Psalm 103: ¹³ The Lord is like a father to his children,
tender and compassionate to those who fear him.
¹⁴ For he knows how weak we are;
he remembers we are only dust.

When I was six years old and my dad threw me way up in the air, it was fun, exciting, and a time of joy. I trusted him. Not once did I doubt that he would catch me. It was a sure thing. It’s what he did, toss me into the air… and pull me down. I relied on him and never thought twice about it. He was my dad and I was his boy.

What was it that led me to trust him? First of all, he was the only dad I ever knew. I had six years as his child to know him enough. Second, he never gave me a reason not to. I was just learning how to be a kid and he was big enough, strong enough, and responsible enough to handle all my needs. He was there for me and made me feel safe. As a six-year-old boy, I was at total peace in his arms. The same arms that were able to crush the boogeyman in the closet, by the way.

Can our trust in God be like this? I think so and I think He desires that more than anything.

1 Chronicles 28:  ⁹ “And Solomon, my son, learn to know the God of your ancestors intimately. Worship and serve him with your whole heart and a willing mind. For the Lord sees every heart and knows every plan and thought. If you seek him, you will find him. But if you forsake him, he will reject you forever.¹⁰ So take this seriously. …

Reading this makes me think that God intends for us to know Him more intimately than most people know their dads today. The key words here are “learn to know”.

How do we learn to know anybody? Time, attention and persistence

But who has time for relationships anymore? Could it be that the single most important activity we should be participating in has taken the lowest priority?

Jesus models for us the appropriate use of time when it comes to “spending time with His Father”:

Luke 5: ¹⁶ But Jesus often withdrew to the wilderness for prayer.

Mark 6:  ⁴⁵ Immediately after this, Jesus insisted that his disciples get back into the boat and head across the lake to Bethsaida, while he sent the people home. ⁴⁶ After telling everyone good-bye, he went up into the hills by himself to pray.

It appears in these last two verses that Jesus made a concerted effort to be alone with the Father, it was very important to Him.

If His own son needed to spend time with God, how much more do we need it?

Spending time with God alone is a learned habit and is developed over time. Alone time with God is not a natural activity. It is especially unusual for the newly awakened. For those fortunate enough to learn this discipline as a child or young adult, they’ve been greatly blessed with spiritual leadership in the home or church.

If you think you should spend more time with God, let’s discuss how you can overcome it. I can’t think of something more worthy of striving for, there’s only one thing worth being concerned about:

Luke 10:  ³⁹ Her sister, Mary, sat at the Lord’s feet, listening to what he taught.⁴⁰ But Martha was distracted by the big dinner she was preparing. She came to Jesus and said, “Lord, doesn’t it seem unfair to you that my sister just sits here while I do all the work? Tell her to come and help me.”

⁴¹ But the Lord said to her, “My dear Martha, you are worried and upset over all these details! ⁴² There is only one thing worth being concerned about. Mary has discovered it, and it will not be taken away from her.”

If it’s the case that you are not finding the time to spend with God, then everything you are finding time for is more important than God. Yes, you may have a schedule, but where is God in that schedule? The time you spend throughout the week and day to day is an indicator of the priorities that you have set. It’s that simple.

Try telling your wife that you have only five minutes to spend with her and that it will have to come after the 11 o’clock news, brushing your teeth, and before setting the alarm for the next morning.

If this sounds familiar to you, I don’t think you are alone. These five minutes was a goal I used to have and at the time I was happy to do just that. I’d still fall asleep trying to pray.

I know that God wants this time with you more than anything else you do. I am convinced that if you took the total time that you take on your Sabbath day from getting ready for church service to getting out of your church clothes and divided that time by seven to be spent each day, He would rather you spend that time alone with Him than corporately with others. Please don’t use this as an excuse not to go to church! By all means, keep it up. Just know that God values your alone time with Him more than He does as part of a group, although both are important.

For those of you that desire a better relationship with God and seek the abundant life that Jesus promises, allow me to make a suggestion.

1. 1. Schedule time with God during your peak hours. A time during the day that you are most alert. Set aside at least 5 minutes and adjust accordingly.
   2. Devise a plan to read the Bible. Say you wish to read the book of Romans, one chapter a day, that’s great, but what will you read after that?
   3. Know that God is present and believe that He is with you.
   4. Pray whatever is on your mind. (This is the time to give your worries to Him.)

(Click here to create a reading plan: http://www.thebibleteam.com/PlanMaker.asp)

If this plan is followed consistently over time and you take it seriously, then I am certain that you will grow and this will turn into 10-15 minutes and even more as you develop this most sacred discipline.

Psalm 105: ⁴ Search for the Lord and for his strength;
continually seek him.

Are you taking Him seriously?

“O God, thank you for opening my eyes to see that you desire more time with me. Lord I pray that I can be more persistent and diligent in seeking you. Thank you in advance for drawing me closer to you and leading me along your path. In Jesus’ name, amen.”

Photo by Leio McLaren on Unsplash

Does trust come automatically or is it learned? Of course, it is learned.  Trust takes time.

Just because someone says “trust me”, can we trust them? For those few people in our lives that we can trust, the people we say we can “count on” when things are tough, how was that trust developed? I am sure that those people have shown themselves to be trustworthy, over time. Perhaps they have come through for you like when your car broke down, or when you needed help with a personal emergency.

But what about those times that require more than human help? What about a terminal illness or a dire financial situation? I’m sure you know where I’m going with this. Certainly, God is there for us when we need Him, but although we know this intellectually, do we know in our heart that we can trust Him?

Psalm 9: ¹⁰ Those who know your name trust in you, for you, O Lord, do not abandon those who search for you.

I think this verse says so succinctly what I’m trying to say. “Those who know your name trust in you”. Reading about trusting in God or listening to your pastor about trusting God is one thing, but actually trusting in God personally is a completely different matter.

Pray or just pay?

When money seems like the obvious or only solution, do we reach for the credit card or do we wait on God and seek His advice? The problem is if we always seem to “figure it out”, there is no way for us to learn how to trust in Him. This is why I think He sometimes leads us down a path so that we have no choice but to trust in Him. How does this work? Let’s review the story of Elijah and the widow at Zarephath:

1 Kings 7: ⁸ Then the Lord said to Elijah, ⁹ “Go and live in the village of Zarephath, near the city of Sidon. I have instructed a widow there to feed you.”

¹⁰ So he went to Zarephath. As he arrived at the gates of the village, he saw a widow gathering sticks, and he asked her, “Would you please bring me a little water in a cup?” ¹¹ As she was going to get it, he called to her, “Bring me a bite of bread, too.”

¹² But she said, “I swear by the Lord your God that I don’t have a single piece of bread in the house. And I have only a handful of flour left in the jar and a little cooking oil in the bottom of the jug. I was just gathering a few sticks to cook this last meal, and then my son and I will die.”

God tells Isaiah to visit the widow, so he goes. Isaiah asks for some bread, and as far as she’s concerned she has just enough for one more meal, then she and her son will die.

“You’re asking me for bread???”

 ¹³ But Elijah said to her, “Don’t be afraid! Go ahead and do just what you’ve said, but make a little bread for me first. Then use what’s left to prepare a meal for yourself and your son. ¹⁴ For this is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: There will always be flour and olive oil left in your containers until the time when the Lord sends rain and the crops grow again!”

¹⁵ So she did as Elijah said, and she and Elijah and her son continued to eat for many days. ¹⁶There was always enough flour and olive oil left in the containers, just as the Lord had promised through Elijah.

So Elijah reassures the woman and says that there will always be enough until the crops grow again. So that’s what happens. She lives through this somewhat miraculous time while her needs are being met day by day and they get through it. But then something happens:

¹⁷ Some time later the woman’s son became sick. He grew worse and worse, and finally he died.¹⁸ Then she said to Elijah, “O man of God, what have you done to me? Have you come here to point out my sins and kill my son?”

Her son dies.

She’s distraught and questions the man of God altogether. It doesn’t make sense. He comes there, she witnesses the daily miracles, and then her son dies? Why God? Elijah is clueless as well…

¹⁹ But Elijah replied, “Give me your son.” And he took the child’s body from her arms, carried him up the stairs to the room where he was staying, and laid the body on his bed. ²⁰ Then Elijah cried out to the Lord, “O Lord my God, why have you brought tragedy to this widow who has opened her home to me, causing her son to die?”

²¹ And he stretched himself out over the child three times and cried out to the Lord, “O Lord my God, please let this child’s life return to him.” ²² The Lord heard Elijah’s prayer, and the life of the child returned, and he revived! ²³ Then Elijah brought him down from the upper room and gave him to his mother. “Look!” he said. “Your son is alive!”

The non-believer is blessed by God through the believer and only after seeing her son die does God have a chance to work so that this happens…

²⁴ Then the woman told Elijah, “Now I know for sure that you are a man of God, and that the Lord truly speaks through you.”

She’s now a believer!

God has revealed Himself to her and she has a great testimony. I love this. In this process of the woman becoming a believer, Elijah is strengthened and encouraged by the whole event. I think that the daily miracle of just having food to eat prepared the woman for what was to come.

Mark 4: ³⁹ When Jesus woke up, he rebuked the wind and said to the waves, “Silence! Be still!” Suddenly the wind stopped, and there was a great calm. ⁴⁰ Then he asked them, “Why are you afraid? Do you still have no faith?”

⁴¹ The disciples were absolutely terrified. “Who is this man?” they asked each other. “Even the wind and waves obey him!”

God allowed the child to die just as He allows the storms to come into our lives so that we may see Him at work in our lives, learn to trust in Him, and also that those around us will know that He is God.

Exodus 14:¹⁸ When my glory is displayed through them, all Egypt will see my glory and know that I am the Lord!”

Do those around you know that He is the Lord?

“O Lord, thank you for what you are doing in my life. I don’t understand all that you are doing and you know that I get frustrated at times and ask ‘why?’. Please be patient with me as I continue to learn and get to know you more. For you are God and I am a mere human. Lead me down your perfect and pleasing path so that the people you have put in my life will know that you are God. In Jesus’ name, amen.”

Photo by Leio McLaren on Unsplash

There is this question that I used to ask God frequently, “Where are you leading me?”. I still do at times. If you are truly seeking God’s will for your life and are willing to be used by Him, then you are right where God wants you today.

2 Chronicles 16: ⁹ The eyes of the Lord search the whole earth in order to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to him.

I believe that if you commit to Him daily and keep your heart open and willing, then He will lead you along His path. In order for Him to use you, you need to keep yourself in good soil so that you will continue to grow and mature. As Jesus said:

Luke 8: 15 And the seeds that fell on the good soil represent honest, good-hearted people who hear God’s word, cling to it, and patiently produce a huge harvest.

The key words here are “hear God’s word, cling to it” and what I think is very important is “patiently produce”. In this verse, Jesus says the same thing, but using a different metaphor:

John 15:  ⁵ “Yes, I am the vine; you are the branches. Those who remain in me, and I in them, will produce much fruit. For apart from me you can do nothing.

Your plan does not develop overnight and God rarely, if at all, informs His servants of the plan for them. I know that He has a plan for me, but I have no clue exactly what that is and where He is leading me. I am just another sheep that is trying to stay close to the Good Shepherd so that I can hear His voice.

John 10: 27 My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me.

Consider Abram (age 75), when he was told to go to the land of Canaan:

Hebrews 11: 8 It was by faith that Abraham obeyed when God called him to leave home and go to another land that God would give him as his inheritance. He went without knowing where he was going.  9 And even when he reached the land God promised him, he lived there by faith—for he was like a foreigner, living in tents. And so did Isaac and Jacob, who inherited the same promise.  10 Abraham was confidently looking forward to a city with eternal foundations, a city designed and built by God.

Abram knew God had a plan, but he didn’t know exactly how it was going to work out. This is the same as Moses, who was 80 when God spoke with him from a burning bush. He was told to lead the people out of Egypt, but he didn’t know how it would work and how long it would take. I think there is a reason that God didn’t tell Moses that he’d be leading the Israelites through the desert for 40 years. But we know that Moses heard God speak, clung to God’s words and for the most part, remained patient.

Proverbs 20:24 
²⁴ The Lord directs our steps,
so why try to understand everything along the way?

Of course, these are extreme examples of how God calls people, and there is much to be learned from all the servants of God throughout the Scriptures. If you haven’t lately, read the story of Joseph and how God used him (Gen 37-50). He had no control over his circumstances, but he continually had a heart for God and remained patient. God rewarded him immeasurably.

I think a better question to ask God, one that I like to ask daily (although I don’t always), is “what can I do for you today, Lord?” I believe that God will use us immediately when we are willing and are sensitive to His voice.

Psalm 32: 
⁸ The Lord says, “I will guide you along the best pathway for your life.
I will advise you and watch over you.
⁹ Do not be like a senseless horse or mule
that needs a bit and bridle to keep it under control.”

What people are in your life that you can serve today? Each of us has those people that God has put into our lives where we can exercise our love daily and/or weekly. If we can be found responsible for the ministry we already have, then He will give us more responsibility in His time.

What talents, skills, or abilities do you have that may be used to serve others? Perhaps you have the gift of hospitality? Only you (and perhaps your closest friends) know the gifts that God has already given you. He may give you more, but for now, I am convinced that God has blessed you with something that He can use now.

He’s given you so many years of invaluable life experience that He will use to bless others as only you can. You are special to Him and if you can continue staying close to Him and know Him more day by day then I assure you that He will use you in ways that you never would’ve dreamed. In the past, I was not a writer or even considered writing, and look what He has me doing week in and week out?

There are three essential habits that I’ve found to promote spiritual growth (staying in good soil). Those habits are daily Bible reading, prayer, and fellowship. I believe that if you can diligently pour yourself into these activities, you will not wander from His path:

2 John 1: 9 Anyone who wanders away from this teaching has no relationship with God. But anyone who remains in the teaching of Christ has a relationship with both the Father and the Son.

I consider the entire Bible to be the teaching of Christ, not just the red letters, for we know that “In the beginning was the Word”. It is the Word of God, in addition to prayer and fellowship that will develop your faith.

I know that I’ve said a lot, but let me leave you with this. Jesus kept things very simple. Read His answer to these people:

John 6: 27 But don’t be so concerned about perishable things like food. Spend your energy seeking the eternal life that the Son of Man can give you. For God the Father has given me the seal of his approval.”

28 They replied, “We want to perform God’s works, too. What should we do?”

29 Jesus told them, “This is the only work God wants from you: Believe in the one he has sent.”

Focus on getting to know God more and learn to put your trust in Him and Him alone and that is all He wants from you. It is from there that you will find the opportunities to serve.

Are you plugged into a group of people that have the same passion for God that you do? Consider this an invitation to join us on the Bible Team call on Mondays (details below), we’d love to have you join us.

Will you remain in good soil?

“Dear Lord, thank you for leading me to where I am now. You are the Good Shepherd and I need your guidance. Please help me stay on your path Lord, I do not want to regress in any way. In Jesus’ name, amen.”

Photo by Alex Iby on Unsplash

What does it mean to be a Christian? Is it just a social club or something to say to fit in? Maybe you call yourself a Christian because your parents did and you don’t know any better. What does it mean to you to be called Christian? Is this truly your identity?

Matthew 16: 24 Then Jesus said to his disciples, “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must turn from your selfish ways, take up your cross, and follow me.

Mark 1: ¹⁷ Jesus called out to them, “Come, follow me, and I will show you how to fish for people!”

Jesus said “come, follow me”. He did not say, “only if your heart is in it”, should you follow me. His command was direct and simple. So the disciples followed Him.

John 15: ¹⁶ You didn’t choose me. I chose you. I appointed you to go and produce lasting fruit, so that the Father will give you whatever you ask for, using my name.

It seems to me that the disciples stayed with Him, day after day. These ordinary men left their lives and their lively hoods behind them to follow their new Master. One day Simon Peter is a fisherman, the next day a trainee in the “fisher of men” program. One day Levi is a tax collector, the next he is following Jesus. These are radical decisions being made.

Do you understand this?

The course of their lives changed overnight. They had no idea what they were getting into, but they followed anyway. God gave them new employment. Instead of working at the sea to catch fish for a living, Simon Peter was now working for God.

Has this happened to you? Can you relate to this change of employment? Has God changed how He operates? Do you think He’s only called us to meet once a week and whatever spare devotional time there’s left in between?

I think He still wants us to spend time with Him daily, listening and interacting with Him. There should be no difference in the Christian’s life from day to day throughout the week. Each day should be “Spirit-filled”.

 Romans 8: ⁵ Those who are dominated by the sinful nature think about sinful things, but those who are controlled by the Holy Spirit think about things that please the Spirit. ⁶ So letting your sinful nature control your mind leads to death. But letting the Spirit control your mind leads to life and peace. ⁷ For the sinful nature is always hostile to God. It never did obey God’s laws, and it never will. ⁸ That’s why those who are still under the control of their sinful nature can never please God.

Being “Spirit-filled” or “controlled by the Holy Spirit” can happen only when we seek Him daily and spend time with Him. This is what is modeled for us in the gospels and it still applies today.

Has He called you to follow Him?

Or when you read the above verses is it “someone else” He’s called, like your cousin who’s now a missionary? Pastors and missionaries are not the only people that have been called. As a matter of fact, not all pastors have been called! If you’ve repented (changed your mind) of your sins and turned to God, then you’ve been called.

Matthew 3: ² “Repent of your sins and turn to God, for the Kingdom of Heaven is near

The ambassador position mentioned in 2 Cor. 5 is not a part-time position.

2 Corinthians 5: ²⁰ So we are Christ’s ambassadors; God is making his appeal through us. We speak for Christ when we plead, “Come back to God!”

I think if anyone pursues or follows God seriously, as the disciples had, God would lead them into full-time work. They might not be asked to leave their jobs, but they’ll know that they’re now working under New Management.

Matthew 9: ³⁷ He said to his disciples, “The harvest is great, but the workers are few.

Will you join His workforce?

“Dear Lord, thank you for calling me. I once was blind but now I see. With this knowledge, I know I have a responsibility to share this good news with others. Please teach me your ways. Lead me to be an active member of the family business. I want to play a role in it, teach me how. In Jesus’ name, amen.”

Photo by George Hiles on Unsplash

Proverbs 1:
¹⁸ But these people set an ambush for themselves;
they are trying to get themselves killed.
¹⁹ Such is the fate of all who are greedy for money;
it robs them of life.

The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines the word greed as follows:

“a selfish and excessive desire for more of something (as money) than is needed”

When our focus is on money it only means that everything else loses focus and is lost in the picture. This means that the object of our vision is money and nothing else.

Luke 16: ¹³ “No one can serve two masters. For you will hate one and love the other; you will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.”

Generally speaking, we all perform activities in exchange for money or needs to be met. This is known as employment or work.

Have you ever heard someone tell you “I just work here for the money.” Or “I need this job for the money.”?

If our motive for employment is money, then that is where our focus lies. That’s really why we get out of bed. Either the job or the compensation becomes our god or gods. This is because the job is looked upon as our provider.

Where is God in that equation? What is God’s role in that picture?

Genesis 22: 14 Abraham named the place Yahweh-Yireh (which means “the Lord will provide”). To this day, people still use that name as a proverb: “On the mountain of the Lord it will be provided.”

If Jesus is truly our Lord and Master isn’t He the Ultimate Provider? He is the One responsible for seeing that our needs are taken care of. That’s His role.

Matthew 6: ³¹ “So don’t worry about these things, saying, ‘What will we eat? What will we drink? What will we wear?’ ³² These things dominate the thoughts of unbelievers, but your heavenly Father already knows all your needs. ³³ Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need.

What has been dominating your thoughts?

Here’s another way He puts it:

John 6: 27 “Do not work for the food which perishes, but for the food which endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give to you, for on Him the Father, God, has set His seal.” (NASB)

This tends to change our focus, doesn’t it? Please don’t misunderstand me, I’m not suggesting that you quit your job tomorrow. What I am saying is that you should work as if called for a higher purpose, which we are:

Colossians 3: 23 Work willingly at whatever you do, as though you were working for the Lord rather than for people. 24 Remember that the Lord will give you an inheritance as your reward, and that the Master you are serving is Christ.

If we live by these verses and have them be our driving force, as if to say “Jesus wants me out of bed by 7:00 so that I can work for Him.” then our focus is placed on Him, not the job, nor the money.

The job then becomes the work or the service that He’s given us to do, whether we enjoy it or not. Again, not to be misunderstood, I’m not saying never to leave your job either, as this message is simply a concept to change our heart and look at our daily work activities from a spiritual perspective. Whether you change jobs or not is between you and your Master, but rest assured that His desire is that we learn to trust in Him, and not our employer or the money they pay us.

Psalm 34: 10 Even strong young lions sometimes go hungry, but those who trust in the Lord will lack no good thing.

When God is clearly in focus, money becomes a tool and simply a blessing (or curse), nothing more.

Looking back to the opening passage, “Such is the fate of all who are greedy for money; it robs them of life.” It’s no wonder that this is true. If our focus and motives are on anything but Jesus, who gives life, then we are robbed of that life.

To summarize these thoughts I think I can say “Don’t work for money but for God’s great purposes.” An eternal purpose and a healthy fear of the Lord is a more powerful driving force than money. After all, who wouldn’t want to report to the God of all creation every day? Doesn’t this perspective change our attitude about everything we do?

John 5: 17 But Jesus replied, “My Father is always working, and so am I.”

In a closing thought, ask yourself this, in this most famous of Psalms: “Can I recite this first verse personally?”

Psalm 23:
¹ The Lord is my shepherd;
I have all that I need.

Why do you work and who do you work for?

“In Jesus name, I pray that I can work for you with a willing and cheerful heart, giving my life in service to you. O God, thank you for calling me to be involved with your family business. It is for you that I get out of bed. Please help me to carry out all the work you’ve put in my life and change my heart so that I can be more obedient to you. Thank you for the opportunity to serve you, Lord”

Photo by Ben White on Unsplash

Are you frustrated? Do you sometimes feel like giving up? Life can be so harsh at times and it can be rather difficult to have any kind of joy or peace in these times. If that is where you’re at right now, then pay attention to this week’s message. Meditating on the following passages and commentary may be just what you need to endure these “hard times”.

Last time we discussed that Jesus the Creator has invited us, the object of His love, to become His friends. This was in “What Does Jesus Mean To You? part 2”. Today I’d like to analyze that relationship in a bit more detail.

Although God’s love for us is unconditional…

John 3: ¹⁶ “For God loved the world so much that he gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.

…

2 Peter 3: 9 He does not want anyone to be destroyed, but wants everyone to repent.

There are conditions to being His friend:

John 15: ¹⁴ You are my friends if you do what I command.

Let’s explore this relationship a bit more so that it is clear what we should or should not do. I am convinced that if we follow Christ and become His disciples in this way, we will care less and less about our circumstances and more and more about staying in Him and being His disciple. This will yield peace and joy (and all other fruit).

Let’s look at some of the most fundamental commands that are key to pleasing Him:

John 15: ¹⁷ This is my command: Love each other.

Matthew 6: 15 But if you refuse to forgive others, your Father will not forgive your sins.

John 8: 31 Jesus said to the people who believed in him, “You are truly my disciples if you remain faithful to my teachings.

Hebrews 11: ⁶ And it is impossible to please God without faith. Anyone who wants to come to him must believe that God exists and that he rewards those who sincerely seek him.

2 Thessalonians 3:6 And now, dear brothers and sisters, we give you this command in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ: Stay away from all believers who live idle lives and don’t follow the tradition they received from us.

Translation “Be careful who you spend time with!”

It is clear that not all friendships are equal. Some friendships yield rich and rewarding blessings and some friendships can end in disappointment and betrayal.

What can we expect from our friendship with Jesus? Here is one great promise in two different verses, again with conditions:

Mark 11: ²⁴ I tell you, you can pray for anything, and if you believe that you’ve received it, it will be yours. ²⁵ But when you are praying, first forgive anyone you are holding a grudge against, so that your Father in heaven will forgive your sins, too.”

John 15: 7 But if you remain in me and my words remain in you, you may ask for anything you want, and it will be granted!

Two peculiar conditions

1. “remain in me” (Spirit)

Here are two peculiar conditions, “remain in me” (Spirit) (abide in other translations) and “my words remain in you” (Truth). (John 4: 23-24)

What do you think of the words “remain in me”? To me, it means fellowship with our Lord (read 1 John 2: 27 below). These two verses come to mind:

1 Thessalonians 5: 17 “Never stop praying”

and also

2 Corinthians 10: 5 (NASB) We are destroying speculations and every lofty thing raised up against the knowledge of God, and we are taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ,

Friends these two verses are concepts that I find very challenging to implement into my life. Some days are better than others, but the more we become conscious of our thoughts and the more effort we put into continual prayer the more natural it becomes.

2. “my words remain in you” (Truth)

This is clearly reading the Word of God. Since we read last week that Jesus is the Word, that says to me that all books of the Bible are His words. If you’ve read the book of Haggai, do you remember what it is about? Not that it needs to be memorized, but the concepts, ideas, and events should be stored in the heart so that you can share with others and have your own faith. There is value to all the books in the Old Testament, which is what the New Testament authors understood very well, that’s all they had.

If you remember just one thing… Remain in Christ

I think I’ve said enough. I’ve found and listed other verses relating to “remaining in Him” that I think you’ll enjoy. This is a message worth meditating on, if we can learn and practice at becoming His friend and remaining in Him I am convinced that there is no greater place to be. Can I get an amen?

John 15: 4 Remain in me, and I will remain in you. For a branch cannot produce fruit if it is severed from the vine, and you cannot be fruitful unless you remain in me. 5 “Yes, I am the vine; you are the branches. Those who remain in me, and I in them, will produce much fruit. For apart from me you can do nothing. 6
Anyone who does not remain in me is thrown away like a useless branch and withers. Such branches are gathered into a pile to be burned.

John 15: 9 “I have loved you even as the Father has loved me. Remain in my love. 10 When you obey my commandments, you remain in my love, just as I obey my Father’s commandments and remain in his love.

1 John 2: 24 So you must remain faithful to what you have been taught from the beginning. If you do, you will remain in fellowship with the Son and with the Father.

1 John 2: 27 But you have received the Holy Spirit, and he lives within you, so you don’t need anyone to teach you what is true. For the Spirit teaches you everything you need to know, and what he teaches is true—it is not a lie. So just as he has taught you, remain in fellowship with Christ. 28 And now, dear children, remain in fellowship with Christ so that when he returns, you will be full of courage and not shrink back from him in shame.

1 John 3: 24 Those who obey God’s commandments remain in fellowship with him, and he with them. And we know he lives in us because the Spirit he gave us lives in us.

Jude 1: 5 So I want to remind you, though you already know these things, that Jesus first rescued the nation of Israel from Egypt, but later he destroyed those who did not remain faithful.

Just one more passage…

Jude 1: 20 But you, dear friends, must build each other up in your most holy faith, pray in the power of the Holy Spirit, 21 and await the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ, who will bring you eternal life. In this way, you will keep yourselves safe in God’s love. 22 And you must show mercy to those whose faith is wavering. 23 Rescue others by snatching them from the flames of judgment. Show mercy to still others, but do so with great caution, hating the sins that contaminate their lives. 24 Now all glory to God, who is able to keep you from falling away and will bring you with great joy into his glorious presence without a single fault.

Will you remain in Him?

“Dear Holy Lord, Your words pierce my soul. Thank you for choosing me as you chose your disciples. As you say in Jude 1: 24, “Now all glory to God, who is able to keep you from falling away and will bring you with great joy into his glorious presence without a single fault.” That’s what I want. Please keep me from falling away, for I am weak and have many faults, but you Lord are all powerful and I can trust in you to complete what you started. In Jesus name, amen”

Photo by Jacob Meyer on Unsplash

You can find part 1 here: “What Does Jesus Mean To You? part 1”

Close your eyes and think to yourself: “What words come to mind when I think of Jesus?”

Do the words Lord, Master, God, Cross, Savior, Prophet come to mind?

How about Creator? Check out these verses:

John 1:¹ In the beginning the Word already existed.
The Word was with God,
and the Word was God.
² He existed in the beginning with God.
³ God created everything through him,
and nothing was created except through him.
⁴ The Word gave life to everything that was created,^[a]
and his life brought light to everyone.
⁵ The light shines in the darkness,
and the darkness can never extinguish it.
… ¹⁴ So the Word became human and made his home among us. He was full of unfailing love and faithfulness. And we have seen his glory, the glory of the Father’s one and only Son.

I just love these two passages!

Colossians 1: ¹⁵ Christ is the visible image of the invisible God.
He existed before anything was created and is supreme over all creation,
¹⁶ for through him God created everything
in the heavenly realms and on earth.
He made the things we can see
and the things we can’t see—
such as thrones, kingdoms, rulers, and authorities in the unseen world.
Everything was created through him and for him.
¹⁷ He existed before anything else,
and he holds all creation together.
¹⁸ Christ is also the head of the church,
which is his body.
He is the beginning,
supreme over all who rise from the dead.
So he is first in everything.
¹⁹ For God in all his fullness
was pleased to live in Christ,
²⁰ and through him God reconciled
everything to himself.
He made peace with everything in heaven and on earth
by means of Christ’s blood on the cross.

Here you have it folks, Jesus the Creator, from two different authors, pretty cool, huh? It’s amazing that the Creator of all things seen and unseen decided to come to this earth and live with us.

Friends of the Creator?

Now let’s read another perspective of Jesus:

John 15: ⁹ “I have loved you even as the Father has loved me. Remain in my love. ¹⁰ When you obey my commandments, you remain in my love, just as I obey my Father’s commandments and remain in his love. ¹¹ I have told you these things so thatyou will be filled with my joy. Yes, your joy will overflow! ¹² This is my commandment: Love each other in the same way I have loved you. ¹³ There is no greater love than to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. ¹⁴ You are my friends if you do what I command. ¹⁵ I no longer call you slaves, because a master doesn’t confide in his slaves. Now you are my friends, since I have told you everything the Father told me.

For those of us that trust and obey Him, He calls us His friends.

Folks, this puts us in good company, who else was considered a friend of God?:

Numbers 12: ⁶ And the Lord said to them, “Now listen to what I say:
“If there were prophets among you,
I, the Lord, would reveal myself in visions.
I would speak to them in dreams.
⁷ But not with my servant Moses.
Of all my house, he is the one I trust.
⁸ I speak to him face to face,
clearly, and not in riddles!
He sees the Lord as he is.
So why were you not afraid
to criticize my servant Moses?”

God trusted Moses, how about that!

2 Chronicles 20: ⁶ He prayed, “O Lord, God of our ancestors, you alone are the God who is in heaven. You are ruler of all the kingdoms of the earth. You are powerful and mighty; no one can stand against you! ⁷ O our God, did you not drive out those who lived in this land when your people Israel arrived? And did you not give this land forever to the descendants of your friend Abraham? ⁸ Your people settled here and built this Temple to honor your name.

Of course Abraham was a friend of God.

Psalm 25: ¹¹ For the honor of your name, O Lord,
forgive my many, many sins.
¹² Who are those who fear the Lord?
He will show them the path they should choose.
¹³ They will live in prosperity,
and their children will inherit the land.
¹⁴ The Lord is a friend to those who fear him.
He teaches them his covenant.
¹⁵ My eyes are always on the Lord,
for he rescues me from the traps of my enemies.

This Psalm was written by King David, another friend of God. But I love verse 14 which simplifies it and shows exactly how anyone can become friends, which is consistent with the words in John above.

Do you understand what I am trying to illustrate here? The Creator of heaven and Earth invites us to be His friends! Perhaps that is just the purpose for His creation to begin with. Oh how wonderful that is!

Is Jesus Your Friend?

Will you pray this prayer?

“Dear God, You are an awesome and mighty God. Big enough to create everything, yet humble enough to come to this earth to show us a visible image of you. Lord, I haven’t always been your friend. As a matter of fact I’ve been your enemy at times and rejectedyou. Please forgive me for my actions that were not pleasing to you. You know my heart Lord, let me know where I have sinned. I really want to know you more and I’d like to be your friend. Please be patient with me as I learn more about you. Thank you for leading me down your path. In Jesus name, amen”

In the spirit of this message, here is a song that was written in 1855 by Joseph M. Scriven, I’m sure some of you have heard it before. If you know the tune, go ahead and sing it:

What a Friend we have in Jesus

What a Friend we have in Jesus, all our sins and griefs to bear!
What a privilege to carry everything to God in prayer!
O what peace we often forfeit, O what needless pain we bear,
All because we do not carry everything to God in prayer.

Have we trials and temptations? Is there trouble anywhere?
We should never be discouraged; take it to the Lord in prayer.
Can we find a friend so faithful who will all our sorrows share?
Jesus knows our every weakness; take it to the Lord in prayer.

Are we weak and heavy laden, cumbered with a load of care?
Precious Savior, still our refuge, take it to the Lord in prayer.
Do your friends despise, forsake you? Take it to the Lord in prayer!
In His arms He’ll take and shield you; you will find a solace there.

Blessed Savior, Thou hast promised Thou wilt all our burdens bear
May we ever, Lord, be bringing all to Thee in earnest prayer.
Soon in glory bright unclouded there will be no need for prayer
Rapture, praise and endless worship will be our sweet portion there

Photo by Jacob Meyer on Unsplash

Who is Jesus? Of all the messages I’ve written, this issue the most imperative. Out of all the questions to be asked, there is not one where the answer has eternal ramifications that this one has.

For now let’s start with this question: Who was this man Jesus?

He lived 2,000 years ago, what relevance did His life have to anyone? Why are people still dying for their belief in Him?

Some say that He never existed. Some people believe he was simply a good man. Some believe He was a prophet, but nothing more. Some people say that He is only one way to God, and there are many ways.

Does it matter? 

Last week we discussed the One who created the heavens and earth. It is clear to me from the scriptures we reviewed that there is one God. Not many gods but one God.

What did God have to say about the Savior through His prophets?

Micah 5: ² But you, O Bethlehem Ephrathah,

are only a small village among all the people of Judah.
Yet a ruler of Israel will come from you,
one whose origins are from the distant past.

This is one of many prophecies about the Messiah (Christ). There is said to be over 300 prophecies all of which were fulfilled through the person of Jesus.

There are websites that delve into these prophecies in great detail, see the link below for one such resource.

What did Jesus have to say about Himself?

Mark 14: ⁶⁰ Then the high priest stood up before the others and asked Jesus, “Well, aren’t you going to answer these charges? What do you have to say for yourself?” ⁶¹ But Jesus was silent and made no reply. Then the high priest asked him, “Are you the Messiah, the Son of the Blessed One?”

⁶² Jesus said, “I Am. And you will see the Son of Man seated in the place of power at God’s right hand and coming on the clouds of heaven.”

John 3: ¹³ No one has ever gone to heaven and returned. But the Son of Man has come down from heaven. ¹⁴ And as Moses lifted up the bronze snake on a pole in the wilderness, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, ¹⁵ so that everyone who believes in him will have eternal life.

John 14: ⁶ Jesus told him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me.

These are just a few statements Jesus said about Himself. The New Testament is filled with similar passages.

Here’s a unique passage where we see the Father and Spirit give testimony:

Luke 3: ²¹ One day when the crowds were being baptized, Jesus himself was baptized. As he was praying, the heavens opened, ²² and the Holy Spirit, in bodily form, descended on him like a dove. And a voice from heaven said, “You are my dearly loved Son, and you bring me great joy.”

Yet people still don’t believe.

They choose not to. Even though the text is clear, it still comes down to faith. People that deny these truths always find reasons not to believe. What is the alternative to an inerrant Bible? If the Bible is not the Truth, what is? How could we rely on anything? It is no wonder people have no hope today.

Psalm 39: ⁶ We are merely moving shadows,

and all our busy rushing ends in nothing.
We heap up wealth,
not knowing who will spend it.
⁷ And so, Lord, where do I put my hope?
My only hope is in you.

I say all this to say what does Jesus mean to you? It really doesn’t matter what other people think, or what they say. You’ve read these scriptures and others, what do you make of them?

Hebrews 11: ⁶ And it is impossible to please God without faith. Anyone who wants to come to him must believe that God exists and that he rewards those who sincerely seek him.

If you believe He is the Son of God, does His teachings have any bearing on your life? Does it have any affect on your daily decisions on how you spend your time and the conversations you have?

One more passage, one to meditate on…

Luke 13:   ²² Jesus went through the towns and villages, teaching as he went, always pressing on toward Jerusalem. ²³Someone asked him, “Lord, will only a few be saved?”

He replied, ²⁴ “Work hard to enter the narrow door to God’s Kingdom, for many will try to enter but will fail. ²⁵When the master of the house has locked the door, it will be too late. You will stand outside knocking and pleading, ‘Lord, open the door for us!’ But he will reply, ‘I don’t know you or where you come from.’ ²⁶ Then you will say, ‘But we ate and drank with you, and you taught in our streets.’ ²⁷ And he will reply, ‘I tell you, I don’t know you or where you come from. Get away from me, all you who do evil.’

I find this to be one of the most challenging passages for me to read. This is why I am determined to seek Him with all my heart. What else even begins to compare in importance?

Will you join me in seeking Jesus?

“Dear God, Help me to understand your ways. Thank you for your grace and mercy as I stumble about trying to please you. I desire to spend eternity with you, please help me to live my life in such a way that brings glory and honor to you. You are a great and mighty God, the One that delivered me from a dark and hopeless past. Please be patient with me as I continue to grow in you. In Christ’s name, Amen”

Messianic prophecy resource page:

http://aboutbibleprophecy.com/messianic.htm

Photo by Jacob Meyer on Unsplash

When you were younger, were you ever forced to take sides on the playground? Perhaps two older kids, maybe bullies, wanted a “side-kick” and that put you in a pickle. If I choose to hang out with Billy, Micky might get angry, and vice versa. Those are hard decisions. For me, I just wanted to run and hang out with people that were less demanding.  I was not a fighter and went out of my way to avoid fights. It is the same with confrontation, I avoid it as much as possible.

The more I read the Word, the more I realize that I am being called to fight and to choose a side, daily. There is a battle going on, on many fronts, and I don’t think the battle lines could be drawn any clearer than how Jesus said it:

Matthew 12: 30 “Anyone who isn’t with me opposes me, and anyone who isn’t working with me is actually working against me.

This is just like saying if you are not part of the solution, you’re part of the problem. Have you ever stopped to consider how this verse applies to your daily activities or friends you hang out with?

Here’s another passage that defines the opposing forces:

Ephesians 2: ¹ Once you were dead because of your disobedience and your many sins. ² You used to live in sin, just like the rest of the world, obeying the devil—the commander of the powers in the unseen world. He is the spirit at work in the hearts of those who refuse to obey God. ³ All of us used to live that way, following the passionate desires and inclinations of our sinful nature. By our very nature we were subject to God’s anger, just like everyone else.

This passage startled me when I last read it, of course, that is one reason I love the Word. It helped me to look at the world from a different perspective. If I am not obeying God, I am obeying the devil. I obeyed the devil before I came to Christ and even uncle Bob, who is so friendly, but does not know Jesus, is also obeying the devil. (uncle Bob is fictitious, by the way)

These verses make it clear that there is no middle ground.

I don’t know about you but this really changes my expectations of people. What’s most important for me to remember, however, is who the actual enemy is. Although people I know may be obeying the devil, this does not make them the enemy:

Ephesians 6: ¹² For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places.

But you may ask, “How could people be working for the devil and not know it?”

John 12: ³⁹ But the people couldn’t believe, for as Isaiah also said,
⁴⁰ “The Lord has blinded their eyes
and hardened their hearts—
so that their eyes cannot see,
and their hearts cannot understand,
and they cannot turn to me
and have me heal them.”
⁴¹ Isaiah was referring to Jesus when he said this, because he saw the future and spoke of the Messiah’s glory.

This is where we come in and where our challenge lies. Knowing that we are called to make disciples and lead people to Christ and ultimately give all the glory to God, what do we do? What does any good soldier do? They make sure they hear what their commander says and carries out the orders. Jesus understood this perfectly:

John 12: ⁴⁹ I don’t speak on my own authority. The Father who sent me has commanded me what to say and how to say it. ⁵⁰ And I know his commands lead to eternal life; so I say whatever the Father tells me to say.”

Do you know what God wants you to say? When people belittle the political party you associate with, do you ask God how you should respond? Do you know His commands?

You do know that God wants us to be like His Son, don’t you?

Romans 8: ²⁹ For God knew his people in advance, and he chose them to become like his Son, so that his Son would be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters. ³⁰ And having chosen them, he called them to come to him. And having called them, he gave them right standing with himself. And having given them right standing, he gave them his glory.

³¹ What shall we say about such wonderful things as these? If God is for us, who can ever be against us? ³² Since he did not spare even his own Son but gave him up for us all, won’t he also give us everything else? ³³ Who dares accuse us whom God has chosen for his own? No one—for God himself has given us right standing with himself. ³⁴Who then will condemn us? No one—for Christ Jesus died for us and was raised to life for us, and he is sitting in the place of honor at God’s right hand, pleading for us.

That is good news, isn’t it? I don’t know about you, but that makes me feel pretty secure.

Is it time for you to take a stand? Is it time to arm yourself for the great battle before us?

Ephesians 6: 17 Put on salvation as your helmet, and take the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.

There’s no question in my mind that God has a job for each of us in His army. As the last verse states, our weapon is the word of God.

Do you find yourself taking cover because you have no sword in your hand? Or are you prepared to stand up to the enemy because you know how the war will turn out?

Here is one last verse to encourage you:

Revelation 17: 14 Together they will go to war against the Lamb, but the Lamb will defeat them because he is Lord of all lords and King of all kings. And his called and chosen and faithful ones will be with him.”

Will you take up your weapon and fight?

“God I praise your name. Thank you for calling me to be on your side and opening my heart to you.Please forgive me for not taking this war seriously for so long. Will you please help me develop a daily habit of reading your Word so that I will be properly equipped? Lord, please help me to be a light to others so that I may win souls for you. Help me develop a better prayer life so that I can be more effective for your battles. In Jesus name, Amen”

Photo by Andrew Yardley on Unsplash

This is it! This is the last installment of the Loving God series, I hope you enjoyed it!

I want to focus on the work He’s given us and how we do it.

So what work do we have to do? Read these verses carefully:

Luke 13:  ²² Jesus went through the towns and villages, teaching as he went, always pressing on toward Jerusalem. ²³Someone asked him, “Lord, will only a few be saved?”

He replied, ²⁴ “Work hard to enter the narrow door to God’s Kingdom, for many will try to enter but will fail.

John 6: ²⁷ But don’t be so concerned about perishable things like food. Spend your energy seeking the eternal life that the Son of Man can give you. For God the Father has given me the seal of his approval.”  ²⁸ They replied, “We want to perform God’s works, too. What should we do?”  ²⁹ Jesus told them, “This is the only work God wants from you: Believe in the one he has sent.”

Jesus was talking to the general public in both of these passages, not just His chosen twelve. I take this to mean that, at the very least, we should be working hard to seek eternal life. I don’t think this is something that should ever stop.

So how do we do this work? If we know that God/Jesus is the only One who can offer eternal life, then where do we seek it? It’s not a trick question. You got it, the only Book that God takes credit for writing, the Bible!

John 17: 3 And this is the way to have eternal life—to know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, the one you sent to earth.

Reading and careful study of His Word with prayer is the best way to get to know Him. Asking others is a good way too, but make sure that they are in the Word as well or you could easily be led astray.

I know that there are many things that God can ask of us, but I believe that this is one task that is common to all of us. It is this task that leads us into all truth and establishes a growing relationship with and in Christ.

Here is another passage that I think relates and it was directed to just the 12 disciples:

John 15:   “I am the true grapevine, and my Father is the gardener. ² He cuts off every branch of mine that doesn’t produce fruit, and he prunes the branches that do bear fruit so they will produce even more.³ You have already been pruned and purified by the message I have given you. ⁴ Remain in me, and I will remain in you. For a branch cannot produce fruit if it is severed from the vine, and you cannot be fruitful unless you remain in me.

To summarize, our work consists of seeking eternal life and remaining in Him. This is at the very least.

Have you ever been given a job to do that took a long time and you started out doing it alone? Then eventually someone is told to work along with you? Wasn’t it nice to have someone share in the work?

It causes me to think of this verse:

Genesis 2: ¹⁸ Then the Lord God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper who is just right for him.”

I believe the part that says :”It is not good for the man to be alone.” not only applies to needing a partner in marriage but in life in general.

This verse reinforces the idea:

Proverbs 27:¹⁷ As iron sharpens iron,
so a friend sharpens a friend.

Just as this states that we are sharpened by a friend, I think it implies that we are dull without a friend.

Of course, Jesus knew this as He sent them out in pairs:

Luke 10: ¹ The Lord now chose seventy-two other disciples and sent them ahead in pairs to all the towns and places he planned to visit.

Luke 22: 8 Jesus sent Peter and John ahead and said, “Go and prepare the Passover meal, so we can eat it together.”

Here are examples of the early church imitating what Jesus did:

Acts 13: 4 So Barnabas and Saul were sent out by the Holy Spirit. They went down to the seaport of Seleucia and then sailed for the island of Cyprus.

Acts 17: 10 That very night the believers sent Paul and Silas to Berea. When they arrived there, they went to the Jewish synagogue.

They even wrote letters together:

2 Thessalonians 1: 1 This letter is from Paul, Silas, and Timothy. We are writing to the church in Thessalonica, to you who belong to God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

What do these verses mean to you? Are you doing work for God in a vacuum? Are you reading the Bible and not discussing what you’re reading with anyone? Do you have someone in your life that will challenge you and raise your standards?

The philosophy of the Lone Ranger is not compatible with God’s plan for our life. We were designed to work together with others. If there is no one working along with you, then you might consider praying about who you could meet with or ask God to send someone to you.

Will you work with someone?

“Dear Lord, thank you for the friends you put in my life. Help make it clear to me what my work is and provide someone for me to do it with. I know that your faithful love endures forever and you’ve designed me to work with others. In Jesus’ name, Amen”

Photo by Nicolas Cool on Unsplash