What does being a Christian mean to you? Is it simply a label by which you claim your faith or does it mean something more to you?

Today I’d like us to consider the following passage in 2 Corinthians 5 to set up our discussion of making ourselves available to others.

2 Corinthians 5: ¹⁸ And all of this is a gift from God, who brought us back to himself through Christ. And God has given us this task of reconciling people to him. ¹⁹ For God was in Christ, reconciling the world to himself, no longer counting people’s sins against them. And he gave us this wonderful message of reconciliation. 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!”

It seems to me that this applies to all believers, doesn’t it? I kind of like the title, Ambassador of Christ, don’t you? Could you imagine going to a business mixer or a social gathering and introducing yourself in such a way? I can see it now, “Hello, my name is Larry, I’m an ambassador of Christ, and you are?” I don’t currently do this, but I may start. I may tell people about LarryPittman.com on occasion, but I may change my primary “business” to “Ambassador of Christ” and see where the conversation goes.

But this is every believers’ title, from clerks and computer guys to doctors and dentists; for those whose identity is found in the risen Christ.

Being an ambassador means that we represent Him, we are here on His behalf. People who are genuine seekers should naturally want to hear what we have to say and we should always look for ways to invite those with “ears to hear” to hear more.

Are you available to the people in your life? Are you available to your neighbor? To make yourself available to others is to make yourself available to God.

In accordance with the greatest commandment:

Mark 12: 31a The second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’

These verses in John seems to clarify this verse.

John 13: 34 So now I am giving you a new commandment: Love each other. Just as I have loved you, you should love each other.

John 15: 12 This is my commandment: Love each other in the same way I have loved you.

The Word of God allows us to easily see how Jesus loved others.

Let’s peruse some passages and examine how Jesus made Himself available to those He came across.

Matthew 19: ¹³ One day some parents brought their children to Jesus so he could lay his hands on them and pray for them. But the disciples scolded the parents for bothering him. ¹⁴ But Jesus said, “Let the children come to me. Don’t stop them! For the Kingdom of Heaven belongs to those who are like these children.” ¹⁵ And he placed his hands on their heads and blessed them before he left.

Apparently, Jesus was doing something at the time and the disciples felt that He should not be bothered. This is a great illustration of Jesus accepting all who come to Him despite others that would send them away.

Mark 10: ⁴⁶ Then they reached Jericho, and as Jesus and his disciples left town, a large crowd followed him. A blind beggar named Bartimaeus (son of Timaeus) was sitting beside the road. ⁴⁷ When Bartimaeus heard that Jesus of Nazareth was nearby, he began to shout, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!”

⁴⁸ “Be quiet!” many of the people yelled at him.

But he only shouted louder, “Son of David, have mercy on me!”

⁴⁹ When Jesus heard him, he stopped and said, “Tell him to come here.”

I think this is a similar example, but what I love is the sheer determination of this man who does not allow the crowd to become between Jesus and himself. Jesus could have ignored him easily and walked on, but He chose to address the man’s needs and be available.

This next example is one of my favorites:

Mark 6: ³⁰ The apostles returned to Jesus from their ministry tour and told him all they had done and taught. ³¹ Then Jesus said, “Let’s go off by ourselves to a quiet place and rest awhile.” He said this because there were so many people coming and going that Jesus and his apostles didn’t even have time to eat.

³² So they left by boat for a quiet place, where they could be alone. ³³ But many people recognized them and saw them leaving, and people from many towns ran ahead along the shore and got there ahead of them. ³⁴ Jesus saw the huge crowd as he stepped from the boat, and he had compassion on them because they were like sheep without a shepherd. So he began teaching them many things.

Notice that in verse 31 Jesus wants to rest and go to a quiet place. It also says that they didn’t even have time to eat.  Something changes His plan and redirects His attention. Note verse 34, “Jesus saw the huge crowd as he stepped from the boat, and he had compassion on them because they were like sheep without a shepherd.” Despite being hungry, tired and wanting a quiet place to rest, He sees an immediate, and more important need and starts teaching. You see He valued their spiritual hunger more than His disciples’ physical hunger.

I don’t know about you, but when I am hungry, I want to eat. I can easily forget about other’s needs for a minute while I get a bite to eat.

Proverbs 3:
²⁷ Do not withhold good from those who deserve it
when it’s in your power to help them.
²⁸ If you can help your neighbor now, don’t say,
“Come back tomorrow, and then I’ll help you.”

This next example is a bit more extreme:

Luke 8: ⁴¹ Then a man named Jairus, a leader of the local synagogue, came and fell at Jesus’ feet, pleading with him to come home with him. ⁴² His only daughter, who was about twelve years old, was dying.

As Jesus went with him, he was surrounded by the crowds. ⁴³ A woman in the crowd had suffered for twelve years with constant bleeding, and she could find no cure. ⁴⁴ Coming up behind Jesus, she touched the fringe of his robe. Immediately, the bleeding stopped.

⁴⁵ “Who touched me?” Jesus asked.

Everyone denied it, and Peter said, “Master, this whole crowd is pressing up against you.”

⁴⁶ But Jesus said, “Someone deliberately touched me, for I felt healing power go out from me.” ⁴⁷ When the woman realized that she could not stay hidden, she began to tremble and fell to her knees in front of him. The whole crowd heard her explain why she had touched him and that she had been immediately healed. ⁴⁸“Daughter,” he said to her, “your faith has made you well. Go in peace.”

Note that Jesus was on His way to heal Jairus’ only daughter, who was dying. On the way to serve in this most urgent matter, He was interrupted. The woman touched Him so that she might be healed. He took the time to find out who she was and addresses her. In the meantime, if you read on you’ll see that Jairus’ daughter dies but it’s not too late for the Savior.

As we continue to seek God and continue to be transformed as we’ve discussed, we should start to see evidence that we are becoming more and more like Him.

How do you respond to these everyday, ordinary questions?

Can I run something by you?

Daddy, can you come see what I’ve made?

Do you think you could help me move this Sunday?

I need you to pick up an extra shift, can you help me out?

I got this huge favor to ask…

Could you run me to the doctor’s office?

Daughter, could you come out to visit your Dad and I this weekend?

Do you see questions, requests, or demands as an interruption? Or do you see them as an opportunity to serve? An opportunity to love someone as God would love them? Perhaps they are ways to fulfill your responsibility as an ambassador, which is actually working for God while serving others.

Note from this verse that Jesus developed quite a reputation:

Luke 7: ³ When the officer heard about Jesus, he sent some respected Jewish elders to ask him to come and heal his slave.

How is your reputation? 

Do people come to you to ask for prayer or for advice? Do people come to you for comfort or for peace of mind?

Or do people think that you’re too busy or uncompassionate that they don’t bother going to you?

If you look at your life, are you available to others? Are you there to serve when needed? Have you considered God’s plan for you as a living sacrifice?

If we are truly ambassadors for Christ, doesn’t that make Him our employer? If we work for Him, doesn’t it make sense that he would have people come into our lives to give us a chance to bless them and perfect our love?

Before I close in prayer, meditate on these verses:

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.

Romans 12: 10 Love each other with genuine affection, and take delight in honoring each other.

1 Peter 1: 22 You were cleansed from your sins when you obeyed the truth, so now you must show sincere love to each other as brothers and sisters. Love each other deeply with all your heart.

1 Peter 3: 8 Finally, all of you should be of one mind. Sympathize with each other. Love each other as brothers and sisters. Be tenderhearted, and keep a humble attitude.

1 John 3: 18 Dear children, let’s not merely say that we love each other; let us show the truth by our actions.

Are you willing to serve when you are called?

“Dear God, it is my heart’s desire to please you. I confess to you that I’ve missed many opportunities to serve others only to look back with regret. Please help me to be more aware of my responsibility as your ambassador so that I can glorify you by serving others. Will you change my heart so that I may be more sensitive to the needs of others and help me to listen closely to your voice when the opportunities arise? Thank you for the privilege of serving you, please be patient with me. In Jesus’ name, amen”

Photo by Andre Hunter on Unsplash

I believe that the depth of our growth directly relates to the frequency of the fruit we bear.

Consider these verses:

Psalm 1

¹ Oh, the joys of those who do not
follow the advice of the wicked,
or stand around with sinners,
or join in with mockers.
² But they delight in the law of the Lord,
meditating on it day and night.
³ They are like trees planted along the riverbank,
bearing fruit each season.
Their leaves never wither,
and they prosper in all they do.

If we live a shallow life we shall yield shallow results. I think this is exactly what this verse means:

 2 Corinthians 9: ⁶ Remember this—a farmer who plants only a few seeds will get a small crop. But the one who plants generously will get a generous crop.

In addition to daily Bible reading, I have set aside some time to read additional materials that further stimulate my spiritual growth. A very dear friend of mine encouraged me to read the book entitled “They Found the Secret” by V. Raymond Edman. The author of the book compiled mini-biographies of 20, mostly well-known, saints who have lived from the 1600’s through the 1900’s. Some of the lives he writes about include John Bunyan, Oswald Chambers, D.L. Moody, Amy Carmichael, Andrew Murray and J. Hudson Taylor.

The common thread throughout the book is that each of the subjects had a great love for God and were serving Him in the way they were led. In each of their stories, they share an experience of a deeper relationship with God or a greater presence of the Holy Spirit in their lives. I don’t know about you but this gives me hope!

It has led me to believe that there is more to learn and a deeper and much more satisfying experience to be found in this divine romance. (Thank you, Phil Wickham!)  Can any modern day saint actually relate to Jesus’ disciples? In some ways perhaps, but in many ways I think not, especially after the day of Pentecost. On this planet today I think there are very few if any. But those first-century saints spent time personally with the Messiah, of course, we couldn’t totally relate. Prior to His death and resurrection, however, I think much of what Jesus’ taught went over their heads. For example:

 John 17:  ²¹ I pray that they will all be one, just as you and I are one—as you are in me, Father, and I am in you. And may they be in us so that the world will believe you sent me.

I don’t think there is any way that the disciples could understand what Jesus is saying here. Do you understand what He means when He says “that they will all be one“? I am learning that this is a very advanced topic and that He has not yet led me to fully understand it. But I strongly believe that He will, as long as I continue to sit at his feet and long for more.

Referring back to the book I mentioned, those characters seemed to understand this verse. I think that only after the day of Pentecost could the disciples understand it. Have you ever had a “pentecostal” experience that took you to a deeper relationship with the risen Savior? This is not to be confused or limited to the Pentecostal denominations, by the way.

You will only grow as deep as those you surround yourself with.

If you are currently limiting your interaction with God and His Word on Sundays, Wednesdays and these messages, you will not grow as deep as those interacting with Him daily, seeking Him on a more frequent basis. If the believers you currently spend time with are not taking His Word seriously or are not wanting a deeper relationship with Him then you will either walk along with them or be so discontent that you will find others to “walk with”. If your pastor does not inspire you to seek a richer spiritual life then God may either be telling you to support him in prayer or to find one who has a closer walk with God.

The bottom line is that you can grow as close to God as much as you desire. It is up to you. The choice is yours. I am convinced that God desires this for your life, wherever you currently are.

James 4: ⁸ Come close to God, and God will come close to you.

Jesus is alive and you can get to know Him and follow Him just as the great saints that have gone before us knew, from Abraham to Billy Graham. Jesus was there for each of them. What they all had in common was “close fellowship with God”, which you can experience today.

If your exposure to God’s teaching is limited only to and filtered by what one leader has to share, then you will only grow as deep as they can lead you. However, if we know Jesus personally and seriously acknowledge Him as The Teacher, the depths to which we can grow are limitless. God’s Word is inexhaustible and it knows no bounds. He will lead you down His perfect and pleasing path.

Consider the disciples of John the Baptist. They had much to learn from John, but he could only teach and show them so much.Whereas Jesus disciples were in the presence of the visible God. They learned far more than what their minds could comprehend at the time. This explains this verse:

Acts 4: ¹³ The members of the council were amazed when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, for they could see that they were ordinary men with no special training in the Scriptures. They also recognized them as men who had been with Jesus.

This concept that I am addressing can be found in nature and I think makes complete sense when viewed in that light.

A couple of these examples are fish only grow as big as their surroundings allow. And a plant will only grow as big as the pot they are planted allows. Think about the trees planted along the riverbed as in Psalm 1 above.

When we are planted in the Branch, the everlasting, living God, the Creator of all things seen and unseen, how deep do you think we can grow?

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. 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. 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! ⁸ When you produce much fruit, you are my true disciples. This brings great glory to my Father.

How deep do you want to grow?

“Dear Lord I want to know you more. Your Word speaks of peace and joy and I don’t always have that, in fact, there are many days that I don’t. How can I experience peace and joy more consistently? There is much in your Book that I cannot relate to or understand, will you teach me? Thank you for all that you have done for me, for you have blessed me more than I can remember. Your undeserving grace is amazing. Thank you also in advance for what you have in store for me. I look forward to seeing how you are shaping my life to carry out the work you have for me. I pray that you use me in such a way that will give you all the glory and the praise. In Christ’s name, amen.”

Photo by Filip Zrnzević on Unsplash

Thank you for reading my posts. If you are one of the two people that read my posts then thank you! I greatly appreciate it. I pray that what I write not only interests you but moves you. If what I write does not lead one closer to Jesus and/or His Word then I haven’t done my job. If you have benefitted from any of my posts, please drop me a line and let me know. You can send an email to Larry@LarryPittman.com or comment below.

Please take a few moments and read Jesus’ famous last words…

Matthew 28: ¹⁸ Jesus came and told his disciples, “I have been given all authority in heaven and on earth. ¹⁹Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. ²⁰ Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”

It’s never about the Church. When I say Church I am referring to the Body of Christ. The people that have faith; whose hearts are sincerely seeking Him and “believe that He rewards those” because of it (Hebrews 11:6). Of course, if you are a part of the Body, then you know that it has flaws, just as you have flaws.

Romans 3:²³ For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard.

Do you lead people to church or the Head of the Church?

With that being said, who are you pointing people to? Do you direct them to your church, as in the local body of believers that regularly meet down the street? Or are you leading them to the Holy One, the One who will never disappoint or deceive? Don’t get me wrong, there are a lot of great churches around, but who would you rather place your neighbor or friend in the hands of? A flawed body of people who can come across as weirdos sometimes or the person of Jesus Christ whose very words are perfectly placed in that big, dusty book on your shelf?

The Holy Word of God never disappoints.

John 1:  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.

People accept Him or reject Him. For those people in your life that you identify as seekers, you can direct them to the Word of God today!

2 Corinthians 6:2 ² For God says,
“At just the right time, I heard you.
On the day of salvation, I helped you.” (Isa 49:8)
Indeed, the “right time” is now. Today is the day of salvation.

First of all, I think that many people are much more receptive to the Living Word than a strange and sometimes creepy place, with sometimes creepy people. Let’s face it, visiting a church for the first time is intimidating even for believers, let alone the uninitiated.

You don’t have to wait for Sunday services or Wednesday youth night when you can get them reading the Word of God today!

John 1: 45 Philip went to look for Nathanael and told him, “We have found the very person Moses and the prophets wrote about! His name is Jesus, the son of Joseph from Nazareth.”

After your friend meets God, He will lead them to His Church, that’s one thing we can be sure of.

Are you becoming more like Christ?

What is your testimony anyway? Is it “This is what the Church has done for me!” or is it “This is what God, the Creator of all things has done for me!”? A person with an open heart will meet God every time they read the Good Book, but will they meet Christ in church? Maybe.

Very Important: 

If Christ is in you, then your friend or relative will meet Him through you. If their hearts are receptive then they will be open to reading (or listening to) the Word. If their hearts are hardened then you will probably hear every excuse under the sun as to why they will not go to church with you.

If you are not regularly consuming the Word, then I think it’s time to ask yourself these questions:

• Do I want to grow in the Lord?
• Am I meek enough to expose myself to the convicting Word of God daily?
• Should I consider learning a little more about God every day?
• Is my faith in God important to me? Why?
• What am I currently valuing more than God?

For the person that is not actively seeking God through the regular reading of the Bible: If you’d only realize what you’re missing out on. God wants you to get to know Him better and pursue Him. He will transform your life if you make yourself available to Him daily.

Don’t get me wrong

Just one more thing: If God lays it on your heart to invite someone to church, do it. I’m not saying that you shouldn’t. What I am saying is that we should take our relationship with God seriously and when that happens, we become like Jesus and those seekers will be drawn to us and we will not have to wait for Sunday morning to introduce them to Him.

Acts 2: ⁴⁶ They worshiped together at the Temple each day, met in homes for the Lord’s Supper, and shared their meals with great joy and generosity—⁴⁷ all the while praising God and enjoying the goodwill of all the people. And each day the Lord added to their fellowship those who were being saved.

Will you pursue Him?

“Dear Father, help me to know you more so that I can lead people to you. Give me the right words to say and a boldness to speak to others about you. Thank you for teaching me new things and helping me grow. In Jesus’ name, Amen”

Photo by Annie Spratt 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

Why do you read my messages? Why do you read the Bible? If you are a Christian, why? Why do these things matter to you?

I know one thing, if I stop reading the Word, hang out with the wicked, watch a lot of TV, regularly read periodicals such as the newspaper, Newsweek, National Geographic, Self, or People, my belief in God will become more and more irrelevant. The Bible will become meaningless to me. Pretty soon I might either believe that all “paths” lead to God or that there is no God at all.

Do you read the Bible to be good, or to be “made right with God” and learn how to love Him?

Are you aware that some people believe that there is no God?

Psalm 14: 1 Only fools say in their hearts,
“There is no God.”
They are corrupt, and their actions are evil;
not one of them does good!

Do you know that some people believe that “God is everything and everything is God”?

Genesis 1: 1 In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.

Have you been informed that some people worship the universe, nature, the sun, and the moon?

Job 31: 26 “Have I looked at the sun shining in the skies,
or the moon walking down its silver pathway,
27 and been secretly enticed in my heart
to throw kisses at them in worship?
28 If so, I should be punished by the judges,
for it would mean I had denied the God of heaven.

Has it ever crossed your mind that some people believe that there are many gods?

Old Testament answers:

Deuteronomy 4: 39 “So remember this and keep it firmly in mind: The Lord is God both in heaven and on earth, and there is no other.

1 Kings 8: 60 Then people all over the earth will know that the Lord alone is God and there is no other.

2 Kings 19: 17 “It is true, Lord, that the kings of Assyria have destroyed all these nations. 18 And they have thrown the gods of these nations into the fire and burned them. But of course the Assyrians could destroy them! They were not gods at all—only idols of wood and stone shaped by human hands. 19 Now, O Lord our God, rescue us from his power; then all the kingdoms of the earth will know that you alone, O Lord, are God.”

Isaiah 45:
18 For the Lord is God,
and he created the heavens and earth
and put everything in place.
He made the world to be lived in,
not to be a place of empty chaos.
“I am the Lord,” he says,
“and there is no other.

New Testament answers:

Romans 3: 29 After all, is God the God of the Jews only? Isn’t he also the God of the Gentiles? Of course he is. 30 There is only one God, and he makes people right with himself only by faith, whether they are Jews or Gentiles.

1 Corinthians 8: 4 So, what about eating meat that has been offered to idols? Well, we all know that an idol is not really a god and that there is only one God.5 There may be so-called gods both in heaven and on earth, and some people actually worship many gods and many lords. 6 But we know that there is only one God, the Father, who created everything, and we live for him. And there is only one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom God made everything and through whom we have been given life.

1 Timothy 2: 5 For there is only one God and one Mediator who can reconcile God and humanity—the man Christ Jesus.

Isn’t the Bible clear enough about who God is? What do your friends and relatives think about God? Does it matter to you what they think?

Romans 14: 12 So then every one of us shall give account of himself to God.

What do you think would happen if they started to read these “life yielding” words?

Have you even considered that this special knowledge that you have comes with it special responsibility?

Luke 12: 48 But someone who does not know, and then does something wrong, will be punished only lightly. When someone has been given much, much will be required in return; and when someone has been entrusted with much, even more will be required.

What will you do with what you know?

“Dear heavenly Father, You alone are God. Thank you for giving us your Word so that we may know the Truth. Help me to know you more so that I can share your greatness with those around me. Reveal yourself to me so that I may know that you are God. Give me the strength and courage to speak up when you ask me to. This world is defaming you constantly, help me to spread the Word about your true nature and set the record straight. In Jesus’ name, I pray, Amen.”

Photo By: Robin Benad

Do you ever worry about falling away? Or do you go through life without considering your eternal destination, “knowing” that you will live eternally with God?

I try more and more not to question another’s salvation and focus more and more on my own. It is not my job to judge whether or not someone is recorded in the Book of Life, but to love them in a way that they will want their names to be there as well.

Let’s read these verses to study and define salvation:

Ephesians 2: 9 Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it.

Mark 16: 8 … Afterward Jesus himself sent them out from east to west with the sacred and unfailing message of salvation that gives eternal life.

John 4: 22 You Samaritans know very little about the one you worship, while we Jews know all about him, for salvation comes through the Jews.

Acts 4: ¹¹ For Jesus is the one referred to in the Scriptures, where it says,
‘The stone that you builders rejected
has now become the cornerstone.’
¹² There is salvation in no one else! God has given no other name under heaven by which we must be saved.”

1 Peter 1:9 The reward for trusting him will be the salvation of your souls.

Titus 3: ⁴ But—“When God our Savior revealed his kindness and love, ⁵ he saved us, not because of the righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He washed away our sins, giving us a new birth and new life through the Holy Spirit.

Romans 10: ¹³ For “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”

OK, but does that mean that because I trusted Him as a child and prayed a prayer to receive Him that regardless of my actions since that I am saved? In other words is the familiar phrase “once saved always saved” correct? Or another way to put it is, “Can someone lose their salvation?” I don’t know, let’s keep reading…

Here is one passage that seems to support “once saved always saved”:

John 10: ²⁸ I give them eternal life, and they will never perish. No one can snatch them away from me, ²⁹ for my Father has given them to me, and he is more powerful than anyone else. No one can snatch them from the Father’s hand. ³⁰ The Father and I are one.”

But what about free will? We are not robots or puppets and that is why we will always have a choice to worship God or the Accuser, Satan. The aforementioned verse states that “No one can snatch them from the Father’s hand.” And that is great news, but I don’t think that includes our choice to leave the Father’s hand.

Don’t these verses imply that it is a choice to remain in Him or not to remain in Him?

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. ⁶Anyone 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. 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! ⁸ When you produce much fruit, you are my true disciples. This brings great glory to my Father.

If you are choosing to remain in Him, what does this mean to you and how are you living up to it?

Is this not consistent with these verses from Ezekiel? I know that they are Old Testament, but  God’s character does not change.

Ezekiel 33: ¹² “Son of man, give your people this message: The righteous behavior of righteous people will not save them if they turn to sin, nor will the wicked behavior of wicked people destroy them if they repent and turn from their sins. ¹³ When I tell righteous people that they will live, but then they sin, expecting their past righteousness to save them, then none of their righteous acts will be remembered. I will destroy them for their sins. ¹⁴ And suppose I tell some wicked people that they will surely die, but then they turn from their sins and do what is just and right. ¹⁵ For instance, they might give back a debtor’s security, return what they have stolen, and obey my life-giving laws, no longer doing what is evil. If they do this, then they will surely live and not die. ¹⁶ None of their past sins will be brought up again, for they have done what is just and right, and they will surely live.

What do you think? Do these verses not apply to us today? I think they are consistent with Christ’s teaching above in John 15: 5-8.

Here is a problem I have with “once saved always saved”, especially when it is preached to the masses. This phrase is a horrible paraphrase of several scriptures and it is not considering other scriptures that might lead us to think otherwise. Such as these verses:

2 Peter 2: ²⁰ And when people escape from the wickedness of the world by knowing our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and then get tangled up and enslaved by sin again, they are worse off than before. ²¹ It would be better if they had never known the way to righteousness than to know it and then reject the command they were given to live a holy life. ²² They prove the truth of this proverb: “A dog returns to its vomit.” And another says, “A washed pig returns to the mud.”

Why would Jesus say these words if salvation was as easy as saying a prayer once in your life and forgetting about it the following year?

Matthew 7:  ¹³ “You can enter God’s Kingdom only through the narrow gate. The highway to hell is broad, and its gate is wide for the many who choose that way. ¹⁴ But the gateway to life is very narrow and the road is difficult, and only a few ever find it.

We read above that salvation is simple, but this clearly says that it is not easy.

Another issue I have with “once saved always saved”, is that for many in my estimation, it is a false sense of security. When the theology of these four words penetrate the minds of the spiritually lazy (like I used to be), or the “saints on the sidelines”, there is no motivation for them to get to know God any better.

Let’s review these verses that I think beautifully summarize what we should all be focusing on in our daily walk:

Philippians 1:11 May you always be filled with the fruit of your salvation—the righteous character produced in your life by Jesus Christ —for this will bring much glory and praise to God.

Philippians 2:12 Dear friends, you always followed my instructions when I was with you. And now that I am away, it is even more important. Work hard to show the results of your salvation, obeying God with deep reverence and fear.

1 Timothy 4: ¹⁵ Give your complete attention to these matters. Throw yourself into your tasks so that everyone will see your progress. ¹⁶ Keep a close watch on how you live and on your teaching. Stay true to what is right for the sake of your own salvation and the salvation of those who hear you.

1 Peter 1:5 And through your faith, God is protecting you by his power until you receive this salvation, which is ready to be revealed on the last day for all to see.

Hebrews 3: ¹² Be careful then, dear brothers and sisters. Make sure that your own hearts are not evil and unbelieving, turning you away from the living God. ¹³ You must warn each other every day, while it is still “today,” so that none of you will be deceived by sin and hardened against God. ¹⁴ For if we are faithful to the end, trusting God just as firmly as when we first believed, we will share in all that belongs to Christ. ¹⁵ Remember what it says:

“Today when you hear his voice,
don’t harden your hearts
as Israel did when they rebelled.”

What if we were to change “once saved always saved” to say “once saved always saved when we continue to put our faith in Jesus”?

Are you saved?

“Dear Lord, thank you for sending your Son to die for me and pay for my sins on the cross. Lord, I am sorry for the many sins I’m guilty of. Sins for doing wrong and sins for not doing right and not loving you with a whole heart. I will put my trust in you. I choose you to be Lord of my life. Please help me to change my ways and get to know you better daily. I know many that do not take your calling seriously, but today I choose to follow you with my whole heart. Please lead me down your path and thank you for guiding me. In Jesus name, Amen.”

Photo by Anthony Tori 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

Do you weep (cry)? When was the last time you cried? Of course, there are a lot of reasons that people cry, an emotional song, a good movie, pain, when someone hurts you, when things don’t go your way, or the loss of a loved one.

Of course in our society crying is not a hip or popular thing to do, especially for us guys. I’ve seen women that don’t like to see guys cry. Football coaches are mocked when they choke up after a game. It’s just not a “cool” thing to do.

I never saw my father cry, and as I reached adulthood, I didn’t cry either. It just wasn’t something I did. At least not until I returned to the Lord after a period of straying from Him. There was something about the presence of the Holy Spirit that brought tears of joy to me. But not only that. I think that keeping an open heart and abiding in Him keeps us sensitive and our emotions come out easier. I know that when I’ve strayed, I’m a bit more callous and of course “hard-hearted”.

Why discuss crying? What is the significance?

The Bible has many examples of people crying or weeping and for many different reasons. Let’s look at some examples of weeping in the Good Book:

Exodus 2: 23 Years passed, and the king of Egypt died. But the Israelites continued to groan under their burden of slavery. They cried out for help, and their cry rose up to God. 24 God heard their groaning, and he remembered his covenant promise to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. 25 He looked down on the people of Israel and knew it was time to act.

The Israelites were experiencing a time of great oppression and it brought them to tears. God heard it and knew it was time to act. Why did He let it get to that point? I don’t know, I guess that it wasn’t the time, until then.

When Nehemiah was a cup bearer for the Persian king, his brother Hanani brought him this news:

Nehemiah 1: ³ They said to me, “Things are not going well for those who returned to the province of Judah. They are in great trouble and disgrace. The wall of Jerusalem has been torn down, and the gates have been destroyed by fire.”

This was Nehemiah’s response:

 ⁴ When I heard this, I sat down and wept. In fact, for days I mourned, fasted, and prayed to the God of heaven.

What love he had for his homeland! He was clearly heartbroken.

I know that these people were all under extreme circumstances and as an American, I can’t even begin to relate to them.

Do you think King David ever cried?

Psalm 6: 
⁶ I am worn out from sobbing.
All night I flood my bed with weeping,
drenching it with my tears.
⁷ My vision is blurred by grief;
my eyes are worn out because of all my enemies.

 ⁸ Go away, all you who do evil,
for the Lord has heard my weeping.
⁹ The Lord has heard my plea;
the Lord will answer my prayer.
¹⁰ May all my enemies be disgraced and terrified.
May they suddenly turn back in shame.

Apparently, this was a low point in his life, and he had many.

Here’s a popular verse form our Lord:

John 11: 35 Then Jesus wept.

What about the weeping prophet, Jeremiah?

Jeremiah 9:
¹ If only my head were a pool of water
and my eyes a fountain of tears,
I would weep day and night
for all my people who have been slaughtered.
² Oh, that I could go away and forget my people
and live in a travelers’ shack in the desert.
For they are all adulterers—
a pack of treacherous liars.

Here is another popular passage, from a man who had it all, riches and wisdom!:

Ecclesiastes 3:4 
⁴ A time to cry and a time to laugh.
A time to grieve and a time to dance.

And later on in the book, King Solomon shares some of his wisdom on this subject:

Ecclesiastes 7:
² Better to spend your time at funerals than at parties.
After all, everyone dies—
so the living should take this to heart.
³ Sorrow is better than laughter,
for sadness has a refining influence on us.
⁴ A wise person thinks a lot about death,
while a fool thinks only about having a good time.

Wow, this says a lot!

Is this counter-cultural or what? How many people are saying “think happy thoughts” these days and do not allow themselves to be sad? Like he said earlier, there’s a time to cry.

Here’s a good reason to cry, in our love and support for one another…

Romans 12: ¹⁵ Be happy with those who are happy, and weep with those who weep.

Here is a very interesting and unique passage:

Ezekiel 9: ⁴ He said to him, “Walk through the streets of Jerusalem and put a mark on the foreheads of all who weep and sigh because of the detestable sins being committed in their city.”

This was a vision that Ezekiel experienced. And what happened to the marked and unmarked?

⁵ Then I heard the Lord say to the other men, “Follow him through the city and kill everyone whose forehead is not marked. Show no mercy; have no pity! ⁶ Kill them all—old and young, girls and women and little children. But do not touch anyone with the mark. Begin right here at the Temple.” So they began by killing the seventy leaders.

Isn’t this wild? Only those that sincerely mourned, evidenced by shedding tears about the detestable sins, lived! Those that were indifferent or complacent by the sins were killed, in the vision at least.

Psalm 119: 136 Rivers of tears gush from my eyes because people disobey your instructions.

Now it’s time to learn from our Master.

What that Ezekiel passage reminded me of is this:

Luke 19: ⁴¹ But as he came closer to Jerusalem and saw the city ahead, he began to weep. ⁴² “How I wish today that you of all people would understand the way to peace. But now it is too late, and peace is hidden from your eyes. ⁴³Before long your enemies will build ramparts against your walls and encircle you and close in on you from every side. ⁴⁴ They will crush you into the ground, and your children with you. Your enemies will not leave a single stone in place, because you did not accept your opportunity for salvation.”

Unlike the city of Nineveh (read Jonah), Jerusalem did not accept their opportunity for salvation. This brought Him to tears.

Jeremiah 4:
²² “My people are foolish
and do not know me,” says the Lord.
“They are stupid children
who have no understanding.
They are clever enough at doing wrong,
but they have no idea how to do right!”

Does this sound like the United States or what?

Do you think it’s time to start weeping?

Are we weeping enough over our current spiritual condition? I see Christians complaining more about politicians than weeping over people’s rejection of Jesus. I admit that I don’t weep enough over this and I think it’s because I am still being transformed and God is still changing my heart.

This is not something that you can make yourself do, but only by constantly seeking Him and abiding in Him will we be joyful for what brings God joy and we will weep for that which God weeps for.

But even for our personal life, it’s OK to cry. When you are distressed over circumstances or just plain sad, spend time on your knees and plead with God. Discuss it with Him as though He is right there (which He is). Pour out your heart to Him and when you feel like “letting go”, let it out, cry your eyes out.

Here are words that bring comfort:

Psalm 56: 8 You keep track of all my sorrows. You have collected all my tears in your bottle.You have recorded each one in your book.

Will you weep?

“Dear Lord, you are my Comforter and Wonderful Counselor. I love that I can come to you with my every need and problem. You give the bread of life that feeds my soul. God, I want to be more like you. I want to have joy over things that bring you joy and I want to cry over things that make you cry. Change my heart and teach me your ways, I want to know you more. Thank you for what you’re teaching me in your Word. In Jesus name, Amen”

Photo by Tom Pumford on Unsplash