Tag: jesus-christ

What are we to recall? A Zealous Jesus is Seen Restoring His Father’s House. John 2:13-22

John 2:13-22 New American Standard Bible 1995

First Passover—Cleansing the Temple

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.

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Imitating Christ’s Humility; “but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves … ” Philippians 2:1-4

Philippians 2:1-4 New American Standard Bible 1995

Be Like Christ

2 Therefore if there is any encouragement in Christ, if there is any consolation of love, if there is any fellowship of the Spirit, if any [a]affection and compassion, 2 make my joy complete [b]by being of the same mind, maintaining the same love, united in spirit, intent on one purpose. 3 Do nothing [c]from [d] selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves; 4 do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others.

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.

As followers of Christ, we are called to embrace a servant attitude, putting the needs of others far before our own.

This humility echoes the very heart of Jesus, who came not “to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many” (Mark 10:45).

In a world that far too often exalts self-promotion and personal gain, we stand apart by valuing others far above ourselves. Our mindsets; we seek to meet the needs of people around us, extending all kindness, empathy, and compassion.

A servant attitude begins with a heart shaped and transformed by God’s love.

As we live in all the selfishness around us, in God’s presence, we learn how to lay down our ambitions and egos, making room for selflessness and sacrificial love. We act with grace and with love toward others, just as God has done for us.

By Paul’s words in Philippians, in every interaction, let’s consider the interests of others, seeking greater opportunities to serve in the both big and small ways.

Contrasting against worldly selfishness, may we be better known not by our alleged accomplishments and achievements and successes but by our love and by our humility and by our servant hearts that follow only the example of Jesus.

Disciples and the World and Lights in the Darkness?

Matthew 5:13-16New American Standard Bible 1995

Disciples and the World

13 “You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt has become tasteless, how [a]can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled under foot by men.

14 “You are the light of the world. A city set on a [b]hill cannot be hidden; 15 nor does anyone light a lamp and put it under a [c]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.

In response to knowing the heart of God we are called to share the wonders of his invisible nature with a world in desperate need of him. God has chosen to use us to reveal himself. He’s filled us with the Spirit and empowered us to proclaim the good news of salvation and restored relationship with our Creator.

Jesus’ teaching on salt and light in the Sermon on the Mount is truly one of my favorite passages of Scripture related to sharing the heart of God with the world around us.

In Matthew 5:13-16 The Message Jesus taught:

Salt and Light

13 “Let me tell you why you are here. You’re here to be salt-seasoning that brings out the God-flavors of this earth. If you lose your saltiness, how will people taste godliness? You’ve lost your usefulness and will end up in the garbage.

14-16 “Here’s another way to put it: You’re here to be light, bringing out the God-colors in the world. God is not a secret to be kept. We’re going public with this, as public as a city on a hill. If I make you light-bearers, you don’t think I’m going to hide you under a bucket, do you? I’m putting you on a light stand. Now that I’ve put you there on a hilltop, on a light stand—shine! Keep open house; be generous with your lives. By opening up to others, you’ll prompt people to open up with God, this generous Father in heaven.

One of the most powerful, empowering aspects of this passage is how Jesus begins by speaking identity over us.

God doesn’t tell us to go get some salt and share it.

He says we are salt.

He doesn’t tell us to go get a light and shine it.

He says we are a light.

Sharing God’s heart is a part of who we are.

As believers we’ve been redeemed—washed clean of our sins—that we might proclaim the excellencies of our Savior by living in line with our new identity.

The world is a dark place.

It is without hope.

It’s filled with the blind leading the blind and the needy seeking fulfillment from the needy. Our only hope is Jesus. The one, true Guide is the Holy Spirit.

We are called to a humble lifestyle of expelling the darkness around us with the powerful proclamation of God’s heart to love, provide for, and redeem all those who would simply say yes to him. We are each called to respond to Jesus’ call

We are summoned to cease putting a basket over the light he’s placed within us.

We don’t have to be apologetic for the hope we have.

We don’t have to fear the opinion of man.

We can love relentlessly, offer grace unexpectedly, and sacrifice ourselves so that others might see a glimpse of God’s heart. 

“Let your light shine before others” today.

Don’t cover up who you are in Christ.

Seek to reveal God’s heart in all say and you do. And watch as the world around you is drawn to the light of God’s unconditional love revealed through your life.

Guided Prayer:

1. Meditate on Jesus’ words in the Sermon on the Mount. 

Renew your mind to who you are in Christ.

Matthew 5:13-16 Easy-to-Read Version

You Are Like Salt and Light

13 “You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its taste, it cannot be made salty again. Salt is useless if it loses its salty taste. It will be thrown out where people will just walk on it.

14 “You are the light that shines for the world to see. You are like a city built on a hill that cannot be hidden. 15 People don’t hide a lamp under a bowl. They put it on a lampstand. Then the light shines for everyone in the house. 16 In the same way, you should be a light for other people. Live so that they will see the good things you do and praise your Father in heaven.

2. In what ways are you covering up your light? 

In what ways are you living in fear or according to the ways of the world?

Take time to engage in confession and receive God’s forgiveness and love.

3. Receive courage from God to live in accordance with your new identity as salt and light. 

Ask God how you can be light in the darkness today. Ask him for specific ways you can reveal the hope you have in Jesus to others. Journal his response.

Oftentimes we see the things of God as a part of our life.

As soon as God starts trying to change the way we live day-to-day, we put a wall up over our hearts so we don’t have to change.

But to sequester God is to value this life over eternity.

To care more about the world’s opinion of us than who God says we are is to try and make God a servant of the world and its systems.

God is the Creator.

He alone is King.

And he alone knows best as our loving Father.

To section off your life and allow God only into parts is to live foolishly.

Crown God as King over every part of you.

Choose to live as salt and light. And experience life where God is allowed to manifest himself, bless you in every way he can, and use your life to change the world for the better. May your day today be filled with all the fullness of God. 

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

Let us Pray,

Spirit of God, mold my heart in humility and love to imitate the Lord Jesus. Help me to value others above myself and to serve selflessly. May I reflect Christ’s love for the benefit of others in this world each day. In Jesus’ name, Alleluia! Alleluia! Amen.

Psalm 46 New American Standard Bible 1995

God the Refuge of His People.

For the choir director. A Psalm of the sons of Korah, [a]set to Alamoth. A Song.

46 God is our refuge and strength,
[b]A very present help in [c]trouble.
2 Therefore we will not fear, though the earth should change
And though the mountains slip into the heart of the [d]sea;
3 Though its waters roar and foam,
Though the mountains quake at its swelling pride. [e]Selah.

4 There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God,
The holy dwelling places of the Most High.
5 God is in the midst of her, she will not be moved;
God will help her [f]when morning dawns.
6 The [g]nations made an uproar, the kingdoms tottered;
He [h]raised His voice, the earth melted.
7 The Lord of hosts is with us;
The God of Jacob is our stronghold. Selah.

8 Come, behold the works of the Lord,
[i]Who has wrought desolations in the earth.
9 He makes wars to cease to the end of the earth;
He breaks the bow and cuts the spear in two;
He burns the chariots with fire.
10 “[j]Cease striving and know that I am God;
I will be exalted among the [k]nations, I will be exalted in the earth.”
11 The Lord of hosts is with us;
The God of Jacob is our stronghold. Selah.

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

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How should we know that it is a New Beginning, if it’s truly a ‘God Thing?’ Mark 1:1-8

Mark 1:1-8 New King James Version

John the Baptist Prepares the Way

1 The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. 2 As it is written in [a]the Prophets:

“Behold, I send My messenger before Your face,
Who will prepare Your way before You.”
3 “The voice of one crying in the wilderness:
‘Prepare the way of the Lord;
Make His paths straight.’ ”

4 John came baptizing in the wilderness and preaching a baptism of repentance [b]for the remission of sins. 5 Then all the land of Judea, and those from Jerusalem, went out to him and were all baptized by him in the Jordan River, confessing their sins.

6 Now John was clothed with camel’s hair and with a leather belt around his waist, and he ate locusts and wild honey. 7 And he preached, saying, “There comes One after me who is mightier than I, whose sandal strap I am not worthy to stoop down and loose. 8 I indeed baptized you with water, but He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.”

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.

Do I need a fresh start with God?

Do you need a fresh start with God?

Do we, being the Body of Christ, being the Church, need a fresh start with God?

If we do, in as much as we are going to be authentic and honest in the presence of a knowing God the opening verse of the gospel of Mark has something for us.

It speaks of Jesus Christ, the Son of God, who came to offer new beginnings to all who seek God’s mercy and strength in a time of need.

Mark’s opening words immediately remind us of the first verse of the Bible: “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth” (Genesis 1:1).

Mark apparently wanted his readers to immediately remember that God is always present and always at work in the very beginning of all good things.

When God created the world, everything was good.

But Adam and Eve sinned against God, and things began to go wrong.

But that was not the end of the story, for God immediately set out to restore what was lost, and his work centered on the coming of His Son, Jesus Christ.

Individually and Corporately (the church), what does this mean for us?

Well, we know God loves us and did not turn away from his rebellious creation.

God came into the world through Christ Jesus to save us from our sin and its consequences.

Because Jesus came to die in our place, paying the price for our sin, all who believe in him are not under sin’s curse anymore.

They are given a new beginning, and that is what the gospel (“good news”) is all about.

Have you, have we (the church) received a new beginning through Jesus Christ?

How would we know we have received a new beginning through Jesus Christ?

How are we to Tell if Something Is truly a ‘God Thing’

Exodus 3:14-15 Complete Jewish Bible

14 God said to Moshe, “Ehyeh Asher Ehyeh [I am/will be what I am/will be],” and added, “Here is what to say to the people of Isra’el: ‘Ehyeh [I Am or I Will Be] has sent me to you.’” 15 God said further to Moshe, “Say this to the people of Isra’el: ‘Yud-Heh-Vav-Heh [Adonai], the God of your fathers, the God of Avraham, the God of Yitz’chak and the God of Ya‘akov, has sent me to you.’ This is my name forever; this is how I am to be remembered generation after generation.

“It’s a God thing” is a common enough way, believers and non-believers, to describe an event or situation people believe was influenced or guided by God.

The circumstances that surround what happened occur in such a way that only God himself could have orchestrated them, or that is at least how it appears. 

Yet, like Moses, how can we ever decipher if something is a “God thing” or not?

To be clear in answering this question, I will only speak to the way God moves in the lives of his children.

I am doing this because God’s primary motive in the lives of unbelievers is to bring them to salvation in Christ.

1 Timothy 2:1-7 New King James Version

Pray for All Men

2 Therefore I [a]exhort first of all that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and  giving of thanks be made for all men, 2 for kings and all who are in [b] authority, that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and [c]reverence. 3 For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, 4 who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. 5 For there is one God and one Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus, 6 who gave Himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time, 7 for which I was appointed a preacher and an apostle—I am speaking the truth [d]in Christ and not lying—a teacher of the Gentiles in faith and truth.

However, once you and I and the church gets saved, God desires to make you more like Christ and to position you to accomplish his purpose for your life.

So, with that context established, let’s consider a few different ways we can know if something is a “God thing.”

1. When it brings our attention, focus back to Christ

John 15:26-27 New American Standard Bible 1995

26 “When the [a]Helper comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, that is the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father, He will testify about Me, 27 [b] and you will testify also, because you have been with Me from the beginning.

In the world today, it is not the politicians nor the global power brokers but it is the Holy Spirit who is the one who shifts and orchestrates the events in our life.

When he is at work, he will always point your focus and attention back to Christ.

The Holy Spirit does this because salvation is found only in Jesus’ name.

Acts 4:8-12 New American Standard Bible 1995

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.”

However, Jesus Christ is also our model and the one we strive to be like.

As Christians, when the Holy Spirit is at work in your life, he aims to transform you so you look like Christ.

For this reason, everything he does brings Christ into the center.

If you can’t point to Christ, if you can’t glorify Christ, or if it doesn’t challenge you to become more like Christ, then you must question if God is really in it.

One of the simplest ways to know if something is God is to look at who is getting the glory.

If Christ is not being glorified, then God is not in it.

It does not matter how “spiritual” an experience you have; if Jesus is not at the center, then God has no part in it.

That’s why you can’t always judge something by how it makes you feel or the result. It would be best to consider whose direction that event is moving you in.

2. When it confirms God is aware of your situation

Isaiah 38:1-6 New American Standard Bible 1995

Hezekiah Healed

38 In those days Hezekiah became [a]mortally ill. And Isaiah the prophet the son of Amoz came to him and said to him, “Thus says the Lord, ‘Set your house in order, for you shall die and not live.’” 2 Then Hezekiah turned his face to the wall and prayed to the Lord, 3 and said, “Remember now, O Lord, I beseech You, how I have walked before You in truth and with a whole heart, and have done what is good in Your sight.” And Hezekiah wept [b]bitterly.

4 Then the word of the Lord came to Isaiah, saying, 5 “Go and say to Hezekiah, ‘Thus says the Lord, the God of your father David, “I have heard your prayer, I have seen your tears; behold, I will add fifteen years to your [c]life. 6 I will deliver you and this city from the hand of the king of Assyria; and I will defend this city.”’

There may be times in our lives when we pray secretly for things, and God responds to our secret cries.

In Isaiah 38, the prophet Isaiah told Hezekiah he would die.

In response, he cried out to God and wept bitterly before the Lord in prayer.

Isaiah had no knowledge that Hezekiah was praying for God’s mercy, yet when he came to Hezekiah, he brought an answer to the prayer that Hezekiah prayed.

It was a God Thing – God was at work. 

There may be things you pray for or situations you are going through.

In this season, maybe someone brings the right word or even the right provision that you need.

Especially when you have never expressed it to anyone else.

You could go for prayer, and someone prays for your need without you telling them what your need is.

Or, you could sit in church one day, the pastor “reads your mail,” meaning they preach as if they know exactly what we are going through, we never told them.

Situations like these are what God uses to show that he is completely aware of your situation and that he has not forgotten you. 

3. When it meets a need at just the right time

Ecclesiastes 3:11 New American Standard Bible 1995

God Set Eternity in the Heart of Man

11 He has made everything [a]appropriate in its time. He has also set eternity in their heart, [b]yet so that man will not find out the work which God has done from the beginning even to the end.

When God is truly in something, he has a way of showing up at just the right time and providing exactly what you need.

It is not a coincidence when you hear the right word, the right song, the right encouragement, or receive the right provision at the moment you need it.

I know sometimes we wish we didn’t have to experience it this way. However, the only way you will ever know God is authentically faithful is if you must be in a situation where he can prove his faithfulness to you and you praise God for it.

4. When it Rightly aligns with the word of God

2 Timothy 2:14-19 New King James Version

Approved and Disapproved Workers

14 Remind them of these things, charging them before the Lord not to [a]strive about words to no profit, to the ruin of the hearers. 15 Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. 16 But shun profane and [b]idle babblings, for they will [c]increase to more ungodliness. 17 And their message will spread like cancer. Hymenaeus and Philetus are of this sort, 18 who have strayed concerning the truth, saying that the resurrection is already past; and they overthrow the faith of some. 19 Nevertheless the solid foundation of God stands, having this seal: “The Lord knows those who are His,” and, “Let everyone who names the name of [d]Christ depart from iniquity.”

A recent blog I read celebrated the idea of a “never-ending vacation.”

Faced with all the ugly long term prospects of an unfulfilling relationship, an unfulfilling job, and the constant demands of everyday life, many people dream of “just leaving it all behind” and heading for a place with no responsibilities.

While it can surely be good and desirable thing to have a change of pace in life, the temptation to run away from all our responsibilities will lead to trouble and will inevitably and perhaps permanently, damage the relationships in our lives.

In 2 Timothy 2 the apostle Paul mentions two individuals who ran away from home spiritually.

Apparently they got caught up in false teachings about the resurrection and undermined the hope that believers had in Christ.

The false teachers aggressively painted a picture that misled people to wander from the good news of Jesus—that we are saved by grace through faith in Jesus Christ, who died for our sins and rose again so that we can live forever with him.

No matter how much we might enjoy learning new things in life, we need the “solid foundation” of scriptural truth that we can depend on to provide us with our spiritual home. We need a place where we are known and accepted in grace.

2 Timothy 3:10-17 New King James Version

The Man of God and the Word of God

10 But you have carefully followed my doctrine, manner of life, purpose, faith, longsuffering, love, perseverance, 11 persecutions, afflictions, which happened to me at Antioch, at Iconium, at Lystra—what persecutions I endured. And out of them all the Lord delivered me. 12 Yes, and all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution. 13 But evil men and impostors will grow worse and worse, deceiving and being deceived. 14 But you must continue in the things which you have learned and been assured of, knowing from whom you have learned them, 15 and that from childhood you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.

16 All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for [a]instruction in righteousness, 17 that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.

Let’s be careful about the stories we tell and the “chatter” we might engage in.

This means we are responsible for knowing and correctly applying what God has said in his word. When you know what his word says, here is what happens.

Ephesians 4:11-16 New King James Version

11 And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, 12 for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the [a]edifying of the body of Christ, 13 till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ; 14 that we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting, 15 but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head—Christ— 16 from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love.

So many people easily deceive themselves and believe that God is orchestrating activities that contradict his word.

Unfortunately, because they are not studious, they are unfamiliar with his word, they don’t and wont always recognize that God is not any part of it.

If you want to be sure if something is a genuine God thing, check to see how it aligns with the holy scripture. If it doesn’t, then you know what the answer is.

In all that we say, do, we should ask ourselves, “Does it point people to Christ?”

5. When you look at the results (but not always)

Isaiah 55:8-11 New American Standard Bible 1995

8 “For My thoughts are not your thoughts,
Nor are your ways My ways,” declares the Lord.
9 “For as the heavens are higher than the earth,
So are My ways higher than your ways
And My thoughts than your thoughts.
10 “For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven,
And do not return there without watering the earth
And making it bear and sprout,
And furnishing seed to the sower and bread to the eater;
11 So will My word be which goes forth from My mouth;
It will not return to Me empty,
Without accomplishing what I desire,
And without succeeding in the matter for which I sent it.

One Thanksgiving, our pastor once told this story to the children in our church.

He showed the children and the congregation a pumpkin and an acorn, and he said he could never figure out why God had created such a small seed for a large tree and why he had created such a large oversized gourd for such a small plant.

It seemed that in a creation that was proportional an oak tree should have a large seed, about the size of a pumpkin, and a small plant like a pumpkin vine should have a small seed, about the size of an acorn.

But then he went on to explain to the church that one day while he was walking through the woods, looking at the leaves an acorn fell and hit him on the head–and suddenly he realized that God must always know exactly what he is doing.

Often in our life we see and experience things that don’t seem to make sense to us, just as often we are all called to trust that God truly knows what he is doing.

God reminds us of this when he says, “My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways … As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.”

Even in the confusion of life, we can be assured that when things do not make sense to us, God knows what he is doing and we can all trust him to care for us.

John 19:28-30 New American Standard Bible 1995

28 After this, Jesus, knowing that all things had already been accomplished, to fulfill the Scripture, *said, “I am thirsty.” 29 A jar full of sour wine was standing there; so  they put a sponge full of the sour wine upon a branch of hyssop and brought it up to His mouth. 30 Therefore when Jesus had received the sour wine, He said, “It is finished!” And He bowed His head and gave up His spirit.

For example, Jesus followed the Father in perfect obedience, getting him nailed to a cross. In the short term, that outcome did not look so good. However, in the long term, “It is Finished” meaning that his obedience paid for our salvation.

So yes, results absolutely matter, but not more than your obedience to what God desires you to do.

While results can indicate that God is doing something supernatural, we must measure those results according to God’s standards and not worldly priorities.

Otherwise, we may consistently think God is doing something he is not part of.

Little is much when we know God is absolutely in it – it is His thing – not ours!

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

Let us Pray,

Psalm 84 New American Standard Bible 1995

Longing for the Temple Worship.

For the choir director; [a]on the Gittith. A Psalm of the sons of Korah.

84 How lovely are Your dwelling places,
O Lord of hosts!
2 My soul longed and even yearned for the courts of the Lord;
My heart and my flesh sing for joy to the living God.
3 The bird also has found a house,
And the swallow a nest for herself, where she may lay her young,
Even Your altars, O Lord of hosts,
My King and my God.
4 How blessed are those who dwell in Your house!
They are ever praising You. [b]Selah.

5 How blessed is the man whose strength is in You,
In [c]whose heart are the highways to Zion!
6 Passing through the valley of [d]Baca they make it a [e]spring;
The early rain also covers it with blessings.
7 They go from strength to strength,
[f]Every one of them appears before God in Zion.

8 O Lord God of hosts, hear my prayer;
Give ear, O God of Jacob! Selah.
9 Behold our shield, O God,
And look upon the face of Your anointed.
10 For a day in Your courts is better than a thousand outside.
I would rather stand at the threshold of the house of my God
Than dwell in the tents of wickedness.
11 For the Lord God is a sun and shield;
The Lord gives grace and glory;
No good thing does He withhold [g]from those who walk [h]uprightly.
12 O Lord of hosts,
How blessed is the man who trusts in 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.

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Seeing God’s Bigger Picture When We are Grieving; Sadness unto Gladness. Psalm 34:17-20

Psalm 34:17-20 The Message

17 Is anyone crying for help? God is listening,
ready to rescue you.

18 If your heart is broken, you’ll find God right there;
if you’re kicked in the gut, he’ll help you catch your breath.

19 Disciples so often get into trouble;
still, God is there every time.

20 He’s your bodyguard, shielding every bone;
not even a finger gets broken.

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.

Grieving is a natural response to loss and sorrow. In the midst of our pain we find comfort and peace in the assurance that God is near to the brokenhearted.

When we experience loss, we turn to God in prayer, pouring out our hearts before him.

He completely understands our pain, and in his tender compassion the Lord continuously offers comfort and peace, peace surpassing our understanding.

Grieving is a natural process that requires time and grace. We allow ourselves to mourn, knowing that God wipes every tear and also holds us close to his heart.

Psalm 56:8 The Message

8 You’ve kept track of my every toss and turn
    through the sleepless nights,
Each tear entered in your ledger,
    each ache written in your book.

In times of sorrow, we can draw strength from fond memories of the ones we have lost. Their legacy lives on through the impact they have had in our lives, and we can certainly thank God for the ways he has blessed us through them.

As we walk with God through our grief, through Scripture and prayer we find truest hope in the resurrection and eternal life promised in Christ, our Savior.

Looking not to our grief but trusting in all of God’s promises, we hold on to the assurance that our loved ones who have passed away are safe in his loving arms.

Bigger Gospel Picture: Our Sadness unto His Gladness

John 20:20-31 The Message

To Believe

19-20 Later on that day, the disciples had gathered together, but, fearful of the Jews, had locked all the doors in the house. Jesus entered, stood among them, and said, “Peace to you.” Then he showed them his hands and side.

20-21 The disciples, seeing the Master with their own eyes, were awestruck. Jesus repeated his greeting: “Peace to you. Just as the Father sent me, I send you.”

22-23 Then he took a deep breath and breathed into them. “Receive the Holy Spirit,” he said. “If you forgive someone’s sins, they’re gone for good. If you don’t forgive sins, what are you going to do with them?”

24-25 But Thomas, sometimes called the Twin, one of the Twelve, was not with them when Jesus came. The other disciples told him, “We saw the Master.”

But he said, “Unless I see the nail holes in his hands, put my finger in the nail holes, and stick my hand in his side, I won’t believe it.”

26 Eight days later, his disciples were again in the room. This time Thomas was with them. Jesus came through the locked doors, stood among them, and said, “Peace to you.”

27 Then he focused his attention on Thomas. “Take your finger and examine my hands. Take your hand and stick it in my side. Don’t be unbelieving. Believe.”

28 Thomas said, “My Master! My God!”

29 Jesus said, “So, you believe because you’ve seen with your own eyes. Even better blessings are in store for those who believe without seeing.”

30-31 Jesus provided far more God-revealing signs than are written down in this book. These are written down so you will believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and in the act of believing, have real and eternal life in the way he personally revealed it.

The first Easter did not look like a typical Easter celebration.

Before Jesus’ resurrection was discovered, the day was marked by tears, devastation, and bewilderment—not joy, hope, and praise.

The disciples were gathered out of fear, to protect one another, not to sing “Christ the Lord is risen today, Alleluia!”[1] 

1 Charles Wesley, “Christ the Lord Is Risen Today” (1739).

The truth is in their overwhelming grief and sadness, they sat in sadness; for them, their story had come to a grinding halt, with the next page 100% blank.

Or so they thought.

The Gospel does not attempt to deny or try to idealize the grief felt by Christ’s followers after His crucifixion.

They didn’t understand what had happened, and they certainly didn’t know what would happen next.

Their sadness reveals humanity’s limitations in knowing the bigger picture.

Despite the Old Testament prophecies and Jesus’ own foretelling of His death (Mark 8:31; 9:31; 10:33-34), John’s Gospel tells us that they “as yet did not understand the Scripture, that he must rise from the dead” (John 20:9).

They didn’t understand that when Jesus said from the cross, “It is finished” (19:30), He was not expressing any defeat but declaring everlasting victory.

This victory meant resurrection.

And as the resurrected Savior came to the disciples in their darkness, fear, and sadness, He brought transformation.

Their unbelief turned to belief, an affirmation of faith, and their sadness turned unto His brand of gladness.

That gladness was rooted in the fact that they understood that Jesus had risen from the dead.

Their faith and their future returned and were rooted in this wonderful reality.

The darkness of their despair made the light of the resurrection all the more glorious.

If you are looking for an idol that will just make you glad, your search will be in vain, through the Scriptures and prayer you should look for the God of the Bible.

He does make us glad—more so than anyone or anything or anyplace else—but He often starts by making us sad.

We are saddened by this broken world, saddened by our own sin, saddened that on the cross Jesus died for our wickedness, disobedience, and disinterest.

It is only through truly feeling such sorrow that we can fully understand the gladness that comes with our account being settled, our debt being paid, our sins being forgiven, and our wrongs being forgiven and forgotten. (Psalm 32)

We can know the gladness of a love that loves us even though we are not worthy of it—that loves us when we don’t want to listen.

What kind of love is this?

It is the love of God for men and women, for you and me!

Today, look away from yourself and look at Him.

This is love, and when we know we are loved in this way, we are able to see the healing in the harm, sadness can be the soil in which eternal gladness grows.

About which part of your life—perhaps a part full of pain, or regret, or anxiety—do you need to hear this today?

Remember that whatever you are walking through, it remains true that Christ the Lord is risen, Christ the Lord is fully Alive and we can all sing, Hallelujah!

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

Let us Pray,

Compassionate God, in our grief may we find comfort in you. Draw near and hold us close as we mourn. Thank you for all of your promises. Thank you for understanding our pain and our tears. Help us to find hope in the resurrection and eternal life you have made possible for us in thy Son Jesus. Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia! Amen.

Psalm 84 New American Standard Bible 1995

Longing for the Temple Worship.

For the choir director; [a]on the Gittith. A Psalm of the sons of Korah.

84 How lovely are Your dwelling places,
O Lord of hosts!
2 My soul longed and even yearned for the courts of the Lord;
My heart and my flesh sing for joy to the living God.
3 The bird also has found a house,
And the swallow a nest for herself, where she may lay her young,
Even Your altars, O Lord of hosts,
My King and my God.
4 How blessed are those who dwell in Your house!
They are ever praising You. [b]Selah.

5 How blessed is the man whose strength is in You,
In [c]whose heart are the highways to Zion!
6 Passing through the valley of [d]Baca they make it a [e]spring;
The early rain also covers it with blessings.
7 They go from strength to strength,
[f]Every one of them appears before God in Zion.

8 O Lord God of hosts, hear my prayer;
Give ear, O God of Jacob! Selah.
9 Behold our shield, O God,
And look upon the face of Your anointed.
10 For a day in Your courts is better than a thousand outside.
I would rather stand at the threshold of the house of my God
Than dwell in the tents of wickedness.
11 For the Lord God is a sun and shield;
The Lord gives grace and glory;
No good thing does He withhold [g]from those who walk [h]uprightly.
12 O Lord of hosts,
How blessed is the man who trusts in 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.

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That Courage of our Convictions or the Cowardice of our Compromises? John 19:1-15

John 19:1-15 New American Standard Bible 1995

The Crown of Thorns

19 Pilate then took Jesus and [a]scourged Him. 2 And the soldiers twisted together a crown of thorns and put it on His head, and put a purple robe on Him; 3 and they began to come up to Him and say, “Hail, King of the Jews!” and to give Him slaps in the face. 4 Pilate came out again and *said to them, “Behold, I am bringing Him out to you so that you may know that I find no guilt in Him.” 5 Jesus then came out, wearing the crown of thorns and the purple robe. Pilate  *said to them, “Behold, the Man!” 6 So when the chief priests and the officers saw Him, they cried out saying, “Crucify, crucify!” Pilate *said to them, “Take Him yourselves and crucify Him, for I find no guilt in Him.” 7 The Jews answered him, “We have a law, and by that law He ought to die because He made Himself out to be the Son of God.”

8 Therefore when Pilate heard this statement, he was even more afraid; 9 and he  entered into the [b]Praetorium again and *said to Jesus, “Where are You from?” But Jesus gave him no answer. 10 So Pilate *said to Him, “You do not speak to me? Do You not know that I have authority to release You, and I have authority to crucify You?” 11 Jesus answered, “You would have no authority [c]over Me, unless it had been given you from above; for this reason he who delivered Me to you has the greater sin.” 12 As a result of this Pilate [d]made efforts to release Him, but the Jews cried out saying, “If you release this Man, you are no friend of Caesar; everyone who makes himself out to be a king [e] opposes Caesar.”

13 Therefore when Pilate heard these words, he brought Jesus out, and sat down on the judgment seat at a place called [f]The Pavement, but in [g]Hebrew, Gabbatha. 14 Now it was the day of preparation for the Passover; it was about the [h]sixth hour. And he *said to the Jews, “Behold, your King!” 15 So they cried out, “Away with Him, away with Him, crucify Him!” Pilate *said to them, “Shall I crucify your King?” The chief priests answered, “We have no king but Caesar.”

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.

Whose praise will you live for?

When Christ was put on trial before Pilate, the Roman governor repeatedly declared His innocence—and yet he paired his declarations with dreadful acts against Him.

Pilate said, “I find no guilt in him”—and then handed Jesus over to be brutally flogged, a beating so intense that it sometimes caused gashes and lacerations where veins, arteries, and internal organs would be exposed.

Pilate said, “I find no guilt in him”—and then let the soldiers humiliate Jesus with a mock coronation, placing a crown of thorns upon His head, dressing Him up, and scornfully “worshiping” Him.

Pilate said, “I find no guilt in him”—but did he release Jesus?

No, he surrendered Jesus to a vicious execution squad to be killed.

There was never a more tormented individual that met Christ than Pilate.

Here was a man who possesses great authority, everyone around him is afraid, a man of great power who utterly lacked the courage to stand by his convictions.

Here was a man with great political influence, with the power of life and death in his words, of great success but who also ultimately compromised all of his authority, showing himself under the trappings of his position to be a coward.

Here was a governor who was governed on the outside by his office, his uniform and an Emperors appointment, edict, but in the inside by his own weaknesses.

We cannot be neutral nor passive or indecisive regarding who Christ is to us.

We cannot be neutral nor passive or indecisive regarding who the world is and what the world represents to us and to what the world would prefer to do to us.

Is He the Savior or is He no one?

To abstain from a decision about this, to not be accountable, to not be even minimally responsible as Pilate sought to do and be, in the presence of those crowds who wrongfully brought Christ, is to abstain from Christ altogether.

Pilate stands as a great challenge to each of us.

Matthew 16:24-27 Amplified Bible

Discipleship Is Costly

24 Then Jesus said to His disciples, “If anyone wishes to follow Me [as My disciple], he must deny himself [set aside selfish interests], and take up his cross [expressing a willingness to endure whatever may come] and follow Me [believing in Me, conforming to My example in living and, if need be, suffering or perhaps dying because of faith in Me]. 25 For whoever wishes to save his life [in this world] will [eventually] lose it [through death], but whoever loses his life [in this world] for My sake will find it [that is, life with Me for all eternity]. 26 For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world [wealth, fame, success], but forfeits his soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul? 27 For the Son of Man is going to come in the glory and majesty of His Father with His angels, and then He will repay each one in accordance with what he has done.

Mark 8:34-38 Amplified Bible

34 Jesus called the crowd together with His disciples, and said to them, “If anyone wishes to follow Me [as My disciple], he must deny himself [set aside selfish interests], and [a]take up his cross [expressing a willingness to endure whatever may come] and follow Me [believing in Me, conforming to My example in living and, if need be, suffering or perhaps dying because of faith in Me]. 35 For whoever wishes to save his life [in this world] will [eventually] lose it [through death], but whoever loses his life [in this world] for My sake and the gospel’s will save it [from the consequences of sin and separation from God]. 36  For what does it benefit a man to gain the whole world [with all its pleasures], and forfeit his soul? 37 For what will a man give in exchange for his soul and eternal life [in God’s kingdom]? 38 For whoever is ashamed [here and now] of Me and My words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man will also be ashamed of him when He comes in the glory of His Father with the holy angels.”

Luke 9:18-26 Amplified Bible

18 Now it happened that as Jesus was praying privately, the disciples were with Him, and He asked them, “Who do the crowds say that I am?” 19 They answered, “John the Baptist, and some say, Elijah; but others, that one of the ancient prophets has come back to life.” 20 And He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” Peter replied, “The Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed) of God!” 21 But He strictly warned and admonished them not to tell this to anyone, 22 saying, “The Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected [as the Messiah] by the elders and chief priests and scribes (Sanhedrin, Jewish High Court), and be put to death, and on the third day be raised up [from death to life].”

23 And He was saying to them all, “If anyone wishes to follow Me [as My disciple], he must deny himself [set aside selfish interests], and take up his cross daily [expressing a willingness to endure whatever may come] and follow Me [believing in Me, conforming to My example in living and, if need be, suffering or perhaps dying because of faith in Me]. 24 For whoever wishes to save his life [in this world] will  [eventually] lose it [through death], but whoever loses his life [in this world] for My sake, he is the one who will save it [from the consequences of sin and separation from God]. 25 For what does it profit a man if he gains the whole world [wealth, fame, success], and loses or forfeits himself? 26 For whoever is ashamed [here and now] of Me and My words, the Son of Man will be ashamed of him when He comes in His glory and the glory of the [heavenly] Father and of the holy angels.

Pilate’s conduct compels us to ask ourselves some very serious questions:

In what situations do I, do we, like Pilate, know the right thing to do in some way and yet fear what other people will say if I do it?

In what situations do we, the church, like Pilate, know the right thing to do in some way and yet fear more what the world will do to us, crucify us publicly for?

Are there ways in which my words or conduct or convictions are governed more by the expectations and reaction of great clouds of others, or by considerations of wealth, position, or promotion, than by God’s uncompromising commands?

Let’s not compromise on our position regarding Christ.

If we let the opinions of our colleagues, our neighbors, or our families concern us too much, we may find ourselves giving up forgiveness, peace, heaven, and Christ Himself in exchange for an easier life now. Instead, let’s be courageous.

Joshua 1:1-9 New American Standard Bible 1995

God’s Charge to Joshua

1 Now it came about after the death of Moses the servant of the Lord, that the Lord spoke to Joshua the son of Nun, Moses’ [a]servant, saying, 2 “Moses My servant is dead; now therefore arise, cross this Jordan, you and all this people, to the land which I am giving to them, to the sons of Israel. 3 Every place on which the sole of your foot treads, I have given it to you, just as I spoke to Moses. 4 From the wilderness and this Lebanon, even as far as the great river, the river Euphrates, all the land of the Hittites, and as far as the Great Sea toward the setting of the sun will be your territory. 5 No man will be able to stand before you all the days of your life. Just as I have been with Moses, I will be with you; I will not fail you or forsake you. 6 Be strong and courageous, for you shall give this people possession of the land which I swore to their fathers to give them. 7 Only be strong and very courageous; [b]be careful to do according to all the law which Moses My servant commanded you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left, so that you may [c]have success wherever you go. 8 This book of the law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may [d]be careful to do according to all that is written in it; for then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will [e]have success. 9 Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous! Do not tremble or be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”

Look again at Christ: flogged, mocked, and killed out of love for you.

Then look at those who, perhaps vociferously or perhaps politely, scoff at His truth. Who would you rather offend? Whose “well done” would you rather hear?

“the Emperor is the ONLY King that matters to us!” “crucify! crucify! crucify!

Do we even want to hear or listen to the words of Pilate: “Not guilty!”  

“Not Guilty!” “I Can Find No Guilt in Him!”

That’s the true verdict on Jesus.

However, he assumed our guilt and sin on the cross so that we can be freed from them.

He lived, loved, died as a sacrifice for our sins and the sins of the whole world so that everyone who truly comes to him can be declared “not guilty” before God.

Praise God for his incredible grace, and praise Jesus for his incredible sacrifice!

Christ is continuously beckoning us to Him so we all might go out, live for Him.

1. “Are ye able,” said the Master,
“to be crucified with me?”
“Yea,” the sturdy dreamers answered,
“to the death we follow thee.”
Refrain:
Lord, we are able. Our spirits are thine.
Remold them, make us, like thee, divine.
Thy guiding radiance above us shall be
a beacon to God, to love, and loyalty. Text: Earl Marlatt, 1892-

Will you come?

and will you go?

or will you do exactly nothing?

Or will you turn your back, join the crowds, run with the cultural masses?

How long do you need to think about what actions you are going to take?

Whose love and attention do you crave more?

God, the Father God the Son God the Holy Spirit …. or something someone else?

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

Let us Pray,

Psalm 16 New American Standard Bible 1995

The Lord the Psalmist’s Portion in Life and Deliverer in Death.

A [a]Mikhtam of David.

16 Preserve me, O God, for I take refuge in You.
2 [b]I said to the Lord, “You are [c]my Lord;
I have no good besides You.”
3 As for the [d]saints who are in the earth,
[e]They are the majestic ones in whom is all my delight.
4 The [f]sorrows of those who have [g]bartered for another god will be multiplied;
I shall not pour out their drink offerings of blood,
Nor will I take their names upon my lips.

5 The Lord is the portion of my inheritance and my cup;
You support my lot.
6 The lines have fallen to me in pleasant places;
Indeed, my heritage is beautiful to me.

7 I will bless the Lord who has counseled me;
Indeed, my [h]mind instructs me in the night.
8 I have set the Lord continually before me;
Because He is at my right hand, I will not be shaken.
9 Therefore my heart is glad and my glory rejoices;
My flesh also will dwell securely.
10 For You will not abandon my soul to [i]Sheol;
Nor will You [j]allow Your [k]Holy One to [l]undergo decay.
11 You will make known to me the path of life;
In Your presence is fullness of joy;
In Your right hand there are pleasures forever.

Father, I praise you and your Son for the incredible gift of forgiveness and freedom from sin that are mine through Jesus bearing my sins on the cross. May my life show that I appreciate this incredible gift and that I take sin very seriously and commit to learning more of Your truth and staying away from it. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen.

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

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Habits of Faith: Our Alleged Abilities to Handle the Pressures of Living Our Life. 2 Corinthians 4:7-12

2 Corinthians 4:7-12 New American Standard Bible 1995

7 But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, so that the surpassing greatness of the power will be of God and not from ourselves; 8 we are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not despairing; 9 persecuted, but not  forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; 10 always carrying about in the body the dying of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our body. 11 For we who live are constantly being delivered over to death for Jesus’ sake, so that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh. 12 So death works in us, but life in 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.

That is life, isn’t it?

Here are listed by the Apostle Paul all of the pressures common to man, not removed in the life of a Christian.

It is false that when you become a Christian everything smooths out, and you are given a membership in a flying red carpet club through life, so mysterious bridges suddenly appear over all the chasms, the hurricane winds are tempered for you, and there are no pressures or difficulties to be seen or heard ever again.

What a far cry that is from reality!

The problem is, the pressures are all always going to be there.

This is life in the raw.

Look at these categories:

Hard pressed on every side (afflictions): These are the normal trials which everybody faces, Christian and non-Christian alike.

Your washing machine breaks down on Monday morning, your vehicle breaks down on Tuesday after a long hard day at work, sickness strikes in your family, heartbreaks come, the buffetings, the beatings of life which come to everyone.

They are all so normal, so daily. I tell you, these last several weeks we feel as though we have been fighting twelve rounds a day with young Muhamad Ali!

Perplexities: This refers to all the pressing calls for decisions when we don’t know what to decide.

We are at a loss, we can’t see the end, we don’t know how it is going to turn out.

We are afflicted with fears, anxieties, worries, and uncertainties, all gathered up in this word perplexities.

Persecutions: These are the misunderstandings we all run up against, the ostracisms, the cold shoulders which are shown to us at times, the malicious actions and attitudes, deliberate slights, attacks on our character and our reputation, oftentimes, the bigoted, prejudiced, unfair practices of members of society against one another; character assassinations of modern cancel culture.

These are all shamefully part of Christian life as well as the non-Christian’s.

Struck down: These are the stunning, shattering blows which drop out of the blue into our lives — fired without cause, financial ruin, accidents, acute, fatal illnesses, war, earthquakes, famine, riot, insanity — the terrible episodes which shatter a family or an individual, leave us so very stunned, frightened, baffled.

All these things and more too are all definitely part of normal Christian and non Christian experience.

There is no change in the problems, the pressures, enormity of the challenges.

But look at how the Apostle Paul describes the reactions to those challenge: 

“We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed.” 

There is a power within, a transcendent power, different than anything else, which keeps pushing back with equal pressure against whatever comes from without, so that we are not destroyed, not crushed or despairing.

That is what the Christian life is intended to be.

There is no question about it.

We are called to this kind of victorious experience.

Perhaps every one of us who knows Jesus Christ has experienced something of this at times.

Romans 5:6-10 New American Standard Bible 1995

6 For while we were still helpless, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. 7 For one will hardly die for a righteous man; [a]though perhaps for the good man someone would dare even to die. 8 But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. 9 Much more then, having now been justified [b]by His blood, we shall be saved from the wrath of God through Him. 10 For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved [c]by His life.

Hebrews 12:1-3 English Standard Version

Jesus, Founder and Perfecter of Our Faith

12 Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, 2 looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.

Do Not Grow Weary

3 Consider him who endured from sinners such hostility against himself, so that you may not grow weary or fainthearted.

But thanks be to God who is our our Creator, we know how our Savior Christ can undergird us in times of sorrow and strain, but usually it is in the big things, the big shattering things, that we each experience something of the reality of this.

But this is intended to be a constant, continuous experience.

We are to meet the pressures with an answering inner pressure, the life, death and resurrection of Christ not only in the big things but the little things as well.

What Perplexities Did the Apostle Paul NOT Face?

How was Paul able to keep pressing on in the midst of all kinds of affliction?

The most important reason was because he was convinced that God was with him, and that God would open up a way for him in the midst of his troubles.

When you are faced with all sorts of pressure, learn to entrust these things to the Lord and come before Him with an expectant heart.

Just like Moses when he stood by the Red Sea, declared to the people of Israel, “Do not be afraid. Stand firm and you will see the deliverance the Lord will bring you today.”

The God whom we believe in is a God who can turn crisis into opportunity.

The disciples panicked when a storm started while they were out at sea.

The sea calmed down once Jesus came.

At the wedding in Cana in Galilee, there was no wine left for the banquet, but Jesus turned water to wine.

Jesus turned the shame of the cross into a glorious symbol.

As long as we entrust our lives to Him and ask God to help us, and as long as we choose to have faith instead of choosing to be negative or complaining, we can see what God can accomplish.

On the other hand, consider this: Paul was able to overcome pressure in the midst of troubles because he had good spiritual companions to support him.

In verses 8 and 9, Paul refers to “we”.

When he was preaching the gospel throughout the region, Timothy and Silas were his co-workers.

When he was in prison, he was accompanied by Epaphroditus and Luke.

It is important to have good spiritual companions in the Christian life.

When in that moment of moments, we are under extreme pressure, what we need the most is not others tell us what to do, but a person whom we can trust and who will understand us and listen to us and constantly remain at our sides.

God put us in the church, so that we can find our spiritual companions in the Lord, with whom we can run the race heavenward together.

May the Spirit of God guide us, help us, to take the initiative to find our spiritual companions in fellowship.

In this way, we can support one another, and learn to lean on God to overcome all kinds of troubles.

Someone once said the pressures within your heart are the driving forces for growth.

But this is only true on one condition — if you are absolutely certain that the Lord is with you and that God will make a way for you.

Right now more than ever, you are really in need of a spiritual companion who can support and encourage you to go forth onto the furnace and move forward!

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

Let us Pray,

Psalm 23 New American Standard Bible 1995

The Lord, the Psalmist’s Shepherd.

A Psalm of David.

23 The Lord is my shepherd,
I [a]shall not want.
2 He makes me lie down in green pastures;
He leads me beside [b]quiet waters.
3 He restores my soul;
He guides me in the [c]paths of righteousness
For His name’s sake.

4 Even though I walk through the [d]valley of the shadow of death,
I fear no [e]evil, for You are with me;
Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.
5 You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies;
You [f]have anointed my head with oil;
My cup overflows.
6 [g]Surely goodness and lovingkindness will follow me all the days of my life,
And I will [h]dwell in the house of the Lord [i]forever.

Lord, I pray that I may learn to accept gladly, cheerfully, and understandingly the experiences which come my way, which force me to rely upon your grace. Lord, we thank you because no matter what circumstance we are in, as long as we have Jesus, the storms can be calmed and our needs can be met. May your Holy spirit give us the passion to live for you and help us find a spiritual companion to walk alongside us. We thank you and pray in the victorious name of our Savior Jesus Christ, Amen!

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.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hZnDD3wAkZU

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Recognition of Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Day; As His Message, as God’s Message, Is Now Committed Unto All Of Us. 2 Corinthians 5:16-20

2 Corinthians 5:16-20 Easy-to-Read Version

16 From this time on we don’t think of anyone as the world thinks of people. It is true that in the past we thought of Christ as the world thinks. But we don’t think that way now. 17 When anyone is in Christ, it is a whole new world.[a] The old things are gone; suddenly, everything is new! 18 All this is from God. Through Christ, God made peace between himself and us. And God gave us the work of bringing people into peace with him. 19 I mean that God was in Christ, making peace between the world and himself. In Christ, God did not hold people guilty for their sins. And he gave us this message of peace to tell people. 20 So we have been sent to speak for Christ. It is like God is calling to people through us. We speak for Christ when we beg you to be at peace 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.

Dr. Martin Luther King and the Kingdom Of God

In the United States today we commemorate the life and work of Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. (MLK).

As well we should.

Dr. King stood before the thousands who had gathered – said he had a dream …

A significant God-sized dream …

Dr. King dreamed about the kingdom of God—where the children of former slaves and the children of former slaveowners would see each other as family, and the message; where everyone would share equally in freedom and justice.

Dr. King also did what he could to influence people to refocus their mindsets into God, so to make that kingdom dream real, even at the cost of his own life.

Even today, we are challenged mightily to be true unto that same dream to see all people not by the color of their skin as Christ saw people, but God’s children.

In a word, reconcile the world to God.

As if God Himself is communicating to His Creation … through His Son and through his messengers like Dr. Martin Luther King … His desired message …

Apostle Paul writes to the Corinthian followers that the word of reconciliation has been committed to us by God and that God makes His appeal through us.

He is in us.

Emmanuel, God with Us …

Emmanuel, God within us …

John 14:15-17 Easy-to-Read Version

The Promise of the Holy Spirit

15 “If you love me, you will do what I command. 16 I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper[a] to be with you forever. 17 The Helper is the Spirit of truth.[b] The people of the world cannot accept him, because they don’t see him or know him. But you know him. He lives with you, and he will be in you.

And He’s doing it, and that is what saves us from fear and from uncertainty and stumbling from mistakes in the work of witnessing.

Our reasoned logic, our wisest arguments, and so on are of no effect whatsoever in this topic, except as they be the living expression of the Holy Spirit within us.

He will do his work; all we need to be is to be bold enough, courageous enough, ready enough to respond to the situation, depending on Jesus to do His work.

This relieves one of the greatest fears that keep people from witnessing.

It should help us tremendously to realize that we do not have to pump up our courage, “to gird our own loins” and tackle a situation in which we hardly know what we are coming into at all – because we know that God is already on the job.

We may be talking to somebody that is a stranger to us.

We do not know what their background is, what their ability is, what their mental acumen is, or anything of the sort.

We do not need to know.

All we need to know about or do is just carry on a normal conversation about ordinary things.

If we can but look to the Lord to find an opening to insert just a word that will switch the conversation over toward the things of Christ, that may lead the time towards deeper conversation about the deeper things, more meaningful things.

If this is a prepared heart, that person will respond.

If it is not one that the Holy Spirit has prepared, then they just won’t respond.

Therefore, the work of testifying and witnessing to God’s message is impossible until the Holy Spirit has made the person ready to receive God’s message alone.

We do not practice this work of witnessing without realizing that sometimes the initial response is sometimes different than what we would hope, expect.

One may discover that the person is often belligerent at first, but has a hungry heart underneath.

One learns to be quick at perceiving that and paying no attention to what he says, but instead speaking to what he is displaying in their own inner hunger.

But any kind of response is a good response, an open door opportunity as long as it is an open door by which you could pursue the subject deeper and further.

We do not need to pray for the Holy Spirit to prepare hearts.

He is already preparing them.

He has them prepared all around us.

Jesus said, Don’t you have a saying, ‘It’s still four months until harvest’? I tell you, open your eyes and look at the fields! They are ripe for harvest (John 4:35).

These prepared, hungry hearts, hearts yearning for answers, are all around us.

Our ministry and mission is simply to be so available to the Lord, that as we have the kingdom opportunity to make contact from day to day, we can be used of Him to find who they are, learn about them, and carry this witness forward.

As children of God, we represent the family of God, whether we are aware of it or not.

The world will judge our Father based on our words, behaviors, and attitudes.

Jesus challenges his followers to let their light shine into the world’s spiritual darkness.

Our deeds, good or bad, beautiful or ugly, will reflect an image of the Father that others will see.

If we are a Christian, we each, without exception, bear the name of Christ.

We represent Jesus quite literally wherever we go.

The Bible goes as far as to call us “Christ’s ambassadors” to the world.

Christ made His appeal to the world through Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King.

In 2024 and beyond, Christ is now making His appeal to the world through us.

He sends us forward to share his transforming love with our neighbors, friends, relatives, coworkers—through every single one we encounter on any given day.

We carry the family name of Jesus Christ wherever we go, in whatever we do.

On this Martin Luther King Day 2024, How well do we carry the name of Jesus?

Walk through today expecting the Holy Spirit to give you opportunities to share the truths of Jesus and be an ambassador of reconciliation.

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

Let us Pray,

Here is a prayer of Dr. King’s prayers from a collection titled, “Thou, Dear God”: Prayers That Open Hearts and Spirits (edited by Lewis V. Baldwin):

1)  Prayer to forgive us for what we could have been but failed to be

O Thou Eternal God, out of whose absolute power and infinite intelligence the whole universe has come into being, we humbly confess that we have not loved thee with our hearts, souls and minds, and we have not loved our neighbors as Christ loved us. We have all too often lived by our own selfish impulses rather than by the life of sacrificial love as revealed by Christ. We often give in order to receive. We love our friends and hate our enemies. We go the first mile but dare not travel the second. We forgive but dare not forget. And so as we look within ourselves, we are confronted with the appalling fact that the history of our lives is the history of an eternal revolt against you. But thou, O God, have mercy upon us. Forgive us for what we could have been but failed to be. Give us the intelligence to know your will. Give us the courage to do your will. Give us the devotion to love thy will. In the name and spirit of Jesus we pray. Amen. (p. 7)

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

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The Always Unresolved Resolution, A Task That Is Always Left Unfinished. Can God Get Even One Witness Today. Luke 24:44-49

Luke 24:44-49 New King James Version

The Scriptures Opened

44 Then He said to them, “These are the words which I spoke to you while I was still with you, that all things must be fulfilled which were written in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms concerning Me.” 45 And He opened their understanding, that they might comprehend the Scriptures.

46 Then He said to them, “Thus it is written, [a]and thus it was necessary for the Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead the third day, 47 and that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in His name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. 48 And you are witnesses of these things. 49 Behold, I send the Promise of My Father upon you; but tarry in the city [b]of Jerusalem until you are endued with power from on high.”

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.

Resolution: “I Will Finally Pray God Opens My Eyes”

After rising from the dead, Jesus met several times with his followers.

On the road to Emmaus, while he walked along with two of them, they didn’t know who he was while he taught all about himself from the Scriptures.

Only later, when he broke bread with them, were their eyes finally opened to see Him as the Messiah, God’s truly Anointed One, the Savior (Luke 24:13-35).

These two heavily enlightened followers ran back to the disciples in the Upper Room to testify to their miraculous experiences with the resurrected Jesus.

Then later that same day, in Jerusalem, resurrected Jesus met with a large group of his disciples – not bothering to knock on the heavily locked door.

And after he opened their eyes to see that He had risen in the flesh, Jesus then explained that all of the Scriptures—“the Law of Moses, the Prophets, and the Psalms”—were fulfilled in him.

For us to see and understand Jesus in the Scriptures, for us to testify, to witness to the resurrection truths revealed in those days, we too need our eyes opened.

As the Psalmist writes …

Psalm 119:17-24 New King James Version

ג GIMEL

17 Deal bountifully with Your servant,
That I may live and keep Your word.
18 Open my eyes, that I may see
Wondrous things from Your law.
19 I am a stranger in the earth;
Do not hide Your commandments from me.
20 My soul [a]breaks with longing
For Your judgments at all times.
21 You rebuke the proud—the cursed,
Who stray from Your commandments.
22 Remove from me reproach and contempt,
For I have kept Your testimonies.
23 Princes also sit and speak against me,
But Your servant meditates on Your statutes.
24 Your testimonies also are my delight
And my counselors.

Although the ancient psalmist when he penned these words couldn’t see Jesus or know what we know about Jesus today, the psalmist certainly understood the need for all generations of followers eyes be opened to understand God’s Word.

One of the more traditional, and probably the one left the most unresolved of all resolutions followers of all maturity levels will make as they are all resolving to do at least one thing better entering the new year-to learn more of God’s Word.

Without first resolving to have our eyes opened, God’s Word can seem like a giant legalistic code to measure how others—and we—fail to live righteously.

With this first resolution first and foremost on our prayer list, taking time with Jesus, taking time to converse with Jesus, taking time to listen to Jesus, with our hearts fully exposed, two eyes become fully opened as on the Emmaus Road, we will see in God’s Word the living God who is graciously revealing himself to us.

Be it Resolved that we will learn more how to live the way God intends for us.

Be it Resolved …

We ultimately find the “wonderful things” of God’s grace and mercy—above all, in God’s gift of Jesus—and we live in gratitude for all he has done for us.

A Resolution, A Task That Is Always Left Unfinished.

Matthew 28:16-20 New King James Version

The Great Commission

16 Then the eleven disciples went away into Galilee, to the mountain which Jesus had appointed for them. 17 When they saw Him, they worshiped Him; but some doubted.

18 And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. 19 Go [a]therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” [b]Amen.

“When they saw Him; they worshiped Him; but SOME DOUBTED. ”

By the words of the resurrected Jesus Himself, being the Great Commission, we are called to a task that we cannot accomplish alone: to be witnesses to Christ.

Following His death and resurrection, Jesus appeared to His disciples in the Upper Room, dispelling their fear and doubt by revealing the nail marks in His hands and His feet (Luke 24:39), reminding them of all that had been written concerning Him (v 44), and opening their minds to the truth of Scripture (v 45).

And before He returned to His heavenly throne He gave them one single task: to witness to the outside world what they had seen Him do and heard Him teach.

The truth about Him needed to be proclaimed “testified to all nations” (v 47).

Since that task is as yet unfinished, and will always remain unfinished, God’s people today are called to witness no less than God’s people of that day were.

Hebrews 12:1-2 New King James Version

The Race of Faith

12 Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, 2 looking unto Jesus, the [a] author and [b]finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

We may not be able to physically go out and testify with the apostle John, “That which … we have heard, that which we have seen with our eyes, that which we looked upon and have touched with our hands, concerning the word of life … we proclaim also to you” (1 John 1:1, 3) – but we are each still called to be among the great clouds of witnesses who laid aside every weight, ran the race of faith.

But from the first verse Genesis to the last verse of Revelation, we have God’s very spoken word, which we are called not only to believe but also to proclaim.

Be it resolved to finish what God has commissioned-yet we are so very limited!

We are steadfast and immovable, resolute and resolved, yet one minute we are faithfully believing; then the next minute our minds are filled with uncertainty.

It is never really our conscious intent to allow it to happen, inevitably Human frailty, somehow, somewhere, always and forever gets in the way of divinity.

We too soon lose our resolve often step back in fear rather than forward in faith.

Matthew 10:27-31 New King James Version

Jesus Teaches the Fear of God

27 “Whatever I tell you in the dark, speak in the light; and what you hear in the ear, preach on the housetops. 28 And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. But rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in [a]hell. 29 Are not two sparrows sold for a [b]copper coin? And not one of them falls to the ground apart from your Father’s will. 30 But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. 31 Do not fear therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows.

We find ourselves unable to overcome ourselves, not quite knowing what we are should be, saying about communicating the gospel message to those around us.

Jesus, the Good Shepherd, knows this.

He knows His sheep—He knows our propensity for fear and timidity—and He assures us that we do not have to speak or act merely by our own power.

No, but we have each received what Jesus told those first disciples to wait for:

“the promise of the Father,” His Holy Spirit, so that we are “clothed with power from on high.”

Jesus gives us His Spirit in order that we might be involved in kingdom business—in order that we might each take the good news to the nations and to the ends of the earth (Acts 1:8).

Matthew 10:32-33 New King James Version

Confess Christ Before Men

32 “Therefore whoever confesses Me before men, him I will also confess before My Father who is in heaven. 33 But whoever denies Me before men, him I will also deny before My Father who is in heaven.

Don’t give in to fear and timidity.

What we cannot accomplish alone we can do in the power He has given to us.

So, go out in complete dependence on the Spirit of God, prayerfully commit, to resolving, to be playing your part in the great, unfinished task of proclaiming, of exalting the name and glory of Jesus Christ to all the nations near and far:

Facing a task unfinished that drives us to our knees,
A need that, undiminished, rebukes our slothful ease,
We who rejoice to know Thee renew before Thy throne
The solemn pledge we owe Thee to go and make Thee known.[1]

1 Frank Houghton, “Facing a Task Unfinished” (1931).

Be it resolved …

– if you cannot connect with the world, then start with your own family, then move on to your neighbors, your friends – maybe start a home bible fellowship.

Be it resolved …

-into your church-with your Pastor, begin a small group bible fellowship there.

Be it resolved …

-make plans to expand your current small group bible fellowships, connect them with other churches in your area-exalt God, create bible communities.

Be it resolved …

-believe that with God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit, all things are always possible!

Be it resolved …

Can God, Jesus, the Holy Spirit get even ONE WITNESS to make their testimony?

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

Let us Pray,

Psalm 119:33-40 New King James Version

ה HE

33 Teach me, O Lord, the way of Your statutes,
And I shall keep it to the end.
34 Give me understanding, and I shall keep Your law;
Indeed, I shall observe it with my whole heart.
35 Make me walk in the path of Your commandments,
For I delight in it.
36 [a]Incline my heart to Your testimonies,
And not to covetousness.
37 Turn[b] away my eyes from looking at worthless things,
And revive me in [c]Your way.
38 Establish Your word to Your servant,
Who is devoted to fearing You.
39 Turn away my reproach which I dread,
For Your judgments are good.
40 Behold, I long for Your precepts;
Revive me in Your righteousness.

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

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