A New View

How do you regard people? How do you view others? Do you view them as fallible and corrupt people? Do you see them as disgusting, superficial, and disingenuous? Do you see people as God sees them?

It doesn’t take much effort to hear people complaining about other people. It doesn’t take long to hear people putting others down. Accusation’s fly. Counter accusations are made. People look down their noses at one another. And we miss an opportunity to see as God sees.

We live in a hurting world. We all know it. In fact, we often talk about how much we hurt or what someone else is going through. We treat the symptoms. We commiserate with one another. We pay exorbitant fees for counseling. And the hurt continues.

How do we fix the problem? We don’t. What?! We don’t. We turn to God and ask Him to fix the problem. We trust Him. We first ask Him to fix us. To help us see one another as He sees us. We make an effort of our own, in conjunction with God, to see people as He sees them.

God sees us as His creation. He sees us with more love than a mother sees her child. He loves us so much that He sees beyond our wretched behavior, seeing the potential He put in each one of us. He reconciled us to Him through His Son, because of His love and how He views us.

God can and will make each of us a new creation, a new person, if we will only trust Him. He will show us how to see through His eyes. Our eyes will be opened, our behavior will change, and then we can make a positive impact on this world rather than continuing to contribute to the hurting and brokenness.

I pray we all seek to see others as God sees them. I pray we trust that God has reconciled us. I pray each one of us will ask God to make a change in us and show us how to see through His eyes. Make a positive impact. Trust God. Ask Him to change you. Ask God to allow you to see through His eyes. See others as God sees them.

2 Corinthians 5:16-19 So from now on we regard no one from a worldly point of view. Though we once regarded Christ in this way, we do so no longer. Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here! All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting people’s sins against them.

Son of God

Who we believe Jesus to be is key to how well we follow Him. Do we believe He is the Son of God? Do we believe He is our Lord and Savior? Is He merely someone we have heard of? Do we sometimes think He is not real?

Our beliefs drive how we behave. They drive our decision-making process. They drive who we choose to associate with. Our beliefs may change over the course of our lifetime as we learn and experience new truths.

Unfortunately, it is possible for us to have false beliefs. It is possible for us to choose to deny the truth in front of us. We have the choice to believe Jesus is who He said He is. Or we can choose to believe He is a fictional character, nothing better than a story out of Hollywood. What choice will we make?

Oh, we won’t put it in such simple terms. We will say we believe in God, that we believe Jesus is the Son of God. But what does our actions say? They reveal our true, deep-down beliefs. We can make mistakes along the way. Those are forgiven. It is the continual choosing our own desires over God’s that show our heartfelt beliefs. It is our conscious decisions to follow our desires rather than God’s that reveals who we believe Jesus is.

Peter confessed Jesus was the Son of God. He did so with a convicted heart. Otherwise, Jesus would have called him out. We know that Peter denied Christ on the night he was betrayed. But we also know Peter became a powerful preacher of the gospel, convincing numerous people Jesus is the Son of God. His work was instrumental in firmly planting the church. He could not do all of this without believing Jesus was truly the Son of God.

I pray we all believe Jesus is the Son of God. I pray we believe deep in our heart He is our Lord and Savior. I pray each of us believes deep enough to put God’s desires ahead of our own. Believe Jesus is who He says He is. Put God’s desires ahead of your own. Build on your belief of Jesus.

Matthew 16:15-17 “But what about you?” he asked. “Who do you say I am?”

Simon Peter answered, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.”

Jesus replied, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by flesh and blood, but by my Father in heaven.”

The Great Healer

Are you suffering from an ailment of some kind? Do you long to be healed, to be made whole again? Are you actively seeking being healed, or are you sitting idle and wishing? Have you turned to the healer of all?

We know or meet people on a regular basis who suffer from one ailment or another. Some actively pursue healing through doctors, psychologists, psychiatrists, mediums, or even home remedies. Though they may not find healing through their attempts, at least they are seeking it.

Others do not seek healing. They are content to sit and do nothing. Yet, they will complain of their ailment until the cows come home. Perhaps they just want attention. Perhaps they are afraid of what they will be told. Perhaps they are simply too lazy to help themselves. Perhaps they are incapable of seeking healing. In any case, they don’t seek healing and wallow in their misery.

There is One Healer we can reach out to who will ultimately heal us of our ailments. Unfortunately, many will not reach out to Him. He does not promise to heal all our physical ailments in this life. However, in some cases, He does heal physical ailments. What He will heal us of is our spiritual ailment. He will bring us into a relationship with Him that will make us whole. His healing includes removing our fear, granting us courage, peace, joy, and loving us unlike any other.

I pray we all reach out to the perfect Healer. I pray we seek to be healed by the One who provides the ultimate healing. I pray each one of us will throw off our reluctance to be healed. Seek the One true Healer. Seek God. Ask God to heal you of your ailments. Receive healing. God is willing to heal you. Accept His healing.

Acts 9:32-35 As Peter traveled about the country, he went to visit the Lord’s people who lived in Lydda. There he found a man named Aeneas, who was paralyzed and had been bedridden for eight years. “Aeneas,” Peter said to him, “Jesus Christ heals you. Get up and roll up your mat.” Immediately Aeneas got up. All those who lived in Lydda and Sharon saw him and turned to the Lord.

Acquire Eternal Life

What is eternal life? Is there eternal life? Do you believe there is eternal life? Do you long for eternal life? Do you know how to acquire eternal life with God? Do you know it is not nearly as difficult as you may believe?

There are people in this world who do not believe in eternal life. They believe this life is all there is, and you better make as much of it as you can. Or, they have resigned themselves to this life being a miserable existence and simply long for it to be over.

Despite what many may believe, there is eternal life. In fact, the Greek work zoe means eternal life or physical life, depending on the context. When used to mean the physical life, it includes the entire lifespan, not simply breathing in the moment.

Jesus tells us how to acquire eternal life. He states it is knowing God and Himself. When Jesus states it is to know God, He doesn’t mean to merely know about God, but to know Him intimately. It is to understand God’s nature, commands, and desires. We are to know Jesus in the same way.

How do we gain this knowledge? By reading and studying God’s Word, hearing God’s Word preached, discussing God’s Word with other Christians, and communicating with God. In other words, getting to know God is no different than getting to know anything or anyone else we desire to know in this world. It requires time and dedication. The question we must answer for ourselves is, do we truly want to know God?

I pray we all want to truly know God. I pray we decide to get to know Him like we get to know one another. I pray each one of us is dedicated to knowing and understanding God, thereby acquiring eternal life. Read God’s Word. Study God’s Word. Hear God’s Word. Discuss God’s Word. Communicate with God. Get to know God. Acquire eternal life.

John 17:3 “Now this is eternal life: that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent.”

Be Like Andrew

Are you calloused? Do you have a sinical view of the world? Does anything surprise you? Does anything excite you? Is your excitement limited to momentary excitement, quickly dissipating once the event is over?

We all get excited for one reason or another. We are surprised by something unexpected happening. Yet, as we grow older, less and less surprises us and it becomes more difficult to get excited. We’ve simply seen too much.

Looking at today’s passage, we see Andrew get excited. As soon as he heard John speak about Jesus, he ran to tell his brother Peter. Notice it says he had to find him. It is not as if Peter was nearby. Andrew had to search for him. I can imagine Andrew hurriedly walking or perhaps running through the camps and groups of people along the Jordan. He might even have been calling Simon Peter’s name. Why? He had exciting news to pass along to him.

Are we equally excited about Jesus? Jesus should mean just as much to us as He meant to Andrew. He is the Messiah, Christ, Savior, Son of God. Telling others about Him, especially family members we love and care for, should be a top priority. However, from my own personal experience, I know it often is not. We assume we know what their reaction will be. We are afraid of being rejected by them. We are afraid of being made fun of.

Andrew was surprised to hear the Messiah had arrived and was energized to go tell his brother. His brother became one of the pillars of the early church and is still highly respected today. Who might we tell about Jesus who may become a pillar of the church and community?

I pray we all get excited about Jesus. I pray we decide to tell others about Him. I pray each one of us keep our excitement about Jesus and who He is for our entire lives. Be surprised. Be excited. Tell others about Jesus. Leave your fear behind. Be like Andrew.

John 1:40-41 Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, was one of the two who heard what John had said and who had followed Jesus. The first thing Andrew did was to find his brother Simon and tell him, “We have found the Messiah” (that is, the Christ).

God’s Calling

Have you ever felt as though you were in the right place at the right time? Has someone ever mentioned an opportunity to you, and it felt as though it would be perfect for you? Have you felt God calling you to do something?

It is very likely each of us has felt as though we were at the right place at the right time at some point in our lives. If not, it will happen. It may be as simple as going to the store to pick up something you need, and there is only one of those items left.

Many of us have experienced having an opportunity presented to us and it just felt right. We hear it and think to ourselves that it is perfect. Perhaps it was an opportunity we were looking for and it came available. This may also qualify as being in the right place at the right time.

God calls us in many ways. He leads us down the path He wants us to go by using other people or circumstances. We still have the choice to take advantage of those opportunities. If we do, we reap the rewards of following God’s plan. If we don’t, God will approach us from a different angle. He won’t stop pursuing us. He won’t stop trying to get us to trust Him, follow Him, and follow His plan for our lives.

Jesus called a couple fishermen to follow Him. They weren’t well educated men. They were laborers who worked hard for a living. Yet Jesus knew their potential. He knew His plan for them. He knew who they would become if they simply chose to follow Him.

We see them choose to follow Him. In fact, they follow Him for three years of His ministry and see Him go to the cross. But their story doesn’t end there. They continue following Him afterward. They both went on to spread the gospel throughout many countries. They planted churches. They brought many people to Jesus, helping them to know their Savior.

I pray we all choose to follow the calling God has put on our heart. I pray we recognize the calling God has for us. I pray each one of us chooses to follow God’s plan for our lives. Open your eyes. Open your ears. See and hear God’s calling. Choose to follow Him. Choose to follow His plan for your life.

Mark 1:16-18 As Jesus walked beside the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and his brother Andrew casting a net into the lake, for they were fishermen. “Come, follow me,” Jesus said, “and I will send you out to fish for people.” At once they left their nets and followed him.

Tradition of Baptism

How do you view traditions? Are traditions a driving force behind your choice of church? Do you understand the reason for each tradition? Or are you someone who take or leave traditions?

We have traditions for all types of things. We have pregame traditions. We have traditions for our holidays. Some of us have vacation traditions. We might even have traditions for our family dinners or parties.

There are several traditions within many denominations. There is even a tradition to not have traditions! Some traditions have morphed over the years as they have been passed down. Minor alterations here or there and the tradition no longer looks like it did a few hundred years ago.

In today’s passage, we see a tradition that continues today. Yet, the tradition has been morphed to some degree or another by some. There are three different options for baptism. One is to drip or drizzle water over someone, and most often used for infant baptism, but can be used for adult baptisms as well.

A second is pouring, which some may not have heard about. However, there is extra-Biblical historical writings that record the Apostles using this method at times. Specifically, they most often used it for someone on their deathbed who wanted to be baptized.

The third option is full immersion. As many of us have seen or heard, John the Baptist fully dunked Jesus under the water in the river Jordan. This was the most common method used by the Jews and early Christians. In fact, the Greek word baptizo, translated to baptize, means to immerse.

Jesus followed the Jewish tradition in order to fulfill prophecy and to convince His followers He was a true Jew. He knew the reason behind the tradition. He was committed to the reason, not simply the act. May I suggest we investigate our traditions to understand why we have them.

I pray we all seek to understand our traditions. I pray we follow our traditions for the right reasons. I pray each one of us discern the difference between man-made and Bible driven traditions. Seek to understand. Know the background of your traditions. Follow Biblical traditions. Be wise and discerning about man-made traditions.

Mark 1:9-11 At that time Jesus came from Nazareth in Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan. Just as Jesus was coming up out of the water, he saw heaven being torn open and the Spirit descending on him like a dove. And a voice came from heaven: “You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased.”

Lowly Estate

What are your living expectations? Do you expect to be in a nice house that is solid, keeping the elements off you, keeping you warm in the winter, and cool in the summer? What if you did not have that?

It was not that long along people in our country did not have such luxuries. Less than two hundred years ago, people were riding wagons across unknown territory to discover the west. Even just one hundred years ago, the automobile was still in its infancy.

As we were sitting here on Christmas Eve telling stories, our children (who are grown and, in their twenties), could not believe some of the living conditions we dealt with when we were kids. Think about that for just a moment. Some of the memories are less than fifty years old. My how living conditions have changed and how expectations have changed so quickly.

Again, think back to the migration to the west. They would have thought nothing of the conditions of Jesus’ birth. They would have been just as comfortable sleeping on the hay as they would on a bed. Many of them slept on the ground, curled up in a blanket, laying around a campfire.

Mary and Joseph were not able to acquire a guest room anywhere. A host was gracious enough to allow them to sleep in their stable. Mary wrapped the newborn babe in some cloths and laid him in some hay. Not exactly the way for a king to come into the world.

I pray we all take stock of our blessings on this Christmas Day. I pray we remember how blessed we are. I pray each one of us remember our Savior’s birth and give thanks to God today. Be thankful. Remember your blessings. Remember Jesus’ birth. Remember He gave His life for you.

Luke 2:6-7 While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no guest room available for them.

God At Work

Have you ever wondered just how God is working in this world? Do you sometimes wonder if He is working at all? Does it appear as though everything is random and no plan at all is being executed?

The world can appear to be in utter chaos from our perspective. We see people running around here and there. Bosses seem to make snap decisions. Leaders appear to have no clue what is going on in the common person’s life. But we are not seeing the world from God’s perspective.

Let’s take a little closer look at what occurs shortly before Jesus’ birth. Caesar Augustus gives the order to conduct a census. He wanted the people counted so he could increase taxes. After all, it’s difficult to collect taxes from people you don’t know exist.

I can imagine Joseph and Mary thinking the order for a census could not have come at a worse time. Mary was approaching her due date to give birth and they had to travel some eighty miles to Bethlehem. Without the modern conveniences of automobile and air travel, it was a three- or four-days’ journey. Not an easy one to make on foot or riding a donkey when nearly nine months pregnant.

Hard to imagine God is working in the life of Caesar. Hard to believe there was a reason behind the decision to conduct the census, requiring Joseph and Mary to make that trip at a very inconvenient time. Yet, God was right in the middle of it.

God used Caesar Augustus to declare the census, so Joseph and Mary had to travel to Bethlehem in order to fulfill the prophecy He had given Micah (Micah 5:2), which had been given more than seven-hundred years earlier. We may not see how God is working, but we can trust that He is working, regardless of whether we understand how or not.

I pray we all trust God is working in this world. I pray we trust Him whether we understand or not. I pray each one of us will follow God’s plan for our lives, even if it doesn’t seem to make sense. Know that God is working. Know that He is executing His plan. Trust Him. Follow His plan for you.

Luke 2:1-3 In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. (This was the first census that took place while Quirinius was governor of Syria.) And everyone went to their own town to register.

Servant Mary

Have you thought what it might have been like to be in Mary’s shoes? Have you imagined what it would have been like to have an angel appear to give you a message from God? What would your reaction be?

Mary was a young, teenage girl. She was betrothed to Joseph. Though the marriage ceremony had not taken place, the betrothal ceremony had. Being betrothed meant more than a simple engagement as we view it today.

According to Jewish custom they were considered husband and wife, yet they were not living together yet. Once the betrothal ceremony took place, the husband would begin building a place for the couple to live. Often it was putting an addition onto the house of the husbands’ parents or building a small house on his parents’ property. Once their new dwelling was complete, the wedding ceremony would take place and they would begin living together.

It was during the period between betrothal and wedding that Gabriel visited Mary to give her the message of her impending pregnancy. Though we are not told exactly where Mary was when Gabriel appeared, it is likely she was at her parent’s house or somewhere nearby. She was alone. Can you imagine? It was not just any angel who came to her. It was Gabriel, an archangel who was a personal messenger from God. He had appeared to Daniel hundreds of years before.

Was Mary trembling in his presence? She was certainly a little baffled by his message and asked for an explanation. Yet in the end, she humbled herself to be God’s servant. Mary submitted herself to being an instrument of God’s plan.

I pray we all spend a little time pondering Mary’s story. I pray we see her as an example of being a servant. I pray each of us submit to God’s plan in the same way Mary did. Think about God’s Word. Learn from it. See examples of God’s servants. Be a servant of God’s.

Luke 1:30-32 But the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary; you have found favor with God. You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call him Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High.”