October 10, 2012 Give Him

Give Him John 12:3 Then Mary took a whole pint of a very expensive perfume made of pure nard, poured it on Jesus' feet, and wiped them with her hair. The sweet smell of the perfume filled the whole house. QUITE a gift…quite an honor. Mary’s attitude has changed a good deal since her disappointment in her Lord because he didn’t show up to heal Lazarus. Jesus came to Lazarus, to Martha and now to Mary with the fullness of life. Now it is time to say, “Thank you, Lord.” And Mary’s thank you is a thank you from her heart. Mary takes an expensive pint of perfume and uses it all to anoint her Lord with honor and worship. In the perfume is her love, and she wants Jesus to know that he is worth far more than any price that is on that bottle of perfume. Judas is the disciple who complains the perfume is wasted. Yes, it could have been used for the poor; it could have been used for Mary’s own household. I doubt they had much money. She could have bought food for her family. Instead she honored Jesus. She now understood Jesus as the source of all life, of all that comes from life and into life. Jesus is the great Provider, the loving giver of himself. How do you model that life-giving in your own life? What do you give – your time, your talents, your love, your encouragement – to your family, friends, neighbors, church family? Do you sacrifice some things you want in order to give to others? Yes, that is living in trust of the Savior’s life. May your heart tell Jesus, “Thank you for life!” and respond with worship and honor to Jesus. Then share his resurrection gift. Give him to others who need his tender care. It’s True! Jesus anoints you with his life. Give his life to others. 

October 8, 2012 A Gate to Life

A Gate to Life John 10:9-10 I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved. He will come in and go out, and find pasture. 10 The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full. THERE ARE many times in John’s Gospel when Jesus describes who he is. He has come that we “may have life”. Such an incredible statement! Here is the God of creation, the God of the universe, and he humbles himself to come to a wretched people. (That’s us, wretched in our sin.) He comes not to steal, not to ridicule, not to judge, not to hurt or destroy. He comes to give life. Life from Jesus is more than just waking up in the morning and being able to breathe and exist. Life from Jesus is being truly alive in the joy of his love. Have you ever been in love with someone? You tingle when you think of the person. You love the sound of his/her voice. You can’t wait to be with that person. You want to do all you can to bring joy to the one you love. That’s life in Jesus. What’s more, you have a genuine interest in what Jesus wants you to do with him each day. Life is loving him with all your heart, soul, mind and strength. Life is loving your neighbor as yourself. Life is trusting Jesus that his love is for you. Jesus came with love that you may have life with him. Celebrate that truth today and each day as you receive the love of your Savior. It’s True! Great love is great fun. You can have that with Jesus, the Lord of Life. 

October 7, 2012 Daytime Work

Daytime Work John 9:1-4 As he went along, he saw a man blind from birth. 2 His disciples asked him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?” 3 “Neither this man nor his parents sinned,” said Jesus, “but this happened so that the work of God might be displayed in his life. 4 As long as it is day, we must do the work of him who sent me. Night is coming, when no one can work. 5 While I am in the world, I am the light of the world.” GOD is a planner. He knows what he wants to accomplish, how he will accomplish it and when he will cause it to happen. Does that disturb or comfort you? This story of Jesus’ healing the blind man should be a great comfort to you. God had created him to be blind for the great purpose of demonstrating his healing on this day. You might think that God is cruel to force a man to blindness for this one miracle in front of a few people. But in truth, God created this man blind to demonstrate his power to save you from sin’s darkness. In this healing, Jesus delivers an urgent message to you. “I can give you sight to see my love and forgiveness. I can give you sight to see Heaven’s eternal light.” Jesus came in the flesh into a dark world blind to Heaven’s eternal light. He shows his people how the light of his truth is a transforming and renewing power. And he is urgent to do his work. There is a limited time to turn blind eyes into seeing eyes. The Savior urgently acts, and he urgently calls you to his light. It’s True! See Jesus light and know the comfort of his healing.

October 6, 2012 Are You Sent?

God Sent You Here John 8:29 The one who sent me is with me; he has not left me alone, for I always do what pleases him. ARE YOU SENT? Have you ever thought that where you are at a particular moment of any day is because God has sent you there? Do you know you are reading this because God sent you here? Where he sends you can be for your benefit or for others’—and always for His. For example, you may be in a grocery store, and a mother is having trouble with two toddlers. She could use a hand for a moment to get organized. Do you say, “May I help you?” What happens when you do help? You give her relief. You are there for a special purpose. God has sent you into that store at that time to be of service to someone in need. Now you have an opportunity. When she says, “You’re so kind.” You say, “It’s not me. It’s really my Lord Jesus in my life. The Bible tells me Jesus was very kind to people in need, especially women. I simply am doing what he would do. It’s really not me. It’s him.” Yes, you are sent some place each day to do God’s work. Joyfully go where he sends you, and be a messenger of the great love Jesus showed you as he went to where the Father sent him. It’s True! God sent Jesus to an ugly, deadly cross to bring his beautiful life to you.

October 6, 2012 Imprisoned or Free?

Imprisoned or Free? John 8:31-34 To the Jews who had believed him, Jesus said, “If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. 32 Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” 33 They answered him, “We are Abraham's descendants and have never been slaves of anyone. How can you say that we shall be set free?” 34 Jesus replied, “I tell you the truth, everyone who sins is a slave to sin.” ONE THING I can never understand is why people want to be in prison. Why do people commit acts against society that put them in a place where they have great restrictions on “life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness”. Born into a culture in the United States that offers endless possibilities for a wonderful life, thousands upon thousands of people use their freedoms to lose their freedom. But there’s a much larger “imprisoning problem” in our colure and in the world. Millions upon millions of people born into God’s world use the “free will” God allows in their lives to turn God’s will from their lives. When you act in your own desires, turning from God’s commands, you are living in a spiritual prison that keeps you from pursuing Jesus’ promise of (John 10:10) I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full. What imprisons you? I search my heart and wonder if I am too judgmental, too unforgiving, or too content. In my free will, do I willingly love Jesus enough that his love grows me more into his full life? Or do I love more my own habits? Do my life habits lock me up in myself? Or do my life habits lead to Jesus’ freedom? It’s True! Self-reliance imprisons you. Jesus frees you.

October 4, 2012 Hate Jesus?

Hate Jesus? John 7:7 The world cannot hate you, but it hates me because I testify that what it does is evil. PEOPLE hate Jesus. And I’m not talking about the “unchurched”. Many who walk into a sanctuary each Sunday hate the Lord of Life. Ugh. How can I say that? Who am I to judge? Actually, I’m not judging. I’m observing. And I am grieved. I am grieved because I see people who are too willing to put Jesus aside. I know what that’s like. Oh, yes. I used to “hate” Jesus. I stayed away from his church. I spoke harsh language. I spent no time with him in prayer and in God’s Word. I lusted after things I didn’t have. I saw the world through the lens of “me”. And I tried to fill that empty space in my heart with more work. I thank Jesus he used his church, his people and his Spirit to speak into me, to pray for me and to awaken me into a deep love for him. Yes, people in the culture and in the church do hate Jesus because he requires specific obedience to his teaching. People reject commitment to Jesus because he commands obedience. People reject his love because loving him back means they have to change their lives. “Don’t tell me how to live.” “I have my own way to heaven.” and other hateful speech, effectually says, “I am Lord of my life. How dare Jesus ask me to change my life to fit his way?” Let’s pray that we truly love the truth, that we give up the “I” way to make way for Him, and that we love the Lord Jesus. After all, he has invited you into his truth for all eternity. It’s True! Too often your lifestyle can be “hate” response to Jesus.  

October 3, 2012 What Do You Want?

What Do You Want? John 5:7-9 “Sir,” the invalid replied, “I have no one to help me into the pool when the water is stirred. While I am trying to get in, someone else goes down ahead of me.” 8 Then Jesus said to him, “Get up! Pick up your mat and walk.” 9 At once the man was cured; he picked up his mat and walked. WITH one command, Jesus changes your life—forever. This poor crippled man was without friends and with no one around him to help him into the pool that might heal him. Where was the compassion of strangers? Would no one help him for the 34 years he lived in this misery? Others’ desires, apparently, came first. But Jesus came, and his love and healing powers changed a life. The Psalmist says “he heals all your diseases” (Psalm 103:3). You know that everyone dies from some disease. How can this be true? Disease is both physical and spiritual. You are to live in faith that Jesus is able to heal all physical diseases, and you are to pray in faith for those healings. Jesus can heal them, and my experience is that he does heal some people. All disease is in the hand of the One who saves. Disease also means here the spiritual weaknesses that cripple us. If you do not trust his ability to heal sickness, can you have faith he will heal your sins and save you to eternal life? Do you see how they correlate? You must believe that Jesus, indeed, heals all disease—spiritual and physical—as he has all the authority over heaven and earth. Do you want to be healed of your “sickness”? Then pray for it in faith. You are in the Lord’s hands. It’s True! Jesus heals.