Jesus to do all He did.  Because Jesus knew He had a relationship with His Father, even when there was silence in Gethsemane, Jesus could be reconciled to His Father’s will and walk in peace which enabled him to have joy that would enable Him to endure the shame of the cross!

It will do the same for you when you put your faith in Jesus and, by faith, surrender to the Holy Spirit as a seeker of the kingdom.

Remember, “It is the Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom.”

Righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit with power is the kingdom!

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The Kingdom

Luke 12:29 “And do not seek what you should eat or what you should drink, nor have an anxious mind. 30 For all these things the nations of the world seek after, and your Father knows that you need these things. 31 But seek the kingdom of God, and all these things shall be added to you. 32 “Do not fear, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom.     

Matthew 6:33 But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.

Romans 14:17 for the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.

1Corinthians 4:20 For the kingdom of God is not in word but in power.

So now we can know at least two things about the kingdom.  It has nothing to do with how things are going in your natural life and what you can do to make God accept you by keeping rules, making great sacrifices, or worrying about such things.  Paul, in Romans 14, makes it clear that trying to keep up with all the rules on what to eat or not to eat is not the kingdom, and there is no need to trample over a weaker brother to prove you can do something they can’t.  That is what is meant when it says the kingdom is not eating and drinking.  In other words, it is not about surviving or trying to advance oneself with God by rule-keeping.

It is also not about saying the right thing.  It is about possessing a power that is beyond your natural self.  The kingdom is Righteousness, Peace, and Joy in the Holy Spirit.

Righteousness, Peace, and Joy are much more important than many may realize.  They are the foundational evidence of the kingdom.  They are gifts that cannot be earned but can be possessed.  They profoundly impact a child of God’s sense of overall well-being despite any circumstances, good or bad.

The three things that are the very foundation of the kingdom (Righteousness, peace, and joy) are received by faith.  Jesus said, “It is the Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom.”  That must be believed.

Seeking the kingdom is seeking righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit.  By receiving Jesus by faith, you possess God’s righteousness.  You can also walk in the peace and joy Jesus had.

Jesus said, John 14:27 Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.

When Jesus spoke this, He was teaching the disciples about the Holy Spirit, who would be given to them after Jesus ascended.  If you haven’t been baptized with the Holy Spirit, it’s likely that the peace and joy that comes with becoming convinced of righteousness by Him are lacking.  In that case, you should seek the kingdom.  Seeking to be baptized with the Holy Spirit is aking to seeking the kingdom.  He is our Comforter and the One who teaches us all things about Christ.  To be afraid of Him is to deny the revelation of righteousness at the level we are meant to, which will lead to a lack of peace and joy.

Righteousness is mentioned first because until we get that right, we cannot know peace at the level Jesus promised us.  Without peace, no deep, inexpressible joy is evident to us.  Peace is the gateway to that kind of joy in our lives.  Never forget that the joy of the Lord is our strength.  To possess all this as we should, we need the help of the Holy Spirit.  We need to be kingdom seekers!  I encourage you to let a desire for the kingdom arise in you today.

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Placebo Prodigals

In the story of the prodigal son, the son found himself destitute and in great need and came to his senses.  He concluded that the servants in his Father’s house had it better than he did, and he would return and be content with being a servant.  He did not expect that he would be owed anything from his Father.  After all, he had left his Father and been gone a long time, living in ways that dishonored his Father and went against who he truly was.  The son’s only expectation was to humble himself to his Father by acknowledging how wrong he was and offering to be a servant to improve his dire situation.

We all know the story.  The Father ran out to meet the son because all the Father ever wanted was a relationship with the son.  The Father ignored the humble plea of the son and restored him to son status.  But we cannot disregard that although the son returned in desperate need to a Father he knew had more than enough to help him.  He returned in humility of heart, prepared now to live as a servant, knowing that even servants in His Father’s house had it better than he did.  He did not think he deserved to be a son any longer but would be satisfied with being a servant.

I’ve heard many present this story in such a way that when they were done, the Father is depicted as being overly needy of the son’s attention and perhaps may have been trying to win his affection back.  It would not be fair to the story to ignore the actual condition of the son’s heart upon returning.

There’s no prodigal son story that depicts the son returning as though he were doing the Father a favor by doing so.  We do not have a counter-story that shows us what the Father’s response would have been had the son returned in pride with unrealistic expectations.  If we ignore the humility that led the prodigal to realize how much better off he might be back at his Father’s house, even as a servant, we may think the Father’s reaction would be the same under any condition a son might be seen returning.

What if the son returned home in pride with many expectations, and if they were not met, he got offended and accused the Father of wrongdoing and left once again, expecting his departure would punish the Father and make the Father come around to meet his expectations?

This is what I would call a placebo-prodigal.

The church has experienced many placebo prodigals during its history.  Many families, I am sure, have as well.  You may have had such an experience, and the enemy has used it to accuse and condemn you falsely.

Perhaps you are a parent who has a prodigal.  Perhaps you thought that prodigal was coming home with a desire to have a relationship after realizing that the relationships they had forged out in the world only took advantage of them and that their way of life had not produced the peace, joy, and prosperity that they thought it might. They could see how a relationship with you would be better and that your way of living had produced better results.

But you later discovered that they had returned with the idea that by just showing back up, they were doing you a favor, and they expected you to jump through hoops now to keep them around.  They returned with a silent list of expectations. You discovered you were not meeting those expectations after they became offended and began to accuse you of wrongdoing towards them and departed once again.

I want to help those who get these devotionals and have experienced what might be a placebo prodigal son or friendship in their life.  You deeply desired a relationship again but were unaware of the lack of humility and recognition of the worth of such a relationship with you on their part.  You put yourself out there hoping things would be restored, only to be accused of wrongdoing for not meeting their unspoken expectations.  Don’t beat yourself up, and don’t allow the enemy to condemn you falsely.  I encourage you not to allow a placebo prodigal situation to ruin the idea of receiving prodigals back and prevent you from discerning true prodigal situations in the near future and avoid the beauty of seeing real prodigal relationship restorations.  Good, healthy, right relationships will always be valuable treasures worth our investment.

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Kingdom Focus

Kingdom Focus

Matthew 12:22 Then one was brought to Him who was demon-possessed, blind and mute; and He healed him, so that the blind and mute man both spoke and saw. 23 And all the multitudes were amazed and said, “Could this be the Son of David?”  24   Now when the Pharisees heard it they said, “This fellow does not cast out demons except by Beelzebub, the ruler of the demons.”

If we were to read further, we would find that Jesus knew the thoughts of these religious leaders, and He spoke directly to them as a result.

Matthew 12:33 “Either make the tree good and its fruit good, or else make the tree bad and its fruit bad; for a tree is known by its fruit. 34 Brood of vipers! How can you, being evil, speak good things? For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. 35 A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good things, and an evil man out of the evil treasure brings forth evil things. 36 But I say to you that for every idle word men may speak, they will give account of it in the day of judgment. 37 For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned.”

Jesus did not tolerate the abuse of the religious leaders.  The only time Jesus became silent and put up with their abuse was when it was time for Him to be offered up as a sacrifice for our sins.  Until then, Jesus rebuked these men and had nothing to do with them.  He marginalized them by ignoring them.  He seemed a bit more patient but no less direct when it was just the Jews falsely accusing Him.

John 8:48 Then the Jews answered and said to Him, “Do we not say rightly that You are a Samaritan and have a demon?”  49 Jesus answered, “I do not have a demon; but I honor My Father, and you dishonor Me.

This incident escalated to them desiring to kill Him after the exchange, but He slipped through the crowd unnoticed and escaped.  Jesus did not give them their say by staying silent and not speaking the truth.  He spoke the truth, and it made them mad.

The point is that Jesus did not go through life simply by putting up with His accusers and abusers.  He did not invite them to come out cause Him grief.  He did not go out of His way to accommodate them and try to win them over.  They had made it clear they were not for Him, and He was not so needy or insecure that He needed them to like Him or accept Him.

Jesus was not an enabler of abusers.  Those who showed up to simply give Him grief were the same ones who wanted His demise and would later manipulate situations to participate in His death.  Jesus was not saying and doing what they wanted Him to, and it displeased them so much that they would rather He be gone.  They went out of their way to do all they could to discredit Him.

Jesus knew that when He refused to speak and do as they desired, they would go out of their way to mislead others about Him in an attempt to destroy His reputation.  That is what users and abusers do when things do not go as they had hoped.  They seek to make the person who displeased them pay for not saying or doing what they desired.

Perhaps you’ve been subjected to someone who was like this towards you.  They did not get what they wanted from you, so they sought to malign you to others or to speak hatefully and harshly to you and falsely accuse you.  You did not do anything mean to mean them to merit such behavior. You simply did not meet their expectations.

Walk away!  You are not required to keep going back for more.  If they persecute you in one city, flee to another.  If we stand for Christ in these last days and seek to walk according to the Spirit, there will be people who do not appreciate us.  Some might even go out of their way to malign us to others.  Some might even take up speaking and acting abusive toward us. Do not let this discourage or dissuade you.  You are not required to win such persons over.  Neither are you expected to let them stop what you are speaking or doing.

Those who persecuted Jesus thought they were doing God a favor, and so shall it be with some who might seek to make your life more difficult.  Pray for and forgive them, but don’t invite them to hang around you.  Do not be an enabler of their behavior; do not let them draw you into their way of being by retaliating.  Keep your focus on your kingdom calling.

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Resurrection Life

It is sad when the idea of resurrection is limited to a historical fact celebrated once a year instead of a spiritual reality that can empower the church daily and is central to the gospel message.

Acts 4:2 These leaders were very disturbed that Peter and John were teaching the people that through Jesus there is a resurrection of the dead.

Acts 4:33 The apostles testified powerfully to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and God’s great blessing was upon them all.

Acts 17:32 When they heard Paul speak about the resurrection of the dead, some laughed in contempt, but others said, “We want to hear more about this later.”

Resurrection is meant to be a pinnacle part of the gospel we preach.  A gospel that is the power of God unto salvation.

The apostles did not simply preach that Jesus was crucified to pay for sins; they preached that He was perfect, crucified, and raised from the dead, then ascended and will return soon.  They gave the whole message and made resurrection a major part of the good news they delivered to people.

The promise of resurrection rests on the promise of being made righteous. Power is displayed in the resurrection that is to be tapped into by a believer in Jesus.

Philippians 3:7 However, what things were gain to me, these have I counted loss for Christ.  8 Yes most assuredly, and I count all things to be loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus, my Lord, for whom I suffered the loss of all things, and count them nothing but refuse, that I may gain Christ 9 and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own, that which is of the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith;  10 that I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, becoming conformed to his death;  11 if by any means I may attain to the resurrection from the dead. 12 Not that I have already obtained, or am already made perfect; but I press on, if it is so that I may take hold of that for which also I was taken hold of by Christ Jesus.

A failure to walk in the revelation of imputed righteousness unearned by works but rather received by faith will leave a person in an unrighteous condition no matter how morally good they try to live.

Jesus paid for the whole world’s sins at the cross, and His being raised from the dead proves His sacrifice was final and complete.  Only by faith in Him can a person be made righteous and maintain righteousness.  Without God’s brand of righteousness, there is no resurrection power.  Without the resurrection power revealed in the new life, a life we receive when we believe as we should, all other attempts are useless and wasted.

You can be a great rule-keeper and be just as unrighteous as the worst rule-breaker you have ever heard about.  In fact, those who live in that way are the worst sinners because they reject the true righteousness God offers through His Son according to faith and seek to establish their own brand of righteousness according to the law.

Romans 10:1 Brethren, my heart’s desire and prayer to God for Israel is that they may be saved. 2 For I bear them witness that they have a zeal for God, but not according to knowledge. 3 For they being ignorant of God’s righteousness, and seeking to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted to the righteousness of God. 4 For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes.

New life, resurrection life, is ours only through faith in Jesus Christ.  It is how God makes us righteous with His righteousness, and we become new creations in Christ.  We then have the same Spirit that raised Jesus from the dead dwelling in us to quicken our mortal bodies.

I encourage you to tap into the resurrection life received by faith in Jesus.  It empowers us to live our lives fueled by His power at work within us.  It is the power that has overcome.

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You Are Seen

It is said that everyone wants to be seen in life.  They want to know that they are not invisible.  Yet many go through life feeling as though they are invisible.  They feel that no one notices them.

It can be empowering to know that you are seen.  Knowing that the most important person ever sees you can be especially empowering.

Consider how the Psalmist felt about it,

Psalm 139:1 O LORD, you have examined my heart and know everything about me.  2 You know when I sit down or stand up.  You know my thoughts even when I’m far away. 3 You see me when I travel and when I rest at home. You know everything I do.  4 You know what I will say even before I say it, LORD.  5 You go before me and follow me.  You place your hand of blessing on my head.  6  Such knowledge is too wonderful and great for me to understand!  7 I can never escape from your Spirit! I can never escape from your presence!8 If I go up to heaven, you are there; if I go down to the grave, you are there.  9 If I ride the wings of the morning and dwell by the farthest oceans,  10 even there, your hand will guide me, and your strength will support me.  11 I could ask the darkness to hide me and the light around me to become night— 12 but even in darkness, I cannot hide from you.  To You, the night shines as bright as day.  Darkness and light are the same to you.  13 You made all the delicate inner parts of my body and knit me together in my mother’s womb.  14 Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex!  Your workmanship is marvelous—how well I know it.

15 You watched me as I was being formed in utter seclusion and woven together in the dark of the womb.  16 You saw me before I was born.  Every day of my life was recorded in your book.  Every moment was laid out before a single day had passed.  17 How precious are your thoughts about me, O God. They cannot be numbered!  18 I can’t even count them;

they outnumber the grains of sand!  And when I wake up, you are still with me!

God forever sees you because of the New Covenant that Jesus established with His blood!

Blood that speaks better things!  Blood that declares you will never be invisible to God!

What’s wonderful about being seen all the time by God is that God is not watching you so that He can collect prosecutorial evidence against you.  He is watching you out of His great love for you.

He is watching over you!

If you are born again and a follower of Jesus, there’s no need to fear, feel alone, or imagine you are invisible.  Your God is alive, awake, and alert!

Luke 12:6 “What is the price of five sparrows—two copper coins? Yet God does not forget a single one of them. 7 And the very hairs on your head are all numbered. So don’t be afraid; you are more valuable to God than a whole flock of sparrows.

You may be in a situation that has left you feeling alone or unseen, but I assure you that you are seen and not alone if Jesus is your Lord and Savior.

I encourage you to take heart today in knowing that an ever-present loving, caring Father is watching over you and His Spirit is with you.  All this is ours, thanks to Jesus!

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