Tag: faith

Ancient expectations, Contemporary expectations: Why do you and I seek the living among the dead? He is not in the grave anymore, but has risen! Luke 24:4-8

Luke 24:1-8 Christian Standard Bible

Resurrection Morning

24 On the first day of the week, very early in the morning, they[a] came to the tomb, bringing the spices they had prepared. 2 They found the stone rolled away from the tomb. 3 They went in but did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. 4  While they were perplexed about this, suddenly two men stood by them in dazzling clothes. 5 So the women were terrified and bowed down to the ground.

“Why are you looking for the living among the dead?” asked the men. 6 “He is not here, but he has risen! Remember how he spoke to you when he was still in Galilee, 7 saying, ‘It is necessary that the Son of Man be betrayed into the hands of sinful men, be crucified, and rise on the third day’?” 8 And they remembered his words.

Word of God for the Children of God

Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.

When we consider Jesus as Messiah, most of us think immediately in personal terms: 

Jesus is my Messiah.

He forgives my sins. He lives in me. 

All of which, of course, is true.

But 1st-century Jewish expectations concerning the messiahship of Jesus were far broader than that.

If we had talked with a 1st-century Jew about his or her messianic expectations, we would have discovered hopes that were, in a real sense, far grander in scope.

The Jews anticipated that their long-awaited Messiah would come to defeat the pagans by overwhelming force of presence or force of arms, who held sway over them, to rebuild the temple, and to establish God’s just reign upon the earth.

Theirs was a nationalistic hope—a hope that the Messiah would come and vindicate the nation of Israel.

Jesus’ arrival, along with the miracles He performed, stories He told, and the prophecies fulfilled, built to a great crescendo of the highest expectation among His followers. But just when they began to think He really would be the one to militaristically, politically overthrow Rome and redeem the people of Israel.

Hosanna! Hosanna! Hosanna! to the Son of David “Save us, we Pray!

However, at Calvary they saw all their messianic hopes hanging up on a Roman gibbet. When Jesus was so badly beaten and bloodied and nailed, and then when Jesus cried out, “It is finished” (John 19:30), many of them must have agreed.

How, then, did this group of believers, whose messianic hopes had been buried in a tomb, not only continue to believe that Jesus was the Messiah but stand in the streets near where He had been executed, make an unashamed declaration of His messiahship?

The answer which comes reverberating through the pages of the New Testament is found in the bodily resurrection of Jesus.

The angelic announcement to the women who had brought spices to embalm a corpse provoked a radical reassessment of what the believers had witnessed on the Friday and a complete change in their view of their lives and futures.

When the Messiah reappeared among them, as alive as ever, these previously sad, sorrowful, defeated, and brokenhearted disciples were transformed into bold, joyful witnesses.

They now bore testimony to the reality of Christ resurrected with a body that could be seen, handled, and touched, and yet possessing capacities to do what His pre-resurrection body had not done.

His work of salvation was finished; His life and His reign were most certainly not!

Only in the disciples’ recognition of His risen presence did Christ’s messiahship finally make sense.

Indeed, what the early Jewish believers discovered when they “found the stone rolled away from the tomb” (Luke 24:2) and saw that “Jesus himself stood among them” (v 36) was that an eternal hope, joy, and power ignited within their hearts.

And these remain available to all who put their trust in Jesus, the resurrected Messiah. It is the resurrection, and only the resurrection, that changes sadness, sorrow, and defeat into hope, joy, and power.

It is the resurrection, and only the resurrection, that declares our Messiah will defeat His enemies, will restore His people, and will rule from sea to sea.

The resurrection of Jesus will absolutely change everything about how you and I will go about your day today, tomorrow and as many tomorrows as God gifts us.

In the name of God, the Father and God the son and God the Holy Spirit,

Praying …

Psalm 24 Complete Jewish Bible

(0) By David. A psalm:

(1) The earth is Adonai’s, with all that is in it,
the world and those who live there;
2 for he set its foundations on the seas
and established it on the rivers.

3 Who may go up to the mountain of Adonai?
Who can stand in his holy place?
4 Those with clean hands and pure hearts,
who don’t make vanities the purpose of their lives
or swear oaths just to deceive.
5 They will receive a blessing from Adonai
and justice from God, who saves them.
6 Such is the character of those who seek him,
of Ya‘akov, who seeks your face. (Selah)

7 Lift up your heads, you gates!
Lift them up, everlasting doors,
so that the glorious king can enter!
8 Who is he, this glorious king?
Adonai, strong and mighty,
Adonai, mighty in battle.

9 Lift up your heads, you gates!
Lift them up, everlasting doors,
so that the glorious king can enter!
10 Who is he, this glorious king?
Adonai-Tzva’ot —
he is the glorious king. (Selah)

Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.

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The Cross Opens Our Eyes: When the Centurion saw what had just taken place, he looked, praised God, saying, “Certainly this man was innocent!” Luke 23:47

Luke 23:47 Amplified Bible

47 Now when the centurion saw what had taken place, he began praising and honoring God, saying, “Certainly this Man was innocent.”

Word of God for the Children of God

Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.

We cannot, have not understood the cross unless it has changed us personally.

After Jesus “breathed his last” (Luke 23:46), Luke records for us the reactions of those who witnessed the crucifixion.

“All the crowds that had assembled for this spectacle, when they saw what had taken place, returned home beating their breasts” (v 48).

Yes, there was sadness, but once the spectacle was over, they left to get on with their lives.

Verse 49 then informs us that “all his acquaintances … stood at a distance watching”—and we can only imagine what was running through their minds.

But the most striking and the most personal reaction that

Luke captures is that of the Roman centurion, who, seeing what had happened, “praised God, saying, ‘Certainly this man was innocent!’”—or, as the NIV renders it, “Surely this was a righteous man.”

Here, amid the darkness of hypocritical religious leaders, cynical rulers, and callous passersby, is a glimmer of light.

Perhaps the last person we would expect to see the truth—a man with no previous connection to Jesus, no background in Old Testament studies, and no predisposition to the things of God—This Roman Centurion, not only grasped the significance of what he was looking at but responded personally to it too!

He saw “what had taken place”—heard the words of Jesus, saw the darkness overhead, the manner of His death—and realized, 

Here is no ordinary man. Here is a man who is different from every other man. Here is a man who is entirely innocent, wholly righteous. 

Indeed, Mark adds that the centurion confessed that the man on the cross was “the Son of God” (Mark 15:39).

With his eye for detail, Luke places a clear emphasis on seeing what took place on the cross.

He probably hoped that some readers would remember that when Jesus had read from the scroll of Isaiah earlier in His ministry, He had said, “The Spirit of the Lord … has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor … to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovering of sight to the blind” (Luke 4:18).

Indeed, a great theme found throughout the Gospel of Luke is that of darkness being invaded by light—the confusion and rock hardness of people’s hearts and their minds being invaded by this vision of the liberating power of God’s truth.

Any attempt to articulate Christianity that denies the centrality of the cross can never lead to saving faith.

And while we do not always understand how the Spirit moves in leading men and women to be born again, our message must always and ever be the same: “Christ crucified” (1 Corinthians 1:23).

It is beholding the cross that brings life for anyone who responds to the man who hung there by confessing who He is and praising God for His saving work.

Unless and until the cross becomes 100% personal to us, it is useless for us.

So, when was the last time you simply looked at your Savior on the cross and tried to grasp the fullest magnitude of this moment and knelt to praised God?

In the name of God, the father and God the son and God the Holy Spirit

Praying …

The Works and the Word of God.

To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David.

19 The heavens are telling of the glory of God;
And the expanse [of heaven] is declaring the work of His hands.
2 
Day after day pours forth speech,
And night after night reveals knowledge.
3 
There is no speech, nor are there [spoken] words [from the stars];
Their voice is not heard.
4 
Yet their voice [in quiet evidence] has gone out through all the earth,
Their words to the end of the world.
In them and in the heavens He has made a tent for the sun,
5 
Which is as a bridegroom coming out of his chamber;
It rejoices as a strong man to run his course.
6 
The sun’s rising is from one end of the heavens,
And its circuit to the other end of them;
And there is nothing hidden from its heat.

7 
The law of the Lord is perfect (flawless), restoring and refreshing the soul;
The statutes of the Lord are reliable and trustworthy, making wise the simple.
8 
The precepts of the Lord are right, bringing joy to the heart;
The commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes.
9 
The fear of the Lord is clean, enduring forever;
The judgments of the Lord are true, they are righteous altogether.
10 
They are more desirable than gold, yes, than much fine gold;
Sweeter also than honey and the drippings of the honeycomb.
11 
Moreover, by them Your servant is warned [reminded, illuminated, and instructed];
In keeping them there is great reward.
12 
Who can understand his errors or omissions? Acquit me of hidden (unconscious, unintended) faults.
13 
Also keep back Your servant from presumptuous (deliberate, willful) sins;
Let them not rule and have control over me.
Then I will be blameless (complete),
And I shall be acquitted of great transgression.
14 
Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart
Be acceptable and pleasing in Your sight,
O Lord, my [firm, immovable] rock and my Redeemer.

Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.

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He Breathed His Last: Jesus, calling out with a loud voice, said, “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit!” having said this he breathed his last. Luke 23:46

Luke 23:46 New King James Version

46 And when Jesus had cried out with a loud voice, He said, “Father, ‘into Your hands I commit My spirit.’ ” Having said this, He breathed His last.

Word of God for the Children of God

Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.

The simplicity of these words points us to truths that lie too deep for tears.

Luke, with his eye for detail, gives us an “orderly account” of Jesus’ crucifixion—an account which, he explains at the start of his Gospel, is the result of very careful investigation and has been written in order that his readers “may have certainty concerning the things you have been taught” (Luke 1:3-4).

He doesn’t seek to bathe his writing in pathos.

Instead, he writes in order that we may understand truth. And so Jesus’ dying breath is recounted for us in a simple phrase: “He breathed his last.”

What Luke does want us to linger on is Jesus’ control over His final breath.

He chose to commit His spirit into His Father’s loving hands.

He knew that His work was done.

Sin was paid for, the curtain was torn, and His people could come into His Father’s presence eternally.

Coupled with everything Jesus said prior to His crucifixion, His final words refute the notion that His death was simply that of a helpless victim being overwhelmed by cruel circumstances.

He had told His disciples months before that He was going up to Jerusalem and that “the Son of Man must suffer many things and be … killed” (Luke 9:22).

John tells us that He had explained to them, “I lay down my life that I may take it up again. No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it up again” (John 10:17-18).

Jesus went to the cross not helplessly but willingly.

In accord with the Father’s purpose, He chose the exact moment that He would lay down his life for His sheep (John 10:11).

Here, then, we see the very Author of life willingly taking His final breaths and reminding us of His absolute authority as well as His inexhaustible love.

“He breathed his last” so that you might breathe in the fresh, purified air that was made available to you the moment you were born again.

“He breathed his last” so that one day you will stand in a restored creation and breathe air into lungs that will never decay or perish.

He who is sovereign over the air you breathe sovereignly breathed His last.

He is worthy of nothing less than your praise and adoration.

In the name of God, the Father and God the Son and God, the Holy Spirit,

Praying …

23 The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.

2 He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters.

3 He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.

4 Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.

5 Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.

6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever.

Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.

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Divine Vandalism: And the moment arrived and the Sun stopped shining, and then suddenly the curtain of His temple was shredded into two halves. Luke 23:44-46

Luke 23:44-46 New International Version

The Death of Jesus

44 It was now about noon, and darkness came over the whole land until three in the afternoon, 45 for the sun stopped shining. And the curtain of the temple was torn in two. 46 Jesus called out with a loud voice, “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit.”[a] When he had said this, he breathed his last.

Word of God for the Children of God

Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.

As Jesus’ ministry progressed, one of the great concerns of the Jewish religious establishment was that He had, it appeared, claimed that He would destroy the temple and raise it again in three days (John 2:19).

Indeed, this was one of the main charges brought against Him (Mark 14:58).

When Jesus was on the cross, then, passersby’s mocked, spit and ridiculed Him, shouting, “You who would destroy the temple and rebuild it in three days, save yourself!” (Matthew 27:40).

But there He remained, hanging on the cross, in the darkness.

And then, in the midst of the darkness and the upheaval of the crucifixion, all of a sudden something completely mysterious and utterly unexpected happened: it was God Himself desecrated the temple, earthquake shaking its foundations.

“The curtain of the temple was torn in two,” Luke tells us.

This was the very curtain that hung in the temple to symbolically bar the way into God’s presence.

It was the great sign that imperfect people could not be in the same space as the holy God.

All through the Old Testament, anyone who had presumed to come into God’s presence without observing the ceremonial cleansing rituals and making the necessary sacrifices had died (for instance, Numbers 3:2-4).

But now, suddenly, as Jesus was on the very verge of death, this symbol of restrictive exclusivity was destroyed right down the middle.

By destroying it, God declared that the old priestly ritual for entrance into His presence had been abolished and the barrier of sin dividing humanity from their Maker had been obliterated.

There is no longer any need to keep our distance from God. Instead, “we have confidence to enter the holy places by the blood of Jesus, by the new and living way that he opened for us through the curtain” (Hebrews 10:19-20).

Our access to God isn’t restricted to a temple or a church or any other building, nor must it be through a merely human priest or a guru.

No, 2,000 years ago God broke into history of humanity to establish, directly, unhindered access to Himself through Jesus.

Now there is “one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom for all” (1 Timothy 2:5-6).

The temple curtain being torn in two was divine vandalism on our behalf!

You don’t have to be sidetracked by priests and rituals anymore.

They can be nothing but pointless. Instead, you can come to God, just as you are, confident of divine welcome and mercy and help, all because of Jesus.

A Confident Christ Dies

Luke 23:46-49 New International Version

46 Jesus called out with a loud voice, “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit.”[a] When he had said this, he breathed his last.

47 The centurion, seeing what had happened, praised God and said, “Surely this was a righteous man.” 48 When all the people who had gathered to witness this sight saw what took place, they beat their breasts and went away. 49 But all those who knew him, including the women who had followed him from Galilee, stood at a distance, watching these things.

In his words from the cross, Jesus demonstrated that he knew how to live, because he knew how to die.

We hear it in the first word he uttered in this saying: “Father …” Then, in effect, the faithful Son confidently declared, “I’m coming home!”

In those days, the words Jesus used were often taught to children as a bedtime prayer: “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit” (see Psalm 31:5).

They signify entrusting all of one’s being to God for safekeeping. (Psalm 23)

What a comfort it is to be able to entrust our whole lives and all our joys and concerns to God!

And Jesus said these words not secretly or silently but with a loud voice.

He was saying, in effect, “Father, I’m coming home. My mission is complete. I love you. I trust you. As always, I commit my spirit to you.”

Doing the same, we can live and die in the confidence of knowing we will go home to our Father when he calls. We can say confidently, in words adapted from an old confession, “My ‘only comfort in life and in death’ is that I belong … to my faithful Savior Jesus Christ’” (Heidelberg Catechism, Q&A 1).

Jesus ended his time on earth with confidence in the Father.

Can you and I step up our faith, hope and love to do exactly that too?

In the name of God, the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit,

Praying …

31 1-2 I run to you, God; I run for dear life.
    Don’t let me down!
    Take me seriously this time!
Get down on my level and listen,
    and please—no procrastination!
Your granite cave a hiding place,
    your high cliff nest a place of safety.

3-5 You’re my cave to hide in,
    my cliff to climb.
Be my safe leader,
    be my true mountain guide.
Free me from hidden traps;
    I want to hide in you.
I’ve put my life in your hands.
    You won’t drop me,
    you’ll never let me down.

6-13 I hate all this silly religion,
    but you, God, I trust.
I’m leaping and singing in the circle of your love;
    you saw my pain,
    you disarmed my tormentors,
You didn’t leave me in their clutches
    but gave me room to breathe.
Be kind to me, God—
    I’m in deep, deep trouble again.
I’ve cried my eyes out;
    I feel hollow inside.
My life leaks away, groan by groan;
    my years fade out in sighs.
My troubles have worn me out,
    turned my bones to powder.
To my enemies I’m a monster;
    I’m ridiculed by the neighbors.
My friends are horrified;
    they cross the street to avoid me.
They want to blot me from memory,
    forget me like a corpse in a grave,
    discard me like a broken dish in the trash.
The street-talk gossip has me
    “criminally insane”!
Behind locked doors they plot
    how to ruin me for good.

14-18 Desperate, I throw myself on you:
    you are my God!
Hour by hour I place my days in your hand,
    safe from the hands out to get me.
Warm me, your servant, with a smile;
    save me because you love me.
Don’t embarrass me by not showing up;
    I’ve given you plenty of notice.
Embarrass the wicked, stand them up,
    leave them stupidly shaking their heads
    as they drift down to hell.
Gag those loudmouthed liars
    who heckle me, your follower,
    with jeers and catcalls.

19-22 What a stack of blessing you have piled up
    for those who worship you,
Ready and waiting for all who run to you
    to escape an unkind world.
You hide them safely away
    from the opposition.
As you slam the door on those oily, mocking faces,
    you silence the poisonous gossip.
Blessed God!
    His love is the wonder of the world.
Trapped by a siege, I panicked.
    “Out of sight, out of mind,” I said.
But you heard me say it,
    you heard and listened.

23 Love God, all you saints;
    God takes care of all who stay close to him,
But he pays back in full
    those arrogant enough to go it alone.

24 Be brave. Be strong. Don’t give up.
    Expect God to get here soon.

Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.

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Standing at the Border or Trekking through Samaria: Some Fresh Ways to Spread the Gospel. John 4:39-42

John 4:39-42 Amplified Bible

The Samaritans

39 Now many Samaritans from that city believed in Him and trusted Him [as Savior] because of what the woman said when she testified, “He told me all the things that I have done.” 40 So when the Samaritans came to Jesus, they asked Him to remain with them; and He stayed there two days. 41 Many more believed in Him [with a deep, abiding trust] because of His word [His personal message to them]; 42 and they told the woman, “We no longer believe just because of what you said; for [now] we have heard Him for ourselves and know [with confident assurance] that this One is truly the Savior of [all] the world.”

Word of God for the Children of God

Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.

The Samaritan woman who had met Jesus at the well (John 4:1-30) ran back to her town, informed everyone Jesus had told her everything she had ever done.

Her story wasn’t a shining example of how to be a great person.

But she shared how Jesus had talked with her and given her hope, despite her complicated past, and she invited others to come hear Jesus as well.

As a result, many Samaritans believed in Jesus both because of her testimony and because of his teaching.

It truly amazes me what can happen when we share our stories and we are able to spend quality time with Jesus and his followers.

Jesus can use any story to help people put their faith in him.

How might Jesus use your story to bring others to learn about him and his great salvation?

The Samaritan woman shared her story about how Jesus had changed her. Can we do that too?

No one’s life is beyond saving through the power of Jesus.

The Lord can use all of our stories to bring others into his loving embrace.

How will you use your story and your encounter with Jesus to tell someone about his love today?

How can we share our faith in ways that will motivate people to pay attention?

Experiencing Jesus’ love inspires us to share that love with others.

We know Jesus has called us all to spread the gospel message, yet evangelizing can be challenging.

How can we share our faith in ways that will motivate people to pay attention?

Here are 5 fresh ways to spread the gospel.

What Does it Mean to Spread the Gospel?

Spreading the gospel means spreading the ultimate good news: that a loving God offers people an opportunity to enjoy true love forever, through relationships with their Creator.

The word “gospel” literally means “good news”. When we spread the gospel, we share the good news of how Jesus – the world’s Savior – made eternal salvation possible for all souls who place their faith in him. 

John 3:16 proclaims the essence of the gospel message:

“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”

Jesus calls everyone who connects with him to help other people connect with him, as well, by sharing the gospel message. He urges us in Mark 16:15-16: “… ‘Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation. Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned.”

What Does the Bible Tell Us about Spreading the Gospel?

That call from Jesus to preach the gospel to all creation is known as the Great Commission – the assignment that Jesus gave people after his Resurrection and before his Ascension to heaven.

The Bible records the Great Commission in several other places.

In Matthew 28:19-20, Jesus exhorts: “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” 

Luke 24:47 mentions that “… repentance for the forgiveness of sins will be preached in his name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem.”

In John 20:21, Jesus references spreading the gospel when he says: “Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.”

Finally, in Acts 1:8, Jesus describes spreading the gospel as his witnesses to others:

“But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”

The Bible says that Christians are serving as ambassadors for Jesus as we interact with others. 

2 Corinthians 5:20 declares:

“We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God.”

So, God is counting on us spread the gospel.

He wants us to faithfully say “yes” to that call.

We can do so by serving as examples of what faith in action looks like, as the apostle Paul writes in 

1 Corinthians 11:1-2: “Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ. I praise you for remembering me in everything and for holding to the traditions just as I passed them on to you.”

We can also spread the gospel through conversations, as the apostle Peter points out in 1 Peter 3:15-16:

“But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect, keeping a clear conscience…”.

Many people are searching for the hope that Jesus can give them, yet not enough people are spreading the gospel message to reach them all yet.

Jesus says to his disciples in 

Matthew 9:37-38: “… The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.”

We don’t need to worry about anything but faithfully sharing the gospel message.

When we do so, we can trust God to bring positive results from our efforts. 

2 Timothy 2:15 encourages us simply to:

“Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth.” 

Romans 1:16 urges us to keep the gospel’s power in mind:

“For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes…”.

5 Fresh Ways to Spread the Gospel

When you’re considering how best to spread the gospel message to people you know, start with prayer.

Ask the Holy Spirit to guide you day by day with wisdom on how to share the gospel, and to bring people into your life who need to hear its message.

Try these 5 fresh ways to share the ultimate good news with people:

1. Let God’s love flow through your life. Welcoming God’s love to flow through your life and into other people’s lives is the most powerful way you can share the gospel.

That’s because God is love at his core. “God is love” 1 John 4:8 declares.

So, whenever people experience love by interacting with you, that will point them toward God. Nothing inspires people more than love.

Once you love people, they will talk with you, and then you can tell them about God’s love for them.

2. Listen to people’s stories. Everyone has stories that are valuable.

Show people you care about them by listening to their stories.

Listen more than you talk.

Then, after you’ve gotten to know people, point out how you see God at work in their lives.

Ask them consider how their personal stories can fit into the greater story of what God is doing in the world.

God has designed our minds to respond to stories, and because of that, Jesus often spoke in parables (stories) to share spiritual truths.

Stories engage both our intellect and our emotions.

By listening to people’s stories, you can connect with them on both levels and help them connect with the gospel on both levels, as well.

3. Don’t judge people, but accept them for who they are. 

Often, people are afraid of talking with others about God, because they’re afraid of being judged.

Keep in mind that only God can judge someone (Romans 2), and if we try to judge others, we will be judged ourselves (Matthew 7).

Help people relax around you by refraining from judging them, no matter how much you may disagree with their choices.

Just as God meets you where you are, meet other people where they are. Show them some unconditional love. If people know you’re a safe person to open up to, they’ll likely be much more open to discussing the gospel message with you.

4. Highlight what nature reveals about God. Help people discover more about the Creator by spending time with them in creation. 

Romans 1:20 proclaims: “For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities – his eternal power and divine nature – have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse.”

Since nature reveals the wonder of God’s character, it’s the perfect setting for sharing the gospel message. Take a nature walk during the day, stargaze at night, or pursue any other type outdoor activity you all mutually enjoy together.

As the nature around you inspires you, enjoy conversations about God together.

5. Encourage questions rather than just giving answers. 

While it’s important to give people answers to their spiritual questions, don’t stop there.

You can help them engage more deeply with the gospel message by encouraging them to keep asking more questions.

That will prayerfully motivate them to seek God more.

Spark people’s curiosity.

Challenge them to try praying, even if they’re not yet sure that God exists or that he will answer their prayers.

Ask them to try studying the Bible, and offer to help them do so.

Don’t limit your conversations to only what you’re comfortable talking about; be willing to talk about anything that interests them.

If you don’t know something, be honest rather than giving a pat answer, and then help them discover more about what they’re wondering.

In Conclusion …

Trust, Believe, display faith. The hope God offers is too good to keep to yourself.

Jesus calls all believers to spread the gospel to other people. Please don’t hesitate to spread the gospel whenever you have the opportunity to do so.

Simply do your best, and trust God with the results.

As you do come to share God’s good news with people in fresh ways, both God’s love and God’s Shalom (John 14:27) will flow through you and into their lives.

In the name of God, the Father and God the Son and God, the Holy Spirit,

Praying …

Psalm 119:9-16 Complete Jewish Bible

ב (Bet)

9 How can a young man keep his way pure?
By guarding it according to your word.
10 I seek you with all my heart;
don’t let me stray from your mitzvot.
11 I treasure your word in my heart,
so that I won’t sin against you.
12 Blessed are you, Adonai!
Teach me your laws.
13 I proclaim with my mouth
all the rulings you have spoken.
14 I rejoice in the way of your instruction
more than in any kind of wealth.
15 I will meditate on your precepts
and keep my eyes on your ways.
16 I will find my delight in your regulations.
I will not forget your word.

Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.

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“To be Blinded by His eternal Light” A Prayer to Find Light When You Feel Completely Surrounded by Darkness. John 1:1-5

John 1:1-5 Living Bible

1 1-2 Before anything else existed,[a] there was Christ, with God. He has always been alive and is himself God. 3 He created everything there is—nothing exists that he didn’t make. 4 Eternal life is in him, and this life gives light to all mankind. 5 His life is the light that shines through the darkness—and the darkness can never extinguish it.

Word of God for the Children of God

Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.

In Him Was Life

The first of these theme-words appears at the beginning of John 1:4, “In him was life.”

The word life appears 36 times in the gospel of John, far more than any other New Testament book. It is one of his most important themes.

The preceding verses say that “the Word was with God” and “was God,” and that “all things were made through him” (John 1:1–3).

The second person of the Godhead, the “Word,” who is the subject of this gospel, is the source of all life in this universe.

Not merely does he possess life, but life itself is found in him and also comes through him. Jesus said, “For as the Father has life in himself, so he has granted the Son also to have life in himself” (John 5:26).

This is what John wants us to see in Christ: “In him was life.”

Are you and I really truly living?

Do you and I feel that our lives matter for something important?

Are you and I excited about things, or just keeping occupied?

Jesus has life to give to those who trust in him. “I came that they may have life,” he said, “and have it abundantly” (John 10:10).

So, just how much or how little do you and I actually, authentically, trust Him?

The Light Shining

This is the very connection John makes, that the life in Christ comes as a light shining in the darkness.

“In him was life, and the life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness” (John 1:4–5). 

Light is another of John’s great themes.

The first recorded words of God are, “Let there be light” (Gen. 1:3). Light is an image that everyone understands, and it brings a rich array of meaning.

The first thing light does is reveal. 

When you walk into a dark room, you turn on the light to see.

This is what Isaiah prophesied about the coming of Jesus: “The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who dwelt in a land of deep darkness, on them has light shined” (Isa. 9:2).

Man was living in a spiritual darkness, ignorant about God and living in superstition.

So Jesus came to reveal God. “Whoever has seen me has seen the Father,” he said (John 14:9).

James Boice comments,

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Montgomery_Boice

“Jesus is revealed as the One who knows God the Father and who makes him known.… Before Christ came into the world, the world was in darkness. The world did not know God. Christ came. His light shone before men. Then men had light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.”

Do you and I know God?

Do you and I know what God is like?

Do you or I know Jesus came to reveal God to us.

Do you and I know God by personal acquaintance, by his presence within your spirit?

Do you and I know Jesus came also to bring us into fellowship with God as worshipers in spirit and in truth?

Light not only reveals but it also warms. 

To “walk in the darkness” is to walk in sin and moral depravity, but the light of Christ warms the heart so that it is changed.

This spiritual transformation is what Jesus meant in John 12:46, “I have come into the world as light, so that whoever believes in me may not remain in darkness.”

Thirdly, light not only reveals and warms, but it also guides. 

We think of the glory cloud of light that guided Israel through the desert during the exodus from Egypt. 

Psalm 119:105 says, “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.”

Likewise, Jesus said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life” (John 8:12).

If you come to Jesus Christ in faith and follow as his disciple, he will be a light to guide you “in paths of righteousness for his name’s sake” (Ps. 23:3).

Fourthly, light conveys and stimulates life.

If you want a plant to grow, you place it in the sunshine.

Likewise, you will grow upward as the light of Christ’s Word shines in you.

His light shines with the power of his life through his Word.

“In him was life, and the life was the light of men” (John 1:4).

This great verse summarizes what it means for us to be Christ-like.

Jesus wants you to be a lamp that reflects his light in the world.

He wants you to reveal God to those around you; he wants you to warm others so they will seek after truth and love; he wants you to be a guide to others; and he wants his light shining in and through you to bring others to life.

He said: “Let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven” (Matt. 5:16).

Darkness against the Light

The third image John uses is darkness.

This is the absence of light.

If light stands for the knowledge of God, darkness represents the fullness of all our spiritual ignorance in which the world is perishing.

If light stands for warmth and goodness, then the darkened world is that which is enslaved in sin and evil.

If the light breaks through, leads us in good paths, darkness is the realm of the lost and blind. If light brings true life, then darkness is the true realm of death.

Darkness is opposed to light.

John 1:5 says, “The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not overcome it.”

This indicates that the coming of Christ as the light meets the opposition of the darkened world.

Jesus said, “This is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their deeds were evil” (John 3:19).

Nothing has ever condemned this world more than its response to the coming of Jesus Christ.

If people tell you the world or the human race is basically good, remind them what it did to Jesus.

He came without any sin, healing and teaching the way to God.

He was a light shining in the darkness.

But for that very reason the world hated him.

The hypocritical Pharisees resented him for exposing their legalism.

The priests and scribes envied his popularity.

The power-hungry Romans thought him a threat to their military domination.

And it wasn’t just the elite, for the ordinary people also called out for Jesus’ blood: “Away with him, away with him, crucify him!” they demanded of Pontius Pilate (John 19:15).

When God’s Son came into the world, the world nailed him to a cross—the cruelest form of execution they could possibly devise—to suffer and die.

For our 21st century People today similarly despise Jesus; for all their supposed “admiration” they refuse, refute, mock and scorn his exclusive claim to be our Savior and Lord and resent his holy example that exposes their sin.

The Light of Christ

“In him was life, and the life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness and the darkness has not overcome it.”

These are great themes that John unfolds all through his gospel: life, light, and darkness.

But remember that John is really pointing to Jesus.

What matters in life, then, is not what we are and have been, not what others have done, not what challenges or trials the future might hold.

What matters is that Christ has come with life through his light that shines in the world, and the darkness cannot overcome it.

That is the way to life and light: to cease trusting in yourself or in anything else of this world that might commend you to God, and surrender your case into the hands of Jesus.

“I have come into the world as light,” he said, “so that whoever believes in me may not remain in darkness” (John 12:46).

That light is still shining, and through him you can have life everlasting, life abundant, life in Christ.

Jesus Christ, the Word of God, created the world with God in the beginning.

He also came into the world to save it, because it was broken by the curse of sin and death.

When Adam and Eve disobeyed God in Eden, they brought this curse on all of God’s creation (Genesis 3).

The world that God once called “good” has been afflicted with chaos, conflict, isolation, sickness, and grief ever since. And sin has estranged us from the God who created us. Even worse, no matter how hard we try, we cannot make things right. Our sin continually forms a barrier between us and our Creator.

Maybe you are reading this devotion because you are feeling sin’s effects in your life.

Perhaps something has happened which has left you feeling lost or confused.

Maybe you feel you are groping in the dark, looking for light to guide your way.

The Bible promises that the darkness you face—whatever it might be—will never overcome the light of Christ.

Like a lighthouse on a rocky shore, Jesus offers us hope and a clear path to God.

There is no sin or enemy of God big enough, powerful enough to snuff out the light of Christ.

He will always shine brightest, always be victorious, and if we place our fullest measure of authentic faith in him, he invites all of us to share in his victory.

In the name of God, the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit,

Praying, …

Psalm 19 Complete Jewish Bible

19 (0) For the leader. A psalm of David:

2 (1) The heavens declare the glory of God,
the dome of the sky speaks the work of his hands.
3 (2) Every day it utters speech,
every night it reveals knowledge.
4 (3) Without speech, without a word,
without their voices being heard,
5 (4) their line goes out through all the earth
and their words to the end of the world.

In them he places a tent for the sun,
6 (5) which comes out like a bridegroom from the bridal chamber,
with delight like an athlete to run his race.
7 (6) It rises at one side of the sky,
circles around to the other side,
and nothing escapes its heat.

8 (7) The Torah of Adonai is perfect,
restoring the inner person.
The instruction of Adonai is sure,
making wise the thoughtless.
9 (8) The precepts of Adonai are right,
rejoicing the heart.
The mitzvah of Adonai is pure,
enlightening the eyes.
10 (9) The fear of Adonai is clean,
enduring forever.
The rulings of Adonai are true,
they are righteous altogether,
11 (10) more desirable than gold,
than much fine gold,
also sweeter than honey
or drippings from the honeycomb.
12 (11) Through them your servant is warned;
in obeying them there is great reward.

13 (12) Who can discern unintentional sins?
Cleanse me from hidden faults.
14 (13) Also keep your servant from presumptuous sins,
so that they won’t control me.
Then I will be blameless
and free of great offense.

15 (14) May the words of my mouth
and the thoughts of my heart
be acceptable in your presence,
Adonai, my Rock and Redeemer.

Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.

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Through the Crowds, then Digging through the rooftops. Our Paralyzed and broken selves are being lowered down into the presence of our Healer. Luke 5:17-26

Luke 5:17-26 New American Standard Bible

A Man Lowered through a Roof

17 [a]One day He was teaching, and there were some Pharisees and teachers of the Law sitting there who had come from every village of Galilee and Judea, and  from Jerusalem; and the power of the Lord was present for Him to perform healing.  18 And some men were carrying a man on a stretcher who was paralyzed; and they were trying to bring him in and to set him down in front of Him. 19 But when they did not find any way to bring him in because of the crowd, they went up on the roof and let him down through the tiles with his stretcher, into the middle of the crowd, in front of Jesus. 20 And seeing their faith, He said, “[b]Friend, your sins are forgiven you.” 21 The scribes and the Pharisees began thinking of the implications, saying, “Who is this man who speaks blasphemies? Who can forgive sins, except God alone?” 22 But Jesus, [c]aware of their thoughts, responded and said to them, “Why are you thinking this way in your hearts? 23 Which is easier, to say: ‘Your sins are forgiven you,’ or to say, ‘Get up and walk’? 24 But so that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins,” He said to the man who was paralyzed, “I say to you, get up, and pick up your stretcher, and go home.” 25 And immediately he got up before them, and picked up what he had been lying on, and went home glorifying God. 26 And [d]they were all struck with astonishment and  began glorifying God. They were also filled with fear, saying, “We have seen remarkable things today!”

Word of God for the Children of God

Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.

In our text, a paralyzed man was brought to Jesus, who not only healed him physically but also addressed his need for forgiveness.

This teaches us that true freedom starts from within.

Just as the friends who brought, lowered the paralyzed man to Jesus, we all have burdens- Whether they are past mistakes, emotional pain, or unconfessed sins.

It is essential for us to seek help and open our hearts to the life-changing power of Christ.

As we contemplate “Letting Go of What Holds You Down,” let’s think about what keeps us from moving forward spiritually. Are there fears, doubts, or any regrets or secrets that hold us back from experiencing the freedom Jesus offers?

Just as the paralyzed man received healing and forgiveness, we are encouraged to let go of our own burdens.

Today, let’s find the Joshua 1:9 courage to set aside anything that hinders us and allow Jesus to free us, so we can live the abundant life He wants for each of us.

Joshua 1:9 New American Standard Bible 1995

9 Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous! Do not tremble or be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”

Luke 5:17-18

Let go of…

1. Past regrets.

We encounter the story of a paralyzed man whose friends lowered him through a roof to reach Jesus. This powerful narrative highlights how we often hold onto myriads of past regrets, which can hinder our spiritual and personal growth.

The key message here is that Jesus came to heal not just physical bodies but also our spirits.

Like the paralyzed man who was freed from his physical limitations, we too are called to let go of our past mistakes and embrace the forgiveness Jesus offers.

The Gospel reminds us that in Christ, our sins are wiped away, and our past does not determine our future.

To practically apply this message, we must actively reflect on and release our regrets. This process involves honest prayer, recognizing what holds us back, and possibly journaling or seeking support from friends and Church leaders.

Letting go is not just a thought; it requires concrete actions, such as forgiving ourselves or others and setting new goals that focus on the future. By building a supportive community and actively engaging in practices that promote spiritual growth, we can remind ourselves of our identity in Christ.

Just as the paralyzed man received healing through the faith of his friends, we can find restoration by surrounding ourselves with those who encourage us to let go and embrace the life Jesus promises.

Luke 5:19-20

Let go of…

2. Fear of judgment.

We see a powerful display of faith as a paralyzed man’s friends go to great lengths to bring him to Jesus, undeterred by the crowd.

This story highlights a crucial truth- God’s grace overcomes our fears, including the fear of being judged.

When we seek Christ and let go of our fear of condemnation, we understand that His healing power is stronger than any judgment we may face.

The paralyzed man’s healing depended on his friends’ boldness, reminding us true faith often requires us to rise above our fears and trust in God’s acceptance and love.

Letting go of the fear of judgment means our being open and genuine in our relationships and communities of faith.

Many people hesitate to approach Jesus or engage fully in their faith because they worry about others’ opinions regarding their past or struggles.

However, this passage encourages us to break free from these fears. This might look like sharing our burdens in a supportive group, asking for prayer without worrying about gossip, or getting involved in ministry despite our doubts.

By creating an atmosphere of grace and acceptance, we help ourselves, others come to Christ as we are, promoting personal healing, community growth.

In doing so, we outwardly reflect the unconditional love of Jesus, which then proclaims, welcomes everyone who seeks Him.

Luke 5:20

Let go of…

3. Self-sufficiency.

We see a powerful moment when the faith of a paralyzed man and his friends leads to both physical and spiritual healing. Lowering the man through the roof represents our need to let go of self-sufficiency and be vulnerable before God.

Self-sufficiency can block us from truly connecting with Jesus, as we often depend on our own strength and plans, thinking we can handle life on our own.

However, the Gospel reminds us that real healing comes through our faith in Christ. By releasing our self-sufficiency, we open ourselves to God’s grace and power, recognizing that our weakness allows His strength to shine through us.

Letting go of our self-sufficiency has practical effects on our daily lives.

It encourages us to seek support from our community, just as the friends of the paralyzed man did.

This can mean joining small groups, finding a mentor, or sharing our struggles with trusted friends.

Additionally, by surrendering our self-sufficiency, we cultivate a deeper reliance on prayer, bringing our needs and fears to God.

This shift helps us experience personal change and allows us to share Christ’s love and support with others, reflecting His grace in a world that needs it.

Luke 5:21

Let go of…

4. Negative influences.

The Pharisees and teachers of the Law questioned Jesus, symbolizing the negative influences that can weaken our faith and hinder our spiritual growth.

Jesus calls us to recognize and let go of these distractions, such as critical voices, toxic relationships, and self-doubt, that deter us from fulfilling God’s purpose for our lives.

To truly experience the freedom that comes with following Christ, we must identify these influences and distance ourselves from anything that blocks us from embracing the truth of God’s Word.

Letting go of negative influences takes effort and courage.

This means setting boundaries with those who bring us down and fostering a supportive environment that promotes spiritual growth.

We should spend time with uplifting, faith-filled individuals, engage in prayer and Bible study, and practice self-care that honors our identity in Christ.

Additionally, we must be mindful of our own words and thoughts, ensuring they are uplifting rather than discouraging. By adopting a positive, faith-filled mindset, we not only transform ourselves but also inspire those around us.

Through this intentional process of letting go, we can experience the abundant life Jesus offers, free from the burdens that weigh us down.

Luke 5:22-26

Let go of…

5. Limiting beliefs.

Jesus addressed the limiting beliefs of the Scribes and Pharisees, who doubted His authority to forgive sins.

They were stuck in their own ideas about who the Messiah was and what forgiveness meant.

Jesus, knowing their thoughts, not only healed the paralyzed man but also offered him forgiveness, showing that limiting beliefs can obstruct our understanding of God’s grace.

Just as the paralyzed man was freed from his ailments, we can find freedom in Christ when we let go of the beliefs that hold us back from experiencing God’s love and purpose.

Letting go of limiting beliefs encourages us to rethink our views about ourselves and God.

Many people struggle with feelings of unworthiness or the belief that they cannot be forgiven or start anew.

The Gospel reminds us that God’s love is limitless.

We can begin to move past these barriers by identifying and confronting our limiting beliefs- Like feelings of inadequacy or past mistakes.

By authentically seeking God’s truth in Scripture and sharing our struggles with fellow believers, we too can find support in recognizing that our identity lies in being cherished children of God.

This process allows Jesus to lift us up, just as He did for the paralytic, and empowers us to live freely and purposefully.

Conclusion:

As we conclude, we see a clear example of letting go of what weighs us down.

The paralyzed man, eager for healing, didn’t let obstacles stop him; instead, he was lifted by the faith of his friends.

This reminds us to examine our own burdens, whether they are fear, guilt, or unhealthy relationships.

Like the paralyzed man, we also must face the things that hold us back from experiencing the fullness God wants for us, remembering that Jesus calls us to let go and move forward.

Now, as we take this message to heart, let’s decide to release our burdens and surround ourselves with those who support us.

God is always ready to heal our brokenness.

When we embrace our freedom, we also open the door for others to encounter Christ’s transformative love.

Together, let’s encourage one another to shed what weighs us down and step into the new life Jesus offers.

By doing this, we not only discover our true potential but also become sources of hope for those who still carry their struggles.

In the name of God, the Father God the Son and God, the Holy Spirit,

Praying …

Psalm 13 New American Standard Bible 1995

Prayer for Help in Trouble.

For the choir director. A Psalm of David.

13 How long, O Lord? Will You forget me forever?
How long will You hide Your face from me?
2 How long shall I take counsel in my soul,
Having sorrow in my heart all the day?
How long will my enemy be exalted over me?

3 Consider and answer me, O Lord my God;
Enlighten my eyes, or I will sleep the sleep of death,
4 And my enemy will say, “I have overcome him,”
And my adversaries will rejoice when I am shaken.

5 But I have trusted in Your lovingkindness;
My heart shall rejoice in Your salvation.
6 I will sing to the Lord,
Because He has dealt bountifully with me.

Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.

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For Levi 100% Change is inevitable, For Matthew, Resistance to change was inevitably, virtually nonexistent. Luke 5:27-39

Luke 5:27-39 New American Standard Bible

Call of Levi (Matthew)

27 After that He went out and looked at a tax collector named [a]Levi sitting in the tax office, and He said to him, “Follow Me.” 28 And he left everything behind, and got up and began following Him.

29 And Levi gave a big reception for Him in his house; and there was a large crowd of tax collectors and other people who were reclining at the table with them. 30 The Pharisees and their scribes began grumbling to His disciples, saying, “Why do you eat and drink with the tax collectors and [b]sinners?” 31 And Jesus answered and said to them, “It is not those who are healthy who need a physician, but those who are sick. 32 I have not come to call the righteous to repentance, but sinners.”

33 And they said to Him, “The disciples of John often fast and offer prayers, the disciples of the Pharisees also do [c]the same, but Yours eat and drink.”  34  And Jesus said to them, “You cannot make the [d]attendants of the groom fast while the groom is with them, can you? 35 But the days will come; and when the groom is taken away from them, then they will fast in those days.” 36 And He was also telling them a parable: “No one tears a piece of cloth from a new garment and puts it on an old garment; otherwise he will both tear the new, and the patch from the new  garment will not match the old. 37 And no one pours new wine into old wineskins; otherwise the new wine will burst the skins and it will be spilled out, and the skins will be ruined. 38 But new wine must be put into fresh wineskins. 39 And no one, after drinking old wine wants new; for he says, ‘The old is fine.’”

Word of God for the Children of God

Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.

Today, we are going to look at the challenge of change in our spiritual lives.

We see Levi, a tax collector, who chose to leave his comfortable but corrupt life to follow Jesus.

This decision highlights the significant shifts we might face when we commit to living for Christ.

Change can be difficult, as it often meets resistance both from within ourselves and from the World.

Like Levi, we also have the choice to let go of our past and embrace a new, unknown path of faith.

As we reflect on Levi’s story, we can ask ourselves what holds us back from fully responding to God’s call.

Are we stuck in habits, relationships, or mindsets that prevent our spiritual growth?

Jesus encourages us to let go of the old ways and make space for new faith.

He invites us to rethink what makes us comfortable and to envision what it means to live in His grace.

Today, let us open our hearts and spirits unto the .001% possibility of change, knowing that while it will 100% be mightily challenging, to giving ourselves, to surrendering to change, Jesus can lead us to a life filled with hope and purpose.

Luke 5:27-28

Change your…

1. Association.

The calling of Levi (Matthew) highlights how changing our associations can transform our spiritual lives.

When Jesus asked Levi, a despised tax collector, to follow Him, it not only changed Levi’s job but also placed him in a new community centered on faith and purpose.

This scene illustrates God’s desire for us to leave behind past associations and accept a new identity in Christ.

Just like Levi left his old life, we need to examine the relationships in our lives and see if they bring us closer to God or pull us away.

On a practical level, changing our associations means looking at the influences around us, (our friends, social and professional circles) making solid choices that reflect our faith.

This doesn’t mean we have to cut ties with those who don’t share our beliefs, but rather we should seek out relationships that help us grow spiritually.

By surrounding ourselves with people who encourage us to be better, we can create an environment that fosters change.

Being part of a community of believers provides the support we need to reflect Christ’s love in our lives.

Embracing these changes can lead to much stronger relationships and a clearer understanding of our identity in Christ, showing that even the most hard core, and soul rending challenges of change are both deeply personal and communal.

Luke 5:29-30

Change your…

2. Perspective.

Levi/Matthew invited Jesus and His disciples to a feast at his home, illustrating a significant change in perspective.

As a tax collector, Levi was often viewed as an outcast, but he embraced his new identity in Christ and shared this transformative moment.

In contrast, the Pharisees represent a narrow-minded view that limits God’s grace to the inherently “righteous.”

This story teaches us that changing our perspective allows us to experience God’s love more fully and share it with others. Jesus calls us to shift from exclusion to inclusion and from judgment to compassion, encouraging us to rise above traditional societal norms and personal biases in our faith journey.

On a practical level, altering our perspective means making a conscious effort to understand and empathize with others.

We should challenge our preconceived ideas and approach people with grace, recognizing that everyone has their own unique struggles.

This could involve reaching out to someone we find difficult to connect with or engaging with marginalized individuals in our community.

By doing this, we follow Christ’s example of love and acceptance, creating spaces where others can feel the Gospel’s warmth.

A changed perspective not only transforms our own hearts but also fosters a more inclusive and compassionate community, enabling us to authentically live out our faith and reflect Christ’s love in our everyday actions.

Luke 5:31-32

Change your…

3. Priorities.

Jesus showed how His Ministry changed the priorities of those who follow Him.

He teaches that repentance is not just about stopping sinful behaviors; but about rethinking what is truly important in our lives.

By spending time with tax collectors and sinners, Jesus revealed that God’s grace is for everyone.

This challenges us to reconsider who we prioritize, encouraging us to focus less on status and wealth, more on love, mercy, and compassion for those in need.

Shifting our focus from rituals to relationships can foster spiritual growth and create a genuine community.

To change our priorities in line with Jesus’ teachings, we must intentionally take action that reflects His values.

This means dedicating time to service, building connections with those who struggle, and examining our commitments to ensure they align with our faith.

We can start by identifying areas where we might be prioritizing pursuits that don’t align with Christ’s heart.

Regular reflection through prayer, studying Scripture, engaging with mentors can help us determine where God wants us to invest our time and resources.

By aligning our priorities with Jesus’ mission, we not only respond to His call but also become instruments of His love and grace in a World that needs it.

Luke 5:33-35

Change your…

4. Traditions.

Jesus confronts the problems that arise when long-held traditions clash with the life-changing message of the Gospel.

The Pharisees were fixated on their customs, especially regarding fasting.

This passage teaches us that while traditions can be helpful, they shouldn’t obstruct God’s work in our lives.

The challenge to “change your traditions” encourages believers to examine whether these practices, (although well-meaning) are hindering their spiritual growth or pushing away those wanting to know Christ.

Jesus reminds us that His presence introduces something new, urging us to regularly reassess our rituals and allow the Holy Spirit to guide our choices.

Practically, changing traditions can happen in different ways within our lives and communities.

It might involve rethinking how Church Services are held or how outreach is conducted, focusing on the very heart beat of the Gospel instead of rigid forms.

Additionally, individuals should regularly reflect on their personal worship habits- Are there routines that have become dry and disconnected from God?

Embracing change can foster a welcoming environment for new believers, deepen relationships, and enhance genuine worship experiences.

Ultimately, this change honors the past while ensuring our traditions truly express Christ’s transformative love rather than mere routine.

Luke 5:36-39

Change your…

5. Heart.

Jesus illustrates the need for an inner transformation through the parables of new wine and old wineskins.

He teaches that changing our hearts is essential to embracing new ways of living according to the Gospel, which emphasizes love, grace, and mercy.

A heart stuck in quicksand’s of old traditions cannot fully accept this fresh message, so we must be open to God’s transformative power.

This change isn’t just about altering our behavior; it’s all about realigning our desires with God’s will. With the help of the Holy Spirit, we can break free from outdated ways of thinking and living, evangelizing, praying and worshiping.

Practically, changing our hearts means committing to activities that promote spiritual growth.

This could involve regular prayer, reading, studying Scripture, worshiping with community, and serving others in love.

When our hearts are aligned with God’s, we are driven by hope rather than fear, allowing us to welcome positive changes in our lives.

Additionally, being in a supportive community encourages, inspires our growth and helps us navigate struggles together.

As we release those past hurts and hardened fears, we inevitably make room for God’s new teachings, empowering, enriching our faith journey and deepening our relationships with Him and with one another.

Conclusion:

The challenge of change is a wide open invitation from Christ to transform our hearts and minds, not just our circumstances.

Almost immediately Levi, the tax collector, left his old life behind to follow Jesus, and we too are called to almost immediately step out of our own comfort zones and embrace the uncertainty that comes with faith.

While change can be intimidating, it is in these moments we experience God’s grace, who walks with us, encourages us, to trust Him as we move forward.

Additionally, we recognize that change is not something we face alone; it involves our community of believers supporting one another.

Just as Jesus reached out to Levi and the outcasts, we are called to extend grace to those around us.

In embracing change, we become sources of hope and transformation in our families and communities.

Let us authentically accept this challenge with the love of Christ empowering us to live authentically, trusting that through Him, we can turn fears into faith.

May we move forward with courage, ready to embrace the new life He offers us.

In the name of God, the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit,

Praying …

Psalm 8 Complete Jewish Bible

8 (0) For the leader. On the gittit. A psalm of David:

2 (1) Adonai! Our Lord! How glorious
is your name throughout the earth!
The fame of your majesty
spreads even above the heavens!

3 (2) From the mouths of babies and infants at the breast
you established strength because of your foes,
in order that you might silence
the enemy and the avenger.

4 (3) When I look at your heavens, the work of your fingers,
the moon and stars that you set in place —
5 (4) what are mere mortals, that you concern yourself with them;
humans, that you watch over them with such care?

6 (5) You made him but little lower than the angels,
you crowned him with glory and honor,
7 (6) you had him rule what your hands made,
you put everything under his feet —
8 (7) sheep and oxen, all of them,
also the animals in the wilds,
9 (8) the birds in the air, the fish in the sea,
whatever passes through the paths of the seas.

10 (9) Adonai! Our Lord! How glorious
is your name throughout the earth!

Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.

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For that person must never suppose that they will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, doubting all, unstable, in all his ways. James 1:5-8

James 1:2-8 J.B. Phillips New Testament

The Christian can even welcome trouble

2-8 When all kinds of trials and temptations crowd into your lives my brothers, don’t resent them as intruders, but welcome them as friends! Realise that they come to test your faith and to produce in you the quality of endurance. But let the process go on until that endurance is fully developed, and you will find you have become men of mature character with the right sort of independence. And if, in the process, any of you does not know how to meet any particular problem he has only to ask God—who gives generously to all men without making them feel foolish or guilty—and he may be quite sure that the necessary wisdom will be given him. But he must ask in sincere faith without secret doubts as to whether he really wants God’s help or not. The man who trusts God, but with inward reservations, is like a wave of the sea, carried forward by the wind one moment and driven back the next. That sort of man cannot hope to receive anything from God, and the life of a man of divided loyalty will reveal instability at every turn.

Word of God for the Children of God

Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.

Truth or False: There is a kind of prayer that receives nothing from God?

It is the prayer of the doubter, the one who does not “ask in faith.”

When James says we are to make our requests to God “with no doubting,” he’s not saying we must never have any uncertainty or confusion in our minds, ever.

To doubt in the sense that James uses the term here is more than simply saying, “I am struggling, wavering to be certain about this” or “I guess almost know this to be maybe 1% true but, ugh however, maybe sometimes I wonder it is not even less”; refusing to firmly ground themselves, entrust ourselves to our Father’s care.

It is to make a back-up plan that relies on our efforts even as we ask God for His intervention, or to ask for something that deep down we do not really want.

https://www.blueletterbible.org/lexicon/g1252/nasb95/mgnt/0-1/

J.B. Phillips paraphrases this verse in a helpful way: “He must ask in sincere faith without secret doubts as to whether he really wants God’s help or not.”

James is addressing the issue of divided loyalty, describing the doubter as one whose prayers and desires are clearly at hard core odds with each other.

This person comes before God and asks for things that he or she has no intention of doing, much as the great 5th-century theologian Augustine famously prayed prior to his conversion: “Lord, make me pure, but not yet.”[1]

1 Confessions, 8.7.17.

God knows exactly when we are simply playing the game, using the language, singing the song without any truth or desire to match up our lives to our words.

He knows whether we really want His help, are secretly reserving the right to do only exactly what we feel like doing if His wisdom does not lead, move, us in the only direction we naturally desire.

Faith says no to this kind of deliberate insincere hypocrisy, which prays for wisdom but acts only in complete foolishness. The faith James describes is therefore more than comprehension; it is an expression of trust and devotion.

Honesty lies at the heart of any genuine appeal, whether to an earthly father or our heavenly Father.

When you come before God, you must “draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith” (Hebrews 10:22).

With this kind of sincerity, you will make it clear in your own soul and to God that you are fully trusting Him to be faithful to His promises and that you are serious about acting on whatever wisdom He provides.

In what area of your life are you particularly aware that you absolutely need God’s wisdom?

Entrust yourself to your heavenly Father and be ready to follow His guidance, so you will walk steady in your faith and joy, and not be tossed about by the wind.

When You Not so Simply Don’t Know What to Do

James 1:5-8 Amplified Bible

5 If any of you lacks wisdom [to guide him through a decision or circumstance], he is to ask of [our benevolent] God, who gives to everyone generously and without rebuke or blame, and it will be given to him. 6 But he must ask [for wisdom] in faith, without doubting [God’s willingness to help], for the one who doubts is like a billowing surge of the sea that is blown about and tossed by the wind. 7 For such a person ought not to think or expect that he will receive anything [at all] from the Lord, 8 being a double-minded man, unstable and  restless in all his ways [in everything he thinks, feels, or decides].

Throughout my ministry I’ve had people come to me and say, “I just don’t know what to do. I want to do God’s will, but I don’t know what he wants for me.”

And, really, how do you know for sure what school to go to, or what job to take? How do you know when to move, or not to move, what cars, homes to buy?

How do you know what person you should marry, when to start a family, or whether you should adopt?

More than once when we had to make an important decision, I found myself wishing that God would send a clear message to guide us.

So how do we know God’s will?

James 1:5 gives the answer, at least in part: “If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God …” By ourselves we don’t have the wisdom to know what God plan has in mind for us. And that’s the reason we need to ask God, “who gives generously.” If you don’t know what to do, ask God for wisdom.

God gives us his wisdom through the Bible.

“Your Word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path” (Psalm 119:105).

God gives us wisdom through the people in our lives. Don’t be afraid to ask other people for their insight. God gives us wisdom through open and closed doors and through doors closing, doors slamming, changing life circumstances.

We have to ask, and then we need to observe closely as God provides answers.

Truth or Nonsense?

When praying …

12 I assure you and most solemnly say to you, anyone who believes in Me [as Savior] will also do the things that I do; and he will do even greater things than these [in extent and outreach], because I am going to the Father. 13 And I will do whatever you ask in My name [[b]as My representative], this I will do, so that the Father may be glorified and celebrated in the Son. 14 If you ask Me anything in My name [as My representative], I will do it.

Authenticity (Psalm 51) of our hearts 100% does not, will not, matter to God?

In the name of God, the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit,

Praying …

Psalm 137 Complete Jewish Bible

137 By the rivers of Bavel we sat down and wept
as we remembered Tziyon.
2 We had hung up our lyres
on the willows that were there,
3 when those who had taken us captive
asked us to sing them a song;
our tormentors demanded joy from us —
“Sing us one of the songs from Tziyon!”

4 How can we sing a song about Adonai
here on foreign soil?
5 If I forget you, Yerushalayim,
may my right hand wither away!
6 May my tongue stick to the roof of my mouth
if I fail to remember you,
if I fail to count Yerushalayim
the greatest of all my joys.

7 Remember, Adonai, against the people of Edom
the day of Yerushalayim’s fall,
how they cried, “Tear it down! Tear it down!
Raze it to the ground!”

8 Daughter of Bavel, you will be destroyed!
A blessing on anyone who pays you back
for the way you treated us!
9 A blessing on anyone who seizes your babies
and smashes them against a rock!

Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.

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God is gracious—it is He who makes things right, our most merciful and compassionate God. God takes the side of the helpless; when at the end of my rope, Yes! He saved even me! Psalm 116

Psalm 116 Complete Jewish Bible

116 I love that Adonai heard
my voice when I prayed;
2 because he turned his ear to me,
I will call on him as long as I live.

3 The cords of death were all around me,
Sh’ol’s constrictions held me fast;
I was finding only distress and anguish.
4 But I called on the name of Adonai:
“Please, Adonai! Save me!”

5 Adonai is merciful and righteous;
yes, our God is compassionate.
6 Adonai preserves the thoughtless;
when I was brought low, he saved me.
7 My soul, return to your rest!
For Adonai has been generous toward you.
8 Yes, you have rescued me from death,
my eyes from tears and my feet from falling.
9 I will go on walking in the presence of Adonai
in the lands of the living.
10 I will keep on trusting even when I say,
“I am utterly miserable,”
11 even when, in my panic, I declare,
“Everything human is deceptive.”

12 How can I repay Adonai
for all his generous dealings with me?
13 I will raise the cup of salvation
and call on the name of Adonai.
14 I will pay my vows to Adonai
in the presence of all his people.

15 From Adonai’s point of view,
the death of those faithful to him is costly.
16 Oh, Adonai! I am your slave;
I am your slave, the son of your slave-girl;
you have removed my fetters.
17 I will offer a sacrifice of thanks to you
    and will call on the name of Adonai.
18 I will pay my vows to Adonai
in the presence of all his people,
19 in the courtyards of Adonai’s house,
there in your very heart, Yerushalayim.

Halleluyah!

Word of God for the Children of God

Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.

Believing, Even When We Are Afflicted

Psalm 116:5-11 New American Standard Bible

5 Gracious is the Lord, and righteous;
Yes, our God is compassionate.
6 The Lord watches over the simple;
I was brought low, and He saved me.
7 Return to your rest, my soul,
For the Lord has dealt generously with you.
8 For You have rescued my soul from death,
My eyes from tears,
And my feet from stumbling.
9 I shall walk before the Lord
In the [a]land of the living.
10 I believed when I said,
“I am greatly afflicted.”
11 I said in my alarm,
“All people are liars.”

We long for tranquil lives. We often pray for health, prosperity, and success.

And yet it is often times of physical or spiritual affliction, struggle and difficulty are those which quiet us, push us, bring us, plant us, root us, that much closer to God, along with a significantly greater desire to connect with Him, to humble ourselves to serve Him. That’s a lesson the psalmist brings out in this section.

Afflictions can all too easily result in bitterness, robbing us of joy. As we have already read in Psalm 116, the psalmist has experienced far more than his fair share hardcore trials at the hands of his enemies. Instead of tumbling into the black hole of bitterness, however, the writer gives thanks to God for two things.

First, he has developed a trusting dependence on God. Despite his trials, the psalmist confesses to God: “You are good, and what you do is gracious; I trust you to always be there to watch over me during my times of weaknesses.”

Second, the experience of affliction has driven the psalmist closer to God and more deeply into God’s Word. I long to be obedient, he says. And his search for knowledge and good judgment leads him to affirm the priceless value of God’s Word, saying it is more precious “than thousands of pieces of silver and gold.”

How well do we handle our hardest afflictions? We all experience them, and no, they are not easy. In difficult situations—whatever they may be—we can grow closer to God when we search his Word for the comfort and guidance we need.

God’s ear is turned toward us.

Just as my ears heard right away the screams arising from inside my soul, I too knew the sound of my own cries and almost immediately went towards God.

You and I will certainly face devastating trials and afflictions year after year.

Maybe you are in a season right now where it is all about one affliction after another which always seem to be piling up. It would be easy to avoid God during these times or even be angry with God. What if we, instead, we ran to God? 

Over the last twenty five years I have learned that running to God is actually the best thing I can do. Why? Because I know, I will trust that God’s ear is always turned toward us. Just as my ears heard right away the scream from my insides , I knew the sound of my cries and prayed they immediately went towards him.

The next verses in Psalm 116 details how much the psalmist suffered in body, mind, and spirit, even facing imminent death, but trusted God was his helper.

I love verse ten because it seems to be the pinnacle of the psalm. He says, “I believed, even when I said, ‘I am severely afflicted.’”

What the psalmist is saying is that he did not shy away from telling God all about his afflictions. The worst pain did not keep him from crying out to God.

And the heartache didn’t keep him from believing in God either. There are many critical truths here, that the psalmist hung onto, even when he was afflicted. 

The truths here are things like God’s grace, righteousness, and compassion. (Psalm 116:5)

Where do we those characteristics of God come out in our lives today? Jesus!

Jesus was afflicted, He suffered far more than is imaginable or describable!

Jesus was God’s righteousness for us.

He lived a perfect sinless life because we could not. He allowed His life to take our place so that when God sees you and me, He sees Jesus’ righteousness. 

Jesus is also God’s grace to us. 

Ephesians 2:8-9 say, “For you are saved by grace through faith, and this is not from yourselves; it is God’s gift— not from works, so that no one can boast.”

Jesus brought grace because He died on the cross, taking all of our places and punishment for us.

Now, we are saved and brought into God’s family through grace once we accept Him as Savior. 

God’s compassion is also evident in Jesus’ life.  

Jesus healed the sick, cured the lame, and even rose people from the dead.

It says in Matthew 20:34, “Moved with compassion, Jesus touched their eyes. Immediately they could see, and they followed Him.” 

Even today, Jesus sits on the throne beside God interceding for us. 

Romans 8:34 says, “Who is the one who condemns? Christ Jesus is the One who died, but even more, has been raised; He also is at the right hand of God and intercedes for us.”

What unknowable, unsearchable depths’ of compassion for us to think that Christ is always praying and speaking to God the Father about you and me!? 

The troubles and hardships we all face, can sometimes cause us to doubt these truths about God.

Does He love me?

Does He care?

Is He really in control?

Those questions can lead us to look to the Bible. 

This psalm is a great comfort to us because it does not deny that hard things happen.

Psalm 116 points us to the truth that God is loving, righteous, compassionate, and full of grace. In prayer, we can all come to God and remember these things. 

Intersecting Faith & Life:

Romans 15:1-13New American Standard Bible

Self-denial in behalf of Others

15 Now we who are strong ought to bear the weaknesses of those without strength, and not just please ourselves. 2 Each of us is to please his neighbor [a]for his good, to his edification. 3 For even Christ did not please Himself, but as it is written: “The taunts of those who taunt You have fallen on Me.” 4 For whatever was written in earlier times was written for our instruction, so that through perseverance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope. 5 Now may the God [b]who gives perseverance and encouragement grant you to be of the same mind with one another, according to Christ Jesus, 6 so that with one purpose and one [c]voice you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.

7 Therefore, [d]accept one another, just as Christ also accepted [e]us, for the glory of God. 8 For I say that Christ has become a servant to the circumcision in behalf of the truth of God, to confirm the promises given to the fathers, 9 and for the Gentiles to  glorify God for His mercy; as it is written:

“Therefore I will [f]give praise to You among the Gentiles,
And I will sing praises to Your name.”

10 Again he says,

“Rejoice, you Gentiles, with His people.”

11 And again,

“Praise the Lord all you Gentiles,
And let all the peoples praise Him.”

12 Again Isaiah says,

“There shall come the root of Jesse,
And He who arises to rule over the Gentiles,
In Him will the Gentiles hope.”

13 Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that you will abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.

After reading Psalm 116, and some verses about Jesus, and from Romans 15 how does this give you any hardcore confidence, go to God with your cries for help?

Knowing God listens to you and hears your prayers, does this cause you to pray more or less? trust more or less? Hope more or less? more fervently or timidly?

In the name of God, the Father and God the Son and God, the Holy Spirit,

Praying …

Thirsting for God in Trouble and Exile.

For the music director. A [a]Maskil of the sons of Korah.

42 As the deer [b]pants for the water brooks,
So my soul [c]pants for You, God.
2 My soul thirsts for God, for the living God;
When shall I come and [d]appear before God?
3 My tears have been my food day and night,
While they say to me all day long, “Where is your God?”
4 I remember these things and pour out my soul within me.
For I used to go over with the multitude and walk them to the house of God,
With a voice of joy and thanksgiving, a multitude celebrating a festival.

5 Why are you [e]in despair, my soul?
And why are you restless within me?
Wait for God, for I will [f]again praise [g]Him
For the [h]help of His [i]presence, my God.
6 My soul is [j]in despair within me;
Therefore I remember You from the land of the Jordan
And the [k]peaks of Hermon, from Mount Mizar.
7 Deep calls to deep at the sound of Your waterfalls;
All Your breakers and Your waves have passed over me.
8 The Lord will send His goodness in the daytime;
And His song will be with me in the night,
A prayer to the God of my life.

9 I will say to God my rock, “Why have You forgotten me?
Why do I go about mourning [l]because of the oppression of the enemy?”
10 As a shattering of my bones, my adversaries taunt me,
While they say to me all day long, “Where is your God?”
11 Why are you [m]in despair, my soul?
And why are you restless within me?
Wait for God, for I will again praise [n]Him
For the [o]help of His presence, my God.

Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.

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