Sunday, December 2, 2012
Be Holy. As God is Holy.
The one who chose you is Holy. So you should be holy in all that you do. It is written, "Be holy, because I am holy."
1 Peter 1:15-16
Why does God want us to be holy? Because that's what he has always intended. That's the way he made us.
Did you know that when God first made us, we were holy? Adam and Eve were sinless. They were like God. But when they sinned, they fell from that high position. They lost their goodness and perfection. They became sinners.
Ever since then, every person ever born is a sinner. He can only stop being a sinner and become a saint by trusting Christ and following him.
God wants us to be like him. Why? So he can point to us whenever anyone asks and say, "That is what I'm like."
God wants us to be little images of him, so that his universe is populated with people who love, give, sacrifice, care, and live in peace.
Make me holy, Lord, and help me to want to be holy, too.
In Jesus,
AMEN
Friday, November 30, 2012
It Must Come from the Heart
When you look for me with all your heart, you will find me.
The heart is the center of your spiritual being. It's the place where you think and feel and have motives and desires. It's the deepest part of your being. And it's the part God most wants us to share with him.
Why? Because our hearts are who we really are. When we give from the heart, we're giving from the deepest, most sincere, and most godly part of ourselves. The heart can't hide anythinging. It always tells the truth.
God wants our hearts because that's the part of us that is most like him. That's the part that talks to him and learns from him. That's the part that worships and loves him.
Are you seeking him with allnyour heart? If not, why not? And if so, have you found him?
Here's a prayer that you can pray:
Open my heart to your Word, Jesus, that I might walk in your light.
In your name,
Amen.
Jeremiah 29:13
What does it mean to seek God with "all your heart"?
The heart is the center of your spiritual being. It's the place where you think and feel and have motives and desires. It's the deepest part of your being. And it's the part God most wants us to share with him.
Why? Because our hearts are who we really are. When we give from the heart, we're giving from the deepest, most sincere, and most godly part of ourselves. The heart can't hide anythinging. It always tells the truth.
God wants our hearts because that's the part of us that is most like him. That's the part that talks to him and learns from him. That's the part that worships and loves him.
Are you seeking him with allnyour heart? If not, why not? And if so, have you found him?
Here's a prayer that you can pray:
Open my heart to your Word, Jesus, that I might walk in your light.
In your name,
Amen.
Monday, July 16, 2012
Prewired for Hope
Prewired for Hope
| For we have heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and your love for all of God's people, which come from your confident hope of what God has reserved for you in heaven. You have had this expectation ever since you first heard the truth of the Good News. | |
Did you know that you were prewired for hope? There is a restlessness in the human heart for something more than this world can offer.
As Augustine said, "You created us for Yourself, O God, and our hearts are restless until they find their rest in You."
As believers, our hope is built on a sure foundation, and that is the hope of heaven. The apostle Paul spoke of faith that springs from this hope: "For we have heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and your love for all of God's people, which come from your confident hope of what God has reserved for you in heaven" (Colossians 1:4).
It is a bit like the Golden Plovers. Native to Hawaii, these little birds migrate during the summer to the Aleutian Isles, some 1,200 miles away. There they mate and lay their eggs. Then, after their little fledglings are born, they return to Hawaii. Even more amazing is that their little fledglings, which are too young to return with their parents, fly to Hawaii once they have grown a little. God has given them a homing instinct that makes this possible.
In the same way, God has given us a homing instinct for a place we have never been. We have never been to heaven, but we long for it, because heaven is our home. C. S. Lewis calls it the inconsolable longing. This is what the Bible means when it says that God has set eternity in our hearts (see Ecclesiastes 3:11). Like the Golden Plovers, we have a heavenly GPS.
Tuesday, November 29, 2011
THE CONDITION OF THOSE CALLED
Hi everyone...what are the most common causes for that "weary and heavy-laden" feeling in our world today? Why are Jesus' ways of dealing with these problems infinitely superior to any other so-called solution?
THE CONDITION OF THOSE CALLED
Matt. 11:28 All who are weary and heavy-laden.
Everyone whom Jesus specially invites for salvation already realizes their distress, that they are "weary and heavy-laden." The Lord mentions this effect He refers to faith ("come to Me"), but chronologically it precedes faith-it is the repentance that prompts the person to trust in Jesus for salvation.
"Weary" refers symbolically to strenuous work in trying to find the divine path to salvation. Christ invites all to come to Him who have exhausted themselves in searching for salvation by their own resources. Whereas "weary" denotes internal exhaustion, "heavy-laden" implies that past heavy burdens dumped on the person caused him or her to engage in the futility of works righteousness to please God.
Any person in the condition Jesus describes despair of his or her own ability to obtain salvation. They will realize the end of their own resources and want to turn to the Savior. The desperation implicit here is part of genuine salvation. Those not desperate will continue to rely on their own confidence, but those who are spiritually desperate will repent of the old burdensome life of sin and embrace the true redemption Christ offers. Such persons are the only ones God receives into His kingdom (Matt. 3:2, 4:17; Acts 2:38).
more to come...
THE CONDITION OF THOSE CALLED
Matt. 11:28 All who are weary and heavy-laden.
Everyone whom Jesus specially invites for salvation already realizes their distress, that they are "weary and heavy-laden." The Lord mentions this effect He refers to faith ("come to Me"), but chronologically it precedes faith-it is the repentance that prompts the person to trust in Jesus for salvation.
"Weary" refers symbolically to strenuous work in trying to find the divine path to salvation. Christ invites all to come to Him who have exhausted themselves in searching for salvation by their own resources. Whereas "weary" denotes internal exhaustion, "heavy-laden" implies that past heavy burdens dumped on the person caused him or her to engage in the futility of works righteousness to please God.
Any person in the condition Jesus describes despair of his or her own ability to obtain salvation. They will realize the end of their own resources and want to turn to the Savior. The desperation implicit here is part of genuine salvation. Those not desperate will continue to rely on their own confidence, but those who are spiritually desperate will repent of the old burdensome life of sin and embrace the true redemption Christ offers. Such persons are the only ones God receives into His kingdom (Matt. 3:2, 4:17; Acts 2:38).
more to come...
Friday, November 18, 2011
A NEW RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN JESUS AND MARY
Hi everyone....is your relationship with Jesus such that you can receive His rebuke without taking offense or crawling into a corner? Can you respond to His truth-even a hard truth-by adjusting your life to His right way of thinking and then continuing to serve Him as faithfully as before?
A NEW RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN JESUS AND MARY
John 2:3-5 When the wine ran out, the mother of Jesus said to Him, "They have no more wine." And Jesus said to her, "Woman, what does that have to do with us? My hour has not yet come." His mother said to the servants, "Whatever Hesays to you, do it."
Returning to the wedding at Cana we come across a major crisis-the wine ran out because the supply was insufficient. this potential embarrassment for the couple and their families could have stigmatized them for the rest of their lives. Mary was apparently helping to oversee the catering of the celebration and became aware of this serious problem. She anxiously said to Jesus, "They have no wine."
Jesus abruptly reply, "Woman, what does that have to do with us?" signaled a major change in their relationship. It was an idiomatic expression that asks rhetorically what the two parties in question have in common, and has the effect of distancing them. By calling Mary, "Woman" 9a polite, but not intimate, form of address instead of "Mother', Jesus politely but firmly informed her that their relationship was no longer to be what it had been while He was growing up. His public ministry has begun, and earthly relationships would not direct His actions. Mary way to relate to Him no longer as her son but as her Messiah, the Son of God, her Savior.
Undeterred by the mild rebuke, and aware that He was not saying no to the request, Mary said to the servants, "Whatever He says to you, do it." Mary shows us how we should respond to the Lord.
more to come...have a restful weekend and a good worship!
A NEW RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN JESUS AND MARY
John 2:3-5 When the wine ran out, the mother of Jesus said to Him, "They have no more wine." And Jesus said to her, "Woman, what does that have to do with us? My hour has not yet come." His mother said to the servants, "Whatever Hesays to you, do it."
Returning to the wedding at Cana we come across a major crisis-the wine ran out because the supply was insufficient. this potential embarrassment for the couple and their families could have stigmatized them for the rest of their lives. Mary was apparently helping to oversee the catering of the celebration and became aware of this serious problem. She anxiously said to Jesus, "They have no wine."
Jesus abruptly reply, "Woman, what does that have to do with us?" signaled a major change in their relationship. It was an idiomatic expression that asks rhetorically what the two parties in question have in common, and has the effect of distancing them. By calling Mary, "Woman" 9a polite, but not intimate, form of address instead of "Mother', Jesus politely but firmly informed her that their relationship was no longer to be what it had been while He was growing up. His public ministry has begun, and earthly relationships would not direct His actions. Mary way to relate to Him no longer as her son but as her Messiah, the Son of God, her Savior.
Undeterred by the mild rebuke, and aware that He was not saying no to the request, Mary said to the servants, "Whatever He says to you, do it." Mary shows us how we should respond to the Lord.
more to come...have a restful weekend and a good worship!
Friday, November 11, 2011
WHO IS THE LAMB OF GOD?
Hi everyone...we know that our sin, though dealt with ultimately and eternally, continues to be a problem for us to face and address. Are you surprised at the strength and tenacity it still wields within you? How do you go about quieting its ferocious appetite and considering yourself dead to it (see Rom. 6:11).
WHO IS THE LAMB OF GOD?
John 1:29-30 The next day he saw Jesus coming to him and said, "Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world! This is He on behalf of whom I said, "After me comes a Man who has a higher rank than I, for He existed before me."
On the day after he spoke to the delegation, John "saw Jesus coming to him." In keeping with his role as a herald, John immediately called the crowd's attention to Him, exclaiming "Behold, the Lamb of God."
The concept of a sacrificial Lamb was a familiar one to the Jewish people. All through Israel's history, God had revealed clearly that sin and separation from Him could be removed only by blood sacrifices (Lev. 17:11). They were also aware that Isaiah's prophesy likened Messiah to "a lamb that is led to slaughter" (Isaiah 53:7). Though Israel sought a Messiah who would be a prophet, king, and conqueror, God had to send them a Lamb. And He did.
The title "Lamb of God" foreshadows Jesus' ultimate sacrifice of the cross for "the sin of the world." With that brief statement John made it clear that the Messiah had come to deal with sin. The Old Testament is filled with the reality that the problem is sin-a problem at the heart of every person (Jer. 17:9). All men are sinful and incapable of changing the future or the present, or of repaying God for the sins of the past.
So who is the Lamb of God? He is Jesus, the only One who has the remedy to your sin problem.
more to come...
have a restful weekend and a good worship!
WHO IS THE LAMB OF GOD?
John 1:29-30 The next day he saw Jesus coming to him and said, "Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world! This is He on behalf of whom I said, "After me comes a Man who has a higher rank than I, for He existed before me."
On the day after he spoke to the delegation, John "saw Jesus coming to him." In keeping with his role as a herald, John immediately called the crowd's attention to Him, exclaiming "Behold, the Lamb of God."
The concept of a sacrificial Lamb was a familiar one to the Jewish people. All through Israel's history, God had revealed clearly that sin and separation from Him could be removed only by blood sacrifices (Lev. 17:11). They were also aware that Isaiah's prophesy likened Messiah to "a lamb that is led to slaughter" (Isaiah 53:7). Though Israel sought a Messiah who would be a prophet, king, and conqueror, God had to send them a Lamb. And He did.
The title "Lamb of God" foreshadows Jesus' ultimate sacrifice of the cross for "the sin of the world." With that brief statement John made it clear that the Messiah had come to deal with sin. The Old Testament is filled with the reality that the problem is sin-a problem at the heart of every person (Jer. 17:9). All men are sinful and incapable of changing the future or the present, or of repaying God for the sins of the past.
So who is the Lamb of God? He is Jesus, the only One who has the remedy to your sin problem.
more to come...
have a restful weekend and a good worship!
Thursday, November 3, 2011
THE APOSTLES CHOSEN TO HAVE AN IMPACT
Hi, everyone – Are your words and expressions of faith pointing others to Christ? Are they reflective of His distinct power and the presence of His Holy Spirit within you? If you sense yourself burning low in the power tank, where do you think the leak is occurring? Be sure what you do points to Christ.
THE APOSTLES CHOSEN TO HAVE AN IMPACT
Matt. 10:1: Jesus . . . gave them authority over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal every kind of disease and every kind of sickness.
Jesus granted the twelve disciples God’s divine authority to do exactly what He Himself had been doing. To do the kinds of works Jesus did would demonstrate they were sent by Him, just as what He did demonstrated He was sent by the Father. The book of Acts catalogs the very works Jesus gave them the authority to accomplish.
The apostles cast out many unclean spirits and healed every kind of disease and every kind of sickness. Peter and John healed a lame man at the Beautiful Gate of the temple (Acts 3:2-8). Their ministry became widespread: “At the hands of the apostles many signs and wonders were taking place among the people . . . Also the people from the cities in the vicinity of Jerusalem were coming together, bringing people who were sick or afflicted with unclean spirits, and they were all being healed” (Acts 5:12, 16). To the man in Lystra “who had no strength in his feet, lame from his mother’s womb, who had never walked,” Paul said, “’Stand upright on your feet.’ And he leaped up and began to walk” (Acts 14:8, 10).
The apostles manifested the kind of kingdom power that their Lord had manifested, and by their faithful obedience they turned Jerusalem and then the world upside down (Acts 17:6). Jesus promised they would do even “greater works” than His (in extent, not power), and His words began to be fulfilled.
More to come . . .
THE APOSTLES CHOSEN TO HAVE AN IMPACT
Matt. 10:1: Jesus . . . gave them authority over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal every kind of disease and every kind of sickness.
Jesus granted the twelve disciples God’s divine authority to do exactly what He Himself had been doing. To do the kinds of works Jesus did would demonstrate they were sent by Him, just as what He did demonstrated He was sent by the Father. The book of Acts catalogs the very works Jesus gave them the authority to accomplish.
The apostles cast out many unclean spirits and healed every kind of disease and every kind of sickness. Peter and John healed a lame man at the Beautiful Gate of the temple (Acts 3:2-8). Their ministry became widespread: “At the hands of the apostles many signs and wonders were taking place among the people . . . Also the people from the cities in the vicinity of Jerusalem were coming together, bringing people who were sick or afflicted with unclean spirits, and they were all being healed” (Acts 5:12, 16). To the man in Lystra “who had no strength in his feet, lame from his mother’s womb, who had never walked,” Paul said, “’Stand upright on your feet.’ And he leaped up and began to walk” (Acts 14:8, 10).
The apostles manifested the kind of kingdom power that their Lord had manifested, and by their faithful obedience they turned Jerusalem and then the world upside down (Acts 17:6). Jesus promised they would do even “greater works” than His (in extent, not power), and His words began to be fulfilled.
More to come . . .
Wednesday, November 2, 2011
THE APOSTLES SOVEREIGNLY COMMISSIONED
Hi, everyone – Have you routinely thought of God’s calling on your life as having this kind of urgency, intention and purpose? Are there other priorities that are siphoning off the importance you should be placing on the tasks God has called you to accomplish in His service?
THE APOSTLES SOVEREIGNLY COMMISSIONED
Matt. 10:1A: Jesus summoned His twelve disciples and gave them authority.
When Jesus summoned His twelve disciples, He was making more than a casual request. The word Matthew used is an intense term that means to call someone to oneself in order to confront him face-to-face. It is used of God’s calling the Gentiles to Himself through the gospel (Acts 2:39) and of His calling His chosen men and entrusting them to proclaim the gospel (Acts 13:2; 16:10). The vocabulary implies that this summoning was connected to an official commissioning to the Lord’s service.
Behind Jesus’ commissioning and training of the twelve disciples are several foundational facts. First, these men were chosen sovereignly by God. None of the twelve initiated the idea of following Jesus and becoming His disciples, much less His apostles. It was entirely God’s planning and doing. Mark tells us that Jesus “summoned those whom He Himself wanted” (Mark 3:13), and near the end of His earthly ministry Jesus reminded them, “You did not choose Me but I chose you, and appointed you” (John 15:16).
The men themselves were not consulted nor were any other men. Jesus’ only consultation was with His heavenly Father. Like Abraham, Moses, David, Isaiah and all the prophets, the twelve disciples were chosen by God’s sovereign will and for His sovereign purpose, being foreordained to His service before the foundation of the world. That has always been God’s way. He divinely chose Israel. He divinely chose His prophets and His apostles, and He divinely chooses those today who become the leaders of His own Body, the church.
THE APOSTLES SOVEREIGNLY COMMISSIONED
Matt. 10:1A: Jesus summoned His twelve disciples and gave them authority.
When Jesus summoned His twelve disciples, He was making more than a casual request. The word Matthew used is an intense term that means to call someone to oneself in order to confront him face-to-face. It is used of God’s calling the Gentiles to Himself through the gospel (Acts 2:39) and of His calling His chosen men and entrusting them to proclaim the gospel (Acts 13:2; 16:10). The vocabulary implies that this summoning was connected to an official commissioning to the Lord’s service.
Behind Jesus’ commissioning and training of the twelve disciples are several foundational facts. First, these men were chosen sovereignly by God. None of the twelve initiated the idea of following Jesus and becoming His disciples, much less His apostles. It was entirely God’s planning and doing. Mark tells us that Jesus “summoned those whom He Himself wanted” (Mark 3:13), and near the end of His earthly ministry Jesus reminded them, “You did not choose Me but I chose you, and appointed you” (John 15:16).
The men themselves were not consulted nor were any other men. Jesus’ only consultation was with His heavenly Father. Like Abraham, Moses, David, Isaiah and all the prophets, the twelve disciples were chosen by God’s sovereign will and for His sovereign purpose, being foreordained to His service before the foundation of the world. That has always been God’s way. He divinely chose Israel. He divinely chose His prophets and His apostles, and He divinely chooses those today who become the leaders of His own Body, the church.
Friday, October 28, 2011
JESUS MEETS BLIND MEN’S NEEDS
Hi, everyone – Test the strength of your concern for others’ spiritual state. Is it as strong as it should be? Does your grief over their lost condition extend to your active pursuit of their repentance and trust in Jesus? What would it take to fan the flames of your evangelistic passion?
JESUS MEETS BLIND MEN’S NEEDS
Matt. 9:28-30A: The blind men came up to Him, and Jesus said to them, “Do you believe that I am able to do this?” They said to Him, “Yes, Lord.” Then He touched their eyes, saying, “It shall be done to you according to your faith.” And their eyes were opened.
Sometimes at conversion, the Lord wants sinners to give a more public profession of their trust in Him, in keeping with Paul’s teaching, “If you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved” (Rom. 10:9) This was the kind of confession Jesus drew out of the blind men, and it testified to the eyewitnesses of what He requires for salvation. “Yes” indicated they believed He could do what they requested of Him, and “Lord” set forth their faith that He was the promised Messiah and coming Savior, who was now in their midst.
The men’s testimony proved that their understanding of Jesus was biblical, unlike many misguided and insincere followers. It distinguished them from those who thought Jesus was only a military and political deliverer, those who believed Jesus was merely a competent and charismatic human leader. Their confession emphasized that Christ was primarily a spiritual leader, whose first concern was saving people from their sins. Though His compassion for physical suffering was genuine, it was far greater for lost souls.
Jesus prompted the blind men to openly confess their faith in Him, not so much for curing their physical blindness but for the sake of their spiritual sight. They acknowledged Him as Son of David and came asking Him for spiritual mercy and salvation, and thus they received a gift far greater than simple restoration of their eyes.
More to come…
JESUS MEETS BLIND MEN’S NEEDS
Matt. 9:28-30A: The blind men came up to Him, and Jesus said to them, “Do you believe that I am able to do this?” They said to Him, “Yes, Lord.” Then He touched their eyes, saying, “It shall be done to you according to your faith.” And their eyes were opened.
Sometimes at conversion, the Lord wants sinners to give a more public profession of their trust in Him, in keeping with Paul’s teaching, “If you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved” (Rom. 10:9) This was the kind of confession Jesus drew out of the blind men, and it testified to the eyewitnesses of what He requires for salvation. “Yes” indicated they believed He could do what they requested of Him, and “Lord” set forth their faith that He was the promised Messiah and coming Savior, who was now in their midst.
The men’s testimony proved that their understanding of Jesus was biblical, unlike many misguided and insincere followers. It distinguished them from those who thought Jesus was only a military and political deliverer, those who believed Jesus was merely a competent and charismatic human leader. Their confession emphasized that Christ was primarily a spiritual leader, whose first concern was saving people from their sins. Though His compassion for physical suffering was genuine, it was far greater for lost souls.
Jesus prompted the blind men to openly confess their faith in Him, not so much for curing their physical blindness but for the sake of their spiritual sight. They acknowledged Him as Son of David and came asking Him for spiritual mercy and salvation, and thus they received a gift far greater than simple restoration of their eyes.
More to come…
THE BLIND MEN REACH OUT
Hi, everyone – How much of your everyday conversation is taken up with what the Lord has done for you? Is it because you’re trying to be sensitive to the unsaved around you? Or is it more because you just haven’t thought about it that much?
THE BLIND MEN REACH OUT
Matt. 9:30B-31: Jesus sternly warned them: “See that no one knows about this!” But they went out and spread the news about Him throughout all that land.
Usually believers need to say more, not less, about the gospel of Jesus Christ. But here our Lord had definite reasons for commanding the people to whom He had ministered most directly not to publicize what had occurred.
He did not forbid them from speaking simply because He did not want their specific healing made known or because He did not want His miracles in general to be proclaimed. The miracles were evidence of His deity and legitimate mission. Christ commanded silence because it was not time to widely publicize His messiahship, lest the news stir up premature opposition to Him or encourage revolutionary Jews to rally around Him as a political deliverer.
Jesus also did not want to overemphasize His miracles. While they were a key element of His ministry, they were not the primary reason for His incarnation. Many already were not understanding the miracles rightly: “Truly, truly, I say to you, you seek Me, not because you saw signs, but because you ate of the loaves and were filled” (John 6:26).
Another reason why the Lord may not have wanted the men heralding His messiahship was because He wanted others, especially the Jews, to look to Scripture for the fulfillment of prophecy about the Messiah.
But in spite of Jesus’ command, the blind men still “went out and spread the news about Him.” This was disobedient of them and was the wrong response. However, it could not resist telling everyone of their miraculous deliverance.
More to come…Have a restful weekend and a good worship. My Grandma is very happy to be back home, and so are we!
THE BLIND MEN REACH OUT
Matt. 9:30B-31: Jesus sternly warned them: “See that no one knows about this!” But they went out and spread the news about Him throughout all that land.
Usually believers need to say more, not less, about the gospel of Jesus Christ. But here our Lord had definite reasons for commanding the people to whom He had ministered most directly not to publicize what had occurred.
He did not forbid them from speaking simply because He did not want their specific healing made known or because He did not want His miracles in general to be proclaimed. The miracles were evidence of His deity and legitimate mission. Christ commanded silence because it was not time to widely publicize His messiahship, lest the news stir up premature opposition to Him or encourage revolutionary Jews to rally around Him as a political deliverer.
Jesus also did not want to overemphasize His miracles. While they were a key element of His ministry, they were not the primary reason for His incarnation. Many already were not understanding the miracles rightly: “Truly, truly, I say to you, you seek Me, not because you saw signs, but because you ate of the loaves and were filled” (John 6:26).
Another reason why the Lord may not have wanted the men heralding His messiahship was because He wanted others, especially the Jews, to look to Scripture for the fulfillment of prophecy about the Messiah.
But in spite of Jesus’ command, the blind men still “went out and spread the news about Him.” This was disobedient of them and was the wrong response. However, it could not resist telling everyone of their miraculous deliverance.
More to come…Have a restful weekend and a good worship. My Grandma is very happy to be back home, and so are we!
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