Sacrifice of Love

Are you willing to sacrifice? Will you sacrifice for the good of others? Will you sacrifice for your children? Will you sacrifice for your parents? Do you consider sacrificing as doing good? Do you believe it is pleasing? Have you thought of what you say as a sacrifice?

Our human nature is to take care of ourselves. We won’t naturally sacrifice. There must be a reason for us to give up something of ourselves for someone else. We often call that something: love. Loving our spouse and children will cause us to sacrifice for them.

It is also love that will cause us to sacrifice for God. The writer of Hebrews encourages us to praise God continually. He calls it our sacrifice to him. Why would praise be a sacrifice. Praising God puts him above us. It is lifting God up and humbling ourselves. It is a demonstration of our love for him.

In addition to praising God, we are to do good and share what we have. This is both a sacrifice and a blessing. As God has blessed us, we are to share those blessings with others. While sharing those blessings we are blessed again. All of this is done because of the love God has for us and our loving him in return.

Love and sacrifice go hand-in-hand. God loves us. We love God. We demonstrate our love through sacrifice. We praise God for his blessings. We share his blessings. We bless others. It is a loving cycle we all desire to be a part of. When we are, we are joyful.

I pray we all are willing to sacrifice. I pray we know God loves us and experience his blessings. I pray each one of us praise God for his blessings and share those blessings others, being doubly blessed. Sacrifice to God. Sacrifice for others. God loves you. Show your love for him. Praise God. Share with others.

Hebrews 13:15-16 Through him, then, let us continually offer a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips that confess his name. Do not neglect to do good and to share what you have, for such sacrifices are pleasing to God.

Contentment

Are you content? Do you experience contentment? Or are you continued discontented? What is it that you are discontented about when you are not content? Are you seeking to be contented? Do you know how to achieve it?

Being contented can be allusive. We can chase after it in many ways for a very long time and never achieve it. We attempt to achieve it with possessions, making more money, finding the right partner, raising a family, or you name it. Yet, we may never be fully content.

The writer of Hebrews says we are to live free from the love of money. He doesn’t say we should not work to be paid. But we are not to make it a priority to make more money. We are not to make climbing the corporate ladder our priority. Now, that doesn’t mean we don’t do the best we can in our job for we are told to work as though we are working for God (Colossians 3:23).

We find contentment when we live for God. It is when we come to the full realization that God is always with and always working things for our good that we find the peace that is beyond understanding, resulting in a contentment we cannot explain. When we trust God in all situations, we live without worry, anxiety, and fear.

Being content may appear to some as being indifferent, yet it isn’t. Others will be amazed at the calmness we have when things go wrong. The Apostle Paul said he had learned to be content in with whatever he had (Philippians 4:11). So, it is something we can learn. Therefore, we should seek to learn to trust God is in control and he is always with us.

I pray we give up our love of money. I pray we learn to trust God is in control and working things for our good. I pray each one of us find the peace of God and the contentment only he can give us. Give up your love of money. Trust God. Know he is always with you. Find contentment.

Hebrews 13:5 Keep your lives free from the love of money, and be content with what you have, for he himself has said, “I will never leave you or forsake you.”

Show Hospitality

How is your hospitality? Do you think of hospitality as being a host of a big party? Are you only hospitable to people you know? Are you only willing to be hospitable who can repay you at some point later? Have you ever invited a stranger into your home?

Hospitality is taken to a high level by some. They throw large parties. They pull out all the stops. They provide the best meals and desserts. They invite all the popular people. To be on their guest list is to be part of the whose who in town. Yet, that isn’t what we are encouraged to do.

The writer of Hebrews says to show mutual affection to one another. He tells us to show hospitality. But it’s not hospitality to the popular people or the people we know. We are to show hospitality to strangers. He says by doing so, some have entertained angels. Wow!

This is an encouragement to take care of those in need. Why? In the first century, travelers often relied on people hosting them. Not every town had a hotel. Often, people would allow travelers to stay in a stable (think Mary and Joseph). The host would also provide a meal or two for the stranger.

Today, we don’t rely on people to allow us to stay in their home when we travel. We either arrange to stay with family, book a hotel room, or we may even rent a house. So, how do we apply this to our time? We can still show hospitality to those in need. We can welcome them into our churches. We can provide them with clothing, food, housing, or whatever it is they need. If we do, we are fulfilling the directive to show hospitality.

I pray we all show affection to one another. I pray we care for one another. I pray each one of us will determine to show hospitality and care for people in need. Show mutual affection. Care for one another. Show hospitality to people in need. Know you will be blessed for doing so.

Hebrews 13:1-2 Let mutual affection continue. Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for by doing that some have entertained angels without knowing it.

Walk God’s Path

Have you ever felt like everything, and everyone is against you? Have you struggled through a time when everything you did seemed to be wrong? Are you struggling through such a time now? How do you get yourself out of the struggle? Have you considered turning to God?

We all go through struggles. Yet, there are some struggles we bring on ourselves. Often, those struggles are due to going our own way rather than following God’s way. This not only applies to us as individuals but applies to families, cities, and nations as well.

God had led the Israelites out of captivity. He had provided them with a country of their own. He had even destroyed their enemies for them. Yet, they still turned to their own desires. They didn’t turn away from God overnight. It took several years of living in comfort and peace. During those years, they began to think it was their doing that brought them peace rather than God.

God was patient. He kept yearning for them to turn back to him. Eventually, he allowed their bad decisions to catch up with them. He allowed them to be defeated. He allowed them to be taken captive again. Even as he allowed it, he continued to yearn for them to turn back to him. If only they would turn back, he would bless them and rescue them again.

Have we learned the lesson the Israelites had learn the hard way? Or have we turned away from God to follow our own counsel? Perhaps we should take a hard look at our lives. Perhaps we should determine if we are following God’s way. The sooner we make the decision to follow God’s way, the sooner we will see our lives get better with the blessings from God. But even has it took time to slowly turn away, it will take time to experience the good. God is patient and he ensures our hearts have truly turned to him.

I pray we all take time to evaluate our lives. I pray we evaluate our families, cities, and nation. I pray each one of us will submit to God’s ways and ask God to keep us on his path. Evaluate your life. Evaluate your family life. Evaluate your community. Submit to God. Walk God’s path.

Psalm 81:10-12

I am the Lord your God, 

who brought you up out of the land of Egypt. 

Open your mouth wide, and I will fill it. 

“But my people did not listen to my voice; 

Israel would not submit to me. 

So I gave them over to their stubborn hearts, 

to follow their own counsels.”

Sarcasm and Truth

Do you ever speak facetiously? Do you use sarcasm? Do you use them to make a point, to show there is an obvious answer? Have you heard others do so? Did you wake you up? Did you have an ah-ha moment when you heard it? Have you considered that God does so?

We sometimes say things with sarcasm or facetiously when we know the answer is obvious and we want the other person to know that we know. We want to drive home a point. We want them to realize they cannot pull the wool over our eyes, and they should not take us for a fool.

God used the same method to drive home a point to the Israelites through the prophet Jeremiah. Read today’s passage. See how it drips with sarcasm. The God of all creation who can do no wrong and speak only truth asks a sarcastic question. He knows the answer. He knows the Israelites know the answer. He is driving home the point that they had been foolish, that they had mistakenly walked away from him.

I wonder, if God were to speak to us today, would he use the same sarcasm? Would he ask what he had ever done to cause us to turn away from him? Do we even realize we have turned away? We pursue many things in our lives. We seek to climb the corporate ladder. We seek to make more money.

We don’t think to make God our priority. We don’t think to make a budget to live within our means and stick to it. We have not realized that we can live much better lives by putting God first. Yet, God still loves us. He still wants us to turn to him. He waits patiently. It is our decision to make. When we do fully turn to him, we will realize the freedom we have in him.

Jeremiah 2:4-5 Hear the word of the Lord, O house of Jacob, and all the families of the house of Israel. Thus says the Lord: 

What wrong did your ancestors find in me 

that they went far from me 

and went after worthless things and became worthless themselves?

The Suffering Servant

Do you like to suffer? How is your pain tolerance? Can you tolerate large quantities of physical pain? Can you tolerate mental anguish? What allows you to withstand the pain you experience? Do you pull from a bigger and deeper source?

Being able to endure physical pain and mental anguish is very difficult to do. There are some professions that train regularly to be able to do so. They may seem to be superhuman. But for most of us, we struggle with enduring the physical pain and mental anguish.

Isaiah speaks of a suffering servant who suffers from both. He is beaten and afflicted. He is wounded for our transgressions. But the physical pain is not the worst of it. It is His mental anguish over our transgressions that causes Him the greatest pain.

When we look at the meaning of the original language, His mental anguish is so horrific that He becomes unrecognizable. So much so that He doesn’t even resemble a human being. His face is contorted, distorted, and transformed. This is not how Jesus is portrayed in the movies.

We must recall an image of extreme pain from mental anguish when we remember Jesus going to the cross. It is this picture, a view of our Savior who is virtually overcome with despair, that changes us. If is by viewing Him being totally distraught because of our sin that He bore for us that will cause us to pause the next time we go to commit our favorite sin.

I pray we all gain a new perspective of our Savior. I pray we see His mental anguish written on His face. I pray each one of us will change our ways because of the pain He felt for us. Jesus faced physical pain. Jesus faced mental anguish. He bore your sins. He loves you.

Isaiah 53:3

He was despised and rejected by others; 

a man of suffering and acquainted with infirmity, 

and as one from whom others hide their faces 

he was despised, and we held him of no account.

Hypocrites

Yesterday, we discussed whether certain activities, places, or artifacts were sacred or holy. I didn’t give answers but intended to cause people to consider what they think is sacred. Why? Well, let’s take a look at how Jesus answered the synagogue leader’s reaction to yesterday’s passage.

Remember that yesterday Jesus healed a woman who had been crippled for eighteen years in the synagogue on the Sabbath. The Sabbath was sacred or holy, and the Jews were not to work on the Sabbath. There were significant restrictions on what they could do on the Sabbath.

Jesus’ answer to synagogue leader’s outburst against people coming to be healed on the Sabbath is immediate and harsh. Why? He spoke the truth. He wanted to grab their attention. They were being hypocrites, holding a double standard. Though the Jews could only walk a specific number of steps on the Sabbath without it being considered work, they would lead their work animals to water. Typically, wells or streams were outside the towns of Galilee requiring them to walk further than allowed on the Sabbath.

What are the double standards we see today? How are we being hypocritical? Are we being hypocritical? As I observe the behavior of people, I see hypocritical behavior regularly. It’s alright if I commit my favorite sin but it’s not alright for someone else to commit theirs. I’m struggling with mine and praying about it but I don’t consider they are doing the same.

If we are going to call out someone else, we need to do so with love. We might consider confessing our own sin before we mention their sin, then agree with them to help one another overcome them. Rather than thinking we should impose rules on others, we might consider partnering with them for accountability. It will amaze us how well it works.

I pray we all recognize our own sin. I pray we approach others with love to discuss their sin. I pray each one of us with give up our hypocritical behavior and seek loving accountability instead. Recognize your sin. Do not be hypocritical. Seek an accountability partner.

Luke 13:15 But the Lord answered him and said, “You hypocrites! Does not each of you on the Sabbath untie his ox or his donkey from the manger and lead it to water?”

Sacred or Not

Some of us grew up in a time when almost everything was closed on Sunday. There was no shopping. There was no going out to eat at a restaurant. It was even rare to find a gas station open to get gas for your vehicle. There might be a small convenience store open.

It was a different time. It was long before the 24/7 on the go culture we experience today. There was no internet. There was no cable television. We had four television stations, if we were lucky, and the radio. Even some radio programs were prerecorded to play on Sunday.

I can remember the outcry when stores started to stay open on Sunday. Many considered it sacrilege. “Sunday is the Lord’s Day,” was their cry. Needless to say, the battle for the almighty dollar won out. When Jesus was walking the earth, it wasn’t Sunday that was sacred but the Sabbath (Saturday).

The Jews held the Sabbath sacred and restricted what a person could do. A person could work. If you walked more than a certain number of steps, it was considered work. So, people could not travel away from their homes very far. With that in mind, imagine the gasps and outcry made by many in the synagogue and especially the leaders when Jesus healed a woman on the Sabbath.

We still consider some things sacred. For those of us who attend Sunday worship, we consider it sacred. Some of us consider the church building sacred. Some may consider certain adornments in the sanctuary as being sacred. Each of them should be treated with respect. But we also must remember that Jesus worked on the Sabbath.

I pray we all show proper respect for Sunday worship. I pray we understand what is truly sacred. I pray each one of us know that Jesus is always at work, regardless of the day. Respect Sunday worship. Know what is sacred. Know that Jesus is at work. Trust He is working with you.

Luke 13:10-12 Now he was teaching in one of the synagogues on the Sabbath. And just then there appeared a woman with a spirit that had crippled her for eighteen years. She was bent over and was quite unable to stand up straight. When Jesus saw her, he called her over and said, “Woman, you are set free from your ailment.”

Consuming Fire

How are things going? Are you doing well? Does it feel like you are holding on by a thread? Are you searching for solid ground to stand on? Do you wonder when your struggles will end? What is your perception of God? Do you view him as a genie in a bottle? Are you in awe of him?

Life can be tough. We can face numerous struggles during our lives. Loved ones will pass from this world. Relationships get broken. Jobs are lost. There are tough financial decisions to be made. All of it can cause us to think things will never get better. We seek something solid to hold on to.

It is when things are at their worst that we often turn to God. We cry out for help. It is important that we already have a relationship with God. It is important that we understand who he is. It is important to know his promises and trust in them. Jesus tells us that we will face troubles in this world, but He has overcome it (John 16:33). He promises we will be with Him.

The kingdom we will inherit is unshakable. We must understand that God is unshakable. As we seek out God, we must do so with gratitude and humbleness. We think of God as being love…and he is. Yet, God has awesome power and is a consuming fire. Revering God with awe, amazement, and wonder is not only appropriate but expected. In doing so, we can be more thankful and appreciative of all that God has done for us.

I pray we all seek to build our relationship with God. I pray we go to God with reverence and awe. I pray each one of us know that God is love, all powerful, and unshakable. Build your relationship with God. Revere God. Be in awe of God. Understand God. Trust God.

Hebrews 12:28-29 Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us show gratitude, by which we may offer to God an acceptable worship with reverence and awe, for indeed our God is a consuming fire.

Obtain Peace

What is your definition of peace? Is it the absence of war? Is it merely not fighting with someone else? Have you considered your definition of peace does not align with God’s? What if you have pursuing incomplete peace? Would you like to have the peace of God?

We see negotiations for peace when nations are at war with one another. We may make our children stop their fighting, thinking that is peace. Yet, there is an underlying turmoil continuing in the hearts of those who are at odds with one another. The peace is temporary.

The peace of God is different. It is built on the trust that God is in control of all things. It is not merely the absence of war or strife but the indwelling and control of the Holy Spirit. Yet, we can be robbed of God’s peace with worldly worries, bitterness, hatred, anger, frustration, and failure to forgive. Holding onto grudges robs us of the peace God is willing to grant us.

When bitterness grabs hold of us, God’s grace does not reach us. Why? We reject it. The same is true anytime we fail to trust God is in control. We like to think that God’s grace is shed across us no matter what…and it is true, except we often reject it due to our worry, bitterness, hatred, anger, frustration, and failure to forgive.

If we will give up our negativeness and accept God’s grace, we will have peace that is beyond understanding. Not only will we have peace, but we will obtain the holiness we need to see Jesus for who He really is. Our picture of Him will become clearer. It compounds itself. The more negativeness we are willing to give up, the more peace and holiness we have, and the more we see Jesus.

I pray we all seek to trust God is in control. I pray we decide to give up our negativeness. I pray each one of us will accept God’s grace and see Jesus for who He is, gaining a clearer picture of Him. Trust God. Give up negativeness. Accept God’s grace. See Jesus. Obtain peace that is beyond understanding.

Hebrews 12:14-15 Pursue peace with everyone and the holiness without which no one will see the Lord. See to it that no one fails to obtain the grace of God, that no root of bitterness springs up and causes trouble and through it many become defiled.