Greedy? Who me? Greed is only shown by the wealthy and power-seeking tycoons of the world, right? Wrong! God has warned all of us of the dangers of greed creeping into our lives. Greed can come into our lives whether we are wealthy or poor in this world's goods. Greed has to do with the attitude of our hearts.
In our passage today in Luke 12 a man approached Jesus with a greedy heart. He expected Jesus to settle a quarrel he was having with his brother over an inheritance. Jesus said to him in Luke 12:15, "Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; a mans's life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions."
Jesus warned us that there is extreme danger in depending on and running after the things of the world. When people place their priorities and values in the things of the world, they will never be satisfied. This kind of passion for things will only lead to a desire for more and more. The things of the world will never satisfy. A life lived in a relationship with the Lord is the only way to find joy and satisfaction. Joy and peace is found only in the Lord. Life is not about pursuing things, but life is about growing in our love relationship with the Lord. Life is about serving the Lord and bringing honor to His name.
Greed is a form of idolatry. Greed involves putting other things before our relationship with the Lord and before our desire to serve the Lord. Greed can also lead to all kind of other sins. Greed can lead to lying, cheating, stealing, and arrogance. We must take heed of Jesus Christ's warning to "watch out! Be on guard against all kinds of greed."
In Luke chapter twelve starting in verse sixteen Jesus told a parable about a man who had much in terms of worldly wealth and possessions. This man begin to think of himself as independent from God and self-reliant. All this man's confidence was misplaced in his own perceived "wisdom" and abilities. There was no acknowledgement of God and God's provision for him from this man. The man made all his plans without regard to God's will for his life. This man showed no fear of God or love for others. His life consisted only in his selfish whims and pursuits.
God said to this man in Luke 12:20, "You fool! This very night your life will be demanded from you. Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself?" It is so meaningless to chase after temporal things, because our life on this earth is so temporal compared to eternity. We can take nothing with us into eternity except our salvation and love for the Lord!
When people pursue a life style independent of the Lord and wrapped in themselves they will find only emptiness in their lives. Life will have no joy or purpose. Ecclesiastes chapter one verse two says of this kind of life, "Utterly meaningless! Everything is meaningless." The writer of Ecclesiastes was speaking of a life outside the Lord and lived only for oneself. Such a life is meaningless. There is no meaning or joy to life outside of living it for the Lord!
There are no guarantees in this life in regards to our own provisions and careful planning for ourselves. Life can change so quickly, and all our carefully laid plans for ourselves can fall apart and fail. A child of God can rest in the Lord and in His provisions, however. The Lord has always promised to provide for our needs, as we rest in Him and are faithful to Him. We must be content with what He has given us. We must be content with where He has placed us in this world. A relationship with Him as His child and as His disciple is the only way to peace and security!
Luke 12:21 reminds us that we must not seek to "store up things" in this world. That will lead to greed and all kinds of other sins. It will also lead to emptiness and restlessness. Rather we must seek to become "rich toward God." This is the secret to joy!
Thursday, April 28, 2016
Thursday, April 21, 2016
Luke 11
"Lord teach us to pray." Luke 11:1b
Prayer is as essential to our spiritual well-being as breathing is to our physical well-being. Luke chapter eleven verse one tells us that one day one of Jesus' disciples came to Jesus and said, "Lord, teach us to pray." Jesus then gave His disciples the Lord's prayer as an example prayer to help them in their prayer lives. The Lord's prayer continues to be a wonderful example for us today in how to pray.
Our prayers should always include worship and praise for our great and awesome Lord. The first thing Jesus said in His prayer to His heavenly Father in Luke 11:2 was "hallowed be Your name, Your kingdom come." So often we rush into our prayers asking for things. God desires that we ask for things from Him; but we must also not forget to spend time in worship, praise, and thanks to the Lord. We must praise and worship Him for all He is in His being and character, and then we must thank Him for all His bountiful blessings in our lives.
Notice the Lord Jesus also says, "Your kingdom come." It should be our supreme desire that the Lord's will is done on this earth and in heaven. Our lives should not be about our self-centered whims and desires. Our lives should be centered on bringing about the Lord's will on this earth and in our lives. Our lives should be centered on bringing glory and praise to the Lord.
Our prayers also can and must include asking the Lord to meet our daily needs. In Luke 11:3 Jesus prayed, "Give us each day our daily bread." "Daily bread" includes more than our food. It includes all our physical, emotional, and spiritual needs. It is good and necessary for us to ask the Lord for our needs. In doing this we show our trust in the Lord and our reliance on Him to meet our every need. This dependence on the Lord and not on our perceived resources is pleasing to the Lord.
Our prayers also must include prayers for forgiveness for our sins. Jesus said in Luke 11:4, "Forgive us our sins, for we also forgive everyone who sins against us. And lead us not into temptation." We need to daily confess our sins to the Lord. We need to daily ask for His forgiveness. We also need to ask for the Lord's strength to grow in holiness and Christ-likeness in our lives.
Notice that Jesus' prayer asks for forgiveness from God for our sins, as we forgive others their sins against us. If we are not willing to forgive the petty little things others do against us, how can we ask the Lord to forgive the magnitude of our sins against the Almighty God? Finally, we also need to ask the Lord to keep us from the devil's temptations all around us.
After Jesus gave His disciples the Lord's prayer as an example prayer, He told them a parable about prayer. In this parable the Lord Jesus taught His disciples the need to be bold and persistent in prayer. Jesus said in verses nine and ten of Luke chapter eleven, "So I say to you: Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened."
Jesus went on to say in verse thirteen, "If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him!" The Lord desires and longs for us to come to Him in prayer. He desires to heap His blessings and good gifts on us. He especially desires to give us His spiritual gifts and the work of His Holy Spirit on our lives. If we who are sinful give good gifts to our children, the Lord God will surely give us His best and choicest gifts. We can and must be bold and persistent in approaching Him in prayer for our needs. We serve a loving and faithful God who desires to meet our needs, as we approach Him in humbleness and trustful dependence!
Prayer is as essential to our spiritual well-being as breathing is to our physical well-being. Luke chapter eleven verse one tells us that one day one of Jesus' disciples came to Jesus and said, "Lord, teach us to pray." Jesus then gave His disciples the Lord's prayer as an example prayer to help them in their prayer lives. The Lord's prayer continues to be a wonderful example for us today in how to pray.
Our prayers should always include worship and praise for our great and awesome Lord. The first thing Jesus said in His prayer to His heavenly Father in Luke 11:2 was "hallowed be Your name, Your kingdom come." So often we rush into our prayers asking for things. God desires that we ask for things from Him; but we must also not forget to spend time in worship, praise, and thanks to the Lord. We must praise and worship Him for all He is in His being and character, and then we must thank Him for all His bountiful blessings in our lives.
Notice the Lord Jesus also says, "Your kingdom come." It should be our supreme desire that the Lord's will is done on this earth and in heaven. Our lives should not be about our self-centered whims and desires. Our lives should be centered on bringing about the Lord's will on this earth and in our lives. Our lives should be centered on bringing glory and praise to the Lord.
Our prayers also can and must include asking the Lord to meet our daily needs. In Luke 11:3 Jesus prayed, "Give us each day our daily bread." "Daily bread" includes more than our food. It includes all our physical, emotional, and spiritual needs. It is good and necessary for us to ask the Lord for our needs. In doing this we show our trust in the Lord and our reliance on Him to meet our every need. This dependence on the Lord and not on our perceived resources is pleasing to the Lord.
Our prayers also must include prayers for forgiveness for our sins. Jesus said in Luke 11:4, "Forgive us our sins, for we also forgive everyone who sins against us. And lead us not into temptation." We need to daily confess our sins to the Lord. We need to daily ask for His forgiveness. We also need to ask for the Lord's strength to grow in holiness and Christ-likeness in our lives.
Notice that Jesus' prayer asks for forgiveness from God for our sins, as we forgive others their sins against us. If we are not willing to forgive the petty little things others do against us, how can we ask the Lord to forgive the magnitude of our sins against the Almighty God? Finally, we also need to ask the Lord to keep us from the devil's temptations all around us.
After Jesus gave His disciples the Lord's prayer as an example prayer, He told them a parable about prayer. In this parable the Lord Jesus taught His disciples the need to be bold and persistent in prayer. Jesus said in verses nine and ten of Luke chapter eleven, "So I say to you: Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened."
Jesus went on to say in verse thirteen, "If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him!" The Lord desires and longs for us to come to Him in prayer. He desires to heap His blessings and good gifts on us. He especially desires to give us His spiritual gifts and the work of His Holy Spirit on our lives. If we who are sinful give good gifts to our children, the Lord God will surely give us His best and choicest gifts. We can and must be bold and persistent in approaching Him in prayer for our needs. We serve a loving and faithful God who desires to meet our needs, as we approach Him in humbleness and trustful dependence!
Thursday, April 14, 2016
Psalm 23 Part Two
"He restores my soul. He guides me in paths of righteousness for His name sake. Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. Surely goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever." Psalm 23:3-6
Do you ever feel emotionally or spiritually drained? Psalm 23 tells us that at times like these our Good Shepherd, Jesus, restores our souls. He revives and refreshes our souls. He renews and encourages us even when we have sinned or are discouraged. Psalm 23:3 tells us that our good Shepherd also guides is "in paths of righteousness for His name's sake."
Sheep tend to stray. The shepherd must lead them back to the right path, as it is dangerous to stray from the path. Our Shepherd, Jesus, seeks to lead us on the "paths or righteousness" in this life that are for our protection and well-being. The "paths of righteousness" that our Shepherd leads us on are always pleasing to His will, and they are always for our ultimate good. If we stray off the path, the Shepherd may have to send painful circumstances in our lives to teach us not to stray and to lead us back to the "paths of righteousness." Our Shepherd, Jesus, does this all "for His name's sake." The well-being of His sheep brings honor to the Good Shepherd's name!
Psalm 23:4 says, " Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff they comfort me." Sheep are defenseless animals. Left to themselves they have reason to be afraid. They desperately need a shepherd, So we also desperately need our Shepherd, Jesus.
Even though we walk through dark and bitter experiences, however, we need to "fear no evil," because Jesus, our Shepherd, is with us all the way! He will walk us through the deep and dark valleys of our lives. He doesn't always take us around the valleys, but He will take us successfully through the valleys of life. He will comfort us, guide us, protect us, reassure us, and rescue us in the deep and dark valleys of life!
Psalm 23:5 says, "You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies." Keeping sheep in abundant grass is a full time job for the shepherd. While the sheep are grazing the shepherd is is already thinking about where he will graze his sheep the next day. A shepherd is also always aware of the need to protect His sheep from enemies. The Lord, our Good Shepherd, has our future in His hands. He is always protecting us from anything which will bring us harm. He controls everything in our lives.
Psalm 23:5 goes on to say, " You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows." In the summer sheep become frantic in their attempts to cope with flies. At the first sign of this the shepherd applies an oil to the heads of the sheep to combat the problem. With the aggravation gone the sheep become quiet, content, and peaceful. Our Good Shepherd provides peace, comfort, and protection to us, His sheep! "My cup overflows." Our Good Shepherd not only cares for us, but He cares abundantly. Our blessings from Him are abundant and overflowing!
In light of all these blessings we can say with the Psalmist in Psalm 23:6, " Surely goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever." We can count on God's goodness, love, and faithfulness all throughout our lives and throughout eternity! "The Lord is my Shepherd!" You and I need absolutely nothing else for life and for eternity!
Do you ever feel emotionally or spiritually drained? Psalm 23 tells us that at times like these our Good Shepherd, Jesus, restores our souls. He revives and refreshes our souls. He renews and encourages us even when we have sinned or are discouraged. Psalm 23:3 tells us that our good Shepherd also guides is "in paths of righteousness for His name's sake."
Sheep tend to stray. The shepherd must lead them back to the right path, as it is dangerous to stray from the path. Our Shepherd, Jesus, seeks to lead us on the "paths or righteousness" in this life that are for our protection and well-being. The "paths of righteousness" that our Shepherd leads us on are always pleasing to His will, and they are always for our ultimate good. If we stray off the path, the Shepherd may have to send painful circumstances in our lives to teach us not to stray and to lead us back to the "paths of righteousness." Our Shepherd, Jesus, does this all "for His name's sake." The well-being of His sheep brings honor to the Good Shepherd's name!
Psalm 23:4 says, " Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff they comfort me." Sheep are defenseless animals. Left to themselves they have reason to be afraid. They desperately need a shepherd, So we also desperately need our Shepherd, Jesus.
Even though we walk through dark and bitter experiences, however, we need to "fear no evil," because Jesus, our Shepherd, is with us all the way! He will walk us through the deep and dark valleys of our lives. He doesn't always take us around the valleys, but He will take us successfully through the valleys of life. He will comfort us, guide us, protect us, reassure us, and rescue us in the deep and dark valleys of life!
Psalm 23:5 says, "You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies." Keeping sheep in abundant grass is a full time job for the shepherd. While the sheep are grazing the shepherd is is already thinking about where he will graze his sheep the next day. A shepherd is also always aware of the need to protect His sheep from enemies. The Lord, our Good Shepherd, has our future in His hands. He is always protecting us from anything which will bring us harm. He controls everything in our lives.
Psalm 23:5 goes on to say, " You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows." In the summer sheep become frantic in their attempts to cope with flies. At the first sign of this the shepherd applies an oil to the heads of the sheep to combat the problem. With the aggravation gone the sheep become quiet, content, and peaceful. Our Good Shepherd provides peace, comfort, and protection to us, His sheep! "My cup overflows." Our Good Shepherd not only cares for us, but He cares abundantly. Our blessings from Him are abundant and overflowing!
In light of all these blessings we can say with the Psalmist in Psalm 23:6, " Surely goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever." We can count on God's goodness, love, and faithfulness all throughout our lives and throughout eternity! "The Lord is my Shepherd!" You and I need absolutely nothing else for life and for eternity!
Thursday, April 7, 2016
Psalm 23
"The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not be in want. He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside quiet waters." Psalm 23:1-2
Psalm 23 is one of the most familiar and loved Psalms. It is a Psalm which you and I probably memorized as a young child. One wonders sometimes if we have become so familiar with the words of the Psalm, however, that we do not fully delight in the implications of the Psalm's truths and promises.
Psalm 23:1 says,"The Lord is my Shepherd. I shall not be in want." Sheep are unintelligent, dirty, and defenseless. They are in need of a shepherd for protection. The Lord says that we are like sheep, but He is willing to be our Shepherd of protection. He is willing to lead us through this life and to eternity! "The Lord is MY Shepherd!" As a child of God He is your Shepherd also!
In Biblical times the sheep were lead not driven. They listened for the shepherd's voice, and they followed him. So you and I must follow the Great Shepherd's voice in His Holy Word. The Lord must be most important in our lives, and we must follow Him. He must be our Shepherd in every area and activity of our lives. All of our lives must be under His direction and control. If we allow Him to control our lives, Psalm 23:1 tells us that we "shall not be in want." He will provide for all of our needs, if we trust Him.
Psalm 23:2 says, "He makes me lie down in green pastures." When you or I get too involved with our busy lives or lose sight of our passion to serve the Lord, He will intervene in our lives.
He will use some event or circumstance to compel us to rest in Him. He wants us to rest secure and content in Him.
Green pastures in Psalm 23 are a metaphor for abundant life or for all that makes life flourish. Some of the circumstances the Lord allows in our lives may not seem like green pastures. They seem more like brown dried up pastures. We do not want to "lie down" and trust our Good Shepherd. We may try to "fix" the problem on our own. But what you or I see as a bad circumstance in our life may actually be for our good. The Lord may be trying to make some repairs in our character and in our heart. The Lord may be operating on us spiritually to remove selfishness and arrogance or self-reliance from our lives. The Lord is in control. We simply need to trust Him. We must remain teachable. If the Lord has allowed a difficult situation in our lives, we must submit to Him and rest in Him.
Psalm 23:2 goes on to say, "He leads me besides quiet waters." The Lord leads us like a shepherd. Jesus Christ is out in front of us today. He is already in the future, so we need not fear the future. Our future is secure in Him. Jesus, our Good Shepherd, is in the business of stilling the raging waters and storms of our lives and leading us by "quiet waters." The Lord leads us to His rest. He provides for our security, nourishment, and sense of well-being.
Sheep panic when they are around raging waters. This is because sheep can drown very easily. The Lord is our Shepherd, and He can still whatever raging waters are in our lives that cause us to panic. The Lord will still them at the right moment in in His perfect timing. Faith is a refusal to panic; because we know that our Shepherd, Jesus, is in complete control. He is our peace! He is our Shepherd!
Psalm 23 is one of the most familiar and loved Psalms. It is a Psalm which you and I probably memorized as a young child. One wonders sometimes if we have become so familiar with the words of the Psalm, however, that we do not fully delight in the implications of the Psalm's truths and promises.
Psalm 23:1 says,"The Lord is my Shepherd. I shall not be in want." Sheep are unintelligent, dirty, and defenseless. They are in need of a shepherd for protection. The Lord says that we are like sheep, but He is willing to be our Shepherd of protection. He is willing to lead us through this life and to eternity! "The Lord is MY Shepherd!" As a child of God He is your Shepherd also!
In Biblical times the sheep were lead not driven. They listened for the shepherd's voice, and they followed him. So you and I must follow the Great Shepherd's voice in His Holy Word. The Lord must be most important in our lives, and we must follow Him. He must be our Shepherd in every area and activity of our lives. All of our lives must be under His direction and control. If we allow Him to control our lives, Psalm 23:1 tells us that we "shall not be in want." He will provide for all of our needs, if we trust Him.
Psalm 23:2 says, "He makes me lie down in green pastures." When you or I get too involved with our busy lives or lose sight of our passion to serve the Lord, He will intervene in our lives.
He will use some event or circumstance to compel us to rest in Him. He wants us to rest secure and content in Him.
Green pastures in Psalm 23 are a metaphor for abundant life or for all that makes life flourish. Some of the circumstances the Lord allows in our lives may not seem like green pastures. They seem more like brown dried up pastures. We do not want to "lie down" and trust our Good Shepherd. We may try to "fix" the problem on our own. But what you or I see as a bad circumstance in our life may actually be for our good. The Lord may be trying to make some repairs in our character and in our heart. The Lord may be operating on us spiritually to remove selfishness and arrogance or self-reliance from our lives. The Lord is in control. We simply need to trust Him. We must remain teachable. If the Lord has allowed a difficult situation in our lives, we must submit to Him and rest in Him.
Psalm 23:2 goes on to say, "He leads me besides quiet waters." The Lord leads us like a shepherd. Jesus Christ is out in front of us today. He is already in the future, so we need not fear the future. Our future is secure in Him. Jesus, our Good Shepherd, is in the business of stilling the raging waters and storms of our lives and leading us by "quiet waters." The Lord leads us to His rest. He provides for our security, nourishment, and sense of well-being.
Sheep panic when they are around raging waters. This is because sheep can drown very easily. The Lord is our Shepherd, and He can still whatever raging waters are in our lives that cause us to panic. The Lord will still them at the right moment in in His perfect timing. Faith is a refusal to panic; because we know that our Shepherd, Jesus, is in complete control. He is our peace! He is our Shepherd!
Thursday, March 31, 2016
Luke 10:38-42
She had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord's feet listening to what He said. But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made. Luke 10:39-40
We must not get so involved with life's busy and hectic schedule that we forget to sit at Jesus' feet. We must never neglect our quiet time with Him in prayer and Bible reading. In our Biblical story today Jesus was visiting in the home of Martha and Mary. How excited Martha and Mary must have been to have the Lord Jesus come to their home! Martha was an energetic "take charge" type person. Perhaps Mary was a more "laid back" and meditative person. God uses all kinds of personalities in His kingdom for different purposes. So no matter what personality type we possess we can be used by the Lord. We need to bring ourselves and our personalities under the Lordship of the Lord, however, and we must seek to do all for His glory.
When Jesus came to Martha and Mary's house Luke chapter ten verse thirty-nine says that Mary "sat at the Lord's feet listening to what He said." Martha, however, was running around frantically making preparations for the meal that she was planning to serve the Lord Jesus. Luke chapter ten verse forty tells us that Martha was very "distracted by all the preparations that had to be made."
Soon Martha became annoyed that her sister, Mary, was not helping her. She complained to Jesus in the last part of verse forty. Martha said, "Lord, don't You care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!" Jesus answered Martha in Luke chapter ten verses forty-one and forty-two by saying, "you are worried and upset about many things, but only one thing is needed. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her." Jesus was not condemning Martha for her service. God's kingdom needs people who are energetic in His service. Jesus, however, was admonishing Martha for allowing her busy schedule to interfere with needed and precious time in the Lord's presence.
So we also must remember that it is not what we do for the Lord that is important. What is important is that we are abiding in the Lord in what we are doing. All of our activity should be filled with a sense of the Lord's presence right beside, before, and behind us. Our lives must be filled with His agenda and not our own. To be about God's agenda in this world we need to be abiding in Him and communing with Him. We must not become so involved with life's activities that we miss the joy of Mary who sat at the Lord's feet listening to Him.
In these days of tension, turmoil, and frantic schedules we must take time for quiet times with the Lord in His Holy Word and prayer. This is the one thing that is needed and essential in our lives! It should be our number one priority in our lives to grow in our love relationship with the Lord. Even if we are busy in service for the Lord, if we neglect time sitting at the Lord's feet; our service for the Lord will not be blessed. Only when we have taken time with the Lord can we experience the peace and joy of the awareness of His presence in our many activities of the day.
I at one time had a placard on a windowsill in my kitchen. I think it must have gotten lost in one of my moves. It read, "God is more interested in my character than in my activity." That reminds me that I need to more concerned with showing a Christ-like character than in accomplishing all the things on my "to do" list. God is interested in our service, but we can only properly serve Him, if we first have spent time with Him!
We must not get so involved with life's busy and hectic schedule that we forget to sit at Jesus' feet. We must never neglect our quiet time with Him in prayer and Bible reading. In our Biblical story today Jesus was visiting in the home of Martha and Mary. How excited Martha and Mary must have been to have the Lord Jesus come to their home! Martha was an energetic "take charge" type person. Perhaps Mary was a more "laid back" and meditative person. God uses all kinds of personalities in His kingdom for different purposes. So no matter what personality type we possess we can be used by the Lord. We need to bring ourselves and our personalities under the Lordship of the Lord, however, and we must seek to do all for His glory.
When Jesus came to Martha and Mary's house Luke chapter ten verse thirty-nine says that Mary "sat at the Lord's feet listening to what He said." Martha, however, was running around frantically making preparations for the meal that she was planning to serve the Lord Jesus. Luke chapter ten verse forty tells us that Martha was very "distracted by all the preparations that had to be made."
Soon Martha became annoyed that her sister, Mary, was not helping her. She complained to Jesus in the last part of verse forty. Martha said, "Lord, don't You care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!" Jesus answered Martha in Luke chapter ten verses forty-one and forty-two by saying, "you are worried and upset about many things, but only one thing is needed. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her." Jesus was not condemning Martha for her service. God's kingdom needs people who are energetic in His service. Jesus, however, was admonishing Martha for allowing her busy schedule to interfere with needed and precious time in the Lord's presence.
So we also must remember that it is not what we do for the Lord that is important. What is important is that we are abiding in the Lord in what we are doing. All of our activity should be filled with a sense of the Lord's presence right beside, before, and behind us. Our lives must be filled with His agenda and not our own. To be about God's agenda in this world we need to be abiding in Him and communing with Him. We must not become so involved with life's activities that we miss the joy of Mary who sat at the Lord's feet listening to Him.
In these days of tension, turmoil, and frantic schedules we must take time for quiet times with the Lord in His Holy Word and prayer. This is the one thing that is needed and essential in our lives! It should be our number one priority in our lives to grow in our love relationship with the Lord. Even if we are busy in service for the Lord, if we neglect time sitting at the Lord's feet; our service for the Lord will not be blessed. Only when we have taken time with the Lord can we experience the peace and joy of the awareness of His presence in our many activities of the day.
I at one time had a placard on a windowsill in my kitchen. I think it must have gotten lost in one of my moves. It read, "God is more interested in my character than in my activity." That reminds me that I need to more concerned with showing a Christ-like character than in accomplishing all the things on my "to do" list. God is interested in our service, but we can only properly serve Him, if we first have spent time with Him!
Wednesday, March 16, 2016
Easter's Meaning
(I
am deviating from my normal activity here, and I am writing an Easter
devotional instead. I will not be posting next week. Use this time to read some of my older posts. The next post will be on or around March 31. Have a blessing Easter.)
We
are celebrating Easter in a few days. What does Easter mean to you,
dear Christian reader? How does it relate to your life with its joys
and struggles?
Easter
means that the Lord Jesus came to this earth and lived a perfect life
for you and me. He later died on the cross to pay the price for our
sins, and then He arose again on the third day to prove that He had
won over sin and death and Satan. If you and I have accepted his gift
of salvation by repentance and faith, we are His child now and for
eternity.
Easter
also means that Jesus Christ, the Son of God, identifies with your
pain and struggles in your life. He also identifies with the pain of
your loved ones, dear reader. Having suffered the worst possible
pain for us on the cross He is able to sympathize with our heartaches
and weaknesses. He is also an all powerful Savior to whom we can
freely go for grace in our moments of sadness and overwhelming and
crushing needs.
In
fact Hebrews chapter four verses fifteen and sixteen says “For we
do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our
weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just
as we are-yet was without sin. Let us then approach the throne of
grace with confidence so that we may receive mercy and find grace to
help us in our time of need.”
Because
of Easter and Christ's sacrifice you can freely approach God the
Father Himself with your and your loved one's needs, dear reader. You
can cry out to Him for help and according to Romans chapter eight
verse fifteen call Him your “Abba Father,” because He considers
you His special child. Easter also means that when your heart is so
weighed down with the heartaches and overwhelming circumstances of
life that you do not even know how to pray, the Holy Spirit will
intercede and pray for you!
Easter means that although you will always face trials and
troubles in this world, the Lord Jesus Christ has overcome the
world. He is also your source of peace even in the most
challenging of times. (John 16:33) Even in the overwhelming and unthinkable circumstances of life, when we do not understand
God's ways in allowing certain things in our lives, God is working for our ultimate good.
We are victors in Him!
Dear
Christian reader, my hope for you would be that when difficulties
occur in your life you will slowly heal emotionally and spiritually
through God's loving and healing hand. God will always be with you,
and joy will return one day in even the overwhelming trials of life.
His love for you will never fail. He proved that love for you on the
cross. I also pray that you will find joy both in the pleasant times
and in the difficult moments, because of the tremendous and eternal
love the Lord has for you, That is the meaning of Easter for all of
us.
Thursday, March 10, 2016
Mark 14:1-11
"She did what she could." Mark 14:8
The religious leaders of Jesus Christ's day hated Him, and they were looking for a way to arrest Jesus and kill Him. During this time period Jesus was in the home of a man known as Simon. Jesus was sharing a meal with Simon and the others who were present that day. Suddenly Mark chapter fourteen verse three tells us that "a woman came in with an alabaster jar of very expensive perfume made of pure nard. She broke the jar and poured the perfume on His head." We know from this same account in the Gospel of John that this woman was Mary, the sister of Lazarus and Martha. John chapter twelve verse three tells us that Mary poured the perfume "on Jesus' feet and wiped His feet with her hair."
The perfume Mary poured on Jesus' head and feet was made of a delightfully pleasant smelling oil extracted from a root of a plant grown mainly in India and was very expensive. In fact, John chapter twelve verse three goes on to say, "the house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume." This action on Mary's part showed her deep and overflowing devotion and love for the Lord Jesus. It also showed Mary's humility. Mary was not concerned about what others thought about her action. She was only concerned about showing her love for her Lord.
Some of those present, however, were indignant about this and were saying that the money could have been given to the poor. We know from John's Gospel account of this same story that the main person who was objecting to this display of love on the part of Mary was Judas Iscariot. Judas Iscariot was the man who right after this incident went out and betrayed Jesus to the religious leaders of that day. Others were also rebuking Mary for her act of love to Jesus; but Jesus said to them in Mark chapter fourteen verses six through nine, "Why are you bothering her? She has done a beautiful thing to Me. The poor you will always have with you, and your can help them any time you want. But you will not always have Me. She did what she could. She poured perfume on my body beforehand to prepare for My burial. I tell you the truth, wherever the gospel is preached throughout the world, what she had done will also be told, in memory of her."
While others rebuked Mary for her act of love, Jesus praised her. Mary gave all she could to show her love for the Lord. Can we say the same for ourselves? Do we give our all to the Lord? The Lord wants our time, our talents, our lives, and our all. Jesus wants the the sweet fragrance of our Christ-like actions and attitudes to fill our world around us, so that others see Jesus in us.
Our Lord wants us to be consumed with the desire to bring glory and honor to Him. Our Lord wants us to be consumed with our love relationship with Him. Our lives must be poured out in gratitude to the Lord for what He has done for us. Our Lord Jesus poured out His life for us. Should we not give our all to Him in gratitude and love for His gift of salvation to us? Our selfish wants and desires must diminish and be extinguished, and our consuming desire must be that we may live to reflect Christ's holiness in our lives. John chapter three verse thirty says, "He must become greater; I must become less." May it be our supreme desire that there will be less of self and our selfish desires in our lives. Instead may our lives be poured out for the Lord for His glory and honor!
The religious leaders of Jesus Christ's day hated Him, and they were looking for a way to arrest Jesus and kill Him. During this time period Jesus was in the home of a man known as Simon. Jesus was sharing a meal with Simon and the others who were present that day. Suddenly Mark chapter fourteen verse three tells us that "a woman came in with an alabaster jar of very expensive perfume made of pure nard. She broke the jar and poured the perfume on His head." We know from this same account in the Gospel of John that this woman was Mary, the sister of Lazarus and Martha. John chapter twelve verse three tells us that Mary poured the perfume "on Jesus' feet and wiped His feet with her hair."
The perfume Mary poured on Jesus' head and feet was made of a delightfully pleasant smelling oil extracted from a root of a plant grown mainly in India and was very expensive. In fact, John chapter twelve verse three goes on to say, "the house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume." This action on Mary's part showed her deep and overflowing devotion and love for the Lord Jesus. It also showed Mary's humility. Mary was not concerned about what others thought about her action. She was only concerned about showing her love for her Lord.
Some of those present, however, were indignant about this and were saying that the money could have been given to the poor. We know from John's Gospel account of this same story that the main person who was objecting to this display of love on the part of Mary was Judas Iscariot. Judas Iscariot was the man who right after this incident went out and betrayed Jesus to the religious leaders of that day. Others were also rebuking Mary for her act of love to Jesus; but Jesus said to them in Mark chapter fourteen verses six through nine, "Why are you bothering her? She has done a beautiful thing to Me. The poor you will always have with you, and your can help them any time you want. But you will not always have Me. She did what she could. She poured perfume on my body beforehand to prepare for My burial. I tell you the truth, wherever the gospel is preached throughout the world, what she had done will also be told, in memory of her."
While others rebuked Mary for her act of love, Jesus praised her. Mary gave all she could to show her love for the Lord. Can we say the same for ourselves? Do we give our all to the Lord? The Lord wants our time, our talents, our lives, and our all. Jesus wants the the sweet fragrance of our Christ-like actions and attitudes to fill our world around us, so that others see Jesus in us.
Our Lord wants us to be consumed with the desire to bring glory and honor to Him. Our Lord wants us to be consumed with our love relationship with Him. Our lives must be poured out in gratitude to the Lord for what He has done for us. Our Lord Jesus poured out His life for us. Should we not give our all to Him in gratitude and love for His gift of salvation to us? Our selfish wants and desires must diminish and be extinguished, and our consuming desire must be that we may live to reflect Christ's holiness in our lives. John chapter three verse thirty says, "He must become greater; I must become less." May it be our supreme desire that there will be less of self and our selfish desires in our lives. Instead may our lives be poured out for the Lord for His glory and honor!
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