Words and Works

Is there an authority figure in your life? Was one of your parents a person who always seemed to be in control and someone you aspired to be like? Is there someone who has had a significant impact on your life? Do you continue to try to live up to the image of that person?

Many of us had role models we looked up to as kids. Sometimes that role model was a parent. Other times the role model was someone we saw from a distance. Whomever it was, we thought they had it all together. They were a person we wanted to be like when we grew up.

That person may still have an impact on our lives. The impressions we had as a young child may continue to influence our lives more than we realize. We may even think like that person. It may feel as though part of them is living within us. This is as close as we can come to understanding Jesus’ quote in today’s passage.

Jesus states the Father was in Him. He says the very words He speaks come from the Father. Not only that but the Father dwells within Him. Jesus tells His disciples the Father is working through Him. Though we may get a glimpse of what this means by having a similar personality of a parent, in the case of Jesus and the Father, they are one.

The disciples are told to believe what Jesus says, but if they won’t, at least believe because of the miracles He did. This is an admonition for us as well. Since there are eyewitness accounts, we should believe based on the miracles Jesus performed, even if we don’t believe everything He said. Generally speaking, we are no different than the disciples who heard Jesus. We sometimes misinterpret what He said. We may think some of His statements are over blown or exaggerated. So, if our faith isn’t strongly based on His words, it should be strengthened by what He did.

I pray we all believe Jesus. I pray we believe the Father and Son are one. I pray each one of us will have our faith strengthened based on Jesus words and the miracles He performed. Believe Jesus. Know the Father and Son are one. Believe Jesus’ words. Believe in Jesus’ miracles. Strengthen your faith.

John 14:10-11 “Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? The words that I say to you I do not speak on my own; but the Father who dwells in me does his works. Believe me that I am in the Father and the Father is in me; but if you do not, then believe me because of the works themselves.”

Accepting Truth

How well do you accept the truth? Do you anger quickly when the truth you hear is not what you want to hear? Do you ignore the truth when it does not fit your desires? Have you encountered someone who doesn’t listen to the truth? How does that make you feel?

It does not take looking hard to find people who are ignoring the truth. Perhaps we are ignoring it ourselves. There are more false narratives being spouted about than we can count. We hear them every day. They come in the form of explicit lies, half-truths, and misleading statements.

Many in our world today do not want to hear the truth about Jesus. They would rather bury their head in the sand, put their hands over their ears, or simply walk away than to hear about Jesus. Believe it or not…it even happens within our churches. There are some who go through the motions of attending worship services but do not really listen to the truth.

Jesus has told us the truth. He has stated there is no way to the Father except through Him. We can live as a good a life as we can, but if we do not accept Jesus as our Savior, we cannot go to the Father. We have heard this before. We may have discarded it. We may have ignored it. But Jesus continued that statement by saying something else that was amazing.

Jesus said that if we have seen Him (meaning know Him), we have seen the Father. This is one piece to better understanding the Trinity. Jesus and the Father are one. They are the same, even if represented in two different persons. Their thoughts are the same. Their promises are the same. Their love is the same. Their righteousness is the same. Their truth is the same.

I pray we all accept the truth Jesus spoke. I pray we accept Jesus as our Savior. I pray each one of us will seek to know Jesus and thereby know the Father. Accept Jesus’ truth. Know Jesus and the Father are one. Trust in Jesus’ promises. Know that Jesus loves you. Take Jesus at His word.

John 14:6-7 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. If you know me, you will know my Father also. From now on you do know him and have seen him.”

Foundational

What do you believe? What is the rock bottom truth you believe? Is there a foundational truth you believe? Do you go back to that foundation when you are troubled? Do you believe in God? Do you believe in Jesus? Do you know that that God has a place for you?

We all hit troubles in this life. When those troubles hit, they can wipe us out, we can survive them, or we can thrive in them. Much of that is determined on what we believe. What we believe will drive us through the troubles we face.

If we have no foundation, no true beliefs, troubles can wipe us out. We can hit rock bottom and never get up. We can be driven to find relief in a plethora of bad options. The only problem is…the relief is temporary, and the troubles remain.

If our foundation is faulty, cracked, or unstable, we may survive troubles. It may require everything we have. All our strength. All the gumption we can muster. We may hang by our fingernails for a while. And somehow, we make it through it.

But when we have a firm foundational belief, we can thrive through those troubles. No, they won’t be easy. They will be easier, and we will find that we have grown. We will find that we are stronger, and we stand more firmly on the foundational belief we have.

Jesus tells us to believe in Him. He promises there is a place for us with Him for eternity. That foundational belief and knowing He has sent the Holy Spirit to always be with us will carry us through the many troubles we will face in life. We can depend on Him. We can trust He will never leave us alone. We can believe His every word and promise.

I pray we all believe in Jesus. I pray we believe His promises. I pray each one of us will make Jesus our firm foundation and His promises our foundational belief. Believe in Jesus. Trust in Jesus. Know He will never leave you alone. Trust His promises. Know He has a place for you.

John 14:1-2 “Do not let your hearts be troubled. Believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father’s house there are many dwelling places. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you?”

Dreams

Have you had visions? Was it a real vision or an imaginary one? Have you had explicit dreams? Have you had dreams you thought had a significant meaning? Have you experienced déjà vu? Has any of this occurred when you felt especially filled with the Holy Spirit?

We may have a dream that seems to have a significant meaning to us. It may be a dream of the future or a recalling of something in our past. It may be a dream of a place we have never been and a scene that seems to be out of place. Paying attention and remembering those dreams can be important.

Sometimes, God communicates through dreams. Sometimes, he communicates through visions. Dreams and visions are not the same. Dreams happen when we are sleeping. Visions happen when we are awake. Though awake, we may appear to be in a trance to others. Visions from God are rare today, but they are certainly not impossible.

Déjà vu is another story. It is an event we have feeling we have lived before. Some write these off as just a trick of the mind. Others think of them from a superstitious perspective. Yet, these can also be a work of the Holy Spirit. It may be a way of encouraging us to make a specific choice, one that will not harm us or one that will lead us to the next decision point God wants us to move toward.

Stephen had a very clear vision of Jesus standing at the right hand of the Father. God allowed him to see something no mortal had seen before he was martyred. Young Saul, later to become the Apostle Paul, was there in attendance. Though it may not have had quite the impact we might expect at that moment, I’m sure Paul recalled it many times later.

Though visions are not common, they can be very powerful. Dreams that feel like they are significant to us can be very significant. We should ask God to reveal the meaning of our dreams and visions. We should not discount them. God may be giving us an answer to a question we don’t know to ask.

I pray we all seek to understand any dreams that feel significant. I pray we ask God to reveal the meaning of them. I pray each one of us pay attention to significant dreams and discern how they may impact our lives. Remember significant dreams. Ask God to reveal their meaning. Seek to understand significant dreams.

Acts 7:55-56 But filled with the Holy Spirit, he gazed into heaven and saw the glory of God and Jesus standing at the right hand of God. “Look,” he said, “I see the heavens opened and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God!”

The Voice of the Shepherd

How many voices do you know by hearing them? Do you know the voice of your parents? Do you know the voice of your spouse? Do you know the voices of your siblings? Do you know the voice of your close friends? Do you know the voice of Jesus?

We know lots of voices. We recognize them when we hear them. We may hear them from another room, but we know who is speaking. Our brains catalog those voices. They are familiar. Some of them we trust while others we do not.

Our brains are amazing organs within our bodies. They are used to record the voices we hear. They catalog them and associate different feelings about them. Our brains also associate a variety of other data with a voice, such as authority, friendship, trusting, distrusting, anxiety, obedience, disobedience, etc.

Knowing Jesus’ voice can be a little more challenging for us. Some of us may have heard the Holy Spirit speak to us within our own heads, but it is not the same as hearing a voice with our ears. No, hearing Jesus does not often require us to hear with our ears but with our heart.

Jesus may speak through any number of people. He may speak a word of wisdom through one person and a word of warning through another. Hearing Jesus requires us to be connected to the Holy Spirit and to use discernment. The audible sound we hear will not be Jesus’ voice, but the words spoken may be His.

We can also hear Jesus speak as we read the Bible. His wisdom, instruction, and guidance are there for us to read and to hear. His voice is available for us to hear, if we will listen for it.

I pray we all seek to hear Jesus’ voice. I pray we connect with the Holy Spirit. I pray each one of us will listen with our hearts and minds, while discerning to determine if it is Jesus speaking. Know the Shepherd’s voice. Jesus speaks to us today. Jesus speaks through the Holy Spirit. Jesus speaks through the Bible. Hear Jesus speak.

John 10:4 “When he has brought out all his own, he goes ahead of them, and the sheep follow him because they know his voice.”

Overflowing

Is there someone who goes before you to ensure all is well? Do you have someone who prepares all your meals for you? Are you christened? Is there someone who is always there for you and makes you joyful? Are you overflowing with blessings?

For some of us, there is someone plowing the path ahead of us like a snowplow on a snowy day. It may be an older sibling. Perhaps a manager at work who sees potential. It may be or has been a person who is of the same race and is breaking barriers.

It is rare that any of us can say we are truly breaking new ground. Nearly all of us are following in someone else’s footsteps. Oh, we may be the first in a specific company to do something, but someone else in another company has broken that barrier. Even people who break records have had someone else go before them to set the records.

We all can have God going before us. It is our choice. The choice is simple but may not be easy. It requires us to follow him. As long as we are going where he wants us to go, he is preparing the way. The challenge is that it may not be where we prefer to go. If we choose our own way over God’s way, we can expect to hit speed bumps, brick walls, and ultimately end up where we don’t want to be.

Following God’s path means he prepares a table for us in the presence of our enemies. It means we are blessed as God anoints us. Our blessings overflow. However, there will be times when we do not feel as though God is preparing the way. But he is. Even if there is a trial or a challenge put before us, God prepared it ahead of us so that we will grow. It often requires us to look back over our lives to see how God was working.

I pray we all know that God is preparing a path for us to follow. I pray we decide to follow that path. I pray each one of us experience the overflowing blessings of God, even if the blessing is a trial. God prepares a way for you. Follow the path God is preparing for you. Experience God’s blessings. He will overflow you with blessings.

Psalm 23:5

You prepare a table before me 

in the presence of my enemies; 

you anoint my head with oil; 

my cup overflows.

Return to the Shepherd

Have you returned? Have you returned after going astray? Have you returned to the shepherd? Have you returned to the guardian of your soul? Have you returned to the One who has freed you from your sins? Have you returned to live a life of righteousness? Have you been healed?

Returning can be difficult. It can especially be difficult returning home after being away for a significant amount of time. Things have changed. You have changed. Home doesn’t always feel like home anymore. Some of our friends may have moved away. Our favorite restaurant may have closed.

The truth of the matter is simple, nothing ever stays the same. As much as we don’t like change, things change every day. The same can be said for the church. Sure, we say that God is the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow. And…we misinterpret that saying. True God is the same in that he is God. But God also changes with the times. What do I mean by that? Simple, God meets us in the context of time in which we find ourselves.

Think about this for a moment. If Jesus had been born in our time rather than some two-thousand years ago, would He have used shepherds in His parables? I doubt it. He might have used office environments, department store staff, or maybe even corporate executives.

So, if we have been away from church for a while, it won’t be quite what we remember. If we go in expecting to see the same pastor, he or she may have long since moved on. Even some of the people who were there have either passed on or moved on. The membership may have nearly turned over completely.

Yet, we are called to return if we have strayed. We are reminded that Jesus bore our sins so that we might be set free of them. We are told that we are healed because of his wounds. He is our shepherd. He is the guardian of our souls. We are to live for righteousness.

I pray we all remember what Jesus has done for us. I pray we know that He has set us free. I pray each one of us will return to our shepherd and live for righteousness. Remember Jesus. Remember Jesus bore your sins. Know that you have been healed. Return to Jesus. He stands with His arms wide open.

1 Peter 2:24-25 He himself bore our sins in his body on the cross, so that, free from sins, we might live for righteousness; by his wounds you have been healed. For you were going astray like sheep, but now you have returned to the shepherd and guardian of your souls.

Be In Fellowship

Do you like to gather with your good friends? Does having a meal together, whether fixed in your home or going to a restaurant with friends mean an enjoyable time? Does that friendship lift you up, make you feel good for some time afterward? How would you like to feel even better?

Being with friends, laughing, telling stories, and enjoying a meal is a good time. We look forward to them. We remember them with fondness. It may be just the thing we need to pull us out of the doldrums. Good friends, really good friends, last a lifetime and our memories of them never fade.

We can experience something even better than good friendship. It is called the fellowship of believers. Oh, I know the argument. Someone at a church has hurt you in the past. Been there, done that. It can happen to any of us. After all, the people who are there are human, just as we are. We may even hurt someone while there. So, what is the difference?

The difference is we are all connected by Christ. We are all covered by God’s grace. We are all able to forgive, just as we have been forgiven. We are all given the instruction to go to our brother or sister and talk it out. Not one of us is perfect. We like to say that when defending ourselves, but we don’t like to allow for imperfection in others.

There were squabbles in the early church, too. But they didn’t allow that to separate them. They overcame the squabbles to be with one another, to hear a message from one of the apostles’, to pray, and to share a meal together. The fellowship of the body of Christ was far more important than any personal preferences or squabbles. Perhaps we should learn from them.

I pray we all choose to be in fellowship with other believers. I pray we go to worship services to hear a message. I pray we set aside squabbles and preferences to enjoy the fellowship of Christ. Be in fellowship. Hear a message. Spend time in prayer. Share a meal. Be lifted up. Share in Christ.

Acts 2:42 They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers.

Profess Your Faith

Do you enjoy a comfortable life? Do you like having a nice home? Do you have a nice car to take you from place to place? Do you love getting coffee from a coffee house? Are you popular among your co-workers or fellow students? Have you considered being persecuted?

We often live a pretty comfortable life. Sure, we wish we had more. Maybe we want a special person by our side. We might desire a bigger house. Perhaps we don’t get to eat at a restaurant as often as we like. In all likelihood we cannot buy everything we want.

The early Christians had it a bit harder. They weren’t always being pursued, but they often were considered the outcast. There were times when they were persecuted or martyred if they were caught worshiping Jesus. The Jews would persecute them for not worshiping properly according to Jewish laws and customs. The Romans would persecute them for rumors that circulated about them drinking blood or eating flesh, thinking they were cannibals.

This is why the Apostle Peter writes to his audience about being called to suffer, much like Jesus suffered. They were misunderstood. The Jews and Romans did not really care to understand them. Suffering for their faith in Jesus Christ was worth it. They knew they were going to be with Him forever.

We do not normally face persecution in the same way the early Christians did. Yet, we do suffer. Often it is fear of professing our faith. Why? We do not want to be ostracized for it. Hmmm. Sounds a lot like the early Christians. They were ostracized for their faith, and we can be, too. Yet, as Peter tells the early Christians, he tells us, this is what we are called to. We are to profess our faith and if we are ostracized, we can take solace in the fact that we will spend eternity with Jesus.

I pray we all profess our faith. I pray we ask God to give us the courage to profess our faith. I pray each one of us will forget about being ostracized by knowing we will spend eternity with Jesus. Profess your faith. Be willing to suffer. Know you will spend eternity with Jesus.

1 Peter 2:21 For to this you have been called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, so that you should follow in his steps.

Gather

What does it mean to you to meet with people you care about? Do you enjoy family gatherings? Is it a joy to meet with close friends for lunch? Are you willing to make a special trip for a class reunion? How do you feel about meeting for worship?

We meet with a variety of people for many different reasons. Family gatherings, especially on holidays, can be a wonderful experience. We catch up with family members we haven’t seen for several days or perhaps weeks. Much food is eaten, stories are told, and there are lots of laughs.

Class reunions can be a joy. Depending on when we were last able to attend one, it may be several years or decades since we have seen some of our classmates. There is a lot to catch up on. We move from one classmate to another to hear what is new with them. Depending on our age, some may be new parents or new grandparents.

When it comes to going to worship, we may choose not to. We may be tired on Sunday morning. We may not want to spend time on Wednesday evening studying Scripture. We may not want to take time out of our Saturday to participate in the event the church is hosting. We make our preferences, worldly things, the priority.

Notice in today’s Scripture that they met together and were glad when they went home. I have personally experienced the need for church gatherings. There was a time in my life that was extremely stressful. It was Sunday School, the worship service, small group on Sunday afternoon, and Wednesday evening Bible study that got me through it. These gatherings recentered me. They gave me strength to continue the course.

It is only by gathering as brothers and sisters in Christ that we can be prepared and strengthened. It is through the care and love of one another we are lifted up. It is by spending time in worship and Bible studies that we lay a foundation we can stand on when troubling times come.

I pray we all choose to spend time with our brothers and sisters in Christ. I pray we choose to go to worship. I pray each one of us will choose to make gathering with other Christians a priority. Go to worship. Go to Sunday School. Participate in Bible studies. Love and care for one another. Be strengthened by one another. Lift one another up.

Acts 2:46-47 Day by day, as they spent much time together in the temple, they broke bread at home and ate their food with glad and generous hearts, praising God and having the goodwill of all the people. And day by day the Lord added to their number those who were being saved.