Ah-ha Moment

Have you had all the pieces and failed to put the puzzle together? Did you have an ah-ha moment when someone explained it to you? Once it was explained, did those pieces make sense? Would you like to have the pieces put together to understand the life of Jesus?

We gather pieces of information throughout our lives. Some pieces fit nicely together while others seem to be out of place. We often put the pieces together that fit in an attempt to see the bigger picture. We may try to gather additional pieces of the puzzle to help us understand.

Many decisions are made based on incomplete information. Corporate leaders make decisions this way. Military leaders do as well. We even do this within our families. We may find ourselves in situations in which we need to make a decision based on partial information. The best we can do is look at the pieces we have and make the best decision based on those.

There were people that were at a loss when Jesus was crucified. They thought the Messiah would be a king that would bring Israel back to prominence. They had the pieces from prophecy but failed to put them together correctly. Jesus met a couple of men in just this state of wonderment on the road to Emmaus. Once He explained the prophecies, they had their ah-ha moment. They understood how the pieces fit together.

Unfortunately, there are many people in our world today who have not put the pieces together. All the pieces are available. We call them, collectively, the Bible. We can read it. We can put the pieces together. Yet many in this world never open it despite it always being the best-selling book. I can only imagine Jesus saying the same thing to many of us as He said to the two men He met on that road nearly two-thousand years ago.

I pray we all take time to read our Bible. I pray we study it and put the pieces together. I pray each one of us desire to understand the story God has put in our hands and spend time doing so. Read the Bible. Study the Scriptures. Put the pieces together. Understand God’s story. Increase your knowledge. Increase your faith. 

Luke 24:25-27 He said to them, “How foolish you are, and how slow to believe all that the prophets have spoken! Did not the Messiah have to suffer these things and then enter his glory?” And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning himself.

Foolishness

Have you ever done something foolish? Have you looked back at a decision and thought, “I should have made a different decision. That was foolish.”? Do you now think through your choices more carefully because of having made a poor decision previously?

We have all made poor decisions. We may have gotten ourselves in debt to the point of drowning in it. We may have chosen a bad relationship. We may have chosen a profession that didn’t suit us. We may currently be living with the results of a bad decision.

When we make bad decisions, we feel foolish. We may even feel as though every person we encounter knows the bad decision we’ve made. It’s as though there is a billboard across our forehead announcing it. We try to put it behind us, but it takes a long time to do so.

There is one decision that can not only make us feel foolish, but it can be a decision that has an eternal effect—that is to choose to listen to Jesus or ignore Him. He tells us Himself that not listening to Him is foolish. We might as well be building a house on the beach with no foundation as to ignore Him. It has the same effect. We will regret it later. When we do not listen to Him, whatever we think we are building will come down with a crash.

How do we listen to Jesus? Through prayer. Prayer is not merely a time to lay out a litany of requests, but a time to listen for guidance. We have Jesus’ written guidance and the Holy Spirit by which Jesus continues to communicate to us. Once we become attuned to listening, we will be amazed at how much Jesus will communicate with us through His Spirit.

I pray we all choose to listen to Jesus. I pray we read His written Word and spend time in prayer listening. I pray each one of us will choose to make the wise choice for today and eternity. Listen to Jesus. Spend time in prayer listening. Become attuned to communicating with Jesus. Make the wise choice. Build your life upon the Rock.

Matthew 7:26-27 “But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash.”

Mind of Christ

What does it mean to you to be of the same mind? How do you view others that claim the same faith you do? What do you say about the One you claim to have faith in? Does what you do and say bring glory to Him? Do you ask that God gives you the same mind as Christ?

We all have our viewpoints of who God is, who Jesus is. We also have our opinions of our fellow believers—our brothers and sisters. Do we allow our opinions due to partial understanding derail us? If we are not careful, our poor opinions of one another change our attitude toward Christ.

Whether we recognize it or not, there are connections throughout our community and our world. Those connections are made between us and one person, who then connects to another, who connects to someone else. The connections continue, creating an interweaving of connections. Then we are surprised when we meet someone new who also knows someone we know.

Why am I talking about connections in relation to being of the same mind? It is related to speaking kindly of people. We never know who we may be talking to and who they know that we also know. Not only that, but we are to be of the same attitude toward one another as Christ is. Quite honestly, it boils down to something my grandmother used to say, if you cannot say something nice about someone, don’t say anything at all.

As the Apostle Paul writes to the church in Rome, he reminds them they are given endurance and encouragement from God. The same God will give us the attitude of Christ if we simply ask. Having the same mind and speaking to the glory of God is God’s desire for us.

I pray we all seek to have the same attitude as Christ. I pray we ask God to give us the same mind. I pray each one of us will seek to glorify God the Father and Jesus Christ the Son. Ask God to give you the mind of Christ. Seek to give God the glory. Seek to give Christ the glory. Seek to be of the same mind as fellow believers.

Romans 15:5-6 May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you the same attitude of mindtoward each other that Christ Jesus had, so that with one mind and one voice you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Strength from God

How hard is it for you to trust? Do you trust inherently? Or do you wait until you get to know someone to trust them? How much do you trust God? Do you trust him at all times? Do you trust God to give you the strength you need during your toughest situations?

Trusting can be hard to do. Especially in today’s world of half-truths, false profiles, and shysters attempting to connive you out of your money. We are wary. We are guarded. We often look for proof of trustworthiness. Finding that proof can be difficult.

Let’s circle back to the question of whether we trust God or not. We have been told of numerous promises made by God. We may have read them ourselves. Do we trust them? Do we trust them all? Do we pray the promises? Do we count on them?

Paul says that God will give us strength until the very end. Do we believe that? Do you notice why? So we may be blameless when Christ returns. We are given strength to stand against evil. We are given strength to carry out God’s plan. We are given strength to serve our community. We are given strength to tell others about Jesus.

Notice Paul states God is faithful. We must understand that he is indeed faithful if we are going to trust him. Knowing God is faithful is the basis for beginning to trust him. God is faithful, even when we are not. As we understand God’s faithfulness, our trust in him increases.

I pray we all trust God. I pray we know that he will give us the strength we need. I pray one of us knows God is faithful and return his faithfulness with our own faithfulness. Trust God. Ask him to give you strength. Ask God to reveal his trustworthiness. Pray the promises of God. Put your faith in God.

1 Corinthians 1:8-9 He will also strengthen you to the end, so that you may be blameless on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. God is faithful; by him you were called into the fellowship of his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.

Big Imagination

How big is your imagination? Is it big? Is it really big? Is it gigantic? Do you dream big? Have you considered how big God is? Have you considered that all you see—the stars, trees, animals, people—were all made by him? Have you decided that he can provide everything you need?

Some of us have very active and large imaginations. Some with big imaginations become authors of fantasy books. Some become brilliant painters. Some become entrepreneurs. Some simply allow their imaginations to entertain themselves.

Some of us lack a vivid imagination…and we need to work on it. Why? We need to imagine our God being much larger than we do. We need to stop putting him in a box. We need to allow our imaginations to run wild and see that God is far larger than we can understand.

Notice that Paul tells the church in Ephesus that God is immeasurable in his ability. That means he can do anything and everything. There is nothing we can imagine that God cannot do. Yes, God can walk on water, Jesus did. Yes, God can raise the dead, Jesus was. Yes, God can heal the sick, Jesus did. Yes, God can heal the paralyzed, Jesus healed a man who was lame. Yes, God can save the world from its sin, Jesus did. Yes, God can go to mars, he made it. Yes, God can go to the furthest galaxy, he made it.

What do we do with his magnificence? We worship him. We give him the glory. We give the glory to his church. We give the glory to Jesus Christ. When we truly understand, or at least allow our imaginations to grow far larger than they are, we begin to see just how awesome God is and give him the glory.

I pray we increase our imagination. I pray we allow our imagination to run wild when it comes to God’s abilities. I pray each one of us give God and his church the glory for all that he has done and will do. Imagine big. Imagine beyond your belief. See God in all things. Know that God is bigger than we can imagine. Know God is immeasurable. Give God the glory. Give his church the glory.

Ephesians 3:20-21 Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.

Jesus Prays for You

Have you been in a trial and needed strength to get through it? Where did you look to gain the strength you need? Did you turn to a friend? Family? Co-worker? Did you turn to the One who can give you the strength you need at any time? Did you ask God for strength?

At one point or another (or multiple times) during our lives, we all need additional strength. We need a boost from somewhere to help us get through a tough situation. We turn to whomever we trust the most. We may turn to family, friends, or co-workers, depending on the situation.

Being a child of God, we can always turn to God. He will give us the strength we need, even if just enough. We can trust God to get us through whatever we are facing. It is one of many things he does very well. In fact, he longs to come to our aid, but waits until we ask.

Have you considered that Jesus has already prayed for you? Don’t think so? Look at today’s passage. He prayed for Simon Peter. Oh, I know, he was an apostle. He is more important than any of us. Sorry, but that is an incorrect assumption. You see, each one of us is just as important as any other. So, you, I, and any child of God is just as important as Peter. So, if Jesus prayed for Peter, you can bet He has prayed for each one of us.

Isn’t that comforting? Jesus is praying for us. That is exactly what is meant when we are told that Jesus stands before the Father interceding for us. He is praying. He is communing with the Father on our behalf. So, Jesus has already asked that we be given the strength we need, just as He did for Peter. We simply need to recognize that and follow up with our own request for strength. So, pray. Ask God for the strength you need.

I pray we all believe Jesus has and does pray for us. I pray we trust God to give us the strength we need. I pray each one of us will go to God in our time of need and ask for strength to get through whatever situation we are faced with. Trust God. Trust Jesus. Know Jesus intercedes for you. Know that Jesus prays for you. Ask God for the strength you need.

Luke 22:31-32 Simon, Simon, Satan has asked to sift all of you as wheat. But I have prayed for you, Simon, that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned back, strengthen your brothers.”

God’s Tapestry

What does it mean to you to be set apart? Have you thought about what it means to be purified? Do you understand what it means to be consecrated? Does being sanctified have an effect on your life? Does it change how you view yourself?

Though most of us know that we have been forgiven of our sin, we may not view ourselves as being consecrated. Though we may be thankful for having been saved, we may not realize we have been set apart by God. We may not understand that we have been purified.

We go through trials in our lives. We may stumble along the way. We may find ourselves in the trenches, covered in the muck and mire of difficult situations. We may feel overwhelmed. We may even think God has abandoned us or ask him where he is at in all the mess. This life can be difficult at times. It can drag us down. That is when we need to pause, take stock in belonging to Christ, and remember that we have been sanctified.

What does it mean to be sanctified? It means we have been made holy. It means God is always with us. It means God cares deeply about us. It means he has claimed us as his own. It means that God continually works on our behalf, even if we cannot always see it.

How are we sanctified? Through the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit comes to live within us. He never leaves us. He is our guide. He is our helper. He is our advocate. And since the Holy Spirit is God as well, he is working in other lives. He weaves us all together like a beautiful tapestry. We are sanctified and part of God’s beautiful tapestry through the work of the Holy Spirit.

I pray we all understand that we belong to God. I pray we know that we have been sanctified. I pray each of us know the Holy Spirit is working within us and for us, creating God’s beautiful tapestry. You have been set apart. You have been purified. You have been consecrated. You have been sanctified. The Holy Spirit is in you. The Holy Spirit is working for you.

1 Peter 1:1-2 Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, To God’s elect, exiles scattered throughout the provinces of Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia and Bithynia, who have been chosen according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through the sanctifying work of the Spirit, to be obedient to Jesus Christ and sprinkled with his blood: Grace and peace be yours in abundance.

Always and Forever

How often have you wished you had someone to help you? How often have you wished you had someone you could rely on to be your advocate when you are in trouble? Do you know you have someone who is your advocate and who will help you?

Having an advocate when you are in trouble can be the difference between a good or bad outcome. Having an advocate can bring peace of mind and calm your nerves. The better or more well-known the advocate, the better we feel about it.

We have an advocate who stands with us and presents us as a child of God. We have an advocate who helps us through trials and tribulations. We have one person of the Trinity of God living in us. Jesus promised the advocate and has sent the Holy Spirit to be with us through thick and thin. He will be with us forever.

Have you thought about that? The Holy Spirit will be with us forever. Not for a moment. Not for a few hours. Not for a year or two. Forever! That means he is with us when we rejoice as a new parent, when we yell at the driver who cut us off, when we speak nicely to the store clerk, and when we get angry with a family member. Not only that, but he will be with us for eternity.

I pray we all know the Holy Spirit is with us. I pray we know we have an advocate that presents us as a child of God. I pray each one of us know the Holy Spirit will be with us forever. Know that you have an advocate. Know that you have a helper. Know the Holy Spirit will always be with you.

John 14:15-17 “If you love me, keep my commands. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever—the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you.”

God Provides

Have you ever gone hungry? Have you not had clothes to wear? Have you lived on the streets, not having a home? Have you had to sleep on the floor due to not having a bed? If so, was it after you had committed your life to Jesus? Did you ask God to provide your necessities?

We see homeless people in our cities. We see children who may receive their best, or only, meal at school. We hear of children who have no bed, sleeping on the floor in drafty houses. We know there are children who would not have a winter coat if it were not donated to them.

There is a plethora of stories of people who lack basic necessities. There are many organizations who collect and distribute donations for those in need. Yet, we hear of more people who need. It seems to be a never-ending story. There is no magic wand that can be waved that will whip up the needed items for them. But there is one thing we can do for them that will last a lifetime—tell them about Jesus.

There is something different about a person who is committed to Jesus. If a homeless person committed their lives to Jesus, will they immediately be granted a home and all their necessities? No. But what will happen over time is the person will be changed. As they are changed, they will acquire the necessities. Jesus is about changing lives for the better—for the best. But the best is His definition, not ours.

Jesus sent the apostles out without money, without a suitcase full of possessions, and without designated places to stay. Yet, they never lacked. They relied on God to guide them and provide for them. They trusted Jesus would not send them out without providing for them. We can learn from them. We can learn to trust God to provide in all situations.

I pray we all learn to trust God in all situations. I pray we spend time in prayer getting to know God. I pray each one of us will see how Jesus provided for His apostles and trust Him to provide for us. Put your trust in God. Know that he will provide. Spend time in prayer. Get to know God. Trust God to provide. Trust Jesus. Know that God will never leave you.

Luke 22:35 Then Jesus asked them, “When I sent you without purse, bag or sandals, did you lack anything?” 

“Nothing,” they answered.

Needs Provided For

Have you ever felt as though something was missing? Have you felt like you were lacking something, something important? Have you persevered through the trial to gain what you were lacking? Did you ask God to provide what you were lacking?

We may feel as though we are lacking. But many times, that feeling is more about things we want rather than what we need. Our desire for more seems to be insatiable. Yet do we ever lack what we really need? Yes! Many people in this world lack a true relationship with God.

When we commit to Jesus, accepting Him as Lord and Savior, we do not lack what we need. We gain strength, courage, love, joy, hope, and an eternal life spent with Him. Of course, that doesn’t mean we won’t experience trying times in this life. But we will be given the strength we need to persevere. We will receive the courage we need to continue. We will experience the joy of Christ being with us. We will have a hope that cannot be taken from us.

James tells us to persevere so that we do not lack anything. He goes on to say we are to ask for wisdom, if we lack it, and God will give it to us. This does not just apply to wisdom. If we lack anything we need, God will provide it. He may not provide it in the way we expect it. He may not provide it within the timeframe we desire. But God will provide.

Notice that James states we must believe. We must not doubt. We must keep our faith. If we do, God provides. This is holding on to the promises of God. It is not merely believing but having faith that trusts God with everything. Our faith is strengthened every time we trust him.

I pray we all persevere through the tough times. I pray we trust God will provide for our needs. I pray each of us will ask God when we are in need and hold on to our faith in his promises. Persevere. Put your faith in God. Trust his promises. Experience joy. Be strengthened by God. Hold on to your hope.

James 1:4-7 Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you. But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. That person should not expect to receive anything from the Lord.