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Are You Unsure? Jesus Offers Truth.

Feb 12, 2021

Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” “For this purpose I was born and for this purpose I have come into the world—to bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth listens to my voice.”  – John 14:6, 18:37b

It is hard to know who is telling us the whole truth, who is withholding the truth, who is distorting the truth, who is misinterpreting the truth, and who is creating their own version of the truth. Think about all that we deal with in trying to know what is true:  fake news, empty promises, false flattery, skewed perspectives, rumors, denial, exaggeration, conspiracy theories, gossip, failed intentions, feel-good philosophies, lies, half-truths, pep talks, plagiarism, alternative narratives, propaganda, broken commitments, insinuation, omissions, and minimization.  We can easily be deceived into thinking something is true when it is not. So who can we count on to be honest with us with what we need to hear?  What is the standard by which we can evaluate all other guiding life principles and philosophies? What truth can we live by so we do not live in vain or error? Who can we believe?  Jesus.  The Son of God is Who we can believe.  We can believe His truth because He IS the truth, revealing all that we need to know about God and His ways as the absolute standard by which everything else is to be measured.  His truth forgives us, guides us, encourages us, corrects us, teaches us, gladdens us, calms us, rebukes us, frees us, reminds us, comforts us, humbles us, lifts us, equips us, empowers us, motivates us, delivers us, changes us, satisfies us and saves us. If we are meditating on and obsessing over, building our lives on and pinning our hopes to, any other truth than what He gives us, we have lost our way.  We must repent of basing our lives on man’s truth, making up our own unbiblical truths, and neglecting the truth of the Scriptures.  Instead, let us strive to read the Bible more frequently, understand it more fittingly, believe it more fully, and live it out more faithfully.    Those who listen to it will hear the sweet voice of Jesus bring words fit for the occasion, giving grace to those who hear.   We can always count on what He says to be true for us and good for us.

Are You Vulnerable? Jesus Offers Care.

Feb 11, 2021

The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.  I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me.  I give them eternal life, and they will never perish.”  – John 10:10-11, 27-28a

The enemy of your soul doesn’t care about you.  His only interest in you is as a victim.  He wants to “steal and kill and destroy,” and the primary way he attempts to do this is by leading you astray.   This is how he does it:  by making sin look attractive and obedience seem restrictive.  Deception, doubt, desire, disobedience and death … that’s his 5-step plan for us all.   He wants you and me to believe that sin isn’t sin, that sin is worth it, that sin is better for us, that sin isn’t that serious and that sin won’t cost too much.  The enemy doesn’t care about you; but Jesus does.  One of the ways that Jesus shows He cares about us and gives His care to us is by establishing boundaries for us from God’s Word. So many people see His commandments as “restrictive rules” that are keeping the good stuff out of our lives instead of seeing them as “gracious guardrails” that are keeping our lives out of the gutter.  He is our Good Shepherd Who protects us, provides for us, empowers us, refreshes us, delights us, guides us and delivers us safely to our eternal home in heaven.  How?  We hear His voice (the words of the Bible, the message of the gospel, the commands of the law, the plans of the Father, the counsel of the Holy Spirit) calling us into His care, and do as He says.  He leads.  We follow.  That’s it.   He takes care of us by taking care of all the rest.  And if we are His sheep, we can be assured that when we do go astray, He will come after us with fierce love and unstoppable power to bring us back.  He convicts us of our sin, corrects us in grace, and calls us back to abundant life in Him. Today, you will hear the convincing lies of the enemy inviting you to go astray and you will hear the sweet voice of Jesus calling you to follow Him in faith.  Who will you believe knows best, offers what is best and is after your best?  The one who wants only to steal and kill and destroy?  Or the One who loves you enough to lay down His life for you?

Are You Needy? Jesus Offers Provision.

Feb 10, 2021

And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus. – Philippians 4:19

We will often find ourselves in places where we and our resources are inadequate, but never in any place where our need is bigger than God’s ability or reserve, for His supply is in the inexhaustible riches of His glory in Jesus.   Neither His love for us, nor His provision for us will ever run out, which means everything we really need will really be supplied in and through and by Jesus.  Not maybe.  Not probably.  Definitely.  He will provide for every need.   Not some of them.  Not most of them.  All of them, without exception.  Right when we need it, not a second too late. If we don’t have it now, it’s because we don’t need it now.  Listen: God doesn’t define “need” the way you and I do.  What He promises to supply is anything and everything that is required for us to live with joy and fruitfulness as we fulfil the plans and purposes He has for us.  Only He knows what we really need, and we can be sure that we will lack nothing that He determines would be for our good, even if that means seasons of suffering and hardship.  His grace is sufficient!  Though God will often supply our need differently than we expect, we have the promise of the sustaining presence of Jesus with us always to deliver that aid and deliver us safely to our heavenly home. Therefore, we have no reason for fear, worry, panic, discontentment, unhappiness, or whining.  God means for us not to worry about our future because we have the promise of His provision for us in Jesus.  Take heart today, take your cares to Him in prayer, and take a look around for God at work.  You need help.  You will have the help you need.  Because He is faithful, and He is for you.

Imperfect People Loving Imperfect People

Feb 9, 2021

But God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.  – Romans 5:8

Let’s be honest, loving others isn’t as easy as it sounds.  When we say it out loud, what a beautiful ring it has:  let us simply love the people in our lives.   It not only has a beautiful ring, but it’s a beautiful thing when we look out for the best interests of those around us as we defend, pray for, welcome, involve, help, correct, befriend, equip, encourage, guide, care for, speak life to, and support them.  But it’s not so simple to simply love others, and here’s why:   others don’t always bring out the love in us.   Some of the people where we live, work and play are know-it-alls, gossips, selfish, cry-babies, back-stabbers, unforgivers, troublemakers, lazy, outcasts, judgmental, self-righteous, unkind, power-hungry, cheaters, entitled, drama queens, hypocrites, snobs, clingy, braggarts, and downright unlikeable.  Who would love people like them?  Jesus.  Jesus would love people like them.  Jesus loves people like you and me, who are just like them.  Oh, didn’t you see yourself in that list above?  I certainly felt like it was a mirror to my face for more than one entry.  But Jesus loves us anyway.  Oh, the height and depth and width of His love for sinners like you and me and them!  This is what brings out the love in us for others.  This is our reason to repent of being unloving, of loving selectively, and of being consumed with self-love.  This is the model, means, and motivation for every expression of our love toward the people God has put into our lives.  Jesus loves us.  Jesus loves us.  Jesus loves us.  When we remember and rejoice in this, this will fan into flames our love for others.  For who better to love imperfect people than those who were at their own worst when Jesus loved them anyway?  We will extend love to others when we remember how wonderfully it has been extended to us.

Every Person In Your Life

Feb 8, 2021

And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ The second is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.” – Mark 12:30-31

Your zip code is not an accident.  You live there.  You work there.  You play there.  But God placed you there.  He worked in ways that you could never comprehend or calculate to divinely position you right where you are at this very moment and this very season.  Life didn’t just take you there.  He did. If God thought it important enough to ordain in which community you and I would live, work and play, we should think it important enough to find out why.  And then, by His grace, get busy doing what He placed us here to do.  While there are undoubtedly very specific things God means for us to do, one over-arching purpose for our divine deployment is to “love your neighbor as yourself.” (Mark 12:31) Every person in your life is there for this reason: for you to love on them. Have you ever thought about that? God put you where you are, and brought people into your life where you are, so you could demonstrate His love for them, to them. These aren’t just neighbors, co-workers, and team-mates; they are intended recipients of God’s affection to be administered through you.  God providentially orchestrated the events that got you and other people to meet so you could love on them, and point them to the greatest love of them all … His love for us.  Every meeting, every conversation, every interaction, every passing, and every encounter is a wonderful occasion to bless and brighten someone else’s life to the glory of God.   Those intersections where your life meets someone else’s life hold a beautiful, God-given opportunity and responsibility to love like Jesus.

Are You Mistreated? Jesus Offers Friendship.

Feb 5, 2021

Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends.  You are my friends if you do what I command you. No longer do I call you servants, for the servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all that I have heard from my Father I have made known to you.  You did not choose me, but I chose you.  – John 15:13-16a

If there is one thing you can be sure of, it is this:  people will hurt you.  It may be accidental, or it may be intentional, but it will happen.  Repeatedly. You may do your best to keep others at a distance or only allow “positive, encouraging” people to draw close to you, but you will never fully insulate yourself from the toxicity of humanity.   There will be things said and left unsaid, things done and left undone, which bruise and break our hearts and spirits.  But there is a sweet-like-honey truth to overcome the bitter taste of how others treat you:  Jesus is not like others.  He is a friend who will never betray you, lie to you, abandon you, say unloving things to you, neglect you, unfriend you, take advantage of you, condemn you, harm you, pretend with you, mis-prioritize you, belittle you, withhold love from you, or mistreat you.  And no matter how wonderful that is, that’s not all that there is.  Jesus is not only a doer of good to you, He is also an un-doer of bad done to you by others.  They hurt your heart; He heals it.  They distance themselves; He draws near.  They sting you with their words; He soothes you with His.  They overlook you; He pays attention.  They cheat you; He blesses you.  They intend to harm you; He works it out for good.  They judge your sins; He dies for them.  When there is a lack of care, no one cares, others care only about themselves, or they can’t provide the care you need … Jesus is a friend who cares, and He will show you that care in whatever way He knows will do you the most good.  It is stunning that we can be friends with the Creator of the universe.   What a friend we have in Jesus! He loved us most by giving His life for us, He loves us first by initiating friendship with us, He loves us best every single day, and He will love us longest throughout an eternity of joy and pleasure in His presence.

Are You Weary? Jesus Offers Rest.

Feb 4, 2021

Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.  – Matthew 11:28-30

There is something in our lives which weighs us down and wears us out.  What is it?  It is the burden of trying to be “enough.”  That is, trying to be wise enough, disciplined enough, motivated enough, tough enough and strong enough to get what we want in life, and then at the end of our time on earth, good enough to merit heaven.  It. Is. Exhausting.  We cannot do what we are incapable of doing.  We cannot control what is out of our control.  And we will grow increasingly tired on the inside (lacking hope, desire, energy, well-being) until we lay down our attempts at self-rule, self-determination, self-sufficiency and self-righteousness, and rest in Jesus.   We are not in charge; let’s not try to be.  Jesus invites us to come to Him to rest in His righteousness to merit eternal life for us and rest in His sovereignty to manage everyday life for us.  He is in charge of the results and outcomes.  He controls circumstances and situations.  He commands our future and eternity.  What a relief, what refreshment and what renewal is ours when we embrace this truth:  Jesus is enough.  Resting comes from trusting as we take on the light yoke of following Jesus in faith to do what He tells us and leave the remainder and the results in His hands.  No matter what we face today, let us remember that what happens in our lives is not ultimately decided by chance or luck, humans or demons, Satan or self.   Things will work out as they should.  Because there is a wise, powerful, loving Savior who reigns over all for the good of those who trust in Him.  Things are out of our control.  But they are never out of His.

Are You Unfulfilled? Jesus Offers Purpose.

Feb 3, 2021

For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them. – Ephesians 2:10

The enemy wants you to feel like your life doesn’t have real meaning.  The enemy wants you live in such a way that it doesn’t make a difference.  The enemy wants you to waste your life.   But if you have given your life to Jesus, nothing you do for Him will ever be in vain; to the contrary, it is only what you do for Him that will matter in eternity.  As CT Studd wrote, “Only one life, ’twill soon be past, only what’s done for Christ will last.”  You were made by Him, for Him and like Him as an image-bearer of God to show and tell the world all about Him through your good works.  When we put our trust in Jesus, we were created anew in Him for this life of good works which God has planned out and supplies what is necessary to carry out.  This is why you were made: to finish the good works that God has prepared long ago for you to do.  Love God.  Love people.  Make disciples.  Share your faith.  Be kind.  Help others.  Encourage.  Bear burdens.  Speak life.   Make Jesus look good in your life by trusting Him, thanking Him and treasuring Him. Do all to the glory of God.  God didn’t create you primarily so you could make a lot of money, take a lot of trips, have a lot of fun, and indulge in a lot of temporary pleasures.  Those things may be a part of your experience, but they are a means to this end: “to let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven (Matthew 5:16).”   God means to work through your life to change other people’s lives so that He is honored in them and they are happy in Him now and forever. Today, be mindful of the beautiful calling upon your life:  You were made to be an image-bearer.   A difference-maker.  A Jesus-treasurer.  A God-glorifier.   A good works doer.   That is why you are here … so, go shine your light!

Are You Weak? Jesus Offers Power.

Feb 2, 2021

But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me.  For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong.  – 2 Corinthians 12:9-10

Suffering is either soon to be knocking at your door, or it has already knocked down your door and has invaded your life.   It is inevitable; you will suffer in this world.  And when you do, you will likely feel powerless to do anything about it.  The mountain will seem too high.  The situation will seem too overwhelming.  The outlook will seem too bleak.  The task will seem too great.   In times of weakness like these, we need to remember this:  if we trust in our own power, our problems will always seem big.  If we trust in the power of Jesus, our problems will always seem small.   It would be plausible to lose hope and lose heart when facing things that are too much for us to handle if we were forced to handle them alone.  But Jesus has said He will never leave us alone, always supplying the grace we need for the needs we face.  He does not promise us a plan to escape our hardships; He promises a power to endure them.   A life of power is one that is stripped of self-reliance and replaced with Savior-reliance.  A life of power is one in which we acknowledge our need for His help, ask for His help, anticipate His help, accept His help in whatever way He chooses to send it, and act by His help.  A life of power is one in which we boast in our weaknesses, gladly enduring them (instead of grumbling about them) because it makes Jesus look good in our lives as His divine strength works in us, for us and through us.  With His power, no suffering or struggle or setback or situation can ever overwhelm us as we trust in in the sufficiency of His grace.  Therefore, let us abandon trust in ourselves and instead trust in our Savior to empower our next steps into the unexpected, uncertain and unpleasant difficulties of this broken world.  Because … With faith all things are not made easy.  With faith all things are made possible.

Are You Doubtful? Jesus Offers Hope.

Feb 1, 2021

Having the eyes of your hearts enlightened, that you may know what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints. – Ephesians 1:18

You don’t have to cross your fingers.  You don’t have to be cautiously optimistic.  You don’t have to wonder in uncertainty.  You don’t have to have a glass half full disposition.  You don’t have to fear the worst.  You can have a real hope in this broken world with broken people even when life doesn’t work out the way you thought it would because you are certain it will work out for good.  That’s what real hope is:  a confident expectation of something good in your future.  And it comes from Jesus alone when you trust in Him.  This hope is based on the character, authority and power of Jesus to deliver all that He has promised to His followers in this life and, more importantly, in the life to come.  When He says He will be with us in time of need, give to us all that we need, and come for us to put an end to our needs, we can be assured that He is able and faithful to do as He says today, tomorrow and forever.  To the degree we are sure in this, we will be filled up with peace and assurance when we’re running low, renewed and refreshed with a spiritual energy when we’re running out, helped through difficulty and disappointment when we’re running down, and kept steadfast and confident when we feel like running away.   This is our hope in Jesus:  the best is yet to come.  Let us believe it, expect it, anticipate it and await it to come true because Jesus said it’s true.  Let us watch for the daily doses of His grace to appear when we need them.  And let us regard the eternal pleasure of heaven with Him as something wonderful on the calendar that is certain to come at the appointed time.  Because it is.  Because it will.

Are You Stuck? Jesus Offers Change.

Jan 29, 2021

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. – 2 Corinthians 5:17

Every human being knows what it feels like to be stuck.  Stuck in repeated mistakes.  Stuck in character flaws.  Stuck in unfulfilling rhythms.  Stuck in bad habits.  Stuck in inner unrest.  Stuck in habitual sin.   That last one is the real problem:  Sin has made it impossible for us to be who God created us to be.  That’s why we get stuck.  And turning to external moral codes of conduct, white-knuckle behavior modification, religious checklists and self-help practices is never going to lead to the kind of real and lasting changes in us that we long for.  But God in the richness of His mercy and grace sent Jesus to get us un-stuck and offer real transformation for those who put their trust in Him as we become more like Him.  The biblical concept of “believe” means that very thing:  it is to be transformed by the reality of someone or something.  When how we think and feel about Jesus changes, so do we.  We don’t cause this transformation ourselves; God does.  He initiates it.  He motivates it.  He cultivates it.  He consummates it.   This is the reality of becoming new in Christ:  a change in our standing with God, a change in what makes us happy, a change in what controls our lives, and a change in what our eternity will be like.  What then must we do? We must fill our minds with the promises, truths, commands, reminders and good news of the Bible and let them be the loudest voice in our lives. Change will take place when we believe more fully in more areas of our lives the things that are found there.  Take heart today, you can change.  If you are trusting in Jesus, God will never give up on changing you from who you used to be into who you were made to be.

Are You Insecure? Jesus Offers Significance.

Jan 28, 2021

I have been crucified with Christ.  It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me.  And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.  – Galatians 2:20

Striving for a sense of self-worth through your own personal performance will create more unhappiness in you than you ever dreamed possible.  Why?  Because you will face disappointment in yourself when you don’t perform well, discontentment when others don’t applaud your performance, and depression when you don’t get to perform at all.  The good news is that’s not where your value comes from at all.  You have incalculable worth based on what God did, not on what you do.  You are so treasured by God that even when you were at your absolute worst (separated from Him in your sinfulness), He loved you enough to send His Son to die for you. This is the jaw-dropping reality of just how much you are worth.   Don’t you see?  Jesus gave Himself for you.  Your worth is not based on your performance; it is based on His.  He loves you.  Your worth is not based on who you are; it is based on Whose you are.   He lives in you.  Your worth is not based on your making a name for yourself; it is based on the Name of the One who lives inside you.  If you belong to Jesus, the old you is dead, and the life you now live carries a value that does not come from any personal achievement, accolade or attribute.  You are priceless because of God’s unrelenting love for you in Christ.  He doesn’t love you because you’re beautiful, witty, popular, fit, wealthy, fast, intelligent, kind, influential or talented; He loves you because you’re His. Secure in this, you can give your best effort to be the person you were made to be and do the things you were made to do, knowing that you don’t do any of it to prove your worth.  Jesus already did that.

Are You Confused? Jesus Offers Guidance.

Jan 27, 2021

In whom (Christ) are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.  – Colossians 2:3

Life is a series of big and small decisions that, in varying degrees, impact and influence everything that happens after each one is made.  To be human is to lack adequate wisdom to rightly handle all that we will experience in our journey which keeps us always one misstep away from getting off course in our planning, finances, relationships, pursuits, emotions, spiritual walk, time usage and decision-making of all shapes and sizes.  The uncertainties, complexities and perplexities that we face were never meant for us to handle alone, but rather are intended to redirect and reorient us to Jesus and greater dependency on Him to guide us as He knows best.  On what He says, we must:  Base our faith.  Pin our hopes.  Entrust our futures.  Find our answers.  Solve our problems.  Take our steps.  Build our lives.  It is the solid rock on which Christians stand; all other ground is sinking sand. (Matthew 7:24-27) The decision we need to make, the step we need to take, the future that is at stake are too important to risk trying to take our best guess and our best shot at getting it right.  The good news is, we don’t have to.  There is a treasure trove of wisdom and knowledge that we have access to in Jesus, and all we must do is humbly ask for it in faith (James 1:5).  But we will not hear these life-giving, joy-producing, hope-inspiring, course-correcting, God-honoring, truth-telling words if we neglect to read the Bible and pray, for this is where asking and receiving takes place.  So, before you make a move, your first move is always to ask Jesus for your next move.  When you do, you will hear His sweet voice of truth guiding you into what is good for you.

Are You Struggling? Jesus Offers Deliverance.

Jan 26, 2021

For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.  – Hebrews 4:15-16

There is a universal, everyday occurrence that is impossible for you and I to avoid:  we will be tempted.  Sometimes this will strike suddenly, and other times it will swell slowly, but there is never any time we are insulated from its inevitable presence in our lives.   Sin always beckons, offering a persuading argument and an appealing promise for what we will gain if we give in and give up.   Though it may deliver a temporary sweet taste, the lasting bitterness of sin will always soon follow.  Still, it proves to be such a powerful adversary with such a powerful attraction that it is irresistible to us and impossible for us to withstand on our own.  But praise God we are not alone!  God sent Jesus Who “in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin.”  We can go confidently to Him for help when we are tempted because Jesus understands our struggles, Jesus atoned for our sin, and Jesus offers us merciful and gracious deliverance in our time of need.  For those who are trusting in Him, there is pardon for sin so that we bear it no more, and there is power available so we bow to it no more.  Today there will be a tug-of-war for control of your thoughts, feelings, motives, attitudes, words and actions, pulling you in the opposing directions of what sin entices you into and what God invites you into.   The enemy wants you to give in to a life of little or no thought of God and His ways, and give up on all the wonderful things that God has for you in Jesus.   But you do not have to give in or give up! Look to Jesus for help and look for His help to arrive as a way to leave the temptation, the power to stay and say “no” to the temptation, a divine change in circumstances that removes the temptation, the arrival of someone He sends to help you through the temptation, and / or a promise of something worth waiting for that is better than the temptation.  Never lose sight of this truth:  You are never helpless against temptation as long as there is a throne of grace for you to run to for help.

Are You Hurting? Jesus Offers Comfort.

Jan 25, 2021

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.  – 2 Corinthians 1:3-4

To be human is to be a sufferer.  It is unpleasant.  It is unbiased.  It is unavoidable.  We will all experience hurts of varying intensities, frequencies and durations while we are in this broken world filled with broken people.    While suffering is at times a result of our own sinfulness, it is also at times through no wrong-doing on our part that someone or something does us wrong.  When something hurtful or hard is happening in our lives that we cannot escape or eliminate, we often turn to something in order to find comfort and cheer.  Though binge-eating, day-dreaming, relaxing and other ways of coping might offer some temporary numbing when times are tough, we need something better.  Because sooner or later, that numbness wears off, and the struggle is still there.  What God offers us in Jesus is a real comfort that doesn’t wear off.  It will out-last and out-match whatever hardships we must endure in our mission for Him, our journey with Him and our homecoming to Him.  It’s an encouraging, strengthening, sustaining help from the very presence of God that doesn’t show up once the trial is over, but rather joins us right in the middle of it.   Jesus comforts us because He knows what it’s like to endure affliction.  He entered into our pain and brokenness by coming to earth to suffer for us and secure for us every comfort from God for our suffering both now and forever.  But we will only experience this comfort that encourages us when we are teary and strengthens us when we are weary if we will stop looking to other helpers to do for us what only the Helper can do.   Are you hurting today?  Trust in and turn to Jesus for comfort.  He will not walk away from you, but will walk with you to help you press on this very hour, and He will stay with you and get you through every test, trial and tribulation until He gets you home.  Rest in the assurance of this truth: Jesus is for you now, and He will come for you soon.

Are You Discouraged? Jesus Offers Joy.

Jan 22, 2021

As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Abide in my love.  If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and abide in his love. These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full.  – John 15:9-11

God wants us to be happy.  He’s the Author of happiness.  It was His idea.  But if that’s true, then why are so many people discouraged and downtrodden… and so often un-happy?  The problem is what we listen to that drives what we look to in order to find that happiness.   The message of the world is to “do what you want to do and be who you want to be” and this will make you happy, and it plays on repeat in advertising, conversations, entertainment, politics, news, books, talk shows and in our heads all throughout the week.  Only… It.  Does.  Not.  Work.  The reason we can’t stay happy very long is because we often look to something that was never intended to keep us happy very long.  God alone knows how best to deliver enduring happiness, and He delivered it through Jesus.  Jesus invites us into the same kind of intimate relationship that He has with our Heavenly Father, one that overflows with love and joy.  He tells us to keep His commandments, not to rob us of happiness, but rather to remove the things that are in the way of our full and lasting happiness.  His message is “do what I want you to do and be who I made you to be” and in doing so, we will experience His joy, and our joy will be full no matter what else is happening in our lives.  Do you want to know how to be happy both now and forever?  Receive, believe, trust and obey the words of Jesus.  To the degree that we listen to and linger over and live out the encouraging, correcting, instructing, guiding, cheering, uplifting, promising, God-glorifying words of the Bible, we will experience the same joy that is shared by Jesus and our Heavenly Father.  Today, and every day, set your eyes, heart and mind on the glorious gospel truths of Scripture. It’s the only message that will truly deliver the happiness that it promises.

Are You Disappointed? Jesus Offers Satisfaction.

Jan 21, 2021

Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst.  – John 6:35

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Most human beings struggle with seesawing their way through life going back and forth between being pleased and displeased with the things of this world.    At one moment we are far too easily pleased, settling for appetizers instead of the feast that God offers us, and at the next moment never pleased at all because the appetizers only whet our appetites for the feast.   As we settle in and settle for seeking satisfaction in relationships, achievements, possessions and experiences, we find that there is an ongoing craving for something more, something different, something better that always leaves our souls hungry and thirsty.  We find that “If only I had or did or could” looms ever in front of us, out of reach but not out of sight.  The truth is, we will never be satisfied until we know God, and that’s what Jesus makes possible.  He came into the world to be the “bread” that ends our spiritual hungering and longing.   He doesn’t offer to get us that new job, new spouse, new vacation, new baby, new home, new personal best, new recognition, new bill of health, or new thing that we think will make us happy.  He offers to give us Himself so we can actually and finally and ultimately be happy as we experience all that God has for us in Him.  Jesus isn’t a means to an end; He is the end.  He’s the source of enjoyment and nourishment.  He’s the main meal.  He’s the feast that all of the appetizers of this world point us towards.   And you and I will be hungry and thirsty no more when we come to Him in faith and believe He will deliver for us all that He has promised to us, both now and for all eternity. The more we pursue Him, the more precious He will become to us, and the more He will prove to us that He is everything we’ve been looking for all along … and so much more.  We’ll be more satisfied with what we have in life and less dissatisfied with what we don’t have in life when we are fully satisfied with all we have in Jesus.

Are You Troubled? Jesus Offers Peace.

Jan 20, 2021

Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.  – John 14:27

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No matter how tough we are, how removed we are, how indifferent we are, or how protected we are, there are real threats to our peace of heart and peace of mind.  In this world, we will have troubles.  But Jesus entered into our world of troubles so we could have our peace restored, both now and forever.  That’s what He offers us … peace with God made possible because He died in our place, and the peace of God made possible because we believe in Him.  In fact, to the degree that we trust that He rules and reigns over our lives for good, we will experience a depth of heavenly peace that comes when there is no earthly reason for it.  Trust in the heart unseats and undoes trouble in the heart no matter what is happening in our lives, for Christian peace does not come instead of problems, but in spite of them. That doesn’t mean that we should be unconcerned or naïve about the realities of the brokenness around us, but rather we should face them with absolute confidence in the presence, promises and provision of Jesus.  He has overcome the world, is with us as we live in the world, provides all that we need in this world, and promises to come back to deliver us from this world!  So, today when you get that call, diagnosis, news, task, opposition, stress, roadblock or thing that troubles you, remember Who Jesus is to you and what Jesus promises to you. If you trust that He’s powerful enough, loving enough and wise enough to handle sin, death and Satan to give you eternal life, then trust that He can also help you through all the issues you face in everyday life until He gets you home.  As you do, nothing will be able to take His peace away from you.

Christmas Is The Gospel

Dec 25, 2020

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.  – John 3:16

We will often fail to live out our faith in Jesus and stumble in our walk with Him.   We won’t always love Him most, love others best, and love rightly all the rest. Instead, we will make ourselves the center of our lives, make self-serving decisions as we plan our lives, and ultimately make a mess out of our lives.  We are prone to wander.  So, what happens when we don’t do all of the things that Christ-followers ought to do?  That. Is. What. Christmas. Is. All.  About.  Christmas is about a gift of God’s Son, a gift of forgiveness, a gift of eternal life.  Christmas is about grace. When you and I do things we shouldn’t do or fail to do things we should do, there is grace for us.  Pardon for when we have said “yes” to sins committed and power to say “no” to sins not yet committed.  Because of grace we don’t give up in our fight against sin and for holy lives; by grace we get up and fight on!  Jesus helps those who are trusting in Him to live God-glorifying, joy-producing, onward-marching lives, and when we fail to do so, He makes sure we don’t stay down for long. He picks us up.  He cleans us off.  He sends us on.   Today, let us not linger in our sin and shame and setback, but repent and rejoice in Jesus and restart moving forward in loving obedience by faith as the joyous strains of this song plays on repeat in our hearts:  “Grace, grace, God’s grace, grace that will pardon and cleanse within; grace, grace, God’s grace, grace that is greater than all our sin.”

Glory To God In The Highest

Dec 24, 2020

And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them.  – Luke 2:20

The point of creation and Christmas and the coming new creation is that God is glorious, and He desires to be seen as such by a joy-filled, peace-filled, hope-filled people that He has made and redeemed for Himself.  The Scripture stories of Christmas are ripe with this:  Good news of… Great joy.   Peace on earth.  Light shining in darkness.  Salvation from sin.  A forever kingdom.  Everlasting life. A Savior. A Reigning King. A Son of the Most High. Christ the Lord.  Immanuel.  Glory to God in the highest.  Christmas shines brightly with God’s ultimate purpose:  that He be honored in us and we be happy in Him. While we can taste this in great measure now, we will feast on its fullness when King Jesus returns and everything that dishonors God and everything that makes us unhappy will be removed.  For now, we do as the shepherds did upon experiencing the first coming of Jesus:  They returned.  The shepherds went back to their everyday lives to tend the flock and glorified God on their way because of Jesus.   We too have been given an everyday platform to glorify God by trusting Him, thanking Him, obeying Him and loving Him as people watch our lives.  So use what you have been given to make Him look great with your life.  If it’s a blessing, use it for the glory of God. If it’s a burden, bear it for the glory of God. There is nothing too great to take on and nothing too great to let go of in showing our adoration, affection and allegiance for Him.  Until Jesus returns, let us return to live our everyday lives knowing… God is with us.  God is for us.  God is to be glorified through us.