Radioactive

Have you even had a skin disease? Did it affect your face? Did you have chicken pox? Did you have the measles? Were people afraid to come near you? Were you kept inside away from everyone? How did you feel about that? Were you hoping the disease would go away quickly?

Have diseases that have a negative effect on our faces are not fun to deal with. Whether it is chicken pox or the measles or some other disease, all we can think about is ridding ourselves of the disease. We do not like to be isolated. After all, we are community people.

Moses did not have a disease, but the people were afraid to come near him. Once he explained the reason for his face shining, they were willing to come within a reasonable distance. They needed to hear what God was saying to Moses, how God was instructing them to travel along the path he had laid out for them. Even if they were not always obedient.

We do not see people whose face shines in the same way Moses’ face shined. Yet, we do see people who are radiant. When they are filled with the love of God, their face shines. When they continually seek to follow Jesus, their face shines. We can see the joy on their face. Opposed to Moses, we are attracted to people like that.

We, too, can be people with faces that shine. How? Be filled with the love of God and seek to follow Jesus. The closer we get to God, the closer we follow the Jesus, the more joy Jesus pours into our hearts making our faces shine. We become a person everyone else wants to be around. We become Jesus’ shining light in a dark world.

I pray we all are filled with the love of God. I pray we seek to follow Jesus as close as we can. I pray each one of us will allow the love of God to shine through us making us a light for Jesus. Be filled with the love of God. Follow Jesus closely. Allow God’s love to shine through. Be a light for Jesus.

Exodus 34:29-30 Moses came down from Mount Sinai. As he came down from the mountain with the two tablets of the covenant in his hand, Moses did not know that the skin of his face shone because he had been talking with God. When Aaron and all the Israelites saw Moses, the skin of his face was shining, and they were afraid to come near him.

Luke Warm

How is your passion toward God? Do you have a passion for him? Are you hot? Do you feel a burning desire to serve him? Are you cold? Are you refreshing, like a cold glass of water, to those you serve? Or are you lukewarm? Not really hot nor cold?

Jesus desires that we be hot or cold. He isn’t looking for lukewarm followers. He wants us to be burning with desire to know Him, seek Him, learn from Him, serve Him. Those who are hot are out setting the world on fire for Jesus.

For those who are cold, they are refreshing. They are like a cold glass of water for those they serve. Jesus likes those who are refreshing. They bring new ideas for new ways to tell others about Him. They lift people when they are down. They brighten a room when they walk in. People can see their compassion.

What Jesus doesn’t want is lukewarm followers. They just muddle their way through life. They may attend church but do nothing more than that. They may occasionally pray but it is only when they are in trouble or want something. They may even serve others but they do so with lethargy.

We should want to be either hot or cold. If we find ourselves being lukewarm, we need to ask God to fill us with his Spirit and energize us. Jesus will grant us that prayer, if we are honestly asking from our hearts. He won’t leave us in a lukewarm state.

I pray we all seek to be hot or cold. I pray we ask God to fill us with his Spirit. I pray each one of us will serve Jesus with a burning desire or a refreshing spirit that energizes others or lifts them up. Be cold. Be hot. Be filled by the Holy Spirit. Burn for Jesus. Be refreshing. Lift others up.

Revelation 3:15-16 “I know your works; you are neither cold nor hot. I wish that you were either cold or hot. So, because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I am about to spit you out of my mouth.”

Giving Blessings

We have heard we are not to judge. We have heard we are to forgive. We have heard we are to give. So how well are we doing? Are we accomplishing them? Or are we still struggling? Be honest. Only you know the real answer, and only if you are truly being honest with yourself.

None of those three are easy, though forgiving may be the easier one of the bunch, at least on the surface. We can say we forgive them. We may tell ourselves to forgive what someone has done to us. We may believe we have, but still hold onto it just a little bit down inside.

Judging can be more challenging. We judge people by the clothes they wear, the way they speak, the places they go, and their actions. Even if we remind ourselves not to judge, we find it very difficult not to do so. But it becomes worse when we condemn them, push them aside, become sure they are going to hell, or even ask God to take our revenge out on them.

But giving may be the most difficult of the three. Why? It means we must give our blessings to someone else. It may be our time that is required to serve someone else, whether at a funeral dinner, helping them with a project, teaching Sunday School, or leading a ministry. They all require us to give up doing something else to serve someone.

Giving our money is an even larger challenge. We have worked hard to earn our paycheck. We rationalize not giving because we have heard of corruption in one organization or another, not the least of which is our churches. Yet, God is not holding us accountable for someone else’s corruption. He is holding us accountable for withholding what he has blessed us with to give to others.

Take notice of the reward Jesus promises when we give. We receive a good measure, pressed down, and overflowing. In other words, God will pour us a cup of coffee until it overflows onto the floor. He will fill our plate with food until it spills onto the table. We cannot out give God. So, give freely.

I pray we all work at not judging. I pray we strive to forgive with earnestness. I pray each one of us will give our blessings to help others trusting in the promise that God will give to us. Do not judge. Do not condemn. Forgive one another. Give your blessings to help others.

Luke 6:37-38 “Do not judge, and you will not be judged; do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven; give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap, for the measure you give will be the measure you get back.”

Do What Is Hard

How easy is it for you to love your enemies? Who do you think of when you think of enemies? Do you do good to those who hate you? Would you rather return hate for hate? What about those who curse you or mistreat you? How do you want to treat them?

We want to defeat our enemies. We want to return hate for hate. We want to return curse for curse. If someone mistreats us, we want to return it to them. We have a real problem with seeking revenge. That is our idea of justice. Yet, it is not God’s.

Jesus tells us to love our enemies. That is very hard to do. But Jesus didn’t say it would be easy to follow Him. He says we are to do good to those who hate us. Oh my! That may be even harder to do. We can love, or say we love, our enemies so long as we aren’t near them. But if someone hates us, it is highly like they are closer to us than our enemies. They may even be family members. Doing good for them can take every fiber of goodness we can draw from God.

Blessing anyone who curses us is likely the last thing on our mind. Yet, Jesus tells us to do so. Again, very hard to do. Someone who curses us is likely right in our face. They may be screaming at us. How can we bless them? We must rely on the Holy Spirit.

Anyone who mistreats is also in our face or very close. They may be someone we work with or even a boss. Again, Jesus tells us to pray for them. What do we pray? “God, strike them down.” No. We should pray that God work in their lives to change them.

I pray we all take Jesus’ words to heart. I pray we choose to follow Jesus to be like Him. I pray each one of us will love our enemies, do good for those who hate us, bless those who curse us, and pray for those who mistreat us. It won’t be easy. Following Jesus is hard. Know that He will give you the strength.

Luke 6:27-28 “But I say to you who are listening: Love your enemies; do good to those who hate you; bless those who curse you; pray for those who mistreat you.”

Heavenly Bodies

Have you ever wondered what it will be like in heaven? Have you thought about the streets of gold? Do you wonder what the fruit of the tree of life will taste like? Have you thought about the beauty of the river of life? Have you wondered what you will look like?

We hear of the beauty of heaven. We hear it will be more beautiful than we can imagine. We hear there will be no more sorrow, no more tears, no more hatred, none of the evil things we experience on this earth. But we aren’t told much about how we will look.

The Apostle Paul takes on describing what we will look like…sort of. He tells us that today we bear the image of the man of dust, meaning being human. He goes on to say we will bear the image of the man of heaven, meaning Jesus. That doesn’t give us much information. It doesn’t tell us whether we will be six feet tall or ten feet tall. We don’t know what our facial features will look like. But does it matter?

I believe what we look will not matter to us. We will be rejoicing in the presence of God. Without all the negatives of living on this earth, our looks will be of no concern. We will live in a perfect place. We will be in the visible presence of God. We will feast with God. We will be filled with continual joy. We will be full of awe and wonder. What a wonderful place it will be.

I pray we all look forward to eternal life with God. I pray we do not worry what we will look like. I pray each one of us understand there will be no evil, only awe, wonder, and pure joy for eternity. Look forward to eternal life. Be in awe. Know there will be pure joy. Know you will see God always.

1 Corinthians 15:49 Just as we have borne the image of the man of dust, we will also bear the image of the man of heaven.

Inherit the Earth

Are you jealous? Do you look at what others have and wish you had them, or could afford them? Do you wonder how someone with such bad behavior could climb so high? Do you wonder how someone can be evil and yet go unpunished?

Seeing others prosper, acquiring all the grown-up toys we wish we had can be a challenge. We want the jet ski, boat, camper, side-by-side, new truck, pool in the back yard, and any number of other things. It is especially challenging when we believe the person cheats his or her way to them.

The Psalmist tells us to be patient. The wicked will face their demise. They will lose all they have and will be punished for their wickedness. If they achieved riches through deception and by walking on others, they will be brought down. The wicked must repent and turn their hearts to God or they will be punished for their wickedness.

The Hebrew word the Psalmist uses can be interpreted as meek, humble, or oppressed. The meaning is those who are being oppressed by the rich and powerful, who are poor, or who do not think highly of themselves. Jesus quotes this piece of the Psalm, “Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth (Matthew 5:5).

Why the patience? God will reward those who continue to be faithful to him. They will be granted an overabundance for eternity. Their time of doing without in this life will be rewarded with more than they can imagine in eternity. For true riches are in our faith not in material wealth. For material wealth can keep us from relying on God.

I pray we all stop being envious of those who seem to have it all. I pray we hold on to our faith. I pray each one of us trust that we will receive more than we can imagine in eternity. Do not be envious. Hold on to your faith. Trust God will reward you abundantly. Trust God’s promises.

Psalm 37:10-11

Yet a little while, and the wicked will be no more; 

though you look diligently for their place, they will not be there. 

But the meek shall inherit the land, 

and delight themselves in abundant prosperity.

Be Still

Are you someone who is continually busy? Are you the type of person who cannot sit still for long? Do you feel compelled to be up doing something all the time? What are the things you are doing? Are they important? Do they have to be done? Have you taken time to rest?

We all know people who are constantly moving about and doing something. We may be one of those people ourselves. We may have a list as long as our arm that we believe needs to be done. But all of us need to rest. We need to take time to unwind and be calm.

I understand the busyness. I am one of those who has a list of things to be done, some of them have been on my list for a couple years. Yet, it seems every day more things get added to the list than I get checked off. Even when I take time to sit down, I’m busy. I’m on my phone or computer. My mind is also thinking. I’m always reorganizing my list in my brain and attempting to determine a more efficient way to get more done.

Yet, we all need to be still, be quiet, and focus on God. We need to take time to lay everything before him and wait for his direction. We need to seek his priorities and learn that not everything has to be done. When I have taken time to do just that, I have found that following God’s way is always better. When we follow his direction and his priorities, what is truly important is accomplished and those unimportant things get left behind.

I pray we all make time to sit quietly with God. I pray we ask him to reveal his priorities and direction to us. I pray each one of us will discover that God’s way is always the best. Sit quietly with God. Ask God to reveal his priorities. Follow God’s direction. Know that God’s way is best.

Psalm 37:7

Be still before the Lord, and wait patiently for him; 

do not fret over those who prosper in their way, 

over those who carry out evil devices.

Speechless

Have you ever been shocked? Have you been surprised. Have you been speechless? What shocked you? Was it an amazing performance? Was it someone showing up unexpectedly? Was it reuniting with an old friend or a long-lost family member?

Being shocked can be good or not so good. It can leave us speechless or shouting for joy. Joseph’s brothers were left speechless. He was the last person they anticipated seeing in Egypt, let alone as the most powerful person in Egypt aside from Pharoah.

Joseph’s brothers had sold him into slavery. He had then been sold to Pharoah’s chief guard, accused of trying to take advantage of the guard’s wife, thrown in prison, interpreted a couple dreams, and finally brought into Pharoah’s service. His rise from being hated by his brothers because of a couple dreams to being sold into slavery and ultimately rising to being a top leader in Egypt was a windy and rocky road.

We may experience a windy and rocky road ourselves. Or we may know someone else who has had a checkered past and finally came to Christ. Perhaps we haven’t seen them or even walked away from them because of their behavior. Maybe seeing them after the transformation shocks us. We may be speechless. We may even be like Joseph’s brothers, wondering if the transformation is real.

We must remember that God is always at work. He does amazing things in some of the least expected people. Should we be surprised? Not really. Yet, as humans, we are surprised because our limited imagination and lack of faith. But it is those unexpected moments when God shows up that builds our faith.

I pray we all know God is at work. I pray we believe Jesus can transform lives. I pray each one of us are surprised by God and our faith is made stronger because of the surprise. God is at work. Jesus transforms lives. Be surprised by God. Build your faith. Trust God always.

Genesis 45:3 Joseph said to his brothers, “I am Joseph. Is my father still alive?” But his brothers could not answer him, so dismayed were they at his presence.

Wake Up!

Do you sometimes feel as though you are walking around in a fog? Do you wonder if you fully understand what you should be doing? Have you sought to relieve yourself of that feeling? Have you decided to open your eyes to the reality of your situation?

More people than we would like to think are walking around in a fog. They have been deceived into thinking they are doing well. They have been fooled to believe it is their desires that matters most. They are lost in a false belief of self importance.

Jesus tells the church in Sardis that they need to wake up. They need to strengthen what remains. There is a remnant that still desires to do God’s will. They still want to perform the good works God had in store for them. They had not been fooled by the false desires of selfish ambition.

Have we been fooled by false desires? If we have gotten comfortable in our wealth or stability or our current situation, we have been fooled. At no time does Jesus nor His apostles say we are to be comfortable. In fact, quite the opposite. We are to be uncomfortable and in mission for Christ.

Sitting inside the four walls of the church is not what we are called to. We are called to be in community, serving those in need, bringing the good news to the lost. For most of us, that means we will be uncomfortable. God has set those good works before us. It is our commission and duty to carry them out.

I pray we all realize we are not to be comfortable. I pray we seek to not be fooled. I pray each one of us will take up the good works God has prepared for us and set aside our personal desires. Be uncomfortable. Do not be fooled. Do good works. Do God’s works.

Revelation 3:2 Wake up, and strengthen what remains and is on the point of death, for I have not found your works perfect in the sight of my God.

Great Reward

How far are you willing to go? How far will you go to protect those you love? How far will you go to achieve your goal? How far will you go to get what you want? Are you willing to forfeit it all? Are you willing to stand out in a crowd? Are you willing to be hated by others?

Strange questions, huh? So let’s walk through them. If we are willing to do whatever it takes to protect our loved ones, achieve a goal, or to get what we want, we must be willing to be hated. Anyone in the spotlight, anyone who stands out in a crowd is hated by someone.

Jesus says we are blessed when people hate us because we believe in and follow Him. It cannot be mere belief. For we read in James 2:19 that even demons believe and shudder. No, it must be belief and trust and following His commands. When we do all three, there will be people who will hate us. They will know that we see their reluctance to follow and the evil they commit.

The quandary, the crux of the issue for us is this: are we willing to be hated? Most of us try to get along with others. We like to fit in. We want to be part of the crowd. We will change our allegiance to be with those we deem to be the right people, whether it is a sports team or even a nation. Our desire to be accepted often overwhelms our willingness to do what we know is right.

Following Jesus is not for the faint of heart. It not only requires us to give Him our heart and soul, it requires us to be willing to be hated, to be ridiculed, and to be made fun of by others. I may mean we lose friends. But Jesus tells us to rejoice and jump for joy. Why? Our reward in heaven is greater than all that we think we will miss here on this earth.

I pray we all decide to follow Jesus. I pray we are willing to be hated by non-followers. I pray each one of us rejoice and jump for joy knowing we will receive a great reward in heaven. Believe in Jesus. Trust Jesus. Follow Jesus. Rejoice. Jump for joy. Your reward is great.

Luke 6:22-23 “Blessed are you when people hate you, and when they exclude you, revile you, and defame you on account of the Son of Man. Rejoice in that day and leap for joy, for surely your reward is great in heaven; for that is what their ancestors did to the prophets.”