Romans 15:4 "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."
46 Then they *came to Jericho. And as He was leaving Jericho with His disciples and a large crowd, a blind beggar named Bartimaeus, the son of Timaeus, was sitting by the road. 47 When he heard that it was Jesus the Nazarene, he began to cry out and say, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” 48 Many were sternly telling him to be quiet, but he kept crying out all the more, “Son of David, have mercy on me!” 49 And Jesus stopped and said, “Call him here.” So they *called the blind man, saying to him, “Take courage, stand up! He is calling for you.” 50 Throwing aside his cloak, he jumped up and came to Jesus. 51 And answering him, Jesus said, “What do you want Me to do for you?” And the blind man said to Him, “[a]Rabboni, I want to regain my sight!” 52 And Jesus said to him, “Go; your faith has [b]made you well.” Immediately he regained his sight and began following Him on the road.
The 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.
What Do You Want Me to do For You?
Bartimaeus was in the dark, a blind man who had to beg—until the day Jesus came by on his way to be crucified in Jerusalem (Mark 10:32-34).
32 They were on the road going up to Jerusalem, and Jesus was walking on ahead of them; and they were amazed, and those who followed were fearful. And again He took the twelve aside and began to tell them what was going to happen to Him, 33 saying, “Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be [a] delivered to the chief priests and the scribes; and they will condemn Him to death and will [b]hand Him over to the Gentiles. 34 They will mock Him and spit on Him, and scourge Him and kill Him, and three days later He will rise again.”
Shouting above the crowd, Bartimaeus calls to the Savior,
“Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!”
People tell him to be quiet, but he shouts all the louder,
“Son of David, have mercy on me!”
Graciously Jesus responds: “What do you want me to do for you?”
Jesus had just asked James and John the same question (Mark 10:35-39).
35 [a]James and John, the two sons of Zebedee, *came up to Jesus, saying, “Teacher, we want You to do for us whatever we ask of You.” 36 And He said to them, “What do you want Me to do for you?” 37 They said to Him, “[b]Grant that we may sit, one on Your right and one on Your left, in Your glory.” 38 But Jesus said to them, “You do not know what you are asking. Are you able to drink the cup that I drink, or to be baptized with the baptism with which I am baptized?” 39 They said to Him, “We are able.” And Jesus said to them, “The cup that I drink you shall drink; and you shall be baptized with the baptism with which I am baptized.
They had said they wanted places of honor in heaven with Jesus.
And he had replied, “You don’t know what you are asking.”
But Bartimaeus only pleads,
“Rabbi, I want to see.”
And Jesus does not disappoint.
Bartimaeus knew what he needed; Jesus’ followers were the ones in the dark.
They wouldn’t see the light of Jesus until later.
This incident has raised a question ever since: Who is truly blind, anyway?
And after Jesus restores Bartimaeus’s sight and sends him away, the man sees what he must do next.
Bartimaeus is a model disciple. No longer blind, he unhesitatingly follows Jesus.
Jesus’s question echoes through history: “What do you want me to do for you?”
As we consider his words, can we say, “Rabbi, we want to follow your way”?
“Take Courage, Stand Up! He is Calling For You!”
Mark 10:46-49 New American Standard Bible 1995
Bartimaeus Receives His Sight
46 Then they *came to Jericho. And as He was leaving Jericho with His disciples and a large crowd, a blind beggar named Bartimaeus, the son of Timaeus, was sitting by the road. 47 When he heard that it was Jesus the Nazarene, he began to cry out and say, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” 48 Many were sternly telling him to be quiet, but he kept crying out all the more, “Son of David, have mercy on me!” 49 And Jesus stopped and said, “Call him here.” So they *called the blind man, saying to him, “Take courage, stand up! He is calling for you.”
All around the blind man, the Passover was approaching, and the crowd was building.
There was a great sense of anticipation.
For most in the crowd, there was no time for stopping—certainly not for the ever-present beggars that lay around at the city gates.
They were always there, known well to the people on the outskirts of Jericho.
Many of the crowd likely would have seen this blind man, Bartimaeus, so often that they didn’t even notice him anymore.
The crowd was so consumed with Jesus that Bartimaeus was probably regarded as a dreadful inconvenience.
Their reaction to his cries for mercy—to rebuke him and attempt to silence him—suggests that they thought this marginalized member of society clearly could make no useful contribution to what Jesus was doing – so give him no chance.
In seeking to quieten him, seeking to push him aside, out of the way, however, they became a barrier to the mission of Jesus—to the very one they claimed to be following and the very cause they claimed to be so very zealously pursuing.
This long bullied, ignored marginalized particular blind man didn’t have merely a minor interest in Jesus, though, so he continued his crying out louder to Him.
Mark’s narrative demonstrates Christ’s perfect compassion with a simple phrase: “Jesus stopped”—two words of grace.
Can you imagine the crowd’s reaction when Jesus said to the people who had been rebuking the man, “Call him”?
That surely brought a measure of deserved embarrassment!
Perhaps there are people in your life for whom you struggle to pray.
Maybe there are some you just want to rebuke or ignore.
Maybe you just don’t want to deal with the inconvenience.
It can seem like such a nuisance to invite somebody to church, sit with them, eat with them, and be involved in their lives.
It is messy, and it demands time and effort.
We’d rather such people heard the gospel from someone else.
It is so easy to slip into this way of thinking without really noticing; but when we do, we become just like the crowd: a barrier to people meeting their Savior.
Jesus says to us, Don’t rebuke them. Call them. This is precisely why I came.
May God forgive us when we, the contemporary church like the excited crowd, are full of high indignation at the interference to our plans and inconvenience to our traditional preferences caused by those who are crying out for His mercy.
Christ alone does the work of opening blind eyes, but He has entrusted us with the missional responsibility and privilege of ministry of our proclaiming these words: “Take heart he is calling you!” Take Heart he has heard you, seen you!”
Dear Church, be on notice, take heart Jesus is calling you, Jesus has heard you, Jesus has most definitely seen you – take that all in for what it is worth to you!
“What Do You Want Me to do For You?”
Good, bad or indifferent, logical or illogical, rational or irrational, right, wrong,
Considering the state of being we believe it is in,
What could be the churches response
What should the churches response be?
What will be the churches “politically correct” response?
Just my thought … “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom?”
In the name of God, the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit,
Let us Pray,
Son of David, like Bartimaeus we cry, “Have mercy on us!” Give us eyes to see your way, ears to hear your Word so that we can live as your disciples. In your holy name, Amen.
Psalm 42 New American Standard Bible 1995
BOOK 2
Thirsting for God in Trouble and Exile.
For the choir 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, O 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 These things I remember and I pour out my soul within me. For I used to go along with the throng and [e]lead them in procession to the house of God, With the voice of joy and thanksgiving, a multitude keeping festival.
5 Why are you [f]in despair, O my soul? And why have you become disturbed within me? [g]Hope in God, for I shall [h]again praise [i]Him For the [j]help of His presence. 6 O my God, my soul is [k]in despair within me; Therefore I remember You from the land of the Jordan And the [l]peaks of Hermon, from Mount Mizar. 7 Deep calls to deep at the sound of Your waterfalls; All Your breakers and Your waves have rolled over me. 8 The Lord will command His lovingkindness 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 mourning [m]because of the oppression of the enemy?” 10 As a shattering of my bones, my adversaries revile me, While they say to me all day long, “Where is your God?” 11 Why are you [n]in despair, O my soul? And why have you become disturbed within me? [o]Hope in God, for I shall yet praise Him, The [p]help of my countenance and 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.
3 But realize this, that in the last days difficult times will come. 2 For men will be lovers of self, lovers of money, boastful, arrogant, revilers, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy, 3 unloving, irreconcilable, malicious gossips, without self-control, brutal, [a]haters of good, 4 treacherous, reckless, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, 5 holding to a form of [b]godliness, although they have denied its power; Avoid such men as these. 6 For among them are those who [c]enter into households and captivate [d]weak women weighed down with sins, led on by various impulses, 7 always learning and never able to come to the [e] knowledge of the truth. 8 Just as Jannes and Jambres opposed Moses, so these men also oppose the truth, men of depraved mind, rejected in regard to the faith.
10 Now you followed my teaching, conduct, purpose, faith, patience, love, [g] perseverance, 11 persecutions, and sufferings, such as happened to me at Antioch, at Iconium and at Lystra; what persecutions I endured, and out of them all the Lord rescued me! 12 Indeed, all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will be persecuted. 13 But evil men and impostors will proceed from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived. 14 You, however, continue in the things you have learned and become convinced of, knowing from whom you have learned them, 15 and that from childhood you have known the sacred writings which are able to give you the wisdom that leads to salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. 16 All Scripture is [h]inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for [i] training in righteousness; 17 so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work.
The 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.
What do we believe is the meaning of 2Timothy 3:1-5?
2 Timothy 3:1-5Amplified Bible
“Difficult Times Will Come”
3 But understand this, that in the last days dangerous times [of great stress and trouble] will come [difficult days that will be hard to bear]. 2 For people will be lovers of self [narcissistic, self-focused], lovers of money [impelled by greed], boastful, arrogant, revilers, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy and profane, 3 [and they will be] unloving [devoid of natural human affection, calloused and inhumane], irreconcilable, malicious gossips, devoid of self-control [intemperate, immoral], brutal, haters of good, 4 traitors, reckless, conceited, lovers of [sensual] pleasure rather than lovers of God, 5 holding to a form of [outward] godliness (religion), although they have denied its power [for their conduct nullifies their claim of faith]. Avoid such people and keep far away from them.
What is the meaning of 2 Timothy 3:1-5? I don’t know about you, but I have too often heard people recite these verses as evidence that we are living in the End Times. If you look at this following list, you would be hard-pressed to disagree.
Let’s go through the list quickly:
Difficult times – certainly many would say our 2024 times are difficult
Lovers of self – people sure do look out for number one over everything else
Lovers of money – we are a money loving world
Boastful, arrogant, revilers – all true of people today
Disobedient to parents – scarily true, thanks to Dr. Spock for this one
Brutal, haters of good, treacherous, reckless, conceited – all true
Lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God – It’s all about what makes people feel good and God has been removed from all areas of life
Holding to a form of godliness although they have denied its power – Everyone thinks they’re good people and going to heaven, though they want nothing to do with the God who is in Heaven.
There we have it. These verses are evidence that we are living in the End Times.
There’s only one problem.
These verses are not speaking about society in general. They are speaking about a very specific group of people.
The People Mentioned in 2 Timothy 3
Here’s the reality: people have always been like this. Go through the list again and think of a time that those types of people did not exist.
We see them today, for sure, but they were around 100 years ago as well.
They were there in the time of Jesus; just look at the Pharisees.
They were there in the times of the Jewish Kings and the Jewish Judges.
They were there when Joseph was thrown into the pit and then sold into slavery.
They were there when Noah was building the Ark.
So if these people have always been around, then why would God give us this passage from Timothy ?
It’s like saying, “The End Times will come about when people are walking and talking.”
The whole entire world itself cannot be the subject of these verses.
Although it is sufficient to acknowledge there is no shortage of these people living amongst us as our neighbors, governing authorities, business leaders. and a whole host of other common places including of our own workplaces.
But, the “whole world,” It makes no sense.
We just cannot rationally lump everybody into these categories Paul mentions.
He must have something else in mind.
God gives us these verses to look at ourselves, The Church.
Christians are the subject God has in focus in these verses.
The Church in History
Throughout her history, the Church has been known as sanctified.
In other words, she was separated out from the world.
She did not look like the world, sound like the world, or act like the world.
This was why people were drawn to her in the first place.
She was different from anything else in the world.
Here is one view of what Christians looked like, from a Greek convert named Aristides:
“They love one another. They never fail to help widows; they save orphans from those who will hurt them. If they have something, they give freely to the man who has nothing; if they see a stranger, they take him home and are happy, as though he were a real brother. They don’t consider themselves brothers and sisters in the usual sense, but brothers instead through the Spirit, in God.”
“The Christians’ God expected that His followers would acknowledge His love by sacrificing themselves for others. They were to extend God’s love not merely to their families and friends but to their enemies as well. “Love one another” became their standard… (Regarding those who had fallen ill due to the plague) The care Christians showed often did result in their succumbing to the plague themselves. But paradoxically, their compassion did not deplete Christian ranks in the long term – quite the reverse. Tending to the sick increased the disease survival rate by as much as two-thirds and this witness attracted many new converts. By acting on the teachings of Christ, without regard to their own welfare, these Christians, against all expectations, progressed from being a small sect to the dominant cultural group.“
This is what the church looked like – loving selflessly, persecuted unto death, giving sacrificially.
Testing Ourselves and Testing the Church
2 Timothy 3:10-17 Amplified Bible
10 Now you have diligently followed [my example, that is] my teaching, conduct, purpose, faith, patience, love, steadfastness, 11 persecutions, and sufferings—such as happened to me at Antioch, at Iconium, and at Lystra; what persecutions I endured, but the Lord rescued me from them all! 12 Indeed, all who delight in pursuing righteousness and are determined to live godly lives in Christ Jesus will be hunted and persecuted [because of their faith]. 13 But evil men and impostors will go on from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived. 14 But as for you, continue in the things that you have learned and of which you are convinced [holding tightly to the truths], knowing from whom you learned them, 15 and how from childhood you have known the sacred writings (Hebrew Scriptures) which are able to give you the wisdom that leads to salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus [surrendering your entire self to Him and having absolute confidence in His wisdom, power and goodness]. 16 All Scripture is God-breathed [given by divine inspiration] and is profitable for instruction, for conviction [of sin], for correction [of error and restoration to obedience], for training in righteousness [learning to live in conformity to God’s will, both publicly and privately—behaving honorably with personal integrity and moral courage]; 17 so that the [a]man of God may be complete and proficient, outfitted and thoroughly equipped for every good work.
We go back to the passage in 2 Timothy 3 and review these aspects again.
However, this time with an eye to the Church today rather than the world as the subject of Paul’s writing:
Difficult times – Christians are the most persecuted people group in the world, even now in America
Lovers of self – Unfortunately, most Christians now look like the world, putting themselves and their families before others
Lovers of money – As Christians look more like the world, they also act like the world. Ask them to put all the money that is in their wallet into the offering. Good luck with that.
Boastful, arrogant, revilers – just check out the social media of many Christians
Disobedient to parents – scarily most Christians raise their children using the wisdom of the world rather than the wisdom of the Bible, resulting in Christians who always spare the rod
Ungrateful, unholy, unloving – Can you be a Christian and be ungrateful, unholy and unloving? Look at the members of your nearest megachurch and it will be easy to find them.
Irreconcilable, malicious gossips – I’ve met many Christians who are unforgiving and gossips
Without self-control – Ask a Christian to fast for a day. How about pray for an hour? Or study the Bible for an hour? Too hard, can’t do it. Zero discipline.
Brutal, haters of good, treacherous, reckless, conceited – Christians hate those who disagree with them. They can be brutal in their thought, words and deeds. Most Christians hate the idea of Discipline, Humility, Meekness and Sacrifice – all good things. Many are thoughtless. Most are proud.
Lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God – How many Christians would rather go to a 3-hour church service or prayer meeting than to a movie or ball game?
Holding to a form of godliness although they have denied its power – Most Christians more resemble the Pharisees of Jesus’ time than they resemble Jesus. Jesus called them white washed tombs.
Matthew 23:25-28 Amplified Bible
25 “Woe to you, [self-righteous] scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you clean the outside of the cup and of the plate, but inside they are full of extortion and robbery and self-indulgence (unrestrained greed). 26 You [spiritually] blind Pharisee, first clean the inside of the cup and of the plate [examine and change your inner self to conform to God’s precepts], so that the outside [your public life and deeds] may be clean also.
27 “Woe to you, [self-righteous] scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs which look beautiful on the outside, but inside are full of dead men’s bones and everything unclean. 28 So you, also, outwardly seem to be just and upright to men, but inwardly you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness.
What is to be our Response
Are we in the End Times?
Does the Church, our home church, look like 2 Timothy 3, Matthew 23:25-28?
Maybe, maybe not.
The more important question is what are we to BIBLICALLY do about this?
2 Timothy 3:14-17 Amplified Bible
14 But as for you, continue in the things that you have learned and of which you are convinced [holding tightly to the truths], knowing from whom you learned them, 15 and how from childhood you have known the sacred writings (Hebrew Scriptures) which are able to give you the wisdom that leads to salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus [surrendering your entire self to Him and having absolute confidence in His wisdom, power and goodness]. 16 All Scripture is God-breathed [given by divine inspiration] and is profitable for instruction, for conviction [of sin], for correction [of error and restoration to obedience], for training in righteousness [learning to live in conformity to God’s will, both publicly and privately—behaving honorably with personal integrity and moral courage]; 17 so that the [a]man of God may be complete and proficient, outfitted and thoroughly equipped for every good work.
If we think or believe that the Church today indelibly proves we are living in the End Times, how then will you and I and the Church conduct ourselves today?
Will you reach out to a lost person to share the gospel before it’s too late?
Will you or I or we the church repent and confess and decide to become obedient to the word of God in all ways, not only just those things that you can do easily?
Here’s the truth: whether we are in the End Times or not, Jesus has given us a playbook to live by.
Matthew 9:35-38 Amplified Bible
35 Jesus went throughout all the cities and villages [in Galilee], teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the good news (gospel) of the kingdom, and healing every kind of disease and every kind of sickness [His words and His works reflecting His Messiahship].
36 When He saw the crowds, He was moved with compassion and pity for them, because they were dispirited and distressed, like sheep without a shepherd. 37 Then He said to His disciples, “The harvest is [indeed] plentiful, but the workers are few. 38 So pray to the Lord of the harvest to send out workers into His harvest.”
He expects that we will follow it regardless of how soon His coming might be.
The reason He did not give us a Time and Date of His coming is so that every day, we might live as if it was the last day.
Acts 2:43-47 Amplified Bible
43 A sense of awe was felt by [a]everyone, and many wonders and signs (attesting miracles) were taking place through the apostles. 44 And all those who had believed [in Jesus as Savior] [b]were together and had all things in common [considering their possessions to belong to the group as a whole]. 45 And they began selling their property and possessions and were sharing the proceeds with all [the other believers], as anyone had need. 46 Day after day they met in the temple [area] continuing with one mind, and breaking bread in various private homes. They were eating their meals together with joy and generous hearts, 47 praising God continually, and having favor with all the people. And the Lord kept adding to their number daily those who were being saved.
If every Christian did these things, the Church would look completely different.
It would look more like the early church that we read about earlier.
We may not be able to change the Church in a day, but we can change ourselves.
Let’s live like Biblical Christians (Acts 2), even as we watch, wait for His return.
In the name of God, the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit,
Let us Pray,
Psalm 84 The Message
84 1-2 What a beautiful home, God-of-the-Angel-Armies! I’ve always longed to live in a place like this, Always dreamed of a room in your house, where I could sing for joy to God-alive!
3-4 Birds find nooks and crannies in your house, sparrows and swallows make nests there. They lay their eggs and raise their young, singing their songs in the place where we worship. God-of-the-Angel-Armies! King! God! How blessed they are to live and sing there!
5-7 And how blessed all those in whom you live, whose lives become roads you travel; They wind through lonesome valleys, come upon brooks, discover cool springs and pools brimming with rain! God-traveled, these roads curve up the mountain, and at the last turn—Zion! God in full view!
8-9 God-of-the-Angel-Armies, listen: O God of Jacob, open your ears—I’m praying! Look at our shields, glistening in the sun, our faces, shining with your gracious anointing.
10-12 One day spent in your house, this beautiful place of worship, beats thousands spent on Greek island beaches. I’d rather scrub floors in the house of my God than be honored as a guest in the palace of sin. All sunshine and sovereign is God, generous in gifts and glory. He doesn’t scrimp with his traveling companions. It’s smooth sailing all the way with God-of-the-Angel-Armies.
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.
2 When the day of Pentecost [a]had come, they were all together in one place. 2 And suddenly there came from heaven a noise like a violent rushing wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. 3 And there appeared to them tongues as of fire [b]distributing themselves, and [c]they [d] rested on each one of them. 4 And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other [e]tongues, as the Spirit was giving them [f]utterance.
5 Now there were Jews living in Jerusalem, devout men from every nation under heaven. 6 And when this sound occurred, the crowd came together, and were bewildered because each one of them was hearing them speak in his own [g] language. 7 They were amazed and astonished, saying, “[h]Why, are not all these who are speaking Galileans? 8 And how is it that we each hear them in our own [i] language [j]to which we were born? 9 Parthians and Medes and Elamites, and residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and [k]Asia, 10 Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the districts of Libya around Cyrene, and [l]visitors from Rome, both Jews and [m]proselytes, 11 Cretans and Arabs—we hear them in our own tongues speaking of the mighty deeds of God.” 12 And they all continued in amazement and great perplexity, saying to one another, “What does this mean?” 13 But others were mocking and saying, “They are full of [n] sweet wine.”
The 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.
God’s Growing Kingdom 2024
On the day of Pentecost, God-fearing Jews from many nations were staying in Jerusalem.
They were gathering to celebrate the Feast of Weeks that God had established for his people Israel some 1,500 years earlier (Deuteronomy 16:9-12).
9 “You shall count seven weeks for yourself; you shall begin to count seven weeks from the time you begin to put the sickle to the standing grain. 10 Then you shall [a] celebrate the Feast of Weeks to the Lord your God with a tribute of a freewill offering of your hand, which you shall give just as the Lord your God blesses you; 11 and you shall rejoice before the Lord your God, you and your son and your daughter and your male and female servants and the Levite who is in your [b]town, and the stranger and the [c]orphan and the widow who are in your midst, in the place where the Lord your God chooses to establish His name. 12 You shall remember that you were a slave in Egypt, and you shall be careful to observe these statutes.
They all converged on the temple on Pentecost (fifty days after the Feast of Passover) to bring their offerings of the best firstfruits of their harvests.
That day people from many nations heard the good news of Jesus for the first time. And about 3,000 believed and were baptized (Acts 2:41).
Scholars estimate that the world population was about 300 million people at that time.
That is 1/27th of today’s population.
At the time of his birth, the earth’s entire population was just 300 million, smaller than the U.S. by itself today. The United States 2023 population is estimated at 339,996,563 people at mid year. the United States population is equivalent to 4.23% of the total world population. the U.S.A. ranks number 3 in the list of countries (and dependencies) by population.
In biblical times it is estimated that about 45 million of those people, including Jesus himself, had lived in the Roman Empire, whose borders stretched in Jesus’ time from modern-day Portugal in the west to Turkey in the east.
From there, it took 1,800 years for the world’s population to grow to a billion.
Prior to the 1800s there were few formal immigration laws.
But with the world’s population at over 8 billion today, almost every country has decided to regulate immigration.
Christians are free to differ and disagree over the details of immigration laws.
However, as immigrants, migrants, refugees, and others cross borders today, many hear the gospel for the first time.
God’s people have the opportunity and responsibility to share the gospel with them. As the gospel is shared, many people continue to enter God’s kingdom each day! That of course is a good thing—regardless of views on immigration.
What Are those Radical Demands of Following Jesus?
Luke 14:25-35 The Message
Figure the Cost
25-27 One day when large groups of people were walking along with him, Jesus turned and told them, “Anyone who comes to me but refuses to let go of father, mother, spouse, children, brothers, sisters—yes, even one’s own self!—can’t be my disciple. Anyone who won’t shoulder his own cross and follow behind me can’t be my disciple.
28-30 “Is there anyone here who, planning to build a new house, doesn’t first sit down and figure the cost so you’ll know if you can complete it? If you only get the foundation laid and then run out of money, you’re going to look pretty foolish. Everyone passing by will poke fun at you: ‘He started something he couldn’t finish.’
31-32 “Or can you imagine a king going into battle against another king without first deciding whether it is possible with his ten thousand troops to face the twenty thousand troops of the other? And if he decides he can’t, won’t he send an emissary and work out a truce?
33 “Simply put, if you’re not willing to take what is dearest to you, whether plans or people, and kiss it good-bye, you can’t be my disciple.
34-35 “Salt is excellent. But if the salt goes flat, it’s useless, good for nothing.
“Are you listening to this? Really listening?”
Without any doubt, there are a great number of the teachings of Jesus that are often easy to remember and even memorize, a bit more difficult perhaps to understand, discern, then extremely challenging to live out in our daily lives.
These lessons are frequently, but not always, described by Jesus through parables, as was his way of teaching. For example:
The parable of the talents. (Matthew 25:14-30; Luke 19:12-28)
The rich young ruler. (Matthew 19:16-23; Mark 10:17-27; Luke 18:18-30)
God or money – we each have to choose. (Matthew 5:38-42)
Forgive others, or God won’t forgive you. (Matthew 6:14-15)
Serve the poor and needy – or go to hell. (Matthew 25:41-46)
Blessed are the poor, the hungry, those who weep, and those who are hated. (Luke 6:20-23)
Woe to the rich, and those who are well fed, and those who laugh now, and when everyone speaks well of you. (Luke 6:23-26)
And we could go on. “Turn the other cheek.” “Love your enemies.”
In these and many—perhaps most—of Jesus’ parables, he taught about the life we are called to live—the real terms of discipleship.
He taught about what it would mean to truly follow him.
Perhaps, though, one of the most compelling is when Jesus taught that we must count the cost of becoming his disciples.
Luke 14:25-35 New International Version
The Cost of Being a Disciple
25 Large crowds were traveling with Jesus, and turning to them he said: 26 “If anyone comes to me and does not hate father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters—yes, even their own life—such a person cannot be my disciple. 27 And whoever does not carry their cross and follow me cannot be my disciple.
28 “Suppose one of you wants to build a tower. Won’t you first sit down and estimate the cost to see if you have enough money to complete it? 29 For if you lay the foundation and are not able to finish it, everyone who sees it will ridicule you, 30 saying, ‘This person began to build and wasn’t able to finish.’
31 “Or suppose a king is about to go to war against another king. Won’t he first sit down and consider whether he is able with ten thousand men to oppose the one coming against him with twenty thousand? 32 If he is not able, he will send a delegation while the other is still a long way off and will ask for terms of peace. 33 In the same way, those of you who do not give up everything you have cannot be my disciples.
34 “Salt is good, but if it loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? 35 It is fit neither for the soil nor for the manure pile; it is thrown out.
“Whoever has ears to hear, let them hear.”
Wait…what? Hate father and mother, wife and children? Hate our own life?
If those are the terms of discipleship, then we would certainly each be smart to measure that cost, wouldn’t we? But…is that really what Jesus meant?
An Argument Against Cultural Christianity
During his ministry, Jesus had a great many crowds following him, very often thousands upon thousands.
Everyone had heard about the miracles, the healings, and free food!
But Jesus knew their hearts were not always with him. He knew they desired the benefits of what he did.
They wanted to reap the rewards.
They loved his gifts—but not him.
They loved the idea of Jesus without understanding who he truly was.
We see them even today.
Jesus is the one who is going to get us into paradise when we die, right?
He died on the cross to pay for our sins and to give us our forever home in heaven. Right? That’s all, folks! We have our mansion in the sky waiting for us!
Leave it to Jesus to mess up our comfortable lives. Jesus knows our hearts; clearly, a comfortable easy chair life here on earth was not his expectation.
How many today speak the words yet don’t live them out?
How many today can memorize the teachings but not apply them to their lives?
How many put on the show of performing deeds in and for church yet don’t know Christ in their hearts?
We see them even in church.
They have the verses memorized and repeat them as if they believe the words to be true. And maybe they do believe them – but the words don’t move from their heads to their hearts. But God will not be mocked, and Jesus will not be fooled:
Matthew 7:21-29 New International Version
True and False Disciples
21 “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. 22 Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles?’ 23 Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’
The Wise and Foolish Builders
24 “Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. 25 The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. 26 But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. 27 The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash.”
28 When Jesus had finished saying these things, the crowds were amazed at his teaching, 29 because he taught as one who had authority, and not as their teachers of the law.
The lesson certainly seems directed at those who do the work and go through the motions but have never given their hearts to Christ.
Or perhaps they made the claim, knowing the expectation, but had never actually lived out the words.
After all, if indeed they had prophesied, cast out demons, and performed miracles in his name, then Jesus would indeed have known them.
Either way, the lesson is that mere words or mere acts without faith—without heart—are not the discipleship Jesus is looking for.
James, the brother of Jesus, put it this way:
James 2:14-24 New International Version
Faith and Deeds
14 What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save them? 15 Suppose a brother or a sister is without clothes and daily food. 16 If one of you says to them, “Go in peace; keep warm and well fed,” but does nothing about their physical needs, what good is it? 17 In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.
18 But someone will say, “You have faith; I have deeds.”
Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by my deeds. 19 You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that—and shudder.
20 You foolish person, do you want evidence that faith without deeds is useless[a]? 21 Was not our father Abraham considered righteous for what he did when he offered his son Isaac on the altar? 22 You see that his faith and his actions were working together, and his faith was made complete by what he did. 23 And the scripture was fulfilled that says, “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness,”[b] and he was called God’s friend. 24 You see that a person is considered righteous by what they do and not by faith alone.
In other words, if you claim to have faith but it has no impact on how you live your life, your faith is worthless.
If your life isn’t following the teachings of Christ, then you are still lost despite your words.
So many today say they believe.
They love the idea of eternal life, escaping hell, and being able to pray whenever they need anything.
But they are unwilling to give up their earthly desires and the life they now live.
They are more in love with their sinful habits than with Jesus.
1 John 2:15-17 New International Version
On Not Loving the World
15 Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, love for the Father[a] is not in them. 16 For everything in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—comes not from the Father but from the world. 17 The world and its desires pass away, but whoever does the will of God lives forever.
The Cost of Discipleship
So what is it that Jesus expects of us…really?
Jesus often uses hyperbole to make his point.
Clearly, Jesus would not expect us to “gouge out our eye” or “cut off our hand” if they cause us to sin. (Matthew 5:29-32)
Neither are we to truly “hate” our father and mother, our wife and children, or our brothers and sisters.
We know this, as we are called to hate no one.
But Jesus is unmistakable in what he does expect: He wants everything from us.
He wants our full commitment, our entire hearts, entire souls, all our strengths.
Luke 9:21-25 New International Version
Jesus Predicts His Death
21 Jesus strictly warned them not to tell this to anyone. 22 And he said, “The Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests and the teachers of the law, and he must be killed and on the third day be raised to life.”
23 Then he said to them all: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me. 24 For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will save it. 25 What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, and yet lose or forfeit their very self?
We often tend to understate the meaning of “bearing our cross.”
But when Jesus spoke those words, his listeners thought of the cross only as a means of execution.
We use it as a metaphor.
Jesus was asking them to put to death their prior lives and follow him.
To die to themselves, to life as they know it, to everything they hold near and dear – to follow him to the cross.
Jesus often spoke volumes with just a few words – this being one of those times.
When he calls us to “count the cost,” he does not want us to think we can go halfway naively or be surprised later with the expectations.
And there is no negotiating.
The gift of eternal life is free to anyone who asks and believes (John 3:16) – but it is not a free welfare program.
It requires a commitment on our part – a transfer of ownership of our lives, if you will, to him.
To follow him and follow his commands and teachings.
We can no longer simply follow our own selfish desires – we must give up our “me-first” attitudes and approach to life.
Jesus once described the kingdom of heaven in this way:
Matthew 13:44-51 New International Version
The Parables of the Hidden Treasure and the Pearl
44 “The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field. When a man found it, he hid it again, and then in his joy went and sold all he had and bought that field.
45 “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant looking for fine pearls. 46 When he found one of great value, he went away and sold everything he had and bought it.
The Parable of the Net
47 “Once again, the kingdom of heaven is like a net that was let down into the lake and caught all kinds of fish. 48 When it was full, the fishermen pulled it up on the shore. Then they sat down and collected the good fish in baskets, but threw the bad away. 49 This is how it will be at the end of the age. The angels will come and separate the wicked from the righteous 50 and throw them into the blazing furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
51 “Have you understood all these things?” Jesus asked.
“Yes,” they replied.
Yes! They Replied … Reality would later prove radically different in the Garden of Gethsemane and again in the courtyard and again at the Hill called Calvary.
In each parable, the man sold everything he had.
Each gave up everything to gain the valuable treasure he had found.
That is what Jesus asks of us – to give up all we have, all we are, to be called his disciple.
What Is the Reward?
The disciples of Jesus are either all in—or they are not in at all.
Jesus has laid down some pretty high costs, but with those costs come some incredible rewards.
Matthew 7:24-29 New International Version
The Wise and Foolish Builders
24 “Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. 25 The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. 26 But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. 27 The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash.”
28 When Jesus had finished saying these things, the crowds were amazed at his teaching, 29 because he taught as one who had authority, and not as their teachers of the law.
When we simply give lip service to giving our lives to Christ, the words become like political talking points written on cardboard.
They have no strength, no foundation.
Like a house built on sand and cardboard, Christianity cannot stand against the storms of life.
But when we build the house—build our lives—on the rock of faith in Jesus Christ, we can withstand anything and everything that comes against us and will not fall.
We will not fall because our faith is built on the foundation of Jesus Christ.
By losing our lives, we save them. (Luke 9:24)
When we give up ourselves and give up our lives, we will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous. (Luke 14:14)
In other words, what we think we lose here is nothing compared to what we gain with Jesus in eternity.
Paul expressed it very well when he said:
Philippians 3:7-11 New International Version
7 But whatever were gains to me I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. 8 What is more, I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them garbage, that I may gain Christ 9 and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in[a] Christ—the righteousness that comes from God on the basis of faith. 10 I want to know Christ—yes, to know the power of his resurrection and participation in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, 11 and so, somehow, attaining to the resurrection from the dead.
This Pentecost Day of 2024 and in the days, months ahead, May we each say,
“I consider everything I have lost garbage that I may gain Christ.”
In the name o God, the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit,
Let us Pray,
Psalm 16 The Message
16 1-2 Keep me safe, O God, I’ve run for dear life to you. I say to God, “Be my Lord!” Without you, nothing makes sense.
3 And these God-chosen lives all around— what splendid friends they make!
4 Don’t just go shopping for a god. Gods are not for sale. I swear I’ll never treat god-names like brand-names.
5-6 My choice is you, God, first and only. And now I find I’m your choice! You set me up with a house and yard. And then you made me your heir!
7-8 The wise counsel God gives when I’m awake is confirmed by my sleeping heart. Day and night I’ll stick with God; I’ve got a good thing going and I’m not letting go.
9-10 I’m happy from the inside out, and from the outside in, I’m firmly formed. You canceled my ticket to hell— that’s not my destination!
11 Now you’ve got my feet on the life path, all radiant from the shining of your face. Ever since you took my hand, I’m on the right way.
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.
2 Now Naomi had [a]a kinsman of her husband, a [b]man of great wealth, of the family of Elimelech, whose name was Boaz. 2 And Ruth the Moabitess said to Naomi, “Please let me go to the field and glean among the ears of grain after one in whose sight I may find favor.” And she said to her, “Go, my daughter.” 3 So she departed and went and gleaned in the field after the reapers; and [c]she happened to come to the portion of the field belonging to Boaz, who was of the family of Elimelech. 4 Now behold, Boaz came from Bethlehem and said to the reapers, “May the Lord be with you.” And they said to him, “May the Lord bless you.”
The 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.
Boaz said to his servants: “May the LORD be with you.”
Servants’ response: “May the LORD bless you.”
In this exchange of greetings and pleasantries “in the Lord,” I truly believe the implication is that Boaz and his servants lived lives suffused in the presumption that God would be with them in every action, in every step along every path.
Think about it further: Boaz and his servants were not going to war or going on a trip; they were simply going to the fields for the ordinary work of the day. Yet, it seems automatically, begins the day of labor with a blessing on his servants.
In today’s ‘hands off, don’t talk to me don’t offend me’ culture, we increasingly compartmentalize our lives, even our spiritual lives.
With single-minded purpose, we work for some hours of the day, we take care of our daily obligations, and, hopefully, go home and we set aside time to relax.
More than likely times of devotion study and prayer are a “carved out” time and time reading scripture with family may have to be scheduled well in advance.
The alternative is to suffuse the entire day with the recognition that God is with us at every moment, and that prayer can and should be spontaneous and simple – ordinary. That we can take any moment to request God’s blessing on another.
Automatically Greeting with “The Lord Be With You!”
Ruth 2:1-4The Message
2 It so happened that Naomi had a relative by marriage, a man prominent and rich, connected with Elimelech’s family. His name was Boaz.
2 One day Ruth, the Moabite foreigner, said to Naomi, “I’m going to work; I’m going out to glean among the sheaves, following after some harvester who will treat me kindly.”
Naomi said, “Go ahead, dear daughter.”
3-4 And so she set out. She went and started gleaning in a field, following in the wake of the harvesters. Eventually she ended up in the part of the field owned by Boaz, her father-in-law Elimelech’s relative. A little later Boaz came out from Bethlehem, greeting his harvesters, “God be with you!” They replied, “And God bless you!”
Truth is you and I and the church can learn a lot about the character of a person from their simple hellos and shared greetings and exchanges of pleasantries .
When Boaz entered his field (and the book of Ruth) and greeted his workers, the enormous depth of his character and of his relationship with God became clear.
Boaz lived with the awareness of God’s presence, and it showed in his daily routines. The same was true of many saints throughout the Old Testament.
Almost naturally they saw no separation between the sacred and the secular; rather, all of life was to be naturally lived and labored before the face of God.
When you and I live with similar measure of natural devotion, we experience radical transformation and blessing in both our words and our relationships.
Notice that when Boaz showed up, he didn’t simply throw the name of the Lord around casually or profanely.
He intentionally, reverently used God’s name in his greeting, acknowledging the highest place of authority and intimacy that God had inside his whole life.
Such reverence curbs superficiality in our talk and encourages us to seek God’s blessing in every circumstance—when we lie down, get up, walk along the road, or converse with others (Deuteronomy 6:7).
Deuteronomy 6:6-9 The Message
6-9 Write these commandments that I’ve given you today on your hearts. Get them inside of you and then get them inside your children. Talk about them wherever you are, sitting at home or walking in the street; talk about them from the time you get up in the morning to when you fall into bed at night. Tie them on your hands and foreheads as a reminder; inscribe them on the doorposts of your homes and on your city gates.
Upon his daily entrance into the field, Boaz set the tone for the whole day for his workers by blessing them and praying for them.
Perhaps his example should provoke us all to ask ourselves,“What tone am I setting in my workplace, in my home, at the grocery store and in my church?”
If the blessing and contentment of the Lord attend your life, whether you are a CEO or an intern, whether your work involves balancing the books or changing countless diapers, you can return blessing with blessing by pointing the people back to Him in all you do and say and prayerfully, their response will bless you.
Ephesians 3:14-21 The Message
14-19 My response is to get down on my knees before the Father, this magnificent Father who parcels out all heaven and earth. I ask him to strengthen you by his Spirit—not a brute strength but a glorious inner strength—that Christ will live in you as you open the door and invite him in. And I ask him that with both feet planted firmly on love, you’ll be able to take in with all followers of Jesus the extravagant dimensions of Christ’s love. Reach out and experience the breadth! Test its length! Plumb the depths! Rise to the heights! Live full lives, full in the fullness of God.
20-21 God can do anything, you know—far more than you could ever imagine or guess or request in your wildest dreams! He does it not by pushing us around but by working within us, his Spirit deeply and gently within us.
Glory to God in the church! Glory to God in the Messiah, in Jesus! Glory down all the generations! Glory through all millennia! Oh, yes!
If Christ has truly come into my life, into your life, into the life of the Church, as the Only Lord and Savior, our deepest faith should echo through every moment.
For this to be across the board truth, be manifested and revealed across the whole Kingdom of God, don’t approach “our time with God” only as a fifteen-minute daily meetings, hoping that that will sustain you for the rest of the day.
Truth is you and I and the whole universal church will never be able to bring others into the sacred presence of a God in whose presence you do not live.
Speak of Him in your conversation.
Let this flow from you naturally, bring His presence, promises to mind in the small triumphs and difficulties of your day. Seek to form a single minded habit of conversing with Him throughout your waking hours. Live with an awareness of God’s presence, and it will show with God, in all your routines and reactions.
Only, O Lord, in Thy dear love Fit us for perfect rest above; And help us, this and every day, To live more nearly as we pray.[1]
1 John Keble, “New Every Morning Is the Love” (1822).
In the name of God, the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit,
Let us Pray,
Psalm 25 New American Standard Bible 1995
Prayer for Protection, Guidance and Pardon.
A Psalm of David.
25 To You, O Lord, I lift up my soul. 2 O my God, in You I trust, Do not let me be ashamed; Do not let my enemies exult over me. 3 Indeed, none of those who wait for You will be ashamed; [a]Those who deal treacherously without cause will be ashamed.
4 Make me know Your ways, O Lord; Teach me Your paths. 5 Lead me in Your truth and teach me, For You are the God of my salvation; For You I wait all the day. 6 Remember, O Lord, Your compassion and Your lovingkindnesses, For they have been [b]from of old. 7 Do not remember the sins of my youth or my transgressions; According to Your lovingkindness remember me, For Your goodness’ sake, O Lord.
8 Good and upright is the Lord; Therefore He instructs sinners in the way. 9 He leads the [c]humble in justice, And He teaches the [d]humble His way. 10 All the paths of the Lord are lovingkindness and truth To those who keep His covenant and His testimonies. 11 For Your name’s sake, O Lord, Pardon my iniquity, for it is great.
12 Who is the man who fears the Lord? He will instruct him in the way he should choose. 13 His soul will abide in [e]prosperity, And his [f]descendants will inherit the [g]land. 14 The [h]secret of the Lord is for those who fear Him, [i]And He will make them know His covenant. 15 My eyes are continually toward the Lord, For He will [j]pluck my feet out of the net.
16 Turn to me and be gracious to me, For I am lonely and afflicted. 17 [k]The troubles of my heart are enlarged; Bring me out of my distresses. 18 Look upon my affliction and my [l]trouble, And forgive all my sins. 19 Look upon my enemies, for they are many, And they hate me with violent hatred. 20 Guard my soul and deliver me; Do not let me be ashamed, for I take refuge in You. 21 Let integrity and uprightness preserve me, For I wait for You. 22 Redeem Israel, O God, Out of all his troubles.
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.
34 Wait for the Lord and keep His way, And He will exalt you to inherit the land; When the wicked are cut off, you will see it.
35 I have seen a wicked, violent man Spreading himself like a luxuriant [a]tree in its native soil. 36 Then [b]he passed away, and lo, he was no more; I sought for him, but he could not be found. 37 Mark the [c]blameless man, and behold the upright; For the man of peace will have a [d]posterity. 38 But transgressors will be altogether destroyed; The [e]posterity of the wicked will be cut off. 39 But the salvation of the righteous is from the Lord; He is their strength in time of trouble. 40 The Lord helps them and delivers them; He delivers them from the wicked and saves them, Because they take refuge in Him.
The 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.
What have I to dread, what have I to fear, leaning on the everlasting arms? I have blessed peace with my Lord so near, leaning on the everlasting arms. Text: Elisha A. Hoffman
Most of us have had frightening times during our Christian walk where we doubt our salvation and the salvation of our family members and friends.
Knowing what they believe, knowing what they think, knowing their mindset, in comparison and contrast to what I know I believe, what I think, my mindset.
In light of events from the recent General Conference of the United Methodist Church, the seismic shift of beliefs, of orthodoxy, leaves many to wonder if a whole portion of the Body of Christ has just turned their backs on Salvation.
Isaiah 53:1-6 New American Standard Bible 1995
The Suffering Servant
53 Who has believed our message? And to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed? 2 For He grew up before Him like a tender [a]shoot, And like a root out of parched ground; He has no stately form or majesty That we should look upon Him, Nor appearance that we should [b]be attracted to Him. 3 He was despised and forsaken of men, A man of [c]sorrows and acquainted with [d]grief; And like one from whom men hide their face He was despised, and we did not esteem Him.
4 Surely our [e]griefs He Himself bore, And our [f]sorrows He carried; Yet we ourselves esteemed Him stricken, [g]Smitten of God, and afflicted. 5 But He was [h]pierced through for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; The chastening for our [i]well-being fell upon Him, And by His scourging we are healed. 6 All of us like sheep have gone astray, Each of us has turned to his own way; But the Lord has caused the iniquity of us all To [j]fall on Him.
“All of us like sheep have gone astray, each of us has turned to our own way”
Rather than feeling secure in our salvation, going astray to our own way, do we now feel somehow that we are not really saved. Maybe we feel we didn’t believe “enough” or we feel we wouldn’t doubt our salvation if we were truly saved.
If we are going through this or have gone through this, or know somebody is, or wonder if someone or a whole group of someone’s, or suddenly become aware there are others whom God sees, has compassion for where we ourselves are lacking or ignoring because of our deeply seeded biases and prejudices or self imposed legalistic “do not touch” avoidance measures, know you are not alone.
With words and phrases such as “who has believed our message, And to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?” and Romans 10:14 “How then will they call on Him in whom they have not believed? How will they believe in Him whom they have not heard? And how will they hear without a preacher?“ in the Word of God,
It’s probably very common for believers to doubt their salvation at least once during our lives, non believers to wonder about another Christians salvation.
Micah 6:6-8 New American Standard Bible 1995
What God Requires of Man
6 With what shall I come to the Lord And bow myself before the God on high? Shall I come to Him with burnt offerings, With yearling calves? 7 Does the Lord take delight in thousands of rams, In ten thousand rivers of oil? Shall I present my firstborn for my rebellious acts, The fruit of my body for the sin of my soul? 8 He has told you, O man, what is good; And what does the Lord require of you But to do justice, to love [a]kindness, And to walk [b]humbly with your God?
Knowing what God Requires of me, am I Really Saved?
Personally, I have faced the question of “Am I actually saved?” countless times.
Just last week I had the same question come into my mind after finishing the Gospel of Matthew.
Rather than focusing on the salvation that Jesus has given us,
I was focused on all of Jesus’ statements on hell, of weeping and gnashing of teeth, on “begone I knew you not,” the very foreboding words of Matthew 25.
All the admonishments of “always being ready, the Parables of the Talents, and the soils and always investing myself into the work of laboring, planting toiling harvesting” of the Kingdom of God but find myself too biased, too hesitant, too fearful of too many unproven self imposed prejudices and untouchable beliefs.
I started connecting salvation with works, which is never very good to do.
While Jesus does talk more about hell than any other topic during His earthly ministry, he never tells us that if we place faith in Him, we will go to hell.
There is so much irrational over rationalization coming from too many places.
What have I to dread, what have I to fear, leaning on the everlasting arms? I have blessed peace with my Lord so near, leaning on the everlasting arms. Text: Elisha A. Hoffman
Salvation is based solely on placing faith in Jesus (Ephesians 2:8-9).
Placing faith in Jesus means believing that Jesus died for your sins, was buried, and rose again (1 Corinthians 15:1-4).
The Lord tells us,“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. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him” (John 3:16-17).
As Jesus tells us, the Father loves us so much that He sent His Son to die for us.
Moreover, Jesus tells us that whoever believes in Him will not perish, but have eternal life.
Now, if you’re like me and have been told John 3:16-17 too many times for you to count, most likely the effect of the verse has been watered down, washed out.
Since you’ve heard it so many times, John 3:16-17 has become mindless words.
If it has become mindless words to you, the all encompassing truth of the verses have become muddied, have become an ocean of quicksand, I then challenge all of us to carefully read and pray John 3:16-17 just as I did, see how it highlights the deeper truths of God’s love, how we have eternal life by believing in Jesus.
Our heartfelt believing in Jesus is sufficient for salvation. (Romans 10:9-13)
We don’t have to follow the law in its completeness, nor are we required to be the “perfect” Christian people.
By the words of truth contained in Acts 4:8-12, rather, believing in Jesus and accepting Him as your Savior and Lord is all that is required for salvation.
8 Then Peter, [a]filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them, “[b]Rulers and elders of the people, 9 if we are [c]on trial today for a benefit done to a sick man, [d]as to how this man has been made well, 10 let it be known to all of you and to all the people of Israel, that [e]by the name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead—[f]by [g]this name this man stands here before you in good health. 11 [h]He is the stone which was rejected by you, the builders, but which became the chief corner stone. 12 And there is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men by which we must be saved.”
We cannot earn salvation in any other way. Salvation is by grace through faith (Ephesians 2:8-10).
8 For by grace you have been saved through faith; and [a]that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; 9 not as a result of works, so that no one may boast. 10 For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them.
There is nothing we can do to earn salvation, and there is nothing we can do to lose it. There are many people who spread the lie that one can lose salvation, but this isn’t true. Once you have placed faith in Jesus, you are eternally saved.
Doubting Salvation
Truth is we don’t have to know the exact moment when we were saved in order to be saved. As long as we have placed our heartfelt faith in Him, we are saved.
Yet, even with this being established, we can still often doubt our salvation.
Even many strong Christians I know also have doubted their salvation at some point. I have been around Christian pastors, professors and read from Christian authors how they, have doubted their salvation at least once in their lifetime.
What of the Samaritan woman at the well who has been divorced five times?
What of the woman with the chronic years long issue of blood for whom no cure could be found no matter how much money was spent, which doctor treated her in that chronic never ending state of “hopelessly unclean and untouchable?”
If mankind wants nothing to do with me, wont talk to me, wont even touch me, ignores me, ignores my family and friends, my people, go so far and treats me like the Leper’s walling me off from society trying to separate me from my God?
Those thoughts, beliefs and actions have not disappeared in thousands of years!
No one would stand innocent of these grievous sins before the judgment of God!
Doubts are ever before me, crashing into my thoughts
Truth also is (Genesis 3) The one who plants these seeds of doubt is Satan.
The devil wants to make us unproductive for the Lord and cause us to stumble.
By planting uncountable numbers of the seeds of doubt in our minds, it is the perfect way to make us unfruitful for the Lord. Instead of going out and making disciples or growing in our own walk with Jesus, we are being plagued by the lies of Satan—that we aren’t ever saved or that we didn’t believe “enough.”
These doubts are enough to paralyze or make you question your entire beliefs.
As someone who has been there, know you are not alone.
Know also that these lies are but lies, and they are not true.
If you have placed your heartfelt faith in Jesus, you are saved.
You believe, and you believe enough.
My Pastor in my Lay Speaking and Licensing classes talked deeply about this subject as it was something he freely confessed also had struggled with during his early years of walking with the Lord and in his call into ordained ministry.
He shared his epiphany that there is no point in someone believing more than someone else.
As long as you heartfelt believe in Jesus, you are saved.
There are no differing degrees of belief, nor are there people who believed more than you or knew more than you, were older wiser that would nullify your faith.
When you believe, you believe.
You did not have “not enough” faith when you placed faith in Christ.
The devil wants to cause these doubts to rise in our minds, but we can talk back to them. Whenever you doubt your salvation, pray to God, talk back to the lies.
Tell them that Jesus saved you and that you are saved.
Nothing and nobody can take away your salvation.
Remind yourself that you are eternally saved by God, and this will never change.
Acts 4:12 tells us, “Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved.”
Jesus is the ONLY Name we are saved by.
We are not saved based on our works.
Rather, we are saved by the Name of Jesus.
When doubts circle your mind too much, and you find yourself paralyzed, call out to God and ask Him for His help. It’s God alone who reads all of our hearts.
1 Samuel 16:7 New American Standard Bible 1995
7 But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not look at his appearance or at the height of his stature, because I have rejected him; for [a]God sees not as man sees, for man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.”
As Psalm 51 so rightfully teaches; Tell Him you are struggling with assurance of your salvation and that you need exactly Him to fill your heart with the blessed assurance of knowing you are completely and unconditionally saved in Him.
While these thoughts may return, you can talk back to them and ask God for His help again and then by Psalm 32, communicate the truth about His forgiveness.
32 How blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, Whose sin is covered! 2 How blessed is the man to whom the Lord does not impute iniquity, And in whose spirit there is no deceit!
3 When I kept silent about my sin, my [b]body wasted away Through my [c]groaning all day long. 4 For day and night Your hand was heavy upon me; My [d]vitality was drained away as with the fever heat of summer. [e]Selah. 5 I acknowledged my sin to You, And my iniquity I did not hide; I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the Lord”; And You forgave the [f]guilt of my sin. Selah. 6 Therefore, let everyone who is godly pray to You [g]in a time when You may be found; Surely in a flood of great waters they will not reach him. 7 You are my hiding place; You preserve me from trouble; You surround me with [h]songs of deliverance. Selah.
8 I will instruct you and teach you in the way which you should go; I will counsel you with My eye upon you. 9 Do not be as the horse or as the mule which have no understanding, Whose trappings include bit and bridle to hold them in check, Otherwise they will not come near to you. 10 Many are the sorrows of the wicked, But he who trusts in the Lord, lovingkindness shall surround him. 11 Be glad in the Lord and rejoice, you righteous ones; And shout for joy, all you who are upright in heart.
Causing you to doubt your salvation is a common tactic of Satan because he knows it is efficient.
Don’t allow Satan the pleasure of doubting your salvation or feeding into it. If you have placed heartfelt faith in Jesus and accepted Him as your Savior and Lord, you are eternally saved. You are given forgiveness of sins, the gift of the Holy Spirit, and eternal life. None of these things will ever be taken from you.
Confide in God
Matthew 11:28-30 New American Standard Bible 1995
28 “Come to Me, all [a]who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest. 29 Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For My yoke is [b]easy and My burden is light.”
Whenever you begin doubting your salvation, turn to God.
Tell Him your doubts and ask Him to help you overcome your unbelief.
He is faithful, and He will help you in your time of need.
As you continue to grow in your walk with Christ, you might have these doubts rise again, but talk back to them and return to the Bible.
Remind yourself of John 3:16-17 and how salvation is only found in the Lord.
Placing faith exclusively in Christ is the only requirement for salvation.
There is no way for someone to be saved apart from Christ.
A person cannot earn their own salvation nor do other faith systems save a person.
The Source of Salvation
Psalm 37:34-40 The Message
34 Wait passionately for God, don’t leave the path. He’ll give you your place in the sun while you watch the wicked lose it.
35-36 I saw Wicked bloated like a toad, croaking pretentious nonsense. The next time I looked there was nothing— a punctured bladder, vapid and limp.
37-38 Keep your eye on the healthy soul, scrutinize the straight life; There’s a future in strenuous wholeness. But the willful will soon be discarded; insolent souls are on a dead-end street.
39-40 The spacious, free life is from God, it’s also protected and safe. God-strengthened, we’re delivered from evil— when we run to him, he saves us.
Every person wants a life that is rich, full, abundant, and free.
These good things satisfy the deepest longings of our heart.
We receive these gifts by focusing on our creator God.
St. Augustine of Hippo, an early church leader, wrote these words to God:
“Our hearts are restless until they find rest in you.”
Our inner peace comes when we turn our life over to God, who made us.
By the revealed Word of God, by the revealed truth inside, We yearn for a special relationship with God, but it can be hard for us to rest in him. We don’t see God; we don’t hear, smell him or talk with him the way we do with people around us.
Our relationship with God is different from every other relationship in life.
God is absolutely unique.
How do I find and focus on God?
Where do I get faith in God?
What makes me feel that God and I belong together?
Thankfully, knowing God is a gift from him.
He reveals himself freely.
David discovered that and wrote about it in Psalm 37.
You want the great life with God?
Just ask for it. Jesus said, “Ask and you will receive, and your joy will be complete” (John 16:24).
John 16:21-24 The Message
21-23 “When a woman gives birth, she has a hard time, there’s no getting around it. But when the baby is born, there is joy in the birth. This new life in the world wipes out memory of the pain. The sadness you have right now is similar to that pain, but the coming joy is also similar. When I see you again, you’ll be full of joy, and it will be a joy no one can rob from you. You’ll no longer be so full of questions.
23-24 “This is what I want you to do: Ask the Father for whatever is in keeping with the things I’ve revealed to you. Ask in my name, according to my will, and he’ll most certainly give it to you. Your joy will be a river overflowing its banks!
God wants us to ask for all kinds of things like this that are within his will for us (see 1 John 5:14).
1 John 5:14-15The Message
The Reality, Not the Illusion
13-15 My purpose in writing is simply this: that you who believe in God’s Son will know beyond the shadow of a doubt that you have eternal life, the reality and not the illusion. And how bold and free we then become in his presence, freely asking according to his will, sure that he’s listening. And if we’re confident that he’s listening, we know that what we’ve asked for is as good as ours.
Ask God to make himself known to you.
He did that already when his Son, Jesus, died for you.
This is the time for a right relationship with God!
Only Jesus died for our sins and was resurrected three days later.
Only Jesus is God in the flesh (John 1:14; Philippians 2:6-8).
The Lord has the victory, defeated death, and all who will place faith in Him, too, will overcome death and spend eternity with Him. (1 Corinthians 15:50-57)
In the name of God, the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit,
Let us Pray,
How desperately I want a rich and right relationship with you, dear God. Thank you for giving it as a gift through the death and resurrection of your son, Jesus. Amen.
Psalm 24 The Message
24 1-2 God claims Earth and everything in it, God claims World and all who live on it. He built it on Ocean foundations, laid it out on River girders.
3-4 Who can climb Mount God? Who can scale the holy north-face? Only the clean-handed, only the pure-hearted; Men who won’t cheat, women who won’t seduce.
5-6 God is at their side; with God’s help they make it. This, Jacob, is what happens to God-seekers, God-questers.
7 Wake up, you sleepyhead city! Wake up, you sleepyhead people! King-Glory is ready to enter.
8 Who is this King-Glory? God, armed and battle-ready.
9 Wake up, you sleepyhead city! Wake up, you sleepyhead people! King-Glory is ready to enter.
10 Who is this King-Glory? God-of-the-Angel-Armies: he is King-Glory.
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.
15 It is a trustworthy statement, deserving full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, among whom I am foremost of all. 16 Yet for this reason I found mercy, so that in me as the foremost, Jesus Christ might demonstrate His perfect patience as an example for those [a]who would believe in Him for eternal life. 17 Now to the King [b]eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory [c]forever and ever. Amen.
The 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.
Am I the World’s Worst, World’s Greatest Sinner?
When we think of the Apostle Paul, we think of a Saint.
Yet, here in the opening words of his letter to his protégé Timothy, in his own words, written by his own thoughts, he counted himself the very worst sinner.
But how is that even possible, because Paul wrote much of the New Testament?
Paul, more than most of us, had a deep understanding of what it means to be a sinner. He didn’t look at others around him and feel any better about himself.
He recognized the depth of sin that was born within him, and each one of us is so deep, that, without a Savior, sin taints our blood to the point of eternal death.
He understood very well that there is no difference between a little sinner and a big sinner. Without Jesus, all sin leads into the same destructive destination.
A Little Self-Examination Goes a Long Way
It’s easy to look at others and feel like we’re doing better overall. But with this type of attitude can come pride and haughtiness.
Proverbs 16:18 explains how “Pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall.”
2 Corinthians 13:5 urges us to “Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith; test yourselves. Do you not realize that Christ Jesus is in you—unless, of course, you fail the test?”
2 Corinthians 13:5-9 The Message
5-9 Test yourselves to make sure you are solid in the faith. Don’t drift along taking everything for granted. Give yourselves regular checkups. You need firsthand evidence, not mere hearsay, that Jesus Christ is in you. Test it out. If you fail the test, do something about it. I hope the test won’t show that we have failed. But if it comes to that, we’d rather the test showed our failure than yours. We’re rooting for the truth to win out in you. We couldn’t possibly do otherwise.
We don’t just put up with our limitations; we celebrate them, and then go on to celebrate every strength, every triumph of the truth in you. We pray hard that it will all come together in your lives.
Sometimes, we decide how we’re doing compared to another person, rather than looking at God’s word to see how we’re doing in life. Often, if we do, we’ll discover more areas of our lives where we are off-track in following God’s ways.
Worldly Effects
So many people today, some Christians included, are living their lives based on how well or poorly others seem to be doing.
With nearly continual moment by moment social media’s daily updates, many individuals, across the globe, are comparing their lives to the lives of others to see if they are succeeding or see what they need to do next to get ahead in life.
But as believers in Jesus Christ, we don’t want to follow the world’s leading but look to God for our future.
1 John 2:15 warns, “Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, love for the Father is not in them.”
1 John 2:15-17 The Message
15-17 Don’t love the world’s ways. Don’t love the world’s goods. Love of the world squeezes out love for the Father. Practically everything that goes on in the world—wanting your own way, wanting everything for yourself, wanting to appear important—has nothing to do with the Father. It just isolates you from him. The world and all its wanting, wanting, wanting is on the way out—but whoever does what God wants is set for eternity.
As well, Paul in Romans 12:2 urges, “Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—His good, pleasing and perfect will.”
Romans 12:1-2 The Message
Place Your Life Before God
12 1-2 So here’s what I want you to do, God helping you: Take your everyday, ordinary life—your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life—and place it before God as an offering. Embracing what God does for you is the best thing you can do for him. Don’t become so well-adjusted to your culture that you fit into it without even thinking. Instead, fix your attention on God. You’ll be changed from the inside out. Readily recognize what he wants from you, and quickly respond to it. Unlike the culture around you, always dragging you down to its level of immaturity, God brings the best out of you, develops well-formed maturity in you.
Being conformed to current cultural trends, the world can be so gradual in our lives, that we don’t recognize what direction we may be taking in life. Before long, we can be miles off course without really knowing what’s taking place.
Feeding Our Faith
When it comes to matters of living into a steadfast and immovable faith, we don’t just stay in one place; we are either growing steadily in it or we’re slowly, steadily slipping back into worldly patterns and thinking without realizing it.
James 1:13-15The Message
13-15 Don’t let anyone under pressure to give in to evil say, “God is trying to trip me up.” God is impervious to evil, and puts evil in no one’s way. The temptation to give in to evil comes from us and only us. We have no one to blame but the leering, seducing flare-up of our own lust. Lust gets pregnant, and has a baby: sin! Sin grows up to adulthood, and becomes a real killer.
So how do we keep the world at bay?
Paul states, “I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 3:14).
Philippians 3:12-14 The Message
Focused on the Goal
12-14 I’m not saying that I have this all together, that I have it made. But I am well on my way, reaching out for Christ, who has so wondrously reached out for me. Friends, don’t get me wrong: By no means do I count myself an expert in all of this, but I’ve got my eye on the goal, where God is beckoning us onward—to Jesus. I’m off and running, and I’m not turning back.
As James 1:27 explains, “Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.”
James 1:26-27 The Message
26-27 Anyone who sets himself up as “religious” by talking a good game is self-deceived. This kind of religion is hot air and only hot air. Real religion, the kind that passes muster before God the Father, is this: Reach out to the homeless and loveless in their plight, and guard against corruption from the godless world.
Jesus Sets Us Free from the Power of Sin
Like Paul, we want to remember that sin can so fool us, easily lead us astray.
Genesis 3:1-7 The Message
3 The serpent was clever, more clever than any wild animal God had made. He spoke to the Woman: “Do I understand that God told you not to eat from any tree in the garden?”
2-3 The Woman said to the serpent, “Not at all. We can eat from the trees in the garden. It’s only about the tree in the middle of the garden that God said, ‘Don’t eat from it; don’t even touch it or you’ll die.’”
4-5 The serpent told the Woman, “You won’t die. God knows that the moment you eat from that tree, you’ll see what’s really going on. You’ll be just like God, knowing everything, ranging all the way from good to evil.”
6 When the Woman saw that the tree looked like good eating and realized what she would get out of it—she’d know everything!—she took and ate the fruit and then gave some to her husband, and he ate.
7 Immediately the two of them did “see what’s really going on”—saw themselves naked! They sewed fig leaves together as makeshift clothes for themselves.
Because sin can be so insidious, so maliciously subtle. we do not want to lose sight of where our Salvation lies and where our power to resist sin comes from.
Romans 5:21 explains, “So that, just as sin reigned in death, so also grace might reign through righteousness to bring eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.”
Romans 5:20-21 The Message
20-21 All that passing laws against sin did was produce more lawbreakers. But sin didn’t, and doesn’t, have a chance in competition with the aggressive forgiveness we call grace. When it’s sin versus grace, grace wins hands down. All sin can do is threaten us with death, and that’s the end of it. Grace, because God is putting everything together again through the Messiah, invites us into life—a life that goes on and on and on, world without end.
We are set free from its power, as Romans 6:14 describes, “For sin shall no longer be your master, because you are not under the law, but under grace.”
Romans 6:14The Message
12-14 That means you must not give sin a vote in the way you conduct your lives. Don’t give it the time of day. Don’t even run little errands that are connected with that old way of life. Throw yourselves wholeheartedly and full-time—remember, you’ve been raised from the dead!—into God’s way of doing things. Sin can’t tell you how to live. After all, you’re not living under that old tyranny any longer. You’re living in the freedom of God.
Intersecting Faith & Life:
Psalm 139:23-24 The Message
23-24 Investigate my life, O God, find out everything about me; Cross-examine and test me, get a clear picture of what I’m about; See for yourself whether I’ve done anything wrong— then guide me on the road to eternal life.
Am I, are you, are we, the Body of Christ, the church, comparing ourselves to how most people in the world are living their lives for direction in your own?
If so, look to God’s Word, plumb its depths to see where we are in our faith.
119 1-8 You’re blessed when you stay on course, walking steadily on the road revealed by God. You’re blessed when you follow his directions, doing your best to find him. That’s right—you don’t go off on your own; you walk straight along the road he set. You, God, prescribed the right way to live; now you expect us to live it. Oh, that my steps might be steady, keeping to the course you set; Then I’d never have any regrets in comparing my life with your counsel. I thank you for speaking straight from your heart; I learn the pattern of your righteous ways. I’m going to do what you tell me to do; don’t ever walk off and leave me.
Ask Him to examine each one of our collectives heart and collective souls and reveal the remotest areas where we have unknowingly wandered far off track.
In the name of God, the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit,
Let us Pray,
Psalm 119:9-16 The Message
9-16 How can a young person live a clean life? By carefully reading the map of your Word. I’m single-minded in pursuit of you; don’t let me miss the road signs you’ve posted. I’ve banked your promises in the vault of my heart so I won’t sin myself bankrupt. Be blessed, God; train me in your ways of wise living. I’ll transfer to my lips all the counsel that comes from your mouth; I delight far more in what you tell me about living than in gathering a pile of riches. I ponder every morsel of wisdom from you, I attentively watch how you’ve done it. I relish everything you’ve told me of life, I won’t forget a word of it.
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.
2 Corinthians 4:16-18 New American Standard Bible 1995
16 Therefore we do not lose heart, but though our outer man is decaying, yet our inner man is being renewed day by day. 17 For momentary, light affliction is producing for us an eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparison, 18 while we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen; for the things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal.
The 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 a world filled with endless mixed messages, it’s easy to get lost in the fog and be deceived by half-truths or flat-out fabrications of God’s Word.
Just take a gander at some commonly used phrases below.
This, too, shall pass.
God helps those who help themselves.
God works in mysterious ways.
God will never give you more than you can handle.
The eyes are the window into the soul.
Treat others the way you want to be treated.
Spare the rod and spoil the child. And on and on.
While many of these well-known statements contain good wisdom and little nuggets of truth, some even referred to or “noted” in the Scriptures, they are often badly taken out of context to spin, weave some sort of personal narrative.
While generally shared in a purposeful and meaningful way to express a softer sentiment or extend comfort, these platitudes can undermine the words of our Savior, causing us take our eyes of the Bible and to lose sight of the real truth.
That said, now, more than ever, we need to have handheld copies of the Bible, maybe even in multiple translations, so when something doesn’t seem to add up or make sense, we can go straight to His Word and seek to find the real and absolute truth God is trying to reveal to us.
In addition, there are even more mixed messages in today’s culture about how we identify, that baffle many, including believers, about who God says we are.
For example, do we know how many total genders are there?
Besides being male and female, there are 72 other genders, which include the following: Agender: A person who does not identify themselves with or experience any gender. Agender people are also called null-gender, genderless, or gender -void or neutral gender. Abimegender: which is Associated with being profound, deep, and infinite.
About trying to sort out these identifications, still being a “good neighbor,” in the divisiveness which currently exists in the church, communicate the gospel?
Communicate, evangelize those who have been “marginalized” by these highly volatile, highly charged, highly politicized and politically motivated divisions?
Are we really precious in His sight? Priceless? Cherished? A one-of-a-kind, unique creation made on purpose? Are we really fully known and fully loved?
Who are we, exactly?
More importantly, nonjudgmentally communicating who does God say we are?
Well, my dear friend, I invite you to grab your Bible and open it up so we can discover some sweet verses that declare who God says you are.
While the list below only scratches the surface, let it prayerfully become a new, refreshed springboard to relish in His love as He proclaims who He says we are!
Then let His Words, beautiful truths, settle into your heart, reminding you that you were so intricately made with love and called to a greater purpose, setting your sights beyond this world and embracing eternity. (2 Corinthians 4:18).
1. God says we are each His beloved child.
1 John 3:1-2 New American Standard Bible 1995
Children of God Love One Another
3 See [a]how great a love the Father has bestowed on us, that we would be called children of God; and such we are. For this reason the world does not know us, because it did not know Him. 2 Beloved, now we are children of God, and it has not appeared as yet what we will be. We know that when He appears, we will be like Him, because we will see Him just as He is.
The very nature of our God is love, which envelops His holiness, purity, righteousness, compassion, justice, and mercy.
While God loves all His creation, when we make our heartfelt profession of faith, we each immediately become His “beloved” children (Romans 10:9-13)
Being a beloved child of God is a powerful statement that holds so much significance as no other relationship will even come close or compare (1 Corinthians 13:11-13).
11 When I was a child, I used to speak like a child, think like a child, reason like a child; when I [a]became a man, I did away with childish things. 12 For now we see in a mirror [b]dimly, but then face to face; now I know in part, but then I will know fully just as I also have been fully known. 13 But now faith, hope, love, abide these three; but the [c]greatest of these is love.
When we understand the gravity of that, we learn to revere and respect God as Father.
You are the beloved child of the Creator of the universe, and He wants to have an intimate and personal relationship with you. Tuck that in your heart today!
2. God says we are each chosen.
1 Peter 2:9-10 New American Standard Bible 1995
9 But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God’s own possession, so that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; 10 for you once were not a people, but now you are the people of God; you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.
God has always had a special place in His heart for the people of Israel.
We see this weaved throughout the Old Testament (Deuteronomy 7:6).
6 For you are a holy people to the Lord your God; the Lord your God has chosen you to be a people for His [a]own possession out of all the peoples who are on the face of the [b]earth.
As believers, we have the honor and privilege of gaining a spiritual connection to God through the Lord Jesus Christ.
In His sovereignty, God chose you (Titus 1:1-3, Ephesians 1:10-14).
I know it is naïve of me to ask; Can we each just say “Praise be to God for that?”
3. God says we are each His holy temple.
1 Corinthians 3:16-20 New American Standard Bible 1995
16 Do you not know that you are a [a]temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you? 17 If any man destroys the [b]temple of God, God will destroy him, for the [c] temple of God is holy, and [d]that is what you are.
18 Let no man deceive himself. If any man among you thinks that he is wise in this age, he must become foolish, so that he may become wise. 19 For the wisdom of this world is foolishness before God. For it is written, “He is the one who catches the wise in their craftiness”; 20 and again, “The Lord knows the reasonings of the wise, that they are useless.”
Paul is addressing the church in Corinth, stating that as a church body, God dwells inside of us, allowing each one of us to go forth and live on a mission.
As a church, we are to honor this sacred and holy dwelling and use it to connect and reflect on the nature of God, deepening our faith while also striving to reach out to the lost and unbelievers. God says we are to live with a mission mindset.
We are the light to a lost and dark world (Matthew 5:14-16)!
14 “You are the light of the world. A city set on a [a]hill cannot be hidden; 15 nor does anyone light a lamp and put it under a [b]basket, but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. 16 Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven.
4. God says we are each made in His image.
Genesis 1:26-27 New American Standard Bible 1995
26 Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; and let them rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the [a]sky and over the cattle and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.” 27 God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.
God never takes His creation lightly.
In fact, when He speaks things into existence, there is value and a grander plan far beyond what we will fully know or begin to understand.
That being said, the very specific human blueprint not only claims we differ from anything else He created but that God’s unique and distinct love for us is quite beautiful and wholly and entirely “one of a kind” unique. Psalm 139:13-18
We matter so deeply to Him that He made us with attributes that resemble His own so that we can connect with Him in a meaningful and purposeful way. Just take time to ponder the thought next time you see your reflection in the mirror.
5. God says we are each valuable.
Matthew 6:25-26 New American Standard Bible 1995
The Cure for Anxiety
25 “For this reason I say to you, [a]do not be worried about your [b]life, as to what you will eat or what you will drink; nor for your body, as to what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? 26 Look at the birds of the [c] air, that they do not sow, nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not worth much more than they?
In this teaching exchange, Jesus reminds His followers (and us) that our value is far more than that of any other creation, and therefore, if He cares for their basic needs, how much more will He care for us, His most beloved creation?
Obviously enough to ensure our salvation so that we can spend eternity with Him (1 Peter 1:17-19)!
17 If you address as Father the One who impartially judges according to each one’s work, conduct yourselves in fear during the time of your stay on earth; 18 knowing that you were not [a]redeemed with perishable things like silver or gold from your futile way of life inherited from your forefathers, 19 but with precious blood, as of a lamb unblemished and spotless, the blood of Christ.
Yes, we are each, without exception, in the eyes of God, seen as a far beyond priceless treasure, which is why Jesus paid it all so we could each freely live.
There are more and more examples of Holy Scripture which I will continue to bring to you in future posts of this blog. So, please be anticipating, expectant.
In the name of God, the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit,
Let us Pray,
Psalm 8 New American Standard Bible 1995
The Lord’s Glory and Man’s Dignity.
For the choir director; on the Gittith. A Psalm of David.
8 O Lord, our Lord, How majestic is Your name in all the earth, Who have [a]displayed Your splendor above the heavens! 2 From the mouth of infants and nursing babes You have established [b]strength Because of Your adversaries, To make the enemy and the revengeful cease.
3 When I [c]consider Your heavens, the work of Your fingers, The moon and the stars, which You have [d]ordained; 4 What is man that You [e]take thought of him, And the son of man that You care for him? 5 Yet You have made him a little lower than [f]God, And You crown him with glory and majesty! 6 You make him to rule over the works of Your hands; You have put all things under his feet, 7 All sheep and oxen, And also the [g]beasts of the field, 8 The birds of the heavens and the fish of the sea, Whatever passes through the paths of the seas.
9 O Lord, our Lord, How majestic is Your name in all 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.
19 Then they arose early in the morning and worshiped before the Lord, and returned again to their house in Ramah. And Elkanah [a]had relations with Hannah his wife, and the Lord remembered her. 20 It came about [b]in due time, after Hannah had conceived, that she gave birth to a son; and she named him Samuel, saying, “Because I have asked him of the Lord.”
21 Then the man Elkanah went up with all his household to offer to the Lord the yearly sacrifice and pay his vow. 22 But Hannah did not go up, for she said to her husband, “I will not go up until the child is weaned; then I will bring him, that he may appear before the Lord and stay there forever.” 23 Elkanah her husband said to her, “Do what seems best [c]to you. Remain until you have weaned him; only may the Lord confirm His word.” So the woman remained and nursed her son until she weaned him.
The 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.
A Message to Hannah … I See You This Mother’s Day!
In the days of Elkanah, Peninnah, and Hannah, polygamy was acceptable.
Also in those days a woman’s worth was measured mainly by how many sons she had.
As the years crawled by and Hannah remained infertile, her sorrow grew.
But her pain made fertile soil for spiritual growth.
She prayed fervently.
Many people find that their deepest trials draw them closer to God.
Hannah learned that God is the one to whom all people and all things belong.
One day Hannah was praying so intensely that when a man of God, Eli, saw her, he thought she was drunk.
He ordered her to get rid of her wine.
But she had not been drinking.
She said to him, “I was pouring out my soul to the Lord… I have been praying here out of my great anguish and grief.”
Then Eli encouraged her and said, “Go in peace.”
“In the course of time” little Samuel was born to Hannah and Elkanah.
Because Samuel was a gift of God, Hannah dedicated him to the service of the Lord.
He became one of the most faithful leaders of God’s people.
Infertility still cuts deep into the lives of many couples.
This story does not promise that all infertile couples will have children.
It does reassure us that those who stay close to the heart of God in the their pain and pray for the face of God will see God work things out for his good purpose.
God’s 2024 Message To Our Hannah Moms: “Surely, As I saw Hannah, I See You This Mother’s Day too!”
1 Samuel 1:19-23 Complete Jewish Bible
19 They got up early in the morning and worshipped before Adonai, then returned and came to their house in Ramah.
Elkanah had sexual relations with Hannah his wife, and Adonai remembered her. 20 She conceived; and in due time she gave birth to a son, whom she named Sh’mu’el, “because I asked Adonai for him.”
21 The husband, Elkanah, went up with all his household to offer the yearly sacrifice to Adonai and fulfill his vow. 22 But Hannah did not go up, explaining to her husband, “Not till the child has been weaned. Then I will bring him, so that he can appear before Adonai and live there forever.” 23 Her husband Elkanah answered her, “Do what seems good to you; stay here until you have weaned him. Only may Adonai bring about what he said.” So the woman stayed behind and nursed the child, until she weaned him.
Mother’s Day is today, and in the name of our Savior, I want to say “I see you, and more importantly, God sees you. He honors the important work you are doing.”
I see you, Momma-To-Be…
As you are waiting, expecting, and anticipating this whole new world to come.
May the joy of the Lord be your strength. May you know that God is with you and God will touch you as you help to usher miraculous new life into this world. Your strength is impressive and miraculous. Your ability to co-create with God is beyond stunning.
I see you, Expectant Momma…
Who feels unsure, unwell, unready, scared of how to bring life into the world.
Would our strong God equip you with all you need to mother his Creation. Would God’s supernatural provision be for you a significant part of your story. Would you know that every child is made in the image of God. He will guide you on this journey and help you even in the moments that feel so heavy you surely think you may break.
I see you, Birth Momma…
As you wonder, miss, pray, and grieve this Mother’s Day.
God sees your heart. God upholds, strengthens, your heart. He is there to care for all your children, even as they are growing up with another mother that also loves them. Giving the gift of life is an amazing gift. Your willingness to love a child by carrying, nurturing them in your body and giving birth is so noble. Your motherhood matters.
I see you, Grieving-Yet-Hopeful Mother…
Wishing, watching, waiting, worshiping, pondering, praying, persevering for the day, that by God’s grace, you get to join the ranks of Mothers that came before you.
God knows the deepest desires of your heart and is close to you as you walk through those disappointments, medical appointments, loss, and waiting.
May God give you strength and purpose as you walk this tough road. May God remind you that you are so valuable just as you are. No matter what the future holds for you and your family you are strong, beautiful, and God loves you.
I see you, Mom-Who-Has-Lost…
Miscarriage… the loss of a child before their time… stillborn, seeing a child slip away to tumultuous waves, storms or lifestyle choices… other losses that burden your soul.
The God of all comfort is with you always. God is there to hold your hand, God is there to uphold. May God whisper his sustaining love into your ears, may you know you are never alone even when life feels heavier than your soul can bear.
I see you, Foster Mother…
As you stand in the gap for children and families who are in need of support.
As God heard, remembered Hannah, captured all of her tears in a bottle,God sees your love, your prayers, and your sacrifice. He knows you are so attached and loves your willingness to pour out your life for the sake of the least of these around you. May He give you the strength and wisdom you need to walk this stretching road.
I see you, Single, Separated, Divorced Momma…
As you try to meet so many needs all on your own.
May God bring a supportive community around you that steps in to offer you all their prayers, friendship and material support you need on your mothering journey. Would you’ll know that you are doing good and meaningful work. You are strong, beautiful, capable, and by all your prayers, may God give you wisdom for each and every day.
I see you, Empty-Nesting-Momma…
As you do the work of letting go of the little birds you sacrificed everything for, poured every resource of your life into, with hopes they would one day soar.
May you one day delight in seeing how your sacrificial investment into your children is now producing beautiful fruit in their lives. In due time and in the seasons to come, Would you know too that there is true purpose and truest joy to be found in this new season. That evolving, changing, letting go, gives way to God’s guidance to new life.
I see you, New-Oh-So-Tired-Momma…
As you wonder how much more you can give before you actually give out.
May God bring you His supernatural rest this Mother’s Day. Remember, this too shall pass. Allow, permit yourself, the grace to find rest, without carrying that sneaky Mom guilt. Mom, this is a marathon, not a sprint. Breaks are required to do this job well.
I see you, Adoptive Mom…
As you went through the long and expensive process of adoption, as you love so fiercely, as you look upon a child you did not give birth, and wonder if your love is going to be enough, if you are going to be strong enough, courageous enough and bold enough, able enough, to raising them, doing this adoption thing well.
Would God give you the knowledge and wisdom you need to navigate the triad of your adoptee, their first family, and your home. Would you have peace to know that even when your love isn’t enough, God is! He is the healer of our wounds and the keeper of our children. He promises them a hope and a future. God’s got you!
I see you, Kinship Care Momma…
As you love and care for children you never expected to care for as your own.
Your courage and willingness to step up for the children in your family or community is miraculously beautiful. May God be with you in this utmost challenging, sacrificial role. Would God, through His presence. strengthen you when the work feels heavy.
I see you, Stepmom…
As you work to create a home that blends different stories into one unit.
In His time, Would God make something beautiful in your home. May he do abundantly more than you could ask or ever imagine, on your family’s behalf.
To all the mothers out there; no matter your story, loss, place on this journey, if you feel like you are rocking it at this job or if you feel like you are failing or are a failure … The eternally beautiful truth is God sees you upholds and loves you!
Galatians 6:9 says, “Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.”
Galatians 6:9-10The Message
9-10 So let’s not allow ourselves to get fatigued doing good. At the right time we will harvest a good crop if we don’t give up, or quit. Right now, therefore, every time we get the chance, let us work for the benefit of all, starting with the people closest to us in the community of faith.
The work of motherhood is good work.
Don’t give up.
The reward is one that is counted in sweet tender embraces, in milestones met, through forgiveness, grace, lessons learned, and memories made.
Motherhood is a lifetime of prayers, sacrifice, service, unconditional love, apologies, growth, tears, laughter, joy, worship of God and so much more.
Please remember this Mother’s Day, that Isaiah 40:11 says,
“He tends his flock like a shepherd: He gathers the lambs in his arms and carries them close to his heart; he gently leads those that have young.”
Isaiah 40:11 Amplified Bible
11 He will protect His flock like a shepherd, He will gather the lambs in His arm, He will carry them in His bosom; He will gently and carefully lead those nursing their young.
The God who comforts and guides is faithful to lead you on this wild journey.
Momma, always Celebrate God as God always Celebrates You!
Everyone else, always Celebrate Momma as God always Celebrates Her!
In the name of God, the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit,
Let us Pray,
“Dear Lord, on this day dedicated to celebrating and honoring You, honoring and celebrating mothers, we thank You for the blessings of motherhood. We are grateful for our mothers’ love, strength, and guidance in the shaping our lives. Guide them and Bless them all with joy, peace, and love on this special day and always. Amen.”
Psalm 139:13-18 Complete Jewish Bible
13 For you fashioned my inmost being, you knit me together in my mother’s womb. 14 I thank you because I am awesomely made, wonderfully; your works are wonders — I know this very well. 15 My bones were not hidden from you when I was being made in secret, intricately woven in the depths of the earth. 16 Your eyes could see me as an embryo, but in your book all my days were already written; my days had been shaped before any of them existed. 17 God, how I prize your thoughts! How many of them there are! 18 If I count them, there are more than grains of sand; if I finish the count, I am still with you.
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.
13-14 “That was a fool thing to do,” Samuel said to Saul. “If you had kept the appointment that your God commanded, by now God would have set a firm and lasting foundation under your kingly rule over Israel. As it is, your kingly rule is already falling to pieces. God is out looking for your replacement right now. This time he’ll do the choosing. When he finds him, he’ll appoint him leader of his people. And all because you didn’t keep your appointment with God!”
The 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.
Have you ever laid your head down on top of someone’s chest and heard their heartbeat.
If you were to do that you had to be pretty close to the individual whose heart you heard.
Unless you were a Doctor or a Nurse or a related healthcare professional, You don’t just go up to someone on the street and say “May I listen to your heart?”
I can only begin to imagine the wild array and diversity of words and phrases that would come spewing out of peoples mouths in that moment of intrusion.
Many quote 1 Samuel 16:7 and say that David is a man after God’s heart but never tell us clearly what the heartbeat sounds like.
1 Samuel 16:7 The Message
7 But God told Samuel, “Looks aren’t everything. Don’t be impressed with his looks and stature. I’ve already eliminated him. God judges persons differently than humans do. Men and women look at the face; God looks into the heart.”
I want to do the best I can to try and help you the reader along with laying our heads on God the Fathers Chest, trying to hear His heartbeat over our very own.
What is God’s desire, what does He really want?
What do we learn as we hear the heartbeat of God?
The heartbeat of God is the heart of man.
Mark 7:14-23 The Message
14-15 Jesus called the crowd together again and said, “Listen now, all of you—take this to heart. It’s not what you swallow that pollutes your life; it’s what you vomit—that’s the real pollution.”
17 When he was back home after being with the crowd, his disciples said, “We don’t get it. Put it in plain language.”
18-19 Jesus said, “Are you being willfully stupid? Don’t you see that what you swallow can’t contaminate you? It doesn’t enter your heart but your stomach, works its way through the intestines, and is finally flushed.” (That took care of dietary quibbling; Jesus was saying that all foods are fit to eat.)
20-23 He went on: “It’s what comes out of a person that pollutes: obscenities, lusts, thefts, murders, adulteries, greed, depravity, deceptive dealings, carousing, mean looks, slander, arrogance, foolishness—all these are vomit from the heart. There is the source of your pollution.”
I. God desires men and women’s hearts
Why is Go so concerned with our hearts.
Is it just that God is a completely selfish tyrant that believes it belongs only to Him?
The answer is Yes and no.
As our creator our hearts belong to Him first and foremost.
It is not merely for Him that he desires our hearts.
Listen Closely to the words of Jesus.
Mark 7: 21-23“For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed the evil thoughts, fornications, thefts, murders, adulteries, deeds of coveting and wickedness, as well as deceit sensuality, envy slander, pride and foolishness. All these evil things proceeds from within and defile the man.”
Jesus just gave the reason for evil in the World of man it is the hear t of man.
It is evil.
Jesus clearly told us why our upward, outward relationships are out of whack.
A) The Upward and Outward
Mark 12:28-34
Mark 12:28-34 The Message
The Most Important Commandment
28 One of the religion scholars came up. Hearing the lively exchanges of question and answer and seeing how sharp Jesus was in his answers, he put in his question: “Which is most important of all the commandments?”
29-31 Jesus said, “The first in importance is, ‘Listen, Israel: The Lord your God is one; so love the Lord God with all your passion and prayer and intelligence and energy.’ And here is the second: ‘Love others as well as you love yourself.’ There is no other commandment that ranks with these.”
32-33 The religion scholar said, “A wonderful answer, Teacher! So clear-cut and accurate—that God is one and there is no other. And loving him with all passion and intelligence and energy, and loving others as well as you love yourself. Why, that’s better than all offerings and sacrifices put together!”
34 When Jesus realized how insightful he was, he said, “You’re almost there, right on the border of God’s kingdom.”
After that, no one else dared ask a question.
If you remember the story a group of Pharisees, Sadducees, and scribes were trying to trap Jesus.
Now think about this with me.
If he were a man wouldn’t it have been terribly easy for them to trip Jesus up.
I mean this was a carpenter’s son.
Don’t Forget He is the Son of God.
One man asked him what some believe to be a sincere question.
What is the foremost commandment of all?
Jesus’ answer reflected Moses’ plus Leviticus: Hear O Israel, the Lord is one God Love Him with your all. All you heart, soul, mind, and strength. The second Is this, you shall love you neighbor as yourself, there is no other commandment greater.
It is clear and has been said that Jesus summarized the ten commandments.
He clearly showed us that our upward relationship to God must be right for our outward relationships to be right.
A relationship with God does not create murder, evil thought, theft, adultery, envy, deceit, pride or foolishness.
Are you at the end of your rope in your relationship with your husband, with you wife, with you children, friends, co-workers.
Realize if they are not a Christian then you have the very great opportunity of showing them what a real God can do for relationships.
B) The Kingdom of God
The Upward is where Matthew talks of the Kingdom of God.
The phrase Kingdom of God or Kingdom of Heaven is used more than 100 times in the New Testament.
The word Kingdom comes from a Greek word that means not territory but means dominion.
So we see that the domain of God is the heart.
The throne of the King of Kings is the heart of those who believe.
Why is this so important.
He is also the wonderful counselor, professional sessions every minute of every day. He is the prince of peace. For the peace of heart and mind He must sit on the throne. He is the Mighty God. The Great Physician. On and on we could Go.
If Jesus were authentically in complete dominion of all the hearts of churches there would be no division or rancor, no chaotic competition with our culture because there is One Lord, One Baptism, one Mission, The Kingdom of God.
That is what Home for you Heart for the world is about.
John 14:15-17 The Message
The Spirit of Truth
15-17 “If you love me, show it by doing what I’ve told you. I will talk to the Father, and he’ll provide you another Friend so that you will always have someone with you. This Friend is the Spirit of Truth. The godless world can’t take him in because it doesn’t have eyes to see him, doesn’t know what to look for. But you know him already because he has been staying with you, and will even be in you!
Letting God be at home within us so that our hearts will be shaped, reshaped and slowly, but inevitably transformed to care for others being our neighbors.
Romans 12:1-2 The Message
Place Your Life Before God
12 1-2 So here’s what I want you to do, God helping you: Take your everyday, ordinary life—your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life—and place it before God as an offering. Embracing what God does for you is the best thing you can do for him. Don’t become so well-adjusted to your culture that you fit into it without even thinking. Instead, fix your attention on God. You’ll be changed from the inside out. Readily recognize what he wants from you, and quickly respond to it. Unlike the culture around you, always dragging you down to its level of immaturity, God brings the best out of you, develops well-formed maturity in you.
Transformation: Hearts of Stone into Hearts of Flesh
Ezekiel 36:26-28 The Message
24-28 “‘For here’s what I’m going to do: I’m going to take you out of these countries, gather you from all over, and bring you back to your own land. I’ll pour pure water over you and scrub you clean. I’ll give you a new heart, put a new spirit in you. I’ll remove the stone heart from your body and replace it with a heart that’s God-willed, not self-willed. I’ll put my Spirit in you and make it possible for you to do what I tell you and live by my commands. You’ll once again live in the land I gave your ancestors. You’ll be my people! I’ll be your God!
A Heart of Truth:
1 Timothy 2:4-7 The Message
4-7 He wants not only us but everyone saved, you know, everyone to get to know the truth we’ve learned: that there’s one God and only one, and one Priest-Mediator between God and us—Jesus, who offered himself in exchange for everyone held captive by sin, to set them all free. Eventually the news is going to get out. This and this only has been my appointed work: getting this news to those who have never heard of God, and explaining how it works by simple faith and plain truth.
This is an anonymous quote,
“The relationship between truth and holiness is similar to that between light and Vision. Light cannot create an eye or give a blind eye vision, but It is essential to seeing. Wherever light penetrates, it dissipates darkness and brings everything into view.In a similar manner, truth cannot regenerate or impart spiritual life, but it is essential to the practice of holiness. Wherever truth penetrates, it dissipates error and reveals everything for what it really is.”
When we have hearts of truth we see things as God sees them.
We no longer laugh at sin we hate sin. I don’t know about you but the longer I live the more uncomfortable I become in this world.
It seems that there is enormous untruth many places we turn.
The news media, social media, politicians, religious people, and ministers too.
God desires to create in us a heart of truth so that through our lives he can use us to reveal untruth to others.
A heart that is filled with truth will know mercy and will know forgiveness.
B) A Heart of forgiveness
I would say mercy and forgiveness is the long forgotten fruit of Christians.
Jesus on the Cross “father forgive them for they do not know what they do.”
I have the secret to all the problems in the church as well as our Christian lives;
Colossians 3:12-14 The Message
12-14 So, chosen by God for this new life of love, dress in the wardrobe God picked out for you: compassion, kindness, humility, quiet strength, discipline. Be even-tempered, content with second place, quick to forgive an offense. Forgive as quickly and completely as the Master forgave you. And regardless of what else you put on, wear love. It’s your basic, all-purpose garment. Never be without it.
A man named John Oglethorpe, while talking to John Wesley, once made the comment, ‘I never forgive.”
Mr. Wesley wisely replied, “Then Sir, I hope you never sin either.”
A heart of un-forgiveness cannot know the great God of mercy and grace.
Un-forgiveness starts out as a fortress yet ultimately becomes a prison with bars of bitterness and chains of hatred.
A heart filled with forgiveness will be a heart that yearns to serve.
C) A Heart of service
Acts 13:16-22 The Message
16-20 Paul stood up, paused and took a deep breath, then said, “Fellow Israelites and friends of God, listen. God took a special interest in our ancestors, pulled our people who were beaten down in Egyptian exile to their feet, and led them out of there in grand style. He took good care of them for nearly forty years in that godforsaken wilderness and then, having wiped out seven enemies who stood in the way, gave them the land of Canaan for their very own—a span in all of about 450 years.
20-22 “Up to the time of Samuel the prophet, God provided judges to lead them. But then they asked for a king, and God gave them Saul, son of Kish, out of the tribe of Benjamin. After Saul had ruled forty years, God removed him from office and put King David in his place, with this commendation: ‘I’ve searched the land and found this David, son of Jesse. He’s a man whose heart beats to my heart, a man who will do what I tell him.’
What does it mean to serve God.
What does it mean to have a heart of service.
It means no matter the cost no matter the distance we do God’s will.
The late 19th century Evangelist Reverend DL Moody once said, “The measure of a man is not how many servants he has, but how many men he serves.”
III. God desires to deploy people after His own heart
Romans 10:8-10 New American Standard Bible 1995
8 But what does it say? “The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart” —that is, the word of faith which we are preaching, 9 [a]that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved; 10 for with the heart a person believes, [b] resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, [c] resulting in salvation.
Romans 10:10 “For with the heart a person believes resulting in righteousness. and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation.”
A heart for the world begins with hearing the heart of God.
So God desires our hearts to always be ready, willing and able to serve so he can create in us a new heart of truth, true mercy forgiveness, and authentic service.
He is telling us in His word we should redeem the time for the days are evil.
Matthew 24:42-51 New American Standard Bible 1995
Be Ready for His Coming
42 “Therefore be on the alert, for you do not know which day your Lord is coming. 43 But [a]be sure of this, that if the head of the house had known at what time of the night the thief was coming, he would have been on the alert and would not have allowed his house to be [b]broken into. 44 For this reason you also must be ready; for the Son of Man is coming at an hour when you do not think He will.
45 “Who then is the faithful and sensible slave whom his [c]master put in charge of his household to give them their food at the proper time? 46 Blessed is that slave whom his [d]master finds so doing when he comes. 47 Truly I say to you that he will put him in charge of all his possessions. 48 But if that evil slave says in his heart, ‘My [e]master [f]is not coming for a long time,’ 49 and begins to beat his fellow slaves and eat and drink with drunkards; 50 the [g]master of that slave will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour which he does not know, 51 and will [h]cut him in pieces and [i]assign him a place with the hypocrites; in that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
He is saying to all of our Churches: “I have appointed you for such a time as this.”
Just as an Army Ranger is told Go before they repel or parachute out of some air craft. Just as Air Force pilots are given the go ahead , just as marines are told go as they take to the field of battle, Navies sets sails. God has clearly told us to Go!
The real heart of God is the kingdom of God. The rule of God in the hearts, minds, and lives of people. Lord’s prayer, your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.
Conclusion:
The heartbeat of God is the heart of man.
It was in Jesus Christ that this good news really was communicated clearly.
Mark 1:14-17 New American Standard Bible 1995
Jesus Preaches in Galilee
14 Now after John had been [a]taken into custody, Jesus came into Galilee, [b] preaching the gospel of God, 15 and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God [c]is at hand; repent and [d]believe in the gospel.”
16 As He was going along by the Sea of Galilee, He saw Simon and Andrew, the brother of Simon, casting a net in the sea; for they were fishermen. 17 And Jesus said to them, “Follow Me, and I will make you become fishers of men.”
Acknowledgement in our hearts to the summons from God; the Good news will come easily from your lips, when Jesus Christ reigns completely in your heart.
In the name of God, the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit,
Let us Pray,
Psalm 61 New American Standard Bible 1995
Confidence in God’s Protection.
For the choir director; on a stringed instrument. A Psalm of David.
61 Hear my cry, O God; Give heed to my prayer. 2 From the end of the earth I call to You when my heart is faint; Lead me to the rock that is higher than I. 3 For You have been a refuge for me, A tower of strength [a]against the enemy. 4 Let me [b]dwell in Your tent forever; Let me take refuge in the shelter of Your wings. [c]Selah.
5 For You have heard my vows, O God; You have given me the inheritance of those who fear Your name. 6 You will [d]prolong the king’s [e]life; His years will be as many generations. 7 He will [f]abide before God forever; Appoint lovingkindness and truth that they may preserve him. 8 So I will sing praise to Your name forever, That I may pay my vows day by day.
How is your heart today?
Why is your heart feeling like it is today?
Where is your heart today?
Why is your located where it is today?
We can never have a heart for the world if God is not home in ours!!
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.
13 The Passover of the Jews was near, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. 14 And He found in the temple those who were selling oxen and sheep and doves, and the money changers seated at their tables. 15 And He made a scourge of cords, and drove them all out of the temple, with the sheep and the oxen; and He poured out the coins of the money changers and overturned their tables; 16 and to those who were selling the doves He said, “Take these things away; stop making My Father’s house a [a] place of business.” 17 His disciples remembered that it was written, “Zeal for Your house will consume me.” 18 The Jews then said to Him, “What sign do You show us [b]as your authority for doing these things?” 19 Jesus answered them, “Destroy this [c]temple, and in three days I will raise it up.” 20 The Jews then said, “It took forty-six years to build this [d]temple, and will You raise it up in three days?” 21 But He was speaking of the [e]temple of His body. 22 So when He was raised from the dead, His disciples remembered that He said this; and they believed the Scripture and the word which Jesus had spoken.
The 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.
Seismic Sight: An Angry Crowd and a Zealous Jesus
John 2:20-22 The Message
20-22 They were indignant: “It took forty-six years to build this Temple, and you’re going to rebuild it in three days?” But Jesus was talking about his body as the Temple. Later, after he was raised from the dead, his disciples remembered he had said this. They then put two and two together and believed both what was written in Scripture and what Jesus had said.
In our Scripture for today, John portrays an angry Jesus.
If you’ve dealt with angry people, or your own anger, you know how unpleasant it can be.
The apostle Paul warns, “In your anger do not sin”(Ephesians 4:26).
Jesus got angry when he saw what was happening in the temple courts.
And yet he did not sin.
Jesus was upset about local vendors providing worshipers something for a fee.
But not just any fee – an exorbitantly high fee which most people could not pay.
He called it all – “den of thieves.”
Mark 11:15-17 New American Standard Bible 1995
Jesus Drives Money Changers from the Temple
15 Then they *came to Jerusalem. And He entered the temple and began to drive out those who were buying and selling in the temple, and overturned the tables of the money changers and the seats of those who were selling [a]doves; 16 and He would not permit anyone to carry [b]merchandise through the temple. 17 And He began to teach and say to them, “Is it not written, ‘My house shall be called a house of prayer for all the nations’? But you have made it a robbers’ [c]den.”
He was zealous that God’s temple should foremost be a place of worship. and a house of prayer.
There wasn’t room for people to pray.
There wasn’t a place for them to worship.
“Stop turning my Father’s house into a market!” he said.
Only later did the disciples connect his zeal with Psalm 69:9“Zeal for your house will consume me.”
Psalm 69:9 The Message
9 I love you more than I can say. Because I’m madly in love with you, They blame me for everything they dislike about you.
Christ’s passion for God’s holiness made him exceptionally zealous to save us.
We are made in God’s image (Genesis 1:26-27).
Genesis 1:26-28The Message
26-28 God spoke: “Let us make human beings in our image, make them reflecting our nature So they can be responsible for the fish in the sea, the birds in the air, the cattle, And, yes, Earth itself, and every animal that moves on the face of Earth.” God created human beings; he created them godlike, Reflecting God’s nature. He created them male and female. God blessed them: “Prosper! Reproduce! Fill Earth! Take charge! Be responsible for fish in the sea and birds in the air, for every living thing that moves on the face of Earth.”
And in Christ we are the new temple of God (1 Corinthians 3:16-17).
1 Corinthians 3:16-17 The Message
16-17 You realize, don’t you, that you are the temple of God, and God himself is present in you? No one will get by with vandalizing God’s temple, you can be sure of that. God’s temple is sacred—and you, remember, are the temple.
Christ’s exceptionally zealous passion carried him to the cross to make us “living stones,” drawn together by His blood as God’s temple (1 Peter 2:5).
1 Peter 2:4-10 The Message
The Stone
4-8 Welcome to the living Stone, the source of life. The workmen took one look and threw it out; God set it in the place of honor. Present yourselves as building stones for the construction of a sanctuary vibrant with life, in which you’ll serve as holy priests offering Christ-approved lives up to God. The Scriptures provide precedent:
Look! I’m setting a stone in Zion, a cornerstone in the place of honor. Whoever trusts in this stone as a foundation will never have cause to regret it.
To you who trust him, he’s a Stone to be proud of, but to those who refuse to trust him,
The stone the workmen threw out is now the chief foundation stone.
For the untrusting it’s
. . . a stone to trip over, a boulder blocking the way.
They trip and fall because they refuse to obey, just as predicted.
9-10 But you are the ones chosen by God, chosen for the high calling of priestly work, chosen to be a holy people, God’s instruments to do his work and speak out for him, to tell others of the night-and-day difference he made for you—from nothing to something, from rejected to accepted.
Jesus was undeterred.
He was heading for the cross to fulfill God’s mission. God’s image would be restored in us only through the work of his Son (Philippians 1:6; Colossians 3:10).
If Jesus is so zealous to restore the holiness of God in us, shouldn’t we be also?
As much as he was undeterred, ought we not too become as equally undeterred?
Another Seismic Event – Restoring the Temple
John 2:15-17 The Message
15-17 Jesus put together a whip out of strips of leather and chased them out of the Temple, stampeding the sheep and cattle, upending the tables of the loan sharks, spilling coins left and right. He told the dove merchants, “Get your things out of here! Stop turning my Father’s house into a shopping mall!” That’s when his disciples remembered the Scripture, “Zeal for your house consumes me.”
It is quite clear that the 2020/2024 General Conference of the United Methodist Church has caused seismic shifts of orthodoxy within the mission of the church.
And people are right to be both zealous and angry about it.
And people are also right to be both zealous and exuberant for it.
It is only human to have these feelings and responses to what has happened.
Have them – own them – pick up your Bibles – read – study – pray over them.
But, for God’s sake, let us not beat each’s soul to to a pulp – Philippians 2:1-4
Philippians 2:1-4 The Message
He Took on the Status of a Slave
2 1-4 If you’ve gotten anything at all out of following Christ, if his love has made any difference in your life, if being in a community of the Spirit means anything to you, if you have a heart, if you care—then do me a favor: Agree with each other, love each other, be deep-spirited friends. Don’t push your way to the front; don’t sweet-talk your way to the top. Put yourself aside, and help others get ahead. Don’t be obsessed with getting your own advantage. Forget yourselves long enough to lend a helping hand.
There is enough mission and ministry in the World for everyone to engage in.
How God, the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit will bring forth fruit from this seismic event in the life of His Church is yet to be seen or known.
But whether we are zealous and angry or zealous and happy, we must strive to set ourselves aside in the face of God’s sovereignty to remember this one truth;
Ecclesiastes 3:9-13 The Message
9-13 But in the end, does it really make a difference what anyone does? I’ve had a good look at what God has given us to do—busywork, mostly. True, God made everything beautiful in itself and in its time—but he’s left us in the dark, so we can never know what God is up to, whether he’s coming or going. I’ve decided that there’s nothing better to do than go ahead and have a good time and get the most we can out of life. That’s it—eat, drink, and make the most of your job. It’s God’s gift.
Because in the end of it all, God is the One with the only plan that will work.
Because in the end of it all, God is only One with authority to make it happen.
Ecclesiastes 12:9-14 The Message
The Final Word
9-10 Besides being wise himself, the Quester also taught others knowledge. He weighed, examined, and arranged many proverbs. The Quester did his best to find the right words and write the plain truth.
11 The words of the wise prod us to live well. They’re like nails hammered home, holding life together. They are given by God, the one Shepherd.
12-13 But regarding anything beyond this, dear friend, go easy. There’s no end to the publishing of books, and constant study wears you out so you’re no good for anything else. The last and final word is this:
Fear God. Do what he tells you.
14 And that’s it. Eventually God will bring everything that we do out into the open and judge it according to its hidden intent, whether it’s good or evil.
And through prayer and discernment, I’ll offer this insight and observation;
Isaiah 54:1-6 The Message
Spread Out! Think Big!
54 1-6 “Sing, barren woman, who has never had a baby. Fill the air with song, you who’ve never experienced childbirth! You’re ending up with far more children than all those childbearing women.” God says so! “Clear lots of ground for your tents! Make your tents large. Spread out! Think big! Use plenty of rope, drive the tent pegs deep. You’re going to need lots of elbow room for your growing family. You’re going to take over whole nations; you’re going to resettle abandoned cities. Don’t be afraid—you’re not going to be embarrassed. Don’t hold back—you’re not going to come up short. You’ll forget all about the humiliations of your youth, and the indignities of being a widow will fade from memory. For your Maker is your bridegroom, his name, God-of-the-Angel-Armies! Your Redeemer is The Holy of Israel, known as God of the whole earth. You were like an abandoned wife, devastated with grief, and God welcomed you back, Like a woman married young and then left,” says your God.
A father would understandably burn with a righteous anger if he saw drugs wreaking destruction in the life of his child.
We wouldn’t expect him to flippantly dismiss such devastation.
No, we would expect him to do everything necessary to drive that evil out and see restoration take place.
When Jesus, the Son of God, entered His Father’s house on earth—the temple in Jerusalem—and looked round at the scene, it was painful to Him.
A place intended for the worship of God had become a place given over to the worship of money.
A place intended to beckon the world to meet the living God had become one that kept the nations at arm’s length.
He found it intolerable that the name of God, the glory of God, was being besmirched and tarnished.
There is no reason for us to stand back and try to mitigate Jesus’ actions.
The holy righteous and zealous anger of Christ burned with red hot zeal and purity. This moment in John 2:13-22 was not the time for polite conversation.
Jesus knew exactly why the temple was there.
It was the place of meeting God.
It was meant to be the joy of the whole earth.
What He found instead was completely opposed to its purpose—and in His words and actions, By the actions of his whip He made that abundantly clear.
Interestingly, when the Pharisees confronted Jesus afterwards, they didn’t challenge His actions; they challenged His authority.
Jesus responded to this challenge with a puzzling statement: “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up” (John 2:19).
The temple He referred to, John explains, was Himself (v 21).
One day, Jesus would come to Jerusalem not to visit the temple complex but to give His own body and blood as the full and final sacrifice for sins, and then to rise to new life and to reign forever.
It was on that authority that He was making clear the difference between what God had intended the temple to be, what it had been made to become by man.
Here, then, we are confronted by a Jesus who is radical—who responds with zeal and protectiveness to the issue of God’s glory.
This Jesus is not meek and mild, always affirming and never challenging.
He is the only Great High Priest, who came not only to cleanse the temple precincts but also to cleanse our hearts, zealously deal with our alienation.
In Him, the true temple, God has built “a house of prayer for all peoples” (Isaiah 56:7).
Isaiah 56:7-8 The Message
6-8 “And as for the outsiders who now follow me, working for me, loving my name, and wanting to be my servants— All who keep Sabbath and don’t defile it, holding fast to my covenant— I’ll bring them to my holy mountain and give them joy in my house of prayer. They’ll be welcome to worship the same as the ‘insiders,’ to bring burnt offerings and sacrifices to my altar. Oh yes, my house of worship will be known as a house of prayer for all people.” The Decree of the Master, God himself, who gathers in the exiles of Israel: “I will gather others also, gather them in with those already gathered.”
Let the truth be revealed through prayer and the courage to be honest with God;
Whether you are zealous angry, or zealous exuberant, over General Conference,
Just sit down with God and let Him do all sorting out that He knows is required:
Psalm 139:23-24 The Message
23-24 Investigate my life, O God, find out everything about me; Cross-examine and test me, get a clear picture of what I’m about; See for yourself whether I’ve done anything wrong— then guide me on the road to eternal life.
If Jesus were to walk into the Courtyards of the Temple men called the United Methodist Church the same way he entered the Temple in Jerusalem, would his actions have been any different or any less zealous to get HIS church in order?
So step back and look afresh at Jesus, who brooked no compromise in pursuing the glory of God through enabling the nations to pray, to worship Him rightly.
Pray, look afresh at Jesus, who used His authority and perfections willingly to take our place and bear our punishment in His body so we could be restored.
Pray, look afresh at Jesus, of whose amazing grace we are each a beneficiary.
For the sake of His Kingdom alone -let His zeal for God’s glory also be yours.
In the name of God, the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit,
Let us Pray,
Holy God, the passion of your Son both inspires and scares us. May his zeal for your holiness inspire us to be his disciplined followers, your faithful people. In his name.
Psalm 24 The Message
24 1-2 God claims Earth and everything in it, God claims World and all who live on it. He built it on Ocean foundations, laid it out on River girders.
3-4 Who can climb Mount God? Who can scale the holy north-face? Only the clean-handed, only the pure-hearted; Men who won’t cheat, women who won’t seduce.
5-6 God is at their side; with God’s help they make it. This, Jacob, is what happens to God-seekers, God-questers.
7 Wake up, you sleepyhead city! Wake up, you sleepyhead people! King-Glory is ready to enter.
8 Who is this King-Glory? God, armed and battle-ready.
9 Wake up, you sleepyhead city! Wake up, you sleepyhead people! King-Glory is ready to enter.
10 Who is this King-Glory? God-of-the-Angel-Armies: he is King-Glory.
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.
Loving God, Living God, Loving Hope, Living Hope, Loving Living Life His Way! "Many things are possible for the person who has hope. Even more is possible for the person who has faith. And still more is possible for the person who knows how to love. But everything is possible for the person who practices all three virtues." - Brother Lawrence (1605-1691), Practicing the Presence of God (1692). 