04/02/18 - Luke 22

April 2, 2018 – Luke 22

Jesus answered, "If I tell you that I'm the Messiah, you will not believe me... But from now on, the Son of Man will be seated at the right hand of the mighty God."  Luke 22:67, 69

It’s not Jesus’ claims that prove His identity.  Jesus is Lord because He WAS what He claimed.

Don’t just say it … show it!   That’s not just a catchy phrase from a song, or a motto for a Midwestern state.  It’s the expectation of every human when it comes to outrageous claims by another.  Rightly so, we don’t believe everything we hear.  We want to see it before we believe it.

Jesus didn’t bother trying to prove Himself to men, He just WAS Himself.  He didn’t claim to be the Son of God, Jesus WAS the Son of God.  He didn’t only claim to be the resurrection and the life, Jesus actually ROSE from the dead and Lived forever.  We don’t believe Jesus because of His claims, we believe Him because of His flawless actions.

But HERE’S THE THING:  Jesus is done making claims and done proving them.  He’s already finished His job.  He came, He lived perfectly, He taught us everything we need to know, He died on the cross in place of each of us, and He rose from the dead.  Now, Jesus sits on the Throne of God and has completed everything He needs to do until the Father sends Him back.  Jesus doesn’t need to Say it or Show it --- He has DONE IT!

But as humans, we don’t want a faith based on past proof.  We are looking for a present-day, personal act of proof from God before we’ll follow Him.  Not that Jesus needs to die on the cross again and come back to life three days later… but can’t He just show Himself in a tangible way to prove He really exists and is Lord over my circumstances?

I was one of those – crying out to God in my despair as a young man, wanting God to show Himself in my hour of need and prove to me I could trust Him.  Thankfully, Jesus didn’t obey my instructions.  Instead, He brought me peace and walked me through the problem.  Instead of proving Himself, Jesus GAVE ME HIMSELF.   A living Savior can do that.  What I have discovered along with millions of others, is that the Jesus who died for me is now living with me, and that’s better proof than more claims.

The Best Proof for our doubts is not more outrageous claims nor miraculous interventions.  The Best Proof is a personal relationship – when Jesus doesn’t just tell about Himself, but gives me Himself.  After all, that’s really what a relationship is:  giving yourself to another. 

Jesus doesn’t have to Say it or Show it – He IS IT!  You can ignore the claims and discredit the miracles, but you can’t eliminate Him.  Jesus is Lord, not because He claimed to be, but because that’s who He has always been. 

And when the judgment day comes that we face Him, Jesus won’t ask us to claim anything or show Him anything.  He will already know our decision – because He will know who we ARE as well.  Don’t just claim to be a Christian, or try to prove it by some action … Be It: a worshipper and follower of the Lord Jesus Christ.

02/28/18 - Mark 14

Feb 28, 2018 – Mark 14

Peter followed him at a distance, right into the courtyard of the high priest. Mark 14:54

Following Jesus at a distance may seem safer, but only leads to sin --- stay next to Jesus.

Peter watched as his Savior and friend was arrested, and ran scared like all the others when Jesus accepted His predicament.  But Peter didn’t stay completely away … he followed Jesus at a distance watching the activities surrounding this unjust action.  Staying at a distance may have felt safer, but actually created more problems.  Instead of protecting his life, Peter found himself in the heart of deep temptation, being challenged about his relationship with Jesus and denying it three times.  You know the story, it didn’t end well.  His distance from Jesus led to his sin.

Some would say that the two issues are not connected, arguing that Peter would have died if he stayed with Jesus.  But maybe we need to reconsider:

-          Adam & Eve were a distance from God when they ate the forbidden fruit.

-          Cain killed Abel thinking God was not around.

-          Only Noah was close to God when the floodwaters came.

-          David was not where he belonged when he failed with Bathsheba.

-          Distance from Jesus preceded Judas selling Jesus out.

And remember this… Peter wasn’t the only one trying to stay with Jesus.  John did as well, but apparently was close enough to avoid the denial.  That didn’t mean John was better than Peter, just closer to Jesus than Peter.

If you’re like me, the more distant you find yourself from Jesus and His church, the more at risk you are with sin too.  While distance may feel safer or easier, it opens us up to more temptation. 

Closeness is not just about proximity, it’s about intimacy.  Knowing Jesus and staying connected to Him is not just a physical thing, it’s staying connected to Him in emotions, spirit, values, obedience, and more.  All of those things require commitment, effort, and obedience.  And that means staying with Jesus, no matter what risks come up.  Easier said than done!

So BE CAREFUL when options or arguments challenge you to put God aside temporarily.  CRINGE when schedules and expectations try to steal your time in worship or personal devotions.  Don’t be religions, be close.  If you sense God growing distant, do your best to dive deeper in your walk with Him.

ONE WORD: There are moments and seasons when people experience “the Dark Night of the Soul”.  In those moments, you feel like the distance has grown between you and God, but your pursuit is still happening.  Don’t despair.  Stay in pursuit and guard your walk.  Dark nights are about God’s plan, but distance is about our plan.

Remember – the safest place to be is next to Jesus.

03/06/18 - Luke 3

March 6, 2018 – Luke 3

Produce fruit in keeping with repentance. Luke 3:8

Our behavior demonstrates our true beliefs---if Jesus is truly Lord, then we should live like it.

You’ve been there.  All of us have.

Either being caught or realizing you had failed, you came clean and apologized for the mistake, and said you’d never do it again.  It was authentic, heart-felt, and intentional.  You were ready to make the changes necessary, and avoid whatever caused the failure.  You may have even put in guardrails in your life to stay clear of the problem.

But then it happens again.  Either by mistake or by thinking the situation was different, you find yourself repeating the failure.  Then doubts creep in, making you wonder if you can change.  And justification shows its ugly head, trying to convince you that this vice is not as bad as others you could have.  Soon, the repetition picks up momentum and you find yourself in a full-on battle to deal with this ugly sin that has started happening in your life.

All from one little lie (that was my problem when I was young … maybe you were thinking something else J).

Why do we get caught in the repetition trap?  The answer is simple – though not always obvious.  We’re focusing on the sin, and playing avoidance as we keep watching it.  Like a fly drawn to the light, our focus on trying to avoid the sin actually sends us right into it.  The answer to correcting failure is to pursue the fruit of repentance.  Instead of focusing on the sin, focus on right fruit.

So in my case, instead of trying not exaggerate stories for attention, I should have focused on the fruit of truth – like longer friendships, appreciating honesty, saying less & listening more. 

Maybe for the angry person, producing fruit means seeking peace, asking more questions, appreciating challenges and trusting in people to figure it out, instead of trying to manage their anger.

Maybe for the worrier, producing fruit is simply counting daily blessings, keeping a journal of God’s provision, and focusing on today’s challenges instead of thinking about tomorrow’s.

Whatever your sin challenge, the secret to lasting repentance from John the Baptist was to focus on producing right fruit, instead of avoiding the wrong kind.  That’s a great lesson for all of us.  If we trust Jesus and believe Him to be the Son of God, then trust His instructions and live them out.  If we struggle with a sin area, then look to replace the temptation with effort for positive fruit. 

You might just find yourself changed by repentance in the long run.  And find yourself closer to God in the process.

03/05/18 - Luke 2

March 5, 2018 – Luke 2

"Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests." Luke 2:14

The presence of Jesus brings us peace in the MIDST of circumstances.

Most of us consider peace as the absence of unpleasant circumstances.  Just think of parents who hunger for peace from the houseful of screaming kids.  Or the manager that is looking for some peace from all the day’s problems.  Or maybe the patient who can’t find peace with the news of returning cancer.

But Jesus doesn’t separate peace from circumstances.  In fact, peace is finding rest in the MIDST of the circumstances. 

That’s why the angels can announce peace to shepherds who are surrounded by noise & burdens, living in a country ruled by Roman paganism, and in short order facing the death of their baby boys.  Peace is not the absence of problems for these people, it’s more the courage to move through the problems knowing God is still there.

That’s why Peter can sing songs in a Roman jail, and stand before the Sanhedrin with boldness to proclaim the salvation of Jesus against threats of stoning.

That’s why Paul can go through flogging, stoning, persecution & pain, and still be ready to pick himself off the ground and travel to the next city to preach the Gospel.

That’s why great hymn writers can bless us with amazing songs over the ages, pronouncing hope and grace after facing terrible pain or grief.  It’s why missionaries lay down their lives in foreign countries, some facing prison, some even martyred, only to see their family or friends pick up the cause of their mission. 

And it’s why you can continue to have hope in your circumstances – no matter how enduring or painful they are, because Jesus’ peace is not killed or eliminated by unpleasant circumstances.  In fact, it is stronger than our circumstances.  Jesus brings peace that outlasts our circumstances.  And He saw fit to let it rest on you and me!

We are a blessed generation, because we live in that generation of favor.  His favor is not about bank accounts or material blessing.  His favor is about peace.  We have His Peace to overcome our circumstances.  And that peace is what allows you to shout “Glory to God in the Highest”, no matter what struggles you face.

Watch for it!  You will see the ‘Peace which Passes All Understanding’ show up in the midst of circumstances.  You will hear it in the sounds of worship that come from people who have endured great difficulty.  You will discover true peace – not in the sheltered life, but in the overcoming life. 

And when you do, remember to Give God the Glory!  You’ve found His Peace!

03/02/18- Luke 1

March 2, 2018 – Luke 1 

You will go on before the Lord to prepare the way for him, to give his people the knowledge of salvation through the forgiveness of their sins. Luke 1:76-77

To understand salvation, we must first understand sin and forgiveness.

Looking for a little excitement on a Friday night?  Walk into a mall and pick out a person who doesn’t intimidate you, and say to them: “I forgive you.”  Then walk away!  They will be thinking about it for DAYS!  Why?  Because their spirit will be unsettled until they understand what it was they did that needed forgiveness.  It’s the ultimate “To Be Continued” that never finds resolution.  (Okay, don’t really do that – it would really be rude and could mar them for life! J)

Some things are so interconnected that you just can’t have one without the other.  Forgiveness and Sin are two such things.  Where there is no sin, there is no need for forgiveness.  And there is no understanding of salvation if we don’t understand sin.  We must see our sin to need a savior. Likewise, seeing our sin creates an internal need for forgiveness, and a desire to be saved from the consequences.

John the Baptist had a huge task.  His job was to preach about sin so that people would be burdened with the desire for forgiveness.  Then, when they were ready to accept God’s help, John would baptize them with the baptism of repentance – asking God to forgive the person for the sin and heal their heart.  Later, Jesus would leverage that act as not only one of forgiveness, but one of accepting salvation from Jesus, and receiving the Holy Spirit to help us live free of sin.  All of that started from one basic teaching: we have sinned!  Recognizing sin starts the whole process!

These days, people try everything they can to avoid hearing that message.  And honestly, most churches have been careful about labeling people as sinners.  We prefer to call sin other things, like mistakes, errors, misunderstandings, lapses of memory, failures, hang-ups or even diseases.  But what we really need to hear is that those are all sin in need of forgiveness.  Without understanding sin, we don’t pursue forgiveness.  And without forgiveness, there is no salvation.

Maybe it is time for us to put on our big boy pants and not be so afraid of the “s” word!  If we’re truly going to help people, let’s just call it sin.  And if we are going to be fully forgiven, we must call our actions sin too.  God didn’t send Jesus to condemn us of our sin, but to forgive us and pay the penalty for our sin.  So let’s gratefully accept His incredible offer, and make the connection --- we have sinned, we have fallen short, but God demonstrated His love for us in this, while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.  We have all received salvation & grace from our sin, through the blood of salvation!

Jesus walked up to people many times and told them they were forgiven.  The Pharisees couldn’t stand it, but the people loved it, because they knew that forgiveness was attached to sin, and they were sinners.  Jesus has the same thing to offer us too.  He might even walk into a mall and pick you out, and say to you “I forgive you.”  Then walk away.  But instead of thinking about it for days, maybe it would cause you to seek resolution. 

Wash away that sin with forgiveness – they are fully interconnected.  And then you will understand salvation.

03/01/18 - Mark 16

March 1, 2018 – Mark 16

Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned. Mark 16:16

Belief that takes action is the way to salvation.

Many preachers and motivational speakers have used the story of “The Great Blondin”, a French tightrope walker that traversed the Niagara Falls many times in 1859 – forward, backwards, with a wheelbarrow, even with a man on his back.  A story is often told of him asking the crowd: “Do you believe I can carry a man in this wheelbarrow across the Falls?” The crowd would fully agree.  Then he would ask: “So then which of you will get into the wheelbarrow?”

Belief means nothing if it is not followed up with action.  That’s at least part of the reason Jesus instituted confession and baptism as part of the salvation experience.  It’s not that your public expression or dunking in water saves you – it’s the belief that is demonstrated in action.  Believing ABOUT Jesus doesn’t save us, it’s believing IN Jesus.

Mark’s language about belief is very strong – we’re either IN or OUT based on our belief.  But that belief is not silent … it takes the form of action.  It requires us to actually live like we believe.  It calls us to get in the wheelbarrow and let Jesus drive.  That step of belief is far greater than just a private prayer, it calls for public commitment. 

And hear Mark clearly – he’s not trying to create a theological argument here, he’s just simplifying it down to the nuts & bolts, just like his whole gospel.  Yes or No, In or Out, Saved or Unsaved.  Simple – did you believe and did you take action on it.  The greatest assurance of our salvation is always found in living out our faith. 

I agree with many of our ancestors – confession of sin and baptism were never meant to be theological battlegrounds.  Let’s just accept them as a gift God gave us to act out our newfound belief and receive this indescribable grace we’ve been given.  And let’s not take over God’s position as judge.  Instead, we can keep it simple. 

If you believe and are baptized (take action), you will be saved. 

What a simple and incredibly easy solution to our eternal problem!  J

03/01/18 - Mark 15

March 1, 2018 – Mark 15

Let this Christ come down from the cross, that we may see and believe. Mark 15:32

Proof is not found in demanding signs, but in recognizing truth --- seeing Jesus as Truth eliminates the need for signs.

The proof is in the pudding.  It was an old line my grandparents used to say, but didn’t make much sense.  So I did a little research.

“The proof of the pudding is in the eating” is a very old phrase, dating back to at least 1605.  It meant that tasting the result will decide if it was good or not.  In other words, you can say all you want about how good it looks and how great the recipe is, but everyone will be decided at the point they eat it.  Somewhere along the line we shortened the phrase: The Proof is in the Pudding.

Most people operate with a “proof in the pudding” mentality.  Today’s phrase is: Show me the money!  In Jesus’ day it was: Show me a sign!  People want to judge things by the results.  A CEO is considered great only if the company grew.  A President is determined to be great if the nation was protected and gainfully employed.  Parents are proved successful by their children’s behavior.  A movie is good only if I liked how it affected me.  Bottom Line: It’s our mentality to judge a book by its cover.  (Isn’t that the saying?  J)

Jesus faced those attitudes all through His ministry, even up to the cross.  Everyone wanted proof, no matter how many people he had healed, or how many thousands were fed.  Last week’s results weren’t enough, they wanted more.  But Jesus chose not to prove Himself by signs.  He proved Himself by Truth.  If every words spoken ended up true, that would be proof enough.  The miracles & signs were just icing on the cake.

Let’s face it, Resurrection was the ULTIMATE SIGN, and people still don’t believe even based on that.  We still want God to prove Himself by giving us a better job, or providing improved living conditions, or financing our dreams.  The pudding of centuries may be all around us, but we’re not eating out of that bowl.  We want proof that makes us happy, not just believe.

But --- if instead of looking at the pudding, we started looking at the proof --- we might discover that Jesus IS the Proof.  He doesn’t need to produce one more sign … His Word was completely true.  His predictions all happened.  He Rose from the Dead!  He is perfect Truth, and that makes Him proof enough.  Stop looking for more pudding, and focus on the proof.

And furthermore, those of us trying to ‘prove ourselves’ might do better by simply living out the Truth instead of trying to tell everyone.  Truth needs no additional backing – it’s successful on its own.  So don’t concoct a batch of pudding to prove yourself.  Let your obedience and your lifestyle of Truth be proof enough.  In the long run, your pudding will taste great!

So maybe we can change the old saying a little.  Instead of the proof being in the pudding – maybe we should start saying: The Proof is in the Person. J