Tag Archives: Devotion

June 22, 2016 · 4:04 AM

Good News


For me, one of the greatest things about taking a trip to Israel is being able to put a picture with a story. For a lot of people, it’s the ability to walk where Jesus walked. There is something about being here that makes the Bible come to life. You get a new appreciation for the stories you have read your whole life. You see the caves of En Gedi that David hid in while running from Saul. The Kidron Valley is deeper than you have imagined. The terrain that Jesus and others had to walk through is formidable. I’d like to share one of my take aways with you.

First, there is a strong, vibrant Christian community of Arabs here. I know most people think all Arabs are Muslims, but that’s not the case. We went to two church services with Arab Christians and felt God’s presence strongly. Not only are there Arab Christians, but there are Arabs who don’t hate Israel or Israelis. These pastors we met reminded us of Romans 1:16 that says, “For I am not ashamed of this Good News about Christ. It is the power of God at work, saving everyone who believes—the Jew first and also the Gentile” (NLT).

These men and women are not ashamed of Jesus, and preach His name to Muslims around the Middle East. They know their lives are in danger every time they preach the Good News, but they do it anyway. They know that God loves Arabs and Muslims and He wants them to find the truth. One of the ways they do that is to remind Muslims that the Quran says that not only was Jesus a prophet, but that He’s the Word of God. If He is the Word of God, then they need to see what He teaches and how it’s opposite of what they’re taught.

We have to remember that Jesus didn’t just die for the Jews and the Americans, He did for everyone. John 3:16 says that whosoever “believes in Him would not perish, but have everlasting life.” We can’t be picky with whom we share the Good News with. God’s desire is that none would perish. It’s up to us to reach who we can, how we can. As the verse above said, the Good News was for the Jew first and also the Gentile. We can’t be afraid or ashamed of this Good News.

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June 21, 2016 · 7:47 AM

Trust The Work


I threw out my back this morning to the point that when I moved, it would tense up and bring excruciating pain. No matter what I tried, I couldn’t make it better. After a few hours, a chiropractor was able to come help me. Where I had pain, he pushed. Where it was tense, he massaged. Little by little he was able to help me move. After a while, he was able to help me stand up so I could walk.

After taking a few steps with help, my back would tense up, and I would need to sit back down. We went through this several times over the period of a half hour. Little by little I was taking more steps, but still had the issue where my back would tense up and force me to sit. Finally, the doctor looked at me and said, “The work has been done. What’s happening now is your fear is impeding your progress. You need to trust the work.”

The fear of this pain is crippling me. It’s causing my muscles to tense and locking up my back. It’s a similar process for many Christians. The work of the cross has been done, but our fear often keep us from progressing in our walk with God. We take baby steps, fear takes over, and we fall. In trusting our minds, we fail to trust the work that Jesus did for us. We have to learn to trust what He says over what our mind says.

We know that II Timothy 1:7 says, “For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline” (NLT). Fear is not from God. We cannot allow it to rule in our minds. If we do, our struggle will be long, hard, and painful. God can give us a mind that trusts Him and the work He’s done. We need to ask Him to let us have the mind of Christ, and then we have to trust in the work that’s been done. 

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June 20, 2016 · 3:51 AM

The Stone Carpenter


One of the things I learned in Nazareth, was that a carpenter in Jesus day meant more than someone who worked with wood. It was a person who worked with stone also. There wasn’t a different word for the two. It’s interesting to me because it changes how I think about Jesus versus how I thought of Him as just a woodworker. Knowing that Jesus could have been a stone worker as well, brings other verses to life that didn’t quite make as much sense before.

One of the first scriptures I thought of when I heard that was I Peter 2:5. It says, “And you are living stones that God is building into his spiritual temple. What’s more, you are his holy priests. Through the mediation of Jesus Christ, you offer spiritual sacrifices that please God” (NLT). You and I are living stones that Jesus, the stone carpenter, shapes, molds, and builds with. No matter how hard our hearts might be, He can use His divine chisel to form us into who He needs us to be.

Another one I thought of was Matthew 16:18 that says, “Now I say to you that you are Peter (which means ‘rock’), and upon this rock I will build my church, and all the powers of hell will not conquer it.” I’ve always thought of this verse as just Peter being the Rock, but when we think of what Peter said above, each one of us are the Rock with which Jesus builds His church. We are the ones also who the powers of hell will not conquer. We are stronger than we think and we have the power of God in us causing us to be able to withstand anything the enemy brings.

Go one more step with me. Mark 15:46 says, “Joseph bought a long sheet of linen cloth. Then he took Jesus’ body down from the cross, wrapped it in the cloth, and laid it in a tomb that had been carved out of the rock. Then he rolled a stone in front of the entrance.” I don’t think it was coincidental that Jesus was buried in a rock. When we become Christians, we accept Jesus into our hearts. He fills the void inside of us just like He did that tomb.

The list could go on and on throughout the Bible. These are just a few examples I’ve thought of while sitting in Nazareth. Jesus was more than a wood carpenter, He was a stone carpenter. He’s a builder who uses what is available. No matter how little or much we think we have to offer, He can use it to build His Church because we carry His spirit inside of us. We are living stones because the One who lives forever, lives in us. We are His workmanship created to do good works, as Paul put it in Ephesians 2:10.

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June 17, 2016 · 4:15 AM

The Bread Of Life


One of the sites we visited around the Sea of Galilee was the church at Tabgha. It’s there to remind us of Jesus feeding five thousand with five loaves and two fish. The church is situated right on the Sea of Galilee near the Mount of Beatitudes. Inside the church is a rock where some believe Jesus broke the bread and the fish. But just below the rock, there is a beautiful mosaic of a basket with four pieces of bread and two fish beside it. This is what was interesting to me.

Our guide told us that the artist put four loaves instead of five because Jesus Himself was the Bread of Life. He would have been the fifth loaf. It’s very interesting to think about. In Mark 6, it’s the disciples who noticed the people were hungry and asked Jesus to send the people away to find something to eat. They didn’t think of Him as bread for the people yet. The people were indeed hungry, but they were hungry for something that satisfies longer than a few hours.

Jesus then did something interesting. He had the disciples seat the people, Then, in Mark 6:41, it says, “Then Jesus took the five loaves and the two fish, looked up to heaven, and gave thanks to God. He broke the loaves and gave them to his disciples to distribute to the people. He also divided the two fish among them all” (GNT). If you read closely, He gave the bread to His disciples to distribute. To this day, we as His disciples, are asked to take His broken body (the broken bread) and distribute it to the masses.

Another beautiful part of the story is in Verses 42-43. It says, “Everyone ate and had enough. Then the disciples took up twelve baskets full of what was left of the bread and the fish.” This reminds me that Jesus is more than enough. No matter how many times we tell His story, it is just as powerful and fulfilling as the first. Not only is He the Bread of Life, but this bread does not run out no matter how many times, in how many lands, in how many languages it’s distributed. Go into all the world, and preach this good news.

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June 16, 2016 · 1:30 AM

The Olive Press


Nazareth Village is in the town of Nazareth and recreates what life was like for Jesus here He grew up. We watched them make yarn from the sheep they were raising and learned how they would color it. We watched a man crush wheat on a threshing floor and saw the tools used to separate the wheat from the chaff. We also saw an olive oil press that was very similar to what would have been used in that time.

The guide showed us how they would put the olives in the press, roll the millstone to crush them, take baskets woven from wool to scoop up the olives, set them on top of each other, and let the oil drain. He said this was the purest oil and would have been offered to God. The color was the clearest and would have tasted the best. We would refer to this as virgin olive oil in our world. It’s what comes naturally from crushing the olives.

Next, he showed how they would use a leaver to lift heavy stones and a pole to crush the olives more. This heavy stone pressed the olives harder than the millstone and squeezed out oil. This oil was what was sold and used in every day cooking or for perfume. After that, they would move the baskets a little further in the press where they could exert even greater pressure. The oil that came from this pressing was typically dirty and what was used to put in oil lamps to light houses.

After he showed us this, he reminded us that Jesus went to the Garden of Gethsemane (translated the olive press) to pray the night He would be handed over to the authorities. In Luke 26:38 Jesus said, “The sorrow in my heart is so great that it almost crushes me. Stay here and keep watch with me” (GNT). He was like an olive being crushed in that place. The pressure became so great that by the third time (the hardest press) He went to pray, Luke 22:44 says, “In great anguish he prayed even more fervently; his sweat was like drops of blood falling to the ground.”

Isaiah 53:5 described what was going on in the Garden of the Olive Press. It says, “But he was pierced for our rebellion, crushed for our sins. He was beaten so we could be whole. He was whipped so we could be healed” (NLT). Jesus withstood excruciating pain for our sins. The oil (blood) that came out was holy and offered to God for our sins. It was pure and very costly. A price and suffering He willingly endured in order to pay for our sins. A sacrifice so great demands our heart, our soul, and our life.

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June 15, 2016 · 1:30 AM

The Via Dolorosa


As we walked down the Via Dolorosa, we visited many of the stations of the cross which are adhered to by Catholics. If you’re unfamiliar with this road or “stations of the cross”, it’s the route that Jesus was led down from Pilate’s court to Golgotha. As we walked this path, I kept thinking how hard it was for someone who wasn’t injured, much less a man who had been beaten within an inch of His life and awake all night.

As we got to station five, our guide, told us how archeological evidence shows that Jesus didn’t carry the cross over one shoulder like we’ve always imagined. The cross beam was tied to their hands with their arms outstretched. She said that in every case of remains that have been found of those crucified, their nose was broken as well as other facial bones. Because their hands were tied, they couldn’t protect their face from the fall. When she said that, my wife immediately reminded me that Scriptures say, not a single bone in His body would be broken.

At Station Five, we remember Simon of Cyrene who carried the cross for Jesus. I’ve always been shown that Jesus fell and Simon was told to carry it for Him. As I read through every Gospel account of the crucifixion, no where is it mentioned that He fell. They all say what Luke 23:26 says, “The soldiers led Jesus away, and as they were going, they met a man from Cyrene named Simon who was coming into the city from the country. They seized him, put the cross on him, and made him carry it behind Jesus” (GNT). 

If Jesus had fallen, a bone would be broken. To fulfill Psalm 34:20, Simon was seized to carry the cross. As I thought about that, I thought of Jesus’ words in Luke 9:23. “And he said to them all, “If you want to come with me, you must forget yourself, take up your cross every day, and follow me.” If you and I are going to carry the cross of Christ, it’s not going to be an easy path. We may even fall and be broken. The true way of following Jesus is down the Via Dolorosa, the way of suffering. It long, difficult, and heavy at times, but we have the promise that His grace will be sufficient in those times. 

 

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June 14, 2016 · 1:59 AM

A Place Of Life


As we walked into the Garden Tomb area outside the current walls of Jerusalem, a person behind me said, “This looks like a cemetery.” I laughed, turned around, and said, “That’s because it is!” The place is beautiful and peaceful. It’s easy to forget where you are as you stroll through the garden. It doesn’t feel like a touristy spot like so many places here do. It’s a relaxing a spiritual experience for sure.

After looking at Golgotha and going inside the tomb, we stepped aside and took communion. As I was holding the bread and the juice, I kept thinking about my comment that it was a cemetery. This was a garden with a tomb in it really. As I thought about that more, and we took communion, I began to reflect on the garden aspect of the place. A garden is a place where things grow. It’s a place where life thrives.

What better place for Jesus to be buried than in a garden, a place of life. Jesus came so that we may have life, and life more abundant. As I looked around this garden, I kept thinking about how it was a reflection of who He was. It was a place of peace for the Prince of Peace. It was full of life like the giver of life Himself. Jesus wasn’t buried in a place that was surrounded by other dead bodies. He was surrounded by life.

As I walked away from that place, there was a small plaque of John 14:6. In that verse, Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth, and the LIFE.” I had always focused on the first two, but had rarely thought about what it meant for Him to be the life. He can grow the most beautiful things in our life where it looks like a cemetery. He can speak life into your most impossible situation because there is nothing too hard for Him. Don’t look at the problems in your life as an end. Give that to the Lord and He will turn them into a place of life and growth like the garden near His empty tomb.

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June 13, 2016 · 2:20 AM

The Wilderness


I’m on a trip to Israel. For the next couple of weeks, I’m going to be sharing some of my insights from going to the places throughout this country that was written about so much in the Bible. One of the first things you notice here in Israel is how tough the terrain is. It’s a very mountainous country, but these aren’t friendly mountains. They are covered in rocks and they protrude from the ground in an unforgiving manner.

As we drive through southern Israel, you can’t help but think how difficult it must have been to travel by foot. Not only is the terrain rough, but this time of year, it’s very hot. As we traveled from Masada to Jericho to Jerusalem, we stopped to look at the Mount of Temptation. It is where it is believed that Jesus spent 40 days and 40 nights fasting and was tempted by the enemy. If in fact it was the place, it would have made a difficult fast nearly unbearable.

Matthew 4:1 says, “THEN JESUS was led (guided) by the [Holy] Spirit into the wilderness (desert) to be tempted (tested and tried) by the devil”. It’s important to note here that He was led by the Holy Spirit to go into this place. The wilderness is a tough, unforgiving place, but when it is the Holy Spirit leading us, we can trust God will protect us and give us everything we need.

It’s not always comfortable where the Spirit leads us. Sure we like it when God leads us to the mountain top, but that mountain isn’t always a beautiful mountain. The road can be hard, and the mountain can be rough. The Spirit will often take us to seek and to save the lost. In many cases, they are in the wilderness of life themselves living a rough life. To find them, we have to leave the green pastures and endure rough terrain.

With the leading of the Holy Spirit we cannot fail. Of course, His definition of success and failure may be different than our own. We only see in part, so we can only know in part what God’s plan is. He sees the bigger picture and knows what needs to happen in order to accomplish His will. Our responsibility is to follow the Spirit’s leading wherever that may be, even if it’s the wilderness. If we are willing to trust Him, and to follow His leading, we can rest assured He will not let us fail in the wilderness.

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June 10, 2016 · 5:00 AM

Be Humble


Over and over the Bible records people whose hearts had turned away from God. It’s hard to put it into true perspective because we can read through a hundred years of history in a matter of minutes. One minute they’re serving God, the next they’re not. It’s easy to wonder how they could switch so fast. When you put it in context and you think about our present time, it’s not very different. You can see how each generation pulls further from God until He brings judgement.

When I look at where we are today, the political situation, the racial divides, and the desperation of the Church to be accepted by society, I see God’s impending judgement. Each time God brought a judgement on the people in the Bible however, He relented if they humbled themselves and repented. I believe that’s what we are in need of today. It’s important for each of us to stop thinking more highly of ourselves than we should, recognize our only hope for healing society is God and not us, and to repent and pray for forgiveness. God can and will turn this generation toward Him if we will humble ourselves.

To help with this process, I’m sharing verses today that discuss humbling ourselves.

1. You’re cheating on God. If all you want is your own way, flirting with the world every chance you get, you end up enemies of God and his way. And do you suppose God doesn’t care? The proverb has it that “he’s a fiercely jealous lover.” And what he gives in love is far better than anything else you’ll find. It’s common knowledge that “God goes against the willful proud; God gives grace to the willing humble.”
James 4:4-6 MSG

2. He has showed you, O man, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you but to do justly, and to love kindness and mercy, and to humble yourself and walk humbly with your God? 

Micah 6:8 AMP

3. Then if my people who are called by my name will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sins and restore their land.

2 Chronicles 7:14 NLT

4. My sacrifice is a humble spirit, O God; you will not reject a humble and repentant heart.

Psalm 51:17 GNT

5. Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up.

James 4:10 NIV

6. “Relax, Daniel,” he continued, “don’t be afraid. From the moment you decided to humble yourself to receive understanding, your prayer was heard, and I set out to come to you. But I was waylaid by the angel-prince of the kingdom of Persia and was delayed for a good three weeks. But then Michael, one of the chief angel-princes, intervened to help me. I left him there with the prince of the kingdom of Persia. And now I’m here to help you understand what will eventually happen to your people.”

Daniel 10:12-14 MSG

7. So anyone who becomes as humble as this little child is the greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven.

Matthew 18:4 NLT

8. Happy are those who are humble; they will receive what God has promised!

Matthew 5:5 GNT

9. When the Lord saw that they humbled themselves, this word of the Lord came to Shemaiah: “Since they have humbled themselves, I will not destroy them but will soon give them deliverance. My wrath will not be poured out on Jerusalem through Shishak.”

2 Chronicles 12:7 NIV

10. Let this same attitude and purpose and [humble] mind be in you which was in Christ Jesus: [Let Him be your example in humility:]

Philippians 2:5 AMP

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June 9, 2016 · 5:00 AM

Be An Advocate


One of the greatest gifts Jesus gave us was the Holy Spirit. In John 14:26 He said, “But when the Father sends the Advocate as my representative—that is, the Holy Spirit—he will teach you everything and will remind you of everything I have told you” (NLT). Jesus gave us an advocate as a gift. He gave us someone who would speak and plead on our behalf. He knew that there would be times when we felt like we wouldn’t have a voice and needed one.

Not only that, the gift He gave us reminds us of the things He told us. There are so many times in life that we don’t know what to do. We need wisdom from above in our toughest times, and the Holy Spirit comforts us by reminding us of the promises of God. Those verses that come suddenly into our thoughts are not there by accident. The peace in the storm isn’t there by chance. They are the Holy Spirit at work in our lives.

One of the greatest gifts someone gave me was a car that I desperately needed when I couldn’t afford one. When they handed over the keys, I asked how I could repay them. They said, “One day, when you’re able to, do the same thing for someone else.” They knew that my life wouldn’t always be where it was. They had the foresight to know that one day, I would be in a better position than I was at that time. I believe the same principle applies with our need for the Advocate.

When we are no longer in desperate need for someone to plead on our behalf, I believe we can be an advocate for others. It is truly a godly act since that’s what He does. Proverbs 31:8 says, “Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves; ensure justice for those being crushed.” There are people all around us who don’t have a voice, and we have the ability to advocate for them. One day, with God’s help and yours, they will be at a point where they can return the favor to someone else. It’s the gift that keeps on giving.

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