Loving Jesus Style

Scripture: Acts 1:6-9 (ESV) 6  So when they had come together, they asked him, “Lord, will you at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?”  7  He said to them, “It is not for you to know times or seasons that the Father has fixed by his own authority.  8  But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”  9  And when he had said these things, as they were looking on, he was lifted up, and a cloud took him out of their sight. Devotion:             We now come to the end of Jesus sojourn upon the earth. With his disciples gathered around him some 40 days after his resurrection he gives them his final instructions. The disciples are apparently still confused about Jesus' mission here on earth. They are still looking for a political kingdom. They want Jesus to rid them of their Roman overlords.             Jesus, the ever patient one, explains one last time that he di

Scripture: Luke 21:34-36 (ESV) But watch yourselves lest your hearts be weighed down with dissipation and drunkenness and cares of this life, and that day come upon you suddenly like a trap. 35  For it will come upon all who dwell on the face of the whole earth. 36  But stay awake at all times, praying that you may have strength to escape all these things that are going to take place, and to stand before the Son of Man.” Devotion:             In these verses Jesus is speaking to the crowd. He has warned them of the things that will happen before the judgement day. He was not telling the crowd what they wanted to hear. He did not tell them that He was about to bring about the restoration of the kingdom to Israel. What he did tell them was a long list of things that would happen before the kingdom would be established anew.             Jesus foretells many things that were to take place within the current generation. For example, he foretold the destruction of the temple which

Scripture: John 18:33-38 (ESV) 33  So Pilate entered his headquarters again and called Jesus and said to him, “Are you the King of the Jews?”  34  Jesus answered, “Do you say this of your own accord, or did others say it to you about me?”  35  Pilate answered, “Am I a Jew? Your own nation and the chief priests have delivered you over to me. What have you done?”  36  Jesus answered, “My kingdom is not of this world. If my kingdom were of this world, my servants would have been fighting, that I might not be delivered over to the Jews. But my kingdom is not from the world.”  37  Then Pilate said to him, “So you are a king?” Jesus answered, “You say that I am a king. For this purpose, I was born and for this purpose I have come into the world—to bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth listens to my voice.”  38  Pilate said to him, “What is truth?” Devotion:             We have been looking at Nicodemus a Pharisee who seemed unable to grasp who Jesus was and why he had been

Scripture: John 3:4-8 (NKJV) 4  Nicodemus said to Him, “How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother’s womb and be born?” 5  Jesus answered, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. 6  That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. 7  Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’ 8  The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear the sound of it, but cannot tell where it comes from and where it goes. So is everyone who is born of the Spirit.” Devotion:             In yesterday’s blog post, Jesus posed an answer to a question that had not been asked. Asserting that no one may enter the kingdom of God unless they are born again (or from above). To which Nicodemus comes back with a truly natural question, How? In what way can a human be born again? The idea of being born again sounds like foolishness to the fleshly mind.

  Born From Above Scripture: John 3:1-3 (ESV) Now there was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews.  2  This man came to Jesus by night and said to him, “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher come from God, for no one can do these signs that you do unless God is with him.”  3  Jesus answered him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.” Devotion:             Last weeks devotion’s centered around parables of the kingdom of God. We learned that the kingdom is coming to a people not ready to receive it. This week we will cover the idea of kingdom in the third chapter of John. Jesus’ discussion of the kingdom with the Pharisee Nicodemus. The Lord finds this religious leader no better prepared to understand the kingdom than the subjects of his parables. We will tread gently on this well-worn ground of John 3 seeking to find fresh insights.             I must confess as I read this passage, which I have read many, many tim

  Scripture: Matthew 13:47-50 (ESV) 47  “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a dragnet that was cast into the sea and gathered some of every kind, 48  which, when it was full, they drew to shore; and they sat down and gathered the good into vessels, but threw the bad away. 49  So it will be at the end of the age. The angels will come forth, separate the wicked from among the just, 50  and cast them into the furnace of fire. There will be wailing and gnashing of teeth.” Devotion:             The Lord concludes his parables that describe the kingdom with a fishing story. One that many of his disciples would be able to relate to. This type of fishing using dragnets to pull in every type of fish must have been a very popular method of fishing in Jesus’ day. For Jesus to describe the kingdom of heaven in this way makes for a very understandable story.             The advantages of dragnet fishing are that it is possible to harvest great numbers of fish at one time. Multiplying the

  More Parables of the Kingdom            Scripture: Matthew 13:44-45 (ESV) 44  “The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and covered up. Then in his joy he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field. 45  “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant in search of fine pearls, 46  who, on finding one pearl of great value, went and sold all that he had and bought it. Devotion: Jesus shares two more parable of what the kingdom of God is like. In both parables someone runs across a treasure and goes and sells all he has to possess it. These passages require some translation into modern culture in order to have a full impact on us the reader. We seldom find treasure hidden in a field as in the first parable. We tend to hide our treasure in banks and other places of safety. In Jesus day, however, burying treasure was not uncommon. The merchant looking for pearls is in a similar circumstance. While he was not searching fields, he was v

  Scripture: Matthew 13:31-33 (ESV) 31  He put another parable before them, saying, “The kingdom of heaven is like a grain of mustard seed that a man took and sowed in his field. 32  It is the smallest of all seeds, but when it has grown it is larger than all the garden plants and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and make nests in its branches.” 33  He told them another parable. “The kingdom of heaven is like leaven that a woman took and hid in three measures of flour, till it was all leavened.” Devotion:             Jesus likens the kingdom to very small things in these parables. He knows the kingdom he is bringing will start out small, but grow to enormous size. While the mustard seed is not technically the smallest seed known to man. It is a very small seed and represents the smallest of the commonly used seeds in Palestine at the time. Within that tiny seed is the ability to produce a tree of 10 to 15 feet tall.             While all seeds produce plant

  Scriptures: Matthew 13:24-31 (ESV) 24  He put another parable before them, saying, “The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a man who sowed good seed in his field, 25  but while his men were sleeping, his enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat and went away. 26  So when the plants came up and bore grain, then the weeds appeared also. 27  And the servants of the master of the house came and said to him, ‘Master, did you not sow good seed in your field? How then does it have weeds?’ 28  He said to them, ‘An enemy has done this.’ So, the servants said to him, ‘Then do you want us to go and gather them?’ 29  But he said, ‘No, lest in gathering the weeds you root up the wheat along with them. 30  Let both grow together until the harvest, and at harvest time I will tell the reapers, “Gather the weeds first and bind them in bundles to be burned, but gather the wheat into my barn. Devotion:             Yesterday, we looked at the dictionary definition of the kingdom of heaven. T

  Scripture: Matthew 4:12-17 (ESV) 12  Now when he heard that John had been arrested, he withdrew into Galilee. 13  And leaving Nazareth he went and lived in Capernaum by the sea, in the territory of Zebulun and Naphtali, 14  so that what was spoken by the prophet Isaiah might be fulfilled: 15      “The land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, the way of the sea, beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles— 16      the people dwelling in darkness have seen a great light,        and for those dwelling in the region and shadow of death, on them a light has dawned.” 17 From that time Jesus began to preach, saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” Devotion:             I want to begin to lead us on a study of what Jesus meant when he said, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” Jesus used these words, or words very similar to them, to describe his ministry some 160+ times in the New Testament. Certainly, this concept of the “Kingdom” must ha

Scripture: Matthew 18:21-22 (ESV) 21  Then Peter came up and said to him, “Lord, how often will my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? As many as seven times?”  22  Jesus said to him, “I do not say to you seven times, but seventy-seven times. Devotion:             In today’s reading Peter comes to Jesus with what seems like a reasonable question. But as usual Jesus blows Peter’s mind with his response. The Pharisee’s standard for forgiveness was seven times. They reasoned that seven being the number signifying completion would be a perfect number to limit their forgiveness. Jesus turns the customary number on its head. And challenges the prevailing wisdom at its very core.             What Jesus was emphasizing here is that if God only forgave us seven time during our whole lives most of us would have exceeded that number very early in life. God is much more generous in forgiving our sins than what the rulers proposed to be the limit for forgiveness. To illustrate the point Jesu

Scripture: Zechariah 3:7 (NIV) 7  “This is what the Lord Almighty says: ‘If you will walk in obedience to me and keep my requirements, then you will govern my house and have charge of my courts, and I will give you a place among these standing here. Devotion:             The prophesy above was spoken to the high priest Joshua. Joshua served after the return of Israel from captivity. However, its message speaks in all times to all people. As we move on from our celebration of Easter, we can glean from its words wisdom with which to live our lives. The Lord gives us hope for a future with our risen King.             The miracle of the resurrection changes everything about the spiritual power structures here on earth. Satan has who had dominion over the earth since the time of the fall was decisively defeated, and Jesus was installed as the new ruler over the earth. Even though to look at the events taking place right now on the earth one might be tempted to doubt this truth. Go

Scripture: John 15:12-13 (ESV) This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you.  13  Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends. Devotion:             As his earthly life was drawing to a close. Jesus knew the of his death was near. Jesus has a heart-to-heart talk with his disciples. Jesus had many things on his heart to share with his closest associates. Today’s section of teaching from Jesus is among the most important. It is timeless and can mean as much for us today as it meant for its first century hearers. We should never get tired of hearing of God’s love for us poor humans.             Jesus first teaches his disciples that they are to love each other as he had loved them. Looking back over the gospel writings we see many times where Jesus extended his love to the disciples. Jesus had calmed a raging storm that threatened to kill them all with a word. He had provided food for five thousand hungry men from a child’s lu

  Scripture: John 8:31-32 (NKJV) 31  Then Jesus said to those Jews who believed Him, “If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed. 32  And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” Devotion:             Jesus said these words to the Jews who had heard his word and believed in him. However, his word are timeless in their application. Even in our culture which is based on lies and deceit there are those who call upon Jesus as their Lord and Savior. Much like those early believers who Jesus was addressing in these words from the apostle John, they have been deceived by the lies of this culture. Just as Jesus declared freedom from the lies of the culture long ago even now Jesus declares that his believers will be free from the lies that pervade our culture.             Our culture is becoming increasingly bold in telling their lies. This is because the mainstream church is either too timid to call the lies out for what they are, or because they believ

Scripture: Proverbs 2:1-5 (ESV) My son, if you receive my words and treasure up my commandments with you,   2      making your ear attentive to wisdom and inclining your heart to understanding;   3      yes, if you call out for insight and raise your voice for understanding,   4      if you seek it like silver and search for it as for hidden treasures,   5      then you will understand the fear of the Lord and find the knowledge of God.   Devotion:             We in the western church just celebrated Easter. The true story of how God took back the earth for his rule from the devil. Yet the polls show fewer and fewer people, even believers, actually believe in his bodily resurrection. Fortunately, God’s kingdom has never been, is not now, nor will it ever be run by popular opinion. A king rules his kingdom and he owns every square inch of it. So, what does all this have to do with the scripture quoted above?             Much of the reason the world is turn

Scripture: John 19:16-30 (NLT) So, they took Jesus away. 17  Carrying the cross by himself, he went to the place called Place of the Skull (in Hebrew, Golgotha ). 18  There they nailed him to the cross. Two others were crucified with him, one on either side, with Jesus between them. 19  And Pilate posted a sign on the cross that read, “Jesus of Nazareth, the King of the Jews.” 20  The place where Jesus was crucified was near the city, and the sign was written in Hebrew, Latin, and Greek, so that many people could read it. 21  Then the leading priests objected and said to Pilate, “Change it from ‘The King of the Jews’ to ‘He said, I am King of the Jews.’ ” 22  Pilate replied, “No, what I have written, I have written.” 23  When the soldiers had crucified Jesus, they divided his clothes among the four of them. They also took his robe, but it was seamless, woven in one piece from top to bottom. 24  So they said, “Rather than tearing it apart, let’s throw dice for it.” This fulfil

  38  Then Jesus, deeply moved again, came to the tomb. It was a cave, and a stone lay against it. 39  Jesus said, “Take away the stone.” Martha, the sister of the dead man, said to him, “Lord, by this time there will be an odor, for he has been dead four days.” 40  Jesus said to her, “Did I not tell you that if you believed you would see the glory of God?” 41  So they took away the stone. And Jesus lifted up his eyes and said, “Father, I thank you that you have heard me. 42  I knew that you always hear me, but I said this on account of the people standing around, that they may believe that you sent me.” 43  When he had said these things, he cried out with a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out.” 44  The man who had died came out, his hands and feet bound with linen strips, and his face wrapped with a cloth. Jesus said to them, “Unbind him, and let him go.” Devotion:             Today we watch as Jesus raises another person from the grave. This time it is apparently a close acquaintance