Creator Jesus

How we view Jesus is important. It changes our relationship with Him. We often hear Him called our Savior, and it is true. Some call Him brother or friend. But are there other ways to view Him? There are many of them. Let’s take a look at a few briefly and delve deeper into one.

In Isaiah 9:6, He is called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, and Prince of Peace. Many of His disciples called Him Rabbi or Teacher when He was with them. In John 1, He is called the Word. He is referred to as the chief cornerstone and the stone the builder’s rejected.

Each of us are viewed differently depending on who is looking at us, and Jesus is no different. Getting to know Him in these different ways improves our relationship with Him, allowing it to go deeper. We all have parents. When we see them only as a parent, we have one view of them. However, when we see them as a man or woman who has needs, a professional who is good at their job, and get to know their history, it changes our perception of them. By diving deeper into who our parents are, we grow deeper in relationship.

The Apostle Paul tells us that Jesus is the image of the invisible God. Jesus told the disciples that if they had seen Him, they had seen the Father. We can see the Father through the gospels and the picture painted of Jesus. Paul also tells us that everything in heaven and on earth were created through Him and for Him. We speak of God as the Creator, but we don’t often think of Jesus as the Creator. Seeing Him as the Creator gives us a new perspective of Him.

Why is this important? Again, the more we learn of Jesus, the deeper our relationship with Him can go. The deeper our relationship, the more in awe we become of Him. The more we understand about Him, the more we love and honor Him. So, how do we deepen our relationship? We read and study our Bible, especially prophecies about Him and the New Testament.

I pray we all choose to know more about Jesus. I pray we decide to read our Bibles. I pray each one of us will deepen our relationship with Jesus through understanding who He is. Read your Bible. Know more about Jesus. Understand better who He is. Deepen your relationship with Him.

Colossians 1:15-16 He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation, for in him all things in heaven and on earth were created, things visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or powers—all things have been created through him and for him.

A Green Olive Tree

Do you continue to grow? Are you flourishing in life? Are you blooming where you are planted? Or are you stunted? Are you stagnant? Are you dormant, waiting for something to awaken you? Do you want to grow? Do you want to flourish? Do you want to feel alive and bloom?

It has been said that we are either growing or dying. We are either active or standing still. We are fresh or stale. We are being renewed or fading away. We are brightly colored or colorless. We have a choice to make. It one that only we can make.

We can choose to grow, be active, be fresh, and be renewed. Or we can choose to die, stand still, be stale, and fade away. Many will disagree. They have been beaten by life. They have chosen to give up and to surrender to the world. But others will refuse the world by choosing God. They will trust that God has work for them to do and he will provide the resources for them to do it.

It is those who choose God who come alive. They are like the green olive tree in God’s house. They are vibrant and ready to bear fruit. Is it because of something they have done? Nothing more than their choice to choose God. It is God who blesses them with nourishment and causes them to grow. He is the reason they are vibrant, have the positive outlook, and they become the magnet that attracts others. It is all God’s work in them that makes them the green olive tree.

I pray we all choose God. I pray we trust God to work in our lives and provide what we need. I pray each one of us will experience the nourishment of God and each grows into the person God wants us to be. Choose God. Trust God. Experience God in your life. Be who God wants you to be.

Psalm 52:8

But I am like a green olive tree 

in the house of God. 

I trust in the steadfast love of God 

forever and ever.

Fill the Void

Have you seen the effects of a famine? Have you felt sorry for the people experiencing it? Have you done anything to help those people? Have you considered what it would be like to live through a famine? How would you and your family survive a famine?

Famines are devasting to a population. The lack of food and water takes a both a physical and mental toll on people. It can cause people to do things they would not normally do. Violence can break out to control what little food and water is available.

What if the famine was not food and water but of hearing God’s Word? Imagine the results of people not listening to God’s guidance and instruction. Imagine how people would decide to do whatever they wanted. Imagine the lies people would tell, the crime committed, the violence, the shamelessness, the degradation of society. Are we seeing it today?

How can we bring relief to such a famine? We can speak God’s Word. That does not mean we all must be preachers. We can merely speak God’s Word in answer to situations people are experiencing. We can quote or paraphrase God’s Word in response to questions or during our conversations. We can use the wisdom in God’s Word to advise others.

We may be experiencing a famine of sorts of God’s Word being spoken. There is a shortage of pastors to preach God’s Word and care for God’s people. With such a shortage, we need more followers of Jesus to step into the void to speak God’s Word to those in need of hearing it in everyday life. Each one of us can help fill the gap.

I pray we all choose to address the famine of hearing God’s Word. I pray we use God’s Word to speak wisdom to others. I pray each one of us care for others and use God’s Word to give advice. Speak God’s Word. Fill the void. Use God’s wisdom. Care for people. Apply God’s Word to everyday life.

Amos 8:11

The time is surely coming, says the Lord God, 

when I will send a famine on the land, 

not a famine of bread or a thirst for water, 

but of hearing the words of the Lord. 

Walk God’s Path For You

Do you want to see or hear God communicate with you? Do you wonder why it seems that God is silent? Have you looked for God in places you don’t expect him? Are you willing to open your eyes to new possibilities of seeing God? Are you willing to open your ears to hear him?

God communicates to us in a variety of ways. He often uses things we don’t expect. He uses people we don’t expect. He may communicate with us through situations we don’t expect. Many times, it is not that God is not communicating but we are not being observant.

God used a basket of fruit to communicate to Amos. We likely would never think of God communicating to us by using a basket of fruit. God used something bright, colorful, and plentiful to communicate a future of sorrow. He compared and contrasted the bountiful with the bad way the rich were treating the poor.

God pointed out how the rich were taking advantage of the poor and needy. He called out their cheating the scales to rob the poor of what little they had. In the process, God warns the rich that they will fall, that they will be destroyed. He tells the rich that they will mourn their cheating ways.

We can avoid being called out by God by obeying him and seeking to hear his messages. Obedience is by far the most important. Yet, hearing God speak to us through the many ways he chooses to do so is important so we can stay on the path he has laid out for us to walk. Rather than God scolding us, he will praise us as we obey and listen to him.

I pray we all seek to see and hear the many ways God communicates with us. I pray choose to obey God. I pray each one of us will choose to walk the path God has prepared for us. See God communicate. Hear God communicate. Obey God. Walk his path. Live the life God has for you.

Amos 8:1-2 This is what the Lord God showed me: a basket of summer fruit. He said, “Amos, what do you see?” And I said, “A basket of summer fruit.”

Fear Only God

What is your biggest fear? Is it the loss of a loved one? Is it the loss of a job? Is it a broken relationship? Do you buy into conspiracy theories? Do you believe what you see on social media? Do you believe what you hear from the pundits?

If we allow it, there are many things we can fear. They are numerous and often are false fears. Satan loves to tell us to fear one thing or another. As we succumb to the initial fear, he continues to pound our minds with additional reasons to fear.

We God spoke to the prophet Isaiah, he told him not only not to fear, but also not to be pulled into conspiracy theories. All these things that others worry about will lead to nowhere, other than they will cause us anxiety, which will ultimately lead to physical health issues. Worry and fear takes a toll on our physical bodies as well.

God tells Isaiah to fear only him. In other words, we are to be in awe of God and worship him. We are to let the fears and worries of this world to slide off like water on a duck’s back. We are not to be caught up in conspiracy theories, especially those regarding Christ’s church and His people.

Far too often, it has been the conspiracy theory or the competition of one against another that has torn churches apart. Leave those things behind and trust that God is in control. Your life and the life of the church will be much better off.

I pray we all give up our fears. I pray we stop buying into conspiracy theories. I pray each one of us believe that God is in control and remind ourselves of that regularly. Give your fears to God. Don’t buy into conspiracy theories. Know that God is in control. Fear only God.

Isaiah 8:11-12 The LORD spoke thus to me while his hand was strong upon me and warned me not to walk in the way of this people, saying: “Do not call conspiracy all that this people calls conspiracy, and do not fear what it fears or be in dread.”

Who Is My Neighbor?

Who is your neighbor? Have you asked that question? Do you know your neighbor? Who do you consider your neighbor? Have you thought about it? Have you asked others who they consider to be their neighbors? Have you discussed this question in a group?

In our individualistic society, we don’t often think about our neighbor. We may not know our neighbor’s name. We may not view the stranger we encounter in the department store as our neighbor. We may not have any desire to know anyone other than family and close friends.

An expert in the law had been shamed by Jesus. He wanted to vindicate himself. He wanted to limit who he was required to love. He was hoping Jesus would tell him his neighbor was just those he chose to be his neighbor. Jesus did the opposite. Jesus effectively told him everyone was his neighbor, even his enemy.

I have preached on the Good Samaritan a couple times. It is one of my favorites. I like to have everyone put themselves in the shoes of each character in the story. Imagine being the person attacked by the robbers and left for dead. Imagine being the priest walked on the other side of the road to avoid being made unclean. Imagine being the Levite who did the same. Imagine being the Samaritan who stopped to help.

To drive the point home, I like to imagine each character being in the crowd Jesus is telling the story to and Jesus looking directly at them when He states what they did. How did each of them feel? Were the priest and Levite shamed? Did the Jewish man who was helped change his mind about Samaritans? Think about that. How would you feel if you were one of them?

I pray we all think about how we might feel if we were one of the characters. I pray we think about the Good Samaritan. I pray each one of us consider everyone to be our neighbor. Consider each character. Consider being injured. Consider helping. View everyone as your neighbor.

Luke 10:29 But wanting to vindicate himself, he asked Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?”

Unexpected Insight

Have you had someone test you? Have you had someone attempt to trip you up? Did they pose a tricky question to you? Were they a little smug in asking it? Did they seem to be self-assured that you would be unable to answer them? Were you able to properly respond?

We all experience someone who tries to trip us up at some point in our lives. Some of us face that challenge multiple times. The other person is typically a little smug and often thinks there is no way we can answer them correctly. When we answer them unexpectedly, they are surprised.

Jesus faced the same type of challenge…more than once. In the case of today’s passage, it is an expert in the law, sometimes called a scribe. This person is someone who studied the Jewish or Old Testament law. They read it, copied it, debated it, and interpreted it. They knew the law inside and out. They may have thought of themselves being better than others because of their knowledge.

This expert in the law thought he might trip up Jesus with his question. For there is no statement in the law that says how someone inherits eternal life. But Jesus turns the question around on the expert. When the expert gives the answer the experts agreed upon, Jesus commends him for doing so, then instructs him to go do it.

We can take the same approach Jesus did. We can the turn question back to the questioner. When they answer, we can determine if their answer is correct, and if it is, tell them to go live it. If it isn’t, we can humbly correct them and give them insight they didn’t know they needed. Regardless, rather than falling for the trap, turn it back to the questioner, and give yourself a moment to think.

I pray we all take time to think. I pray we do not fall into the trap a smug person lays for us. I pray each one of us will follow Jesus’ example when someone is testing us. Take time to think. Turn the question around. Follow Jesus’ example. Provide unexpected insight.

Luke 10:25 An expert in the law stood up to test Jesus. “Teacher,” he said, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?”

Purposeful Prayer

What do you pray for? Why do you pray for it? Do you pray to know God’s will? Do you pray for wisdom? Are you praying so that you might walk closer with God? Are you praying so you might please God in all you do? Do you pray that you will be fruitful for God through good works?

We pray for a variety of things for many reasons. We often pray for our families, friends, co-workers, schoolmates, and other church members. We pray for healing more often than anything else. But we also pray for new jobs, increased wages, relationships, and more.

Most often we pray for God to grant something we want, something to fulfill a physical need. But how often do we ask God to reveal what he wants from us? Notice in today’s passage that the Apostle Paul is asking that God give the members of the church in Colossae knowledge and wisdom so they may be fruitful to fulfill God’s mission.

We can pray for the same thing. In fact, we should pray that God enlighten us with his knowledge and wisdom. Our purpose for praying for that is so we may be fruitful for him. The more we are in tune with God’s will, the more effective our works will be. The more effective they are, the more fruitful we are. The more fruitful we are, the more people are reached for Jesus.

I pray we all add to our prayers that God grant us knowledge and wisdom. I pray we seek to fulfill God’s will. I pray each one of us are more fruitful, reaching people for Jesus. Ask for knowledge. Ask for wisdom. Ask that God uses you. Be fruitful. Reach people for Jesus.

Colossians 1:9-10 For this reason, since the day we heard it, we have not ceased praying for you and asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of God’s will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, so that you may walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him, as you bear fruit in every good work and as you grow in the knowledge of God.

Bear Fruit In Hope

Has the hope of the truth changed you? Has the gospel message grown in you? Are you bearing fruit because of the hope you have in Jesus? Are you growing in your faith as you gain a better understanding of the gospel message? Do you grasp the significance of God’s grace?

We may want to know the truth. Yet, we often joke that we aren’t sure we want to know it. We may even quote the line from the movie A Few Good Men, “You can’t handle the truth!” The truth can be enlightening, scary, hard to hear, and inspiring all at the same time.

The truth of the gospel should give us hope. After all, the simple message is that Jesus died for us, rose on the third day, we are forgiven of our sins, and promised that we will spend eternity with God. This simple message tells us of God’s grace. It tells us that he loves us enough to send his Son to pay the debt we cannot pay. It shows us God’s grace in a tangible way.

The hope we gain from the truth is to bear fruit through us. How? Our hope should bring us so much joy that we cannot help but tell others. If we are not bearing fruit, perhaps we do not fully comprehend God’s grace or have had our hope for so long that the excitement has worn off. We might need to return to the message of God’s grace in the gospel message and renew our excitement and amazement. Maybe we need to reevaluate where we would be without the truth of the gospel and the hope we have.

I pray we all renew our hope in the truth of the gospel message. I pray we truly comprehend the grace of God. I pray each one of us bear fruit because of the hope we have in Jesus Christ. Renew your hope. Regain your excitement. Understand God’s grace. Bear fruit in hope.

Colossians 1:5b-6 You have heard of this hope before in the word of the truth, the gospel that has come to you. Just as it is bearing fruit and growing in the whole world, so it has been bearing fruit among yourselves from the day you heard it and truly comprehended the grace of God.

Hope In Heaven

What is the first thing that comes to mind when someone mentions love? Do you immediately think of emotional love that brings two people together in relationship? Do you think of a committed love that keeps a couple together for a lifetime? Do you think of work?

We often hear of emotional love. A young couple are attracted to one another. They have emotional feelings for one another. They decide to marry. They have children, love their children, and spend their lives together. But this isn’t the same kind of love spoken of in the Bible.

When the Apostle Paul writes to the church in Colossae, he speaks of their love for every follower of Jesus. It isn’t an emotional love. It is a decision to love and care for fellow believers. It is a committed love.

Why did they have this love? Their hope. They had a hope that they had obtained a better life because of Jesus Christ. They trusted in the promise of eternal life spent with Him. They were living a better life in the present because they came together as a community. They had less worry and anxiety because they believed in the promises of God.

We, too, can experience a better life today when we believe in God’s promises and love one another. When we lay all our fears, worries, and anxiety at Jesus’ feet, our lives become less stressful, our attitudes improve, and our lives are better. It is the hope, or trust, in Jesus that we have that relieves us of the worries of this world.

I pray we all decide to love one another. I pray we choose to trust in God’s promises. I pray each one of us put our hope in Jesus, laying all our fears, worries, and anxiety at His feet. Love one another. Trust God’s promises. Hope in Jesus. Give Jesus your fears, worries, and anxieties.

Colossians 1:3-5a In our prayers for you we always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, for we have heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love that you have for all the saints, because of the hope laid up for you in heaven.