Listen to Jesus

How well do you listen? Do you listen to those in authority? Do you listen to those with more experience? Do you listen to those who have higher educations? Or do you believe you know better than anyone else? Do you know that line of thinking can get you into a deep mess?

There are many times in which we do not want to listen to someone else. This is especially true when we are following our own desires, pursuing what we want. But it is exactly in those times we should slow down and listen carefully to sage advice. It just may keep us out of hot water.

Now, listening to advice does not mean we should quit thinking for ourselves. We certainly need to think about the advice and weigh the options. After all, who knows our situation better than we do? Yet, there are people who have gone through situations very much like ours and they can give us good advice. It all boils down to our willingness to listen.

God the Father told the apostles—Peter, James, and John—to listen to Jesus. He might as well have been talking to us as well. We need to listen to Jesus. The apostles, much like us, had not really been listening to Jesus all that well up to that point. They had not started putting the pieces together. They did not yet realize that Jesus, the Messiah, was going to go to a cross and die for us. They did not yet understand that He would be raised on the third day. After this, they started piecing it together.

We can learn a lesson from them. We can listen to Jesus. We know about Him going to the cross and being risen from the dead. Yet, we often don’t know nor follow His advice, which is given through His teachings. If we would only do so, we would live far better lives and be much happier.

I pray we all decide to listen to Jesus. I pray we learn the lesson from the apostles. I pray each one of us will listen to Jesus’ teachings and follow His advice. Learn the lesson. Listen to Jesus. Learn from His teachings. Follow His advice. Live a better life. Experience more joy.

Matthew 17:5 While he was still speaking, suddenly a bright cloud overshadowed them, and from the cloud a voice said, “This is my Son, the Beloved; with him I am well pleased; listen to him!”

Spirit and Truth

What does it mean to you to worship? Does worship mean going through rote traditions? Does it mean reciting rote prayers? Do you only worship when you are in a specific place? Have you ever worshiped somewhere other than a church? Are you truly worshiping God?

We have many Christian traditions. They are not bad in and of themselves, but they can be meaningless if we do not know why we follow them. Reciting specific prayers fall into the same category. We need to truly mean the words. It is not about the place but the spirit or heart.

Jesus tells the woman at the well that the time had come to worship God in spirit. In effect, He told her the temple in Jerusalem was no longer the only place to worship God. That is a good thing for all of us who live thousands of miles away! Yet, for many of us, the church we attend has become the temple of the Jews. We think that building is the only place we can worship. According to Jesus Himself, that is a bunch of hogwash.

We can worship God at any moment in any place. Some of my best worship experiences have occurred on mountain tops, in a campground, or while mowing my lawn. In those times I pour my heart out to God and I can feel him there with me. If we want to feel the presence of God, we must pour our spirit into the worship. There are no ifs, ands, or buts about it. Jesus tells us it is all about the spirit.

So, worship where you are. No, I am not saying we should not attend a worship service in a church. In fact, we need it—we need to worship with other believers as well. However, if at any time our worship doesn’t seem to be going well, we can blame no one but ourselves. Our worship is dependent upon us worshiping in spirit and truth. Nothing else.

I pray we all worship God every moment of every day. I pray we worship him in spirit and truth. I pray each one of us pour out our spirit to God each time we worship him. Worship God in spirit. Worship God in truth. Pour out your spirit to God. Worship God where you are.

John 4:21-24 “Woman,” Jesus replied, “believe me, a time is coming when you will worship the Father neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem. You Samaritans worship what you do not know; we worship what we do know, for salvation is from the Jews. Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in the Spirit and in truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks. God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in the Spirit and in truth.”

Holy Spirit Prophecy

Have you heard people predicting the future? Have you gone to a fortune teller, or someone who reads your palm? Do you believe they can tell you the future, how your life will turn out? Have you heard people saying the end is coming soon? Do you believe Jesus is returning soon?

We do not have to look very hard to find someone who is thinks they can predict the future. Some of them will promise us what they say is true. They may predict we will find a spouse, become rich, or a catastrophe is about to fall upon us. It is unfortunate that many fall for these predictions.

The Apostle Peter tells us in today’s passage that no prophecy comes from humans on their own. It only comes when people are moved by the Holy Spirit. Can the Holy Spirit move in people today? Absolutely! Does he regularly provide prophecy of the future. No, especially not about personal futures, and not about riches.

When will Jesus return, we may ask. No one knows. Jesus tells us in Matthew 24:36 that neither He nor the angels know when He will return. We know from the various letters of the apostles that they all thought He would return soon. Yet, He has not returned. So, anyone who tells us that Jesus will return soon is speaking of something they do not and cannot know.

On the other hand, the prophecy we read in Scripture came from God via the Holy Spirit. We can believe the prophecies we read. We can believe Jesus when He says He will return. We will better understand the prophecies when we ask God to fill us with the Holy Spirit and help us interpret what has been prophesied. Despite what many may think, we can better understand. We simply need to lean on God and ask him to reveal the understanding to us, rather making our own interpretation based on our limited experience and thought capacity.

I pray we all ask God to fill us with the Holy Spirit. I pray we discard false predictions of the future. I pray each one of us seek to understand the truth of the prophesies in Scripture. Do not fall for false predictions. Seek to understand God’s prophesies. Ask God to reveal his prophesies to you. Seek to understand the truth.

2 Peter 1:20-21 First of all you must understand this, that no prophecy of scripture is a matter of one’s own interpretation, because no prophecy ever came by human will, but men and women moved by the Holy Spirit spoke from God.

Transformed to be Like Jesus

What will you be when you grow up? Have you asked that question? Have you asked it multiple times? Have you asked it in jest? Did your plans for your life go as you planned? Are you the person today you thought you would be? Have you wondered what you will be for eternity?

When we are young, we may say we want to be a certain profession. Often, at a young age, we don’t really know what we want to be. As we get older, we may continue to wonder how things will turn out in our lives. We may wonder if we will ever grow up. Then, suddenly, we are old.

As a young boy, I wanted to play for the St. Louis Cardinals. As an adult, I have changed professions five times. Today, I often say I am on my third profession, but that is because I was a “retread” Marine, meaning I got out and went back in. I believe I am finally where God wants me to be, and that is pastoring.

But what will we all be in eternity? The Apostle John tells we do not yet know. Yes, there will be a resurrection. But resurrection does not mean we will look exactly as we do today. The Apostle Paul says the plant is not planted but the seed that becomes the plant (1 Cor. 15:37). The two apostles are in agreement that we will not be the same as we are now.

Notice that John says we will look like Jesus when He appears again. Do we know what He looks like? We have some clues. When Jesus was transfigured, His face was bright and His clothes were dazzling white (Matthew 17:2). In Revelation 1:12-16 we are given a description of what John saw in his vision of Christ. We will be transformed from a temporary body into a permanent body, one that is like Jesus.

I pray we all desire to be a seed that is planted. I pray we produce much fruit from our planting. I pray each one of us know that we will be resurrected, and we will be like Jesus for eternity. Be a seed. Produce much fruit. Know there is a resurrection. Know that you will be like Jesus.

1 John 3:2 Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when Christ appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is.

Forever Love

Do you feel loved? How much do you feel loved? Is the love you feel merely emotional, gushy, or fleeting? Or is the love you feel a committed, decisive, and long-lasting love? Do you know that God loves you? Do you know that Jesus loves you? Do you know Jesus is committed to you?

As we celebrate Valentine’s Day today, millions of people will give flowers, candy, or other gifts to show their love for one another. Typically, these gifts last a few days and are gone. Unfortunately, for some, their love for one another is just as temporary.

The love God has for us, and the love he wants us to have for our brothers and sisters in Christ, is not temporary. It is a committed love, one that is based on a decision to love one another. Our love is to weather the storms of life, even times when we disagree. We are to continue to love and care for one another, even if we are on opposing sides of an issue.

The love God has for us is to be the reason for us to come together in unity. It is the love Jesus has for us that is the reason for Him praying for us in John 17 (go read it if you do not remember His prayer). We should pray for one another in the same manner. We are to be just as committed in our love.

But make no mistake about it, we are loved, each and every one of us. We are loved by God. He has demonstrated his love for us by sending His Son to be our Savior. He continues to demonstrate his love for us through blessings, often blessings we do not see or take for granted. Perhaps on this Valentine’s Day, we will spend just a few moments thanking God for his love and committing ourselves to love him and our brothers and sisters in Christ.

I pray we all know that we are loved by God. I pray we know that he is committed to us. I pray each one of us will thank God for his love and commit to loving him and one another. Know that God loves you. Know that Jesus loves you. Love your brothers and sisters. Love God. Love Jesus. Give thanks to God for his love.

2 Thessalonians 2:13 But we ought always to thank God for you, brothers and sisters loved by the Lord, because God chose you as firstfruits to be saved through the sanctifying work of the Spirit and through belief in the truth.

Judge of All

Who do you know whom you honor? Who do you know whom you revere? Who do you know for which you treat with high respect and may even be a bit in awe of? Is there anyone? Is it a relative? Is it a co-worker or boss? Do you give honor to God and his Son, Jesus Christ?

Honor is sometimes a bit tricky. There are times when people are honored, and we wonder why. It is not that they didn’t do something good, it just doesn’t come across as being extraordinary. At other times, we do believe the person has earned the honor.

We see people honoring others who have gone above and beyond. This was especially true of medical personnel during the biggest outbreaks of the pandemic. It is also for some of our first responders, military, and police personnel. But there are others who are honored who were merely in the right place at the right time, or in the wrong place at the wrong time, depending on your viewpoint.

We are told that we should honor the Father and the Son. It is only right to honor our Creator and our Savior. It is the least we can do to show respect to the One who created all things. Perhaps we do not want to honor Jesus because we don’t fully comprehend what He has done for us. Maybe our luxurious living has stunted our need for a Savior. We falsely believe we have it all under control. We fail to realize there is something far bigger than the life we live.

Notice in today’s passage that Jesus says He will be the judge of all. The Father has entrusted judgement to the Son. If we honor human judges, should we not honor the judge of all mankind? Showing deference, respect, honor, and being in awe of Jesus is the right thing for us to do.

I pray we all give honor to Jesus Christ. I pray we bow before Him. I pray each one of us will show Him respect and be in awe of what He has done for us, submitting to Him. Be in awe. Show respect. Show reverence. Give Jesus all the honor. Submit to Him as judge of all.

John 5:22-23 “Moreover, the Father judges no one, but has entrusted all judgment to the Son, that all may honor the Son just as they honor the Father. Whoever does not honor the Son does not honor the Father, who sent him.”

Jesus Clarifies

How readily do you listen to how someone interprets the rules? Do you listen when someone is explaining a new process? Do you listen attentively, attempting to gain a good understanding? Or do you only listen half-heartedly, not really caring to know?

Our culture is full of rules, laws, processes, guidance, and directives. There are so many we cannot begin to understand them all. It is only when we must follow them in a specific situation that we may attempt to understand them. Then it is likely we will turn to someone we trust to explain them.

Sometimes, we may find the explanation doesn’t make sense, it doesn’t follow what we thought we knew. We may not believe the person explaining them to us, even if we think the person is trustworthy. We find ourselves in a quandary.

Jesus redefines what the Jews thought were the rules or law of God. Perhaps redefine is the incorrect word. He explains to them how God originally intended them to be. Not only does Jesus’ explanation cause the Jews to wonder if they heard Him correctly, but we may also ask the same question–Did I hear that right?

When Jesus explains God’s original intent of the Law, He upsets many apple carts. He may upset yours or mine. We don’t really want to hear it. Yet, Jesus states exactly what God originally intended. After all, shouldn’t He know? He is God!

I pray we all read Jesus’ explanation with a desire to understand. I pray we seek to abide by His explanation to the best of our ability. I pray each one of us will seek to understand God’s truth. Read Jesus’ words. Understand what He is saying. Take His explanation to heart. Seek to follow Jesus.

Matthew 5:22a, 28a, 32a, 34a “But I say to you…”

Golden Rule

Do you know the golden rule? Can you quote it? Have you attempted to live by it? Was it difficult to do? Are you still attempting to live by it? Is it a challenge at certain times? What if you do not fully understand it? What if it is even more challenging than you think?

It is likely we have heard of the golden rule. It is most often quoted as, “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.” It may be paraphrased, but generally the meaning is the same. The meaning most often meant when it is quoted is that we are to be nice to other people.

Notice in today’s passage where Jesus states it. Not only does it follow His statement to give or allow to be taken from us and not to demand it back, but the sentence just before that says we are to love our enemies and do good to those who hate us. That changes the meaning of the golden rule significantly, doesn’t it?

The golden rule does not merely mean to be nice to others. It also means we are to love our enemies, we are to do good to those who hate us, we are to pray for those who mistreat us, we are to give more to those who take from us and not demand it back. Looking at where Jesus states the golden rule, He is summing up His previous statements.

If we are going to live by the golden rule, we must go well beyond what we think it means. It must be more than nice. To do so requires us to lean on God’s strength and guidance. As human beings, we cannot do this on our own. Our core beliefs must change. We must become like Jesus to live as He wants us to.

I pray we all attempt to live by the golden rule. I pray we understand that it means far more than being nice. I pray each one of us will lean on God to give us strength and guidance. Love your enemies. Do good for those who hate you. Pray for those who mistreat you. Give more than is demanded. Lean on God for strength. Follow God’s guidance.

Luke 6:29-31 “If someone slaps you on one cheek, turn to them the other also. If someone takes your coat, do not withhold your shirt from them. Give to everyone who asks you, and if anyone takes what belongs to you, do not demand it back. Do to others as you would have them do to you.”

In A Foreign Land

Have you ever lived in a foreign country? Have you traveled to a foreign country? Have you felt as though you stood out? Have you experienced people pointing at you, or heard them whispering about you? Have you considered that you live in a foreign land now?

Many of us have traveled to other countries. We may have experienced the citizens of that country easily identifying us as foreigners. We may have thought they were trying to take advantage of us. Or we may have felt as though they were laughing at us.

As a Marine, I lived overseas a couple of different times. I have lived in Okinawa, Japan and have been deployed to South Korea. On average, I was several inches taller than the citizens of both places. Not only that, but I was easily identified as an American by several other physical features, not to mention my language.

I have also traveled to Romania on multiple mission trips. Though my physical attributes were similar to theirs, they could still quickly identify me as an American. My clothing, the way I walked, the way I looked around, and language once again gave me away.

When we take on the image of Christ and do our very best to follow Him, we stand out as being different. It is as though we are a foreigner, even if we are in our hometown. People notice how we are different than everyone else. They notice how we speak different than others. They notice our attitude is different.

Notice that Peter calls those who do not follow Christ pagans. Have you ever thought of the people you interact with daily as pagans? Perhaps we should. Perhaps by viewing them in that manner we would feel as though we are on a continual mission trip. Perhaps we would be more committed to showing them Christ through our attitudes, actions, and speech. Perhaps we would be more effective in bringing them to Christ.

I pray we all view ourselves as living in a foreign land. I pray we realize we are not in our permanent home. I pray each one of us will take on the attitude, actions, and speech of Christ. See yourself as a foreigner. Know you are not home. Show Christ to others. Be a good example.

1 Peter 2:11-12 Dear friends, I urge you, as foreigners and exiles, to abstain from sinful desires, which wage war against your soul. Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us.

Cross Over

Have you heard statements that you believe are too good to be true? Have you heard someone make a statement that you think, “That is unbelievable?” What credibility does that person need for you to believe them? Do you believe what Jesus has said?

We may hear something said that just seems to be outrageous. We may think, “There is no way that can be true.” It could be someone telling us what they saw, something they heard, or something they did. Our determination to believe them or not may rest on how trustworthy we believe the person is.

Jesus doesn’t hold back. He makes it very clear. If we believe what He tells us, we have eternal life. What does it mean to believe Him? It means we act on our beliefs. It means we take His teachings and put them into action. We cannot simply say we believe Him.

Think about it this way. I can say I believe the multiplication tables I was taught in school. But if I do not use them when I need to determine how much it costs to buy three dozen eggs, I likely do not believe what I learned. Of course, this is a simple example, but the principle stands.

Believing what Jesus says follows this same principle. It may be more challenging to put His words into action than using multiplication tables, but it is much more important. The result is not simply whether we have enough money to buy eggs but whether we spend eternity with God or not. Jesus’ words have an everlasting effect. Our belief and action based on His words has an eternal impact on us.

I pray we all believe Jesus. I pray we believe what He said. I pray each one of us will put His words into action and gain eternal life. Believe Jesus. Trust Him. Put His words into action. Gain eternal life. Spend eternity with God. Cross over from death to life.

John 5:24 “Very truly I tell you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be judged but has crossed over from death to life.”