Tuesday Thought -- December 9, 2014

Good Morning Friends,

“He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. For by him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by him and for him. He is before all things, and in him all things hold together. And he is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything he might have the supremacy. For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross.” (Colossians 1:15-20)

He is the image of the invisible God – look at Jesus and you see God. That’s why He came – so that we could see God and know what He is like.

He is the firstborn of all creation – nothing came before Him – nothing. Not man or any being. Not an angel or a demon. Not the world or the sun or any stars. Nothing came before Jesus.

He is the Creator – what exists is here because of Him. That means He knows everything about you and everything about your world.

No authority exists expect by permission of Jesus. That was true when Paul wrote this letter and Nero was emperor in Rome. That’s true today no matter what country we live in or what ruler has authority there. That doesn’t mean Jesus approves of everything every authority does – but it can happen only by His permission which means He is still directing the world even when evil rulers hold sway.

In Him all things hold together. Ever wonder what to call the force behind gravity? That force has a name – it is Jesus!

He is the head of the body. The church belongs to Jesus. It is His to direct and His to use as He pleases.

Making peace through His blood, shed on the cross. Read through the list of titles and attributes of Jesus that Paul outlines – then remember that’s Who died for you! He didn’t have to – He wanted to.

His, by Grace,

Steve

Monday Thought -- December 8, 2014

Good Morning Friends,

“For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you and asking God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all spiritual wisdom and understanding. And we pray this in order that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and may please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God, being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you have great endurance and patience, and joyfully giving thanks to the Father.” (Colossians 1:9-12)

I’m struck by the reasons Paul gives for wanting the Colossians to know the will of God.

1.    So that they would live a life worthy of the Lord and please Him.

2.    So they would bear fruit in what they did for Him.

3.    So they would grow in their relationship with God.

4.    So they would have great endurance and patience.

5.    So they would give thanks to God with joy.

For Paul, knowing the will of God was not about making life easy. Knowing the will of God was not about gaining a sense of satisfaction. Knowing the will of God was not about some kind of earthly achievement.

Instead, knowing the will of God was about pleasing God, honoring Him, and accomplishing what He wants accomplished in His Kingdom.

Why do you want to know the will of God? Is it about you – or about God?

His, by Grace,

Steve

Friday Thought -- December 5, 2014

Good Morning Friends,

“We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you, because we have heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love you have for all the saints -- the faith and love that spring from the hope that is stored up for you in heaven and that you have already heard about in the word of truth, the gospel that has come to you. All over the world this gospel is bearing fruit and growing, just as it has been doing among you since the day you heard it and understood God’s grace in all its truth. You learned it from Epaphras, our dear fellow servant, who is a faithful minister of Christ on our behalf.” (Colossians 1:3-7)

Ponder for just a few moments the miracle of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

Paul affirms that the Gospel had made its way to Colossae and impacted the lives of many Colossian people. They had heard the message from Epaphras, a preacher unknown to us whom God had used to bring the message to them. There have been millions of others like him -- unknown, unheralded -- yet, faithfully taking the Gospel from one place to the next. In every place the Gospel has gone it has had an impact on people’s lives.

Paul was writing almost 2,000 years ago and the Gospel was effective then. “All over the world this gospel is bearing fruit,” he said. In large cities like Rome and small villages like Nazareth and in quiet places where there were only two people, like the road to Gaza with Philip and the Ethiopian. It was effective among the rich and powerful, like Lydia and Joseph of Arimathea, and among the poor and helpless, like the blind and leprous.

That was true 2,000 years ago, and it’s been true in every generation since then, too. It’s true in our generation, as well. All over the world the gospel is bearing fruit. In Africa, people are coming to Christ by the millions. The Chinese church, persecuted by a government trying to get rid of it completely, is stronger than it has ever been. In South America and Asia and Mexico -- there isn’t a place where the Gospel isn’t effective, not even in the most closed countries in the Middle East, not even in America!

It’s brought by unknown, unheralded messengers who are soon forgotten, but it is not the messengers that make the message effective -- it is the power inherent in the Gospel itself. It’s changed my life -- probably changed yours, too -- or it can, if you’ll let it.

His, by Grace,

Steve

Thursday Thought -- December 4, 2014

Good Morning Friends,

“This is the disciple who testifies to these things and who wrote them down. We know that his testimony is true. Jesus did many other things as well. If every one of them were written down, I suppose that even the whole world would not have room for the books that would be written.” (John 21:24-25)

John’ s Gospel concludes with an assertion of the truth of what has been written and a declaration that much more could have been written.

John and the other Gospel writers were selective. They didn’t write everything that Jesus did, they couldn’t. There are gaps in the record of Jesus’ life that we don’t know about. There are places He went that are not recorded, miracles that He performed that are not mentioned. It would be interesting to know what else Jesus did while on earth. But that is information locked away until we see Him face to face.

Why did John and the others choose the particular incidents from Jesus’ life that are recorded by them? They were guided by the Holy Spirit with one principle in mind, the goal God had for their writing. John mentions it in the previous chapter: “Jesus did many other miraculous signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not recorded in this book. But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.” (John 20:30-31)

What is written about Jesus’ life is written so that we might believe, and by believing that we might have life. The Gospels are not meant to be biographies. They weren’t written as history lessons. They have one purpose: to proclaim Jesus and draw people to Him.

We don’t know everything from the life of Jesus, but what we know is enough. It’s enough to prove His identity. It’s enough to cause us to bow before Him in worship. It’s enough!

His, by Grace,

Steve

Wednesday Thought -- December 3, 2014

Good Morning Friends,

“Peter turned and saw that the disciple whom Jesus loved was following them. (This was the one who had leaned back against Jesus at the supper and had said, 'Lord, who is going to betray you?') When Peter saw him, he asked, ‘Lord, what about him?’ Jesus answered, ‘If I want him to remain alive until I return, what is that to you? You must follow me.’ Because of this, the rumor spread among the brothers that this disciple would not die. But Jesus did not say that he would not die; he only said, ‘If I want him to remain alive until I return, what is that to you?’” (John 21:20-23)

Life is unfair. That’s the obvious conclusion that we have to draw when we look around us at the various things that different people face in their lives.

For some people it seems like life goes without a hitch. They never lose a job. They never lose anyone close to them in death, except at very old ages. They never face any serious health problems. They are well into their 80s or 90s in relatively good health and then die peacefully. I’ve known people whose lives were like that, you probably have, too.

At the other extreme, there are people who seem to have constant problems. They suffer from one sickness after another. They lose a spouse to death very early in life. They can’t seem to find and hold a decent job. Their kids give them trouble constantly. Then they die an early death after a significant period of illness.

For most of us, life is somewhere in the middle of those two extremes. It isn’t perfect, but it isn’t as bad as it could be.

The truth is, you have to deal with different things in life than anyone else around you. Life is not fair. Life is kind of like poker, some people draw a straight flush and some people don’t even get a pair!

When Peter questioned the fairness of what he would have to face in life compared to what another disciple would face, Jesus said, “If I want him to remain alive until I return, what is that to you? You must follow Me.” That’s the point: our responsibility is to follow Jesus through whatever is dealt to us in life.

Life is not fair, that’s just the way it is. Follow Jesus through whatever!

His, by Grace,

Steve

Tuesday Thought -- December 2, 2014

Good Morning Friends,

“When they had finished eating, Jesus said to Simon Peter, ‘Simon son of John, do you truly love me more than these?’ ‘Yes, Lord,’ he said, ‘you know that I love you.’ Jesus said, ‘Feed my lambs.’ Again Jesus said, ‘Simon son of John, do you truly love me?’  He answered, ‘Yes, Lord, you know that I love you.’ Jesus said, ‘Take care of my sheep.’ The third time he said to him, ‘Simon son of John, do you love me?’ Peter was hurt because Jesus asked him the third time, ‘Do you love me?’ He said, ‘Lord, you know all things; you know that I love you.’ Jesus said, ‘Feed my sheep.’” (John 21:15-17)

This is a moving story, aimed at showing how important each individual is to the Lord and how much each one is loved by Him.

Peter had rendered himself unusable in the kingdom of God. At least that’s the way it seemed. He had denied knowing the Lord. Given the opportunity to stand with Him in His darkest hour, Peter turned away. He saved his own skin. Not just one time, but three times.

Was Peter worthless to God? Had his denial made him unusable from then on? Peter probably thought so. But not Jesus!

Peter was worth enough to God and loved enough by God that Jesus took him aside to reaffirm his relationship with Him and his place in the kingdom. As Peter had denied knowing Jesus three times on the night of the trials, now Jesus gave Peter three opportunities to affirm his love for Him. Three times Jesus let Peter know that he had an important place in the kingdom, a place of service, a place of leading others.

As bad as Peter’s sin was God forgave it. As bad as his sin was God still wanted him. As bad as it was God still trusted him. As bad as it was God still loved him.

He said those things to Peter so you would hear them, too. As bad as your sin is God forgives it. As bad as it is God still wants you. As bad as it is God still trusts you. As bad as it is God still loves you.

He’ll go out of His way to tell you that!

His, by Grace,

Steve

Monday Thought -- December 1, 2014

Good Morning Friends,

After His resurrection, Jesus appeared to a number of His followers, including all of the apostles at one time. That is, all except Thomas. For some reason Thomas was absent at the time of Jesus’ appearance. Thomas couldn’t believe what the others told him. To believe it, he had to see Jesus for himself. Jesus accommodated Thomas.

“Now Thomas (called Didymus), one of the Twelve, was not with the disciples when Jesus came. So the other disciples told him, ‘We have seen the Lord!’ But he said to them, ‘Unless I see the nail marks in his hands and put my finger where the nails were, and put my hand into his side, I will not believe it.’ A week later his disciples were in the house again, and Thomas was with them. Though the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, ‘Peace be with you!’ Then he said to Thomas, ‘Put your finger here; see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side. Stop doubting and believe.’ Thomas said to him, ‘My Lord and my God!’” (John 20:24-28)

I’m thankful for Thomas. I’m thankful that the resurrection can stand the test of doubts. The resurrection isn’t just a story passed from one follower of Jesus to another and believed without proof. Thomas asked for proof, and Jesus provided it.

I’m thankful for Thomas. I’m thankful that Thomas wanted physical proof. The resurrection isn’t just an hallucination or the appearance of a ghost. Thomas asked to be able to touch Jesus, and Jesus provided that opportunity. The resurrected body of Jesus was real.

I’m thankful for Thomas. I’m thankful for the clear conclusion to which this doubter came. When Jesus provided the proof that Thomas asked for, Thomas responded: “My Lord and my God.” The doubts disappeared and Thomas embraced the resurrection. His was an honest doubt and once satisfied, he responded to Jesus.

I’m thankful for Thomas. I’m thankful because sometimes I have doubts and sometimes others around me do too. Thomas teaches me that God can handle doubts. Thomas teaches me that there are answers to the doubts people have. Thomas teaches that honest doubts can be overcome.

I’m thankful for Thomas.

His, by Grace,

Steve