01/04/17 - Matt 3

Jan 4, 2017 - Matt 3

Every tree that does not produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire. Matt 3:10

Salvation is by belief and lordship is by action --- Show our faith by our actions today

Ever cared for a fruit tree?  They are difficult trees to manage.  Fruit trees require consistent water and good soil, the area around the tree should be tended, and the branches trimmed for maximum fruit production.   They are best used for creating fruit, not for climbing or shade.  And unless you like piling up their leaves in the fall … they are a messy option for your yard.  But, if you like their fruit, they can be a great joy during harvest season.

God made men similar to fruit trees.  He designed us to grow best using his resources, for the purpose of producing tasty fruit for the owner.  Yet some people want the water & nutrition of God in their lives, but don’t want to be bothered with fruit production.  Some want God to bless them with grace & mercy, but not be responsible for obedience & service to His Kingdom.  They want to be saved for eternity, but not make Him Lord of the present. 

John the Baptist called people to repentance – which wasn’t just feeling sorry for their sins.  He called them back to the life God designed them to live, by turning away from sin and embracing righteousness.  God isn’t impressed with good intentions, He wants people to match His holy image.  So John called men to turn back to that life before the Messiah arrived – or face the burning guilt and judgment of God. 

Jesus died to be our Savior, but He lives to be our Lord.  Salvation comes with Surrender.  We must be His tree and produce fruit in our lives – the fruit of obedience that fulfills His purpose.  Men don’t demonstrate their faith simply through words, they demonstrate faith through their actions & behaviors.

Question:  What are your behaviors revealing about your faith today?  Are they the fruit God expects you to be producing?  What one change (repentance) do you need to make to start producing that fruit again? 

Don’t let your life become kindling, produce the fruit your tree was designed for.

01/03/17 - Matt 2

Jan 3, 2017 – Matthew 2

The wise men saw the child, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasures…   Matt 2:11

Worshipping Jesus means supporting His Kingdom instead of our own.

Jesus impacted many people and performed many miracles, but one of the greatest stories of His impact came when He did nothing.  According to the story of the birth of Christ, a star was created, and some astronomers from the East recognized it as a sign of great significance.  Purely out of faith, they started a long journey to meet the new king, lasting almost two years.  After a short stop in Jerusalem, they traveled to Bethlehem and finally found Jesus.   If that wasn’t extraordinary enough, these ‘wise’ men did two things to demonstrate their belief in this child:

1.       They bowed down and worshipped a 2-year old Jesus. 

2.       They offered sacrificial gifts as a demonstration of honor to Jesus.

Both of these actions are hugely significant! 

When the wise men bowed to worship Jesus, they weren’t worshipping a miracle-worker, or a great teacher, or a powerful leader.  They were worshipping a 2-year old without a track record, solely based on the prophecies and signs around them.  Most people today expect God to prove Himself (usually many times), before they would even consider submitting to Him a little, but these men had the wisdom to recognize Jesus as Lord, and bow to Him BEFORE He did anything to prove Himself.  That’s amazing faith and true belief --- the kind of faith & belief Jesus DESERVES from all of us after the cross and resurrection.

Secondly, they pulled out treasures to sacrifice to Jesus a significant gift.  Offering gifts is common in the presence of a king or prince, but Jesus was the child of two poor parents, and had nothing to indicate His future position would be a king.  Nor would the wise men be expected to give gifts, yet they gave sacrificially to a 2-year old they would never see again.  That’s amazing devotion – the kind of devotion we should all be giving to Jesus but often avoid.

All this happened prior to Jesus teaching, performing miracles, or raising from the dead.  They believed and acted on it.  They were very wise – putting aside their own kingdom to pursue the King, worship Him, and support His Kingdom.   What a contrast to today’s ‘advanced’ Christian, who doesn’t have time for God’s Word, is too busy to worship even weekly, and tries to limit their level of sacrifice and giving to God’s Kingdom.

If you have made Jesus your Lord, then show it by pursuing Him every day, worshipping Him regularly, and giving sacrificially to His work.  Open your heart & your treasures to the King.  (And if you haven’t found Jesus yet, keep searching until you find the One worthy of worshipping & sacrificing to.)

Because the truely wise man knows that worshipping Jesus leads to supporting His Kingdom instead of our own.

01/02/17 - Matt 1

Jan 2, 2017 – Matthew 1

"...and they will call him Immanuel"-which means, "God with us."    Matt 1:23

Jesus is not a distant deity but a personal present God---if we invite Him into our lives.

Jesus is not a distant deity but a personal present God.  How different from every other god studied and worshipped around the world.  Jesus is the essence of God that came in human form.  Out of love, Jesus chose to vacate His throne in heaven and subject Himself to the world He created.  Instead of being in charge, He came to demonstrate the power of God and the plan of God by walking with us.  Jesus is amazing because of the choice to be Immanuel.

If you grew up in a family (or have a family) with multiple children, you know the sound of kids claiming authority and privilege in every car ride when one child would yell “Shotgun!”.  Moving to the front was considered a step up from the back seat.  But imagine if you were the driver.  Moving to shotgun would not only be a downgrade, but would leave the driving up to people who are less capable, or possibly quite dangerous.

When Jesus came in the form of a baby, he vacated the driver’s seat and moved to shotgun, CHOOSING to come help us learn how to drive our lives properly.  It was a complete downgrade in His position, yet one of the greatest demonstrations of love we will ever see.  He chose to be With us, not just driving our lives, but coaching us to drive the way He intended.  Amazing!

But there is a catch.  Jesus is ready to be with us, but won’t intrude.  He only comes near those who invite Him into our lives.  Jesus is ready to walk daily with us, but won’t ride shotgun.  He comes along when permitted to drive.

As you begin your navigation through the New Testament this year, stop driving alone, and stop telling God how to drive.  Listen to the instructions of Jesus.  Watch how He taught the disciples and people around Him how to drive their life.  Learn and embrace His words as if they were lifesaving protection.  Don’t just read, trust & obey everything He says.  You might just discover that Jesus knows what He is doing, and is right there with you ready to instruct you from the Shotgun seat.

Invite Jesus into your life this year, and you will discover Immanuel is right there with you.

Making Sense or Making Right?

Hosea 14:9 - Who is wise? Let them realize these things. Who is discerning? Let them understand. The ways of The Lord are right; the righteous walk in them, but the rebellious stumble in them. 

God gave us a great gift when he creates the brain.  He provided the ability to think, to decide, to develop, to change. The fact we can choose may be the most spiritual thing we do. 

However, as great a gift the brain is, it can also be our worst enemy.  We can justify ourselves right into sin.  We can turn what is right into what us wrong.  We can reprogram ourselves from living with purpose to living in slavery.  All from how we use our brain. 

God's words through Hosea challenged the people to return to His way of thinking.  God wanted the people to understand His ways, not to justify their own. He called them to stop stumbling around in rebellion and start walking in righteousness. 

Just because we can think up exceptions or excuses doesn't change what is right. Your religious legalism doesn't change the command to love God and love your brother.  My justification for breaking a commandment doesn't change the commandment.  God told us what is right, and it is up to our brains to learn and understand that so we can choose the right way. 

Stop ignoring what is right in order to satisfy your cravings for selfish happiness or indulgence.  Challenge your brain to think and to grow a little --- and learn what is right. It will be a choice you will be glad you made for all eternity. 

Don't confuse Permission with Patience

She walked in 20 minutes after curfew, and didn't get the expected shakedown from her mom.  Feeling good about it, she went to bed and slept soundly, then up and off to school the next day.  A few nights later, her date brought her home 35 minutes late... Still no consequences. That's when she decided being late was permitted.  LATE changed from being an exception, to being a habit, to being a right.  All went well until she wanted to start driving the car.   Mom responded:  I loan my car to people who are trustworthy with it. So until you prove you are trustworthy in keeping agreed-upon curfews for the 12 times you have been late, you are not permitted to use the car.   That's when the daughter came to grips with the difference between being patient and gaining permission.  Mom had never granted her permission to break curfew, she was just patient in discipline.

Be careful when thinking we have gotten away with something!  Just because our authority hasn't disciplined us yet doesn't mean we are allowed to do it, nor will we get away with it forever.  God's patience doesn't mean He has given His permission.  In fact, it may mean we are damaging blessings God has lined up for us!  

How many times have people told themselves... It's just a little lie...  We didn't get pregnant...  Drinking didn't affect my driving...  Only later to face greater consequences.  Some might complain after the discipline comes---Why did God do this to me?   But God was the one being patient hoping we would correct the behavior or repent (change back to Him).  If God says its wrong, then any patience He shows us is a kindness, but not permission. 

Praise God for His patience, but don't see it as permission... Sin always results in consequences. 

One Next Step at a Time

Your Word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path. Psalm 119:105

We beg of God to tell us the future or fix our problems, but seldom ask Him where we stand or what to do next.  Maybe because we think we know or can figure it out ourselves... or we really don't want to do what we know He is telling us!

The Psalmist says God's Word is a lamp unto my feet.  Scripture makes it very clear where we are at right now.  It shows us what sin and righteousness look like.  It gives us a clear understanding of what we look like to God and what He expects.  Although that light can be brighter than what we prefer to see, it certainly allows us to own the truth about ourselves. 

Scripture is also good at showing us the next step we need to take.  Whether it may be the step of repentance, forgiveness, obedience, discipline, love, faith, or hope... God's Word always has one for us to take.  Usually that light only shows us the next step, even though we prefer to see the whole path ahead. But God doesn't use a high beam ... He provides us a flashlight beam. 

Now if we are looking for what's down the road or what's behind us, it will seem like Scripture is silent... But if we trust God with who we are and where we are, and are willing to take the next step, He will light the way.  That means we need His Word in our lives every day. No to make us smarter or more blessed (though those happen), but to help us with our next step. 

So open up His Word and start listening to Him, and take the next step.  Repent, be baptized, forgive, love another, listen, pray, work hard, believe, trust, wait... Whatever the next step is, follow the lamp's light.

You will get to the destination much better.

Freedom Doesn't Mean Unrestricted

I will walk about in freedom, for I have sought out your precepts. Psalm 119:45

Funny how we associate freedom with a lack of rules.  But that's not how I grew up in my house...

Growing up, my mom made it very clear.  Kids who follow the rules get to play ... (I know, that may seem obvious to some parents, but that's not necessarily the standard anymore so I figured it was worth repeating!)  So if we didn't do our chores .. no play time.  If we didn't obey the rules of the house ... we sat inside watching the kids playing outside.  Pretty simple actually.  And of course, we started dreaming of the day when we would no longer be restricted by her rules ... we would be free!  We would have much more opportunity and not have to worry about the boundaries.  I couldn't WAIT to have my own apartment where I could leave the room a mess and STILL go out with friends!!!

Of course, it was only AFTER leaving the house that you discover how much freedom you had.  The rules were not difficult (dare I say.. they were actually GOOD rules), and the freedom to do what we wanted came with just staying in those guidelines.  Having my own place to live seemed like more freedom, but what I found is it took MORE TIME, MORE WORK, and MORE Rules  (I didn't know about "tenant rules" until moving in ... wow, my moms rules were much easier!).

All that to point out that Rules didn't mean restriction... they were the mechanism for privilege!

God is an even better parent than my mother (sorry, mom).  He didn't create rules for restriction, He created them for maximum freedom.  Using His Word as our boundaries opens the door for more freedom in our lives, less stress, less worry, more blessing.  In His Kingdom, those who desire to follow His ways find more freedom to live the way they were designed, without carrying baggage from the past or growing cancer in our souls.  His commands are not restrictive, their directive --- sending us forward in life to the place He has designed for us to be. 

If you're looking for more freedom, seek God's precepts, obey His commands, search His Word.  It may feel like restriction at the beginning (all discipline does), but the freedom that comes in the end will be far more worth it.

Because in His Kingdom - Kids who follow the rules find more privilege to play!