Category: I Corinthians

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What Did You Say?

I get a kick out of God’s sense of humor. I find the Bible has many humorous stories that are often overlooked. Stories that hold important teachings for us.

“Christian brothers, think who you were when the Lord called you. Not many of you were wise or powerful or born into the family of leaders of a country. 27 But God has chosen what the world calls foolish to shame the wise. He has chosen what the world calls weak to shame what is strong. 28 God has chosen what is weak and foolish of the world, what is hated and not known, to destroy the things the world trusts in. 29 In that way, no man can be proud as he stands before God. 30 God Himself made the way so you can have new life through Christ Jesus. God gave us Christ to be our wisdom. Christ made us right with God and set us apart for God and made us holy. Christ bought us with His blood and made us free from our sins.” I Corinthians 1:26-30 ERV

The Apostle Paul tells us that God uses the things that are thought to be foolish and weak to keep men from putting too much trust in their own efforts. It is God’s provision that we should be trusting in and not ours.

This morning I would like to tell you a story that seems foolish.

The children of Israel were in the desert and had just defeated a king who had attacked them, the king of Og. Well, there was another king who heard of that defeat and he feared that the same thing would happen to him and his armies. So he called for a man named Balaam to come and place a curse on Israel. King Balak offered him great amounts of money to do this.

Balaam took time to consult with the Lord and God told him not to go with Balak’s men and that he was not to curse the Israelites. Balaam refused to do what the king wanted. The king sent his men a second time offering Balaam even more money. Once again Balaam consulted with the Lord. God hadn’t changed His mind. God told him, only do what I tell you.

“Balaam answered, “Even if Balak offered me a palace full of silver or gold, I wouldn’t do anything to disobey the Lord my God. 19 You are welcome to spend the night here, just as the others did. I will find out if the Lord has something else to say about this.”

20 That night, God said, “Balaam, I’ll let you go to Moab with Balak’s messengers, but do only what I say.” Numbers 22:18-20 CEV

So the next morning they started out on their journey to Balak. On their way, an angel came to stop Balaam from traveling any further. The donkey saw the angel and rode off in a ditch. Balaam whipped the donkey and got him back on the rode. Again the angel stood in the road and the donkey smashed Balaam’s foot against a wall as he tried to get around the angel. Finally, the third time, the donkey just laid down and wouldn’t move any further because the angel was standing in the way.

Balaam was so angry that he was ready to kill the donkey and then this happened.

“So it just lay down. Balaam lost his temper, then picked up a stick and smacked the donkey.28 When that happened, the Lord told the donkey to speak, and it asked Balaam, “What have I done to you that made you beat me three times?”

29 “You made me look stupid!” Balaam answered. “If I had a sword, I’d kill you here and now!”30 “But you’re my owner,” replied the donkey, “and you’ve ridden me many times. Have I ever done anything like this before?”

“No,” Balaam admitted. 31 Just then, the Lord let Balaam see the angel standing in the road, holding a sword, and Balaam bowed down.” Numbers 22:27-31 CEV

The foolish things of the world! How much more foolish can you get than that? A talking donkey. I once heard a preacher say, “If God uses you to do something important, don’t get a big head about it. He once used a donkey.” Very true.

When God speaks to our hearts we need to listen. The message may come in our quiet time of prayer and Bible reading. It may come from a message we hear being preached. God may use a trusted friend or the words of a stranger to speak to our hearts. He could use our mate, children or grandchildren. He might even use a donkey.

The important thing is that we listen and then we obey.

Has the Lord been speaking to your heart? Have you discounted the message because you didn’t approve of the messenger? God is always willing to give us instruction, we need to be willing to listen.

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Prayer Priorities

Rising early is what I do – most days. This morning for no reason at all I was awake at 1:30 am and then I lay in bed trying to go back to sleep – that just seemed a little too early to get up. But at 3, I was up – put the dog out, the coffee on, and sat down in my daughter’s rocking chair, for what?

To pray!! To pray for each of you who are reading this. Praying is one of my favorite things to do.

After praising and thanking God for His goodness and His love, I prayed for my family and those I know so well; I prayed for our nation, our leaders and our country. Then I prayed as Paul said in I Corinthians 14:15 “I will pray with my spirit and I will pray with my understanding also”. As I prayed with my spirit, I asked the Lord to minister through me to each person who reads this this morning.

First I prayed, ” Beloved, I pray that all may go well with you and that you may be in good health, as it goes well with your soul. ” III John 2, that you prosper spirit, soul and body.

Then I prayed that “God will save you from hidden dangers and from deadly diseases. 4 You can go to him for protection. He will cover you like a bird spreading its wings over its babies. You can trust him to surround and protect you like a shield.” Psalm 91:3-4.

I prayed for you from Proverbs 25:26 “Good people who don’t stand strong against evil are like springs that have been polluted or pools that have turned dirty and muddy.” I pray that you will stand strong and be an influence of godliness in this world that so desperately needs God’s love.

And lastly, also from Proverbs 25:21-22, I prayed “If your enemies are hungry, give them something to eat. If they are thirsty, give them some water. 22 This will make them feel the burning pain of shame, and the LORD will reward you for being good to them.”

Your enemies need compassion. This is one of the only ways they are going to see the love of God in their lives. Jesus prayed for those who persecuted him and on the cross He asked the Father to forgive them. Stephen, the first Christian martyr, as he was being stoned to death, prayed that the Father not hold these things to the charge of those who were casting the rocks. Today you may have the opportunity to do something kind for those who have tried to destroy you, ask the Lord to show you how. He loves them too.

This morning I have prayed all of this for you. As you read this, I hope you pray these things for yourself and for others. We can join our prayers together! The great thing about praying scripture verses is that we know we are praying God’s will because His word is His will. He promises that His word will not be void of power or purpose but will accomplish what it was sent to do.

“In the same way, my words leave my mouth, and they don’t come back without results. My words make the things happen that I want to happen. They succeed in doing what I send them to do.” Isaiah 55:11

I feel privileged to pray for you and I thank the Father for blending our hearts together by His Spirit.

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Love Is

Love is…

and we’ve all heard all the things that love is! But love is a determination of will; it isn’t a tingling feeling that just overcomes you and leaves you breathless and titillated. It is a lifestyle – one that will stand the test of time when the feelings are no where to be found. One that will overcome hurt and still not be selfish.

That’s God’s kind of love. He doesn’t think evil of us when we fail and He doesn’t keep count of the things we’ve done wrong but He looks to see what we’re doing right and always, always thinks the best of us.

One day, I heard the Lord speak so loudly in my heart that I thought others could probably hear it too. I was correcting one of the kids and in my frustration found myself bringing up a past infraction; one that they had already been disciplined for. As I did, I felt the Lord say – “I don’t bring up your past. I forget all your sins and shortcomings and I only think the best of you. Don’t bring that up again because they are my kids too.” With that I kindly answered “Yes Sir.” and then I had to apologize to my child. I went on to correct what they had done wrong without making them relive their past.

“This love of which I speak is slow to lose patience—it looks for a way of being constructive. It is not possessive: it is neither anxious to impress nor does it cherish inflated ideas of its own importance. 5-6 Love has good manners and does not pursue selfish advantage. It is not touchy. It does not keep account of evil or gloat over the wickedness of other people. On the contrary, it is glad with all good men when truth prevails. 7-8a Love knows no limit to its endurance, no end to its trust, no fading of its hope; it can outlast anything. It is, in fact, the one thing that still stands when all else has fallen.” I Corinthians 13:4-8

Thank you Father for Your Amazing love. Thank you for forgetting our past.

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Good Bones

I like to watch those home improvement shows on television. Some of those houses are in bad shape. You would think the best thing would be to tear down the entire structure and start over. But that’s when you hear the host of the program say “this house has really good bones”.

Good bones.

Years ago I became aware of a verse in the Bible about bones. Before I give you that verses I want to share this experience I had last May while we were at the Indy 500. Each morning I would get up and take my coffee and my Bible then go outside the RV to have my morning quiet time. Dave and Koy were sleeping inside and I didn’t want to disturb them.

I loved it. Sitting in the camp chair I could enjoy my coffee, read my Bible, pray and listen to the cars going through their morning tune-ups over at the track. Not really quiet but it was my time with the Lord. One morning I left my Bible on the outside table while we went about our day. That afternoon we had a brief rain shower. Things under the awning got damp but not really wet. Koy wanted to know if he should move my Bible inside but I said it was ok.

Later that day my Bible began to expand, literally! The pages got fatter as they began to absorb the moisture. When it dried out it never did shrink back to the previous size. Now, when I pick it up to read if I squeeze it together it crackles. It is daily reminder to me of this verse.

“The Lord is far from the sinful, but He hears the prayer of those who are right with Him. 30 The light of the eyes makes the heart glad. Good news puts fat on the bones. 31 He whose ear listens to careful words spoken will live among the wise.” Proverbs 15:29-31 NLV

Good bones, fat bones.

Good news puts fat on the bones. Another version of this verse says “a good report maketh the bones fat”. Each day when I pick up my Bible and open it to where I’m going to read I say “Thank you Father. The Good News in this book is making my bones fat. Just like the pages of this Bible got fat, when I read the words of this book they are making me strong, healthy and giving me wisdom.”

I truly believe that. God’s word is our good news. In fact, it’s the best news ever. Where else will we find unconditional love, unending mercy and infinite grace? Where else we find direction, peace and complete forgiveness? There is nowhere on the face of the earth, there are no other books that contain life-giving words and there are no computer programs or data updates that bring us into a loving relationship with Almighty God.

“My soul will be happy in the Lord. It will be full of joy because He saves. 10 All my bones will say, “Lord, who is like You? Who saves the weak from those too strong for them? Who saves the poor from those who would rob them?'” Psalm 39:9-10 NLV

“Because of Your Word and Your own heart, You have done all these great things to let Your servant know. 22 For this reason You are great, O Lord God. There is none like You. And there is no God but You, by all that we have heard with our ears.” II Samuel 7:21-22 NLV

It’s time for self-assessment. If I compare myself to a fixer-upper I must admit that I have some rehab work that needs to be done. There’s some selfishness that needs to be scrubbed off the walls and some spots of pride that have stained and discolored the countertops. There are other issues that the Lord needs to replace, I’m still under construction. But…I have good bones!

The framework, the support beams, have been furnished by the Holy Spirit and they are strong. I am His dwelling place.

“Do you not know that your body is a house of God where the Holy Spirit lives? God gave you His Holy Spirit. Now you belong to God. You do not belong to yourselves. 20 God bought you with a great price. So honor God with your body. You belong to Him.” I Corinthians 6:19-20 NLV

My foundation is solid, it’s built on the rock of God’s word. God has placed His light in my soul and He causes me to shine with His glory.

“It was God Who said, “The light will shine in darkness.” He is the One Who made His light shine in our hearts. This brings us the light of knowing God’s shining-greatness which is seen in Christ’s face.” II Corinthians 4:6 NLV

The good report, God’s Good News, is putting fat on my bones. Yes, I’m going through some renovation but I’m so glad to be the dwelling place of the Holy Spirit. I have strong bones!

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Responding to “If”

Have you ever gotten trapped in the maze of “what if”? At one point or another I think we all have. There are all sorts of “if” questions; some are personal, others are intellectual or career oriented and others are more philosophical.

What if: I were taller, smarter, my nose were smaller…What if: I had continued with college, become a doctor instead of a plumber…What if: there is life in outer space. And then there are the what if’s that are related to Scripture.

In yesterday’s blog, we saw how Satan used one of those what if’s in the garden with Adam and Eve. He introduced an element of doubt into Eve’s thinking. Did God really say? What if He doesn’t want you to be as smart as He is?

“4 But the snake said to the woman, “You will not die. 5 God knows that if you eat the fruit from that tree you will learn about good and evil, and then you will be like God!” Genesis 3:4-5 ERV

When we begin to study the Bible and see what God says to us Satan will try to use the same tactic on us.

What if: God isn’t real, He’s just a myth, His Word isn’t true, there is no heaven or hell, you don’t need faith. All of these are doubting thoughts that I have had at one point or another.

When these thoughts occur the first thing we should do is realize we aren’t the only ones having them. Christians who came before us and millions who come after us will all be plagued with thoughts of doubt.

How do we deal with doubt? I’m glad you asked. As always, Jesus is our perfect example.

“ Jesus was led by the Holy Spirit to a desert. There He was tempted by the devil. 2 Jesus went without food for forty days and forty nights. After that He was hungry. 3 The devil came tempting Him and said, “If You are the Son of God, tell these stones to be made into bread.” 4 But Jesus said, “It is written, ‘Man is not to live on bread only. Man is to live by every word that God speaks.’”

5 Then the devil took Jesus up to Jerusalem, the holy city. He had Jesus stand on the highest part of the house of God. 6 The devil said to Him, “If You are the Son of God, throw Yourself down. It is written, ‘He has told His angels to look after You. In their hands they will hold You up. Then Your foot will not hit against a stone.’” 7 Jesus said to the devil, “It is written also, ‘You must not tempt the Lord your God.’”

8 Again the devil took Jesus to a very high mountain. He had Jesus look at all the nations of the world to see how great they were. 9 He said to Jesus, “I will give You all these nations if You will get down at my feet and worship me.” 10 Jesus said to the devil, “Get away, Satan. It is written, ‘You must worship the Lord your God. You must obey Him only.’” 11 Then the devil went away from Jesus. Angels came and cared for Him.” Matthew 4:1-11 NLV

There are three important “if” issues in these verses. Satan questions the deity of Christ, “If you are the Son of God”. Satan is a crafty enemy, one we are incapable of defeating on our own. He came to Jesus when He was at one of his weakest moments. Jesus had been fasting for forty days and now He had begun to hunger.

The important thing to see is that Jesus didn’t react rashly in His weakness, instead He let God’s word answer for Him. The power to resist temptation came from God’s word. We will overcome our temptations the same way.

“So anyone who thinks they are standing strong should be careful that they don’t fall. 13 The only temptations that you have are the same temptations that all people have. But you can trust God. He will not let you be tempted more than you can bear. But when you are tempted, God will also give you a way to escape that temptation. Then you will be able to endure it.” I Corinthians 10:12-13 ERV

In the second temptation the devil quoted Scripture to give his argument validity. Jesus didn’t take the bait; he didn’t need to prove who He was. He left that up to God, the Father. And He countered with Scripture.

Satan had been cast from heaven because he wanted to be greater than God. He coveted a position of honor. He wanted God’s Son to bow down at his feet.

” 13 You said in your heart, ‘I will go up to heaven. I will raise my throne above the stars of God. And I will sit on the mount of meeting in the far north. 14 I will go much higher than the clouds. I will make myself like the Most High.’ 15 But you will be brought down to the place of the dead, to the bottom of the grave.” Isaiah 14:13-15 NLV

One more time Jesus used God’s word as a weapon and landed blows of defeat on His enemy. This time it was too much for the devil and he fled. This is what we need to do each and every time temptation comes.

” 4 We do not use those things to fight with that the world uses. We use the things God gives to fight with and they have power. Those things God gives to fight with destroy the strong-places of the devil. 5 We break down every thought and proud thing that puts itself up against the wisdom of God. We take hold of every thought and make it obey Christ.” II Corinthians 10:4-5 NLV

And here is what God gives us to fight with.

” 11 Wear the full armor of God. Wear God’s armor so that you can fight against the devil’s clever tricks…13 That is why you need to get God’s full armor. Then on the day of evil, you will be able to stand strong. And when you have finished the whole fight, you will still be standing.

14 So stand strong with the belt of truth tied around your waist, and on your chest wear the protection of right living. 15 On your feet wear the Good News of peace to help you stand strong. 16 And also use the shield of faith with which you can stop all the burning arrows that come from the Evil One. 17 Accept God’s salvation as your helmet. And take the sword of the Spirit—that sword is the teaching of God. 18 Pray in the Spirit at all times. Pray with all kinds of prayers, and ask for everything you need. To do this you must always be ready. Never give up. Always pray for all of God’s people.” Ephesians 6:11-18 ERV

Our sword in this battle is the word of God. It is sharp enough to cut all the “what if’s” out of our lives. We will be able to stand strong and never give up when we are standing on God’s word!

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With Is Better

For the last several days we have been with our son, Koy, and his girlfriend, Kym, in California. We knew that we wouldn’t be together at Christmas so he flew us out a couple weeks early.

We’ve had a great time of  being with each other. Phone calls and video chats are good but actually being with the ones we love is the best. 

God enjoyed being with Adam and Eve each day in the garden; they would walk and talk – it was a special relationship. But when Adam sinned  that fellowship was broken. However, God had a plan for restoring what had been lost. It was important to Him to be with us.

“Joseph was a good man[a and did not want to embarrass Mary in front of everyone. So he decided to quietly call off the wedding.

20 While Joseph was thinking about this, an angel from the Lord came to him in a dream. The angel said, “Joseph, the baby that Mary will have is from the Holy Spirit. Go ahead and marry her. 21 Then after her baby is born, name him Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.”

22 So the Lord’s promise came true, just as the prophet had said, 23 “A virgin will have a baby boy, and he will be called Immanuel,” which means “God is with us.” Matthew 1:19-23 CEV

God wanted a way to be with us so He sent His Son.  One of the things that means the most to us as parents is knowing that our kids want to be with us. God is no different. 

“When anyone is in Christ, it is a whole new world.[a The old things are gone; suddenly, everything is new! 18 All this is from God. Through Christ, God made peace between himself and us. And God gave us the work of bringing people into peace with him. 19 I mean that God was in Christ, making peace between the world and himself. In Christ, God did not hold people guilty for their sins. And he gave us this message of peace to tell people.” II Corinthians 5:17-19 CEV

It’s a whole new world when we have life with Christ. We aren’t alone. God is with us – in the car going to work; in the kitchen baking cookies; helping our kids with their homework; Christmas shopping; sitting beside the bed of a sick friend; sitting alone looking at the checkbook and the bills that need to be paid.

God with us – His purpose in coming was to be “with us”. In fact, Hebrews 13:5 tells us that He will NEVER leave us or abandon us.

We are also told that He promises to provide all our needs, heals all our diseases and forgives all our sins. Psalm 103 

I didn’t always realize that God wanted this type of relationship with me  but I can say that when I realized  “God is with us” it has certainly changed the outcome of my life for the better – the best.

When we focus on all “we” have to do and how it’s all up to us, we become self absorbed. We make a very small package. When we realize, truly realize, that God’s purpose is to “Be with us”, when we unwrap the present of His presence in our daily lives, our world changes dramatically.

” What can we say about all this? If God is on our side, can anyone be against us? 32 God did not keep back his own Son, but he gave him for us. If God did this, won’t he freely give us everything else?” Romans 8:31-32 CEV

“Thou wilt shew me the path of life: in thy presence is fulness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore.” Psalm 16:11

The Christmas carol today is one that was written in the 12th century. 

O come, O come, Emmanuel
And ransom captive Israel
That mourns in lonely exile here
Until the Son of God appear
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
Shall come to thee, O Israel.

O come, Thou Rod of Jesse, free
Thine own from Satan’s tyranny
From depths of Hell Thy people save
And give them victory o’er the grave
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
Shall come to thee, O Israel.

O come, Thou Day-Spring, come and cheer
Our spirits by Thine advent here
Disperse the gloomy clouds of night
And death’s dark shadows put to flight.
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
Shall come to thee, O Israel.

O come, Thou Key of David, come,
And open wide our heavenly home;
Make safe the way that leads on high,
And close the path to misery.
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
Shall come to thee, O Israel.

O come, O come, Thou Lord of might,
Who to Thy tribes, on Sinai’s height,
In ancient times did’st give the Law,
In cloud, and majesty and awe.
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
Shall come to thee, O Israel.

I know the Old English is a bit hard to understand but the basic message is one of God’s desire to be with mankind, who He created, and  bring them deliverance in each situation.  Just remember, He’s a loving Father who wants nothing more than to be involved in His children’s lives.

God wants to spend time with us; with is better!

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Let Love Rain

I’m using a play on words this morning; let love rain. I know it should be “reign” and not “rain” but the change in spelling makes a point. 

Here in the desert we don’t have the snow scenes that you experience in the northern areas of the country. When we lived in the northwest it was great fun to hike out through the snow and cut our own Christmas trees; build snowmen and sledding runs; and even go on horse drawn sleigh rides. For a few days, a few days…the snow was fun and if I’m perfectly honest I do miss it from time to time. 

But the other morning when Dave and I were on a walk  after a nice soft winter rain, the day was glorious. The temperature was crisp, the sun was shining brightly, the desert grasses glistened with the previous days moisture, and the air was crystal clear. We both remarked what a beautiful day it was – this is why we live here!  We have the beauty of nature and no snow to shovel.

Now how does this relate to rain and reign? The winter rains we experience in the desert are gentle, soft and soothing. Isn’t that what we all need this time of year? We need things to be soothing, soft and kind. 

“Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous, it does not brag, and it is not proud. 5 Love is not rude, it is not selfish, and it cannot be made angry easily. Love does not remember wrongs done against it. 6 Love is never happy when others do wrong, but it is always happy with the truth. 7 Love never gives up on people. It never stops trusting, never loses hope, and never quits. 8 Love will never end.” I Corinthians 13:4-8 ERV

During the Christmas season we seem to be more loving, accepting, gentle and forgiving. Maybe it’s because the season reminds us of how gracious God is to us. He doesn’t coerce or demand; He doesn’t ridicule or criticize. God, in His loving manner, welcomes us with open arms and He never gives up on us. Like a soft rain soaking in to the harden soil, God’s love soaks through even the hardest hearts to bring the message of forgiveness. He never loses hope and He never gives up on us.

It is important to have love reign as well as rain. When love reigns it means that it has set itself up as the ruling authority. Like a king establishes his rule throughout the land, love, when it reigns in our hearts, establishes its authority and dictates our actions. There is nothing greater than love. 

“Be careful. Hold firmly to your faith. Have courage and be strong. 14 Do everything in love.” I Corinthians 16: 13-14 ERV

My desire is to  shower folks with love. Each day I try to look for opportunities to be a godly example. Years ago I heard a song recorded by Barbara Mandrell, One Night a Year. She’s one of my favorite country artists and this song became an anthem in my heart. I hope you enjoy it.  (you can listen to it by clicking on the song title)

One Night A Year

Once again the windows shine with pretty lights
Once again our loved ones gather at our sight
Busy crowds of strangers greet each other with a smile
There’s Christmas in the eyes of every child

Once again the presents are resting by the tree
Once again we worship the One who came for you and me
I hear choirs of voices as they’re singing out His name
Again we tell the story of how the Christ Child came

One night a year we believe in peace on earth
One night a year we praise our Saviour’s birth
I wish every night the whole year through could be like Christmas Eve
When love’s pure light is shining everywhere, one night a year

Once again around the world heads are bowed in prayer
Once again the promise of peace is in the air
But soon will come the morning and the feeling will be past
And I can’t help but wonder why the feeling only lasts

One night a year we believe in peace on earth
One night a year we praise our Saviour’s birth
I wish every night the whole year through could be like Christmas Eve
When love’s pure light is shining everywhere, one night a year

One night a year we believe in peace on earth
One night a year we praise our Saviour’s birth
I wish every night the whole year through could be like Christmas Eve
When love’s pure light is shining everywhere, one night a year

One night a year

Let’s join together and let love rain more than just one night a year!

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Hungry?

I love babies!!

They are so pure and so hungry. They eat all the time and make no apology for it. They have a God-given instinct to know that they must eat and they let the world know.

“Stop being hateful! Quit trying to fool people, and start being sincere. Don’t be jealous or say cruel things about others. 2 Be like newborn babies who are thirsty for the pure spiritual milk that will help you grow and be saved. 3 You have already found out how good the Lord really is.” I Peter 2:1-3 CEV

We need to be like babies – sincere, innocent with an overwhelming desire to grow – to drink spiritual milk (the Word) and learn of the Lord’s goodness.

And as we feast on milk, we grow and come to a point where we can feast on solid food. Growing is natural, it’s good, it is proof that we are healthy and strong.

“And the teaching I gave you was like milk, not solid food. I did this because you were not ready for solid food. And even now you are not ready.” I Corinthians 3:2 ERV

But babies also get thirsty and sometimes just need a drink of water and not a feeding of milk. Keeps them hydrated and all their organs working well.

We too need to come for the living water that only Christ can give.

” Jesus answered, “You don’t know what God can give you. And you don’t know who I am, the one who asked you for a drink. If you knew, you would have asked me, and I would have given you living water.”

11 The woman said, “Sir, where will you get that living water?…
13 Jesus answered, “Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again. 14 But anyone who drinks the water I give will never be thirsty again. The water I give people will be like a spring flowing inside them. It will bring them eternal life.”

15 The woman said to Jesus, “Sir, give me this water. Then I will never be thirsty again and won’t have to come back here to get more water.” John 4:10-15 ERV

What do babies do when they need to eat? They wake up and cry!

When was the last time we cried because we were hungry for the sincere milk of God’s word or the living water that only He can give?

I hope you have a healthy appetite because feasting on God’s word will make us grow big and strong.

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The Greatest

Didn’t Mohammed Ali claimed to be “the greatest”? He would pose for the photographers and do his little rope-a-dope dance all the while chanting “I am the greatest”.  But that’s who or what I want to talk about this morning.

We all have a desire or ambition to succeed, to achieve or to excel. God has given us that desire; like any good Father he is there to cheer us on. However, our motives need to be right. They can’t be based on greed, selfishness or vanity.

Jesus was asked a question by the Pharisees about what was the greatest or most important of God’s laws. Their motive was to undermine Jesus and his ministry. They wanted to discredit Him.

“34 The Pharisees learned that Jesus had made the Sadducees look so foolish that they stopped trying to argue with him. So the Pharisees had a meeting. 35 Then one of them, an expert in the Law of Moses, asked Jesus a question to test him. 36 He said, “Teacher, which command in the law is the most important?”
37 Jesus answered, “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind.’ 38 This is the first and most important command. 39 And the second command is like the first: ‘Love your neighbor the same as you love yourself.’ 40 All of the law and the writings of the prophets take their meaning from these two commands… None of the Pharisees could answer Jesus’ question. And after that day, no one was brave enough to ask him any more questions.” Matthew 22:34-46 CEV

The Pharisees were trying to test and even trick Jesus into a wrong answer; something that would discredit him to his followers and better yet, something that would give them place to prosecute him and silence him in public.

What Jesus did with his answer was discredit the Pharisees. By giving the answer that He did, Jesus proved that their heart’s motive was anything but love. And if they weren’t walking in love toward Him and their neighbor, they weren’t keeping what they called the greatest commandments. He went on to correct them in their thinking about the Messiah as well. No wonder they decided not to ask Him anymore questions.

The Pharisees had all the outward trappings of religion and righteousness but their hearts were wrong. It was a self-righteousness and it was religion instead of relationship. Jesus was talking about a living relationship with the Father.

As we spent time loving the Father we will reflect His love to others. The moon has no light source in itself but it reflects the light of the sun. In the same way, as we spend time absorbing the Father’s love we will reflect that love to others. We can’t give what we don’t have – so as we receive more and more love from the Father we are able to love others more.

“ So these three things continue: faith, hope, and love. And the greatest of these is love.” I Corinthians 13:13 ERV

Father, I desire to love You with all that I am and then to reflect Your love to those around me today.

 

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Eat Drink Be Merry

Eat, drink and be merry for tomorrow we die! Ever heard that before? Did you think it was Shakespeare or some other poetic author? Do you know it’s Bible?

It comes from the book of Isaiah and was then quoted by the Apostle Paul. People have been living with this idea of self gratification for a long time. I remember  Frank Sinatra’s hit, I Did It My Way, and Peggy Lee’s hit in the late 60’s, Is That All There Is. Each song echoed the sentiment above.

Paul the Apostle was writing to the Christians in Corinth about resurrection from the dead and the promise we have in Christ. He was writing to encourage them and us that there is so much more to life than living for a few days of gratification here.

Friends, so called friends, will try to influence us away from what we know is right and good. It’s called peer pressure and I have quoted this verse to my kids on numerous occasions as they were growing up. It is just as applicable to us as adults. We face peer pressure too. Without the certainty of Christ’s love and His forgiveness we can be swayed by futile thinking.

“If we are not raised from death, “Let us eat and drink, because tomorrow we die.” Don’t be fooled: “Bad friends will ruin good habits.” 34 Come back to your right way of thinking and stop sinning. Some of you don’t know God. I say this to shame you.” I Corinthians 15:32-34 ERV

We will be raised from the dead to live with Christ for eternity. The life we will live after death will be much more exciting than this one we are living now. Our hope is in Christ and the power of His resurrection. Having relationship with Christ as our Savior gives us purpose for life now and hope for life after death. For when we die physically, we will live on spiritually.

“That’s how it will be when our bodies are raised to life. These bodies will die, but the bodies that are raised will live forever. 43 These ugly and weak bodies will become beautiful and strong. 44 As surely as there are physical bodies, there are spiritual bodies. And our physical bodies will be changed into spiritual bodies.” I Corinthians 15:42-44 CEV

Each day can and should be filled with purpose and direction. Following the master plan that God has designed for us brings us to victory and joy. Waking each morning and talking with the Father gives us assurance that nothing in our day has caught Him unaware. We can trust Him to give us a life that is full and so much greater than just eat, drink and be merry. The longer we walk in relationship with the Lord we will see that His way and our way begin to merge into one.

“But thank God for letting our Lord Jesus Christ give us the victory! 58 My dear friends, stand firm and don’t be shaken. Always keep busy working for the Lord. You know that everything you do for him is worthwhile.” I Corinthians 15:57-58 CEV

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