Jesus

Do You Have The Look?

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look“Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?” Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”
—Matthew 22:36-40

Since Jesus emphasized the principles in this passage of Scripture I encourage you to do several things:
• Read it each morning this week before you leave your house and each evening before you go to bed.
• Ask God to give you a clear understanding of the meaning of these verses.
• Think about how this passage can help guide you in the context of three actions:
1. LOOK UP to God in worship God. This act deepens your personal relationship with Jesus Christ as you meet daily with God during times of private devotions.
2. LOOK IN to integrate biblical principles into your everyday life.
3. LOOK OUT to embrace the hurting people of your community. Invest a portion of your time, effort, and resources in your friends, family, neighbors and co-workers so they will comprehend what it means to be a Christian.

When you commit yourself to doing this, you will have the look of someone who loves the Lord with all of his heart, soul, and mind.

Just 5 Words

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New-Birth-missionary-baptiiThe sentence consisted of five brief words.  They were common words and each by itself was powerless; however when the five were woven together in a sentence, they communicated an extraordinary truth.

To someone who was as religious as he was the words were startling.  He most likely had excelled at his bar mitzvah.  If his rabbi had graded him, he probably was at the head of the class and an A+ student.

But Nicodemus had the rug pulled out from under him when Jesus said these five words:  “You must be born again.”  Even though he was a Pharisee, a member of the Sanhedrin, and a religious person, Jesus said Nicodemus still needed to experience the new birth.

The new birth is much like your physical birth:  Whatever you need is provided, the pain of the process is felt by another, and someone else does the work.

There is one major difference.  When you were born the first time, you had no choice in the matter; however, the choice is yours when you think of your second birth.

The power, the effort, and the pain of your second birth are not yours, but the choice is:  “For whosoever calls upon the name of the Lord shall be saved (Romans 10:13).”

Your new birth is by God’s power, according to God’s plan, and for God’s purpose.  Notice how John expresses this: “To us, the greatest demonstration of God’s love for us has been his sending his only Son into the world to give us life through him. We see real love, not in that fact that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son to make personal atonement for our sins. If God loved us as much as that, surely we, in our turn, should love each other (I John 4:9-11)!”

Let me leave you with three questions to keep you thinking:

  • Have you experienced the real love of God?
  • Do people see it you?
  • Do you share it with others?

A Five-Five Relationship

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3-9-12-CMI-hands_of_god_and_adam-400-300x250One of my favorite sections of Scripture is Romans 5:1-5, and I read it again this morning. I call it the 5-5, and I share it with you below:

“Therefore, since we have been declared righteous by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. 2 We have also obtained access through Him by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. 3 And not only that, but we also rejoice in our afflictions, because we know that affliction produces endurance, 4 endurance produces proven character, and proven character produces hope. 5 This hope will not disappoint us, because God’s love has been poured out in our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us.”

In these brief verses, we find a long list of truths that provide the secret of our relationship with God through Jesus Christ:
• You are justified and declared righteous before God when you accept His son as your Savior.
• The initial result of your salvation is that you now have peace with God.
• As a child of God you have around-the-clock access to God—24/7.
• You can gain a better understanding of your affliction because hard times increase your endurance; the new found endurance builds character; and, Christ-like character produces hope.
• The hope within you is based on the love of God which has been “poured out” into your heart, and it is always available because the Holy Spirit now resides within you.

There is a reason I like to think of this section of Scripture as the 5-5. The 5-5 is a mnemonic that I use to help remind me of the relationship I have with God. SpeedLimitReduction55MPH Whenever I see a 55 MPH speed limit sign on the highway it reminds me of this Scripture and the peace I have with God through Jesus Christ.

Hope 134

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hope-handThe landscape of religion experienced a seismic shift in 1517 when Martin Luther nailed his 95 Theses to the church door at Wittenburg. After an in-depth study of the book of Romans, Luther believed that the just should live by faith, and that the selling of “indulgences” was contrary to the teachings of the Bible.

Like many Christians, Luther’s life had its highs and low. These peaks and valleys prompted him to say: “We must accept finite disappointment, but never lose infinite hope.”

In regard to hope, Rick Warren has said: “What gives me the most hope every day is God’s grace; knowing that his grace is going to give me the strength for whatever I face, knowing that nothing is a surprise to God.”

Hope is a frequent theme found throughout the New Testament:

• In Romans 12:12, we are told to rejoice in hope, to be patient in tribulation, and to continue steadfastly in prayer
• A prayer of Paul in Romans 15 was, “the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.”
• In his letter to the church at Galatia, Paul said: “we through the Spirit eagerly wait for the hope of righteousness by faith”
• Peter reveals the source of our hope in I Peter 1:3: “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead”

I’ve never claimed to be a mathematical genius, but I do know a simple equation that forms the basis of our hope: 1 cross + 3 nails = 4 given. Hope 134 can make a seismic shift in your life.

Like the old gospel hymn says: My hope is built on nothing less than Jesus blood and righteousness.

The Write of the World

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penlight-1992838388_015When I opened some office mail yesterday, there was a pen inside one of the letters. One end is a typical “pen” end to use for writing and the opposite end is a tiny flashlight.

One end of this pen reminds me of the words of Jesus: “I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life (John 8:12).” This statement pointed back to the days of Moses when a “pillar of fire” separated the Israelites from the Egyptians and God used this form of light to lead His people through the wilderness. In the next chapter of John, we see Jesus at work as the Light of the world. He dispels the darkness when He heals a blind man.

The other end of this pen reminds me of a statement made by Paul: You yourselves are our letter, written on our hearts, recognized and read by everyone. 3 It is clear that you are Christ’s letter, produced by us, not written with ink but with the Spirit of the living God—not on stone tablets but on tablets that are hearts of flesh (2 Corinthians 3:2-4).

Have you ever thought of your life as a letter or book that people read? What does your life story say about Jesus and your faith?

Jesus is the “light” of the world, but you and I are the “write” of the world. Each and every day of our lives, people read us. We are telling the story of Christianity. Moment by moment our actions and attitudes are scanned and intently scrutinized for a consistent and coherent message.

As the “write” of the world, are you sending the “right” message? Are you writing a riveting story intertwined with the vibrant love of God or is it a lackluster line or two of a boring paragraph?

Flip back through the pages of your life over the past couple of days and what do you see? Is there some need of editing or do you find a neatly written composition that allows even the blind to see the Light of the world?

Spare Dimes

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Broken Piggybank Shows Financial DepositWhat is it that gets your attention? Is it a shiny new sports car or a rugged new four wheel drive pickup? Is it a new piece of furniture to replace a well-worn family heirloom?

What is it that turns your attention from stylized consumerism and an inward focus to one that is beyond rank me-ism and centered on the needs of others? When was the last time you gave a needy person a spare dime or found some time you could give to a worthy cause?

By worthy cause, I don’t mean something that will help you achieve a higher position on the social rung of some ladder. Jesus wasn’t nearly as worried about climbing ladders and pampering the high and mighty as He was helping the down and lowly.

The power brokers of the day were the Pharisees and the Sadducees, and they caught the attention of Jesus more than once, and He chided them for their abuse of privilege.

The under-privileged also caught the attention of Jesus. He loved the outcasts of society—even the untouchable lepers felt His compassionate touch. The blind and lame who had been falsely accused of suffering due to sin, were helped and healed by the touch of the Master’s hand.

Jesus never turned a deaf ear to those who pleaded for help or a blind eye to the less fortunate who were within the scope of His vision. Regardless of who they were; what they needed; or, where they were, Jesus recognized their individual needs and they gave them His full attention.

Here’s a question or two to keep you thinking: Are you aware of what you deem worthy of your care? When was the last time your fingernails got dirty as you ministered to the needs of others?

TGIF

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good_friday_1000004443-120613intToday is Friday, and across the nation people write or shout TGIF—Thank God It’s Friday. An ordinary Friday comes once every 7 days, but this extraordinary Friday comes just once a year. The story of this Friday began in the Garden of Eden and the disobedience of Adam and Eve.

The moment Adam broke the rules established by God, he ran from his Creator. Before Adam was even out of breath, God began pursuing him; and, this was a game of hide and seek that Adam wasn’t going to win.
While Adam and Eve hid in fear, God pursued them in His mercy. Freshly embarrassed by his awakened conscious and bare body, Adam tried to cover himself with fig leaves, but this wouldn’t do. God extended His grace and clothed the first couple with animal skins.

The very first ounce of blood that was spilled on creation in its infancy was by the eternal hand of our holy God. He did not withhold His grace because of their sin; instead, grace was given in spite of their sin. Years later, Paul wrote: “the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Because Adam and Eve had sinned innocent animals (probably sheep) had to die.

Year after year, the significance of this day was hidden in shadows and symbolism until about 33 A.D.—Good Friday. This day was announced 3 years in advance by John the Baptist when he said: Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.

Today is the Friday that we remember His death, and this Sunday will be the day we celebrate the resurrection and the hope of Easter.

Yes, TGIF is an appropriate expression for today.

Enduring Life’s Hurdles

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There are times when the burdens of life are incredibly heavy.  When I experience these times in my personal life and when I walk with others who are struggling, Hebrews 12:1-3 is the Gatorade that keeps me going:  let us run with endurance the race that is set before us.

Heartache, sickness, and grief can present circumstances that are difficult to endure. Like it or not, they are hurdles that are a part of life’s race.  Regardless of how hard we train, we will find it difficult to cross the finish line if we do not keep our eyes on the goal.

The key to finishing the race is to keep your eyes focused on the next step and not the hurdle three steps in front of you.  Even though tragedies and  trials can appear to be insurrmountable obstacles, a person needs to see more than just the mountain ahead.

Instead of bowing to the mountain,  focus your faith on the God who made the mountain.  When troubles come, do you see just the storm or do you see the rainbow?  When you feel there is no way out, do you hear the roaring lion or do you feel the presence of Daniel’s angels?

When it comes to endurance, you do not have to walk alone.  Jesus extends an invitation to walk with Him and He offers to help carry the load:  Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you’ll recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly (Mattew 11:28-30 The Message).

Go ahead and read these words from The Message, they should be enough to keep you thinking:  Do you see what this means—all these pioneers who blazed the way, all these veterans cheering us on? It means we’d better get on with it. Strip down, start running—and never quit! No extra spiritual fat, no parasitic sins. Keep your eyes on Jesus, who both began and finished this race we’re in. Study how he did it. Because he never lost sight of where he was headed—that exhilarating finish in and with God—he could put up with anything along the way: Cross, shame, whatever. And now he’s there, in the place of honor, right alongside God. When you find yourselves flagging in your faith, go over that story again, item by item, that long litany of hostility he plowed through. That will shoot adrenaline into your souls!—Hebrews 12:1-3

Evolving or Flip-Flopping

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I find the language of the media and politicians to be interesting.  They carefully select a specific word or phrase and use it like an artist to paint a glowing picture of either the issue or the the person they are promoting.

I recently read an article that praised an individual for the wonderful way his position had “evolved.”  Later in the article the writer lambasted another person for “flip-flopping.”  Correct me if I’m wrong, but I think both of the individuals in the article had simply changed their minds on an issue.

My concern is not so much about how we evolve or flip-flop, but more on what we become.  The teaching of Paul is clear on this matter.  In Colossians chapter 3, Paul lists the necessary steps we are to take, so we can become more like Christ.

1.  Set your heart on Christ

2.  Set your mind on the things above

3.  Put to death immorality

4.  Put off the old man

5.  Put on the new man

6.  Put on love

7.  Let the peace of God rule in your hearts

I encourage to get your bible out and read this passage of Scripture or click here to read it.  There is more than one thought in this passage too keep yoou thinking.

Vertigo

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Hey boys and girls, who can leap tall buildings in a single bound; is stronger than a locomotive; and, is faster than a speeding bullet?  That’s right, it’s Superman.

When I was just a kid, I watched superman every time I got a chance.  I think some of the opening words are still appropriate for today:  faster than a speeding bullet.  There are times that life seems to speed by at a dizzying rate of speed.  This fast-paced living can blur our perspective on life and leave us with mental and spiritual vertigo.

Spiritual vertigo can afflict all of us.  It even diminished the wisdom of Solomon for a part of his life.  Solomon began his reign as a man focused on the principles of God, but he digressed into a Hedonistic lifestyle that eventually morphed into fatalism (Eccl. 3:18-21).

The wise old king had failed to follow his own advice.  In Proverbs 3 he advises his readers to not lean on their own understanding, but to acknowledge God and to embrace His principles.

Solomon had become so dizzy with the world’s delights, his only focus was the horizontal dimension of life.  He had forgotten that his real joy and satisfaction had come from his vertical relationship with God.

Here is a thought to keep you thinking.  If you realize your life is just a merry-go-round existence, it’s time to slow things down and get your feet back on the solid rock of Jesus Christ.