Monday Thought -- April 30, 2012

Good Morning Friends,

“Therefore, the kingdom of heaven is like a king who wanted to settle accounts with his servants.  As he began the settlement, a man who owed him ten thousand talents was brought to him.  Since he was not able to pay, the master ordered that he and his wife and his children and all that he had be sold to repay the debt.  The servant fell on his knees before him.  ‘Be patient with me,’ he begged, ‘and I will pay back everything.’  The servant’s master took pity on him, canceled the debt and let him go.  But when that servant went out, he found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred denarii.  He grabbed him and began to choke him.  ‘Pay back what you owe me!’ he demanded.  His fellow servant fell to his knees and begged him, ‘Be patient with me, and I will pay you back.’  But he refused.  Instead, he went off and had the man thrown into prison until he could pay the debt.  When the other servants saw what had happened, they were greatly distressed and went and told their master everything that had happened.  Then the master called the servant in.  ‘You wicked servant,’ he said, ‘I canceled all that debt of yours because you begged me to.  Shouldn’t you have had mercy on your fellow servant just as I had on you?’  In anger his master turned him over to the jailers to be tortured, until he should pay back all he owed.  This is how my heavenly Father will treat each of you unless you forgive your brother from your heart.” (Matthew 18:23-35)

Our forgiveness of others flows out of the realization of how much God has forgiven us.  At least, it should.  But grudge-holding has grown to epidemic proportions, even among those who have been forgiven by God.

We humans seem to enjoy holding on to past hurts.  Perhaps it assuages our own guilt.  To continue to hold someone else responsible for his sins may make our own sins seem less horrible.  I don’t know all the reasons we hold on to grudges, but I know it’s true of me and true of many others with whom I have contact.

Today, consider how great your debt of sin was toward God.  Consider how great His gift to you of forgiveness has been.  Then, turn to those around you, and forgive them!

His, by Grace,

Steve

Friday Thought -- April 27, 2012

Good Morning Friends,

“Again, I tell you that if two of you on earth agree about anything you ask for, it will be done for you by my Father in heaven.  For where two or three come together in my name, there am I with them.” (Matthew 18:19-20)

Does God seem to be far away from you?  He isn’t, and it doesn’t have to seem that way, either.  In promise after promise from the Bible, God offers to be near to us.

Paul made the following declaration when he preached to the people of Athens, “God did this so that men would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from each one of us.” (Acts 17:27)  God is not far away from any of us, not even from those who do not yet know Him!  In fact, He is standing at the door knocking. (Revelation 3:20)

The promise of God is that if we will take a very small step toward Him, He’ll be there for us!  “Come near to God and he will come near to you.” (James 4:8)  He will not come uninvited, but He is waiting patiently and longingly for the invitation!

And then there is the promise of Jesus in Matthew 18.  There is a special presence of God when two or more of His followers are together, in agreement, gathered in the name of Jesus.  I know I’ve found that true in my own walk with God.  The times I’ve sensed His presence most clearly have been times when I have been with other believers, worshiping with them in one heart and mind.

None of us have to feel far away from God.  He’s right there, reach out to Him.

His, by Grace,

Steve

Thursday Thought -- April 26, 2012

Good Morning Friends,

“If your brother sins against you, go and show him his fault, just between the two of you.  If he listens to you, you have won your brother over.  But if he will not listen, take one or two others along, so that ‘every matter may be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses.’  If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church; and if he refuses to listen even to the church, treat him as you would a pagan or a tax collector.  I tell you the truth, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.” (Matthew 18:15-18)

The primary focus of this passage is not really about church discipline.  The primary focus is the importance of relationships and a commitment to help other people -- even when you have to do hard things in order to help them.

Jesus is challenging us not to let problems between fellow Christians go on, but to do all that can be done to repair the breech in the relationship.  The first step is a loving and gentle confrontation.  If that doesn’t resolve the relational problem, then bring in a couple of other mature Christians to help.  The next step is to involve the church -- probably referring to its leadership.  Those are serious steps to take and they show how important relationships between people are to the Lord.

I’m probably more confrontational than most people.  It’s something I’ve had to learn over the years.  But even though I’m more confrontational than many, I still know that I’m more likely to just let things go and do nothing than I am to confront.  If something goes wrong in a relationship it’s hard to take the initiative to do something to try to repair it.  But, it’s worth it!  The way we relate with other people is one of only two things on earth that will last into eternity (the other is our relationship with God and His Word).

The challenge of Jesus is to take our relationships with others seriously and do all that we can to keep them right.  Paul told the Romans, “If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.” (Romans 12:18)

His, by Grace,

Steve

Wednesday Thought -- April 25, 2012

Good Morning Friends,

“See that you do not look down on one of these little ones.  For I tell you that their angels in heaven always see the face of my Father in heaven.  What do you think?  If a man owns a hundred sheep, and one of them wanders away, will he not leave the ninety-nine on the hills and go to look for the one that wandered off?  And if he finds it, I tell you the truth, he is happier about that one sheep than about the ninety-nine that did not wander off.  In the same way your Father in heaven is not willing that any of these little ones should be lost.” (Matthew 18:10-14)

Jesus looked out over the city of Jerusalem and cried out, “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you, how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing!” (Luke 13:34)

But when Jesus looked at Jerusalem, He did not see a crowd of nameless, faceless people.  He saw the city as individuals, loved one by one.

That is the picture that Jesus drew in the passage from Matthew above.  It is a picture of God who looks at the world and does not see the crowds as a great mass, but as individual people, each of whom He loves deeply and longs to see in His kingdom.

Peter declared that God does not want “anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.” (2 Peter 3:9)  The key words are “anyone” and “everyone.”  They refer to individuals, whom God knows by name and loves each one.

When we look at our cities with their masses of people, many of whom are not saved, remember that they are not just nameless, faceless people.  Instead, they are each known and each loved and each valued and each sought after by God, just like we are!

His, by Grace,

Steve

Tuesday Thought -- April 24, 2012

Good Morning Friends,

“At that time the disciples came to Jesus and asked, ‘Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?’  He called a little child and had him stand among them.  And he said:  ‘I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.  Therefore, whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.  And whoever welcomes a little child like this in my name welcomes me.  But if anyone causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him to have a large millstone hung around his neck and to be drowned in the depths of the sea.’” (Matthew 18:1-6)

The key to greatness is not in seeking after it, in seeking to gain acclaim for ourselves.  The key to true greatness is in laying aside any claim to personal acclaim and seeking instead to give our lives for God and for others.

The world honors those who take care of themselves.  It honors those who make sure what they do is noticed and reported.  But God does not honor such tactics.  Jesus said, “For whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.” (Matthew 23:12)  If we seek acclaim for ourselves we will never receive it from God.  If we lay aside any desire for personal acclaim to serve God and others, that God will honor.

God is looking for men and women who have a heart to serve Him and to serve others.  God is looking for men and women whose aim is not for personal comfort, personal honor, personal achievement, or personal happiness.  God is looking for men and women who will put aside themselves and their desires and long for Him and long to help His world.

Will we be such men and women?

His, by Grace,

Steve

Monday Thought -- April 23, 2012

Good Morning Friend,

“When they came to the crowd, a man approached Jesus and knelt before him.  ‘Lord, have mercy on my son,’ he said.  ‘He has seizures and is suffering greatly.  He often falls into the fire or into the water.  I brought him to your disciples, but they could not heal him.’  ‘O unbelieving and perverse generation,’ Jesus replied, ‘how long shall I stay with you?  How long shall I put up with you?  Bring the boy here to me.’  Jesus rebuked the demon, and it came out of the boy, and he was healed from that moment.  Then the disciples came to Jesus in private and asked, ‘Why couldn’t we drive it out?’  He replied, ‘Because you have so little faith.  I tell you the truth, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there’ and it will move.  Nothing will be impossible for you.’” (Matthew 17:14-20)

One of the things that God desires most from us is faith.  The Hebrew writer declared, “And without faith it is impossible to please God.” (Hebrews 11:6)  Faith is simple trust that God cares and that He can and will move in our behalf and at our request.

The demon would not leave the boy when the disciples tried, because they did not believe God would really do it.  They went through the motions to drive the demon out, but their hearts didn’t believe it would really happen.

How many times have we been guilty of the same thing?  How many blessings from God have we missed because, though we asked, we did not really believe He could or would move in our behalf?

It seems to me that those through whom God has worked the most, even in our own day, are those who believe He can and step forward as a result of that belief.  They are the ones who have faith and who exercise it!

I admit that I am not there a lot of times, but that is where I want to be.  In a parallel passage in Luke, the apostles said to the Lord, “Increase our faith!” (Luke 17:5)  Will you pray that prayer with me?  “Lord, increase my faith.”

God loves you and He can and will do amazing things in response to your faith.

His, by Grace,

Steve

Friday Thought -- April 20, 2012

Good Morning Friends!

“After Jesus and his disciples arrived in Capernaum, the collectors of the two-drachma tax came to Peter and asked, ‘Doesn’t your teacher pay the temple tax?’  ‘Yes, he does,’ he replied.  When Peter came into the house, Jesus was the first to speak.  ‘What do you think, Simon?’ he asked.  ‘From whom do the kings of the earth collect duty and taxes -- from their own sons or from others?’  ‘From others,’ Peter answered.  ‘Then the sons are exempt,’ Jesus said to him.  ‘But so that we may not offend them, go to the lake and throw out your line.  Take the first fish you catch; open its mouth and you will find a four-drachma coin.  Take it and give it to them for my tax and yours.’” (Matthew 17:24-27)

There are times to take a stand even if it means offending people.  Jesus did when He went into the Temple and drove the money changers from it.

There are also times to give up your own rights in order to keep from offending people.  That’s what Jesus did in the passage above.  He had a right to claim exemption from the temple tax, but to keep from offending those responsible for it, He paid it anyway.

I know I have a hard time deciding when it is time to stand and when it is time to give in.  I do think there is a clue in the life of Jesus.  Jesus gave in when it was His own rights that He had to set aside to keep from offending.  Jesus stood firm when it was the rights of others or the principles of God that were being challenged.

But for me, my rights are usually the hardest to give up!  Lord, help me to overcome my own selfishness in order to think more highly of others than myself.  Help me not to cling to my rights no matter what, but to willingly lay them aside for the sake of others, especially those who do not understand!

Remember, He gave up His rights for you!

His, by Grace,

Steve

Thursday Thought -- April 19, 2012

Good Morning Friends,

“After six days Jesus took with him Peter, James and John the brother of James, and led them up a high mountain by themselves.  There he was transfigured before them.  His face shone like the sun, and his clothes became as white as the light.  Just then there appeared before them Moses and Elijah, talking with Jesus.  Peter said to Jesus, ‘Lord, it is good for us to be here.  If you wish, I will put up three shelters -- one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah.’  While he was still speaking, a bright cloud enveloped them, and a voice from the cloud said, ‘This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.  Listen to him!’” (Matthew 17:1-5)

Never before, and not since, has the world seen anyone like Jesus!  Moses and Elijah had been dead for thousands of years, yet here was One who could talk even with them.  This is a miracle that confirms the certainty of life beyond death and confirms the authority and position of Jesus.

But the miracle did not stop with the appearance of Moses and Elijah.  The voice of the Father Himself spoke from heaven on behalf of Jesus:  “This is my Son, whom I love; with Him I am well pleased.  Listen to Him!”  It was a powerful affirmation of who Jesus is and the simplest warning and instruction from God:  listen to Him.

Many in the world, even many in the church, need to hear that simple instruction anew!  They affirm the truth of who Jesus is, but do not listen to Him.  Jesus said, “The words I have spoken to you are spirit and they are life.” (John 6:63)  The words Jesus speaks are life to us!

Listen to Him!

His, by Grace,

Steve

Wednesday Thought -- April 18, 2012

Good Morning Friends,

“From that time on Jesus began to explain to his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things at the hands of the elders, chief priests and teachers of the law, and that he must be killed and on the third day be raised to life.  Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him.  ‘Never, Lord!’ he said.  ‘This shall never happen to you!’  Jesus turned and said to Peter, ‘Get behind me, Satan!  You are a stumbling block to me; you do not have in mind the things of God, but the things of men.’  Then Jesus said to his disciples, ‘If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.  For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will find it.  What good will it be for a man if he gains the whole world, yet forfeits his soul?  Or what can a man give in exchange for his soul?  For the Son of Man is going to come in his Father’s glory with his angels, and then he will reward each person according to what he has done.  I tell you the truth, some who are standing here will not taste death before they see the Son of Man coming in his kingdom.’” (Matthew 16:21-28)

Sometimes the plan of God is painful on earth.  It was for Jesus.  The apostles had a hard time accepting that.  How could God’s plan involve pain for a person fully committed to Him?  We struggle with the same question in our own lives.  I had many people ask me that same basic question over the years:  “Why pain?”  I’ve struggled to understand it myself.

There aren’t any full answers to that question, except this one:  sometimes God’s plan is painful on earth!  We are called, not to a choose a life of ease and comfort here on earth, but a life of sacrifice and pain to follow God.  We are called to a life of taking up the cross.  The cross is an instrument of death and that’s what we are called to take up for Him.  We are called to a life of focusing not on what’s good or pleasant for us, but to willingly sacrifice our lives for Him.

Is it worth it?  Absolutely!  We give what we cannot keep to gain what we cannot lose.  In the end, and that’s not in this world, we’ll see we made the right choice!

Jesus knew He had made the right choice.  He endured the cross for the joy set before Him. (Hebrews 12:2)  He went through pain on earth because He knew it would be worth it in eternity!  I’m living my life trusting that the same will be true for us.

His, by Grace,

Steve

Tuesday Thought -- April 17, 2012

Good Morning Friends,

“When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, ‘Who do people say the Son of Man is?’  They replied, ‘Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, Jeremiah or one of the prophets.’  ‘But what about you?’ he asked.  ‘Who do you say I am?’  Simon Peter answered, ‘You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.’  Jesus replied, ‘Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by man, but by my Father in heaven.  And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it.  I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.’” (Matthew 16:13-19)

Who do people say Jesus is today?

A great teacher.

A prophet of God.

One of many ways to God.

An example of a godly life worth imitating.

One god among many.

An ancient human being whose story grew to mythical proportions after his death.

But who do we say that He is?

The ONLY way to God.

In fact, He is God Himself!

What we believe about Jesus is not widely accepted by the world.  In fact, to many it is repulsive because it is so exclusive.  But it is that truth that is the foundation of the church.  Without it, there could be no church, or if there was a church it would not be worth being a part of.  The only reason to follow Jesus and be a part of His church is that He IS who He said He was!  That is the Rock worth building your life upon.  That is the bedrock truth upon which the church has been built.

Hang on to it, no matter what the world says, because it is the truth from God Himself.

His, by Grace,

Steve

Monday Thought -- April 16, 2012

Good Morning Friends,

“The Pharisees and Sadducees came to Jesus and tested him by asking him to show them a sign from heaven.  He replied, ‘When evening comes, you say, “It will be fair weather, for the sky is red,” and in the morning, “Today it will be stormy, for the sky is red and overcast.”  You know how to interpret the appearance of the sky, but you cannot interpret the signs of the times.  A wicked and adulterous generation looks for a miraculous sign, but none will be given it except the sign of Jonah.’  Jesus then left them and went away.” (Matthew 16:1-4)

Jesus performed many miracles as “signs” so that people would believe and follow Him.  So, why wouldn’t He perform a miracle for the Pharisees and Sadducees so that they might believe and be saved?

When Jesus told the story of the rich man and Lazarus (Luke 16:19-31), He said that if the people will not listen to Moses and the prophets they would not believe even if someone should come back from the dead.  And that proved true of the Pharisees and Sadducees.  Jesus did work miracles in their presence and they heard testimony of other miracles of His.  But those miracles were not enough, none would be.  Even clear evidence that Jesus had risen from the dead was not enough for them.

Jesus knew their hearts and that’s why He would not show them a sign.  They were not sincerely seeking truth.  They were out to test and trap Jesus.  Any sign He would have performed they would have explained away, because their hearts were so hard toward Him that they would not believe no matter what He did.

Jesus did work many signs that helped people believe, but they were performed for seekers, people who were open to the Lord.

His, by Grace,

Steve

Friday Thought -- April 13, 2012

Good Morning Friends,

“What goes into a man’s mouth does not make him ‘unclean,’ but what comes out of his mouth, that is what makes him ‘unclean.’ Don’t you see that whatever enters the mouth goes into the stomach and then out of the body?  But the things that come out of the mouth come from the heart, and these make a man ‘unclean.’  For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false testimony, slander.  These are what make a man ‘unclean’; but eating with unwashed hands does not make him 'unclean.’” (Matthew 15:11; 17-20)

What does your mouth reveal about your heart?

Jesus said that what comes out of the mouth comes from the heart.  So, you can tell what is in a man’s heart by what comes out of his mouth!

This teaching came out of the context of a rebuke to the Pharisees.  The Pharisees were very concerned with outward religion.  They were concerned because the disciples of Jesus were not careful to do the ceremonial cleansing that was required before eating.  Jesus’ point is that it’s not the dirty hands that make a man unclean, but a dirty heart.  And a dirty heart is revealed by the things that come out of a man’s mouth!

James taught a great deal about the tongue in his book.  His teaching indicated that the tongue is the most difficult part of the body to control.  That is consistent with this teaching of Jesus.  The tongue can’t be controlled by focusing on trying to control it.  Rather, the only way the tongue will be changed is when the heart is changed.

So, what does your mouth reveal about your heart?  What kind of heart-change do you need?

His, by Grace,

Steve

Thursday Thought -- April 12, 2012

Good Morning Friends,

“Immediately Jesus made the disciples get into the boat and go on ahead of him to the other side, while he dismissed the crowd.  After he had dismissed them, he went up on a mountainside by himself to pray.  When evening came, he was there alone, but the boat was already a considerable distance from land, buffeted by the waves because the wind was against it.  During the fourth watch of the night Jesus went out to them, walking on the lake.  When the disciples saw him walking on the lake, they were terrified.  ‘It’s a ghost,’ they said, and cried out in fear.  But Jesus immediately said to them: ‘Take courage!  It is I. Don’t be afraid.’  ‘Lord, if it’s you,’ Peter replied, ‘tell me to come to you on the water.’  ‘Come,’ he said.  Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus.  But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, ‘Lord, save me!’  Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him.  ‘You of little faith,’ he said, ‘why did you doubt?’  And when they climbed into the boat, the wind died down.  Then those who were in the boat worshiped him, saying, ‘Truly you are the Son of God.’” (Matthew 14:22-33)

Peter is a character of amazing complexity and paradox:

There is boldness in him to ask Jesus to tell him to come to Him on the water.

There is faith and courage in him to step out of the boat onto the water.

And then there is fear in him when, while walking on water, he sees the storm.

Finally, he demonstrates a great sense of clarity in the midst of crisis when he calls out to Jesus as he sinks in the water.  He does know where to turn for help!

Peter’s example isn’t always one that we should be encouraged to follow, but here I’d say he is.

Learn from Peter to be bold in your requests to the Lord.  Perhaps you’ll never need to ask Jesus to help you walk on water, but whatever requests you would like to make of Him, go ahead.  Be bold.  Ask what is on your heart.  In fact, Paul instructed us to “Present your requests to God.” (Philippians 4:6)

Learn from Peter to be full of faith and courageous in following God’s direction.  No matter what He asks of you, be willing to take the step out of your comfort zone and into the place where He leads you.

Learn from Peter to look to the Lord in your times of fear.  There is no better place look when you are afraid than right at Jesus!

His, by Grace,

Steve

Wednesday Thought -- April 11, 2012

Good Morning Friends,

“When Jesus heard what had happened, he withdrew by boat privately to a solitary place.  Hearing of this, the crowds followed him on foot from the towns.  When Jesus landed and saw a large crowd, he had compassion on them and healed their sick.  As evening approached, the disciples came to him and said, ‘This is a remote place, and it's already getting late.  Send the crowds away, so they can go to the villages and buy themselves some food.’  Jesus replied, ‘They do not need to go away.  You give them something to eat.’  ‘We have here only five loaves of bread and two fish,’ they answered.  ‘Bring them here to me,’ he said.  And he directed the people to sit down on the grass.  Taking the five loaves and the two fish and looking up to heaven, he gave thanks and broke the loaves.  Then he gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the people.  They all ate and were satisfied, and the disciples picked up twelve basketfuls of broken pieces that were left over.  The number of those who ate was about five thousand men, besides women and children.” (Matthew 14:13-21)

This is a story about the compassion of Jesus.

He had compassion for John the Baptist and when news of John’s death reached Him, He needed to be alone to deal with His own grief and loss. When those He loves hurt, Jesus hurts, too!

He had compassion on the crowds who followed Him to the solitary place. His need was to be alone, but His compassion compelled Him to help those who come needing help. He gave of Himself even when he did not feel like it. When those He loves are in need, Jesus doesn’t leave them alone -- He is there to help.

He had compassion on the crowd when they grew hungry. He could have easily and justifiably sent them away to find food for themselves, but He did not. He saw their need and responded with a miracle to provide for them.

The compassion of Jesus saw the need of the people around Him and did what He could to help. In doing so, He provides an example for us to follow. We are called to see the need of the people around us, and to do what we can to help, that’s compassion.

And these stories of His compassion also affirm that He has compassion for us and, seeing our need, He moves to our help, too!

His, by Grace,

Steve

Tuesday Thought -- April 10, 2012

Good Morning Friends,

“When Jesus had finished these parables, he moved on from there.  Coming to his hometown, he began teaching the people in their synagogue, and they were amazed.  ‘Where did this man get this wisdom and these miraculous powers?’ they asked.  ‘Isn’t this the carpenter’s son?  Isn’t his mother’s name Mary, and aren’t his brothers James, Joseph, Simon and Judas?  Aren’t all his sisters with us?  Where then did this man get all these things?’  And they took offense at him.  But Jesus said to them, ‘Only in his hometown and in his own house is a prophet without honor.’  And he did not do many miracles there because of their lack of faith.” (Matthew 13:53-58)

Sometimes it is hardest to listen to those who are most familiar to you.  Even Jesus encountered this phenomenon when He visited Nazareth, His hometown.  The people there had known Jesus growing up and they knew His family.  How could He teach them anything?  What made Him so special?  And so they ignored Him, to their own disadvantage!  They missed out on what Jesus could do for them and what He could teach them because of their prejudices against Him.

Have you ever encountered that kind of prejudice against you?  Sometimes it comes through our own fault.  Sometimes our lives don’t bear the scrutiny of familiarity!  Those who know us best listen to us least because they know what we’re really like, even when we let our guard down.  The challenge is to reflect the life of Christ at all times, even when we are tired or hurting, even when we are at home.  Not even that will always cause others listen to us, but it helps!

Then there is the other side of the issue, too.  Do you ignore what is said by those most familiar to you?  Is there a prophet in your own household that you don’t realize has something to teach you?  Your wife, husband, or even your own child!  God doesn’t always choose an outside “expert” to bring His message to us.  Sometimes it comes from where you least expect it, from someone most familiar to you.  Listen to them.  Listen to Him!

His, by Grace,

Steve

Monday Thought -- April 9, 2012

Good Morning Friends,

“The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field.  When a man found it, he hid it again, and then in his joy went and sold all he had and bought that field.  Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant looking for fine pearls.  When he found one of great value, he went away and sold everything he had and bought it.” (Matthew 13:44-46)

What would you give to become part of the kingdom of heaven?  What would you sacrifice to know God?  How much is it worth to you to be saved?

The point of these parables is not what we have to sacrifice in order to get into the kingdom of heaven, but the awesome value of what God has so freely offered to us.  It is worth anything and everything, but God has paid the price for it!

It is easy to forget the value of what we’ve received from God.  It’s easy to take it for granted after having been in His kingdom for years.

Remember the joy when you first found God and knew forgiveness.  Remember the value of knowing God.

It’s worth everything!  Thank God for it!

His, by Grace,

Steve

Friday Thought -- April 6, 2012

Good Morning Friends,

“Jesus told them another parable:  ‘The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed, which a man took and planted in his field.  Though it is the smallest of all your seeds, yet when it grows, it is the largest of garden plants and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and perch in its branches.’  He told them still another parable:  ‘The kingdom of heaven is like yeast that a woman took and mixed into a large amount of flour until it worked all through the dough.’” (Matthew 13:31-33)

Jesus came preaching the Kingdom and while on earth He gathered only a few followers.  After His resurrection, He appeared to as many as 500 at one time (1 Corinthians 15:6).  The movement of Jesus began with a small handful and in three years grew to around 500 and now it numbers around one billion!

The Kingdom began in one small area of the world.  Jesus Himself traveled but a few hundred miles during His lifetime.  He never preached in Europe.  He left Africa untouched.  He certainly didn’t travel to North or South America.  There were vast stretches of land and many people Jesus never came near.  But the Gospel has reached them all in the past 2,000 years.  In fact, in just 30 or so years following the death of Christ, people would be saying, “they have turned the world upside down.” (Acts 17:6)

Zechariah 4:10 speaks of the folly of despising the “day of small things.”  Don’t think God must have a great deal to work with in order to accomplish a great deal.  He could take a small boy’s lunch and feed a huge crowd with it.  He could take a small handful of people and change the world with them!  Today, the impact of the Gospel that began among a handful in a small part of the world, now touches the whole world and changes millions of lives every year!

Expect God to keep doing great things with small resources:  like me and you!

His, by Grace,

Steve

Thursday Thought -- April 5, 2012

Good Morning Friends,

“Jesus told them another parable: ‘The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field. But while everyone was sleeping, his enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat, and went away. When the wheat sprouted and formed heads, then the weeds also appeared. The owner’s servants came to him and said, ‘Sir, didn’t you sow good seed in your field? Where then did the weeds come from?’ ‘An enemy did this,’ he replied. The servants asked him, ‘Do you want us to go and pull them up?’  ‘No,’ he answered, ‘because while you are pulling the weeds, you may root up the wheat with them. Let both grow together until the harvest. At that time I will tell the harvesters: First collect the weeds and tie them in bundles to be burned; then gather the wheat and bring it into my barn.’’” (Matthew 13:24-30)

I can’t tell you how many times I’ve heard people say they would never be involved in a church because in every church there are too many hypocrites. You know what? THEY ARE RIGHT! That’s what Jesus said in this parable. He acknowledges the truth that not everyone in the church is right with God. And, of course, we also know that even when a person is right with God not everything about his or her life is the way it should be. Not even Paul had “made it” yet, he was still pressing toward the goal.

Have you ever wondered why God allows the church to have hypocrites in it, those who aren’t really a part of the kingdom but are just trying to fit in? I mean, He could do something about that! Jesus said that God allows it because He cares too much about the wheat to do anything about the weeds right now. He knows that if He dealt with the hypocrites it would hurt some of His real children, too. He won’t do that!

So, the answer is to let the hypocrites stay in the church. After all, perhaps eventually something will happen in their lives that will open their hearts to the Lord. And if not, God will deal with them at the end.

Are there hypocrites in the church? YES. What do you do about them? Leave them to God, and do what you can to touch their lives with His love and grace!

His, by Grace,

Steve

Wednesday Thought -- April 4, 2012

Good Morning Friends,

Jesus told this parable, “A farmer went out to sow his seed. As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up. Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow.  But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no root.  Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the plants. Still other seed fell on good soil, where it produced a crop -- a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown.” (Matthew 13:3-8)

What kind of soil are you for the things of God? That’s not a question about how much of God’s Word you know. It’s not a question of how religious you are. It’s a question about whether or not you are allowing God’s work in your life to produce the fruit He desires.

The work of God is about life change and about God being able to touch the lives of others through us.

The marvelous thing is that it is not something that we do, but a work that God does in us and through us. Paul declared, “it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose.” (Philippians 2:13)

But we have the capacity to keep God from being able to do what He desires through us. A hard heart, a life focused on trouble and problems, a life focused on the cares of this world can hinder what God desires to do in us and through us.

The work of God is a powerful seed that can accomplish a great deal in our lives. What kind of soil are you for His seed?

His, by Grace,

Steve

Tuesday Thought -- April 3, 2012

Good Morning Friends,

“When an evil spirit comes out of a man, it goes through arid places seeking rest and does not find it. Then it says, ‘I will return to the house I left.’ When it arrives, it finds the house unoccupied, swept clean and put in order. Then it goes and takes with it seven other spirits more wicked than itself, and they go in and live there. And the final condition of that man is worse than the first. That is how it will be with this wicked generation.” (Matthew 12:43-45)

The principle Jesus taught here is that when you lay aside something evil and negative it must be replaced by something righteous and positive. If not, the void that is created will allow the evil and negative to return, and when it returns it will be worse than ever.

Take your thought life as an example. Paul’s admonition is to “take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.” (2 Corinthians 10:5) But taking every thought captive is not just a matter of getting rid of the unrighteous thoughts. Rather, it is shifting from unrighteous thoughts to the righteous: “Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable -- if anything is excellent or praiseworthy -- think about such things.” (Philippians 4:8)

Someone made the same general point when they coined the phrase, “Idle hands are the devil’s workshop.”

Don’t just strive to rid your life of that which is evil and negative, for that is only half the task and it cannot be done alone. Rather, replace that which is evil and negative with that which is righteous and positive.

His, by Grace,

Steve

Monday Thought -- April 2, 2012

Good Morning Friends,

“You brood of vipers, how can you who are evil say anything good?  For out of the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks.  The good man brings good things out of the good stored up in him, and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in him.  But I tell you that men will have to give account on the day of judgment for every careless word they have spoken.  For by your words you will be acquitted, and by your words you will be condemned.” (Matthew 12:34-37)

How important are the words that we speak?  Jesus said that it is by our words that we will be acquitted or condemned!

Jesus said, “Whoever acknowledges me before men, I will also acknowledge him before my Father in heaven.  But whoever disowns me before men, I will disown him before my Father in heaven.” (Matthew 10:32-33)

Paul taught, “For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved.” (Romans 10:10)

But can you control what you speak?  James said, “no man can tame the tongue.” (James 3:8)

You can’t control your tongue, not on your own.  The only way to control the tongue is to change the heart, for what comes out of the mouth is determined by what is in the heart.

If you aren’t satisfied with what is coming out of your mouth, then ask God to search your heart and make the changes that need to be made there!

His, by Grace,

Steve