Our Part

Ever wondered why after Jesus healed Lazarus, Jesus asked for the people to remove the stone from in front of the tomb? It seems to be a little thing to roll a stone away compared to bringing someone back to life. My take is that as we look at what Jesus did, we will see that He does what we cannot do and leaves what we can do to us to do. If you want to see the glory of God, I want to urge you to be about doing what Jesus has called us to do.

John 11:38-40 (NIV)

38 Jesus, once more deeply moved, came to the tomb. It was a cave with a stone laid across the entrance.

39 "Take away the stone," he said. "But, Lord," said Martha, the sister of the dead man, "by this time there is a bad odor, for he has been there four days."

40 Then Jesus said, "Did I not tell you that if you believed, you would see the glory of God?"

Cliffs Notes

CliffsNotes study guides are written by real teachers and professors to help you “score high on exams.” Yes, I read a lot of Cliffs Notes instead of reading the books in college. I was amazed to learn how many of my professors knew that I did not read the books. One professor said that there is so much more in the book that Cliffs Notes miss. It is like only using what you hear in the church to be your guide through life. If God has a plan for our lives, do we just want the “Cliffs Notes” version of instructions?

Jeremiah 29:11 (ESV)

11 For I know the plans I have for you, declares the LORD, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.

2 Timothy 2:15 (ESV)

15 Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth.

Grandpa

When I think of my grandfather, I am reminded of this love for the Lord. As a teenager, I would sit in his men’s class and listen to him teach from his heart. Yes, I can remember playing in the hay loft or fishing in the pond; but the greatest impact he had on me was a faithful walk with his Lord. My prayer is that my grandchildren as well as others will see that walk that he showed to me lived out in me. What will others see in you for generations to come?

Deuteronomy 7:9 (ESV)

9 Know therefore that the LORD your God is God, the faithful God who keeps covenant and steadfast love with those who love him and keep his commandments, to a thousand generations

How Deep is Your Love?

The Bee Gees sang a song titled “How Deep is your Love”. Here are a few of the lyrics;

How deep is your love? How deep is your love?

I really mean to learn

'Cause we're livin' in a world of fools

And it's me you need to show

How deep is your love?

My question to you is, How deep is your love for God and for the people Jesus died for? We need to show our love for God through our obedience to Him. Jesus has told us by our actions others will know that we are His disciples.

7 Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God. 8 Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love. 9 In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him. 10 In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. 1 John 4:7-10

Hang in There

Hebrews encourages us to throw off everything that slows us down and finish the race by keeping our eyes on the prize—Jesus Christ. Do we keep our eyes on the finish line of faith? Our Heavenly Father wants us to have the will of a champion even in the midst of dark times. We are not to quit until we’ve made it successfully to the end of our race. Remember, life is not a sprint, but a journey.

Hebrews 12:1-2 (ESV)

1 Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us,

2 looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.

James 1:2-4 (ESV)

2 Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds,

3 for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness.

4 And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.

Do You Sing A New Song?

I, like many others, have known heartache, despair, and tribulation, but I have also known deep joy, love, and celebration. Following Jesus may take us through hardship and suffering that can make it hard to see and believe in God’s saving love. However, there are those moments of revelation, that lift us up and remind us that God is on His Throne and that in His great love, He sent Christ to give us the peace, joy, and hope that will put a new song in our hearts.

Psalm 40:1-3 (ESV)

1 I waited patiently for the LORD; he inclined to me and heard my cry.

2 He drew me up from the pit of destruction, out of the miry bog, and set my feet upon a rock, making my steps secure.

3 He put a new song in my mouth, a song of praise to our God. Many will see and fear, and put their trust in the LORD.

Time

Have you ever said, “I don’t have time”? If you are like me, I have said that statement many times. Many times I even thought it was true, however; I was reaching that conclusion on my own or evaluating my time by the schedule in front of me. Think about this, whose day is it that we walk in? Yes, it is the Lord’s day and He has plans for us. If we don’t check with our Lord, how do we know the plans He has for us?

Psalm 118:24 (ESV)

24 This is the day that the LORD has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.

Jeremiah 29:11-13 (ESV)

11 For I know the plans I have for you, declares the LORD, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.

12 Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will hear you.

13 You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart.

Extra:

It’s my day off! Again, whose day is it? Yes, we have a day created for us to rest. However, that day still belongs to God for us to be about His business.

Restoration

Restoration is the action of returning something to a former owner, place, or condition. People restore things that have value to them. It could be a piece of furniture, a house, or an automobile. I love seeing old worn-out cars that seem to be headed to a scrap yard restored. Many times, these people who restore items, make their projects better than when they were new. When God does a work in us (He values each of us), He doesn’t just throw away the old and bring in the new. God will one day make us (restore us) to the perfect righteous creation we were meant to be. Praise God for His restoration work in us.

1 Peter 5:10 (ESV)

10 And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you.

Psalm 51:10-12 (ESV)

10 Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me.

11 Cast me not away from your presence, and take not your Holy Spirit from me.

12 Restore to me the joy of your salvation, and uphold me with a willing spirit.

Jeremiah 18:1-4 (ESV)

1 The word that came to Jeremiah from the LORD:

2 “Arise, and go down to the potter’s house, and there I will let you hear my words.”

3 So I went down to the potter’s house, and there he was working at his wheel.

4 And the vessel he was making of clay was spoiled in the potter’s hand, and he reworked it into another vessel, as it seemed good to the potter to do.

Revelation 21:5

“And he who was seated on the throne said, “Behold, I am making all things new.” Also he said, 'Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true. '” As Christians, we can trust that the God will keep His promise.

Give 2023 to the One who wants to mold us into His image!

Blessings Should be What is Left

It seems that everywhere I go the day after Christmas, all I see are empty boxes on the curbs. This makes me ask, “What is left after Christmas?” Take a moment to look with me at Acts 20:35. The real joy is in giving. God bless you and yours.

Acts 20:35 (ESV)

35 In all things I have shown you that by working hard in this way we must help the weak and remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he himself said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’”

Keep Your Head Up

In my granddaughter’s basketball game, the coach would remind the girls to keep their heads up as they dribbled the ball. With their heads up, they were able to see where help from their teammates was. When times are tough, it is easy to drop our heads. As believers, we need to keep our heads up as we go through life. We are to focus on God and not the situations around us.

Psalm 121:1-2 (ESV)

1 I lift up my eyes to the hills. From where does my help come?

2 My help comes from the LORD, who made heaven and earth.

Choices

When Karen and I were living in Waco just after we were married, we had three choices in television channels. Today after 45 years of marriage, we have somewhere around 100 television channels available for us to choose from. It seems that the longer we live, the more choices we have.

Ok, my guess is you know where I am going. Jesus said that He is the only way to be with the Father. Yet, after we choose to follow Him, we still have daily choices on whom we will serve. Today is a new day to tune into Jesus.

Joshua 24:15 (ESV)

15 And if it is evil in your eyes to serve the LORD, choose this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your fathers served in the region beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.”

Caring for the Least of These

Human nature tells us to look at a situation and ask, “what is in it for me?” Yet, we as believers are to walk in a manner worthy of our Lord. We are called to care for “the least of these” whenever the need arises. Whatever we don’t do, is ignoring Jesus in His need. We are called to be generous to whomever God puts before us. And not just to those we care for, or those who can provide a benefit for us.

Matthew 25:40 (NIV)

40 "The King will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.'

Where the Tire Meets the Road

When shopping for tires you have the option for the good, the better, or the best tires to purchase. Most would like to purchase the best, but the cost usually plays a big factor in which tire one buys. Our Christian walk is much like that of deciding which tires to purchase. There is a cost to following Christ, and we are told to count the cost. The more we are able to give to Christ, the greater the value of our relationship with our Lord.

Luke 14:26-28 (NIV)

26 "If anyone comes to me and does not hate his father and mother, his wife and children, his brothers and sisters--yes, even his own life--he cannot be my disciple.

27 And anyone who does not carry his cross and follow me cannot be my disciple.

28 "Suppose one of you wants to build a tower. Will he not first sit down and estimate the cost to see if he has enough money to complete it?

Mark 8:36 (NIV)

36 What good is it for a man to gain the whole world, yet forfeit his soul?

Hope

Faith, hope and love; These three shall remain. When we find ourselves in times of trouble, hope is the encouragement that we need to rely on. Hope comes with words such as, shall and will. Take time to read this passage that was spoken just after words of coming destruction.

Micah 4:1-5 CSB

[1] … In the last days the mountain of the LORD ’s house will be established at the top of the mountains and will be raised above the hills. Peoples will stream to it, [2] and many nations will come and say, "Come, let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, to the house of the God of Jacob. He will teach us about his ways so we may walk in his paths." For instruction will go out of Zion and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem. [3] He will settle disputes among many peoples and provide arbitration for strong nations that are far away. They will beat their swords into plows and their spears into pruning knives. Nation will not take up the sword against nation, and they will never again train for war. [4] But each person will sit under his grapevine and under his fig tree with no one to frighten him. For the mouth of the LORD of Armies has spoken. [5] Though all the peoples each walk in the name of their gods, we will walk in the name of the LORD our God forever and ever. …

Every Member a Minister

To whom does God want us to minister? I have given you two passages that speak to this question. Look at where he uses the pronoun - my. When we say they are not my people, let someone else minister to them, we are missing the charge.

Matthew 25:35-40 (ESV)

35 For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me,

36 I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.’

37 Then the righteous will answer him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink?

38 And when did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you?

39 And when did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?’

40 And the King will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.’

John 21:15-17 (ESV)

15 When they had finished breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these?” He said to him, “Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.” He said to him, “Feed my lambs.”

16 He said to him a second time, “Simon, son of John, do you love me?” He said to him, “Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.” He said to him, “Tend my sheep.”

17 He said to him the third time, “Simon, son of John, do you love me?” Peter was grieved because he said to him the third time, “Do you love me?” and he said to him, “Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you.” Jesus said to him, “Feed my sheep.

God show us who your sheep are and how to minister to them.

Everyone will know!

What drives your actions? If you are like me, often what drives my actions is my selfishness. When I point out how others mistreat me, when I want recognition, or when I think I deserve better than others, i need to stop and self reflect. Yes, our actions reveal who we really are and who we truly love. Too many times sin creeps in and destroys our testimony by taking our focus away from our Heavenly Father.

Lord, may my actions be driven by my love for you and not my selfish desires. May my love for You bring glory and honor to you.

Galatians 2:20 CSB

[20] I have been crucified with Christ, and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.

John 13:35 CSB

[35] By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another."

When Life Doesn’t seem to be going your way

We should “in everything give thanks”. One day a few years ago I was traveling on one of the freeways headed to pray with a family whose loved one was facing a serious operation. All of a sudden, traffic came to a complete stop. After a few minutes, I asked God to please get the traffic moving again. After all, time was running out for me to meet with the family before the surgery. I was about God’s business after all. After 20 minutes, my conversation with God again continued as the traffic was at a standstill. God let me know that He could hear my prayers there on the freeway just as well as if I were in the hospital. I also need to pray for those that were the reason why the freeway was at a standstill. I realized that I need to be thankful that I was not the reason for the traffic delay. To my amazement, God had allowed one single flower to grow in the crack there on the center of the freeway for my enjoyment. Only one flower that I could see was enough for me to be thankful to a God who ordered my steps that day. As I sat in my car, I thanked God for His protection and His ever-presence.

1 Thess 5:16-18

Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.

Hostility - not a passive action

We need to follow all that God’s Word says. “Silence is golden” is not always the action to take. Yet, how often do we see other believers not taking a stand because they don’t want to offend others?  I want to encourage you to seek God’s direction and guidance when He wants you to take a stand. We should fear God more than others’ opinions.

You adulterous people!  Don’t you know that friendship with the world is hostility toward God? So whoever wants to be the friend of the world becomes the enemy of God.

All In

As a young child, I enjoyed riding the merry-go-round until some of the older kids got on making it go too fast. At that time, my stomach would encourage me to get off the merry-go-round really quickly. Sometimes my life seems to be spinning much too fast. I feel like I need to take a break or slow down. It’s during those days that God reminds me that serving Him is a 24/7 commitment. He will supply my strength and renew my spirit when I call on Him. Serving God is always worth the effort, even when we want to jump off the merry-go-round.

John 12:24-26 (ESV)

24 Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit.

25 Whoever loves his life loses it, and whoever hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life.

26 If anyone serves me, he must follow me; and where I am, there will my servant be also.

Are Things Going Well?

When life seems like all is going well, are you right where God wants you? Yes, we like it when every light we encounter is green; however, our goal should not be to have a green light life but to be pleasing to God. We need to remember that our life is not our own. We are here to glorify God in all that we do. As we face Spiritual warfare, we will encounter rough times. When we face tough times, we need to be sure we are on the path that brings God glory.

“Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”

““Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me.”

Matthew 5:10-11 NIV