Jesus came to set the oppressed free. He is our liberator and deliverer. When we follow Jesus we should experience new life. Don’t fall back into old patterns and ways of being. Ask Jesus to show you what He wants you to see and experience in and through your circumstances. He will show you the way. It may not be your way, but it will be the best way.
Never Have an Ordinary Day
When God led the Israelites out of Egypt He was always ahead of them: a cloud of smoke by day and a column of fire by night. God’s leading is not dark or mysterious. He is always in front of you so you can “see” Him and follow. Look for God at the beginning of your day, throughout the circumstances of your day, and in the evening. You can count on this: God is always leading and always wants you to follow. Every day of your life can be an adventure of discovery, passion, and obedience. When you seek the Lord and follow His lead, you will never have an ordinary day.
Show and Tell
One of the main differences between the God of Abraham, Jacob, and Isaac and other “gods” is His desire to be known. God is not hiding Himself somewhere in the heavenlies expecting us to find Him and figure out who He is. God is the God of revelation, the God of “show and tell.” Since the very beginning God has made Himself known. All through the Scriptures of the Bible we see God saying, “Come to me. I want you to know me. Seek Me and you will find Me.” God was so determined to be known that He came to earth to live with us for a while. Through Jesus, we experience God’s love and character. Through Jesus we can actually be in a relationship with God. Take the time to get to know Jesus. Listen to His teachings and what He has to say. Before long you will find yourself falling in love with God.
Never Give Up on Anyone
No one is beyond the help of God. No matter how far we may have fallen God still loves us and will come to us when we call. That is why it is so important to never give up on anyone. Keep praying for them. You never know when their lives might be turned around. God is gracious to us all – even to those who do not believe. We are called to help show them the way – to connect them with the greatest love they could ever experience – the love of Jesus. I often wonder what my life would be like today if God had given up on me. Remember, no one is beyond the reach of God’s love through Jesus Christ – no one.
Open House
It is not uncommon for homeowners to have what is called an “open house” when it comes time to sell their homes. This gives people an opportunity to inspect every nook and cranny of the house before they decide whether or not to buy.
Why is it when it comes to our spirituality we do the opposite? When Jesus comes into our lives we welcome Him into our living room and den. We commune with Him in the kitchen and walk with Him in the back yard. Yet we are not willing to let Him into our attics and basements. What is it we are trying to conceal in these cold dark spaces? Unconfessed addictions? Unresolved struggles and doubts? Shelves of painful childhood memories, shame, resentment and guilt?
Whatever it is you are hiding needs to come into the light. Invite Jesus to inspect your attic and basement. He will not repaint the walls and rearrange the furniture. He will fumigate and clean out the darkness so that your life can be an open house where people meet Jesus in every room.
God Bless America
I’ve been thinking this morning about what Jesus said in Luke 12:48b (NLT): Much is required from those to whom much is given.As followers of Jesus we have a responsibility to care for others. Those who have more are to help those who have less. It saddens me that in my country, the United States of America, we as citizens are more concerned about our buying power than we are about our giving power. Those who have more want more. Collectively as a country we do the same thing. The United States is the wealthiest and most powerful country in the world, yet we are known as a country that consumes rather than gives.
We are always saying, “God bless America.” The word “blessing” means divine favor or approval. The only way we are going to receive God’s approval is to follow God’s ways. The only way to do that is to become a country that’s known for its giving rather than its consuming. And it all starts with you and me. Begin a life of giving and make a difference in the lives of others. You will be blessed and Jesus will be pleased.
On the Road Again
Last night we held our Ash Wednesday service which is a time to remember who we truly are and who God truly is. It is also the beginning of the forty day journey to Easter we call Lent. I use this time to remember who I am, who I am called to be and to examine the direction of my life.
Do you know where your life is going? Are you where you want to be? I encourage you to take the time to follow Jesus for the next forty days by reading four chapters of the Gospel of Luke every week between now and Easter Sunday. Think about what you are experiencing in your life as you read. Picture yourself being there with Jesus. What is He saying to you? Claim His promises and act on what you hear. Then on Easter Sunday re-examine your life and compare it to where you were forty days earlier. I think you will be surprised and amazed to discover just how much following Jesus can change your life. Have a great journey!
The Ultimate GPS
Jesus is not the GPS of my life unless and until I am willing to listen and obey His instructions. This means I can no longer depend on self-direction – what I will or will not do; where I will or will not go. Jesus is the One who leads and guides me. I am the one who follows. It is essential for me to be sensitive to what Jesus asks and to always be ready to act in accordance to His wishes and desires. I want to be all Jesus created me to be and to do all He created me to do. Jesus is the ultimate GPS. When I stay tuned in and turned on to His words and directions I will always end up exactly where I am supposed to be.
Search and Rescue
People struggle with doubts about their worth and value. They compare themselves with others to see how they rate on some fabricated invisible scale. The last thing in the world they need to hear is how bad they are in the eyes of God. No wonder so many have been turned off by “church people.”
The truth is God sent Jesus into the world so we would know how much we are loved. Jesus’ mission is not to condemn. His mission is to search and rescue people from living inauthentic and superficial lives. He wants us to experience what it means to be fully alive! Pay no attention to those who try to condemn you in the name of Jesus. It is not a message from God. Rather run into the arms of Jesus. He will embrace you with his unconditional love and show you who you really are. Take the time to discover Jesus for yourself. You will not be disappointed.
One Day, One Room
I am a big fan of the television series, House. Tuesday’s epsiode included a story about a young woman who had been raped and wanted to spend time talking with House. When House raised the question why she wanted to talk with him she said, “One day, one room.” She told him that the moments you spend with people on a daily basis add up to create one’s life. She and House had been put together on this particular day, in this particular room. There has to be a reason why. I remember thinking how true and how profound this is. Every day we are in a room with someone. And what happens in that room, on that day, affects our lives in more ways than we can possibly imagine. Whether I am in an elevator, a restaurant, a hospital waiting room or a movie theater concession line, I need to pay attention to those who are around me. How I respond to them and how they respond to me will affect the totality of my life and theirs as well. Maybe I need to smile, maybe I should say hello. Maybe I should just listen and observe. But whatever I do, I know I need to do something. I’m inclined to believe that if I sit back and do nothing, if I ignore those who are around me, I just might miss something God had intended for me and for others on that one day, in that one room.
