Would you consider it a compliment if someone called you a “doubting Thomas”?
Doubting is a vital ingredient in all mature critical thinking. No one really respects a gullible person. The mature person weighs the facts and draws his conclusions based upon solid information.
Christ drew even closer to His disciples when they found it hard to believe. He did not push them away, or give up on them; He gave them space to think, ponder and meditate on the reality of spiritual truths.
His disciple Thomas doubted the witness of his fellow disciples when they sought him out and told him that Jesus was risen from the dead. Jesus did not jump in with a quick revelation. He let Thomas sweat it out for eight days (John 20:24-29).
“And after eight days. . . Jesus came, the doors being shut, and stood in their midst, and said, ‘Peace be with you.’” (v. 26).
God deals with us in our doubts the same way He did with Thomas. When we acknowledge our doubts, Christ reaches out to us, and as we yield to His presence He reveals more and more of Himself to us.
Don’t run from your doubts or deny them. Acknowledge them to God and ask Him for wisdom to understand things that are beyond our reason.
Our doubts become the means of experiencing the reality of Christ more profoundly. He reaches out to us in our unique needs. To Thomas He says, “Reach here your finger, and see My hands; reach here your hand, and put it into My side; and be not unbelieving, but believing” (v. 27).
It is not a matter of psyching ourselves up. It is our response to His wisdom, insight and intimate presence with us.
There is a lot of psychological babble and nonsense in religious circles. You need to doubt a lot of things you read and hear. Get into God’s Word and listen to His voice and see the truth through His eyes, and think His thoughts.
The response of Thomas was, “My Lord, and my God!” (v. 28). That is the only legitimate response when we submit to His truth. Thomas declared Jesus to be Jehovah, LORD, Master, Sovereign! Jesus Christ is my personal God. He is my Lord and my God! Thomas in that moment of truth came to a personal, intimate relationship with God in Christ.
What question of doubt would you ask Christ today? What is the one thing you stumble over? Go ahead and ask Him right now. Be patient and listen to His response with divine wisdom.
Perhaps there have been some changes in circumstances in your life that have caused you to doubt God’s faithfulness. Can you trust Him with these? Are you humble enough to allow Him to answer them in His own time and accept His answer when He gives it? Are you humble enough to respond, “My Lord and my God”?
Your situation is not hopeless. He gave you a mind as well as a heart. He will provide what you need if you will allow Him.
The Lord Jesus revealed Himself to Thomas. What finally got through to Thomas was the presence of Jesus Christ, identified by His wounds in His hands, feet and side.
It is this same love of Jesus that changes our hearts. The truth of God’s love in Christ changes our lives. The death of Christ continually proves the truth of the gospel. C. H. Spurgeon said, “Incarnate Deity, the notion of God that lived, and bled, and died in human form, instead of guilty man is itself its own best witness.”
Ask God for the evidence. God is more interested in revealing Himself to you than you are in seeking Him. Jesus always comes down to our level and reveals Himself to us. He moves us from doubt to trust. The simple truth is if we do believe in Christ, it is because He has always been there before hand leading us to Himself.
Thursday, February 25, 2010
SHIFT WEEK 4 SATURDAY
When Christ died on the cross the work of salvation was completed and Christ provided access for all believers into God’s holy presence. Therefore, salvation is by grace alone, through faith alone in Christ alone.
God is a real person and our relationship with Him can be cultivated as with any other relationship. We have been saved to live in fellowship with Him. We can enjoy the riches of the Christian life only as we grow in intimacy with Christ. The presence of our Lord in our lives brings this intimacy and these riches in glory with Him.
If there is no peace, joy, longsuffering, patience, live, etc., it may well be that we are out of fellowship with Him, or that we have not come into a living relationship with Him. We must spend time in His presence everyday. It is terribly easy to get our minds set on a thousand good things, but not on Christ. No religious activities or feelings can substitute for the cultivation of the presence of God in our lives.
“I have been crucified with Christ, and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me ." (Galatians 2:20 NET).
“When Christ bids us come and follow, He bids us come and die,” said Bonhoeffer.
The victory in the Christian's life comes as we die to selfishness and follow Him. The apostle Paul wrote, “To me, to live is Christ and to die is gain” (Phil. 1:20). Again he wrote, “The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me” (Gal. 2:20). Paul can write this because he has been crucified with Christ.
The Christian life is impossible to live if you do not know Christ as your Savior. It is impossible if you have never put your faith in Christ. Nothing in the unsaved person’s life can satisfy God’s righteousness. God will not accept our self-righteousness in the slightest degree.
When we are crucified with Christ we allow Him to strip away everything that keeps us from having an intimate fellowship with Him. It is like letting Him strip off all our old worn out clothing and letting Him robe us in His perfect righteousness. Anything that would keep us from following into the fullness of His life needs to be nailed to the cross daily.
God is a real person and our relationship with Him can be cultivated as with any other relationship. We have been saved to live in fellowship with Him. We can enjoy the riches of the Christian life only as we grow in intimacy with Christ. The presence of our Lord in our lives brings this intimacy and these riches in glory with Him.
If there is no peace, joy, longsuffering, patience, live, etc., it may well be that we are out of fellowship with Him, or that we have not come into a living relationship with Him. We must spend time in His presence everyday. It is terribly easy to get our minds set on a thousand good things, but not on Christ. No religious activities or feelings can substitute for the cultivation of the presence of God in our lives.
“I have been crucified with Christ, and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me ." (Galatians 2:20 NET).
“When Christ bids us come and follow, He bids us come and die,” said Bonhoeffer.
The victory in the Christian's life comes as we die to selfishness and follow Him. The apostle Paul wrote, “To me, to live is Christ and to die is gain” (Phil. 1:20). Again he wrote, “The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me” (Gal. 2:20). Paul can write this because he has been crucified with Christ.
The Christian life is impossible to live if you do not know Christ as your Savior. It is impossible if you have never put your faith in Christ. Nothing in the unsaved person’s life can satisfy God’s righteousness. God will not accept our self-righteousness in the slightest degree.
When we are crucified with Christ we allow Him to strip away everything that keeps us from having an intimate fellowship with Him. It is like letting Him strip off all our old worn out clothing and letting Him robe us in His perfect righteousness. Anything that would keep us from following into the fullness of His life needs to be nailed to the cross daily.
SHIFT WEEK 4 FRIDAY
Jesus Christ is all-sufficient to meet our every need, but if He is going to meet our needs we must be wiling to recognize our needs and call upon Him. There must be a turning to Him for help. He can supply every spiritual need we face in life if we respond to His abiding presence.
At the feeding of the five thousand Jesus provided food in abundance, and it is always that way with God (Matt. 14:15-21; Mk. 6:33-44; Lk. 9:12-17; Jn. 6:1-15). The interesting thing is Jesus initiated the feeding of the people. He knew in advance that He was going to meet their need. He was interested in their welfare. He was able to do it.
What is your attitude toward being fed by God? Do you feed upon Him?
God never ceases granting our petitions until we cease asking. True, He does not always answer the way we would choose, but it is always with our very best in His mind. I thank God that He has not always granted my requests from my selfish, ignorant perspective. He often says no, in order to give me His very best.
Jesus is ever coming to bankrupt sinners and placing His hand on the bank draft of heaven and says to us, "Write on it what you need."
We have so little faith in things unseen and eternal. We draw so little on the resources of our heavenly Intercessor. "My God shall supply all your needs according to His riches in glory."
Have you humbly asked God to supply your needs from His all-sufficiency? He is able. Jesus tells us He is always willing to fill our empty buckets.
The wise person recognizes his need and asks God to meet every need as it arises. God has not forgotten where you are. He is fully aware of your need and He is vitally concerned about your Christian life. He will supply all your need according to His abundant resources in accordance with His eternal purpose.
How do the circumstances of your life fit into His will? Is He not committed to your very best? Does He not see the full span of your life and your current life situation? Has God forgotten you? No he has not!
He does not base His giving on our merits, yet He invites us to come to Him again and again. His abundant supply never runs out.
“And my God will supply all your needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:19).
At the feeding of the five thousand Jesus provided food in abundance, and it is always that way with God (Matt. 14:15-21; Mk. 6:33-44; Lk. 9:12-17; Jn. 6:1-15). The interesting thing is Jesus initiated the feeding of the people. He knew in advance that He was going to meet their need. He was interested in their welfare. He was able to do it.
What is your attitude toward being fed by God? Do you feed upon Him?
God never ceases granting our petitions until we cease asking. True, He does not always answer the way we would choose, but it is always with our very best in His mind. I thank God that He has not always granted my requests from my selfish, ignorant perspective. He often says no, in order to give me His very best.
Jesus is ever coming to bankrupt sinners and placing His hand on the bank draft of heaven and says to us, "Write on it what you need."
We have so little faith in things unseen and eternal. We draw so little on the resources of our heavenly Intercessor. "My God shall supply all your needs according to His riches in glory."
Have you humbly asked God to supply your needs from His all-sufficiency? He is able. Jesus tells us He is always willing to fill our empty buckets.
The wise person recognizes his need and asks God to meet every need as it arises. God has not forgotten where you are. He is fully aware of your need and He is vitally concerned about your Christian life. He will supply all your need according to His abundant resources in accordance with His eternal purpose.
How do the circumstances of your life fit into His will? Is He not committed to your very best? Does He not see the full span of your life and your current life situation? Has God forgotten you? No he has not!
He does not base His giving on our merits, yet He invites us to come to Him again and again. His abundant supply never runs out.
“And my God will supply all your needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:19).
Wednesday, February 24, 2010
SHIFT WEEK 4 THURSDAY
Often times, Christians balk at the thought of becoming great. When we hear things like “be all you can be,” “pursue greatness,” and “live up to your full potential,” we often condemn such thinking as self-centered and worldly. Granted, when the world says things like this, they usually do mean it in such a way. They are telling us to draw our strength from ourselves rather than Christ, they are telling us that life is about us making our mark on the world, and they are assuming that greatness is fame, popularity, wealth, and other false ways of identifying success. We know that the world has it wrong; in fact, they have it totally backward. But is it wrong to aspire to greatness, if we know what true greatness is?
The Scripture teaches that we ought to maximize our stay on earth in light of kingdom priorities (Matthew 6:33). It tells us that we are to want to run in such a way as to win the prize of God and receive the crown of life which is given to those who persevere in faithfulness and steadfastness (1 Corinthians 9:24, Revelation 2:10). God has gifted us all with a special spiritual gift design so that He can empower us to be part of His body advancing the kingdom of God in the hearts of mankind (Ephesians 4:7, Romans 12:6). If God has so gifted us and if He so desires to reward us, it only makes sense that He wants us to be great in His kingdom. Why wouldn’t He want us to experience maximum blessing and joy when we get to heaven?
True greatness is living as those who put their values and investments in heaven where moth and rust do not destroy. We are to send on riches for the life to come by denying ourselves in the here and now. We are also to be wise stewards of the gifts and talents that God has given us, not wasting them on selfish things but rather doing what God enables us to do in service for His kingdom.
True greatness is also servanthood. Greatness is not for those who strive to get to the top of the pecking order so that they can rule their earthly kingdom as a means of self-gratification by the indulgence of the privileges of power. Leadership is fine if it is viewed as a stewardship and gift from God. Yet it is not acceptable to “lord it over” others and get some selfish pleasure out of being in authority. Even leaders are to be servants. Matthew 20:25-28 says,
“But Jesus called them to Himself and said, ‘You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great men exercise authority over them. It is not this way among you, but whoever wishes to become great among you shall be your servant, and whoever wishes to be first among you shall be your slave; just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.”
God may entrust us with positions of authority and responsibility on earth, and we will be held accountable for how we serve in them. But the key is that we view everything that we do as a chance to serve God and to do things His way.
PRAYER
Jesus, help me become great for you! Help me to live daily in honor of you and have an impact on people in the world around me through the gifts and talents you have given me.
The Scripture teaches that we ought to maximize our stay on earth in light of kingdom priorities (Matthew 6:33). It tells us that we are to want to run in such a way as to win the prize of God and receive the crown of life which is given to those who persevere in faithfulness and steadfastness (1 Corinthians 9:24, Revelation 2:10). God has gifted us all with a special spiritual gift design so that He can empower us to be part of His body advancing the kingdom of God in the hearts of mankind (Ephesians 4:7, Romans 12:6). If God has so gifted us and if He so desires to reward us, it only makes sense that He wants us to be great in His kingdom. Why wouldn’t He want us to experience maximum blessing and joy when we get to heaven?
True greatness is living as those who put their values and investments in heaven where moth and rust do not destroy. We are to send on riches for the life to come by denying ourselves in the here and now. We are also to be wise stewards of the gifts and talents that God has given us, not wasting them on selfish things but rather doing what God enables us to do in service for His kingdom.
True greatness is also servanthood. Greatness is not for those who strive to get to the top of the pecking order so that they can rule their earthly kingdom as a means of self-gratification by the indulgence of the privileges of power. Leadership is fine if it is viewed as a stewardship and gift from God. Yet it is not acceptable to “lord it over” others and get some selfish pleasure out of being in authority. Even leaders are to be servants. Matthew 20:25-28 says,
“But Jesus called them to Himself and said, ‘You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great men exercise authority over them. It is not this way among you, but whoever wishes to become great among you shall be your servant, and whoever wishes to be first among you shall be your slave; just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.”
God may entrust us with positions of authority and responsibility on earth, and we will be held accountable for how we serve in them. But the key is that we view everything that we do as a chance to serve God and to do things His way.
PRAYER
Jesus, help me become great for you! Help me to live daily in honor of you and have an impact on people in the world around me through the gifts and talents you have given me.
Tuesday, February 23, 2010
SHIFT WEEK 4 WEDNESDAY
Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross. Philippians 2:5-8.
I have noticed something over the years of my life. I am either getting fatter or I’m becoming slimmer. It would be nice if my body would stay constantly at one perfect weight, but this has not happened. I imagine that it has not happened for you either.
I realize I am influencing the process all the time. The total often rises when I leave Pizza Hut with the satisfaction that comes from knowing they lost money on me after my performance at their buffet. This type of influence is on a subconscious level, but occasionally I try to directly influence this rise and fall.
Your spiritual life is very similar to your physical life. You are either growing closer to God or you are moving away from Him. Your relationship with Him does not stay the same every day. Like your weight, unless you decide to influence the process, you will probably move away from God instead of growing closer to Him.
I know that some of you have never gotten intentional about growing closer to God. You would like to be. You would like to walk closely with God, possibly as much as I might like to look like a guy on the cover of Men’s Health magazine. If I’m honest, I can admit to myself that I must not care all that much about my weight, because I have done nothing about it. How much do you really care about being close to God if you are doing nothing about it?
Prayer
Jesus, I want to be veryy intentional about my spiritual growth. I do not want to hope that growth come by chance, but I will intentionally study your Holy Word, spend time in prayer and meditation and participate in worship.
I have noticed something over the years of my life. I am either getting fatter or I’m becoming slimmer. It would be nice if my body would stay constantly at one perfect weight, but this has not happened. I imagine that it has not happened for you either.
I realize I am influencing the process all the time. The total often rises when I leave Pizza Hut with the satisfaction that comes from knowing they lost money on me after my performance at their buffet. This type of influence is on a subconscious level, but occasionally I try to directly influence this rise and fall.
Your spiritual life is very similar to your physical life. You are either growing closer to God or you are moving away from Him. Your relationship with Him does not stay the same every day. Like your weight, unless you decide to influence the process, you will probably move away from God instead of growing closer to Him.
I know that some of you have never gotten intentional about growing closer to God. You would like to be. You would like to walk closely with God, possibly as much as I might like to look like a guy on the cover of Men’s Health magazine. If I’m honest, I can admit to myself that I must not care all that much about my weight, because I have done nothing about it. How much do you really care about being close to God if you are doing nothing about it?
Prayer
Jesus, I want to be veryy intentional about my spiritual growth. I do not want to hope that growth come by chance, but I will intentionally study your Holy Word, spend time in prayer and meditation and participate in worship.
SHIFT WEEK 4 TUESDAY
TUESDAY
Four would be muggers received a shock when they attacked an older man late one night in Bielefeld, Germany. A retired 70-year-old British man now living in Germany was the object of the would be muggers. Unknown to the attackers the man they were attacking had been trained in martial arts while he was in the military many years ago. Three of the young men confronted the man while a fourth stuck up behind him. The 70-year-old man remembering his trainingand took hold of the first attacker and flipped him over his shoulder. One of the other men then tried to kick him and the retiree grabbed the foot causing the man to fall down. All four of the attackers then fled from the man who had unexpectedly stood up to them. A police representative said “Looks like he had everything under control.” The man who was attacked did have some light abrasions but was thankful that he had remembered his training.
You may never be attacked by a mugger but you will experience spiritual attacks in one form or another during your lifetime. It may come in the form persecution, or afflictions as the apostle Paul experienced. The spiritual attack could also come through those who would try to deceive you spiritually. How will you respond when you are attacked? Will your early training in the Word of God and spiritual disciplines be remembered? Will you stand up and fight or will you become just another victim of your spiritual attackers?
I hope that when the spiritual attack comes upon you something very important will occur. What is that something? I hope that you will remember your spiritual training and your attackers will be defeated. But what if you never received any training? Then you are just a sitting duck for those who would try to harm you spiritually. Without training, you are just someone waiting to become a victim.
Let us think of ways to motivate one another to acts of love and good works. 25 And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another, especially now that the day of his return is drawing near. Hebrews 10:24-25
PRAYER
Jesus, help me to with stand the attacks of life by learning and growing daily in your love. Please give me insight into your Holy Word and teach me how to be prepared to resist temptation.
Four would be muggers received a shock when they attacked an older man late one night in Bielefeld, Germany. A retired 70-year-old British man now living in Germany was the object of the would be muggers. Unknown to the attackers the man they were attacking had been trained in martial arts while he was in the military many years ago. Three of the young men confronted the man while a fourth stuck up behind him. The 70-year-old man remembering his trainingand took hold of the first attacker and flipped him over his shoulder. One of the other men then tried to kick him and the retiree grabbed the foot causing the man to fall down. All four of the attackers then fled from the man who had unexpectedly stood up to them. A police representative said “Looks like he had everything under control.” The man who was attacked did have some light abrasions but was thankful that he had remembered his training.
You may never be attacked by a mugger but you will experience spiritual attacks in one form or another during your lifetime. It may come in the form persecution, or afflictions as the apostle Paul experienced. The spiritual attack could also come through those who would try to deceive you spiritually. How will you respond when you are attacked? Will your early training in the Word of God and spiritual disciplines be remembered? Will you stand up and fight or will you become just another victim of your spiritual attackers?
I hope that when the spiritual attack comes upon you something very important will occur. What is that something? I hope that you will remember your spiritual training and your attackers will be defeated. But what if you never received any training? Then you are just a sitting duck for those who would try to harm you spiritually. Without training, you are just someone waiting to become a victim.
Let us think of ways to motivate one another to acts of love and good works. 25 And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another, especially now that the day of his return is drawing near. Hebrews 10:24-25
PRAYER
Jesus, help me to with stand the attacks of life by learning and growing daily in your love. Please give me insight into your Holy Word and teach me how to be prepared to resist temptation.
Monday, February 22, 2010
SHIFT WEEK 4 MONDAY
MONDAY
SHIFT WEEK 4
There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love. I John 4:18
What is there to fear since God sent his Son to die to redeem us? What is there to fear since we cannot be separated from the love God has for us in Christ Jesus? What is there to fear except ourselves, and God has poured his Spirit into our hearts to reassure us and strengthen us in our weakness! As we love God and his children, we are reminded of his love for us which is far better than our meager love for others. Rather than run from him in fear, we bow before him in thanks knowing that he who hears our prayers is also he who loves us and yearns to calm our fears.
PRAYER
Loving Father, thank you that I can reverence you without fearing your wrath. Thank you that I can revere your word and yet not be terrified with my inadequacies. May your love in me produce a closer likeness to your holiness, righteousness, justice and mercy than all the laws, threats, and judges combined. I pray in the mighty name of Jesus, who ransomed me from sin and poured out his love upon me. Amen.
SHIFT WEEK 4
There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love. I John 4:18
What is there to fear since God sent his Son to die to redeem us? What is there to fear since we cannot be separated from the love God has for us in Christ Jesus? What is there to fear except ourselves, and God has poured his Spirit into our hearts to reassure us and strengthen us in our weakness! As we love God and his children, we are reminded of his love for us which is far better than our meager love for others. Rather than run from him in fear, we bow before him in thanks knowing that he who hears our prayers is also he who loves us and yearns to calm our fears.
PRAYER
Loving Father, thank you that I can reverence you without fearing your wrath. Thank you that I can revere your word and yet not be terrified with my inadequacies. May your love in me produce a closer likeness to your holiness, righteousness, justice and mercy than all the laws, threats, and judges combined. I pray in the mighty name of Jesus, who ransomed me from sin and poured out his love upon me. Amen.
Monday, February 15, 2010
SHIFT WEEK III MONDAY
MONDAY
John 4:28-30, 39-42
I suppose most people grow up with a family repertoire of pithy sayings. Perhaps in your family, you had worthy sayings like, "The journey of a thousand miles must begin with a single step."
But in my family, we had "old sayings." My grandmother was from Weirton, WV and she began most of her sentences with the preface, "As the old saying goes,…" She would quote sayings like this:
"As the old saying goes, he's lower than a snake's belly in a wagon rut."
"I'll be there, as the old saying goes, the Lord willing and the creek don't rise."
"As the old saying goes, I feel like I wuz rode hard and put up wet."
One of my favorites saying I read years ago said “Every tub sits on its own bottom.”
"Every tub must sit on its own bottom" seems to be obvious. A tub can't very well sit on another tub's bottom. The meaning is that people have to be responsible for them. There are certain matters about which we must be independent. There are some things that no one else can do for us. We must take care of our own matters. We must sit on our own bottom.
Sychar was an ancient town about a half mile from the site where Jacob had dug a well 2000 years before. The town nestled against the southeastern slope of Mount Ebal. It was, no doubt, a very typical town. Every town has its outcasts, and Sychar had the woman at the well.
We really know only two things about this woman: she came to the well at noon and Jesus said she had had five husbands and was now with a man to whom she was not married.
The fact that she came at noon is the most revealing fact. Most of the women came together in the cool of the day, but this woman intentionally came to carry water in the hottest part of the day, apparently so that she would not run into others. It is safe to say that she was either a loner or an outcast.
Jesus shocked the woman by speaking to her, but he also launched into a spiritual discussion about living water. He said, "If you knew who I was, you would ask me for living water."
As John often does, he tells the story on two levels at the same time. The woman thinks he is talking about water from the well, and quickly points out that he has no bucket.
Again, Jesus talks to her on a spiritual level saying, 'Everyone who drinks of this water will be thirsty again, but those who drink of the water that I will give them will never be thirsty. The water that I will give will become in them a spring of water gushing up to eternal life."
The woman's reply shows that she is still thinking about real water. She says, "Sir, give me this water, so that I may never be thirsty or have to keep coming here to draw water."
In an effort to get this woman's mind off the mundane and onto the spiritual, Jesus decides to give her a clue about his identity. He says, "Go, call your husband, and come back."
She replies, "I have no husband."
Jesus says, "You are right, for you have had five husbands, and the one you have now is not your husband."
The woman immediately recognizes that this man is at least a prophet. He finally has her attention and her focus on spiritual matters. But she now wants to talk about the differences between the Jews and Samaritans, "Our ancestors worshiped on this mountain, but you say that the place where people must worship is in Jerusalem."
Jesus was not interested in discussing the differences in sectarian beliefs. He moves the discussion further up and transcends the differences between Jew and Samaritan. He says, "Woman, believe me, the hour is coming when you will worship the Father neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem. You worship what you do not know; we worship what we know, for salvation is from the Jews. But the hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father seeks such as these to worship him. God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth."
Finally, Jesus has this woman's attention. She now realizes that he is more than a prophet, maybe even the long-expected Messiah. She says, "I know that Messiah is coming. When he comes, he will proclaim all things to us." Jesus replies, "I am he, the one who is speaking to you."
I once sat down for a church dinner, and one of the members could not eat the pizza because of her new diet. She said, "I love that pizza so much, but now I can't have any. I want you to eat a piece for me." Well, I gladly obliged and ate two pieces just for her.
But we all laughed about the joke; because everyone knows no one can eat for another person. And no one can grow spiritually for another person either. Every tub must sit on its own bottom.
I love this concluding line of this story because it points to an experiential religion, a faith that is experienced for oneself. "It is no longer because of what you said that we believe, for we have heard for ourselves, and we know that this is truly the Savior of the world."
Some people may think they can ride the coattails of another's faith. Some think they are right with God because they were born into a Christian family. All individuals will stand before God alone. The witness of the woman at the well was one thing, but the people of Sychar had to hear it for themselves.
I wish we could make others grow spiritually. Some people want to be spoon-fed their spiritual growth. I wish it was as simple as changing the oil in my automobile. Drain out the old contaminated oil, and pour in the new. Drain out the old sinful self, and pour in a loving, kind, gentle spirit just like that of Jesus.
In the spiritual life, change must come from within. The Bible has a great power to change us, but only if we read it and study it and apply it to our lives. Prayer can bring a grace-filled life, but only if we dedicate the time and energy into it. Service to others has a transforming power, but only if we can look beyond our own selfishness long enough.
I hope that we will all come to the place where we can also say, 'It is no longer because of what you said that we believe, for we have heard for ourselves, and we know that this is truly the Savior of the world.'" Remember, every tub must sit on its own bottom.
PRAYER
Jesus, I want to be more like you! Help me to take personal responsibility for my spiritual growth. I don’t want to stay a spiritual infant but I want to grow up. Help me to seek every opportunity to grow deeper and fuller in my experience with you. Thank you so much for loving me!
John 4:28-30, 39-42
I suppose most people grow up with a family repertoire of pithy sayings. Perhaps in your family, you had worthy sayings like, "The journey of a thousand miles must begin with a single step."
But in my family, we had "old sayings." My grandmother was from Weirton, WV and she began most of her sentences with the preface, "As the old saying goes,…" She would quote sayings like this:
"As the old saying goes, he's lower than a snake's belly in a wagon rut."
"I'll be there, as the old saying goes, the Lord willing and the creek don't rise."
"As the old saying goes, I feel like I wuz rode hard and put up wet."
One of my favorites saying I read years ago said “Every tub sits on its own bottom.”
"Every tub must sit on its own bottom" seems to be obvious. A tub can't very well sit on another tub's bottom. The meaning is that people have to be responsible for them. There are certain matters about which we must be independent. There are some things that no one else can do for us. We must take care of our own matters. We must sit on our own bottom.
Sychar was an ancient town about a half mile from the site where Jacob had dug a well 2000 years before. The town nestled against the southeastern slope of Mount Ebal. It was, no doubt, a very typical town. Every town has its outcasts, and Sychar had the woman at the well.
We really know only two things about this woman: she came to the well at noon and Jesus said she had had five husbands and was now with a man to whom she was not married.
The fact that she came at noon is the most revealing fact. Most of the women came together in the cool of the day, but this woman intentionally came to carry water in the hottest part of the day, apparently so that she would not run into others. It is safe to say that she was either a loner or an outcast.
Jesus shocked the woman by speaking to her, but he also launched into a spiritual discussion about living water. He said, "If you knew who I was, you would ask me for living water."
As John often does, he tells the story on two levels at the same time. The woman thinks he is talking about water from the well, and quickly points out that he has no bucket.
Again, Jesus talks to her on a spiritual level saying, 'Everyone who drinks of this water will be thirsty again, but those who drink of the water that I will give them will never be thirsty. The water that I will give will become in them a spring of water gushing up to eternal life."
The woman's reply shows that she is still thinking about real water. She says, "Sir, give me this water, so that I may never be thirsty or have to keep coming here to draw water."
In an effort to get this woman's mind off the mundane and onto the spiritual, Jesus decides to give her a clue about his identity. He says, "Go, call your husband, and come back."
She replies, "I have no husband."
Jesus says, "You are right, for you have had five husbands, and the one you have now is not your husband."
The woman immediately recognizes that this man is at least a prophet. He finally has her attention and her focus on spiritual matters. But she now wants to talk about the differences between the Jews and Samaritans, "Our ancestors worshiped on this mountain, but you say that the place where people must worship is in Jerusalem."
Jesus was not interested in discussing the differences in sectarian beliefs. He moves the discussion further up and transcends the differences between Jew and Samaritan. He says, "Woman, believe me, the hour is coming when you will worship the Father neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem. You worship what you do not know; we worship what we know, for salvation is from the Jews. But the hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father seeks such as these to worship him. God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth."
Finally, Jesus has this woman's attention. She now realizes that he is more than a prophet, maybe even the long-expected Messiah. She says, "I know that Messiah is coming. When he comes, he will proclaim all things to us." Jesus replies, "I am he, the one who is speaking to you."
I once sat down for a church dinner, and one of the members could not eat the pizza because of her new diet. She said, "I love that pizza so much, but now I can't have any. I want you to eat a piece for me." Well, I gladly obliged and ate two pieces just for her.
But we all laughed about the joke; because everyone knows no one can eat for another person. And no one can grow spiritually for another person either. Every tub must sit on its own bottom.
I love this concluding line of this story because it points to an experiential religion, a faith that is experienced for oneself. "It is no longer because of what you said that we believe, for we have heard for ourselves, and we know that this is truly the Savior of the world."
Some people may think they can ride the coattails of another's faith. Some think they are right with God because they were born into a Christian family. All individuals will stand before God alone. The witness of the woman at the well was one thing, but the people of Sychar had to hear it for themselves.
I wish we could make others grow spiritually. Some people want to be spoon-fed their spiritual growth. I wish it was as simple as changing the oil in my automobile. Drain out the old contaminated oil, and pour in the new. Drain out the old sinful self, and pour in a loving, kind, gentle spirit just like that of Jesus.
In the spiritual life, change must come from within. The Bible has a great power to change us, but only if we read it and study it and apply it to our lives. Prayer can bring a grace-filled life, but only if we dedicate the time and energy into it. Service to others has a transforming power, but only if we can look beyond our own selfishness long enough.
I hope that we will all come to the place where we can also say, 'It is no longer because of what you said that we believe, for we have heard for ourselves, and we know that this is truly the Savior of the world.'" Remember, every tub must sit on its own bottom.
PRAYER
Jesus, I want to be more like you! Help me to take personal responsibility for my spiritual growth. I don’t want to stay a spiritual infant but I want to grow up. Help me to seek every opportunity to grow deeper and fuller in my experience with you. Thank you so much for loving me!
SHIFT WEEK III TUESDAY
TUESDAY
Ephesians 5:15-20
Paul says, "Be careful then how you live, not as unwise people but as wise, making the most of the time, because the days are evil. So do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is. Do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery; but be filled with the Spirit, as you sing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs among yourselves, singing and making melody to the Lord in your hearts, giving thanks to God the Father at all times and for everything in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ."
I suspect those words are good advice for all us. And a good answer when anyone asks, "How shall we live?"
First, Paul says, "Be careful." I certainly have a new appreciation for those words after my son’s car wreck last week. I remember when one of my daughters had a fender bender on the ice. Since that time, she has become more careful.
I have learned that you really do have to be careful out there! We have to be careful not just in driving, but in how we live our lives. Living is also a high risk adventure, and Christians need to be very careful how they live.
Next, Paul advises us to "make the most of the time" (5:16). Paul was convinced that the Lord would return during his lifetime, so he worked tirelessly to spread the good news of the Kingdom of God. He understood that time is a gift, that our lives are like a canvas on which God can paint beautiful pictures. So he urges us to make the most of the chances we get to do something right in this life. The hymn writer put it this way: “Work, for the night is coming.”
The verb used here means to purchase or buy back. It means to redeem something. We are to redeem the time by making every minute count. He says in Romans 13:11: "Besides this, you know what time it is, how it is now the moment for you to wake from sleep. For salvation is nearer to us now than when we became believers…" There is an unmistakable note of urgency about this call.
One of my friends loves to tease about the value of time. Since his heart problems, he realizes that every day is a gift, and that we can't count on tomorrow. He doesn’t even buy green bananas.
When you have been given a second chance at life, you want to make every moment count. Every day is a good day. Every day is a day to practice the presence of God.
Next, Paul warns us against being foolish. "Be careful then how you live, not as unwise people but as wise, making the most of the time, because the days are evil. So do not be foolish…(Ephesians 5:15-17a)" To be “foolish” in the Jewish tradition, means throwing away the chance for salvation.
We need to use our time wisely, not foolishly. We need to use our talents to give of ourselves to others in ministry and to pray all the while.
Jesus had something to say about those who were wise and those who were foolish. In Matthew 7:24-27, Jesus says, "Everyone then who hears these words of mine and acts on them will be like a wise man who built his house on rock. The rain fell, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on rock. And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not act on them will be like a foolish man who built his house on sand. The rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell and great was its fall!”
Verse 17 says, "So do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is." The opposite of being foolish understands the will of God. If Christians are to be different from the rest of the world, we have to know "what the will of the lord is." We have to know what is pleasing to God. The "will of the Lord" is the standard for all Christian behavior. Since we have so little time, let's live every day oriented toward the will of God.
Next Paul says that Christians are not to live like pagans who get drunk to induce a religious experience; rather they are to enjoy the ecstasy provided by the Spirit of God. The Christian, then in a sense, is to be “drunk,” not with wine but “with the Spirit,” as the believer is to “be filled with the Spirit.”
Let us live as wise ones, understanding the will of the Lord, opening ourselves to the movement of the Spirit. Then let us give God our thanksgiving in the midst of the worshiping community.
PRAYER
Lord may you help me to see the value of every minute of every day. Let me cherish is because it is gone as quickly as it arrived! May I use the time you have given me wisely to draw deeper in my relationship with you and make a difference in the lives of others.
Ephesians 5:15-20
Paul says, "Be careful then how you live, not as unwise people but as wise, making the most of the time, because the days are evil. So do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is. Do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery; but be filled with the Spirit, as you sing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs among yourselves, singing and making melody to the Lord in your hearts, giving thanks to God the Father at all times and for everything in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ."
I suspect those words are good advice for all us. And a good answer when anyone asks, "How shall we live?"
First, Paul says, "Be careful." I certainly have a new appreciation for those words after my son’s car wreck last week. I remember when one of my daughters had a fender bender on the ice. Since that time, she has become more careful.
I have learned that you really do have to be careful out there! We have to be careful not just in driving, but in how we live our lives. Living is also a high risk adventure, and Christians need to be very careful how they live.
Next, Paul advises us to "make the most of the time" (5:16). Paul was convinced that the Lord would return during his lifetime, so he worked tirelessly to spread the good news of the Kingdom of God. He understood that time is a gift, that our lives are like a canvas on which God can paint beautiful pictures. So he urges us to make the most of the chances we get to do something right in this life. The hymn writer put it this way: “Work, for the night is coming.”
The verb used here means to purchase or buy back. It means to redeem something. We are to redeem the time by making every minute count. He says in Romans 13:11: "Besides this, you know what time it is, how it is now the moment for you to wake from sleep. For salvation is nearer to us now than when we became believers…" There is an unmistakable note of urgency about this call.
One of my friends loves to tease about the value of time. Since his heart problems, he realizes that every day is a gift, and that we can't count on tomorrow. He doesn’t even buy green bananas.
When you have been given a second chance at life, you want to make every moment count. Every day is a good day. Every day is a day to practice the presence of God.
Next, Paul warns us against being foolish. "Be careful then how you live, not as unwise people but as wise, making the most of the time, because the days are evil. So do not be foolish…(Ephesians 5:15-17a)" To be “foolish” in the Jewish tradition, means throwing away the chance for salvation.
We need to use our time wisely, not foolishly. We need to use our talents to give of ourselves to others in ministry and to pray all the while.
Jesus had something to say about those who were wise and those who were foolish. In Matthew 7:24-27, Jesus says, "Everyone then who hears these words of mine and acts on them will be like a wise man who built his house on rock. The rain fell, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on rock. And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not act on them will be like a foolish man who built his house on sand. The rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell and great was its fall!”
Verse 17 says, "So do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is." The opposite of being foolish understands the will of God. If Christians are to be different from the rest of the world, we have to know "what the will of the lord is." We have to know what is pleasing to God. The "will of the Lord" is the standard for all Christian behavior. Since we have so little time, let's live every day oriented toward the will of God.
Next Paul says that Christians are not to live like pagans who get drunk to induce a religious experience; rather they are to enjoy the ecstasy provided by the Spirit of God. The Christian, then in a sense, is to be “drunk,” not with wine but “with the Spirit,” as the believer is to “be filled with the Spirit.”
Let us live as wise ones, understanding the will of the Lord, opening ourselves to the movement of the Spirit. Then let us give God our thanksgiving in the midst of the worshiping community.
PRAYER
Lord may you help me to see the value of every minute of every day. Let me cherish is because it is gone as quickly as it arrived! May I use the time you have given me wisely to draw deeper in my relationship with you and make a difference in the lives of others.
SHIFT WEEK III WEDNESDAY
WEDNESDAY
Luke 14:25-33
Churches sometimes go to great lengths to get people to come to their church. Not long ago a church called the Positive Impact Christian Church offered a door prize of $1,000. All the local newspapers reported this unusual approach to evangelism. However, the preacher was deeply disappointed when only thirty people showed up when he was anticipating hundreds. After all, he thought, who could resist the appeal of a $1,000 door prize for a lucky worshiper.
Contrast that experience with a newspaper ad that appeared in London in the 1800s which said, "Men wanted for hazardous journey, small wages, bitter cold, long months of complete darkness, constant danger, safe return doubtful; Honor and recognition in case of success." Thousands of men lined up to volunteer because the ad was signed by Sir Ernest Shackleton preparing for his sea voyage seeking the Northwest Passage.
Do we make discipleship easy or challenging? Luke’s writing leaves no doubt about the method Jesus took. Instead of giving something away, he demanded that his followers give everything up.
Large crowds were traveling with Jesus; and he turned and said to them some strong words about the requirements for being a disciple. These are hard sayings and demanding conditions.
Remember the words of President Dwight Eisenhower when he addressed the troops on the evening of the D-Day operation in World War II: "There will be no victories at bargain basement prices!" He was right. There never are. And this is never truer than when we become disciples of Jesus, the Lord of the cross.
Jesus doesn't mince words when he places the demand on disciples. "Whoever does not carry the cross and follow me cannot be my disciple."
The cross is not a pretty piece of jewelry to wear around your neck. It is not really a tool for witnessing. It is not even a burden to carry. The cross is a means of death! We proclaim the same message every time we baptize someone when we say, "We are buried with Christ in baptism and raised to walk in the newness of life." To come to Christ is to take up a cross, to die to ourselves and to live for Him.
Dietrich Bonhoeffer, a Lutheran confessing church pastor and a leader in the resistance movement against the Third Reich, wrote from a Nazi prison just before he went to the gallows for following Jesus, "When Christ calls a man, He bids him, 'Come and die!'"
Whatever "carrying the cross" may mean in your life, Jesus makes it clear that it represents the cost of discipleship.
William Willimon tells the story about the time a recruiter from Teach America came to Duke. Teach America is an organization which recruits this nation’s best college and university students to go to teach in the most impossible teaching situations in our country.
This recruiter from Teach America looked out on a crowd of Duke students. She began by saying, “I don’t really know why I am here tonight. I can tell just by looking at you that you are probably uninterested in what I have to say. This is one of the best universities in America. You are all successful. That is why you are here, to become an even greater success on Madison Avenue, or Wall Street, or in Law School.
"And here I stand, trying to recruit some people for the most difficult job you will ever have in your life. I’m out looking for people who want to go into a burned out classroom in Watts and teach Biology. I’m looking for somebody to go into a little one-room school house in West Virginia and teach kids from six years to thirteen years old how to read. We had three teachers killed last year in their classrooms!
"And I can tell, just by looking at you, that none of you want to throw away your lives on anything like that. On the other hand, if by chance there is somebody here who may be interested, I’ve got these brochures and I am going to leave them down here and will be glad to speak to anybody who is interested. The meeting is over.”
With that, all of the students jumped up, crowded into the aisles, rushed down to the front and started fighting over her pamphlets. They were just dying to apply for Teach America.
People are hungry to give their lives to something more important than themselves. It is a fact of life, not only that everything costs us something, but that, in our better moments, we are even eager to pay the cost.
When Jesus saw the crowds casually following him, he said, "If you want to follow me, you must love everything less than me. Who is willing to count the cost, and join us in costly discipleship?
PRAYER
Jesus, I want to the pay the cost to be your disciple. I don’t want to walk the easy road and have my life count for nothing. I want to be called as your disciple to make a different. I want my life to count for something that matters.
Luke 14:25-33
Churches sometimes go to great lengths to get people to come to their church. Not long ago a church called the Positive Impact Christian Church offered a door prize of $1,000. All the local newspapers reported this unusual approach to evangelism. However, the preacher was deeply disappointed when only thirty people showed up when he was anticipating hundreds. After all, he thought, who could resist the appeal of a $1,000 door prize for a lucky worshiper.
Contrast that experience with a newspaper ad that appeared in London in the 1800s which said, "Men wanted for hazardous journey, small wages, bitter cold, long months of complete darkness, constant danger, safe return doubtful; Honor and recognition in case of success." Thousands of men lined up to volunteer because the ad was signed by Sir Ernest Shackleton preparing for his sea voyage seeking the Northwest Passage.
Do we make discipleship easy or challenging? Luke’s writing leaves no doubt about the method Jesus took. Instead of giving something away, he demanded that his followers give everything up.
Large crowds were traveling with Jesus; and he turned and said to them some strong words about the requirements for being a disciple. These are hard sayings and demanding conditions.
Remember the words of President Dwight Eisenhower when he addressed the troops on the evening of the D-Day operation in World War II: "There will be no victories at bargain basement prices!" He was right. There never are. And this is never truer than when we become disciples of Jesus, the Lord of the cross.
Jesus doesn't mince words when he places the demand on disciples. "Whoever does not carry the cross and follow me cannot be my disciple."
The cross is not a pretty piece of jewelry to wear around your neck. It is not really a tool for witnessing. It is not even a burden to carry. The cross is a means of death! We proclaim the same message every time we baptize someone when we say, "We are buried with Christ in baptism and raised to walk in the newness of life." To come to Christ is to take up a cross, to die to ourselves and to live for Him.
Dietrich Bonhoeffer, a Lutheran confessing church pastor and a leader in the resistance movement against the Third Reich, wrote from a Nazi prison just before he went to the gallows for following Jesus, "When Christ calls a man, He bids him, 'Come and die!'"
Whatever "carrying the cross" may mean in your life, Jesus makes it clear that it represents the cost of discipleship.
William Willimon tells the story about the time a recruiter from Teach America came to Duke. Teach America is an organization which recruits this nation’s best college and university students to go to teach in the most impossible teaching situations in our country.
This recruiter from Teach America looked out on a crowd of Duke students. She began by saying, “I don’t really know why I am here tonight. I can tell just by looking at you that you are probably uninterested in what I have to say. This is one of the best universities in America. You are all successful. That is why you are here, to become an even greater success on Madison Avenue, or Wall Street, or in Law School.
"And here I stand, trying to recruit some people for the most difficult job you will ever have in your life. I’m out looking for people who want to go into a burned out classroom in Watts and teach Biology. I’m looking for somebody to go into a little one-room school house in West Virginia and teach kids from six years to thirteen years old how to read. We had three teachers killed last year in their classrooms!
"And I can tell, just by looking at you, that none of you want to throw away your lives on anything like that. On the other hand, if by chance there is somebody here who may be interested, I’ve got these brochures and I am going to leave them down here and will be glad to speak to anybody who is interested. The meeting is over.”
With that, all of the students jumped up, crowded into the aisles, rushed down to the front and started fighting over her pamphlets. They were just dying to apply for Teach America.
People are hungry to give their lives to something more important than themselves. It is a fact of life, not only that everything costs us something, but that, in our better moments, we are even eager to pay the cost.
When Jesus saw the crowds casually following him, he said, "If you want to follow me, you must love everything less than me. Who is willing to count the cost, and join us in costly discipleship?
PRAYER
Jesus, I want to the pay the cost to be your disciple. I don’t want to walk the easy road and have my life count for nothing. I want to be called as your disciple to make a different. I want my life to count for something that matters.
SHIFT WEEK III THURSDAY
THURSDAY
Luke 5:1-11
Simon stood to wipe the sweat from his brow. What a long and empty night it had been. The three of them (Simon, James and John) had fished all night long to no avail. Now they were exhausted, and they still had to clean the nets.
He thought back to the excited expectation of the evening before. Usually, night fishing yielded enough fish for a good profit at the market the next day and plenty of food for the family. These were experienced fishermen. They knew what they were doing, and they knew the odds. Sometimes you catch a bundle, sometimes you don't. Simon remembered the early rhythms of casting the nets into the water. There had been just enough moonlight that they had no trouble making their way about the boat. Each cast was thrown with expectation.
Gather the net in the right hand. Clinch the tether in the left. Slowly swing the net back and forth until the proper momentum was reached. Then with the precise release, the net mushroomed into a perfect circle, making a simultaneous splash as the tiny weights hit the water.
Let the net sink to the end of the tether, and with a mighty, swift effort pull on the cord, collapsing the underwater parachute and trapping fish within. At least, that was what was supposed to happen.
How many times had he thrown that net during the night? Each time he had expected fish. All night long and nothing! Nothing!
Dejectedly they were washing their nets when Jesus appeared at the head of a crowd. He stopped to speak to them, but the crowd pressed closer and closer. Finally, Jesus came over to Simon and stepped into his boat. He asked Simon to push out a little way from shore so he could speak to the crowd from the boat.
The water was flat calm that day, and the sound traveled perfectly along the water. The people could hear Jesus as well as if he had a modern day public address system.
Jesus sat in the bow and spoke to the people, while Simon sat at the stern and listened. Luke doesn’t tell us what Jesus said that day. No doubt he was telling parables about farming or women sweeping the house. He had a knack for turning common occurrences into divine truth. But this time, Luke feels that what happened was more important that Jesus' message for the day.
When the sermon was over, Jesus said, "Put out into the deep water and let down your nets for a catch."
Perhaps Simon immediately caught the underlying message of "deep water." He was experienced with the deep waters on the Sea of Galilee, and he knew the dangers that lay there. Earning a living on a small boat on a big lake can be a peaceful and calm vocation, but a gale would sweep down from these mountains and suddenly the fishermen would be fighting for their lives. Simon knew the dangers. He was a waterman. But he also knew that spiritually he had been paddling around in the shallows of life. He was an honest businessman. He even attended the synagogue on occasion. But there were times when he wondered about the meaning of his life, and wondered if God didn't have greater things in store for him than casting nets all night.
Jesus has a way of calling people into the deep. His presence makes one feel the very presence and calling of God. Jesus draws people to him like a giant magnet. His words made Simon think that there was more to life. He felt Jesus words called him to "put out into the deep."
Jesus did not actually ask the fishermen to follow him. At other times, Jesus makes that call explicit.
The Bible is filled with "call passages." Isaiah was called. Jeremiah responded to the call. Paul was called with a blinding light. But here the presence and the power of Jesus serve as an unspoken call. The fishermen give up their professions, leave their nets and presumably the abundance of caught fish, and follow Jesus.
When we find the call of God on the lives of men and women, there is often associated a radical unconcern for possessions. The disciples leave their boats and go off after someone they cannot comprehend. Without knowing, they heed the later words of Jesus, "Seek first the kingdom of God."
In the book of Acts, Luke will tell of the early church's practice of sharing possessions with one another, of the selling of property and distribution of food to the widows. Commitment to Jesus' way puts all other things into perspective.
Like Simon Peter, we stand today at the crossroads of life. Will we go about tending nets? Or will we hear the words of Jesus addressed to us. Will it be our call narrative?
"Put out into the deep water and let down your nets for a catch… Do not be afraid; from now on you will be catching people."
When we hear those words addressed to us, I pray that we, too, will "leave everything and follow Jesus."
PRAYER
Jesus, help me daily to recall the moment that I gave my life to you. Life has never been the same since you came into my life. I want to daily be used to impact others with the same message of hope that I received. Keep me from wasting my time by casting my net on the wrong side of the boat. Help me to keep you as the priority of my day and listen to what you want me to do.
Luke 5:1-11
Simon stood to wipe the sweat from his brow. What a long and empty night it had been. The three of them (Simon, James and John) had fished all night long to no avail. Now they were exhausted, and they still had to clean the nets.
He thought back to the excited expectation of the evening before. Usually, night fishing yielded enough fish for a good profit at the market the next day and plenty of food for the family. These were experienced fishermen. They knew what they were doing, and they knew the odds. Sometimes you catch a bundle, sometimes you don't. Simon remembered the early rhythms of casting the nets into the water. There had been just enough moonlight that they had no trouble making their way about the boat. Each cast was thrown with expectation.
Gather the net in the right hand. Clinch the tether in the left. Slowly swing the net back and forth until the proper momentum was reached. Then with the precise release, the net mushroomed into a perfect circle, making a simultaneous splash as the tiny weights hit the water.
Let the net sink to the end of the tether, and with a mighty, swift effort pull on the cord, collapsing the underwater parachute and trapping fish within. At least, that was what was supposed to happen.
How many times had he thrown that net during the night? Each time he had expected fish. All night long and nothing! Nothing!
Dejectedly they were washing their nets when Jesus appeared at the head of a crowd. He stopped to speak to them, but the crowd pressed closer and closer. Finally, Jesus came over to Simon and stepped into his boat. He asked Simon to push out a little way from shore so he could speak to the crowd from the boat.
The water was flat calm that day, and the sound traveled perfectly along the water. The people could hear Jesus as well as if he had a modern day public address system.
Jesus sat in the bow and spoke to the people, while Simon sat at the stern and listened. Luke doesn’t tell us what Jesus said that day. No doubt he was telling parables about farming or women sweeping the house. He had a knack for turning common occurrences into divine truth. But this time, Luke feels that what happened was more important that Jesus' message for the day.
When the sermon was over, Jesus said, "Put out into the deep water and let down your nets for a catch."
Perhaps Simon immediately caught the underlying message of "deep water." He was experienced with the deep waters on the Sea of Galilee, and he knew the dangers that lay there. Earning a living on a small boat on a big lake can be a peaceful and calm vocation, but a gale would sweep down from these mountains and suddenly the fishermen would be fighting for their lives. Simon knew the dangers. He was a waterman. But he also knew that spiritually he had been paddling around in the shallows of life. He was an honest businessman. He even attended the synagogue on occasion. But there were times when he wondered about the meaning of his life, and wondered if God didn't have greater things in store for him than casting nets all night.
Jesus has a way of calling people into the deep. His presence makes one feel the very presence and calling of God. Jesus draws people to him like a giant magnet. His words made Simon think that there was more to life. He felt Jesus words called him to "put out into the deep."
Jesus did not actually ask the fishermen to follow him. At other times, Jesus makes that call explicit.
The Bible is filled with "call passages." Isaiah was called. Jeremiah responded to the call. Paul was called with a blinding light. But here the presence and the power of Jesus serve as an unspoken call. The fishermen give up their professions, leave their nets and presumably the abundance of caught fish, and follow Jesus.
When we find the call of God on the lives of men and women, there is often associated a radical unconcern for possessions. The disciples leave their boats and go off after someone they cannot comprehend. Without knowing, they heed the later words of Jesus, "Seek first the kingdom of God."
In the book of Acts, Luke will tell of the early church's practice of sharing possessions with one another, of the selling of property and distribution of food to the widows. Commitment to Jesus' way puts all other things into perspective.
Like Simon Peter, we stand today at the crossroads of life. Will we go about tending nets? Or will we hear the words of Jesus addressed to us. Will it be our call narrative?
"Put out into the deep water and let down your nets for a catch… Do not be afraid; from now on you will be catching people."
When we hear those words addressed to us, I pray that we, too, will "leave everything and follow Jesus."
PRAYER
Jesus, help me daily to recall the moment that I gave my life to you. Life has never been the same since you came into my life. I want to daily be used to impact others with the same message of hope that I received. Keep me from wasting my time by casting my net on the wrong side of the boat. Help me to keep you as the priority of my day and listen to what you want me to do.
SHIFT WEEK III FRIDAY
FRIDAY
John 13:34, Romans 13:8
The story is told of a congregation who had just called a new minister. Everyone was excited about meeting their new pastor and hearing him preach. Come Sunday morning, the sanctuary was packed. The people sat on the edge of their pews in anticipation of his first sermon. He selected as his text, 1 John 4:11, “Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.” As the sermon ended, heads nodded, and the Pastor Nominating Committee breathed a huge sigh of relief. He was a keeper. But the next Sunday, as the new minister read the text for the day, a few of the old saints raised their eyebrows, for it was the same text as the Sunday before – 1 John 4:11, “Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.”
They’d never heard two consecutive sermons on the same text before, but, to give the new preacher the benefit of the doubt, they listened carefully and tried to be open-minded. But as the preacher began his sermon, it was the exact same sermon they’d heard the week before, word for word.
They didn’t know what to make of it. “Was this some sort of joke?” they wondered. “Were they supposed to get some deeper meaning the second time around?” “Was he even aware that he was repeating himself?” Out of courtesy, they didn’t say anything. They just listened politely and, when the service was over, shook hands at the door and said something like, “That was a interesting sermon you had for us today.”
The next Sunday, everyone was on pins and needles. The tension was thick as the service began. One could sense that a storm was brewing. When the new minister began reading the text, the congregation began squirming in their seats, for, once again, he read from 1 John 4:11, “Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.” And, to their dismay, he began the sermon with the same exact words as the two Sundays before. But before he could get past the introduction, one of the elders jumped up and said, “Preacher, we’ve heard this sermon twice now. What gives?” The minister looked at the elder and said, “Why, nothing, really. Do this, and I’ll give you another sermon next week!”
Love is a verb, and I have never known people that haven’t had trouble with verbs.
Nouns have always come easily: God, Father, Jesus, Holy Spirit, fellowship, cross, baptism, Lord's Supper, Bible, book, hope. We have battled long and hard over many of these nouns, but they have come easily for most of us.
The adjectives have come even more easily: wonderful, great, spectacular, lovely, best, Spirit-filled, Bible-believing, verbally inspired, holy, sacred.
But the verbs have always given us the most difficulty. Verbs connote action. They make things happen in a sentence. My freshman English teacher would say, "That's not a sentence - it doesn't have a verb."
So Paul took up his pen and began to write. You don't need any more nouns or adjectives. What you need are some action words to build a bridge across the chasms that divide you from one another. Paul believed that this single verb, love, had the power to reshape the broken, splintered body in Corinth.
Paul ends with the incredible verbs: Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, and endures all things. These verbs are comprehensive. Over and over Paul writes in large letters: All things.
Love is not something we feel; it is something we do.
God’s love is anything but abstract. It’s concrete and specific, and this is the way we’re called to love one another, not with gushy feelings, but with deeds of loving kindness.
PRAYER
Jesus, I want to love the way you loved. I want to share your love with others in very practical ways. Would you lead me by your Holy Spirit to meet the needs of other with compassion and mercy? Help me be a person who is known by their love of others.
John 13:34, Romans 13:8
The story is told of a congregation who had just called a new minister. Everyone was excited about meeting their new pastor and hearing him preach. Come Sunday morning, the sanctuary was packed. The people sat on the edge of their pews in anticipation of his first sermon. He selected as his text, 1 John 4:11, “Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.” As the sermon ended, heads nodded, and the Pastor Nominating Committee breathed a huge sigh of relief. He was a keeper. But the next Sunday, as the new minister read the text for the day, a few of the old saints raised their eyebrows, for it was the same text as the Sunday before – 1 John 4:11, “Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.”
They’d never heard two consecutive sermons on the same text before, but, to give the new preacher the benefit of the doubt, they listened carefully and tried to be open-minded. But as the preacher began his sermon, it was the exact same sermon they’d heard the week before, word for word.
They didn’t know what to make of it. “Was this some sort of joke?” they wondered. “Were they supposed to get some deeper meaning the second time around?” “Was he even aware that he was repeating himself?” Out of courtesy, they didn’t say anything. They just listened politely and, when the service was over, shook hands at the door and said something like, “That was a interesting sermon you had for us today.”
The next Sunday, everyone was on pins and needles. The tension was thick as the service began. One could sense that a storm was brewing. When the new minister began reading the text, the congregation began squirming in their seats, for, once again, he read from 1 John 4:11, “Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.” And, to their dismay, he began the sermon with the same exact words as the two Sundays before. But before he could get past the introduction, one of the elders jumped up and said, “Preacher, we’ve heard this sermon twice now. What gives?” The minister looked at the elder and said, “Why, nothing, really. Do this, and I’ll give you another sermon next week!”
Love is a verb, and I have never known people that haven’t had trouble with verbs.
Nouns have always come easily: God, Father, Jesus, Holy Spirit, fellowship, cross, baptism, Lord's Supper, Bible, book, hope. We have battled long and hard over many of these nouns, but they have come easily for most of us.
The adjectives have come even more easily: wonderful, great, spectacular, lovely, best, Spirit-filled, Bible-believing, verbally inspired, holy, sacred.
But the verbs have always given us the most difficulty. Verbs connote action. They make things happen in a sentence. My freshman English teacher would say, "That's not a sentence - it doesn't have a verb."
So Paul took up his pen and began to write. You don't need any more nouns or adjectives. What you need are some action words to build a bridge across the chasms that divide you from one another. Paul believed that this single verb, love, had the power to reshape the broken, splintered body in Corinth.
Paul ends with the incredible verbs: Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, and endures all things. These verbs are comprehensive. Over and over Paul writes in large letters: All things.
Love is not something we feel; it is something we do.
God’s love is anything but abstract. It’s concrete and specific, and this is the way we’re called to love one another, not with gushy feelings, but with deeds of loving kindness.
PRAYER
Jesus, I want to love the way you loved. I want to share your love with others in very practical ways. Would you lead me by your Holy Spirit to meet the needs of other with compassion and mercy? Help me be a person who is known by their love of others.
SHIFT WEEK III SATURDAY
SATURDAY
John 6:60-69
“After this, many of his disciples turned back and no longer followed him.”
I remember reading a story 20 years ago about a lodge half-way up a popular climbing mountain. The author described the lodge as a warm, inviting place with good food, a fireplace, comfortable chairs and big picture windows. It was positioned just about half-way up the mountain so that climbers could stop there and rest awhile before finishing their difficult journey the rest of the way up the mountain. But the author described it as the saddest place in the entire world.
According to the story, there were always a few people who gave up the climb at the half-way house. They were tired. It was cold. They had had enough. So they decided to stay at the warm lodge. They would wave as their fellow climbers made their way off toward the mountain peak.
But slowly sadness began to set in. Those remaining in the lodge began to question their decision. They imagined the beautiful view from the top of the mountain, the view they would never see. And then as the climbers began to return to the lodge and describe the wonders of what they say, a full scale depression always set in on those who chose not to go on. Half-way is the saddest place in the entire world.
“After this, many of his disciples turned back and no longer followed him.”
His ministry began with the calling of the disciples. One by one Jesus approached these strangers and said simply, "Follow me" and they did. They dropped their fishing nets, left their boats and followed him. Or in Matthew's case, he dropped his tax books, and went after Jesus. In no time at all, Jesus had twelve devoted disciples following him everywhere.
The crowds were simply stunned when he healed the blind, the lame and the mute. He even cast out demons successfully. Never was there a demon that refused to obey him.
When Jesus spoke, everyone knew he was different. They said, "He speaks with authority, not like the scribes and Pharisees." The crowds thronged to him to hear his homey stories he called parables. They left talking about the meaning of the stories, and months later they could still remember them.
Children loved Jesus as well. Remember that scene when the Disciples tried to prevent the children from coming to him. He said, "Let the children come, for to such belongs the Kingdom of God."
It all as one success after another so who wouldn't want to follow Jesus?
But there were hints along the way that all was not well. We just ignore them. From our post-Resurrection perspective, we can even view the cross as a positive. At the time, it was the worst of the possible outcomes.
"After this, many of his disciples turned back and no longer followed him."
Not everyone approved of Jesus' ministry. Of course, the scribes and Pharisees did not. Jesus was first and foremost a Jewish man. It was quite telling and disheartening that the people of his own religion fought him all the way to the cross.
We can imagine the plight of the Disciples that day. They had sacrificed everything to follow Jesus. They left their nets and tax books. They left their families and livelihoods to learn from this itinerant preacher. They followed him because they all believed that he "had the words of eternal life." And over time they "came to believe and know that (Jesus) was the Holy One of God."
And today, Jesus’ question comes to us, "Do you also wish to go away?"
We are following Jesus up the mountain of faith. We come to the lodge at the half-way point. It is a warm, inviting place with good food, a fireplace, and comfortable chairs. We are tired and weary. We have come so far with Jesus. Maybe we will just stay here.
"After this, many of his disciples turned back and no longer followed him."
Will you continue to follow Jesus all the way and never turn back? It is well worth the trip!
PRAYER
Jesus, I never want to become so discouraged and overwhelmed by the circumstances of life that I would quit following you. I want to follow you all the way up the mount of faith. Would you keep my mind, spirit and emotions closely connected to your heart. Help me daily to experience and live the promises of God in my life.
John 6:60-69
“After this, many of his disciples turned back and no longer followed him.”
I remember reading a story 20 years ago about a lodge half-way up a popular climbing mountain. The author described the lodge as a warm, inviting place with good food, a fireplace, comfortable chairs and big picture windows. It was positioned just about half-way up the mountain so that climbers could stop there and rest awhile before finishing their difficult journey the rest of the way up the mountain. But the author described it as the saddest place in the entire world.
According to the story, there were always a few people who gave up the climb at the half-way house. They were tired. It was cold. They had had enough. So they decided to stay at the warm lodge. They would wave as their fellow climbers made their way off toward the mountain peak.
But slowly sadness began to set in. Those remaining in the lodge began to question their decision. They imagined the beautiful view from the top of the mountain, the view they would never see. And then as the climbers began to return to the lodge and describe the wonders of what they say, a full scale depression always set in on those who chose not to go on. Half-way is the saddest place in the entire world.
“After this, many of his disciples turned back and no longer followed him.”
His ministry began with the calling of the disciples. One by one Jesus approached these strangers and said simply, "Follow me" and they did. They dropped their fishing nets, left their boats and followed him. Or in Matthew's case, he dropped his tax books, and went after Jesus. In no time at all, Jesus had twelve devoted disciples following him everywhere.
The crowds were simply stunned when he healed the blind, the lame and the mute. He even cast out demons successfully. Never was there a demon that refused to obey him.
When Jesus spoke, everyone knew he was different. They said, "He speaks with authority, not like the scribes and Pharisees." The crowds thronged to him to hear his homey stories he called parables. They left talking about the meaning of the stories, and months later they could still remember them.
Children loved Jesus as well. Remember that scene when the Disciples tried to prevent the children from coming to him. He said, "Let the children come, for to such belongs the Kingdom of God."
It all as one success after another so who wouldn't want to follow Jesus?
But there were hints along the way that all was not well. We just ignore them. From our post-Resurrection perspective, we can even view the cross as a positive. At the time, it was the worst of the possible outcomes.
"After this, many of his disciples turned back and no longer followed him."
Not everyone approved of Jesus' ministry. Of course, the scribes and Pharisees did not. Jesus was first and foremost a Jewish man. It was quite telling and disheartening that the people of his own religion fought him all the way to the cross.
We can imagine the plight of the Disciples that day. They had sacrificed everything to follow Jesus. They left their nets and tax books. They left their families and livelihoods to learn from this itinerant preacher. They followed him because they all believed that he "had the words of eternal life." And over time they "came to believe and know that (Jesus) was the Holy One of God."
And today, Jesus’ question comes to us, "Do you also wish to go away?"
We are following Jesus up the mountain of faith. We come to the lodge at the half-way point. It is a warm, inviting place with good food, a fireplace, and comfortable chairs. We are tired and weary. We have come so far with Jesus. Maybe we will just stay here.
"After this, many of his disciples turned back and no longer followed him."
Will you continue to follow Jesus all the way and never turn back? It is well worth the trip!
PRAYER
Jesus, I never want to become so discouraged and overwhelmed by the circumstances of life that I would quit following you. I want to follow you all the way up the mount of faith. Would you keep my mind, spirit and emotions closely connected to your heart. Help me daily to experience and live the promises of God in my life.
Shift Week III SUNDAY
SUNDAY
Philippians 2:5-11
Kathleen J. Crane, Director of Christian Education at First Presbyterian Church in Cranbury, New Jersey, tells the story about flying to Wisconsin to see her oldest son wrestle in a college tournament. She says, "On my way back, two Sikhs, men from northern India, with their heads in turbans, sat down beside me. We had a pleasant conversation, but I didn't force my beliefs on them. I helped the older man next to me with his dinner tray, and I told him about a friend I had from India. I told him the bishop of South India had visited the Princeton campus. Our professor had asked us to befriend him, because his wife had died a tragic death, and he was very lonely. I baked him some cake and took it to him, and he invited my husband and me to his home for an Indian meal. As I told my neighbor on the plane this story, he seemed to have tears in his eyes. Then he went to sleep. As we neared Newark Airport, he opened his eyes and turned to me and said, 'Tell me about Jesus Christ.'"
You have twenty minutes before you land. What would you have said? If someone honestly asked you to tell them about Jesus Christ, what would you say? Who is Jesus Christ? That is one of the most profound and important questions of life. Who is Jesus? It's the most important question in the Bible. Christianity is named for him. Who is this person who is at the center of our faith? Who is Jesus?
That is a question that has been answered many times. In our text, the question is "Who do you say that I am?" It comes at the half-way point in the book of Mark, but for Jesus the time left on earth was short. He wanted to know before he set out for Jerusalem whether anyone understood. He didn't ask the question directly, he led up to it. He first asked, "Who do people say that I am?" They replied: some say John the Baptist, other say Elijah, and others, Jeremiah or one of the prophets.
When Jesus asked this question of his disciples, there must have been a moment of silence. Suddenly, Peter responded, in his impetuous, loving way, "You are the Messiah!"
In John 21, we find Thomas' wonderful answer to our question. You remember that Thomas doubted the resurrection and said that he wouldn't believe it unless he saw the mark of the nails in his hands and put his finger in the wounds. A week later, Jesus appeared to Thomas and asked him to touch his wounds. Thomas answered, "My Lord and my God!"
I love this description of Jesus as "My Lord." I want to suggest to you that Thomas' answer is the best one of all. Who do you say that Jesus is? That word "Lord" is an important one in the Bible. In Philippians 2:5-11, we are told that everyone will one day call him "Lord." This is Paul's answer to that question, "Who do you say that I am?"
"Let the same mind be in you that was in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not regard equality with God as something to be exploited, but emptied himself, taking the form of a slave, being born in human likeness. And being found in human form, he humbled himself and became obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. Therefore God also highly exalted him and gave him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bend, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father."
I believe this is the central confession of the Christian life. "Jesus Christ is Lord." What does it mean to make Jesus Lord? I quickly notice that this is not a particularly doctrinal statement. It says nothing about the classic definitions of the virgin birth, the Resurrection, Jesus as God and man, as the Son of God, or even as the Messiah. To make Jesus Lord is not a doctrinal position, it is practical one.
To make Jesus Lord is to say that Jesus is not just another great leader. It is to say that we have decided to change the direction of our lives because of him. Instead of doing just what we please when we please, we suddenly are asking the question, "What would Jesus do?" And we feel compelled to do the same.
Jesus is Lord when he influences the decisions we make and the direction of our lives. When we are obedient to the demands Jesus makes on our lives, he is Lord. When we respond to the leadings of the Spirit, he is Lord.
Jesus is Lord when we confess that he is the one to most clearly reveal God to us. Jesus is Lord when we say with the Disciples, "Where else could we go? You have the words of eternal life."
Who do you say that Jesus is? I hope you can make the confession from Philippians, "Jesus Christ is Lord."
PRAYER
Jesus, I want to thank you for being my Savior and Lord. Please work in every level of my life and help me to be a witness of your love to others!
Philippians 2:5-11
Kathleen J. Crane, Director of Christian Education at First Presbyterian Church in Cranbury, New Jersey, tells the story about flying to Wisconsin to see her oldest son wrestle in a college tournament. She says, "On my way back, two Sikhs, men from northern India, with their heads in turbans, sat down beside me. We had a pleasant conversation, but I didn't force my beliefs on them. I helped the older man next to me with his dinner tray, and I told him about a friend I had from India. I told him the bishop of South India had visited the Princeton campus. Our professor had asked us to befriend him, because his wife had died a tragic death, and he was very lonely. I baked him some cake and took it to him, and he invited my husband and me to his home for an Indian meal. As I told my neighbor on the plane this story, he seemed to have tears in his eyes. Then he went to sleep. As we neared Newark Airport, he opened his eyes and turned to me and said, 'Tell me about Jesus Christ.'"
You have twenty minutes before you land. What would you have said? If someone honestly asked you to tell them about Jesus Christ, what would you say? Who is Jesus Christ? That is one of the most profound and important questions of life. Who is Jesus? It's the most important question in the Bible. Christianity is named for him. Who is this person who is at the center of our faith? Who is Jesus?
That is a question that has been answered many times. In our text, the question is "Who do you say that I am?" It comes at the half-way point in the book of Mark, but for Jesus the time left on earth was short. He wanted to know before he set out for Jerusalem whether anyone understood. He didn't ask the question directly, he led up to it. He first asked, "Who do people say that I am?" They replied: some say John the Baptist, other say Elijah, and others, Jeremiah or one of the prophets.
When Jesus asked this question of his disciples, there must have been a moment of silence. Suddenly, Peter responded, in his impetuous, loving way, "You are the Messiah!"
In John 21, we find Thomas' wonderful answer to our question. You remember that Thomas doubted the resurrection and said that he wouldn't believe it unless he saw the mark of the nails in his hands and put his finger in the wounds. A week later, Jesus appeared to Thomas and asked him to touch his wounds. Thomas answered, "My Lord and my God!"
I love this description of Jesus as "My Lord." I want to suggest to you that Thomas' answer is the best one of all. Who do you say that Jesus is? That word "Lord" is an important one in the Bible. In Philippians 2:5-11, we are told that everyone will one day call him "Lord." This is Paul's answer to that question, "Who do you say that I am?"
"Let the same mind be in you that was in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not regard equality with God as something to be exploited, but emptied himself, taking the form of a slave, being born in human likeness. And being found in human form, he humbled himself and became obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. Therefore God also highly exalted him and gave him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bend, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father."
I believe this is the central confession of the Christian life. "Jesus Christ is Lord." What does it mean to make Jesus Lord? I quickly notice that this is not a particularly doctrinal statement. It says nothing about the classic definitions of the virgin birth, the Resurrection, Jesus as God and man, as the Son of God, or even as the Messiah. To make Jesus Lord is not a doctrinal position, it is practical one.
To make Jesus Lord is to say that Jesus is not just another great leader. It is to say that we have decided to change the direction of our lives because of him. Instead of doing just what we please when we please, we suddenly are asking the question, "What would Jesus do?" And we feel compelled to do the same.
Jesus is Lord when he influences the decisions we make and the direction of our lives. When we are obedient to the demands Jesus makes on our lives, he is Lord. When we respond to the leadings of the Spirit, he is Lord.
Jesus is Lord when we confess that he is the one to most clearly reveal God to us. Jesus is Lord when we say with the Disciples, "Where else could we go? You have the words of eternal life."
Who do you say that Jesus is? I hope you can make the confession from Philippians, "Jesus Christ is Lord."
PRAYER
Jesus, I want to thank you for being my Savior and Lord. Please work in every level of my life and help me to be a witness of your love to others!
Tuesday, February 9, 2010
SHIFT WEEK II MONDAY
THE HEART OF THE MATTER
MONDAY
Scripture Reading: Psalm 40:1-8 and Ephesians 5:15-20
The results of heart searching, cleansing, and purity is a joy unspeakable and full of glory. Serving the Lord in this beauty of holiness will result in Glory to His name and the winning of many souls to Jesus. It will also result in a new song in our own hearts. It may be a hymn, a worship song, a tune of witness, maybe a chorus or even a rock melody, depending much on our age and the culture from which we come. But be assured joy will come.
I am reminded that in our culture the heart is seen as the seat of our very being, the place where emotions emit, that inner self that is deep within. But in some cultures another organ may fit the bill. I once was told of a culture where the seat of being was believed to be in the liver, thus they would sing “Since Jesus came into my liver” instead of His coming into the heart.
How ever we express it God desires to relate to our deepest self and the result will be a new song and a joy unspeakable.
Prayer: Father, it is true, since You came into my heart, since You provided a forgiveness and a cleansing from what I used to be; there is a new song and a joy that I had never known before. Thank You for loving me and knowing me so completely. I gladly give myself to You and the spreading of the Good News throughout the world.
MONDAY
Scripture Reading: Psalm 40:1-8 and Ephesians 5:15-20
The results of heart searching, cleansing, and purity is a joy unspeakable and full of glory. Serving the Lord in this beauty of holiness will result in Glory to His name and the winning of many souls to Jesus. It will also result in a new song in our own hearts. It may be a hymn, a worship song, a tune of witness, maybe a chorus or even a rock melody, depending much on our age and the culture from which we come. But be assured joy will come.
I am reminded that in our culture the heart is seen as the seat of our very being, the place where emotions emit, that inner self that is deep within. But in some cultures another organ may fit the bill. I once was told of a culture where the seat of being was believed to be in the liver, thus they would sing “Since Jesus came into my liver” instead of His coming into the heart.
How ever we express it God desires to relate to our deepest self and the result will be a new song and a joy unspeakable.
Prayer: Father, it is true, since You came into my heart, since You provided a forgiveness and a cleansing from what I used to be; there is a new song and a joy that I had never known before. Thank You for loving me and knowing me so completely. I gladly give myself to You and the spreading of the Good News throughout the world.
SHIFT WEEK II TUESDAY
THE HEART OF THE MATTER
TUESDAY
Psalm 51:7-17 and Romans 10:8-11
Already having been declared a man after God’s own heart, a man blessed in so many ways with God’s protection, provisions, life, advancement even to the highest office in the land, a rich mind, many children and wanting in nothing, David finds himself in need of great forgiveness. He discovers that what God wants most from any of us is a “broken and a contrite heart.”
It is important that each day we review our own heart, perhaps we will find that wickedness has entered in, some trick of the enemy has overcome us, or may be some bitterness has taken us, it might be that sin has spoiled our joy in the Lord.
Fear must not grip our heart; however, vigilance is a must and a review of our relationship with Jesus will help us keep an up to date good report.
Prayer: Thank you Father, for you faithfulness to me, thank you for the aid of Your Holy Spirit in living a holy life. Look into my heart just as You did into David’s and see if there is some wicked way in me. If so, make it known to me and keep me covered by the blood of my Savior Jesus Christ.
TUESDAY
Psalm 51:7-17 and Romans 10:8-11
Already having been declared a man after God’s own heart, a man blessed in so many ways with God’s protection, provisions, life, advancement even to the highest office in the land, a rich mind, many children and wanting in nothing, David finds himself in need of great forgiveness. He discovers that what God wants most from any of us is a “broken and a contrite heart.”
It is important that each day we review our own heart, perhaps we will find that wickedness has entered in, some trick of the enemy has overcome us, or may be some bitterness has taken us, it might be that sin has spoiled our joy in the Lord.
Fear must not grip our heart; however, vigilance is a must and a review of our relationship with Jesus will help us keep an up to date good report.
Prayer: Thank you Father, for you faithfulness to me, thank you for the aid of Your Holy Spirit in living a holy life. Look into my heart just as You did into David’s and see if there is some wicked way in me. If so, make it known to me and keep me covered by the blood of my Savior Jesus Christ.
SHIFT WEEK II WEDNESDAY
THE HEART OF THE MATTER
WEDNESDAY
Deuteronomy 30:1-10 and Hebrews 10:15-18
What a glorious day to be alive! Israel is a nation again and a multitude of their people are having their hearts “circumcised” so that they may love the Lord with their whole heart and soul. Today many are receiving the Lord Jesus Christ as their Messiah and living to His glory. It is also being reported that as many as 10,000 Muslims per day are turning to Jesus as Savior (Epicenter by Joel Rosenberg). Our missionaries report a multitude of victories from the field, and Wycliff Translators will soon have the Gospel in every known language in the world.
Remember that Jesus said we are to go and make disciples of all nations; and the results is seen at the heavenly banquet with representatives from every nation, tribe, people, and language.
Prayer: Father, be glorified in all the world today, and be glorified in me as I walk in the beauty of holiness awaiting the soon coming of Your Son and my Redeemer, The Lord Jesus Christ.
WEDNESDAY
Deuteronomy 30:1-10 and Hebrews 10:15-18
What a glorious day to be alive! Israel is a nation again and a multitude of their people are having their hearts “circumcised” so that they may love the Lord with their whole heart and soul. Today many are receiving the Lord Jesus Christ as their Messiah and living to His glory. It is also being reported that as many as 10,000 Muslims per day are turning to Jesus as Savior (Epicenter by Joel Rosenberg). Our missionaries report a multitude of victories from the field, and Wycliff Translators will soon have the Gospel in every known language in the world.
Remember that Jesus said we are to go and make disciples of all nations; and the results is seen at the heavenly banquet with representatives from every nation, tribe, people, and language.
Prayer: Father, be glorified in all the world today, and be glorified in me as I walk in the beauty of holiness awaiting the soon coming of Your Son and my Redeemer, The Lord Jesus Christ.
SHIFT WEEK II THURSDAY
The Heart of the Matter
THURSDAY
Scripture Reading: Deuteronomy 6:4-9 and Matthew 22:34-40
The greatest commandment given to Moses and confirmed by the Lord Jesus Christ was to love the Lord God with all my heart and as Jesus said, the second is to love others as I love myself. With the commandment came the responsibility to witness to others beginning with my family first and then to all others. That responsibility is not abrogated by the government, my employer, or society. Just as Peter and James said to the court in their day: “Judge for yourselves whether it is right in God’s sight to obey you rather than God. For we cannot help speaking about what we have seen and heard,” so must I also speak up and be heard. I have a responsibility to the one I love to proclaim the Truth and the Gospel.
Abraham and Israel was chosen and given a place in which to live so that they could proclaim the wonders of God and share with others of three great cultures that He loves them. So it is that God has given me a place to serve and share the Gospel and that with a pure heart.
Prayer: O God, show me this day to whom I should witness and share Your great love. Go before me and prepare the way by your Holy Spirit and get glory to Your Holy name.
THURSDAY
Scripture Reading: Deuteronomy 6:4-9 and Matthew 22:34-40
The greatest commandment given to Moses and confirmed by the Lord Jesus Christ was to love the Lord God with all my heart and as Jesus said, the second is to love others as I love myself. With the commandment came the responsibility to witness to others beginning with my family first and then to all others. That responsibility is not abrogated by the government, my employer, or society. Just as Peter and James said to the court in their day: “Judge for yourselves whether it is right in God’s sight to obey you rather than God. For we cannot help speaking about what we have seen and heard,” so must I also speak up and be heard. I have a responsibility to the one I love to proclaim the Truth and the Gospel.
Abraham and Israel was chosen and given a place in which to live so that they could proclaim the wonders of God and share with others of three great cultures that He loves them. So it is that God has given me a place to serve and share the Gospel and that with a pure heart.
Prayer: O God, show me this day to whom I should witness and share Your great love. Go before me and prepare the way by your Holy Spirit and get glory to Your Holy name.
SHIFT WEEK II FRIDAY
The Heart of the Matter
FRIDAY
Scripture Reading: Deuteronomy 4:27-31 and Matthew 5:8
Filled with the Holy Spirit, Moses is addressing the Children of Israel with a warning and a promise. Just as it was possible for them to wander from the Lord and suffer the consequences, do it is possible for us. Of a truth, that is just where we were when the Spirit sought us out and salvation was offered. Although these words were intended for Israelites, they are also meant for us. We have not replaced them as God’s dear children, only joined them. God has always been interested in and merciful to anyone who would seek Him with a whole heart. Jesus reconfirmed that in His sermon on the mount when He said, “Blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see God.”
We are pure in heart only by the blood of Jesus that was shed for the forgiveness of our sin. Just as He said to others who were cleansed, healed, or forgiven; He says to us, “Go and sin no more.”
Prayer: O God, because of the blood of Jesus, here I am before You today. Forgive my missing the mark of holiness, of Your perfect will for my life, and help me to serve You this day with a pure heart.
FRIDAY
Scripture Reading: Deuteronomy 4:27-31 and Matthew 5:8
Filled with the Holy Spirit, Moses is addressing the Children of Israel with a warning and a promise. Just as it was possible for them to wander from the Lord and suffer the consequences, do it is possible for us. Of a truth, that is just where we were when the Spirit sought us out and salvation was offered. Although these words were intended for Israelites, they are also meant for us. We have not replaced them as God’s dear children, only joined them. God has always been interested in and merciful to anyone who would seek Him with a whole heart. Jesus reconfirmed that in His sermon on the mount when He said, “Blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see God.”
We are pure in heart only by the blood of Jesus that was shed for the forgiveness of our sin. Just as He said to others who were cleansed, healed, or forgiven; He says to us, “Go and sin no more.”
Prayer: O God, because of the blood of Jesus, here I am before You today. Forgive my missing the mark of holiness, of Your perfect will for my life, and help me to serve You this day with a pure heart.
SHIFT WEEK II: SATURDAY
The Heart of the Matter
SATURDAY
Scripture Reading: Psalm 119:9-14 and Colossians 3:22-25
What a great question: “How can a young man keep his way pure?” It would seem to be a question that not many young men, or women, are asking today; however, that does not negate the importance of such a question nor the answer. And the truth of it is not only for the young, but for all who would walk with a clean heart before the LORD.
This is one of those memory verses that is often included in the list of helps as one begins their walk with the LORD. It’s instruction is good for me, good for me today.
Our New Testament reading is addressed directly to “slaves;” however, isn’t that what Paul calls himself, a dulos or a love slave of the Lord Jesus Christ. It is interesting that we are referred to as a son, a joint heirs with the Son, a saint, and a servant or slave of the Lord Jesus. What ever we are called, the way we are to behave is to “work with our whole heart, as working for the Lord.” Therefore today we need to remember that whatever it is that we are involved in, needs to be done with a whole clean heart. To Him be the Glory!
Prayer: Show me this day, O LORD, what it is that You would have me do and give me the strength and the cleanliness to do it with all my heart so as to bring glory to your name.”
SATURDAY
Scripture Reading: Psalm 119:9-14 and Colossians 3:22-25
What a great question: “How can a young man keep his way pure?” It would seem to be a question that not many young men, or women, are asking today; however, that does not negate the importance of such a question nor the answer. And the truth of it is not only for the young, but for all who would walk with a clean heart before the LORD.
This is one of those memory verses that is often included in the list of helps as one begins their walk with the LORD. It’s instruction is good for me, good for me today.
Our New Testament reading is addressed directly to “slaves;” however, isn’t that what Paul calls himself, a dulos or a love slave of the Lord Jesus Christ. It is interesting that we are referred to as a son, a joint heirs with the Son, a saint, and a servant or slave of the Lord Jesus. What ever we are called, the way we are to behave is to “work with our whole heart, as working for the Lord.” Therefore today we need to remember that whatever it is that we are involved in, needs to be done with a whole clean heart. To Him be the Glory!
Prayer: Show me this day, O LORD, what it is that You would have me do and give me the strength and the cleanliness to do it with all my heart so as to bring glory to your name.”
SHIFT DEVOTIONAL WEEK II: SUNDAY
The Heart of the Matter
7 Days of the Heart Devotional
Day Sunday
Scripture Reading: Jeremiah 17:9 & 10 and Matthew 12: 33-37
The LORD through the Prophet Jeremiah is again helping us to understand that we, by ourselves, are not able to discern what is right. That because of our fallen nature, the heart is bent on evil and is not pleasing to the LORD.
Jesus in answering the Pharisees and teaching those who were listening in along with His disciples, lets us in on the idea that it is from all that we put into our hearts that our actions come. Those who are gathering good information and ideas will be speaking and doing good things, while those who fill their hearts and minds with wicked and evil things will respond likewise.
As we reflect on the Word today and make application, is it good, beautiful, wholesome, and pure thoughts that we are receiving. What is the results of our actions and our thought life, are they subject to God’s searching and approval?
Prayer: Pray with the Psalmist, “Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts, see if there is any offensive way in me and lead me in the way everlasting.” Ps 139:23 &24
7 Days of the Heart Devotional
Day Sunday
Scripture Reading: Jeremiah 17:9 & 10 and Matthew 12: 33-37
The LORD through the Prophet Jeremiah is again helping us to understand that we, by ourselves, are not able to discern what is right. That because of our fallen nature, the heart is bent on evil and is not pleasing to the LORD.
Jesus in answering the Pharisees and teaching those who were listening in along with His disciples, lets us in on the idea that it is from all that we put into our hearts that our actions come. Those who are gathering good information and ideas will be speaking and doing good things, while those who fill their hearts and minds with wicked and evil things will respond likewise.
As we reflect on the Word today and make application, is it good, beautiful, wholesome, and pure thoughts that we are receiving. What is the results of our actions and our thought life, are they subject to God’s searching and approval?
Prayer: Pray with the Psalmist, “Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts, see if there is any offensive way in me and lead me in the way everlasting.” Ps 139:23 &24
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)