April 7, 2015
The gospel moves us from a religious response to a relational one. The question it asks is not ‘have you been a good person,’ but ‘have you acknowledged Jesus as the Christ?’ This acknowledgement is not only internal, but external, causing us to confess Christ as Lord and Savior before men. How we decide to treat Jesus on earth affects His response to us in eternity.
April 4, 2015
Martha was working hard in the kitchen while her sister, Mary, sat at the feet of Jesus listening. Martha was hurt, feeling that Jesus didn’t care that her sister had left her serving alone. But Jesus approved of Mary’s choice to rest in Him and to enjoy His presence without working. He instructed Martha that resting in Him was the “good part,” the “one thing” needed.
Today is the 7th day of Passion Week, the day we remember Christ’s crucified body lying in the tomb. Just as God finished His creation by making man on the 6th day and rested on the 7th, so Christ redeemed mankind on the 6th day and on the 7th day, rested.
What are you “worried and troubled about” today? Rest in the Son of God, Jesus Christ, who has defeated sin, death and the grave. Rest in Him, for He has already done what is needed to save us.
April 3, 2015
When the 70 disciples that the Lord sent out to bear witness returned, they were overjoyed that even the demons were subject to the name of Jesus. But Jesus told them not to rejoice over such things. Spiritual warfare is real and Christ-followers have been given authority, but we are not to glory in this. We are to “rejoice” that we are saved and that our names are in the Lamb’s Book of Life. On this Good Friday when we remember the price that our Lord paid for our inclusion into that Book, we rejoice in Him.
March 31, 2015
What is the cost of discipleship?
After Jesus described how He would suffer, be killed, and rise on the third day, He explained the cost of being one of His disciples. His instruction?
1) Deny yourself – Surrender your will to Christ’s Lordship.
2) Take up your cross daily – Die daily to sin through Christ’s sacrifice.
3) Follow Me – Walk in the Spirit, filled with Christ’s resurrection power.
March 29, 2015
When Jesus freed the demon-possessed man living in the tombs of the Gedarenes, he begged to go with Jesus. But Jesus instructed him to go home and bear witness to “what great things God” had done for him. This was also the instruction Christ gave His disciples before He ascended when He told them to begin in Jerusalem (Acts 1:8). We are still called to begin our Christian witness at our “own house.”
March 28, 2015
Of the four soils that Jesus described in his parable about receptivity to God’s Word, the thorny soil probably best resembles American hearts. There has never been a generation so blessed with access to the Bible and the gospel message. Yet, American believers have a stunted spiritual maturity. They spend their days distracted by so many worldly things that they fail to focus on the eternal. Are you cultivating the seed of God’s Word or is your spiritual life getting lost in the weeds?
March 22, 2015
The more that crowds gathered around Jesus, the more often He “withdrew” to pray. Jesus modeled an important rhythm between doing ministry and personal devotion. We recognize the need for food and rest for our physical bodies after exerting work, but we often overlook the need for our souls to be replenished after doing ministry. Do you ever withdraw to pray?
March 20, 2015
The devil departed from tempting Jesus after three failed attempts. These are the same three temptations to which Adam succumbed. Yet, Jesus overcame them all. The temptation of Adam and Eve began with Satan’s question, “Did God really say?” (Gen.3:1). And so, he introduced the doubt of God’s Word into their minds, making them susceptible to his wiles. So Eve was deceived, deciding that the forbidden fruit “was good for food, that it was pleasant to the eyes, and desirable to make one wise” (Gen.3:6). The apostle John described these three temptations as targeting “the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life” (1 John 2:16). Satan tempted Jesus and Adam with the same three tests: 1) The flesh (Adam: fruit; Jesus: bread), 2) the eyes (Adam: pleasant; Jesus: glory), 3) the pride (Adam: wisdom like God’s; Jesus: prove you’re the Son of God). While Adam doubted God’s Word, Jesus answered all three of Satan’s tests with quotations from God’s Word. Satan still uses the same bag of tricks today, but we can learn from Christ’s example and depend on His power to overcome temptation as He did. As the psalmist said, “Thy word have I hid in mine heart that I might not sin against Thee” (Psalm 119:11). In Christ, we are overcomers.
March 17, 2015
Luke is the only gospel that described how Jesus grew up. The story of twelve year old Jesus talking with the teachers in the Temple, while His family was looking for Him, is a very interesting glimpse into His youth. And it begs the question, “What did it look like for the Son of God to grow up?” Luke summarized Christ’s growing years in a four part description. This description is helpful for those who want to grow to maturity as Jesus did.
The four areas of growth are:
1) Mental “wisdom”
2) Physical “stature”
3) Spiritual “favor with God”
4) Social “favor with men”
I use this verse to help set goals in my life each year, praying that Jesus will help me to grow more like Him. What are your “Luke 2:52” goals?
March 15, 2015
After nine months being mute, Zacharias prophesied over his newborn son, John. All that the angel Gabriel predicted had come to pass. I suppose the silenced old Zacharias had plenty of time to contemplate the angel’s words during his wife’s pregnancy. Awe fell over the entire neighborhood as the tongue-tied priest became an articulate prophet, blessing his son. In this verse, he spoke the prophecy of Malachi 3:1 over his son, saying that he would be the preparer of the way for the Messiah. What if every child was so anticipated? What if every son had a father speaking a prophetic blessing over him?