Loving Jesus Style

  Scripture: John 16:33 (ESV) I [Jesus] have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth, you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart because I have overcome the world.” Devotion:             In today’s scripture Jesus is talking with his disciples in the upper room just prior to his arrest and execution. He has just warned them that they will all desert him. So, here he seeks to comfort them. He tells them to have peace in him. To know the peace which passes understanding. He does not want them to be sad or anxious because of their desertion of him. He rather wants them to be calm and at peace knowing that, as he has just finished explaining to them, their actions are foreseen and do not result in a withdrawal of his love and grace from them.             Jesus declares to them that trials and sorrows must come their way as long as they live in the world. Jesus wants them to have courage and face their trials bravely because just as Jesus has o

  Scripture: Hebrews 5:7-9 (ESV) 7  In the days of his flesh, Jesus offered up prayers and supplications, with loud cries and tears, to him who was able to save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverence. 8  Although he was a son, he learned obedience through what he suffered. 9  And being made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation to all who obey him, Devotion:             Our church book study group is reading Tim Keller’s book Walking with God through Pain and Suffering right now. The chapter we read for today’s class is about “The Suffering of God.” The chapter got me thinking about the issue of suffering and how it is that God is able to relate to us as we suffer as the Bible promises we will. See John 16:33. Some people claim that it is impossible for God to suffer. The Bible, however, gives us many examples of how God suffered or was grieved in the Hebrew Scriptures. All the way back in Genesis 6:5-6 God is seen as experiencing grief on accoun

  Scripture: Galatians 2:19-21 (NRSV) 19  For through the law I died to the law, so that I might live to God. I have been crucified with Christ; 20  and it is no longer I who live, but it is Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. 21  I do not nullify the grace of God; for if justification comes through the law, then Christ died for nothing. Devotion:             In these three verses Paul outlines his understanding of how Christ works salvation for our souls. This is probably one of the most quoted verses from Galatians. Paul here declares that he is dead to the law because Christ came to live within him. This must not be taken as some do, that Paul was delivered entirely from the flesh and sinned no more from this point forward. Rather he had Christ raised to life inside him so that he could be free from the demands of the law.             As Paul says in verse 21, he was justified

  When Faith Becomes an Heirloom Scripture: Amos 5:21-23 (The Message) “I can’t stand your religious meetings.             I’m fed up with your conferences and conventions.             I want nothing to do with your religion projects,             your pretentious slogans and goals.             I’m sick of your fund-raising schemes,             your public relations and image making.             I’ve had all I can take of your noisy ego-music.             When was the last time you sang to me ?               Harsh words from Amos. I believe there is a message in these words for us today. The Christian church in America has been struggling for decades of dwindling membership and a general lack of enthusiasm for the cause of Christ. Sunday has become for some people a day of recreation and work not a day of worship and rest from work. Abraham Joshua Herschel has a powerful insight:             “It is customary to blame secular science and anti-religious philosophy

  Pray, Pray, and Pray Some More Scripture: 1 Timothy 2:1-2 (ESV) First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, 2  for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way. Devotion:             Paul’s letter to Timothy contains encouragement for Paul’s young disciple Timothy. Here in chapter 2, we see Paul using just about every word for prayer in the Greek language in an effort to urge Timothy to be a man of prayer. Paul in his letter to the Thessalonians urges them to “pray without ceasing”. Why does Paul insist that the Christian be person who prays? After all, doesn’t God know what we need without our having to ask for it?             We see that Paul here is collecting four different words for prayer. These words are so similar in meaning that it is almost impossible to separate them. What Paul is doing here is encouraging Timothy and us to

  Scripture: Matthew 11:28-30 (The Message) “Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you’ll recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly.” Devotion:             Today’s scripture is one of my favorites. I tend to take things too seriously and I need God to invite me to a place of rest and recovery. That place is not necessarily a place of rest and relaxation and ease that we are called to here. God calls all of us to work under his supervision. If we do that, God is saying that we will learn a new way of working. A place in which we will be able to maintain a constant awareness of God’s presence with us as we work.             In today’s society we praise those who spend massive amounts of time and energy into their jobs. Wh

  Let Us Hold Fast To Hope Scripture:   Hebrews 10:23-25 (ESV) 23  Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful. 24  And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, 25  not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near. Devotion:             The aim of our devotion for today is to inspire us to reach out to others and encourage them in their walk with the Lord. The church today in America is not as on fire for the Lord and it could and should be. We have allowed many things to depress our fervor for the Lord. It is past time to shake off the discouragement we have been living under for so long. We must again seek to reach out to God and seek His encouragement in our corporate and individual lives. The scripture chosen for today can help us do just that.             Our first step in gaining enthusiasm for the Lord is to

  Scripture: Matthew 5:43-45 (ESV) 43 “ You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ 44  But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, 45 so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven. For he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. Devotion:             The topic I am writing about today is pregnant with danger. Nevertheless, my spirit burns within me, and I cannot hold back what I am about to say. I ask you therefore to put aside your prejudices and previous partisan commitments and pay attention to what I say and if you judge it to be worthy of Christ keep it with you and if not discard it like so much rubbish. As I begin, I pray that I may turn neither to the right nor to the left but turn to scripture and to scriptures Author.             Jesus’ teaching selected for today comes from his famous sermon on the mount. He is contrasting his teachi

  Scripture: John 8:34-36 (ESV) Truly, truly, I say to you, everyone who practices sin is a slave to sin. 35  The slave does not remain in the house forever; the son remains forever. 36  So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed. Devotion:             In these verses Jesus gives us the bad news first then the good news second. The bad news is that our sin causes us to be slaves to sin. We are held in bondage to the sin of Adam that courses through whole human race throughout history. On our own we simply lack the ability to be free from the curse of sin earned for us in the Garden of Eden by our ancestors disobedience to God.             Our circumstance as slaves to sin made our position with God fragile and uncertain. A slave may please or displease the master. However, once Jesus came and freed us from slavery to sin our position changed. No longer would we be seen by God as slaves, but we would be seen as sons and daughters. This is the good news of the gospel

  Scripture: Exodus 2:23-25 (ESV) 23  During those many days the king of Egypt died, and the people of Israel groaned because of their slavery and cried out for help. Their cry for rescue from slavery came up to God. 24  And God heard their groaning, and God remembered his covenant with Abraham, with Isaac, and with Jacob. 25  God saw the people of Israel—and God knew. Devotion:             The above text is sandwiched between the story of Moses meeting Jethro and the scene of Moses with the burning bush. It is easy to gloss over this material without really paying attention to what is going on in these three short verses. Let us take some time and unpack the message God has for us in this bit of scripture.             In verse 23 we read that the king of Egypt died. This is important to the story because now Moses could return to Egypt without being a criminal. We read that the people of Israel groaned and cried out to God because of their slavery. And God heard their cries

  Scripture: Ephesians 2:8-10 (NLT) 8  God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. 9  Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it. 10  For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago. Devotion:             In this scripture we have one of the greatest statements about how and why Jesus came to die for our sin and be raised to glory at the right hand of the throne of God. Jesus came to save us out of our sin simply because he loved us. Even though we were still in our sin and enemies of God, Jesus came to rescue us from this condition. Jesus paid the full price for our sin. All we can do is gratefully receive his freely given gift by faith.             One of the hardest ideas we, as humans, have to learn is that we cannot contribute anything to earn our salvation. One things that I have freq

  Scripture: John 4:21-24 (ESV) Jesus said to her, Woman, believe me, the hour is coming when neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem will you worship the Father. 22  You worship what you do not know; we worship what we know, for salvation is from the Jews. 23  But the hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father is seeking such people to worship him. 24  God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth.” Devotion:             This scripture is taken from Jesus meeting with a Samaritan woman at the well in John chapter 4. This encounter is significant because Jewish people had no dealings with Samaritans. Jesus breaks the taboo with questions for the woman. Finally, the woman says to Jesus: “ 1 9  The woman said to him, “Sir, I perceive that you are a prophet. 20  Our fathers worshiped on this mountain, but you say that in Jerusalem is the place where people ought to worship.” (J

  Scripture: John 13:34-35 34  A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. 35 By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.” Devotion:             Here we have a new commandment given by Jesus to his disciples. It looks on the surface very much like an old commandment. Way back in Leviticus (18:19) we read “ 18  You shall not take vengeance or bear a grudge against the sons of your own people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself : I am the Lord.” So, what is it that makes this a new commandment?             This is a new commandment is because Jesus is commanding his disciples (and that includes us) to love each other just as Jesus has loved us. In other words, we are to love one another to the point of being willing to die for the name of Christ and his church. We know that Jesus is really serious about this because in John chapter 15 he repeats h

  Scripture: Amos 8:11-12 (The Message) 11–12  “Oh yes, Judgment Day is coming!”                         These are the words of my Master God .                   “I’ll send a famine through the whole country.                         It won’t be food or water that’s lacking, but my Word.                   People will drift from one end of the country to the other,                         roam to the north, wander to the east.                   They’ll go anywhere, listen to anyone,                         hoping to hear God ’s Word—but they won’t hear it Devotion:             Today this country and indeed all of what we call “western civilization” is suffering from a severe lack of hearing the word of the Lord. God has allowed the people to seek after the word of God in many diverse places, but no matter where the people wander, they are unable to find the true word of the Lord. Even the very church of Jesus Christ has gone seeking to hear the word in places other

  Scripture: 1 Timothy 4:7-8 (ESV) 7  Have nothing to do with irreverent, silly myths. Rather train yourself for godliness; 8  for while bodily training is of some value, godliness is of value in every way, as it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come. Devotion:             These days the Christian is bombarded with all kinds of what we call conspiracy theories, and “fake news” making the rounds in the world. These types of things were probably what the Apostle Paul had in mind here when he refers to “irreverent and silly myths”. Anything that turns your heart from God for even a moment should be regarded with suspicion. Achieving this level of attentiveness to God requires much self-control. Self-control as it turns out is part of training yourself in godliness. We should, as Christians, seek to live godly lives. Because living godly lives leads us to peace with God, our neighbors, and ourselves.             How can you tell if you are living a godl

  Scripture: Hebrews 12:1-3 (NIV) Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, 2  fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross scorning its shame and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. 3  Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart. Devotion:             The writer of Hebrews (whoever that was) has just finished in chapter 11 giving us a list of faithful men and women who have been martyred for their faith. These faithful people are likely joined by all the faithful men and women who have lived and died up to the present in “the great cloud of witnesses”. He says we are completely surrounded by these deceased saints. Because these are watching us from heaven, we are encouraged to