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He Has Risen – April 5, 2021

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Thanks for joining me today for “A Little Walk with God.” I’m your host Richard Agee.

We just enjoyed a grand Easter celebration because Jesus is alive. But it shouldn’t be a once-a-year celebration. Jesus is alive. Think about that a moment. Two thousand years ago, something happened that changed the course of human history, so much so that most of the world determines the date by the man whose death and resurrection caused that change. Today, secularists changed the name of time from BC and AD to BCE to CE. However, the calendar divisions still coincide with Jesus’ birth as described by the calendar developed by Dionysius in 524 AD under Pope John I. They can change the name, but they cannot change the fact.

Jesus’ resurrection proved him as Israel’s long-awaited Messiah. God’s promised King of all creation to bring freedom and rule over all the world. In Jerusalem, the political and religious leaders thought they defeated the uprising Jesus led with his band of followers proclaiming him Messiah when they nailed him to the cross. The resurrection proved them wrong. But Jesus’ uprising did not want to overthrow Rome or even the priesthood. He brought peace, forgiveness, and hope to the world. The promises God gave Abraham, David, Moses, and Israel in his covenants with them. The message they were supposed to share with the nations to bring others into the family of God, expanding his kingdom to all people.

Since that day, Christians have heard from non-believers that Easter is just a story, Jesus’ followers made it up to keep the revolt alive. Just look at the differences in the gospels, they say. Of course, they disregard the fact that if all the testimonies are identical in a court of law, the opposition will tell you the witnesses were coached. No one sees an event or talks about a traumatic event the same way. Without some trivial differences in the testimonies of witnesses, juries must conclude serious doubt. That’s what we see in the gospels, trivial differences. The event is the resurrection. Who got to the tomb first, whether the angels were inside or outside the tomb, whether there were one or two angels, how the linens were arranged, these are trivial compared to the fact that a dead man was no longer dead, but alive just as he predicted.

Then some would not believe it because the first who saw the risen Lord were women. The gospels reported Mary first seeing the risen Lord in the garden at first thinking him the gardener. In that culture, a woman’s testimony wasn’t considered trustworthy. If the gospels writers wanted to make up the story, they would use men, not women, to tell of the resurrection. We notice by the time Paul begins telling the story for the church, the women’s testimonies are left out, the disciples’ and other followers’ testimonies support seeing the risen Jesus, but not the women. Why? Women’s testimony would cast doubt on the event in his culture.

Then we have the martyrs. Why would ten of the eleven disciples, Paul, and thousands of others willingly go to their death, refusing to renounce their faith in Jesus and his resurrection if they did not believe it? All they had to do was say the words, and they could save their lives, but they did not and would not do so. For those who were Roman citizens, death came quickly as they were beheaded. Rome could create indescribably horrible torture for those who were not Roman citizens before their end finally came.

One such form of cruelty described by the historian Josephus, a Christian would hang by one hand over a pack of hungry dogs while they jumped and clamored over one another to eat what flesh they could. If the victim didn’t die, they would haul them back to the prison cell to be brought out again to feed other animals or tie them to horses and pulled apart. Still, they would remain loyal to Christ. Incredibly, their suffering and death often spurred others to come to Jesus because of their unshakeable stand for him.

So, what did Jesus do that caused the world to change so dramatically? Why would the calendar and the world turn upside down because of him? We read the words Peter spoke to Cornelius and his household in Acts 10 that describe part of his work.

Peter began to speak: “I now realize that it is true that God treats everyone on the same basis.Those who fear him and do what is right are acceptable to him, no matter what race they belong to.You know the message he sent to the people of Israel, proclaiming the Good News of peace through Jesus Christ, who is Lord of all.You know of the great event that took place throughout the land of Israel, beginning in Galilee after John preached his message of baptism.You know about Jesus of Nazareth and how God poured out on him the Holy Spirit and power. He went everywhere, doing good and healing all who were under the power of the Devil, for God was with him.We are witnesses of everything that he did in the land of Israel and in Jerusalem. Then they put him to death by nailing him to a cross.But God raised him from death three days later and caused him to appear,not to everyone, but only to the witnesses that God had already chosen, that is, to us who ate and drank with him after he rose from death.And he commanded us to preach the gospel to the people and to testify that he is the one whom God has appointed judge of the living and the dead.All the prophets spoke about him, saying that all who believe in him will have their sins forgiven through the power of his name.” (Acts 10:34-43 GNT)

Jesus came as the human God wants all of us to emulate. Paul tells us in Philippians that he did not exploit his divinity but set it aside and became man to fulfill man’s role as the reflection of God, the embodiment of God, to draw all men to the kingdom. Jesus came announcing peace. He wasn’t the warrior king the Jews wanted in a Messiah, but the King of kings bringing peace and justice to all nations prophesied by Isaiah. He went about doing good, healing people of every sickness, and driving out demons. We hear little about demons in our day. The world will tell you they don’t exist. It’s all part of the story, make-believe. Indeed, some of the issues the middle-ages thought they dealt with were mental illnesses, but we went too far in the other direction, I’m afraid. I believe there exists a spiritual realm we cannot see in which spiritual warfare continues between good and evil, and we behave as willing players on one side or the other. We stand either on God’s side or not. We have a choice, but we cannot stand in the middle; there is no middle ground.

Then Jesus died on the cross, according to the scriptures, as Paul says. It’s much easier to see in hindsight than with foresight, which I think is why Jesus had to explain the scriptures about himself to the two men on the road to Emmaus on that first Easter morning. Now we can look at scripture and see all those verses that tell us his suffering, scourging, death on the cross, the casting lots for his robe, and so many other points in his life that fulfill prophecy. He did what Israel and no other self-proclaimed Messiah had done or could do.

What did his death on the cross do? Once and for all, he made a way for us to break away from the power of idolatry, whatever that idol might be. Today, it is most likely to be money, power, or sex. Those are the big three. Those might be absorbed in jobs, material things, family, position, pornography, affairs, or anything you put in front of God. But Jesus’ death on the cross, his lifeblood cleansed the place where God and man meet on earth. And his sacrifice means we can come into God’s presence repentantly and our sins will be passed over, forgiven, because of the blood spilled on our behalf, just as the angel of death passed over the houses of the Israelites at their Exodus from Egypt. We are freed from the power of evil. Free to worship God as we should.

Jesus’ resurrection vindicated him from the Jewish leaders’ accusations and others who discredited his role as Messiah. Those who followed the scriptures believed the Messiah could not die, especially before returning the Israelites from exile and seeing God return to revisit his people. His presence had not been seen in the Temple since Ezekiel’s vision of his glory departing the city and stopping above the Mount of Olives. Messiah would restore the dwelling of God and return his glory. But this Jesus died on the cross. The empty tomb, his bodily resurrection, proved his victory even over the power of death.

Jesus did one more thing with his resurrection. He pulled the future into the present. Some Jews and other pagan religions believed in a resurrection at the end of time when God would judge our actions in this life, and we would be rewarded or punished for our deeds. Jesus brought that future into the present with his resurrection. No others have or will experience it until the end, but he brought the ‘age to come,’ as the Jews refer to it, into the present. As Paul described him, he is the firstfruits of the resurrection, and we will follow him with renewed bodies into a renewed creation at his coming again.

The kingdom has come. God’s spirit dwells in those who believe in him for salvation. Heaven and earth come together in us as heaven and earth came together in the Garden of Eden and the tabernacle in the wilderness and the Temple in Jerusalem. One day, Jesus will return, and the New Jerusalem will appear; the new creation has begun, and we who believe in him are part of it. Our mission is to share the message of his life, death, and resurrection. We are to share the announcement of the new creation coming and that we can all be part of the kingdom he ushered in by his actions on the cross and that first Easter morning.

Every day is a day to celebrate the fact that he has risen, and he is coming again. In the meantime, share the message that Jesus is now and always will be King of all nations, Lord over all powers and people, Master of everyone and everything. Let us worship him in renewed strength, giving him all the glory he deserves as we await his return.

You can find me at richardagee.com. I also invite you to join us at San Antonio First Church of the Nazarene on West Avenue in San Antonio to hear more Bible-based teaching. You can find out more about my church at SAF.church. Thanks for listening. If you enjoyed it, tell a friend. If you didn’t, send me an email and let me know how better to reach out to those around you. Until next week, may God richly bless you as you venture into His story each day.

Scriptures marked GNT are taken from the Good News Translation®: Scriptures taken from the Good News Translation® (Today’s English Version, Second Edition) Copyright © 1992 American Bible Society. All rights reserved.

Can you hear him?, February 11, 2019

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Thanks for joining me today for “A Little Walk with God.” I’m your host Richard Agee.

As we continue looking at scripture references that come from the common lectionary, this week’s readings included a familiar passage from Isaiah 6 in which the prophet gets a glimpse into the throne room of heaven. It tells us of the time and place of his commission as a prophet. The words are best told from his mouth so here is how Isaiah expresses the experience in chapter six.

6:1 In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord sitting on a throne, high and lofty; and the hem of his robe filled the temple.

6:2 Seraphs were in attendance above him; each had six wings: with two they covered their faces, and with two they covered their feet, and with two they flew.

6:3 And one called to another and said: “Holy, holy, holy is the LORD of hosts; the whole earth is full of his glory.”

6:4 The pivots on the thresholds shook at the voices of those who called, and the house filled with smoke.

6:5 And I said: “Woe is me! I am lost, for I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips; yet my eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts!”

6:6 Then one of the seraphs flew to me, holding a live coal that had been taken from the altar with a pair of tongs.

6:7 The seraph touched my mouth with it and said: “Now that this has touched your lips, your guilt has departed and your sin is blotted out.”

6:8 Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?” And I said, “Here am I; send me!”

6:9 And he said, “Go and say to this people: ‘Keep listening, but do not comprehend; keep looking, but do not understand.’

6:10 Make the mind of this people dull, and stop their ears, and shut their eyes, so that they may not look with their eyes, and listen with their ears, and comprehend with their minds, and turn and be healed.”

6:11 Then I said, “How long, O Lord?” And he said: “Until cities lie waste without inhabitant, and houses without people, and the land is utterly desolate;

6:12 until the LORD sends everyone far away, and vast is the emptiness in the midst of the land.

6:13 Even if a tenth part remain in it, it will be burned again, like a terebinth or an oak whose stump remains standing when it is felled.” The holy seed is its stump.

Can you imagine what it must have been like to be Isaiah at that moment? At times I think I would like to have accompanied him on that trip to see the throne. Most of the time, though, I think I’m glad I haven’t had that experience. Take a look at his words and the terrible fear he felt being in God’s presence. Why? Because he like all of us find it impossible to bear the weight of our sins in the presence of a holy God. He is so pure, so innocent, so incredibly good, that in his presence we see only how base and sinful and how far short we are from the lives he desires for us.

We are unworthy to come near him, yet he invites us to come. We are unworthy to carry his message of forgiveness, yet his plan is for us to do just that. We are so away from the kind of life he wants us to portray as a life of godliness and holiness, but he gives us the command to go make disciples and teach them by our example.

Why would God ever choose to put the hope of mankind in our hands? Why would he choose people so desperate for forgiveness and so hungry for cleansing from the filth of sin to share his message?

I think the answer is simple. When we are forgiven, we can forgive. When we experience his mercy, we can show mercy. When we have a taste of his grace in our lives, we can spread his grace to those around us so they can get a small taste of who God is and what he wants for all mankind. So we see Isaiah at his lowest.

“God, how can I be here in your presence as a sinful man? Even though a priest, I will die because I am so far from your holiness. I am undone!”

But God ignores Isaiah’s self incrimination. He looks around and asks a simple question, “Who will carry my message?”

“Here I am, choose me.”

I can picture Isaiah standing at the very back of the room trying to hide behind the angels. I can see him just peeking around those giant messengers of God trying not to be seen lest he encounter God’s wrath because of his distance from true heart purity. But the question reaches his ears and in the moment I can see him frantically waving his arms above his head and screaming out, “Here I am. Look I don’t want to hide anymore. You have touched me and done something in me that I never dreamed possible. You’ve taken away my guilt and cleaned up my heart. You made me whole again. Here I am, way back in the back. God, look. Send me. Let me do whatever it is you want done.”

That’s what it’s like what God does his work in your heart. When he cleans us up, we can’t help but be ready to do his bidding. When we are freed from the stain and guilt of sin, we can’t help but jump up and down, wave our arms in the air, and volunteer for the God who does all things well. We can’t help but give ourselves to him in complete obedience.

Was Isaiah’s life easy after that? Far from it. Being a prophet for God is hard. No one wants to listen to you. No one wants to believe the message you say is from God. Most will think you are a bit crazy. Many will be ready to kill you because of the message. That is the way it was from Isaiah and that is the way it still is today. In fact, there are more martyrs for the cause of Christ every year today than there have ever been in all of history.

Living for God is hard. Jesus told us the world would hate us because of him. He told us we might lose everything because of him. He told us we would have to take up our cross and follow him. For some that means a literal cross on which we sacrifice our flesh and blood for him. For others the cross means giving up our assets or our families or our livelihood or a host of other things. The cross we bear is different for everyone, but we must all take up the cross that belongs to us. We must carry it and realize it is part of God’s plan for us to do so.

It was hard for Isaiah. It was hard for Jeremiah. It was hard for the disciples and for Paul. It is hard for anyone and everyone who picks up the mantle God gives. But is it worth it? That is the question to be answered when at the end of the day fatigue sets in and progress seems so small.

And what is the answer? Ask Isaiah. Ask Jeremiah. Ask Paul and all those who have gone before us. The will give you a resounding answer, “Yes! Absolutely!” Isaiah stood at the very foot of the throne of God and saw him high and lifted up. What a sight. Paul saw Jesus on the road to Damascus. What an opportunity. God speaks to his people. It may be through his written word. It may be through a dear Christian friend or through circumstances surrounding you. It may be in a thousand different ways, but when we listen intently for his voice, we will hear him.

And when he speaks to his children, very often he has a chore for us to do. He doesn’t want us standing around idle. He wants us busy at his purpose. He wants us to be part of his plan. He wants us to spread the message of forgiveness to all who will believe and follow him.

So what is he telling you? Can you hear him calling? Can you sense the task he has for you today? Step up. Believe he will help you. Understand, like Isaiah, that God wants to use you to carry his message by your actions to a lost world that desperately needs his love and forgiveness. He speaks today. Listen for his voice, then obey his command. I will tell you on God’s authority that it won’t be easy, but it will certainly be worth it.

You can find me at richardagee.com. I also invite you to join us at San Antonio First Church of the Nazarene on West Avenue in San Antonio to hear more Bible based teaching. You can find out more about my church at SAF.church. Thanks for listening. If you enjoyed it, tell a friend. If you didn’t, send me an email and let me know how better to reach out to those around you. Until next week, may God richly bless you as you venture into His story each day.

The Voice Bible Copyright © 2012 Thomas Nelson, Inc. The Voice™ translation © 2012 Ecclesia Bible Society All rights reserved. In accordance with the requirements for FTC full disclosure, I may have affiliate relationships with some or all of the producers of the items mentioned in this post who may provide a small commission to me when purchased through this site.

The advantage of living now (John 6:53-58), February 7, 2017

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Today’s Podcast

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Thanks for joining me today for “A Little Walk with God.” I’m your host Richard Agee.
We sometimes forget the advantage we have living on this side of the cross when we read the words of Jesus. We think it would be so easy to believe if we could have seen Him in person and listened to Him speak while He walked the earth. But was it so easy then?
Scripture
1. John 6:53-58
2. Jesus: I tell you the truth; unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, you will not know life. If you eat My flesh and drink My blood, then you will have eternal life and I will raise you up at the end of time. My flesh and blood provide true nourishment. If you eat My flesh and drink My blood, you will abide in Me and I will abide in you. The Father of life who sent Me has given life to Me; and as you eat My flesh, I will give life to you. This is bread that came down from heaven; I am not like the manna that your fathers ate and then died! If you eat this bread, your life will never end.
Devotional
1. The words Jesus shares with the crowd that day were hard words for them to accept.
  1. The last Passover supper was a long time away.
  2. Covenant with His disciples had not yet been announced
  3. Death on the cross that explained His sacrifice and symbolism of His flesh and blood was still in the future and unseen by all those around Him
  4. How could they understand
2. Why would Jesus give these words that would drive people away from His message of love and forgiveness?
  1. Christianity is not an easy life
  2. Must count the cost to serve Him
  3. More will hate your message than like your message
  4. No watered down, easy road, do as you please religion
  5. Prepare us for what is to come
3. Message He gives the crowd that day
  1. If you consume what the world offers, you die
  2. If you consume what He offers, you live
  3. Hard to understand sometimes, but that is the mystery of God
  4. Beyond our knowing because He is God and we are not
4. In a battle for our lives
  1. Satan lies and is the father of lies
  2. Listen to God’s truth
  3. Trust His word and follow His direction
  4. Obey and live
If you want to learn more about my church, you can find us at SAF.church. If you like the devotional, share it with someone. If you don’t, tell me. I hope you’ll join me again tomorrow for “A Little Walk with God.”

Did Jesus condone cannibalism? (John 6:43-51), February 6, 2017

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Thanks for joining me today for “A Little Walk with God.” I’m your host Richard Agee.
Cannibalism is one of the most taboo practices throughout the civilized world. We revolt at even the thought of the action. What would you do if Jesus hinted at the practice when He talked to you? That’s just what some of those around Him were thinking one day.
Scripture
1. John 6:43-51
2. Jesus: Stop grumbling under your breaths. If the Father who sent Me does not draw you, then there’s no way you can come to Me. But I will resurrect everyone who does come on the last day. Among the prophets, it’s written, “Everyone will be taught of God.” So everyone who has heard and learned from the Father finds Me. No one has seen the Father, except the One sent from God. He has seen the Father. I am telling you the truth: the one who accepts these things has eternal life. I am the bread that gives life. Your fathers ate manna in the wilderness, and they died as you know. But there is another bread that comes from heaven; if you eat this bread, you will not die. I am the living bread that has come down from heaven to rescue those who eat it. Anyone who eats this bread will live forever. The bread that I will give breathes life into the cosmos. This bread is My flesh.
Devotional
1. If you studied much history about the settlement of the west, you’ve heard of the Donner Party. George Donner led 89 pioneers out of Springfield, Illinois in April 1846 on their way to California. They took a new, supposedly shorter route scouted by a guide that led them into some pretty treacherous terrain. The party became trapped in the high Sierra Mountains in late October due to heavy snowfall and the legends of the day continue that the party survived only by resorting to cannibalism. They finally arrived in California the next year.
2. Why bring up the Donner Party?
  1. We still remember their means of survival 160 years later.
  2. We view cannibalism as a most heinous crime
  3. Jeffrey Dahmer, Peter Bryan, Ed Gein (serial killer which inspired the character for Silence of the Lamb
  4. Wikipedia 50 reports between April 2000 and August 2016, 28 since 2010
  5. We’re revolted by the thought
3. Imagine the reaction when Jesus gave these words, “Anyone who eats this bread will live forever. The bread that I will give breathes life into the cosmos. This bread is my flesh.
  1. Sounded like cannibalism to those who heard His message on the surface
  2. Without listening to all He had to say and trusting Him, His message caused revolt
  3. The world hated His message when they thought He talked to eating His flesh
  4. How would you react?
4. We live on this side of the cross and understand the symbolism Jesus shared with those who heard His words that day. We understand He gave Himself for us and we partake in the remembrance of Jesus’ death through the sacrament of the Lord’s Supper, Communion, the Eucharist, whatever name you choose to call that special remembrance of God’s sacrifice for us. Can you understand why the world, without faith, hates us? Can you begin to see why non-believers revolt at the mention of Jesus’ name?
  1. Never condoned the practice of cannibalism
  2. Must understand He wants us to consume Him, the word, God’s message, the reason for His coming, devour everything He brings to us
  3. Become a spiritual cannibal
5. Until we believe that Jesus’ words are true and draw close to Him in faith, we will not enjoy the life eternal He promises. Until we begin to consume Him in every part of our life, we cannot enjoy all He has in store for us.
If you want to learn more about my church, you can find us at SAF.church. If you like the devotional, share it with someone. If you don’t, tell me. I hope you’ll join me again tomorrow for “A Little Walk with God.”

A simple message that changed the world (Luke 52-53), January 10, 2017

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Today’s Podcast

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Thanks for joining me today for “A Little Walk with God.” I’m your host Richard Agee.
Does God have a mission for you that might just change the world? Sometimes He gives someone a simple message that does just that.
Scripture
1. Luke 22:52-53
2. Jesus: Do you think I’m some sort of violent criminal? Is that why you came with swords and clubs? I haven’t been hard to find—each day I’ve been in the temple in broad daylight, and you never tried to seize Me there. But this is your time—night—and this is your power—the power of darkness.
Devotional
1. In just a few days we will celebrate Martin Luther King Day in the United States. This year it is on January 16th if you don’t have a calendar handy. Through the years there has been some controversy about whether or not we should have a holiday celebrating his birth, but there is a lot of controversy today about celebrating Jesus birth, too. A lot of difference in the two, but there are a few similarities, too.
  1. Spiritual leader in the sixties
  2. Divided the nation about how we should understand humankind
  3. Promoted peace, not violence
  4. Understood there would never be an end to violence this side of eternity
  5. Life snuffed out because of his preaching
2. Martin Luther
  1. Named after great protestant reformer
  2. Baptist preacher
  3. Decried injustice between blacks and whites in the 50’s and 60’s
  4. Became the symbol for peaceful demonstration to demand equality
  5. Never wanted violence and consistently condemned those who did
  6. Was willing to die for the cause he supported
3. Jesus’ words today remind us He came in peace, too.
  1. Preached daily
    1. Kingdom of heaven is here
    2. Repent and be saved
    3. Believe in the Son of God
  2. Only act that approached violence was turning the tables over in the temple and driving out the money changers
  3. Career was one of healing, forgiveness, salvation
  4. Openly shared His mission, given to Him by the Father
  5. Was not afraid of death
4. Am I as committed to the mission God has given me?
  1. Sharing His
    1. Love
    2. Forgiveness
    3. Mercy
    4. Grace
  2. Testifying of what he has done for me
If you want to learn more about my church, you can find us at SAF.church. If you like the devotional, share it with someone. If you don’t, tell me. I hope you’ll join me again tomorrow for “A Little Walk with God.”

The Voice Bible Copyright © 2012 Thomas Nelson, Inc. The Voice™ translation © 2012 Ecclesia Bible Society All rights reserved.
In accordance with the requirements for FTC full disclosure, I may have affiliate relationships with some or all of the producers of the items mentioned in this post who may provide a small commission to me when purchased through this site.

Practice His practices (Luke 15:3-10) December 6, 2016

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Today’s Bible reading plan:

Read it in a year – Nehemiah 5-9

see the whole year’s plan [here](http://www.bible-reading.com/bible-plan.pdf)

Today’s Devotional

Luke 15:3-10
Jesus (with another parable): Wouldn’t every single one of you, if you have 100 sheep and lose one, leave the 99 in their grazing lands and go out searching for the lost sheep until you find it? When you find the lost sheep, wouldn’t you hoist it up on your shoulders, feeling wonderful? And when you go home, wouldn’t you call together your friends and neighbors? Wouldn’t you say, “Come over and celebrate with me, because I’ve found my lost sheep”? This is how it is in heaven. They’re happier over one sinner who changes his way of life than they are over 99 good and just people who don’t need to change their ways of life.
Or imagine a woman who has 10 silver coins. She loses one. Doesn’t she light a lamp, sweep the whole house, and search diligently until that coin is found? And when she finds it, doesn’t she invite her friends and neighbors and say, “Celebrate with me! I’ve found that silver coin that I lost”? Can’t you understand? There is joy in the presence of all God’s messengers over even one sinner who changes his way of life.

What do Jesus’ words mean for us today?

Maybe it’s just because I’m getting older and notice it more, but I really think it’s true. We, who call ourselves Christians become more and more critical without showing God’s grace in return. This past year I’ve really noticed it. Even in this season of the year when people normally get a little more cheerful as we approach the celebration of Christ’s birth, I’ve noticed we are still on this string of harsh criticism of one another. We single out that one that is outside of God’s will, or at least what we think is His will, and blast his or her behavior. We cry out for justice or more likely for revenge. But we don’t do anything to try to bring them back into a relationship with God.

Isn’t that what we are supposed to be doing, though? Aren’t we supposed to be sharing God’s love and grace? Aren’t we supposed to be extending His mercy and teaching others what it means to love each other rather than hating each other? We don’t seem to do that very well these days, though. We criticize and complain and condemn rather than try to bring others into the kingdom by sharing the message Jesus gave us to share with the world.

If all heaven rejoices at the recovery of just one sinner, then shouldn’t we be working hard to find those lost souls and introduce them to the One who can bring them back into the fold? Shouldn’t we be finding ways to befriend the lost so that they will listen to the message rather than ranting and raving against them so that they immediately feel ostracized from us?

I think Jesus wants us to pattern our lives after His. His great commission was to teach others His practices. If you look at one of the reasons the temple leaders condemned Him, it was because He associated with sinners. He ate with prostitutes and tax collectors. He talked with people the Pharisees and scribes felt were below their status and should be avoided. So if that was jesus’ practice, isn’t that what we should be doing?

That doesn’t mean we take up their habits. He never did. He never sinned, remember. He kept Himself pure in an evil world. But He associated with the lowest of the low so He could share with them the message of hope He brought to the world. Jesus didn’t care what social status someone had or the crimes they committed or what other people thought about them. He just shared the message of redemption. He shared forgiveness. And with ever person who accepted His message, heaven erupted in joyous praise.

So why have we forgotten that message? Why do we let little meaningless things get in the way of showing God’s love to those who need it most? Instead, we have a tendency to first complain, criticize, and condemn. The world needs more love and laughter. We need more Christians to extend the hand of friendship to those who do not know Christ. How else can we share the message? We certainly can’t expect sinners to listen to a message filled with hate and condemnation, can we? That generates a fight for flight response. We don’t want that. We want them to know our Jesus. Only a friend can share that message. Jesus knew that. That’s why He ate with and talked with and worked with those that needed Him most.

So today as you go about your daily routine, who in the circle of people you meet do you need to reach out to improve your relationship? Who needs to become more than just someone you see and change into someone that needs a friend, you? Who do you know that needs to know your Jesus? The only way you can introduce Him is to get to the point in your relationship that he or she will trust you enough to know you genuinely care about their eternity. Only friends do that. Does that compromise your purity? It didn’t for Jesus. He didn’t change His behavior. He just made friends wherever He went. It’s one of His practices we need to improve upon.

The Voice Bible Copyright © 2012 Thomas Nelson, Inc. The Voice™ translation © 2012 Ecclesia Bible Society All rights reserved.
In accordance with the requirements for FTC full disclosure, I may have affiliate relationships with some or all of the producers of the items mentioned in this post who may provide a small commission to me when purchased through this site.

How will they find Him? (Luke 9:55-56) October 22, 2016

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Today’s Podcast

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Today’s Bible reading plan:

Read it in a year – Acts 9-10

see the whole year’s plan [here](http://www.bible-reading.com/bible-plan.pdf)

Today’s Devotional

Luke 9:55-56
Jesus (turning toward them and shaking His head): You just don’t get it. The Son of Man didn’t come to ruin the lives of people, but He came to liberate them.

What do Jesus’ words mean for us today?

Football season has started in earnest once again. It’s always interesting to watch the energy and enthusiasm displayed by fans. Some go a little over the top with their enthusiasm, though. When you paint your body green and then stand in sub-zero temperatures to root for your team with nothing on to cover you but that green paint, that’s going a little far. And if you start to say something about that fan’s favorite team, start looking for a fight. Don’t dare get in the way of a true fan and his love for the team. You might find yourself enjoying the services of one of the finest hospitals in your hometown. This sports fan stuff is serious business.

James and John were acting like those sports fans. “Jesus, these guys are not on our team! Should we do like Elijah did and pray for fire and brimstone to fall from the sky and destroy these people who don’t follow you? Don’t they understand that you are the Son of God. Don’t they understand that God has come to earth and you are here to save all of us? Jesus, just say the word and we will join you in prayer and get rid of all these folks that are on the wrong side of the aisle. What do you say?”

James and John were pretty adamant about folks choosing sides and then wiping out anyone that wasn’t sitting on their side of the field. But that wasn’t what Jesus came to do. He certainly wanted people to choose what side they would be on. He wanted everyone to make a choice about who they would follow. He wanted to see all come to the realization that God wanted salvation for everyone. That was His mission. He came to save the lost. But James and John didn’t understand the rules and let their enthusiasm turn their understanding into a game of follow the leader instead of true faith.

James and John wanted Jesus to ascend to the throne of David and free His people from the bondage they had suffered since Babylon enslaved them 600 years earlier. They didn’t understand that Jesus wanted to free everyone who would ever live from the bondage of sin that ensnares us. This was a battle to be fought in the spiritual realm, not on the political or military battlefields around Judea or Rome.

And oh, by the way, these same people that James and John wanted to destroy, God created in the same way He created James and John. He made everyone and everything in all creation. So how could God not want to do everything He could to call these back into His favor just as He was trying to call the Israelites back into His favor. You see, that was part of the problem that caused Him to come into our world in the human form in the first place.

God entrusted the message of salvation to a group of people descended from Abraham and gave Abraham a covenant that included instructions to bless all nations with that message. Share with the world the story of the God you serve. Let them know how Jehovah blesses and keeps and provides and protects when you serve Him with all your heart. But Abraham and his descendants failed to share that message. They failed to live the message and even those who understood the story God wanted them to share horded it instead of sharing it.

God wanted to use His chosen people as His emissaries to the rest of the world to spread His message of salvation. When they failed, He came to share the message Himself. When His people still didn’t listen, God sent messengers like Paul and Barnabas and Peter to evangelize the Gentiles to spread the good news that God could and would lift the guilt of sin from our shoulders if we would but repent and ask His Son, Jesus for forgiveness, through the washing of His the blood He shed for us on the cross as a sacrifice for our sins.

James and John didn’t understand. Too many of us today don’t understand, either. We act just like James and John pushing anyone that’s not like us, that’s not part of our team away. Hey, they don’t belong to our church or our denomination, so they can’t be part of the kingdom or God’s work. Hey, they don’t have the same color of skin, so they aren’t welcome in my church. Hey, they don’t speak the same language I speak, I don’t know what they’re saying behind my back, so they can’t come around here. They might be plotting some sinister threat against us. They come from one of those countries on the terrorist watch list. How do we know they aren’t here to gather information and kill us all? We can’t let them in.

You see, we can get just as bad as those rabid sports fans or as bad as James and John if we’re not careful. Jesus wants everyone to find Him. But how will they find Him if you and I don’t tell them?

The Voice Bible Copyright © 2012 Thomas Nelson, Inc. The Voice™ translation © 2012 Ecclesia Bible Society All rights reserved.
In accordance with the requirements for FTC full disclosure, I may have affiliate relationships with some or all of the producers of the items mentioned in this post who may provide a small commission to me when purchased through this site.

How can we fail? (Luke 9:3-5) October 19, 2016

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Today’s Podcast

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Today’s Bible reading plan:

Read it in a year – Psalms 120-121

see the whole year’s plan [here](http://www.bible-reading.com/bible-plan.pdf)

Today’s Devotional

Luke 9:3-5
These were Jesus’ instructions:
Travel light on your journey: don’t take a staff, backpack, bread, money, or even an extra change of clothes.
When you enter a house, stay there until you leave that city.
If a town rejects you, shake the dust from your feet as you leave as a witness against them.

What do Jesus’ words mean for us today?

I wonder if Jesus’ disciples thought He had lost His mind when He gave them these instructions as He sent them out into the surrounding towns and villages to share God’s message that the kingdom of heaven is at hand. Are you kidding me? Take off without food or money or even anything to change into so I can wash my clothes from one day to the next? Where am I supposed to sleep? How am I supposed to eat? How will I make my way from place to place? Will God really take care of me as I take this message from one village to the next?

If you read a little further in Luke, you’ll find the reports about the disciples’ success. They were amazed at the provisions of a mighty God. They found listening ears. They found unbridled hospitality. They found villages and towns anxious to hear the good news they had to share as they traveled from place to place. Their challenge was trusting God enough to believe He would take care of their needs from day to day. But when they trusted Him, He took care of them.

It’s not unlike so many of the missionaries’ stories you hear from those our churches send into other places to share God’s word and message of salvation. God provides. Sometimes it’s money at just the right time. Sometimes it’s the right person to give guidance or assistance through a particular problem. Sometimes it’s the right place or property or building that seems impossible to secure for God’s use, but suddenly miracles take place and the spot is in your hands. God works through incredible means to secure the things we need to carry out the tasks He has given us to accomplish. When we follow His will for our lives, we cannot fail because it’s really not our mission, it’s His mission. And He can never fail.

What about this find a house and stay there? No invitation? No prior arrangements? Just go knock on the door and tell them we’re staying for a while? Tell them to vacate a bed and make room at the table?

“Well, how long are you staying?” they ask.

“Oh, until we leave.”

“How long will that be?”

“God will let us know. But thanks for the room until then.”

Now that sounds like a plan, doesn’t it? I’m ready to barge into a stranger’s house and tell them I’m taking up residence until God tells me to leave, aren’t you? But see, that’s the interesting thing about how God works. Sometimes God uses what looks like foolishness to the world to accomplish what He wants just to show us that He is in charge. He is God and we are not. He can make things happen behind the scenes that we have no idea is happening.

Jesus told His disciples to kick the dust off their feet in the towns that wouldn’t accept their message as a curse against them. But as you read their reports, I expect they didn’t use those curses much. That was one of the rules Jesus gave them, but God moves ahead of us when He gives us a job to do. I’m not sure they ever exercised that last rule. At least they never reported using it when they returned.

So the message for us today is to recognize that God gives us jobs to do. He doesn’t expect us to sit idle in our pews and just listen to sermons every week and feel good about what the preacher tells us. He doesn’t expect us to just enjoy the music we hear on Sunday or when we happen to turn on a religious radio station. God has jobs He wants us to do. If you listen for Him, you’ll hear Him and He will give you a mission to further His plans to expand His kingdom. He will put you in the path of individuals that need to hear your story and know that God is good and can free them from the bondage of sin just as He freed you from the bondage of sin.

The world will think you foolish in the undertaking of God’s plan. But the world is blinded by Satan’s lies. Remember God created this place and makes everything work. While the world listens to Satan’s lies about what won’t work, God makes it happen. Just listen to Him. Follow His directions. Do what He says. You’ll find that His instructions turn out well every time. After all, He wrote the book. He does the impossible. He is God. How can we fail if we follow in His path?

The Voice Bible Copyright © 2012 Thomas Nelson, Inc. The Voice™ translation © 2012 Ecclesia Bible Society All rights reserved.
In accordance with the requirements for FTC full disclosure, I may have affiliate relationships with some or all of the producers of the items mentioned in this post who may provide a small commission to me when purchased through this site.

Do a little tilling (Luke 8:5-15) October 16, 2016

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Today’s Podcast

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Today’s Bible reading plan:

Read it in a year – Hebrews 11-13

see the whole year’s plan [here](http://www.bible-reading.com/bible-plan.pdf)

Today’s Devotional

Luke 8:5-15
Jesus: Once a farmer went out to scatter seed in his fields. Some seeds fell along a trail where they were crushed underfoot by people walking by. Birds flew in and ate those seeds. Other seeds fell on gravel. Those seeds sprouted but soon withered, depleted of moisture under the scorching sun. Still other seeds landed among thorns where they grew for a while, but eventually the thorns stunted them so they couldn’t thrive or bear fruit. But some seeds fell into good soil—soft, moist, free from thorns. These seeds not only grew, but they also produced more seeds, a hundred times what the farmer originally planted. If you have ears, hear My meaning!
His disciples heard the words, but the deeper meaning eluded them.
Disciples: What were You trying to say?
Jesus: The kingdom of God contains many secrets.
They keep listening, but do not comprehend;
keep observing, but do not understand.
I want you to understand, so here’s the interpretation: The voice of God falls on human hearts like seeds scattered across a field. Some people hear that message, but the devil opposes the liberation that would come to them by believing. So he swoops in and steals the message from their hard hearts like birds stealing the seeds from the footpath. Others receive the message enthusiastically, but their vitality is short-lived because the message cannot be deeply rooted in their shallow hearts. In the heat of temptation, their faith withers, like the seeds that sprouted in gravelly soil. A third group hears the message, but as time passes, the daily anxieties, the pursuit of wealth, and life’s addicting delights outpace the growth of the message in their hearts. Even if the message blossoms and fruit begins to form, the fruit never fully matures because the thorns choke out the plants’ vitality.
But some people hear the message and let it take root deeply in receptive hearts made fertile by honesty and goodness. With patient dependability, they bear good fruit.

What do Jesus’ words mean for us today?

So there are two perspectives from which to view Jesus’ story as He tells it to the crowd that day. Are you the one sowing the seed or are you the soil on which the seed is sown? It’s important to understand that each of us are in both positions all the time if we are part of the kingdom of God. Now why would I say that if we have already heard the word and accepted Christ as Lord of our life? What would make us continue to need to hear this story and apply it to our lives?

Let’s think about the story from the sower’s perspective first. Sometimes and in some places sharing the word will result in only pain and suffering for those who share it with nothing good in return. The hearers are like the hard path Jesus talked about that seed takes no root at all. Sharing the word at those times is a waste of breath and effort. Like arguing with a drunk. Nothing you say will be comprehended or remembered because of the circumstances at the time. Every once in a while you know you’re in that situation, but those don’t come around often.

If I’m honest, most of the time, I think I find myself among rocks and thorns when I’m sharing with people in the world. Either the truth takes little root because of the cultural background of the individual and there just isn’t any comparisons to help make the transition from what they have heard and believed all their life to the truth of God’s word. Or they are so tied to the pleasures of this world and the lies Satan gives us that they don’t want to give them up for any reason. They want the temporary pleasures more than they want eternal life. They want their way and self control more than their willingness to let God control their life. We still should share the message with these because the seed does take root. Some will grow. Most will be choked out because of the rock or the thorns, but some will survive even in that environment. We must share with them and pray that God will rescue them from their situation.

Then there are those you share the word with that are eager to hear. They need to know God’s truth and want hope that nothing and no one can give except God. They want freedom from the burden of sin they carry. The guilt that sin piles on our shoulders that can never be relieved except by the grace of a merciful God. These listen intently to the testimony we give as we share what God has done for us. These are like the rich, moist, fertile soil that produces a bountiful crop at harvest time. These are the people we must find and to whom we must share boldly and openly. These are the ones who will grow to become sowers themselves and reap their own harvests one day.

How about the story from the soil’s perspective? Why would I mention that even believers must take heed to this story? It’s because we never quit learning. God never leaves us as we are because we never attain the perfection He wants us to attain in this life. Remember we live in damaged bodies. We inherited these afflicted frames through the sin scarred world in which we live. So there is a lot of work to be done to help us become more like Christ.

Studies tell us it takes 10,000 of focused practice to become an expert in any field. But to have complete mastery over that same field take much more than that 10,000 hours. There’s a difference between being an expert and having complete mastery over something. God wants us to have mastery by giving Him complete mastery. The problem is we have remnants of that Adamic nature that plagues us as long as we live in these bodies of clay.

So as God gives you instruction, will you be like the hard packed path and not listen to Him at all? Or like the rocky and thorny soil and let your wishes over ride His so that His new truth for your life doesn’t take root and help you become more like Him? Or will you let your life always be like the rich, moist, fertile soil so that whatever God shares with you will germinate, grow, and return a harvest a hundred fold in your life? The good news is you get to choose the type soil you let your life consist of. You’re the farmer of your heart. How about doing a little tilling today?

The Voice Bible Copyright © 2012 Thomas Nelson, Inc. The Voice™ translation © 2012 Ecclesia Bible Society All rights reserved.
In accordance with the requirements for FTC full disclosure, I may have affiliate relationships with some or all of the producers of the items mentioned in this post who may provide a small commission to me when purchased through this site.

How will they know? (Luke 7:31-35) October 13, 2016

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Today’s Podcast

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Today’s Bible reading plan:

Read it in a year – Proverbs 29-30

see the whole year’s plan [here](http://www.bible-reading.com/bible-plan.pdf)

Today’s Devotional

Luke 7:31-35
Jesus: The people of this generation—what are they like? To what can they be compared? I’ll tell you: they’re like spoiled kids sitting in the marketplace playing games, calling out,
We played the pipes for you,
but you didn’t dance to our tune!
We cried like mourners,
but you didn’t cry with us!
You can’t win with this generation. John the Baptist comes along, fasting and abstaining from wine, and you say, “This guy is demon-possessed!” The Son of Man comes along, feasting and drinking wine, and you say, “This guy is a glutton and a drunk, a friend of scoundrels and tax collectors!” Well, wisdom’s true children know wisdom when they hear it.

What do Jesus’ words mean for us today?

People are so fickle when it comes to hearing the truth. We find every excuse under the sun to figure out how to turn away from it and assume the truth doesn’t apply to us, don’t we? That’s what was happening to Jesus and His disciples in this scene.

The Pharisees and the religious leaders of His day didn’t like the crowds Jesus gathered around Him as He talked about the scriptures in the market places and on the hillsides. These discussions were supposed to be taking place in the temple and synagogues under their tutelage and with their interpretations. Not as some unknown carpenter thought the scriptures should be applied. Who did He think He was? But the crowds kept coming. They liked what they heard. They listened with great intensity because what Jesus said made sense and He had such authority in His voice. More so that any of the scribes and Pharisees and priests they heard, anyway.

So once again the Pharisees confront Jesus and try to calm Him down and get Him to stop preaching. They try to get Him to stop these proclamations He keeps making about who He thinks God is and what religions is supposed to be about. So Jesus upends their arguments once again. Did you like John and His message? No, he obeyed your commands too much. He took vows of poverty and ritual cleansing and fasting that you thought went too far. He made your rituals look like movie trailers compared to his practice of real righteousness and you didn’t accept him as authentic in his worship.

You said he needed to dress better, eat more, get around people and behave like they did. Don’t be such a hermit. Don’t spend so much time praying and fasting and preaching. People will think you’ve gone off the deep end on this righteousness stuff. You can’t look too holy or no one will like you. They’ll think you’re better than them or something. Or they’ll think you’re crazy. No one will believe your story if you look and act too much like John.

Then Jesus comes along. Jesus ate with the tax collectors and thieves and rabble of the cities because they needed to hear God’s message of forgiveness. They knew they were far from God and they couldn’t go into the temple and the synagogues because they weren’t accepted there. How were they to find God if they couldn’t get to the altar and hear His message? The religious leaders would have nothing to do with them because they were sinners. They were obviously lost and they were without help from the holy people. So they were without hope…until Jesus came along.

Jesus ate with them. Drank with them. Sang with them. And Jesus gave them a message of hope and forgiveness. One the Pharisees and religious leaders knew was contained in the pages of the scrolls they memorized, but they would never dirty their hands to share it with ‘those people’. But Jesus did. He shared the message God sent to the world. The message of atonement, forgiveness, cleansing from the guilt of sin. These sinners soaked up the message the Pharisees and religious leaders hoarded within the walls of their sanctuaries and refused to share outside the confines of their collective pious gathering.

Is it any wonder Jesus was welcomed by the crowd from the other side of the tracks so often? Is it any wonder He feasted with the tax collectors and prostitutes and obvious sinners? They longed to hear the message the priests refused to share outside the confines of their ‘club of the uber pious’. They needed to hear that they could be freed from the guilt that weighed heavily on their souls. They needed to hear they could be forgiven of the wrongs they committed and weren’t doomed forever with no way to make restitution to man or God. They needed to find a way back into God’s kingdom.

But they couldn’t find a way…until Jesus became their friend and shared the joy of knowing sins can be forgiven for the asking. The chains of sin can be broken for the asking. The slavery to Satan can be redeemed by the blood of the spotless One when we accept His atonement for our sins. We can be made free once again when we live for Him instead of living for ourselves. We can find freedom in Him.

But how will those who don’t darken the door of our churches and synagogues and temples knows that message unless we befriend them and tell them?

The Voice Bible Copyright © 2012 Thomas Nelson, Inc. The Voice™ translation © 2012 Ecclesia Bible Society All rights reserved.
In accordance with the requirements for FTC full disclosure, I may have affiliate relationships with some or all of the producers of the items mentioned in this post who may provide a small commission to me when purchased through this site.