Surrender Your ‘Later’

“Jesus replied, “You do not realize now what I am doing,

but later you will understand.”

John 13:7

How confident is your trust?

Are you willing to trust God when your plans hit a roadblock or a set back?

What about when things seem to be taking a course you just don’t understand?

Even then will you still trust?

The disciples certainly faced such a time.

They saw the crucifixion as an end and did not understand it was all part of God’s plan.

They did not know – even though Jesus had told them plainly – what would take place three days later.

They failed to realize that an old covenant was being replaced by a new and better covenant.

Are you willing to continue to follow God even if the understanding doesn’t come until later?

Can you trust God with the outcome?

Perhaps you think your life has hit rock bottom and you simply do not see any way out.

Are you still willing to believe God despite what your circumstances may look like?

There is a ‘later’ understanding that God brings.

It comes after the ‘end’!

It comes after the ‘final act’!

It comes when we think all is lost!

And yet, it is right on time!

Can’t you hear Jesus whispering “...later you will understand.”

Surrender your ‘later’ to Him today!

It’s a Win-Win!

“For, “All people are like grass, and all their glory is like the flowers of the field; the grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of the Lord endures forever.” And this is the word that was preached to you.”

I Peter 1:24-25

At first reading the verses above may seem a little bit discouraging but let me suggest to you a healthy and encouraging way to read and understand them.

Allow these verses to shape your focus.

What do I mean by that?

If I were to have other people as idols in my life, no matter how good and wonderful they may be, I must understand that they too are part of that phrase

 “...all people...”

But if I honor the Word of the Lord through my life I am placing my hope on that which endures forever and not on anyone who withers and falls.

It puts those verses in proper perspective.

There are men and woman in my life that I honor and esteem.

But I understand their frailty and their imperfections.

They cannot replace the Word of God.

Oh, and by-the-way, remember this:

“The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us...”

John 1:14a

When I honor His Word, I am honoring His Son who was the Word made flesh and when I honor Jesus Christ I honor His Word!

It’s a win-win!

A Side Trip to Samaria

“For the entire law is fulfilled in keeping this one command:

“Love your neighbor as yourself.”

Galatians 5:14

If we love our neighbor as we love ourselves we have fulfilled the entire law.

This is according to Jesus and He spoke of this when asked what the greatest commandment was.

This is likened to what aw would call the Golden Rule:

Do unto others as you would have them do unto you!

Are you a pro-active believer?

Do you go out of your way and look for ways to bless and love others?

Jesus and his disciples once traveled a longer route to their destination which took them through Samaria in order to minister to a woman at a well.

He went out of His way to do good!

Sometimes we can easily excuse away the simplest kindnesses because we are too busy, too involved with our own issues or just don’t want to be stretched.

When you feel that way, stop and consider the ‘side trip’ to Samaria and the impact this ‘detour’ made by Jesus had not only on a woman but on her entire village.  

Mark My Words!

“It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.”

Galatians 5:1

Listen to this same verse form the King James Version –

“Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage.”

Jesus set us free that we might be free indeed!

It sounds too simple to even repeat it but He did not set us free only to set us up for bondage by trading one set of rules for another set.

We have been set free from the law of sin and death.

Salvation is not an entanglement but it is freeing.

It is liberty.

Liberty from religious rules and regulations.

Notice that Paul says:

“...stand firm...” and “...do not let yourselves...”

He is laying the foundation for the next verse where he says:

“Mark my words! I, Paul, tell you that if you let yourselves be circumcised, Christ will be of no value to you at all.”

We may face those who teach contrary to the truths of God but there comes a point at which it is time to stand firm, resist the devil and not let ourselves be taken back into any form of bondage.

Paul says “Mark my words...”

We still use that phrase today and we know what it means.

Don’t let anyone take you from the freedom we have in Christ back into any form of bondage or slavery!

Who’s Winning You Over?

“Those people are zealous to win you over, but for no good. What they want is to alienate you from us, so that you may have zeal for them.”

Galatians 4:17

Did you catch that?

Some people are zealous to win you over.

Never mind that they don’t have your best interests at heart.

It’s all about them!

What is in it for them?

Followers, fame, fortune?

There are many leaders in the earth.

Not all are leading you in the way God purposed.

So ask yourself a very important question –

Am I following someone who is following the Lord?

Often the answer is apparent by the words of their mouth.

Sometimes it is evident when the words and the actions are opposite.

I am not proposing your leadership is perfect.

There was only one perfect one and He is seated at the right hand of the Father.

But a leader who is anointed and called by God will care for the same things God cares for.

He will have God’s interests before his own.

So don’t follow because your ears were tickled and your emotions were stirred.

Follow because God is leading your leader!

Know the Truth Twice!

“Those people are zealous to win you over, but for no good. What they want is to alienate you from us, so that you may have zeal for them.”

Galatians 4:17

“Those people...” Paul is referring to are, at least in this passage, unnamed.

Considering what he has to say that is a good thing.

Our writer, Paul, is speaking of false teachers.

Their claims of expertise in Judaism and Christianity are brought into question, in part, by their own anonymity, i.e. who they were, how they were educated, why none of them were named in the Bible.

They were troublemakers and self-professing experts who, perhaps in today’s vernacular, knew just enough to cause trouble.

Paul wasn’t about to give them their 15 minutes of fame.

So it is today.

Not everyone who claims to have the truth does.

In fact some teachers of heresy can be very persuasive and presentable.

Their television show, website or news commentary will never run a disclaimer telling you what is being spoken is untrue.

So what to do?

How do we know?

What is the ‘antidote’ to keep us from falling for false teachers?

Know the truth!

Know it twice.

What do I mean by that?

Know the truth of God’s written Word.

Know Jesus Christ the Living Word.

Intimately, deeply, profoundly know Him who is Truth.

Eye Catcher

Today’s blog post is contributed by David Trotta:

Thus says the Lord; “Heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool; what is the house that you would build for me, and what is the place of my rest?  All these things my hand has made, and so all these things came to be, declares the Lord.  But this is the one to whom I will look; he who is humble and contrite in spirit and trembles at my word.”  (Isaiah 66:1-2)

Have you ever been mesmerized by something that catches your eye?  Maybe a beautiful sunset or a breathtaking view of the ocean?  You know, something that causes you to pause and take a long look?

A couple years back, while flying over Salt Lake City, Utah on a clear day, I was mesmerized by the Wasatch Mountains that stand guard over the city. Being from upstate New York, I haven’t had the opportunity to see mountains like that.  It was pretty impressive.

Did you know that there is something that catches God’s eye, something that makes Him stop and take notice?

The above verse says “But this is the one to whom I will look; he who is humble and contrite in spirit and trembles at my word.”

The largest of mountains, the mightiest of oceans or even the stars in the universe do not impress God.  After all, heaven is His throne and the earth is His footstool.

But, there is one thing that He can’t turn away from – a gentle, submissive heart that cherishes His every word and understands its emptiness apart from God.

Does the attitude of your heart catch God’s eye?

To God, much of what He created is ho-hum, but one thing that He never gets tired of looking at is a humble and contrite heart.

Peace

Take some time to meditate on these scriptures...

“the Lord turn his face toward you and give you peace.”

Numbers 6:26

“Mercy, peace and love be yours in abundance.”

Jude 1:2

“‘The glory of this present house will be greater than the glory of the former house,’ says the Lord Almighty. ‘And in this place I will grant peace,’

declares the Lord Almighty.”

Haggai 2:9

“The mind governed by the flesh is death,

but the mind governed by the Spirit is life and peace.”

Romans 8:6

“The Lord gives strength to his people; the Lord blesses his people with peace.”

Psalm 29:11

Praying that these scriptures on the peace of God touch your spirit today and allow you to know and have that peace that passes all understanding.

A Kindness Primer

The way of kindness is brought to you by the Word of God...

“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance,

kindness, goodness, faithfulness,”

Galatians 5:22

“Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.”

Colossians 3:12

“I led them with cords of human kindness, with ties of love. To them I was like one who lifts a little child to the cheek, and I bent down to feed them.”

Hosea 11:4

“in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus.”

Ephesians 2:7

“It is a sin to despise one’s neighbor,

but blessed is the one who is kind to the needy.”

Proverbs 14:21

“Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.”

I Corinthians 13:4

A Praise Break

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This praise break is brought to you by the Word of God...

“Then a voice came from the throne, saying:

“Praise our God, all you his servants,

you who fear him, both great and small!”

Revelation 19:5

“.Ezra praised the Lord, the great God; and all the people lifted their hands and responded, “Amen! Amen!” Then they bowed down and worshiped the Lord with their faces to the ground.”

Nehemiah 8:6

And again, “Praise the Lord, all you Gentiles; let all the peoples extol him.”

Romans 15:11

“Is anyone among you in trouble?

Let them pray.

Is anyone happy?

Let them sing songs of praise.”

James 5:13

“The Lord lives! Praise be to my Rock!

Exalted be my God, the Rock, my Savior!”

II Samuel 22:47

“I will praise the Lord all my life; I will sing praise to my God as long as I live.”

Psalm 146:2

“Heal me, Lord, and I will be healed;

save me and I will be saved, for you are the one I praise.”

Jeremiah 17:14

Click on the link below to enjoy a praise song -

https://youtu.be/LqBpifDpNKc

He Remains the King of Glory!

“Who is he, this King of glory?

    The Lord Almighty—

    he is the King of glory.”

Psalm 24:10

“...he is the King of glory.”

He hasn’t been deposed.

Never will be!

It does not say who was or even who will be the King of glory but who is.

Current events can have a way of clouding that understanding for some.

God has never been surprised by current events.

The day before and the day after some great or terrible event in human history God continues to be the King of glory.

Let that perspective shape your thoughts today.

Remember too that no one or nothing is greater, wiser, more powerful, more loving than God.

In Him we can find peace in the most turbulent of days.

Listen to these words of encouragement from Jesus:

“I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”

John 16:33

Here are those same words from the Message translation -

“I’ve told you all this so that trusting me, you will be unshakable and assured, deeply at peace. In this godless world you will continue to experience difficulties.”

Are you unshakeable and assured today?

Do you have the deep peace He promised?

He remains the King of glory and He never will be deposed!

Breaking Our Belief Barrier

Today’s blog post is contributed by David Trotta:

Jesus said, “Come.” So Peter got out of the boat and walked on the water and came to Jesus. (Matt 14:29)

Why did Jesus walk on water?

Is it because he needed to get to the other side of the lake?  Probably not.

Did he want to impress his disciples?  I don’t think so.

What if the main reason Jesus walked on water was to show Peter that he too could walk on water?  What if He wanted to break Peter’s belief barrier and show him he could do the miraculous?

Let’s take it a step further and bring it closer to home.

What if the one of the reasons Jesus performed His many miracles (and made sure they were documented in the bible) was to show us that we too, when living in union with Him, could do the miraculous?

In John 14:12, Jesus said ““Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes in me will also do the works that I do; and greater works than these will he do, because I am going to the Father.”

What if Jesus wanted to break our belief barrier?

What if He is standing on the water beckoning us to come?

Don’t Shoot the Messenger

“and even though my illness was a trial to you,

you did not treat me with contempt or scorn.

Instead,

you welcomed me as if I were an angel of God,

as if I were Christ Jesus himself.”

Galatians 4:4

Whatever the illness was that Paul had, it proved to be a trial not only to him but also to the church in Galatia as well.

They, and he, persevered because of the treasured message he carried.

Sometimes we are turned off by the messenger.

We treat with contempt or scorn the very ones who carry the message of hope and redemption because of some external, temporal discomfort they may present to us. The Galatian church, to their credit, did not do this.

Could you imagine missing eternity because you couldn’t get past your first impression of someone?

“Lord, I’m sorry – I didn’t know – I just couldn’t take them seriously given the clothes they wore!” “...or the kind of music they liked...”  “or...”

Our superficial reasons for not listening could cause us to miss an eternity with God.

Why would God allow this?

Listen to this passage from the Message translation:

“Take a good look, friends, at who you were when you got called into this life.

I don’t see many of “the brightest and the best” among you,

not many influential, not many from high-society families.

Isn’t it obvious that God deliberately chose men and women that the culture overlooks and exploits and abuses, chose these “nobodies” to expose the hollow pretensions of the “somebodies”?

That makes it quite clear that none of you can get by with blowing your own horn before God.

Everything that we have—right thinking and right living,

a clean slate and a fresh start—comes from God by way of Jesus Christ.

That’s why we have the saying,

 “If you’re going to blow a horn, blow a trumpet for God.”

Trust God’s Timing

“But when the set time had fully come, God sent his Son,

born of a woman, born under the law,”

Galatians 4:4

“...when the set time had fully come...”

God’s plan unfolded according to His timetable.

It was not a second early or a moment late.

It was precisely on time.

His plans are still on time.

As time passes God neither slumbers nor sleeps.

He watches over His word to perform it.

His plans and purposes do not fail to come to pass.

God’s timetable for your life can likewise unfold when the set time has fully come.

In the struggles of life that can easily be forgotten or forsaken.

We conclude that matters are best in our hands and not Gods’

Perhaps, like Sarah offering her handmaiden to Abraham, we think Gods plans have been forsaken by Him or simply cannot be accomplished without our help.

When you are tempted to take over, don’t!

Trust God’s timing, it is always best!

All One in Christ Jesus

“There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.”

Galatians 3:28

Speaking in the vernacular of the 1st Century church –

Who is capable of faith?

Are Jews?

How about Gentiles?

Can a slave have faith or is it only possessed by free people?

Is faith gender specific?

Can both men and woman be filled with the faith of God?

Certainly, to all of those questions, we can say that faith is available to ‘whosoever will’.

As a person of faith we now become ‘hidden with Christ in God’ so that we no longer know no man after the flesh.

We are to see Christ in our brothers and sisters.

Not their skin color, not where they were born, not whether male or female.

None of those things change but none of them are what ‘identifies’ us either.

We recognize ‘family’ in Christ that we are before we recognize tribe, nation, gender, social status, etc...

Your identity is in Christ – if you belong to Him – and not in these other things.

A man does not cease to be a man nor does a black woman cease to be a black woman.

The distinctions of these differences we so often want to amplify have been abolished in Christ.

The Body of Christ should not note the distinctions and prejudices marked loudly by the world.

Racism, prejudice and bigotry is not to be part of the church.

Gods’ Kingdom on earth should reflect His Kingdom in heaven!

‘Light Enclaves’

“This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but people loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil.”

John 3:19

I’ve never seen crime statistics broken down this way but I suspect we all know that if we were to compare crime committed in day light versus crime committed in the dark hours after the sun goes down, the numbers after dark would easily overwhelm day time crime numbers.

Now I know that the verse above is speaking of spiritual light and darkness but we certainly can’t argue that we also see it play out in the natural realm.

Imagine a ‘light conclave’ where believers congregate and never step out into the darkness to be (and reveal) the light that we are called to be.

I remember years ago as a new believer how I thought to myself the ineffectiveness of monasteries because they too represented, to me, a light conclave that never ventured out to a darkened world with the light of Christ.

Now I must ask: Have our church buildings become that for us?

Oh, I know we need to gather together.

I know we are not to forsakethe assembling of ourselves together according to the admonition of scripture.

But have we become so self-centered and inward focused that we have become that city on a hill only the city has very high walls surrounding the city threatening anyone who would come into our ‘light enclave’?

It’s well past time to move beyond the four walls and out as light in dark places.

King Jesus

Today’s blog post is contributed by David Trotta:

On his robe and on his thigh he has a name written, King of kings and Lord of lords. (Revelation 19:16)

We view Jesus as many things – our best friend, savior, and provider to name a few.  And He is all those things.  But we often lose sight of the fact that He is our King and the ruler of the Kingdom we belong to.

As a result, we don’t always honor and revere Him as we should.

For example, in any kingdom, the words of the King are law, but with Jesus, we pick and choose which words we will obey.

In any kingdom, the citizens approach the king with great reverence and a bowed heart, but we approach the throne room of God with a list of demands while spending little time worshipping or giving thanks to the One who sits on the throne.

It’s not about the blessings we receive.  It’s about the King who pardoned us and positioned us to receive those blessings.

It’s not about our gifting’s.  It’s about the King who has equipped us and imparted those gifts to us.

It’s not just about the cross.  It’s about the King who went to the cross.

Jesus is the King of all kings.  He is the King of the greatest Kingdom in existence and He deserves to be honored as such.

Nobody does a better job at describing the King we serve than S. M. Lockridge.

Have a listen.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ffzB_HK9sNU

Weighty Words

“May my prayer be set before you like incense;

    may the lifting up of my hands be like the evening sacrifice.”

Psalm 141:2

What prayers are ‘legal’?

Asking it another way: What prayers that you pray are prayed as God intended?

How many prayers have you prayed that have captured the heart of God?

“Every one of them!” you say.

Are you sure?

I admit to way more than my share of ‘God gimme’ prayers that are nothing more than self-seeking litanies much like the over indulged child’s Christmas gift list.

Yes, we are certainly admonished to “...make our requests known...” but what a difference it makes when we move from ‘I-me-mine’ to ‘nevertheless, not my will but yours be done’!

What if we spent more of our time listening for the heart of heaven before we opened our mouths and then truly prayed His heart?

Do you suppose the impact might be different?

Maybe there is someone in your life; a spouse, a friend, a child; who has been trying to talk to you about something very important in their life but you haven’t been listening.

 What if you started to really listen?

How much more so when we come into the presence of the King?

What if we placed a greater value on His words by actually taking the time to listen and obey?

How radically changed our prayer life could be!

Your Kingdom Come...

“Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom,

    and your dominion endures through all generations.

The Lord is trustworthy in all he promises

    and faithful in all he does.”

Psalm 145:13

“...Your Kingdom Come...”

Have you ever stopped to really think about those words?

They can become so rote to us that we never really appreciate the gravity of them.

Do we suppose that Jesus was only teaching His disciples to pray that a future event take place...that in some year far removed from that moment in time the Kingdom of God would come?

Not at all!

Looking through the Gospels, we find these words from Jesus:

“and saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.”

Matthew 3:2

“As you go, proclaim this message: ‘The kingdom of heaven has come near.’

Matthew 10:7

But if it is by the Spirit of God that I drive out demons, then the kingdom of God has come upon you.

Matthew 12:28

We carry the Good News of the kingdom – not only a future Kingdom but a present reality where those subject to the King live and move and have their being.

Does He abide in you?

Then you carry the King and the authority of His Kingdom through the earth wherever you go.

“nor will people say, ‘Here it is,’ or ‘There it is,’ because the kingdom of God is in your midst.”

Luke 17:21

Maybe it’s time we read the scriptures again, asking God to open our eyes to His Kingdom among us.

Your Kingdom Come...

The ‘Aha’ Moment

“Show me your ways, Lord, teach me your paths.”

Psalm 25:4

Have you ever had the light bulb turn on over your head?

Have you ever had the aha moment where you suddenly had an understanding about something you thought you knew but realized in that moment that there was more?

That is a wonderful admission – don’t be afraid of it.

Our thinking should be challenged whenever we seek to know the truth.

The disciples were constantly ‘scratching their heads’ at things Jesus said.

When they didn’t it was probably because what He spoke went right over their heads.

The woman at the well thought she had answers but Jesus set her head spinning.

The teachers of the law certainly felt they held the corner on truth but even they were silenced often by the answers Jesus provided.

Remember that being in the classroom with Jesus means you are with Him who possesses all wisdom and all knowledge so be sure to soak up all that He reveals to you even if it surprises you just a bit.

It won’t be the first time Jesus’ listeners were amazed at what He had to say.

Class is in Session

“let the wise listen and add to their learning,

    and let the discerning get guidance—”

Proverbs 1:5

You’ve taken your seat.

You are alone in the classroom.

You have a private tutoring session.

You are free to choose the lesson.

What do you choose?

Make a wise choice.

This isn’t any ordinary tutor.

The Lord Himself will teach you.

That changes things doesn’t it?

The disciples walked with Jesus for three years.

They saw, but often failed to understand, so much concerning Jesus.

When they had the opportunity what did they ask for?

“Lord, teach us to pray...”

“No, I know how to do that, that would not be what I choose”, you say!

The wise man remains teachable, especially when the Lord is teaching.

There is so much we can learn about prayer.

Now, please take your seat as we prepare for our lesson....