Hope of Jesus

Can you list everything you have done wrong in your life? Do you remember every little detail and every wrong you committed, even those that may be so minute as to seem unimportant? What is you could? How long would that list be? How many pages would it take to print them?

We all commit wrongs during our lives. Some are viewed as insignificant. Others are far more significant. Some may even result in serious injury or death of ourselves or someone else. We commit some wrongs as children, not fully understanding the impact of the wrong.

I confess. I cannot remember every wrong I have committed in my life. However, I do remember some of them. I can remember borrowing a dime from another boy when I was in fifth grade and never repaying him. It is insignificant now. The dime did not result in life or death. I cannot remember why I borrowed it. I simply remember I never paid him back.

Regardless of what wrongs we have committed; we can rest assured that we have been forgiven by God. Not because we deserve it. Only because Jesus paid the price for our wrongs. It is because we belong to Christ that we can be forgiven. But that is not all. Not only are we forgiven but we are lavished with the riches of his grace!

Through the sacrifice and rising of Jesus, God blesses us more than we realize. We know we live in a chaotic world. Yet, we can have peace in Jesus. We know that one day our mortal bodies will give out. But we know we will go to live with Him forever. It is because of God’s grace that we have hope for tomorrow and for eternity.

I pray we all know we are forgiven. I pray we know God has granted us riches by his grace. I pray each one of us know that because of Jesus we have hope and life everlasting. Know you are forgiven. Know God’s grace is shed on you. Believe God has blessed you. Hold onto the hope provided by Jesus.

Ephesians 1:7-8a In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace that he lavished on us.

Chosen Before Time

Do you remember elementary school? Do you remember there were certain kids who were chosen first when choosing teams to play kickball? Was there a certain group of kids who always chose one another? Were you part of that group or were you on the outside?

In every class of every school there is always a group of kids who are athletic and seem to gravitate toward one another. When games like kickball or dodge ball are played, they always choose one another. It can make those not part of the group feel left out.

The feeling of being left out can continue into adult life. We may feel left out in many situations, including in our local church. Yet, we can take comfort that God has chosen us. Not only has God chosen us, but he chose us before he created the world. We may wonder how this can be. We were not alive yet. Our birth was thousands of years into the future. But God knows all of history, since he lives outside of time. He sees it all at once. That is why we can say that for God a day is like a thousand years and a thousand years is like a day.

Not only has God chosen us, but he has also blessed us. Most importantly, he has blessed spiritually in the heavenly places. He has prepared a perfect place for us to be for all eternity. Yet, there is a connection between the spiritual realm and the physical realm. Through God’s blessing of our spirit, we are blessed physically. With God’s Holy Spirit living within us, our spirit is blessed. This is the reason we can say God is walking with us, holding our hand, and guiding us through this life. All of our blessings come through Jesus Christ. This demonstrates the trinity working together as one. All of this because God chose to save us before he created the world.

I pray we all know we are chosen by God. I pray we know that God is always with us. I pray each one of us realize we are blessed both spiritually and physically because of Jesus Christ. You are chosen by God. God chose you before time began. You are blessed spiritually. You are blessed because of Christ.

Ephesians 1:3-4 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, just as he chose us in Christ before the foundation of the world to be holy and blameless before him in love.

Reminders of God

Are there special things that remind you of God? Do you carry a cross to remind of the love of Christ and His sacrifice for you? Do you find your mood changes the moment you walk into a church? Are there items in the sanctuary that remind of God and his power?

Though we are told not to make idols to worship, there is nothing wrong with us having items that remind us of who he is. Some of us carry or wear a cross as a reminder. Make no mistake, we are not to worship the cross. But we can certainly look it as a reminder of Jesus’ love for us.

In our worship services we also have reminders. When we partake of communion, we are reminded of Jesus’ love and sacrifice. As we sing hymns and songs, we are reminded of God’s majesty and power. As we pray, we are reminded that God cares about us and wants to hear our worries, desires, thanks, and praises.

The Israelites had an item to remind them of God—the ark of the covenant. David decided to lead the Israelites to go get the ark and bring it back to Jerusalem. It was a reminder to the entire nation that God had spoken to Moses, written his commandments to them, had blessed them as they wandered in the desert. The Israelites did not worship the ark, but it was a significant reminder to them.

We can be like David and carry reminders of God with us. Unlike David, we can carry them with us every day. As we carry them, we should periodically look at them and give thanks for his blessings. We can use them to remind us to pray and praise God. They can also remind us he is with us all the time, especially during the tough times.

I pray we all wisely use items to remind us of God. I pray we do not worship those items. I pray each one of us use the reminders to cause us to pray, give thanks, and praise God. Use items to remind you of God. Do not worship the items. Pray. Give thanks. Praise God. Know he is always with you.

2 Samuel 6:2 David and all the people with him set out and went from Baale-judah, to bring up from there the ark of God, which is called by the name of the Lord of hosts who is enthroned on the cherubim.

Shake It Off

Where do you seek to stay when you travel? Do you stay with family or friends? Do you find a nice hotel to stay in? Do you pull a camper and set up in a campground? How much do you depend on others when you travel? Are you sure it is not more than you think?

Traveling comes with all kinds of considerations. We must decide where we will stay, how we will get there, how much we plan to spend, and when we will travel just to name a few. All of these require us to depend on others, whether we like to admit it or not.

Consider where we will stay. If we are staying with family and friends, we are depending on them. If we are staying at a campground, we are depending on the campground staff. If we are staying in a hotel, we are depending on the hotel staff. If we travel by vehicle, we depend on rest area staffs, gas station staffs, and maybe restaurant staffs. If we are traveling by air, we may still depend on gas station staffs, also airport staff, airline staff, and perhaps rental car staffs. We depend on a lot of people when we travel.

When the apostle’s traveled, they did not have near the number of people to depend on. Yet, Jesus tells them to be aware of the people they do depend on. If someone was unwilling to welcome them, they were to shake the dust off their feet and go on. We might say today to let it be like water off a duck’s back. In other words, don’t let it bother you. Don’t complain. Don’t worry. Simply let them be and go on your way.

Unfortunately, we like to complain. If someone at a hotel is rude, we feel like we must harp on it for half an hour, then bring it up the next time we talk about our travels with family. We simply don’t let it go. Based on the instructions Jesus gave the apostles, and we often apply to ourselves, I would say we are disobeying Jesus when we do such a thing. Let’s simply let it go and move on as Jesus says to do.

I pray we all recognize how many people we depend on when we travel. I pray we shake it off if someone is rude. I pray each one of us seeks to obey Jesus as we travel. Let it go. Shake it off. Obey Jesus. Move on. Keep your eyes on Jesus.

Mark 6:10-11 He said to them, “Wherever you enter a house, stay there until you leave the place. If any place will not welcome you and they refuse to hear you, as you leave, shake off the dust that is on your feet as a testimony against them.”

Go with Nothing

Have you traveled from place-to-place or city-to-city? What did you do to prepare for your trip? Did you pack a suitcase with clothing, shoes, toiletries, and maybe a book or two? How would you feel if you traveled without taking anything with you? Would you be comfortable?

When we travel, we pack a suitcase with all we think we will need for the time we will be gone from home. We also will take additional cash and/or credit cards to pay for things. If we are driving, we might take along food to make sandwiches, chips, snacks, and drinks.

Jesus sends out His twelve apostles in pairs. He shared His divine powers with them. But He told them to take nothing with them. They were to take no food, no bag, and no money. In other words, they were to only take a walking staff and the clothes on their backs. And speaking of their clothing, they were not to have two garments on. When Jesus says not to wear two tunics, He was saying do not were an outer shirt or, as we might say, jacket. They were to only wear one shirt. That would make for some chilly nights, since they often used the other shirt as a blanket as well.

We might wonder why Jesus would give such detailed and restrictive instructions. I believe the answer is simple. Jesus wanted them to stretch their faith and trust God would provide. He still does this with us at times. He nudges us down a path or may even give us direct instructions to go down a path that we know we cannot navigate on our own. By doing what he wants us to, God causes us to stretch our faith. The more we learn to trust in God, the more we see him provide for us, and the more our faith grows.

I pray we all seek to follow where God is leading us. I pray we trust God to always provide for us. I pray each one of us step out in faith, depend on God, and grow our faith. Choose to follow God. Trust God will provide. Step out in faith. Watch God work. Grow your faith.

Mark 6:7-9 He called the twelve and began to send them out two by two, and gave them authority over the unclean spirits. He ordered them to take nothing for their journey except a staff; no bread, no bag, no money in their belts; but to wear sandals and not to put on two tunics.

Honor God Given Abilities

Do you have a special talent? Does your family boost your confidence in it or downplay it? Is your community unwilling to acknowledge your special abilities since they have seen you grow from a child into an adult? Is it frustrating to feel like you are being held back?

It is often the case that people are not given due credit for their talents and abilities in their hometown. Too many people remember when the person was a child, perhaps raucous and a little wild. Yet, the person matures and displays an unexpected ability.

Though we may not think so, Jesus experienced this phenomenon. When He went back to His hometown, people could not believe He could perform miracles. They knew Him as the builder’s son. They remembered Him being a child. They knew His mother, Mary. They took offense at Him, thinking He was thinking too highly of Himself and showing off.

We know from our own experience it is hard for someone with a special ability to go home and use that ability there. They may the ability to do great things, to lift the community up. They run into roadblocks and speedbumps due to local politics. If they are not part of the “in crowd,” they are held at arm’s length. Finally, they move on to another place and do great things there.

How do we rectify this? We embrace our local folks who have special abilities. It is fine to remember them as children, but we need to realize children grow up, mature, and are blessed with abilities by God. We should celebrate those abilities and allow them to be used in our local communities. We should eliminate the local politics and support those who will lift up others.

I pray we recognize people in our communities with special abilities. I pray we eliminate local politics. I pray each one of us will support our family members and local people. Support others. Encourage others. Eliminate politics. Honor those with special abilities. God has given us our abilities.

Mark 6:4 Then Jesus said to them, “Prophets are not without honor, except in their hometown, and among their own kin, and in their own house.”

Be Exuberant

As we celebrate our nations’ independence, what is your favorite celebration memory? Is it a memory of spending time with family? Is it a special fireworks display? Is it spending time in a foreign country and being with your tight-knit military unit? Will this one be special?

There are tons of celebrations across our country every July 4th. Each of them is special to someone for one reason or another. Yet, each of us have a favorite, even if we have several special memories. Many of us can recall what happened each year going many years back.

Soooo….how does our celebration of the King compare to our celebrations of our country? I’m guessing we don’t have nearly as many special memories of celebrating Jesus as we do of celebrating our country. Isn’t that sad? Shouldn’t we celebrate Him? We may think we are to celebrate Him every day, and we would be correct. Yet, celebrating Him every day can lead us into a ho-hum attitude toward Him.

Christmas has come to be more about presents than the birth of Christ. Easter has gotten to be more about pretty dresses and egg hunting than about the rising of Jesus from the grave. Our celebration is relegated to a worship service and the performance of the pastor or choir. The average churchgoer doesn’t really get involved. There is little celebration with joy, lifting of hands, singing at the top of our lungs, or dancing. 

The Israelites praised God and celebrated him differently. There was loud music, dancing in the streets, and singing at the top of their lungs. They wanted anyone anywhere near to know they were celebrating their God. We could learn from their exuberance. We could be a lot more celebratory. We, too, could celebrate Jesus with a lot more joy exhibited, rather than trying to hold it all inside.

I pray we all learn to celebrate God more. I pray we are thankful every day. I pray each one of us will be show our joy by singing loudly, raising our hands in praise, and dancing if we want. Sing praises to God. Celebrate Jesus. Lift your hands in praise. Dance with Jesus. Be exuberant.

Psalm 48:1-2

Great is the Lord and greatly to be praised

in the city of our God. 

His holy mountain, beautiful in elevation, 

is the joy of all the earth, 

Mount Zion, in the far north, 

the city of the great King.

God’s Grace is Sufficient

Do you have a weakness you would like to rid yourself of? Is there a fault you are wrestling with and wish it would go away? Are you fighting a “thorn in the flesh” that you just can’t shake? Have you asked God to take it away? Does it remain? Have you thought God desires you to keep it?

Weaknesses and faults are a challenge to deal with. Most of us do not like having weaknesses. We don’t like having faults, and especially having them revealed to others. We prefer to present an image of being strong, self-reliant, able to take care of ourselves.

The Apostle Paul had a “thorn in the flesh.” He asked God to remove it from him three times. God refused. Paul was being tormented by it. Yet, God said, “my grace is sufficient.” What do we do when that’s God’s answer to us? Perhaps we follow the lead of Paul. He boasted in his weakness so the power of Christ would dwell in him. How amazing is that?!

Paul shows us that we can use our weakness or fault to glorify Christ. That may sound odd but think about it. Suppose your fault is a physical disability. Yet, you can use it to glorify Christ by continuing to spread His gospel message despite it. You can show others that God gives you the strength to carry on despite the disability you battle.

I pray we all take stock of our weaknesses and faults. I pray we seek God’s strength within our weaknesses. I pray each one of us will glorify Christ in our weaknesses and continue to spread the gospel. God may not remove your weakness. He may not eliminate your faults. Use them to glorify Christ. Spread the gospel message anyway. 

2 Corinthians 12:8-9 Three times I appealed to the Lord about this, that it would leave me, but he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for power is made perfect in weakness.”

God Doesn’t Share It All

Do you feel left out sometimes? Are you upset that people do not tell you everything? Do you think you should know everything? What if you are not meant to know everything? What if there are things you are prohibited from knowing? Is that okay with you? Or do you feel hurt?

In the age of social media and twenty-four-hour news agencies, we can seek information on just about anything. We get play-by-play of someone’s dinner at a local restaurant. We can follow what’s happening in warzones in real time. We know when a someone famous blows their nose.

It’s really quite silly. Do we really think we need to know all that? Why do people feel compelled to share it all? Many of us simply scroll right past the pictures of a burger and fries meal. Many have no inclination to follow what is happening elsewhere in the world on a minute-by-minute basis. We have our own troubles to deal with.

But there are people who want to know everything going on with everyone else. And if they don’t get some tidbit of information passed on to them, they feel hurt. Well, there are some amazing things we don’t know and won’t know until we have passed from this life. God purposely withholds some information from us. There are things that happen in heaven that we are not allowed to know nor repeat.

Perhaps there is a lesson for us in God’s example. Perhaps we don’t really need to share every little detail. Perhaps we should respect one another’s choice to not share. The world will not come to an end because we don’t know or if we don’t share information. Having and respecting privacy is following God’s example.

I pray we all know we cannot know everything. I pray we stop feeling hurt because we don’t know something. I pray we all respect others privacy and keep some portions of our lives private. Follow God’s example. Don’t share everything. Respect others privacy.

2 Corinthians 12:2-4 I know a person in Christ who fourteen years ago was caught up to the third heaven—whether in the body or out of the body I do not know; God knows. And I know that such a person—whether in the body or out of the body I do not know; God knows—was caught up into Paradise and heard things that are not to be told, that no mortal is permitted to repeat.

Desire to Follow

Have you made a covenant? Have you prayed over someone? Have you been part of an anointing? Have you thought about laying hands on, praying over, and anointing leaders? Do you wonder how that might impact their leading of your organization?

We don’t talk much about covenants today. However, we do talk about promises, commitments, and oaths. Those are very similar to a covenant. It just depends on how seriously the person making them takes them. Often our leaders take an oath of office.

King David made a covenant with the elders, or leaders, of Israel. We are not told what the covenant language was, but we can be sure it was serious and likely included a commitment to rule judiciously over the nation of Israel. The covenant was made before God, which meant it would have been taken seriously. The elders anointed David, which would have included both a prayer and a blessing.

Imagine how that type of ceremony might impact our leaders today. It would be even more impactful if our leaders were truly doing their best to follow God’s commands. We know from elsewhere in Scripture that David was doing his best to follow God’s commands. He often went to God in prayer to ask for his guidance. True, David made his mistakes. Yet, he sought God’s guidance and approval. How much did his covenant encourage him to seek God?

We can also seek God’s guidance in prayer. When we have given our heart to him, seek to know what he wants us to do with our heart, God will provide his guidance. His direction for our lives is not always what we would choose. Yet, when we follow his guidance, just as David did, we find ourselves in a much better place than we can imagine and achieve on our own.

I pray we all desire to follow God’s guidance. I pray we desire to obey God’s commands. I pray each one of us will spend time in prayer, asking God to show us his will for our lives, and follow him. Seek God’s guidance. Follow God’s guidance. Obey God’s command. Spend time in prayer.

2 Samuel 5:3 So all the elders of Israel came to the king at Hebron; and King David made a covenant with them at Hebron before the Lord, and they anointed David king over Israel.