God’s Restoration

Are you seeking to be restored to a right relationship with God? How do you envision that restoration? What do you believe the right relationship with God will look like? How are you going about seeking a right relationship with God?

Having a right relationship with God is critical to living a life for him. If our relationship with God is not good, we cannot fulfill his plan for our lives. A right relationship is not about checking off a list of tasks, but is communal in nature.

When Jesus is speaking to the church in Ephesus, He commends them for testing and exposing false prophets. He also commends them for enduring hardship on account of their faith in Him. You can imagine the challenges they faced living in a city that housed one of the wonders in the world, that being the temple of Diana, and living in a large port city spilling over with sailors.

Yet, they abandoned their first love. They had forgotten that Jesus had given the two greatest commands–love God and love neighbor. Without loving God and loving their neighbor, the church in Ephesus had become nothing more than a social club.

The lesson for us is to hold onto our love for God and for our neighbor. In doing so, we must remember Jesus’ teaching of the Good Samaritan, which points out that every person, even our enemies, are our neighbor. We are commanded to show Jesus’ love for all of them.

I pray we all remember the two greatest commandments Jesus gave us. I pray we remember the teaching of the Good Samaritan story. I pray each one of us will love God and love our neighbor, thereby being restored to a right relationship with God. Love God. Love neighbor. Be restored to God.

Revelation 2:7 “Let anyone who has an ear listen to what the Spirit is saying to the churches. To everyone who conquers, I will give permission to eat from the tree of life that is in the paradise of God.”

The Hour Came

Yesterday, we read that Mary had involuntarily volunteered Jesus to do something about a newlywed couple who were about to face shame for running out of wine. It was not Jesus’ responsibility to provide more wine and ward off the shame that would surely come.

Yet, Jesus did something anyway. He had the servants fill six stone jars with water. The water became wine before the servants could bring it to the master of ceremonies. The servants knew more about what had happened than the master of ceremonies, who did not know where it came from.

Let’s take a look at the irony in this scene. Jesus is at a wedding as a guest. Yet, Jesus is the focus of the story. The stone jars were used for ceremonial washing to be clean, but Jesus uses them to provide wine. He used wine at the last supper to represent His blood He would shed for us for our forgiveness, for our cleansing before God.

The bridegroom in the story remains silent when the master of ceremonies commends him on saving the best wine until last. Jesus remained silent during His false trial. Jesus is the bridegroom of the church. He attends a wedding feast but will host the biggest and best wedding feast when He returns.

Jesus performs the first of His signs at the wedding in Cana. He performs the last of His signs roughly three years later when He goes to the cross and rises again three days later, when His hour had come. His greatest sign of all will come when He returns to call all of us home, to be with Him for eternity in the New Jerusalem and the new earth.

I pray we all see Jesus’ signs and believe in Him. I pray we look forward to the ultimate wedding. I pray each one of us remember Jesus each time we take a drink of wine or grape juice. Believe in Jesus. Look forward to the ultimate wedding. Remember Jesus.

John 2:13 Jesus did this, the first of his signs, in Cana of Galilee, and revealed his glory; and his disciples believed in him.

Involuntarily Volunteered

Have you ever been volunteered for something you had no intention of doing? Who volunteered you? Did it turn out to be good that you were volunteered? How did you handle taking care of what you were volunteered for? What would have happened had you not been volunteered?

We all get volunteered for something sooner or later. Some of us get volunteered multiple times. Sometimes, we volunteer ourselves out of a feeling of compulsion, even when we do not want to. Sometimes things work out well and sometimes they do not.

Jesus was implicitly volunteered by His mother. They are at a wedding. Jewish wedding celebrations traditionally lasted for seven days. They were about to run out of wine. In fact, it may be that the only wine left was what was in the glasses of the guests. The situation was dire. The bride and groom would experience shame.

Mary states the obvious to Jesus. She may have pulled Him aside to be discreet in telling Him. Jesus had no responsibility for acquiring more wine for the party. Yet, Mary was implying He should do something. Perhaps she already knew He would perform miracles and assumed it would be a small thing for Him to provide more wine.

Jesus does not do anything immediately. In fact, He asks her what the lack of wine has anything to do with Him or His mother. He also makes a profound statement. He says His hour has not yet come. With that statement, He was saying it was not His appointed time to provide for the world. However, that statement was over the heads of His mother and disciples.

We will dive deeper into His hour and the symbology of Jesus turning water into wine at a wedding tomorrow.

John 2:1-3 On the third day there was a wedding in Cana of Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was there. Jesus and his disciples had also been invited to the wedding. When the wine gave out, the mother of Jesus said to him, “They have no wine.”

Wisdom and Knowledge

Do you consider yourself to be smart? Do you think you have accumulated a lot of knowledge? Do you continue to read and study to learn even more? Do you believe you are wise? Do you equate knowledge and wisdom? Do you think they are the same?

We put a lot of emphasis on education in our culture. Education is certainly good. We need to know most of the subjects we learn in school, even if we don’t think so at the time. The basics of reading, writing, and arithmetic are needed just to get through daily life.

The emphasis comes from our employers as well. Some require a bachelor’s degree. Others require a master’s degree. And some even require a doctorates degree. Not only do these employers require degrees but they require people to continue their education through certification processes and other continuing education classes.

But knowledge is not the same as wisdom. Whereas knowledge is the knowing of facts, wisdom is knowing how to apply them. To be wise we must think. Spouting facts and figures is not wisdom. Wisdom is knowing the facts, determining how to use them, and putting them to use for the good of our community.

Proverbs 9:10 states “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.” This means that by following God’s principles we can appropriately apply the knowledge we have gained to further his plan. God’s wisdom includes applying his principles, guidance, and commands along with knowledge. To be wise, we must rely on God, not just our knowledge.

I pray we all choose to be wise. I pray we follow God’s principles, guidance, and commands. I pray each one of us will continue our education with God’s plan in mind as we apply knowledge. Continue to learn. Abide by God’s principles. Follow God’s guidance. Obey God’s commands. Be wise.

1 Corinthians 12:8 To one is given through the Spirit the utterance of wisdom, and to another the utterance of knowledge according to the same Spirit,

Purpose of Gifts

What special talents do you have? What physical or mental gifts have you been given? How are you using those talents or gifts? Do you think having them makes you better than those who don’t? Do you believe you are favored? Have you thought about who gave you those gifts?

Each of us have been given a variety of talents or gifts. Some are physical abilities while others are mental abilities. Each of them was given for a specific reason. We would do well to use them wisely. We would do well to seek a way to use our gifts for the good of all.

The Apostle Paul tells the Corinthian church there are many different gifts. Each gift is given by the Holy Spirit. Without the Holy Spirit giving us the gifts, we would not have them. The same Holy Spirit has given every gift to every human being. Think about that for just a moment. There is one Spirit who grants every gift to each person individually.

Every gift we have been given is given so we can serve God. We can use our abilities to bring praise and honor to God. As we are recognized by others for our abilities, we are to redirect the praise to the giver of the gift. For it is only by the blessing of God that we can do what we do. It does not matter if it is a physical ability or mental ability.

Not all of us have the gift of teaching or preaching. Yet, we can use our athletic gift to bring praise to God. We can use our mathematical and scientific gift to praise God. We can use our musical gift to help others worship and praise God. Whatever our gift, it was given to us by God to be used for his purposes.

I pray we all know our gifts come from the Holy Spirit. I pray we know each of us have different gifts. I pray each one of us will use our gifts to bring praise and honor to God. Many gifts. One Spirit. Praise God. Honor God. Give God the glory. God is the purpose for our gifts.

1 Corinthians 12:4-6 Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; and there are varieties of services, but the same Lord; and there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who activates all of them in everyone.

Fulfillment of Prophecy

Do you get confused reading the Old Testament prophecies? Does their language and symbols seem cryptic and undecipherable? Do you wonder what they are pointing toward? Have you given up on understanding them? Would you prefer someone simply tell you what they mean?

Prophecy can be difficult to discern. We may wonder when the prophecies will come true. We may be confused about their meaning. Prophecies cannot be discerned with a simple reading. They require deeper research, often reading multiple interpretations and commentaries.

Thankfully, there are several scholars who have spent years reading the original language, researching the context in which the prophecy was written, and pulling together multiple similar passages to provide understanding. What we find when we dig into prophecy is that some are pointing to both short-term fulfillment and long-term fulfillment. What does that mean?

When we take a deeper look at today’s passage, we find it was written at a time in which Israel was in Babylonian exile and seeking to return. Jerusalem is in shambles. The wall around the city is a pile of rubble. In the short-term, the prophecy is telling the exiles the city and temple will be rebuilt. When we read Nehemiah, we find this prophecy come true.

However, there is also a long-term meaning. It also points to the eternal home of those who follow Jesus. It points to the new Jerusalem referenced in Revelation. This prophecy speaks of God marrying Jerusalem, using the same language as Christ marrying the church. Everyone will see the glory of God and he will be the light of his renewed creation.

I pray we all seek to better understand prophecy. I pray we dig deeper into the context in which it was written. I pray each one of us look forward to the fulfillment of Christ’s return and the renewal of God’s creation. Seek understanding. Dig deeper. Anticipate fulfillment of prophecy.

Isaiah 62:2

The nations shall see your vindication, 

and all the kings your glory; 

and you shall be called by a new name 

that the mouth of the Lord will give.

Depths of God

When you think of God, what do you think of? Do you think of the love he has for you? Do you think of his faithfulness, even when you are not? Do you think of his righteousness? Do you think about his judgment, wondering if you have done enough to be on his good side?

There are many aspects to God. He is the definition of steadfast love. He is faithful, even when we are not. His righteousness surpasses anyone on this earth. His judgments are not just faith but are righteous and just. God is greater than any one aspect or any description.

If we want to know just how awesome God is, we can study a lifetime and still not be able to fully describe him. Of course, that does not mean we should stop studying and learning about him. The more we learn about God and the more we experience him, the better our picture of God is and the better our worship of him is.

God’s love extends over the entire earth, every star, every planet, every galaxy, and stretches to the heavens. His love for us is deeper than any ocean. God’s faithfulness knows no bounds. He is always faithful to himself and can be depended upon to carry out his plan. God’s love and faithfulness covers us like a blanket. It is a safety net that will always catch us when we fall.

God’s righteousness is beyond our understanding. He always does what is right and in accordance with his plan. His judgments are based on his righteousness and sometimes difficult for us to comprehend. Yet, his judgments are true and right and for the betterment of our lives. 

When we put it all together, God is all about saving us. Not only us but the animals of his creation as well. Yes, God loves the animals just as he loves us. God desires to see all his creation saved and pursues it through his love, faithfulness, righteousness, and judgments.

I pray we all know that God loves us. I pray we know that God is always faithful. I pray each one of us knows that God seeks to save us and desires that we choose to follow him in all we do. God loves you. God is always faithful. God is seeking you. Choose to follow him.

Psalm 36:5-6

Your steadfast love, O Lord, extends to the heavens, 

your faithfulness to the clouds. 

Your righteousness is like the mighty mountains, 

your judgments are like the great deep; 

you save humans and animals alike, O Lord.

The Beloved

Do you desire to be loved by someone? Do you want to be called their beloved? Have you considered you are loved? Do you know that God loves you? Are you following his Beloved One?

We all want to be loved. It is part of our being. Because we are created in the image of God, we want to be loved, and we want to share our love. Go also wants us to share his love with others.

One way we can demonstrate our love for God is to obey his commands. Jesus gave the command to His disciples to baptize believers in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit (Matthew 28:19). Therefore, we can follow His command by being baptized ourselves.

Jesus also states that if we love Him, we will keep (obey) His commandments (John 14:15). The two great commands to love God and love our neighbor (Matthew 22:37-40) are the most important. He says that all the law and the prophets hang on these two commands. In other words, if we are obeying those two commands, we are following the law of God.

Jesus was obeying the Father when He was baptized. He was setting an example for us. It is important for us to follow His example. Perhaps that is why we restate our baptismal vows when we participate in someone else’s baptism.

I pray we all desire and honestly seek to obey Jesus’ commands. I pray we love God and love our neighbor. I pray each one of us will demonstrate God’s love to everyone we encounter each day. Know that God loves you. Seek to obey Jesus. Share God’s love with others.

Luke 3:21-22 Now when all the people were baptized, and when Jesus also had been baptized and was praying, the heaven was opened, and the Holy Spirit descended upon him in bodily form like a dove. And a voice came from heaven, “You are my Son, the Beloved; with you I am well pleased.”

Holy Spirit and Fire

Are you seeking to improve yourself? What are you seeking to improve? How are you planning to improve? Do you think it will come easily? Or do you understand it will be challenging? Who are you asking to help with your improvement? Have you asked Jesus to help?

If we look for self-improvement books, we will find more than we can count. They come in a variety of topics, including relationships, money, habits, psychological, discipline, anxiety, thinking, and more. There are even more books to learn new skills.

Unfortunately, many of these books purport quick changes. When it comes to changing our way of thinking or ridding ourselves of bad habits, it often takes time. We can’t completely change ourselves in a day or two. We can take the first step. Though we may hear the phrase, “the first step is the hardest,” that is not true. The first step is hard. But it is the continual walking on the path of change that is the hardest. Therefore, we must discipline ourselves to stay the course.

John the Baptist speaks about Jesus before He shows up to ask John to baptize Him. He talks of Jesus baptizing us with the Holy Spirit and fire. The imagery is not to be taken literally. It is true that we will receive the Holy Spirit at our baptism. However, we are not literally baptized with fire. Yet, the analogy is appropriate. Much like silver and gold are refined and purified with fire, we are refined and purified by the Holy Spirit.

Our part is to be willing to be refined and purified. We can be changed through the work of the Holy Spirit if we are willing and continue to ask him to change us. It will not happen overnight. It takes time. Largely due to our unwillingness. The Holy Spirit chips away at our old self to reveal the person God created us to be. Over time, the impurities are taken away and the person God desires us to be is revealed.

I pray we all seek to improve ourselves. I pray we are willing to improve ourselves. I pray each one of us will allow and ask the Holy Spirit to refine and purify us, making us into the person God wants us to be. Seek self-improvement. Be willing to improve. Allow the Holy Spirit to change you.

Luke 3:16-17 “He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. His winnowing fork is in his hand, to clear his threshing floor and to gather the wheat into his granary; but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire.” 

Lord of Life

How is your relationship with Jesus? How do you view yourself with regards to Jesus? Do you view yourself as only slightly less than Him? Do you view yourself as unworthy of Him? Do you see Him as your Savior? Do you see Him as the King of kings and Lord of lords?

We can often think more highly of ourselves than we should. It is especially easy when we compete against someone with lesser talent. It doesn’t matter if it is on the court or in the office. When we can do something better than someone else, we get all puffed up.

Unfortunately, we sometimes do that with Jesus. It happens when we have been particularly kind to someone we may not like. We think, “Wow! Look at me! I am acting like a Christian should.” The kindness is good. The pride in our actions is not. Rather than being prideful about it, we should give thanks to God for guiding us down that path, giving him the credit.

John the Baptist was not a man of pride. He was honestly pursuing the mission God had given him. Make no mistake about it, he called it like he saw it. But he knew his position in God’s plan. He knew the Messiah was coming and He was completely out of John’s league. John knew he could not hold a candle to Him.

We would do well to have an attitude like John. Yes, Jesus is our brother. However, He is a brother than is so much greater than any of us that we cannot hold a candle to Him. When we see Him as the creator of the universe, our perspective changes. When we see Him as King of kings and Lord of lords, we understand that only He can rule our lives. At that point, we submit to Him and release all our pride.

I pray we all recognize the power of Jesus. I pray we know that He is the creator of the universe. I pray each one of us view Him as King of kings and Lord of lords and allow Him to rule our lives. See the power of Jesus. Know He is the creator. Allow Him to be the Lord of your life.

Luke 3:15-16 As the people were filled with expectation, and all were questioning in their hearts concerning John, whether he might be the Messiah, John answered all of them by saying, “I baptize you with water; but one who is more powerful than I is coming; I am not worthy to untie the thong of his sandals.”