Loving Jesus Style

Scripture: Revelation 21:3-4 (ESV)   And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them; they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.” Devotion: What is your ultimate hope in life? What are you longing for and looking forward to? Some people may hope for success, happiness, health, or love. But as Christians, our hope transcends all these earthly desires. Our ultimate hope is the eternal presence of God with us. The book of Revelation gives us a glimpse of the glorious future that awaits those who belong to God. In the new heaven and new earth, there will be no more sin, evil, suffering, or death. All the things that cause us pain and sorrow will be gone. God himself will dwell with his people and be t...

  Scripture: Acts 2:1-4 (ESV) 2  When the day of Pentecost arrived, they were all together in one place. 2  And suddenly there came from heaven a sound like a mighty rushing wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting. 3  And divided tongues as of fire appeared to them and rested on each one of them. 4  And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance. Devotion:             Today, as we gather in the church, we commemorate the significant event of the Holy Spirit's outpouring on the disciples. Just as Jesus had instructed them to wait in Jerusalem until the Holy Spirit arrived, we too are reminded of the importance of patience and readiness for the Spirit's work in our lives. On the Jewish feast of Pentecost, Jesus' words were fulfilled as the Spirit descended upon them. The full extent of their newly found power woul...

  Scripture: John 13:34-35 (ESV) 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:             The words of this scripture passage flow from the apostle John as quickly and frequently as any other word he ever wrote. Love is one of the overarching themes in John’s writings. From his gospel to his letters, John consistently writes of the necessity for Christians' lives to be marked by love for one another. The words John writes here are a quote from the lips of Jesus. Jesus knows the law of the Torah and is undoubtedly aware that in Leviticus 19: 18, we are commanded to love one another. So, in what sense is this a new command?             The Leviticus command is that we love on...

Scripture: Philippians 2:6-11 (ESV) 6  who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, 7  but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. 8  And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. 9  Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, 10  so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11  and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. Devotion:             The final creed/hymn we will examine is found early in the letter to the Philippians. Theologians have described it as a hymn of kenosis, a term that means self-emptying. This hymn was likely a familiar part of the early Christian liturgy, and its inclusion ...

  [This creed] first appeared in southwest France sometime in the late 6th or 7th century. Its present text is found in the De singulis libris canonicis scarapsus of Priminius, which is dated between 710 and 724. [1] I believe in God, the Father almighty, Creator of heaven and earth, and in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died and was buried; he descended into hell; on the third day he rose again from the dead; he ascended into heaven, and is seated at the right hand of God the Father almighty; from there he will come to judge the living and the dead. I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and life everlasting. Amen.             This creed was not developed to deal with any specific heresy. I...

            The Nicene Creed in the form used today in worship was finalized in 381 AD: I believe in one God, the Father almighty, maker of heaven and earth, of all things visible and invisible. I believe in one Lord Jesus Christ, the Only Begotten Son of God, born of the Father before all ages. God from God, Light from Light, true God from true God, begotten, not made, consubstantial with the Father; through him all things were made. For us men and for our salvation he came down from heaven, and by the Holy Spirit was incarnate of the Virgin Mary, and became man. For our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate, he suffered death and was buried, and rose again on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures. He ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father. He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead and his kingdom will have no end. I believe in the Holy...

Scripture: John 1:1-5 (ESV) In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2  He was in the beginning with God. 3  All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made. 4 In him was life, and the life was the light of men. 5  The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. Devotion:             With these words of introduction, the writer John the Apostle begins to tell the story of Jesus of Nazareth. John introduces Jesus as the Word that was with God at the very beginnings of the universe. It is an introduction to the concept of God as the Trinity. In the following verses, John unpacks how the Father and the Son were present at the creation of the universe. This is meant to give us just a glimpse into the concept of one God in three persons. While much remains mysterious about this God, He is described in this fashion,...

  Scripture: Luke 24:44-49 (ESV) 44  Then [Jesus] said to them, “These are my words that I spoke to you while I was still with you, that everything written about me in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled.” 45  Then he opened their minds to understand the Scriptures, 46  and said to them, “Thus it is written, that the Christ should suffer and on the third day rise from the dead, 47  and that repentance for the forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem. 48  You are witnesses of these things. 49  And behold, I am sending the promise of my Father upon you. But stay in the city until you are clothed with power from on high.” Devotion:             Jesus calms the fears and removes the misunderstandings about Himself and His mission that the first disciples and we have in this passage. It was commonly thought that t...

  Scripture: Luke 24:1-7 (ESV) But on the first day of the week, at early dawn, [the women} went to the tomb, taking the spices they had prepared. 2  And they found the stone rolled away from the tomb, 3  but when they went in they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. 4  While they were perplexed about this, behold, two men stood by them in dazzling apparel. 5  And as they were frightened and bowed their faces to the ground, the men said to them, “Why do you seek the living among the dead? 6  He is not here, but has risen. Remember how he told you, while he was still in Galilee, 7 that the Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men and be crucified and on the third day rise.” Devotion:             It was a miracle! Everybody knows that dead people stay dead. Despite all the miracles and signs Jesus did while he was alive, he still looked like a mere man and nothing more—no won...

  Scripture: Luke 21:1-4 (ESV) 21  Jesus looked up and saw the rich putting their gifts into the offering box, 2  and he saw a poor widow put in two small copper coins. 3  And he said, “Truly, I tell you, this poor widow has put in more than all of them. 4  For they all contributed out of their abundance, but she out of her poverty put in all she had to live on.” Devotion:             We begin this Holy Week with a scripture passage that teaches us about gifts and giving to the Lord. We know from scripture that Jesus says that the greatest gift is to lay down your life for someone else. So, how does the widow’s gift of two small copper coins measure up to that gift? As Jesus says, it is very significant indeed. She gave all she had to live on to God. It was, in a certain sense, like giving her very life. Life was tough for widows in Jesus' day, as it remains today in some places.    ...

  Scripture: John 16:1-4 (ESV) “I have said all these things to you to keep you from falling away. 2  They will put you out of the synagogues. Indeed, the hour is coming when whoever kills you will think he is offering service to God. 3  And they will do these things because they have not known the Father, nor me. 4  But I have said these things to you, that when their hour comes you may remember that I told them to you. Devotion:             The words of Jesus in today’s scripture were a warning to those who originally heard them. Persecution was coming, and it would be harsh and unforgiving. The original audience for this message would need encouragement to keep following Jesus even when He was not physically present with them anymore. It is a timeless message of encouragement for all believers in every time and place. Jesus will not leave or forsake us to the enemies of the faith.    ...

Scripture: John 15:26-27 (ESV) 26  “But when the Helper comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth, who proceeds from the Father, he will bear witness about me. 27  And you also will bear witness, because you have been with me from the beginning. Devotion:             When John wrote this, the Helper had already come upon the disciples. Jesus’s words had proven true again. The Helper was, of course, the Holy Spirit that fell on the disciples on Pentecost. In addition to all the more spectacular miracles the Spirit brought about on that day was this gift of remembrance. The New Testament writers all had this miraculous assistance through the Helpers ministry. This ministry gift does not get the praise it deserves. Speaking in tongues, healings, words of knowledge, etc., all tend to stand out in our minds.             As I age, I pray f...

Scripture: John 15:12-17 (ESV) 12  “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. 14  You are my friends if you do what I command you. 15  No longer do I call you servants, for the servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all that I have heard from my Father I have made known to you. 16  You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name, he may give it to you. 17  These things I command you so that you will love one another. Devotion:             Jesus's words in today’s text encourage believers throughout the ages to believe that we are not merely servants but friends of Jesus. Jesus explains His commandments to His follow...

  Scripture: Acts 17:24-28a (NIV) 24  “The God who made the world and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth and does not live in temples built by human hands 25, And he is not served by human hands, as if he needed anything. Rather, he himself gives everyone life and breath and everything else. 26  From one man he made all the nations, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he marked out their appointed times in history and the boundaries of their lands. 27  God did this so that they would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from any one of us. 28  ‘For in him we live and move and have our being. Devotion:             Paul’s message to the Athenians gathered at Mars Hill continues in today’s scripture. Paul’s primary emphasis is the difference between the God he is preaching and the gods the people of Athens worshipped. First, Paul declares that...

Scripture: John 16:31-33 (NLT) 31  Jesus asked, “Do you finally believe? 32  But the time is coming—indeed, it’s here now—when you will be scattered, each one going his own way, leaving me alone. Yet I am not alone because the Father is with me. 33  I 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:             This passage of scripture highlights the disciples' reactions to Jesus’ trial and crucifixion. The disciples claim that they will all follow Jesus wherever He goes. Jesus knows His followers better than they know themselves. All of them will desert him, and one will even deny knowing Him. Courage among this group at this time does not even exist. Things have not changed much over the intervening 2,000 years.             Great ...

Scripture: John 15:18-20 (ESV) 18  “If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you. 19  If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you. 20  Remember the word that I said to you: ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you. If they kept my word, they will also keep yours. Devotion:             This scripture is compelling. It explains what happened to Jesus and His disciples some 2,000 years ago. The message of God is rarely welcome news for the world. It calls out many of the culture's favorite practices for what they are: sin. Ever since Adam and Eve sinned in the Garden of Eden, humankind has been adamant about trying to hide or excuse their sin. Sin causes a barrier between humans and God that humanity cannot overcom...

Scripture: John 14:26-27 (ESV) 26  But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you. 27  Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid. Devotion:             Jesus, whose prayer we are eavesdropping on in this passage of scripture, is praying for His inner circle of disciples. Jesus knows that they will need help once Jesus has left the earth. Indeed, we read in the book of Acts that they were a pitiful band of unbelieving disciples who believed that their Master and Lord had been taken from them, and they were not sure how to proceed from there.             We all resemble that inner circle of disciples. We sometimes feel that God has orphaned us and...

Scripture: Galatians 2:19-21 (ESV) 19  For through the law I died to the law so that I might live to God. 20  I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but 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 righteousness were through the law, then Christ died for no purpose. Devotion:             The Old Testament law caused the death of all who tried valiantly to obey it. With its rules and lists, following the law in every detail was a full-time job. In these verses, Paul makes it plain that there is a new way to be right with God that does not depend on obedience to the law of Moses to perfection. A new day of righteousness has dawned for those willing to accept that God had come to live, die, and be resurrected for our salvation.     ...

  Scripture: Matthew 5:44-45 (NIV) 44  But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, 45  that you may be children of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. Devotion:             The double commands found in verse 44 above are the most difficult commands to obey in the Bible. They are counter-intuitive. The last thing any human wants to do to someone who hates us (with or without cause) is to show them Christlike love in return. Praying for the well-being of such a one is not a natural act. It is clear, however, from the Greek text that loving and praying for those we do not like is an imperative, a command, not a suggestion.             Since it is a command, we must find a way to accomplish it. The Lord’s commands are notoriously difficult f...

  Scripture: John 14:26-27 (ESV) 26  But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you. 27  Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid. Devotion:             These words of Jesus to his disciples in the upper room on the night He was betrayed convey a divine approach to peace. Jesus, knowing all that was to happen to Him, did not pray for strength, courage, or any other response that we might consider more appropriate, humanly speaking. When we humans face inevitable persecution and execution, our natural response would not be peace. Yet, Jesus exemplified peace under these conditions. How did He behave in this way?             First, Jesus had...