20151201 HOPE OF ALL THE WORLD

HOPE OF ALL THE WORLD

Matthew 12:14-21 Then the Pharisees called a meeting to plot how to kill Jesus.  (15)  But Jesus knew what they were planning. So He left that area, and many people followed Him. He healed all the sick among them, (16) but He warned them not to reveal who He was.  (17)  This fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah concerning Him: (18) "Look at My Servant, whom I have chosen. He is My Beloved, who pleases Me. I will put My Spirit upon Him, and He will proclaim justice to the nations.  (19)  He will not fight or shout or raise His voice in public.  (20)  He will not crush the weakest reed or put out a flickering candle. Finally He will cause justice to be victorious.  (21)  And His name will be the hope of all the world."

Although there are no red letters in this passage the words of Christ are implied and His actions speak volumes.

Someone recently asked me why Jesus often told people not to tell who He was. 1) In this case there were people out to kill Him and it was not yet time for Him to die. 2) Jesus goal was always to glorify the Father, not Himself. His glory would come in the Father’s time. 3) Where there is light there will be bugs. Larger crowds don’t necessarily mean more faithful followers. And larger crowds can impede helping those who really need help.

The quote from Isaiah 42 is one of my favorite prophecies because it clearly proclaims the gentleness of our Savior. It proclaims, “If there is the least flicker of light, any hint of hope, the smallest seed of faith God will help.” In Mark 9 A man brings his son to Jesus seeking deliverance for the lad. He has tried for some time to help his boy, and even tried the disciples of Jesus to no avail. In speaking with Christ he expresses some doubt. “Heal him if you can.” Jesus addresses the doubt, not because He wishes to heap condemnation on the man. Rather, Jesus is causing him to search his heart for that which pleases the Father and overcomes the world, faith and honesty. (See Hebrews 11:6, 1John 5:4, John 4:23-24)

Mark 9:24 The father instantly cried out, "I do believe, but help me overcome my unbelief!"

This dad does it. He gets it right. He is honest about how much faith he has. And Jesus looks beyond all the doubt and sees that flicker of light, that hint of hope. Yes, Jesus sees that tiny seed of faith and He pulls it to the forefront. And then Jesus commands the evil spirit to leave and of course, it does. In that moment that dad is strengthened, that weak reed becomes unbreakable, the flickering candle flares up into a bright light. He is victorious in Jesus and hope has returned to his heart.

Father in heaven, may our words and our lives point to You and Your glory. Grant us the ability to see the light in those around us, however dim that light may be. And rather than snuffing it out grant us wisdom to fan it into healing, faithful hope. In Jesus Name, AMEN!!!

20151001 DO YOU BELIEVE?

DO YOU BELIEVE?

Matthew 9:27-30  After Jesus left the girl's home, two blind men followed along behind Him, shouting, "Son of David, have mercy on us!"  (28)  They went right into the house where He was staying, and Jesus asked them, "Do you believe I can make you see?" "Yes, Lord," they told Him, "we do."  (29)  Then He touched their eyes and said, "Because of your faith, it will happen."  (30)  Then their eyes were opened, and they could see! Jesus sternly warned them, "Don't tell anyone about this."

I want to focus on three words from this passage, "Do you believe?” 

These two blind men believed enough to make a spectacle of themselves shouting and following Jesus. They even went right into the house after Him.

What is your situation that you need Jesus to intervene in? Yet you don't have what you want because you don't ask God for it. (James 4:2b) Have you asked God to meet your need? Have you refused to be silent toward Him about it? Are you following Him?

The answer to Jesus’ question is found in the actions as much as the words. What do your actions say about what you believe Jesus can and will do. I have met many people who have just stopped asking because they didn’t get what they were after on the first try. Keep on knocking. Keep on asking. Keep on seeking.

Father in heaven, increase our faith. Make our faith strong enough that we keep on asking. And then, hear us and answer with miracles in our varied situations. Grant health to the sick. Meet that financial need of the one who has been crying out to You. Repair that relationship that is broken. Provide that job. Grant boldness to the timid. In Jesus Name, AMEN!!!

20150929 BE INTERRUPTIBLE, BE ENCOURAGED, HANG IN THERE

BE INTERRUPTIBLE, BE ENCOURAGED, HANG IN THERE

Matthew 9:20-22 Just then a woman who had suffered for twelve years with constant bleeding came up behind Him. She touched the fringe of His robe, (21) for she thought, "If I can just touch His robe, I will be healed." (22) Jesus turned around, and when He saw her He said, "Daughter, be encouraged! Your faith has made you well." And the woman was healed at that moment.

Jesus is on His way to raise the daughter of a synagogue leader when He is interrupted by a sick woman. She had no intention of getting any attention for herself except healing, but she got so much more. She got a glimpse of the compassionate Savior.

1.  She saw that He, Jesus is interruptible. I heard a man pray that one day. He said something like this, “Lord, give us interruptible hearts. Let us see the delays of life, the inconveniences, the detours as opportunities to see someone who needs a touch or an encouraging word from You. And may we be the conduit through which You meet those needs.”

2.  She saw Jesus see her. He saw all the suffering she had endured. Mark tells us that she had suffered many things from doctors and that she had spent all she had trying to find a cure. Jesus knew all this in a single moment. He could see it and He could see her faith. “If I can just touch His robe…”

If you have ever had an extended illness you know what it is to face discouragement. I spent 10 years on Lortabs and other narcotics dealing with severe and, at times, crippling pain in my lower back. Every time we would see another doctor we got the same news. “I can’t see anything on X-rays or MRIs that would cause this problem. Let’s try therapy and more medication.” There were a couple times that God touched me and I received a partial healing. I won’t go into all the details here, but those touches carried me through until in 2004 I had back surgery for a slipped disc. While the surgeon was fixing that he discovered a bone spur that was hidden from all our present technology. When I woke from that surgery I had immediate relief I hadn’t known in years.

I share that to say, be encouraged. Illness can be so mentally, spiritually and physically fatiguing. Hang in there. Keep the faith. Keep reaching for the hem of His garment. He sees you. Don’t give up.

3.  She saw herself as a daughter. Often sickness makes us feel abandoned, but He called her, "Daughter." He had not forgotten her. 

4. She saw encouragement that her faith in Jesus paid off in the end.

Father in heaven, grant that we may remain faithful to trust You and to keep reaching for the blessings You have available to us. And I repeat what my friend said, “Lord, give us interruptible hearts. Let us see the delays of life, the inconveniences, the detours as opportunities to see someone who needs a touch or an encouraging word from You. And may we be the conduit through which You meet those needs.” In Jesus Name, AMEN!!!

20150928 GOD OF ACTION

GOD OF ACTION

Matthew 9:18-19  As Jesus was saying this, the leader of a synagogue came and knelt before Him. "My daughter has just died," he said, "but You can bring her back to life again if You just come and lay Your hand on her."  (19)  So Jesus and His disciples got up and went with Him.

I’ve been focusing on the words of Christ, thus the title of the blog, Red Letter Discipleship. Actions often speak louder than words. This man, the leader of a synagogue comes to Jesus and expresses incredible faith. His daughter is not ill, she’s dead. There is no pulse, no breath and from a human standpoint, no hope. Yet he says, “but You can bring her back to life again if You just come and lay Your hand on her.”

Not only does He show faith, but also respect for Jesus by kneeling before Him.

The response is that Jesus gets up and goes with him. Over and over the scripture assures us that faith will move God to action.

As you face the trials of this day are you aware of God’s presence with you? Are you aware of the promises that He has made? Will you look to Him first to be a God of action on your behalf in your situation?

Father in heaven, thank You that we can trust You and that You are with us always. Help us turn to You and Your faithful promises in all situations. In Jesus Name, AMEN!!!

20150914 FEAR VS FAITH

FEAR VS FAITH

Matthew 8:18 When Jesus saw the crowd around Him, He instructed His disciples to cross to the other side of the lake.

Matthew 8:23-27 Then Jesus got into the boat and started across the lake with His disciples.  (24)  Suddenly, a fierce storm struck the lake, with waves breaking into the boat. But Jesus was sleeping.  (25)  The disciples went and woke Him up, shouting, "Lord, save us! We're going to drown!"  (26)  Jesus responded, "Why are you afraid? You have so little faith!" Then He got up and rebuked the wind and waves, and suddenly there was a great calm.  (27)  The disciples were amazed. "Who is this man?" they asked. "Even the winds and waves obey Him!"

Jesus pulls together the contrast between fear and faith. They are opposites.

A friend of mine once pointed out verse 18 to me. He said, “Jesus didn’t instruct the disciples to go half way across the lake and drown. He instructed them to go to the other side.”

Understand that this is Jesus, the living Word of God. Read John 1:1-3. Another friend pointed out to me the reason God can’t lie is because whatever God says happens. That is the truth that we need deep inside of our minds and hearts in order to combat fear. That truth is that God, who does not lie can be trusted completely to perform what He promises to perform.

Of what are you afraid? Be honest with yourself and with God. When you have isolated what you fear look in the scriptures for promises that deal with your fears. For the believer the worst case scenario takes us to a place where we must trust our God moment by moment for strength to endure. That is not a bad place to be because He who promised is faithful and He will never leave us and never forsake us.

Father in heaven, increase our faith. Remind us, You have not given us a spirit of fear, but a spirit of love and of power and of a sound mind. (2Timothy 1:7) Thank You that You are faithful and that we can trust You. In Jesus Name, AMEN!!!

20150910 AMAZING FAITH

AMAZING FAITH

Matthew 8:5-13 When Jesus returned to Capernaum, a Roman officer came and pleaded with Him, (6) "Lord, my young servant lies in bed, paralyzed and in terrible pain." (7) Jesus said, "I will come and heal him." (8) But the officer said, "Lord, I am not worthy to have You come into my home. Just say the word from where You are, and my servant will be healed. (9) I know this because I am under the authority of my superior officers, and I have authority over my soldiers. I only need to say, 'Go,' and they go, or 'Come,' and they come. And if I say to my slaves, 'Do this,' they do it." (10) When Jesus heard this, He was amazed. Turning to those who were following Him, He said, "I tell you the truth, I haven't seen faith like this in all Israel! (11) And I tell you this, that many Gentiles will come from all over the world—from east and west—and sit down with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob at the feast in the Kingdom of Heaven. (12) But many Israelites—those for whom the Kingdom was prepared—will be thrown into outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth." (13) Then Jesus said to the Roman officer, "Go back home. Because you believed, it has happened." And the young servant was healed that same hour.

This Roman soldier came to Jesus for his servant and he came with a faith that amazed Jesus. Jesus points this out and berates His own people for their lack of faith and gives them a strong warning about the outcome of those who choose not to believe.

I think it important to comment on the illustration the Roman officer gave. He recognized Jesus as having the authority to simply speak a command and all of creation would have no choice but to obey.

Jesus honors his faith by speaking, “Because you believed, it has happened."

Father in heaven, grant us that kind of believing, understanding faith. In Jesus Name, AMEN!!!

20150820 MAMMON

MAMMON

Matthew 6:24 "No one can serve two masters. For you will hate one and love the other; you will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money (Mammon in the KJV).

I mentioned the word, “mammon” a couple days ago and want to repeat Matthew Henry’s definition here. Mammon is a Syriac word that signifies gain; so that whatever in this world is, or is accounted by us to be, gain, is mammon.

The NLT translates mammon as money, but not all people desire money as much as other things and any desire that competes with God for our attention is mammon. You cannot serve two masters unless they are both in full agreement. The masters of this world are not in agreement with the Master of all.

Again we must go back to repentance which is to agree with God. With that in mind, God believes He knows what is best for us, and His first commandment is that we would have no other gods but Him. So it is our duty of love to Him to agree that He does know best and put Him first above all other things. It is to make Him our only god.

Some would say, “I have no desire to be rich. I just don’t want to have to worry about having enough.” What that really means is, “I want to see that my cupboards are full. I want my refrigerator to be full. I don’t want to have to wait on God to come through tomorrow. I want to know way in advance what tomorrow holds. I don’t want to have trust God.” Ouch!

There is a story about George Mueller at one of the orphanages he started. One morning when the children gathered for breakfast there was no food and no milk in the home. George had the children bow their heads and he gave thanks for the food that God was going to provide that day. He gave thanks in faith that what he hoped for would actually happen (Hebrews 11:1).

As George said, “AMEN” there was a knock on the door. Two deliveries arrived within minutes of each other. One was a milk wagon that had broken down right outside the orphanage. The other was from a bakery that had an over-abundance of bread that morning.

Father in heaven, fill us with faith to trust You. Show us if there are any other desires in our hearts that we bow to as gods. Cleanse us of this sin and focus our eyes on You. Give us undivided hearts that worship You. In Jesus Name, AMEN!!!

ACCOMPLISHING, FULFILLING THE LAW

ACCOMPLISHING, FULFILLING THE LAW

Matthew 5:17-20 "Don't misunderstand why I have come. I did not come to abolish the law of Moses or the writings of the prophets. No, I came to accomplish their purpose.  (18)  I tell you the truth, until heaven and earth disappear, not even the smallest detail of God's law will disappear until its purpose is achieved.  (19)  So if you ignore the least commandment and teach others to do the same, you will be called the least in the Kingdom of Heaven. But anyone who obeys God's laws and teaches them will be called great in the Kingdom of Heaven.  (20)  "But I warn you—unless your righteousness is better than the righteousness of the teachers of religious law and the Pharisees, you will never enter the Kingdom of Heaven!

At first glance this passage may appear to be saying that we are to follow all the Old Testament Law and some even quote this to propagate that teaching. The key here is in the phrase, “until its purpose is achieved.” Jesus accomplished the purpose of the law. Romans 10:4 “For Christ has already accomplished the purpose for which the law was given. As a result, all who believe in Him are made right with God.”

So what was the purpose of the law? Galatians 3:19 Why, then, was the law given? It was given alongside the promise to show people their sins. But the law (specifically the ceremonial part of it) was designed to last only until the promised child, Jesus Christ fulfilled the law through His death, burial and resurrection. God gave His law through angels to Moses, who was the mediator between God and the people. (Emphasis Added)

Does this mean we can forget about the law? Paul answers that question for us in Romans 3:30-31 “There is only one God, and He makes people right with Himself only by faith, whether they are Jews or Gentiles.  (31)  Well then, if we emphasize faith, does this mean that we can forget about the law? Of course not! In fact, only when we have faith do we truly fulfill the law.”

Paul and Jesus talk about the law being fulfilled through love. Romans 13:8 Owe nothing to anyone—except for your obligation to love one another. If you love your neighbor, you will fulfill the requirements of God's law.

Matthew 22:37-40 Jesus replied, "'You must love the LORD your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind.' (38) This is the first and greatest commandment. (39) A second is equally important: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' (40) The entire law and all the demands of the prophets are based on these two commandments."

Jesus fulfilled the ceremonial parts of the law. After His death, burial and resurrection there was no longer a need for animal sacrifices and all that went along with them. According to Hebrews 9 Jesus died once for all. There is no need for Him to die over and over again because He was the perfect sacrifice that only needed to be offered one time. In that act of dying for us He fulfilled the requirements of the law for all mankind who would accept the gift He offered.

So, in Christ Jesus the law’s purpose is fulfilled. Those who believe in Him are then called to a life of good works which can only be fulfilled through faith and in love. One who loves his neighbor will not steal from his neighbor or lie about him or murder him, etc. No, love will demand that we treat our neighbor as we would desire to be treated.

As for being more righteous than the teachers of religious law and the Pharisees… Philippians 3:9b I no longer count on my own righteousness through obeying the law; rather, I become righteous through faith in Christ. For God's way of making us right with Himself depends on faith.

In the following verses from The Sermon on the Mount Jesus takes the letter of the law and breaks it down to issues of the heart.

Father in heaven, thank You for the sacrifice of Jesus for our sin. Thank You for making it possible for all to come to You for salvation through faith in Your son. Help us now to show that we truly believe by filling us with Your Holy Spirit and empowering us to walk in love with one another and You. In Jesus Name, AMEN!!!

HUMILITY

HUMILITY

Matthew 5:5 God blesses those who are humble, for they will inherit the whole earth.

“Humility,” or “meekness” as many translations put it, is not weakness. It is the greatest of strengths. Psalms 119:165 KJV Great peace have they which love thy law: and nothing shall offend them (or cause them to stumble). Proverbs 16:32 Better to be patient than powerful; better to have self-control than to conquer a city.

The humble person, like Christ, is not easily offended, does not strike back quickly, will not speak evil of those who speak evil of him. The humble person is quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to get angry. He sees no task as beneath him, no person unworthy of his time. The humble driver yields the right of way, does not demand his way but walks in God’s way.

The humble are blessed. They are blessed because they are at peace and content with God’s plan. Take all they own now and they do not fret for they know they shall inherit the whole earth. They have the promise, they believe the promise and it gives them great joy, peace and contentment now. They know whom they have believed and are persuaded that He is able to keep that which they have committed unto Him against that day (2 Timothy 1:12 my paraphrase). So they do not need to fight and grasp for the stuff of this life. They are already living the abundant life of trust in God’s everlasting and certain promises.

Are there tasks that are beneath you? Are there people not worthy of your time? When you drive do you rush to get ahead of the next guy? Will you kneel down and tie someone else’s shoe? When insulted do you feel you must insult back?

Father in heaven, You alone know our hearts clearly. Show us our humility level. Make us know who we really are and then re-make us to be like Jesus who is meek and lowly in heart and help us to find rest unto our souls. In Jesus Name, AMEN!!!