Who is that?

Have you ever seen a stirring of people or hear a buzz of excitement going on and wonder why? Have you been in a crowded room when a controversial figure walks in and hear mumbling questions? Have you thought that was what happened when Jesus entered Jerusalem?

Likely, you have heard the whispering about a controversial figure at some point. It may be a local person who people talk about. You may have been in a room when a well-known political figure walked in and heard everyone say he or she had arrived.

When someone of some notoriety or fame shows up at a location, even if you don’t know them, you can feel the buzz in the crowd. You may have been the one who asked who the person was. This is what happened when Jesus came to Jerusalem during the last week prior to going to the cross. The whole city began to buzz. And why not?

Jesus was a polarizing figure. The Jews were looking for the Messiah. Yet, they were looking for a different kind of personality. That meant Jesus’ claim was unexpected. This despite Jesus performing many miracles. There were people who wanted to believe He was the Messiah. There were some who were skeptics. And there were many who were downright opposed to Him. Haven’t we seen this in our own lifetimes, at least to some degree?

Jesus taught radical concepts. He had a significantly different view of the Jewish Law, which was given to them by God. He taught that mere silent thoughts went against the commands of God. He railed against the religious and political leaders for their lack of following God’s intent. The rich and famous did not like His teachings. The poor and destitute flocked to Him. Are we being radical in Jesus’ Name?

I pray we all study Jesus’ teachings. I pray we see Him for the radical He is. I pray each one of us will decide to both follow Him and to be as radical as He is. See Jesus for who He is. Study His teachings. Get to know Jesus intimately. Choose to follow Him. Tell others about Jesus. Choose to be like Him. Be radically different.

Matthew 21:10-11 When Jesus entered Jerusalem, the whole city was stirred and asked, “Who is this?”

The crowds answered, “This is Jesus, the prophet from Nazareth in Galilee.”

Adopted

Have you ever thought about adoption? Have you wondered how your life would have been different if you had been adopted into another family? Would you have had a better life? Would your chosen profession be different?

Many of us have been adopted into another family, even if not legally. When we get married, we join two families together. We call them the “in-laws.” We may have friends whose homes are our second homes. Perhaps we have been legally adopted into another family.

As we grow older, we adopt others into our families. Close friends become family. Our sons and daughters get married and we adopt their spouses into our families. We bring pets into our families. Even our co-workers can become like family to us at times.

When we commit to Jesus Christ, we become part of God’s glorious family. God makes us holy because His Son was made the perfect sacrifice for us. He made the way for us to be adopted into a family of holy brothers and sisters of which we do not deserve.

Deserve—a word that is often misused in today’s culture. To deserve something is to be worthy of it or to merit it. We do not deserve to be rewarded with eternal life with God, but He has granted it to us anyway. It is called grace. Through Jesus, we have been grafted into God’s perfect olive tree (Romans 11:17-24).

We should never take for granted being adopted by God. After all, it is only because of His love for us that we are offered the opportunity to be adopted. His love has caused Him to show mercy on us, forgiving us of our shortcomings, and showering His grace on us. Being thankful for God’s wonderful gift is the appropriate response.

I pray we all understand we are adopted by God. I pray we are thankful for God’s wondrous grace. I pray each one of us accept His grace and respond with love toward Him.  Know that you are adopted. Know that you are loved. Accept God’s grace. Be thankful for God’s mercy. Share God’s love with others.

Hebrews 2:10-11 In bringing many sons and daughters to glory, it was fitting that God, for whom and through whom everything exists, should make the pioneer of their salvation perfect through what he suffered. Both the one who makes people holy and those who are made holy are of the same family. So Jesus is not ashamed to call them brothers and sisters.

Be Prepared

Do you live by the motto “be prepared?” Are you continually looking ahead, thinking about what you can do today to be ready for tomorrow? Next week? Next Month? Next Year? Are you prepared for the schemes of Satan?

We prepare ourselves for school. We prepare ourselves for jobs. We prepare ourselves for many things in life. However, there are things that happen for which we are unprepared. When those occur, we are caught off guard and must figure out a way to get by with what we have.

We all want to be prepared, even if we don’t always take the necessary actions to be prepared. Those of us who take being prepared seriously, work to prepare for anything we can think of. Others, think logically through the percentages and prepare for the most likely possibilities. Still, there are others who simply do not prepare. Of course, there is no way any one of us can prepare for every possibility.

Yet, there is preparation we can do to keep from falling for Satan’s schemes. It really comes down to three basic actions we can take to prepare. First, read and study God’s Word.  Reading His Word, even if we don’t understand it all, helps us become more familiar with God. Having read the Bible through several times, I can tell you no one understands it all the first time through. It takes repeated reading and studying to grow in knowledge and understanding.

Second, spending time in prayer. Talking with God, pouring out your worries, anxieties, joys, thankfulness (a big one), and turning it over to Him again and again is key. Through our communication with Him, we grow closer to Him, and we begin to hear Him when He speaks to us.

Third, believe and trust in Him. Why is this third? We do not fully believe in and trust someone we do not know. We learn to trust someone more as we grow closer to them. Yes, we can believe a little initially, but it grows deeper as we get to know God better and communicate with Him more.

I pray we all prepare for Satan’s schemes. I pray we get to know God better and communicate with Him more. I pray each one of us trusts God more, knowing the more we trust Him, the better we are prepared for Satan’s schemes. Read God’s Word. Study God’s Word. Spend time in prayer. Relieve yourself of worries. Believe in God. Trust God. Be prepared.

Luke 4:13 When the devil had finished all this tempting, he left him until an opportune time.

Do Not Test God

Are you at times frustrated with waiting? Do you wish action would be taken sooner? Are you tired of barely holding on, waiting for relief to come? Do you ever wonder when God is going to lift you up out of the problems you are experiencing?

We wait in many aspects of our lives. We wait, while working extremely hard, for that big promotion. We wait in check-out lines. We wait for the right person to come into our lives. We wait, and wait, and wait.

We may wonder when Jesus will return. We may hold onto the stories floating around that say it will be soon. Fortunately, no one knows when that will be. The apostles often told people that Jesus would return soon. It’s been nearly two-thousand years and He has not returned yet. We know by reading the book of Revelation that the world will be put under extreme stress with much destruction prior to His return. When comparing what Revelation says will happen to the events of today, it’s like comparing a mole hill to a mountain.

Yet, because of our wait, we may cry out to God. We may yell at Him. We may be tempted to tell Him to fix things or we will no longer believe in Him. That is a sad state to be in. You see, we are not to put God to the test. He will not answer our test. At least, not in the way we want.

As Paul states in today’s passage, when the Israelites tested God in the past, there was punishment that followed. Why? Testing God is being disobedient. It is putting ourselves above Him. It is asking Him to be a genie in a bottle. We must remember that God does not bow to us, but we bow to Him.

I pray we all hold on to our faith in God. I pray we do not put God to the test. I pray each one of us will continue to go about doing the work that God has set before us in faith. Do not test God. Do not bring punishment on yourself. Trust God. Trust His plan. Continue in His work. Hold on to your faith.

1 Corinthians 10:9-10 We should not test Christ, as some of them did—and were killed by snakes. And do not grumble, as some of them did—and were killed by the destroying angel.

The Unknown God

What do you know about God? Do you feel like you know Him well? Are you more interested in seeking things of this world? Do you think you have plenty of time to seek God later? Are you sure you have time?

Being religious doesn’t mean we know God. We can follow religious traditions and doctrine without really knowing God. Of course, this is nothing new. There have been religious organizations for centuries that didn’t truly seek out God.

Take a look at today’s passage. The apostle Paul speaks to the people of Athens who had many religious traditions and worshiped multiple gods. They recognize there is a god they do not know and have built an altar to him. They realize there is a God who is mightier than all other gods, they just don’t know Him. Paul tells them he has come to tell them about Him.

Lest you think this does not apply today, it is very applicable. As I look around, I see people who are religious, who claim they follow Jesus Christ, yet worship other gods. Oh, we don’t say that and don’t call them gods in quite the same way the people of Athens did in the first century. But make no mistake about it, we worship them.

Our gods of today include climbing the corporate ladder, seeking beautiful houses, buying new vehicles, Hollywood stars, sports stars, and even our own vanity and pride. No, we wouldn’t dream of calling them gods, but we will call them idols. What is the difference? The people of Athens built idols for their gods.

For many people today, there is an unknown God. They don’t really know who God is nor who His Son is. They have not sought to know Him. They have merely followed traditions blindly. They walk down the path of destruction unknowingly. Don’t be one of them.

I pray we all give up our idol worship. I pray we decide to worship the true God of heaven and earth. I pray each one of us will seek to know God and His Son, Jesus Christ. Give up your idols. Get to know God. Seek Him out. Read God’s Word. Know Jesus Christ. Get off the path of destruction. Follow Jesus.

Acts 17:22-23 Paul then stood up in the meeting of the Areopagus and said: “People of Athens! I see that in every way you are very religious. For as I walked around and looked carefully at your objects of worship, I even found an altar with this inscription: to an unknown god. So you are ignorant of the very thing you worship—and this is what I am going to proclaim to you.”

Resisting Temptation

Are you often tempted to do something you know you shouldn’t? Do you find it difficult to resist following through with it? Would you like to have a stronger will to resist? How is your knowledge and relationship with God?

We are tempted nearly every day to do something we know we shouldn’t do. Or we are tempted to turn back to a bad habit or give in to a sudden urge. Perhaps we resist occasionally but giving in can be so easy.

Resisting sinful desires can be extremely difficult. This is especially true if it is a sin we have dabbled in for a long time. Our behavior and self-justification tell us that one more time won’t hurt. It is made all the easier to justify it in our own mind if we are not affecting anyone else. Yet, we are not to fall prey to the temptation. So, how to we resist?

It requires us to know God and know Him intimately. It requires us to have a close relationship with Him and rely on His guidance. It requires us to reach out to Him during those times of temptation. How do we do this?

We read and study His Word. We regularly spend time in prayer with Him. We memorize and quote Scripture when the temptation comes. We pray, asking God to remove the temptation both well in advance and at the time the temptation arises. We are continually in contact with God. Perhaps that is why the apostle Paul wrote “pray continually” in 1 Thessalonians 5:17. It is a continual communing and communicating with God.

As today’s passage states, God will provide a way to resist the temptation and to endure the challenge of resisting. Our responsibility is to reach out and hold on to God. He is always there, always willing to come to our aid.

I pray we all grow in our knowledge of God. I pray we build our relationship with God. I pray each one of us prepare for temptation by memorizing Scripture and spending time in prayer. Read God’s Word. Study God’s Word. Spend time in prayer. Reach out to God when temptation arises. Trust God to provide a way to resist.

1 Corinthians 10:13 No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it.

Number One

What are your priorities? What (or who) do you love? Do you know what (or who) you love? Do you know how you can determine what your top priority is? Who do you believe should be your top priority?

If you are like most people, your priorities change quite often. For some of us, our priorities change by the hour. We are not alone in changing our priorities. We all do it. Our priorities are situationally dependent. But should they be?

If you were to consult with an expert on setting priorities, even they would advise you to change your priorities as your life situation changes. That is good advice to an extent. We should change every priority except one. Our top priority should never change.

Why should our top priority never change? Our top priority should always be God. That doesn’t mean we don’t love our spouse, children, friends, extended family, pets, or job. We can love all of them. But Jesus clearly tells us in Matthew 10:37, “Anyone who loves their father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; anyone who loves their son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me.” Jesus makes it clear who number One should be.

It is also clear in today’s passage that we are not to love money. Being content with what we have is key. After all, if we make God our number one priority, and we know Him and His Word intimately, we know He has given us what we have. Trusting in Him in all things means we trust He has given us exactly what He wants us to have. So, not being content with what we have means we are not content with God.

As we grow in our faith, we grow more content with what God has blessed us with. When we make Him our top priority, we don’t need earthly rewards. We know we have a heavenly reward that is far greater than anything we can receive on earth.

I pray we all keep ourselves from the love of money. I pray we are content with what God has blessed us with. I pray each one of us know deep in our hearts that God will never leave us. Free yourself from the love of money. Be content. Grow in your faith. Trust God. Know that God is always with you.

Hebrews 13:5 Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said,

“Never will I leave you;

never will I forsake you.” 

Prayer and Fasting

How often do you pray? Do you pray at a specific time each day? How much time do you spend praying? How do you feel about fasting? Have you ever fasted for a specific purpose? Have you combined prayer and fasting?

Many of us know about prayer. We likely pray, minimally, when we are in need. Some of us may set aside time each day for prayer. I suspect there are not many of us who fast regularly. Some of us may have fasted on occasion.

Fasting and praying was a key part of the early Christian church. It was a key part of Jewish traditions. I’m sure many will ask what fasting really does for us. They are thinking of not eating. However, fasting can include ceasing from any number of things, not just food. Yet, it was most often food the Jews and early Christians fasted from.

Fasting has an effect on us physically, mentally, and spiritually. The physical effects of going without food are obvious. The mental effects are more obvious in some than others, especially if the person fasting gets hangry. The spiritual effects can be less obvious. The purpose of fasting is to give up something you depend on and, instead, depend on God. That means, if you are giving up food for a period of time, you rely on God to sustain you physically, mentally, and spiritually. Fasting is to be combined with prayer.

While fasting, the time you would normally spend eating should be spent praying. If you are giving up social media, spend the time in prayer rather than on your phone or tablet or computer. If you are giving up chocolate, each time you want chocolate, spend some time in prayer.

Fasting and praying was often a tactic of the early church to seek answers from God. As seen in today’s passage, God will speak to us when we truly seek Him, which means we must enter into the time of fasting and prayer with our mind set on focusing on God.

I pray we all spend time fasting and praying. I pray we commit to focusing on God. I pray each one of us use fasting and praying to seek guidance from God, especially when in need. Give fasting a try. Spend time in prayer. Depend on God. Seek His guidance. Focus on Him.

Acts 13:2-3 While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, “Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.” So after they had fasted and prayed, they placed their hands on them and sent them off.

Good Day or Bad Day

What is your attitude toward work? Do you put forth your best effort? Or do you only put forth the minimum effort to get by? Who are you working for? Are you working for your boss? Yourself? Or are you working for God?

We all have good days and bad days. To some degree, whether it is a good day, or a bad day is within our control. Not because we can control all the events that happen, but because we can control our attitude. A good attitude makes for a good day.

We may be facing daunting tasks on any given day. They can cause us to feel overwhelmed, to the point wanting to give up. We may have weeks or even months of facing an uphill battle. It can wear us down, causing us to grow weary, desiring relief. Yet, we can persevere and overcome those feelings. How?

We persevere and overcome through our faith. It is not always easy, but it is easier the stronger our faith is. When we look at everything we do as though we are doing it for God, it changes our attitude. Our faith tells us God will provide a way. But we must be careful not to be focusing on the task for our own reasons while telling ourselves it is for God.

To ensure our focus is on God, we often must take a step back to review our motives. We must ask ourselves why a specific task is important. When at our workplace, the task may be important because our boss has told us it is. But when it is a task around our homes or for our family, the motives can quickly become selfish rather than for God. Here is the bonus we receive when we work as though we are working for God, He rewards us in unimaginable ways.

I pray we all check our attitudes throughout each day. I pray we do everything as if we are working for God. I pray each one of us give up our selfish desires for God’s desire for us. Keep a positive attitude. Focus on God. Pursue God’s desire for you. Know God will reward you. Trust His promises.

Colossians 3:23-24 Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving.

Communing with Jesus

What does partaking of communion mean to you? What thoughts run through your head? Do you imagine being in the upper room with Jesus and His disciples on the evening of His betrayal? Do you think about what the emblems represent?

Many thoughts can run through our heads. There are several points we can focus on during our time around the Lord’s table. We can go through a progression of thoughts beginning with that evening and progressing through the ascension.

We may feel regret and be penitent of our past sins as we come to the table. We have been told Jesus died for our sins, that we are to blame for Him going to the cross as much as the Jews who screamed for His death nearly two-thousand years ago. We may repent of our past sins prior to partaking of the bread and wine.

We may be thankful for Jesus offering Himself as the perfect Lamb of God. We may thank Him for being our Savior, for providing us with hope and salvation. Our thankfulness may include the blessings we have received from Him through our lives.

We may be joyful for our salvation that comes with Jesus’ resurrection. Our joy may include being jubilant, happy, or excited. After all, it is a wonderful thought knowing that Jesus rose from being dead and knowing we will be resurrected with Him.

We may celebrate His ascension. As we think of Him ascending to heaven, we remember His promise to return. We remember His promise that He is preparing a place for us. We look forward to being with Him for all eternity.

Many thoughts, emotions, and focus points can come to mind as we eat the bread and drink the wine. All of these are appropriate. We may have a different focus depending on our current life situation, and that is appropriate. The key to coming to the table is to be focused on Him and knowing He comes to the table with us.

I pray we all partake in communion when it is offered. I pray we focus on one or more aspects of Jesus. I pray each one of us experience the joy of knowing Jesus has fulfilled and continues to fulfill His promises. Remember Jesus. Experience communion with Him. Focus on different points. Trust Him in all things.

Mark 14:22-24 While they were eating, Jesus took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to his disciples, saying, “Take it; this is my body.” Then he took a cup, and when he had given thanks, he gave it to them, and they all drank from it. “This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many,” he said to them.