Dying to Live and Living to Die.

I'm writing this post on Saturday evening. Basically, because I'm working the next several days and won't have a chance again. I tell you that so you know, that as I'm working on this, our reading from Saturday is very fresh in my mind. Jesus told us, "In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world." I'll be honest. When I read that earlier today, the last thing on my mind was physical persecution. I thought about all the tiny irritations and struggles I face on a daily basis, and thought, "How wonderful to know we have a hope beyond this." Reading today's passage from Acts right behind Jesus' words put them into a very different perspective. Below is the story of Stephen, the first Martyr, as told in the book "Jesus Freaks".

Across the courtroom, the young man on trial continued preaching. The jury fidgeted nervously as he told of their religious heritage and forefathers. What did Abraham and Moses have to do with this Jesus? Another young man in the audience, about the same age as the defendant, seemed not to be listening. His mind was already made up on the matter of this Jesus follower. The crowd of jewish leaders, however, grew more agitated at every word from the young defendant.

Suddenly the preacher turned to the audience. "You stubborn and hardheaded people! You're always fighting against the Holy Spirit, just like your ancestors did. The killed the prophets who told about the coming of the Righteous One. And now you have turned against Him and killed Him. You have received the law of God, but you have not kept it."

When the crowd heard this, they were even more furious, but the defendant ignored their growing anger. His face glowed like that of an angel, and he stopped talking and pointed to the ceiling. "Look! I see heaven open and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God."

This was to much. Yelling at the top of their voices, they all rushed him. The dragged him out of the city to stone him. He continued preaching all the way.

The young man who had been in the audience, on Saul of Tarsus, followed after them. He stood a short distance away from the defendant, looking steadily at the sky as the mob grew larger. The cries grew more heated now. A man handed Saul his coat, the stooped to pick up a stone as though waiting for a signal from Saul. Saul lowered his gaze then looked directly into the man's eyes and nodded. It was time to silence the young preacher.

Stephen, the defendant, continued despite the crowd's jeers, because the Man he was telling them about was so important to him. He couldn't stop talking about Him. Several more men had now removed their coats, handed them to Saul, and began gathering rocks, many of them so large the men had to lift them with two hands.

"The blasphemer must be dealt with!"

"He speaks against Moses!"

"We don't want to hear about your Jesus anymore!"

A rock sailed past Stephen's head. He stopped speaking long enough to duck it, dazed for a moment, the stood to continue. The second rock caught him near his temple, and he fell to his knees. Another hit his shoulder. Then there were too many to count.

"No more Jesus talk!"

"Let this be a lesson to all who would proclaim this Jesus!"

Another stone found it's mark. Then another. He couldn't open his eyes for the sting of the blood. His clothes were torn by the blows and blood dripped freely from the tatters. He began to pray, "Lord Jesus, receive my spirit." Then he scanned the crowd until his eyes locked with those of the young man who held a bundle of coats. "And Lord," he continued, "do not hold this sin against them."

When he said those words, Stephen died.

Slowly men gathered their coats from young Saul, who was soon alone with the body of the young preacher. Saul had come to Jerusalem to help silence this growing craze about Jesus of Nazareth. Despite his hatred, he could not shake the young man's words and how fearlessly he had faced death. He stood staring at the body of the first martyr for this Jesus. The glow that had so angered Saul was sill on the young man's face. He had seen it as the smug pride of a heretic, but could it have been something else? He quenched the thought and moved away, more determined than ever to crush this Jesus movement.

It amazes me that ever since it's infancy, the Christian faith has incited such passionate anger in people. It has also given rise to some of the most passionate followers. Every one of Jesus' disciples with the exception of John, died a martyr's death. People all over the world face physical persecution and death for Jesus frequently. We are so abundantly blessed here in America. But, what do we do with it?

Some Christians haven't even attempted to think about whether or not they would die for Jesus because they haven't really been living for Him.

-DC Talk

What does it mean to live for Jesus? Jesus showed us with His own life. Love God. Love others. Love your enemies...live for Him. Lay down your life.

"You may never have to face the decision of whether or not to die for your faith, but every day you face the decision of whether or not you will live for it." Jesus Freaks, p. 21

There's something heroic and inspiring about dying for Christ. When I first read that book "Jesus Freaks" I was in High School. I had the book with me at school and someone, reading the cover, asked "So, are you a Jesus Freak?" I didn't know what to say exactly, but ended up responding with "I hope so." I've heard it said that heroes are made in the small day to day decisions of life. The great heroes of the faith lived it out on a daily basis. They lived for Him before they ever got the chance to die for Him.

We all know the story of the young man, Saul, holding the coats at Stephen's death. He met "this Jesus" on the Damascus Road and was forever changed. He became Paul- just as zealous FOR the gospel as he had been against it. He died a martyrs death himself, beheaded for being a Christian just outside Rome many years later after a lifetime of persecution and sharing the gospel. I can't help but wonder at the seed planted by the death of Stephen. It was no accident that Saul was there holding coats. God appointed that meeting.

Sufferings gladly borne for others convert more people than sermons.

Therese of Lisieux

The men and women of God who have died over the years were more concerned with saving their torturers than their own lives. God has not called us to hate those who do evil, but to pray for them and bring them into His family as our brothers and sisters. Be encouraged by Stephen. Be encouraged by the disciples. Be encouraged by those who have died- then their deaths are not in vain.

Make your life count!

The Name of Jesus

There is no other way to be saved but through Jesus Christ.
This part astounds me to read:

“What shall we do to these men? For, indeed, that a notable miracle has been done through them is evident to all who dwell in Jerusalem, and we cannot deny it. But so that it spreads no further among the people, let us severely threaten them, that from now on they speak to no man in this name.”

The religious leaders wanted to stop the very name by which salvation comes. It has become more evident in our world today that it is not the worship of God or a god that offends people. In fact most people are willing to accept someone’s religious values except when the name Jesus is involved. To this day the name Jesus (Yeshua, Ieous…) is offensive to those whose minds are closed to the truth. It doesn’t matter how clear a presentation, they will reject him. Just like the clear presentation of the forty-something year old man healed in the name of Jesus. The religious leaders saw this for themselves but still refused to accept the truth.

Unity among believers
Do these verses sound encouraging to you? This is how we should behave as a body of believers, the body of Christ.

"Now the multitude of those who believed were of one heart and one soul; neither did anyone say that any of the things he possessed was his own, but they had all things in common."

"Nor was there anyone among them who lacked; for all who were possessors of lands or houses sold them, and brought the proceeds of the things that were sold, and laid them at the apostles’ feet; and they distributed to each as anyone had need."

Wow! What a heart for Christ. The best way to fight against the powers of darkness is with your brothers and sisters in Christ. Spiritual unity is vital in the church. All the differences and opinions did not hinder their spiritual goal in this early church. This heart of sharing and attitude that their possessions were not their own was through the leadership of the Holy Spirit. They were willing to allow the Holy Spirit to work through them. It is not like communism which is directed by man and forced upon people. It was not a competition of who could give the most or a way to classify people by who gave the least. Also, it was not commanded of them. Through this display of unity others were attracted to them.

We can not lie to God
Even though the church in general had unity and maybe appeared to be perfect it was not. If humans are involved there is sin. The example given in chapter five is hard to accept but God meant business. A man named Ananias and his wife Sapphira tried to deceive God and the people of God. God did not judge them so harshly because they didn’t give the whole amount of money for the land but because they tried to make everyone believe they were giving the whole amount while keeping a little share of their own. This was a critical time for the growing church and their testimony for Christ. This example of Ananias and Sapphira being struck dead for their actions shocked the other believers and caused them to realize how serious sin really is in the church.

“…They should not speak in the name of Jesus…”
I just wanted to add that this is the goal of Satan. Again, we see that they wanted them to stop using the name of Jesus. The Apostles were beaten, given a talkin to and then released for the time being. Through their boldness given by the Holy Spirit they did not stop. They counted it joy to be worthy to suffer for Jesus name.

Solving problems that arise in the church
People in the church began to bring to the Apostles attention that the widows were being neglected so instead of passing blame they took the responsibility and had a meeting. They prayed and appointed men that were of good report, full of the Holy Spirit, and full of wisdom to take care of this problem. This was done so that they could go on and continue their work to spread the gospel message.

Satan is always looking for opportunity to trip us up, to destroy our testimony and to oppress us as individuals and as a church. We must be just as diligent in our work to be unified in the body of Christ and in prayer for strength and direction to continue spreading the name of Jesus.

Mighty Acts

I have to admit that I'm drawn more to Luke and his writings after learning that he was well educated, a Gentile, and an ever-faithful friend to Paul.  I also have to admit that I have always been a bit intimidated by Acts.  The examples set by the 12 Apostles and the earliest church are tough acts to follow (pun intended).

My NIV study notes shed more light on Luke's writing style and how God used him greatly to document and explain seemingly complex topics of the early church in such an efficient manner.  Here are a few of the notable explanations of the purpose of the book of Acts (taken from NIV Study Bible):

• This book may be studied to gain an understanding of the principles that ought to govern the church of any age.
• It was written to present a history, to give a defense, to provide a guide, and to depict the triumph of Christianity in the face of bitter persecution.

Let's take a peek with fresh perspective at the first group of believers called "the church"...

"Men of Galilee," they said, "why do you stand here looking at the sky?"

~ Acts 1:11

After Jesus ascended into heaven, the 12 disciples were already watching for his return.  That's some good sermon material!  Are we anxiously awaiting?  Are we looking heavenward?  Are we standing arm-in-arm with our brothers waiting for the power of the Holy Spirit to lead us?  I also interpret this verse as the angels saying to the men, "Okay, time to get moving."   According to Luke in Acts 1, the earliest group of believers included about 120 people.  What an incredible responsibility they had!  You can imagine the emotion and bond among this group as they awaited together for the promised Holy Spirit.  Their response was to stay together and to pray. (1:14)

"All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit."

~Acts 2:4a

The moment had come.  God had provided the Holy Spirit as promised.  I find it interesting that the first gift of the spirit displayed was speaking in tongues.  I love the miracle of each person hearing the men speaking in his own native language.  They were "utterly amazed."  Are we utterly amazed at how God works?  Do we trust God to bridge cultural, racial, and other gaps?  Do we surrender ourselves to Him and allow the Holy Spirit to have full control of our hearts, minds, bodies?  He's so much bigger than we know and can fathom!

"Then Peter stood up with the Eleven, 

raised his voice and addressed the crowd"

~Acts 2:14

Peter knew he had a job to do and he did not hesitate.  I imagine that only a few short moments after the Holy Spirit was imparted, Peter was leading the charge.  He had a direct message from God for the people who had gathered.  He knew his Lord, understood the gospel message, and knew it had to be told:  "And everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved." (1:21)

"... and about 3000 were added to their number that day."

~Acts 2:41

God was clearly moving in people's hearts.  People were drawn to the Apostles and God was drawing their hearts to Him.  The early church was born.  I'm challenged deeply by Chapter 2, verses 42-47.  I suspect that this was as close to the perfect church as we will ever know.  They were together in Spirit and gave all they had to benefit the gospel and others.  That is a strong challenge to us today and was a mighty act in and of itself.

"It is Jesus' name 

and the faith that comes through him

that has given this complete healing to him, 

as you can all see."

~Acts 3:16

"One day"... Starting in chapter 3, I feel we move from the amazing event of the filling of the Holy Spirit to the not-so mundane details of the Apostles daily life.  Peter and John were going to the temple to pray and stopped to heal a beggar.  This was an amazing event in the life of the beggar, but Peter and John also knew the eternal impact that might come from the physical healing.  Following Jesus' example, they used each miracle as an opportunity to teach repentance and complete healing.  The physical healing was something to enjoy, but spiritual healing was the ultimate prize.  I often think that we confuse God's physical healing in our lives with spiritual healing.  God can certainly work through physical ailments and usually our spiritual eyes are more open through those situations.  However, true healing is in our repentance and God's forgiveness of our sin.

Lord, thank you for your word and for showing us that only you provide complete healing.  Draw us closer together as a church and lead us in mighty acts for Your glory!

KING OF THE JEWS AND ME TO

Today's chapters tells us of the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus, our Lord and Savior. This brings back to mind when I was a kid. I could not understand why was the day He was put upon the cross called Good Friday. Jesus died a horrible death after suffering a beating so bad He was unrecognizable. How could this be good. Whoever named this day "Good Friday" must of been out of their mind or a Jesus hater. Well, as I grew older, I began to understand better. We have just celebrated Thanksgiving. A day we set aside to thank God for His blessings, I can thank Him for Good Friday because asw bad as it was, He did it for me. There had to be a blood sacrifice to wash away our sins. Without this sacrifice there would be no salvation. Jesus went to the cross willingly so that we could have everlasting life. I believe that when He prayed for this cup to pass over Him that He was talking about sin. Here He was a man that knew no sin had all the sins past, present, and future laid upon Him. What a burden to bear. Thanksgiving and every day of my life I can thank Him for dying for me.

Pilate scourged Him, the soldiers made a crown of thorns and placed it on His head then put a purple robe upon Him and mocked Him crying "Hail King of the Jews" while beating Him. After this he was brought back before Pilate, yelling "crucify Him". Pilate said to take Him and crucify Him because He found no fault in Jesus. Pilate was afraid of Jesus but he had to take Him back because the people had no power and they was demanding that Jesus be crucified. Pilate tried to question Jesus but Jesus would not answer him. Pilate told Jesus that he had the power to crucify Him or to release Him. I love Jesus' response. He told Pilate in John 19:11:
"Thou couldest have no power at all against me
except it were given thee from above: therefore,
he that delivered me unto thee hath the greater sin."
Once again by these words let us know that He gave His life willingly and no man could take it away.

Joseph of Arimathaea asked for Jesus' body so he could bury Him. He was placed in a borrowed grave and a heavy stone was rolled in front of the opening.

On the first day of the week Mary Magdalene and others found the stone rolled away and His sepulchre empty. Later that day Jesus made Himself known to His people.
John 20:31 tells us why this happened and why it was recorded:
"But these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is
the Christ, the Son of God: and that believing ye might have
life through his name."

As we leave Thanksgiving behind and look forward to Christmas, let us thank our Lord for His death, burial, and resurection.
"Death cannot steal his prey,
He rolled the stone away,
Oh let me from this day,
Be wholey thine."

The POWER of the Holy Spirit and of Prayer

The book of John is unique in many ways, but I think some of the most profound ways are found in our reading today.  Jesus speaks very boldly about the role of the Holy Spirit and shows us some amazing prayer that is NOT recorded in any of the other Gospels.  And some of this prayer is about US...believers that will come after He is no longer here on earth.  God's Word just never ceases to amaze me with its depth of meaning.

Jesus promises us in Chapter 16 that it is for our own good that He is going away so that the Counselor can come to us.  What an incredible name for the Holy Spirit...Counselor.  When I looked up this word in the dictionary, part of the definition said advisor.  A synonym for this word is also advocate.  All of these words describe so beautifully the role of the Holy Spirit in our lives.  BUT, this is not all there is to the Holy Spirit by any means!  Jesus VERY clearly states that the Holy Spirit will also "convict the world of guilt in regard to sin and righteousness and judgment..." (verse 8).  Jesus also says something in verses 12 and 13 that is very intriguing to me.  He states, "I have much more to say to you, more than you can now bear.  But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all truth."  Jesus knows us so well...after all, He created us.  He knew that the disciples could not handle more than what He was now telling them, so the Holy Spirit would have to take over in revealing things to them after He had ascended into heaven.  Don't you just wonder though what more He wanted to tell them?  Was it hard for Him to stop telling them all of the things He wanted them to know?  Do you know how that feels...wanting to desperately tell someone something they NEED to know but NOT telling them because you know they cannot handle it at this time and it would do them more harm then good?  So because you love them SO much, you DO NOT tell them?

Let me also say something else here that is HEAVILY weighing on my heart.  Do we really KNOW the Holy Spirit and have a close relationship with Him?  Do we truly see his actions in our lives and in the lives of those around us?  Do we truly tap into the power that is inside of EVERY believer through the Holy Spirit?  I think the bride of Christ and the whole world would look A LOT differently if we were truly believing in the Holy Spirit and responding to what He is telling us to do!  I am taking a Wednesday night class at Oak Hill called "The Forgotten God".  It is a study done based on a book by Francis Chan with the same title.  It has been "eye opening" and "heart opening" to say the VERY least!  I can now see how very much we have in fact "forgotten" the Holy Spirit as the body of Christ.  We need to be made aware of this AND we need to act on our neglect of the Holy Spirit.  After all, He is the third person of the Trinity and all members of the Trinity are equal and they are ALL God!

How is your prayer life?  Could this possibly be another area of our lives that we are sadly "neglecting"?  I know that it is an area of my walk with the Lord that I really need to work on.  I have a tendancy to do what I call "bow and arrow" prayers.  I shoot prayers up throughout the day and hope that somehow that will get credited to me as prayer time.  And it is, but God is longing to spend more time with us than that!  You cannot get closer to anyone unless you spend QUALITY time with them...it is just NOT going to happen!  The same is true in our relationship with the Lord.  How can you really get to know someone if you hardly ever talk to them?  YOU CAN'T!!!  So why would it be any different with Jesus? 

In Chapter 17, Jesus prays a VERY lengthy and packed prayer.  First He prays for Himself.  Then He prays for the disciples.  And then, He does something astounding to me...He prays for US.  He asks the Father to make us one, just as He and the Father are one.  He asks the Father to bring US to complete unity so that the world may know that the Father did in fact send Jesus to this world.  WOW!  Here we have recorded in Scripture a prayer that Jesus prays for you and for me!  Doesn't that just blow your mind?  Thank you John for recording that for us...it gives us GREAT hope and comfort!

In Chapter 18 we come again to the part of Jesus' time here on earth where men put Him on trial and He experiences the extreme pain of betrayal through the denials of Peter.  PLEASE DO NOT BECOME CALLOUSED TO THESE EVENTS!!!  They are incredible and life altering events.  The fact that mere men put the God of the universe on trial just never ceases to blow me away!  And the pain of being TOTALLY deserted by all of the men you had come to love and know as brothers.  Jesus DID experience everything we could ever go through in our lives...AND HE TRIUMPHED OVER IT ALL...EVEN THE GRAVE!!!

"I have told  you these things, so that in me you may have peace.  In this world you WILL have trouble.  BUT take heart!  I have overcome the world."

                ~John 16:33 NIV (Emphasis added)

Living Water and Ducks in a Row

Have you ever had to present a case? I don't necessarily mean in a court of law, but maybe to a boss, co-worker, ministry partner, spouse, or your Mom? Before I walk in that meeting of the minds, I want to have my testimony fully prepared, have all my ducks in a row, have settled on the answers to any possible questions that will be asked, and walk away knowing I represented the cause or defended the reason to the best of my ability. Nothing but the facts. Whew! Now that you know that much about me.....try to imagine what is going through my mind as I read over these words in today's passage.

After countless hours of learning from Him and learning that He is exactly Who He says His is, the disciples sit down to the Passover meal with the Lamb. Almost certainly, they didn't know all of this at the time. The Lord washes their feet. He tells of Judas' coming betrayal and of Peter's coming denial. He goes on to say that the world will hate them, all of them. Jesus tells His disciples that He is leaving, but is soon returning. He assures them that He is preparing a place for them in the presence of His Father. Philip asked to see the Father, and Jesus reminded him that since he has seen Him, he has seen the Father. All of this is so overwhelming, and the coming hours must certainly be on Jesus' mind, so He continues. He promises to send a Helper, and again tells them that He will be back for them. He explains that abiding in Him, and He in them, will produce fruit. I wonder if they understood? Jesus says that there will come a day when the disciples see that Christ is in the Father, and the disciples are in Him, and Christ is in them. (I wonder if they asked Him to repeat that portion just once more?) The Lord was giving out instructions left and right, and I wonder if drinking the Living Water seemed much like trying to drink from a gushing fire hydrant at this point?!?

"Come now, let us leave." At what point do you step back and say, "Wait! I need a minute, here! I don't understand! How do I get my ducks in a row when I can't even find all of them?!?" He just said He was leaving, and the information keeps coming. I'm not sure how I would have reacted, really, but I know myself well enough to know that I would've been taking a LOT of notes to ask Him later. Out of respect and pure love for Him, I would listen as He said all that was on His heart....all the time waiting for my moment to ask my questions later. Only, later didn't really come. Whatever questions the disciples were left with that night, were left for them to work out with the Helper Who was to come. Their time with Jesus was fleeting, quickly. That's the thing about Living Water, it's always moving.

"When the Advocate comes....He will testify about Me. You must also testify." I don't know about you, but my testimony seems much like lining up ducklings some days. Sometimes, it just isn't clear what part of our lives will speak most to the ones around us. What do I say? What do I share? Who do I share my testimony with today? Though they may not have realized it completely at the moment, these men were about to go into all parts of the world and present the biggest case of all time. They were the vessels of Water to a lost and dying world....the teaching of the Christ they love with all their heart, mind, and strength had to be shared through their own testimony. The world needed to know the truth of God's love for them. Not only their friends and neighbors, but ALL people in all of the world needed this truth! All that had been poured into them from this Fountain of Living Water, was about to be further poured out to all those around them. Although it seemed to be a tall order, the endless needs of this world, could be met with the endless supply of Living Water. The disciples just have to spread the word, right?

One little problem: "the world will hate you." After all of the instruction and wisdom the disciples had acquired, certainly they were bursting with truth much like the prophet Jeremiah experienced when he said, "His word is inside me like a burning fire shut up in my bones." They had the answer to every problem the people around them had! So let's go give them the good news, right? Maybe. But, what do you do when you get all of your ducks in a row for your big presentation and it falls on deaf ears? What do you do when most of those around you reject your reasoning or the truth that you share? We can work out our questions with the Holy Spirit, too. We can go before the throne of our Creator and Sustainer with all the concerns of our lives. I'm so thankful for His love for me. I'm so glad that I don't have to have an answer for every question, and that my soul finds a resting place with Him.

So here it is, sister: get your ducks in a row and trust the Living Water inside you will carry them to the world through you.

Waiting on God

Where are you God? Have you ever thought that or said that? I have many times. Isn't it hard when you don't understand the circumstances, or you have prayed and prayed and the "answer" (the one you expect or want) doesn't come? It is hard sometimes to see God while you are waiting, when your eyes are filled with tears.

I think Mary and Martha felt that. Where was Jesus when they needed him? Why didn't he come? Surely he knew that Lazarus was sick. What was the delay?

I don't like delays, and I don't like to wait. I don't like waiting for an appointment - no matter how busy the doctor seems to be. I don't want to wait in an emergency room - I want attention now. I want a reply to my e-mail right away. I need a job now. I want the phone to be answered by a real person and not by a machine. I don't want to wait in line at the grocery store because I picked the "wrong" line.

I'm the same way when I'm hurting emotionally or spiritually. "Lord I need you NOW." ("Come to Bethany - now.") But sometimes, because He loves us - He waits. We say we serve an "on time God." But I wonder if that is what Mary and Martha would have said standing at Lazarus's tomb? But that's what Jesus did - He waited. He waited because he loved them. He wanted what was best for them. It was a "delay" on purpose. For their good, and for the glory of God.

We often think "delay" when God's timeing is different than ours. We think He is late, when he acts at the right time. We are impatient, but He gives us what is best for us. Maybe faith is about waiting. Waiting gives us time to reflect - time to learn to love, to be patient, to care, to pray, to drawe closer. Time to see with a new insight - a new perspective.

One Christian writer said, God never comes to those that do not wait. Lazarus found that to be true, and Mary and Martha too. I have. What about you?

Here's a thought:

Time is

Too slow for those who wait,

Too swift for those who fear,

Too long for those who grieve,

Too short for those who rejoice;

But for those who love,

Time is eternity.

And speaking of being on time - Happy Thanksgiving to all! You ladies have so enriched my life this year; and I am thankful for each post, each comment, each picture, each verse we have read and shared.

Do you see?

There's a place in Atlanta you can go called "Dialogue in the Dark." I haven't been, but would like to go. Basically, you are taken on a tour in pitch black darkness. You can't see anything, and have to rely on your other senses to help you "see." It's supposed to be a wonderful "eye opening" experience. It's amazing how being unable to see can actually help us "see" things around us in a new light.

Jesus literally opens the eyes of a blind man in our reading today. Interestingly enough, it's many of the sighted around Him who are actually blind. Blind to the reality of who Jesus is. The gospel of John is written to proclaim that Jesus is God's Son- fully God and fully man. People there SAW his miracles, and many still didn't believe. No wonder Jesus called them blind. This is why it is faith that saves us. We must believe in what we haven't seen.

"For we walk by faith, not by sight."

2 Corinthians 5:7

As Jesus describes himself as the Good Shepherd, He states that His sheep will know His voice. I can't help but think of how that relates to our relationships we have on a daily basis. The people we are closest to, we can pick their voice out of a crowd. I joke at church that I have "Aaron Sonar" because I can pick his voice up when I hear him talking down the hall but can't see him yet. Do we recognize Jesus' voice? We heard some wonderful testimony this past Sunday at church from our mission team who went to Nepal to share Christ with people who had never heard the name of Jesus before. They shared that at times they needed, and heard, the direct voice of God showing them where to go or giving them strength for their trials. What an amazing thing. I've prayed over the years to be able to hear God's voice. When I recognize it, it's unmistakable. It's not audible, but it's as clear as if it were coming through a speaker system. Often, I'm too distracted to pick His voice out of the crowd. I'm not listening. I've got to remember that I need the voice of Jesus, my Good Shepherd, to lead me.

Jesus enters Jerusalem for the feast of dedication (which is the modern day Jewish "Hanukkah") and tells the people there that they don't believe in Him because they are "not His sheep." They are so outraged over His claims that they attempt to stone Him. As we've read the Old Testament, it amazes me that the Jews were so blind to who Jesus was. How did they miss Him? The Messiah they had been hoping for was walking among them, and they willing tried to kill him. As Aaron and I have studied the Jewish Feasts for the Wednesday night class we have been teaching, it amazes me even more that they missed Him. So many of their feasts even pointed to Christ. It saddens me even today, because modern day Jews still miss out. The Messiah they have been hoping for has come. Their feasts still contain portions that show their eager expectation of the Messiah. He has come, they've just been blind.

The question arises in my mind- Do I see? Do I see Jesus for who He really is? Do I hear? Am I listening for Him amidst the chaos of my day to day life?

The hearing ear and the seeing eye-

the Lord made them both.

Proverbs 20:12

Who Is He?

The tension was growing. His own brothers were embarrassed of him and didn’t believe him. Jesus was keeping his ministry quiet to wait for the right time. The religious leaders wanted to get rid of Jesus but wanted to discredit him first. They were looking for the Christ but he was not what they had in mind. Who is he?

Therefore many from the crowd… said, “Truly this is the Prophet.” Others said, “This is the Christ.”

The religion of the Pharisees had blinded them to the very truth standing in front of them. They tried many times to catch Jesus in situations to taint or destroy his reputation with the people. Now they think they have him for sure. The scribes and Pharisees brought to Jesus a woman who was caught in the very act of adultery. Here is Jesus’ dilemma. Old Testament says that she should be put to death, but Roman law says, as a Jew, you cannot use capital punishment. So, they bring this woman to him and say, “Now, what are you going to do?” They really think they have him now. Jesus bent down and wrote in the sand. Don’t we all want to know what he was writing? I have heard several different opinions but there is no proof of what is true. He is just perfect!! This is his response:

“He who is without sin among you, let him throw a stone at her first.”

How easy is it to identify with the woman who is being accused and how easy is it to identify with those who want to throw stones but can we identify with the forgiving heart of Jesus? One by one the accusers walked away in conviction and Jesus stood up and asked, the woman where were her accusers. Finding that they had gone Jesus told her to go and sin no more.




The Pharisees also tried to invalidate him by saying his claims were legally faulty because he had no other witness. This is a part I love because Jesus tells them that he has a witness. He told them that he bears witness of himself and the Father bears witness of him. They just did not understand. It is difficult to understand but the truth is we are not supposed to comprehend God. It is impossible. Jesus said,

“If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed. And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.”

Jesus also tells them that because they are not of God they do not believe him.
The last part of chapter eight really gets intense because the religious leaders were trying to make Jesus out to be a crazy man with a demon. Everything Jesus said was way over their head. They could not see past their pride and arrogance. John 8:58 is a verse that to this day divides people. Either you believe Jesus is who he says he is or you believe he is a crazy man. The problem is that people ignore the fact that Jesus claimed to be “I Am” and move on to say that he was a good teacher and maybe a prophet or even JUST the son of God (like a god but not worthy of worship). The Jehovah’s Witnesses deny the deity of Christ and even have their bible translated to reflect their theology. Millions of people are deceived. What do you think made those people so mad? Right after Jesus said “Most assuredly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I AM.” they picked up stones to throw at him. To be a follower of Christ is not a life of comfort and/or painless. If you love Jesus people will hate you. Jesus said they hated him first.

Bread of Life

At the beginning of Thanksgiving week, I suspect that most of us have a wonderful feast planned with many festive dishes and some delicious bread.  I personally enjoy a warm yeast roll with... well, lots of butter!  I love the smell of the rolls baking in the oven, the warmth of the bread when I take a bite, the creaminess of the butter, and the touch of sweet that I taste on my tongue.  For a hungry stomach, almost nothing is so satisfying!

In John 5 and 6, I can almost hear some frustration in Jesus' words as he tries to explain that HE is the One thing that can satisfy our souls.  While is is certainly concerned with our physical needs - we see him heal the invalid at the pool and feed the five thousand because they were hungry - he is much, much more concerned with our spiritual needs.

Over and over again in John, we hear "believe", "eternal life", and eternally satisfying water and food.  Food and water are certainly things we can relate to.  We have cravings for food and can be so thirsty our lips are dry.  But, do we hunger and thirst for God and His word like we do for physical things?  (I need to pause here and say, "I'm convicted.")

As has been stated so many times in this blog, God reminds us over and over again in His Word that He is most concerned with the state of our hearts.

• Although we know Jesus knew the mind of the cripple, he asked: "Do you want to be healed?"  He wanted the man to verbalize his answer and take an active part in the healing process.  Interestingly, this man did not know who Jesus was as he was healed.  However, Jesus pursued the man afterwards to reveal himself again and to discuss spiritual matters.  He wanted to make sure the man knew of the eternal consequences of sin... far worse than being crippled.
• Jesus also knew the minds of the Jewish people who accused Jesus of working on the Sabbath.  Under great pressure of being killed, Jesus seemed to take much time to explain to them that God is ALWAYS at work in people's lives.  Jesus had some strong words for these Jewish people who were accusing him.  He told them they knew the scriptures backwards and forwards, but did not know God.  How sad!  They were missing the whole point and certainly were not satisfied.
• When approached with the five thousand men and their families, Jesus knew they were hungry.  He used this as an opportunity to build faith in his disciples and to meet the physical needs of a huge mass of people.  However, most importantly, he wanted to minister to the people spiritually telling them how to receive everlasting satisfaction and a fulfilling life.

I enjoy the simplicity of some of John's words.  If there was any question about what God's work is all about and how we should be involved, here is the simple answer: 

"The work of God is this: 

to believe in the one he has sent."

~ John 6:29

Jesus longs for us to crave Him and be fully satisfied in Him.  As we prepare our Thanksgiving meals for our families (and others) and as we enter into a busy season of gift giving, let's not forget the eternal work to be done.  Let's honor Jesus and remind or tell others of the Bread of Life.

"For the bread of God is he 

who comes down from heaven and 

gives life to the world."

~ John 6:33

WHAT GREATER LOVE

John was not written by John the Baptist,as many believe, but by John the youngest of the 12 apostles. It is an extraordinary book because it deals with the deepest questions of life. The most quoted verse of the Bible is in today's reading. John portrays Jesus as the Son of God, the only begotten Son of God. John 3:16 is often referred to as the heart of the Gospel.
"For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son,
that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish but have
everlasting life."
What a powerful verse this is. Most of us learned this verse as a child but do we stop to think what it is telling us. God has only one son but He gave Him to come to earth to die and shed His life's blood for us. Jesus didn't just die a natural death but he died in the most horrible imaginably way. He had to shed his blood and not just part of it but ALL of His blood was shed that day. He was beaten and scourged while being mocked. The Roman soldiers worked themselves into such a frenzy that they spit on him and bit off pieces of his flesh. Would you be willing to give up one of your children to die such a horrible death knowing that in doing so the world could be saved? I don't believe I could do that. What amazing and deep love God has for us. All we have to do to accept this wonderful gift of everlasting life in heaven with our Lord and Savior is to believe on Him. How then can people refuse to accept this. It just blows my mind, how people can give up an eternity of happiness for a short time of what they think is pleasure on earth but often ends up being problems for them.

We are told about the Samaritan woman whom Jesus met at the well. She recognized Him as the Christ or Messiah. She went and got the people in the town to come and meet Him. They to believed and the whole town was saved.

Are we on fire for God. God doesn't require us to sacrifice our children or ourselves. All He ask of us is to believe on Him. We should want to serve Him and tell others about Him. He tells us to go out and preach the gospel to every living creature but that is not required for our salvation. We should be letting everyone we know about the saving power of our Lord. Do we have friends and family members that are not saved but we want to see them in heaven. Are we doing all we can to lead them to God. Time is growing short. We need to proclaim the Good News of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ today while there is still time.

The Disciple Jesus Loved

Wouldn't you like to be known as the disciple Jesus loved?  That special place in His heart and by His side while here on earth.  An eyewitness to ALL that happened in Jesus' ministry and privileged enough to receive the AMAZING Revelation while in exile on the island of Patmos.  The youngest disciple while Jesus was on earth and the oldest disciple to live after His ascension.  John was also the ONLY disciple NOT to be martyred.  And the ONLY disciple NOT to scatter when Jesus was being arrested and crucified.  Wow!!!

John's Gospel is unique from the other three Gospels in several ways:

• No genealogy is recorded.
• No account of His birth is given.
• Nothing about boyhood.
• Nothing about His temptation
• No transfiguration.
• No appointing of the disciples.
• No parables.
• No account of Ascension.
• No Great Commission.

YET only in John is He called "the Word".

• The Creator
• The only begotten of the Father.
• The Lamb of God.
• The revelation of the great "I AM".

The book of John was written to prove Jesus' deity.  JESUS IS GOD...PERIOD!!!  This book repeats this over and over and over.  This may seem basic to us, but there are SO MANY religions that say that Jesus was just a man and NOT God.  There are three important "sevens" in John that prove Jesus' deity:

• Seven witnesses say that Jesus IS God (1:34, 1:49, 6:69, 11:27, 20:28, 20:31, and 10:36).
• Seven miracles prove that He IS God (water into wine, healing the nobleman's son, healing the man at Bethesda, feeding the 5,000, walking on the water, healing the blind man, raising of Lazarus)
• Seven "I AM's" (I AM the...bread of life, light of the world, before Abraham was born I AM, the good shepherd, the resurrection and the life,  way the truth and the life, and the true vine).

The first 18 verses of chapter 1 are considered to be the prologue to this book and are probably the most well known verses in this book (other than John 3:16).  They ask the question, "What do you think of Christ?".  Was He just a man or was He God or both?  CLEARLY, these verses declare that Jesus IS GOD!!!  Then in verse 19 and all the way through chapter 12 verse 50 we find "The Word" displaying His glory in various ways.  Chapter 2 begins Jesus' interactions with Jewish institutuions.  There is such a sense of intimacy throughout this book...such a sense of Jesus being God and displaying His immense love for us.  Do you know this Jesus...I mean REALLY know Him like the disciple John did?  He is waiting for you...

"In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.  He was with God in the beginning...The Word became flesh and made his dwelling amond us.  We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth."                                            ~John 1:1, 1:14

Same Glorious Song, Third Beautiful Verse

As we close this third gospel of the life and ministry of Christ, we notice that Luke's interest seems to have been on society surrounding these miraculous events. Many passages in this book cover the same events with a different narrative as the other gospels. And, then I also found it interesting to note that Luke includes some parables that are not mentioned in the other gospels. The parable of the Good Samaritan, the Prodigal Son, and the Rich Man and Lazarus are found only here. The gospels are like a song, presented for worship, by four different people, each with their own verse to share. Unique, but unified. The message is the same: "For the Son of Man came to seek and to save that which is lost." Luke 19:10 seems to be the theme for this book.

Luke was a double-eye-witness to the death, resurrection, and ascension of Jesus. Luke also shares the most famous portion of scripture about the story of Christ's birth. It is interesting to me how much the birth and death have in common. He was buried in a borrowed tomb hewn from rock, just as the stable was borrowed for His birth, likely a cave-like structure. His body was wrapped in strips of linen after His death, much like the strips of cloth his body was wrapped in after He was born. Of course, the spices that were brought to His birth, were the ones used at times of burial.

Luke was orderly, and detailed. Being a doctor, I suppose the details would be important. My study Bible says that Luke's entire gospel is in chronological order. Now for a girl like me, who asks a lot of questions, and is always interested in the cause and effect.....this thrills me!!! I want to see what-lead-to what. And, I love how Luke gives times and dates for many of these events. Timing is everything, and God has the Kingdom calendar all laid out. Luke gave many details, and some of my favorites are on the prayer life of Jesus. Several times Luke mentions Jesus praying in an every day setting, such as before meals or intimate times with His Father. The prayers at His baptism, arrest, and the Lord's Prayer are also found in Luke's account.

Luke spoke to both the Jew and the Gentile, male and female....all those who loved God. I wonder if this is why the gospel of Luke includes 18 parables that are not mentioned in any other?? He was trying to speak to a vast audience, and often explained the Jewish customs in the process. He is the only New Testament writer who was not Jewish. Luke also seemed to pay close attention to women. The birth of Christ is told from Mary's viewpoint. He noted that women supported the ministry financially, observed the crucifixion, and were the first to see the risen Lord. There are none left out of gospel's reach!

What wonderful things we can learn from Luke! Reading through the four gospels is kind of like having four friends, isn't it?? ....each with a different personality with individual life histories that bring truth from a different perspective. God's word is knit together perfectly. It's a glorious song with many verses. After these three three gospel verses, I look forward to the fourth don't you?

Poured Out

Seems like I get "stuck" on just a few words in each chapter I read. They seem to "reach out and touch me," and the words for today's reading were the words poured out.

What does it mean to be poured out? Webster's dictionary says the verb poured means . . . to dispense, to supply or produce freely, to cause to flow as in a stream, to empty out. Webster's Thesaurus gives these words: to drain, to spew, to spill.

This caused me to ponder the question - What am I pouring out my life for today? Is it my family, gaining wealth, being noticed, hobbies, entertainment, or my faith? What am I giving my all to and spilling out my time on?
In these chapters there are several pourings we are witness to: some bad, some good, and one life-changing for us all if we but choose it.
The Widow poured out her offering - all that she had - and she had very little - with none left for herself

Jesus poured out to the disciples the future destruction of the temple, of Jerusalem, and the signs of the end times

Peter and John poured out their energy when they bought and prepared the Passover meal for Jesus and the rest of the disciples - which probably included the sacrifice of a lamb, preparation of the unleavened bread, herbs, and wine and other ceremonial food

Judas poured out his friend and companion when he betrayed Jesus for 30 pieces of silver

The disciples poured out their arguments to each other as they discussed their prestige in the kingdom and who would be the greatest

Peter was warned that he would pour out denial of his Lord three times before the rooster crowed

Jesus poured out his sweat in prayer like "great drops of blood" in the Garden
But the most meaningful pouring in today's verses - -

. . . and He took the cup, saying, "This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you."


Christ's death on the cross for my sins was the pouring out of His life blood - His death for my sins and salvation. That is why we partake of the bread and the wine during The Lord's Supper to remember and commemorate the Lord's death until He comes again.
I pray that we are pouring out our daily lives for His holy purpose. And that reminded me of a song:

Broken and spilled out

Just for love of me Jesus

God's most precious treasure
Lavished on me
You were broken and spilled out
And poured at my feet
In sweet abandon Lord
You were spilled out and used up for me.

Emotions of Jesus

I'm not much of a crier. My husband will tell you that when I do cry, it tends to really scare him because I do it so rarely. As far as I have seen, Jesus cried twice in scripture. Once, over His friends grief about the death of Lazarus, and then here, in our reading today, over the fate of Jerusalem. It's easy for us to breeze past this. We tend to view Jesus through our "Gentile" lens, but Jesus was a Jew, and as such Jerusalem would have had a very special place in His heart.

Jesus would have traveled there often growing up and even as an adult. He would have gone to Jerusalem several times a year for the festivals and to offer sacrifices. At those festivals, He would have enjoyed fellowship with friends and family, visited perhaps with priests, and worshipped with His fellow countrymen. His memories there would have been sweet and poignant. He would have known many people there. The best thing I can relate it to is knowing that your favorite vacation spot was going to be destroyed. The vacation spot you went to year after year and took many friends with you when you went. Imagine knowing that those friends would betray you. Imagine knowing that no matter what you say, no matter what you do, even at the expense of your own life, these people and this town wouldn't listen to you about how to save themselves. Wouldn't you cry? Out of hurt, anger, sadness, frustration...all of the above make a rather potent emotional cocktail. Beyond that, through Jesus we can get an important look at how God feels.

It grieves Him when His people don't know Him. It grieves Him to know His people will have to suffer. It grieves Him to know that we turn away from Him. Do I grieve God? How many small ways do I turn away from His guidance and love on a daily basis? Do I make decisions that will only hurt me, turning away from His life giving wisdom?

It angers Him when we don't show the proper respect for His house of worship. Jesus' anger was due to the fact that the people selling animals for sacrifice there were selling them for outrageously high prices. They were basically extorting people out of money for their own selfish gain. It makes me think of the notorious televangelists who are constantly convincing people to give money in exchange for "blessing" or for "ministry" that never happens. They take advantage of people in the name of God. He has no tolerance for this. He has no tolerance for people who make it harder for others to find Him. Does my life make it easy for people to find Jesus?

God displayed His earnest desire to be in a relationship with us by sending His son to both make that possible, and show us who He is in a way that we can bear it. Today, and in this season especially, I'm reminded to be so thankful for a God who loved us "so much."

If We Could Just Have Faith Like a Child.

“The single greatest cause of atheism in the world today is Christians, who acknowledge Jesus with their lips, then walk out the door, and deny Him by their lifestyle. That is what an unbelieving world simply finds unbelievable” - Brennan Manning

A Warning:
I thought of this quote after reading verses 1-3. We as Christians in America need to understand how privileged we are. If you are reading this post on your own computer you are part of a privileged minority. If you have the time to read this post or if it is even an option, you are a privileged minority. With that being said, what are you doing with that privilege? It is so easy in this society to make ourselves comfortable. It is also easy to excuse our self from the responsibility we have to other Christians because we are “doing better than that guy.” Our choice of lifestyle is very important. Someone is always watching. Even more so in the last few years with the growing trend of video equipment that “everybody” seems to be carrying around in their pocket (another privilege). I will get to my point now. We have the privilege of riches and freedoms as Americans and God has chosen us to be his children. We need to be using the opportunity to not only reach the lost but help build up those who are younger in the faith. Those brothers and sisters that are watching need to see us living for Jesus and not our self. One bad choice can destroy another’s faith. “It is impossible that no offenses should come, but woe to him through whom they do come!” Especially if you destroy a child’s faith!

It is simply our duty:
Now here is another hard truth. When we do use our privilege to glorify God, it is simply our duty to do so. Jesus uses an illustration of a servant who works in the field all day and then comes in and serves his master at the table before eating. This spoke right to me because so many times I feel I deserve my reward for good deeds. It is so easy to think too highly of ourselves as Christians. “When do I get a break and get noticed?” Pastor Chris spoke about the cost of things in our lives on Sunday. Christianity should cost us a great deal not just give us a golden ticket. The cost should be our entire lives. We should not get puffed-up with pride when we have simply done what is required of us as Jesus’ disciples.

The coming of the kingdom:
Do you ever think about how much time we have on this earth? As a child we can not imagine an end. As we grow older the reality becomes more clear. The reality is that no one knows when his or her time is up, and we certainly do not know when everyone’s time is up. Just like in the days of Noah and Lot, life will be going on as it always does and suddenly time is up. Those who have chosen to listen to the Lord’s call know it is coming but there are those who refuse and turn a blind eye.
"I tell you, in that night there will be two men in one bed: the one will be taken and the other will be left. Two women will be grinding together: the one will be taken and the other left. Two men will be in the field: the one will be taken and the other left.”

The faith of a child:
“Let the little children come to Me, and do not forbid them; for of such is the kingdom of God.”
I feel like this part just answers all the questions. Just have faith like the children. Think about children and their qualities. What do children do when they get hurt? Run to their parents. Children believe anything that you tell them. They forgive very quickly. Children are not worried about what other’s think. Children are willing to submit to authority. Children want to be like their parents. Children tend to be like Mary in the story from Luke 10. Wow! If we could just have faith in God like a child…

Calling a Spade a Spade

My employer is headquartered in New York City and I have many co-workers in that city and in the general northeast.  I have thoroughly enjoyed working with many of them.  One difference that we often laugh about is how they tend to be much more direct in their speaking than I am.  As a southern gal, I tend to be sensitive to some of the direct comments, especially if they are directed to or about me.  However, I've learned over time not to be so sensitive and have come to appreciate the fact that I don't have to think too hard to read between the lines.

Jesus had to much to teach and say in his short three years of ministry.  I can only imagine that he was bubbling over with things he wanted to say and teach.  Obviously Jesus was God in the flesh, his clarity and emotions were perfect.  He knew people's thoughts and motives.  We can tell from the scriptures that he paid very close attention to what was going on around him.  He waited for the right moments and perfectly chose his words and the points to be made.  He was able to speak directly in ways that would most effectively convey his message.  He was always direct and honest "calling a spade a spade".

We can learn so much from Jesus' ministry and how he dealt with other people.  At times he was direct and at other times he told stories.  In some cases, he asked questions and in others he made bold statements.  He also expressed a variety of emotions - compassion, anger, grief, humility, joy, and so many others. 

The Pharisees needed to be challenged directly.  They were very knowledgeable of the law and Jesus had to challenge them in ways that cause them to think "outside of the box".  Jesus was very clever in catching them in their accusations before the words came out of their mouths.  He wanted them (and us) to know that truly loving others is most important... much more important than their man-made laws.

The large crowds had to be told directly what it would cost for them to truly follow Jesus.  They needed to understand that he requires humble servants and sacrifices.  But the reward is great and eternal!

Luke 15 includes some of my favorite parables:

• The lost sheep
• The lost coin
• The lost son

There are so many nuggets to glean from these chapters.  But the bottom line is that Jesus cares deeply for each human soul.  I love the visual that we get of the shepherd going to find the one lost sheep and carrying it home.  Jesus' message is undeniably consistent.  He wants to make sure we know the reality of eternal life (both the good and the bad).  God wants us to see the lost as He sees them... worthy of pursuing so that they may come to believe in Him.  In these passages, I'm reminded of our recent study at Oak Hill and how we are commanded to lay up treasures in heaven.  Searching diligently for lost souls and rejoicing when they are found is certainly laying up treasures in heaven.

Through the Holy Spirit, we gain insight into what is going on around us and how people need to be ministered and spoken to.  I'm encouraged by the fact that people are not "cookie cutters". We can think creatively and rely on the Lord's guidance to minister to and with others.  I'm also reminded to be honest with others although it can seem to be the tougher choice for various reasons.  We can "call a spade a spade" and also be kind, gentle, and loving.  What a fun challenge!

"But we had to celebrate and be glad, 

because this brother of yours was dead and is alive again; 

he was lost and is found."

~Luke 15:32

THE LAST DAYS

In these chapters, we see Jesus speak to the people in parables. He would explain the meanings of them to His disciples after. The pharisees and scribes was always trying to lay a trap for Jesus hoping He would say something wrong so they could arrest Him and kill Him. There are those today who are like the pharisees and scribes. They watch Christians wanting to catch them doing wrong so they can justify what they are doing. We must keep our vigil up all the time. We need to keep in His Word, pray, and gather with fellow Christians to remain strong.

A scribe asked Jesus what was the first commandment. Jesus told him:
"And thou shall love the Lord thy God with all thy heart,
and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all
thy strength: this is the first commandment(12:30) and the
second is like, namely this, Thou shall love thy neighbor as
thyself. There is none other commandment greater than these."
(12:31)
I have heard it say that if we kept these two commandments we would keep all of them. Do we love our Lord like that? Do we put Him first above all else? He should be number one in our lives. What about our neighbors? Do we know who are neighbors are? Many do not even know who lives next door to them let alone who lives down the street or in another town or country. Do we have concern or love enough to them to share the Word of the Lord and Savior?

Jesus tells His disciples in Chapter 13 that nobody but God Himself knows the hour when Christ shall return for His own. He tells them to watch and be ready. He tells them what must happen first. These things have happened or are happening now. Are you ready?

"And then shall He send His angels, and shall gather His elect
from the four winds." (13:27)
There are those who believe that because He says, "His elect" that God chooses who will go to heaven and who won't, no matter what we do. That is just not so. He gives us His plan of Salvation in His Word and if He had already decided our fate we would have no need to be saved. We are His elect and we became that when we accepted Him into our hearts.

We must be aware of false prophets. There will be those who will say they are the Christ to follow them. We have seen some of them already. There are those who will tell you they know the day and the hour of Christ return. We have seen them also. One as recently as this year. Sadly enough, there are also false prophets in our churches preaching. We have to be on our guard all the time which is why why we MUST stay strong in His Word. If we do, we will know when we are being told wrong.

With all this being said, I would just like to say how blessed we are for having Chris Holdorf as our pastor. He preaches from God's Word. It may not always be what we want to hear but rather what we need to hear. Thank you God for sending Pastor Chris to us.

A New Perspective...My Guest Contributors

Let me just start out by saying that you all just continue to be SUCH A BLESSING to me through this blog (and in other ways of course)!  I am daily "blown away" by the insights, the emotion, and the thoughts you bring to this blog everyday and I just cannot thank you enough nor can I possibly express enough how much this has changed my life for all eternity.  My thanks and my love to you all!!!

I have a very special approach for my post today.  My daughter Jordan is having her 14th birthday party celebration today with three of her close friends from church.  When I woke up this morning (after a VERY late night due to my husband's high school football game), the Lord gave me an idea.  I said to them, "Would you all be willing to give me your thoughts on chapters 10 and 11 of Luke?"  They were totally thrilled and went to work on it immediately!  So...here is the thoughts and insights from a VERY special group of young ladies from Oak Hill Baptist Church on today's reading.  Let me show you a picture of these sweet girls and give you each of their names before I get started.

From left to right:  Abigail Chasteen, Megan Pitts, Ashlyn Parsons, and Jordan Habelt

JESUS SENDS OUT HIS DISCIPLES:

• It was cool how many disciples Jesus sent out - 72!
• It's amazing how angry God gets when we reject Him.  In this chapter, if the townspeople reject this message from Jesus, they are cursed.
• Do not take anything with you - not a purse, bag, or sandals.
• Even demons recognize Jesus!  Better than people do!
• The 72 were FULLY protected.

JESUS' PRAYER OF THANKSGIVING:

• Jesus is saying that thank you to the Father that He is "clouding" the information from the Pharisees and revealing them to the "lower class" people.
• No one truly knows Jesus except the Father and no one knows God except Jesus and those to whom JESUS chooses to reveal Himself.
• The people who were there when Jesus was on earth were truly blessed to see Him and to hear what He preached.
• To get into heaven, you have to have a child-like faith.
• The disciples were so blessed because they got to see and hear what prophets and kings long to hear and to see but could not.
• God has entrusted EVERYTHING to Jesus!

THE MOST IMPORTANT COMMANDMENT AND THE PARABLE OF THE GOOD SAMARITAN:

• We should be kind to whoever we meet no matter what they look like or what their race is.
• Your neighbor is anyone who gave you mercy in your time of need.
• We should be kind to anyone we meet NO MATTER what their circumstances because the 1st and 2nd greatest commandments tell us to do so.
• We must live our lives showing mercy to others.

JESUS VISITS MARTHA AND MARY:

• Mary had the right mind-set, Martha did not.
• Martha was more concerned about worldly things and Mary was concerned more about things that really mattered.
• Don't put worldly possessions before the Lord.  Listen to him and do not let other things consume you.
• While Mary discovered The Truth (listening to Jesus), Martha was concerned about more earthly things.
• Mary discovered what was REALLY important.

TEACHING ABOUT PRAYER:

• God loves you MORE than you even love your own children.
• Jesus is saying, "I love you more than you love your children because I am your heavenly Father."
• Keep asking and you will get it.
• Keep looking and you will find it.
• Keep knocking and the door will be opened.
• God will NEVER deceive you.

JESUS AND THE PRINCE OF DEMONS:

• Jesus is talking here about the fact that if you are against yourself you will destroy yourself.
• Jesus casts out a demon from mute man and the people gave credit to the devil!  Jesus knew their thoughts and showed them anything done by Satan is doomed.

THE SIGN OF JONAH:

• Jesus is here and so many people refuse to listen to Him and believe in Him.

RECEIVING THE LIGHT:

• Jesus tells us so many times that you have to shine your light for God and THIS is one of those times. :)
• When you receive the light of Jesus, your life will show proof that you have Jesus in your life.
• Shine your light for all the world to see.

JESUS CRITICIZES THE RELIGIOUS LEADERS:

• People are too worried about their outside appearance.
• The outside can look clean, but the inside can still be full of corruption.
• The Pharisees and teachers of the religious law asked Him many questions to use the answers against Him.

Well, there you have it...simple and to the point...just what I wanted my post to be today!  Thank you girls for your input...you continue to amaze me and to shine the light of Jesus through your lives.  I love you!!!

Liars and Demons and Disease, OH MY!

Maybe I've just got feasting and celebrating on my mind this month, but, Oh!!! ...what a FEAST of TRUTH we find in chapters 8 and 9 of Luke's gospel! Isn't it amazing to read the four gospels, so unique, yet perfectly unified. More than likely, we are in familiar territory here as we read these recorded events. The parable of the Sower, a lamp, a storm, demon-possession, diseases, a miraculous food ration, the Transfiguration and countless lessons on eternity fill the verses of these chapters. I'd like to ask you to read these verses, and ask the Lord to show you something you've never seen before. I have chosen a few portions that got my brain clicking, and in some cases my heart racing! God's word is alive, and He lives in me! Praise Him!

I love that the women who came face-to-face with this Jesus, never wanted to leave Him! Mary Magdelene, freed of 7 demons, Joanna and Susanna who themselves had experienced the healing power of Christ chose to serve Him with the work of their hands. They chose to be with Him, they gave to the mission of their own means. They likely cared for the men and did everything they could to serve the One who saved them. They recognized their role, and filled it beautifully.

In respect to storms, I can handle rain, thunder, lightning, and such....but let the wind start blowing and I am looking for the nearest closet! Something interesting about this storm recorded in Luke though, something I'm not sure I've considered enough. The disciples in the storm, in this boat, were there on account of Christ. It was for His sake that they were in the storm, and Who better to be in company of? What better place to be than in His will? I'm quite convinced that no one place is safer than another. The Lord is with me, and I can go where ever He leads and have perfect peace. He will protect me. And, if He so chooses to honor me with great tribulation, I am learning to trust Him more every day to use it for His glory. Even in death, I cannot lose.

"Legion." This was the response when asked his name. It sends shivers up my spine! We are told that many demons were in him. Interesting that they begged Jesus not to throw them into the abyss, but into the swine instead. Now there are numerous applications and amazing truths to glean from this, but I will choose the one that spoke to me today. I was struck by the people's response to the healing of this man. They were more frightened after he was healed. Why? Was it the unknown that scared them?? I read a commentary about this portion, and will quote that here, as John Darby says exactly what was on my heart in words I can't form any better:

"The world beseeches Jesus to depart, desiring their own ease, which is more disturbed by the presence and power of God than by a legion of devils."

Jesus asked who people say He is. The disciples answered with the things they had likely heard people say....like He was John the Baptist, He was Elijah, He was a prophet....basically, He was anything else than that which He claimed to be. Was it because it was too good to be true that the Savior would come in their lifetime? They seemed to think that "after thousands of years, is this what we've waited for?" Am I guilty of this today?? Oh, we say that He could come at any time, but do we truly believe it could be today?? Do our words and actions reflect that?

I love the fact that others were even talking about Him in the first place! The fame of His marvelous works had reached the ears of the king. Israel was without excuse. Whatever little conscience was left in pagan world, couldn't deny the effect of His power. He made an impression. It was lasting impression.

The Transfiguration is especially wonderful to study, isn't it? I love that Jesus talked to Moses and Elijah the same as He did to Peter, James, and John. I love how thin the veil is between us and what is eternal! As we read in Matthew, He is "Lord of the living and the dead." These saints of old are no more "special" than you are today! God loves you and wants to work through you!

And, I loved the words Jesus spoke to His followers whenever the time was right. He reminded them of eternity, and His purpose. Whether or not they fully understood the entire thing, we know that all of the pieces were coming together. The people across the lands marveled at Jesus and His miracles. Some hung on every word of His teaching. But, Jesus took some aside to invest in. Some who would be left with the task of telling the entire world about this Man. Read this portion of scripture afresh today:

"While everyone was marveling at all that Jesus did, He said to His disciples, "Listen carefully to what I am about to tell you: The Son of Man is going to be delivered into the hands of men." But they did not understand what this meant. It was hidden from them, so that they did not grasp it, and they were afraid to ask Him about it."

This says that there was information hidden from them....Why were they afraid to ask questions? Was it hidden until they did ask? Was God waiting on them to ask? Or would He, in His sovereignty, keep it from them a little while longer knowing what is to come? I don't know. But, what is God saying to you about asking for clarification? Maybe on your journey, fear is keeping you from asking God for more details. He may never give the details, but don't let it be because you didn't ask.

Press on, sister!