And It Was Very Good

 

     God spoke and created the heavens and the earth. There is no way for the human mind to comprehend it. Imagine the stripe of the zebra, the pug nose of the koala, the majestic lion, the fragile butterfly, the colorful array of flowers from the 8-foot sunflower to the delicate crocus, the scent of the rose, or the fragrance of fresh mint or ginger. The creation surrounding us boggles the mind.

     God spoke it into being through His word. And the word is Jesus.

The word became flesh and made His dwelling among us. We have seen His glory, the glory of the one and only Son, sent from the Father, full of grace and truth. John 1:14

     He breathed life into the first man created from dust, the woman from his rib. Notice creation around you today and take it in. Breathe it in. Appreciate all God gave us to enjoy, from relationships to the morning sunrise and the evening sunset, day after day, month after month, season after season; The earth is set the perfect distance from the sun rotating faithfully for our pleasure.

     Looking for a miracle? Get a little closer to creation. Hug a friend. Notice the bird’s song. Soak it in. Take in a little vitamin D on your lunch break. Look up at the stars. The list is endless. He made it for you and me. And it brought Him pleasure.

God saw all that He had made and it was very good. And there was morning and there was evening-the sixth day. Genesis 1:31

How many are Your works Lord! In wisdom You made them all; the earth is full of Your creatures. There is the sea, vast and spacious, teeming with creatures beyond number- living things both large and small. Psalm 104:24-25

Lord,

We praise You for the creation around us. We thank You for our food, for the seasons, for the glorious lights in the sky, for the animals surrounding us with all of their wonder, for the birds and the flowers and for the ability to love. Remind us to praise You in appreciation for all we have around us each day. Most of all, thank You for Jesus.

Amen

We Cannot Help But Speak

 

     What do we do with this Gospel, the Good News of a transformed heart? With the overflowing abundant love? With the gratitude of receiving new life? How can we keep it to ourselves? Changed hearts can’t help but be exposed. Those that have felt the power and the presence of Jesus are compelled to share.

     Peter and John had been put in jail and they were forbidden to speak about Jesus. ‘This is what they said:

As for us, we cannot help speaking about what we have seen and heard. Acts 4:20

    After their imprisonment, they prayed for even greater boldness. (Acts 4:29) Jesus told us to watch for the signs that the end times are drawing near, including wars and rumors of wars, nation against nation, an increase in earthquakes and storms, Israel would be back in the land and that wickedness would increase.

     God has us here during an incredible season. Our light is not to be hidden (Matthew 5). We are to shine like stars in a dark and depraved generation. (Philippians 2). The Holy Spirit will give us courage to speak in love. The name of Jesus is more powerful than any other name. Speak it and share it. The world is searching for their Savior.

Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved. Acts 4:12

Dear Father,

We come humbly before You to thank You for the saving grace of Your Son. By His sacrifice, we are saved. Allow us to be Your servants as we speak the good news of salvation to others. His coming is near. Thank You for the privilege.

In the powerful name of Jesus,

Amen

Choose Jesus

      Every day we have the free will to make choices. What will I have for breakfast? What clothes should I wear? How much time will I need to get to work depending on the continual unending snow and cold? Sorry, my choice has been to continually dwell on the weather. Luckily, spring is close!

     Our most valuable decision in the realm of eternity will be our choice on whether to follow and obey Jesus or to follow and obey our human desires our fleshly needs, our culture, our untrustworthy emotions and unyielding hearts.   Choose Jesus today. Choose to follow Him above the noise, the phone, the world. Choose Him.

     The Bible tells us there is life and death, blessing and cursing. Choose life. (Deuteronomy 30) Life in the Spirit. Life eternal. Life in Jesus.

Who, then, are those who fear the Lord? He will instruct them in the ways they should choose. Psalm 25:12

Choose my instruction instead of silver, knowledge rather than choice gold.  Proverbs 8:10

    Seek His instructions, His ways, His words. All worth listening to above and beyond the world around us. And His glory will not only shine on us in heaven, but on earth as well.

Dear Lord,

Give us Your wisdom in our choices. We continue to fall back to our old habits, to our usual routines. Make our choices clear today. We come to You, seeking Your wisdom, which is more precious than gold.  We choose You.

In Jesus name,

Amen

 

 

"Follow Me"

 

My sheep listen to my voice. I know them and they follow me. John 10:27

     The verse above takes us from the time we first hear His voice and accept Jesus as Savior. Yesterday we talked about getting to know Him. The powerful and all-knowing words of Scripture become planted in our hearts as we walk with Him more closely, as we recognize His voice above all others, and we want, more than anything, to follow Him.

     When Jesus first called His disciples, there must have been something so irresistible about Him that all He had to say was, “Follow Me.” (See Matthew, Mark, Luke and John) And they did. They gave up professions as fishermen, gave up money as tax collectors, and followed.

     One of the beautiful truths about the disciples, in my mind, is how dysfunctional they were. They were so much like us. The Bible does not mince any words when describing them. They were competitive and asked who would be first in heaven. John considered himself the favorite. Peter was outspoken and passionate and spontaneous. He was the one to deny Christ three times before the crucifixion.

     Thomas doubted. I can relate. But like the disciples, when we hear the voice of the one who breathed the world into existence and He says, “Follow Me,” it is irresistible. He changes lives. He transforms relationships. He moves hearts. He rebuilds and redeems and restores and best of all, He forgives and forgets. He uses imperfect people like us.

     Follow Him. Live by His words and deeds. Love more, hate less. Be kind and patient and willing to stop throughout a busy day to lend a hand or to listen. The simple acts of love. Hear the simple and yet profound life-changing words.

     “Follow Me.”

Dear Jesus,

Yes, we will follow You. We are blessed to live in a land of freedom. Christians are dying all over the world as they stand up to follow You. Would we have the courage to do the same? Make us bold and courageous as we follow You.

Amen

 

The Family of Christ

 

     Church. What is your first reaction to the word? Obligation, boring, filled with hypocrites, organized religion? Those are some common reactions I have heard over the years. Jesus did not design His church to be divided into denominations and divisions. He chastised the leaders of the church of His day. He wants a relationship with you and me. He wants us to know Him and spend time with Him, the living Lord.

     Jesus asked for all of us to be united under His headship, each doing our part. The body of Christ should function in fluidity, just as a healthy body is a sum of its moving and working parts. That is the ideal. In His last beautiful prayers in John 17 Jesus prays these words for us:

That all of them may be one, Father, just as You are in Me and I am in You. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that You have sent Me.  John 17:21

     Knowing Jesus unites us as family. Yes, we are dysfunctional, with varied personalities and gifts, but the Holy Spirit lives in us! Dive into His word today and take a peek around. Read through John’s Gospel and take in His great love for you. Falling in love with Jesus and being filled with the knowledge of Him, leads us to love others in the most astounding ways. Take a stand for Him along with the rest of the body so others may believe.

    It is our greatest calling. To make disciples and to be ready to give an answer for our hope. And when we know Him and love Him, we want to be in fellowship with our brothers and sisters of faith. It works as we become the body of Christ. Don’t be led astray by fallen humans. We are not perfect. But He is. Let His perfect love shine on you this morning.

Dear Jesus,

You call us into the deepest relationship. You allow the Holy Spirit, the resurrection power of Christ, to dwell within us. Make us into Your disciples so others may know You, too.

Amen

 

Is It Time?

 

     These days of Lent bring us back each year to the journey of Jesus. They lead us to the cross. It is a time to reflect, to repent, to return to the foot of the cross. Is it time to turn to Him with your life? Is it time?

     Jesus is ready to accept us as we are, to take our burdens upon Himself, just as He accepted our punishment for sin on the cross. His open arms understand. He knew us from the beginning of time and He doesn’t want to lose even one.

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your soul. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” Matthew 11: 28-30

     Allow Him to be Your rock, Your redeemer, Your foundation, Your Lord and Savior. Come to Him today with it all. Ask forgiveness, ask Him into your life. He will help you begin this beautiful life of faith with the One who will never leave you or forsake you.

Dear Lord,

You promise eternal life to all of us who believe. Take our burdens upon You today. We give it all. Comfort us.

Amen

The Fullness of Christ

 

And God placed all things under His feet and appointed Him to be head over everything for the church, which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills everything in every way.  Ephesians 1:22-23

For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form and in Christ you have been brought to fullness. He is the head over every power and authority. Colossians 2:10

     On a table sits a pitcher filled with sand, an empty jar and three rocks. Imagine taking the pitcher of sand. As you pour it into the empty jar, you list the ways you spend your days. Pour in the work, time with the kids, cooking, watching TV, reading, laundry, phone calls, computer and anything else that comes to mind.

     The jar is plum full. You love the Lord your God with all of your heart, soul and strength. The three rocks represent the Bible, prayer and service. You try to squeeze them into the top of the jar but they just won’t fit. Now picture the sand being poured back into the pitcher. The three rocks are placed into the bottom of the now-empty jar first. And the sand? As it is poured back in, it all fits!

     We think we do God a favor by sitting in a church pew for an hour each week. One hour out of the 168 available to us. If the service goes over an hour, we look at our watches, think about the game about to begin or what we will have for lunch. A distracted faith. It’s there, but we place little value on it when all is said and done.

     Jesus wants a real relationship with us, not a ritual, not a religion. The Bible is His gift to us. It is a way to get to know the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit intimately. I guarantee when you soak yourself in the word you will develop a hunger and a thirst for more.  Remember the living water yesterday? It is always available.

     And reading Scripture and time with Jesus won’t feel like an obligation or duty, it will be the most important and valuable portion of the day.

Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.  Matthew 5:6

     And you will be filled.

    And to know this love that surpasses knowledge-that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God. Ephesians 3:19

 Dear Lord,

We long to sit with You on a daily basis, filling up on Your word and praying and talking with You. Let that be the desire of our hearts from this day forward. Develop in us a hunger and a thirst for Your righteousness.

Amen