Tuesday Thought – August 9, 2016

Good Morning Friends,

“When John heard in prison what Christ was doing, he sent his disciples to ask him, ‘Are you the one who was to come, or should we expect someone else?’ Jesus replied, ‘Go back and report to John what you hear and see: The blind receive sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosy are cured, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the good news is preached to the poor. Blessed is the man who does not fall away on account of me.’” (Matthew 11:2-6)

How can you know that Jesus really is who He said He was? That was John’s question and it is a question that people still ask today, perhaps you have asked it, or still are asking it.

Jesus didn’t get angry at John’s question, He just answered it. He said, “Look at what I’m doing and you’ll know who I am!” Nicodemus was convinced by the same thing that Jesus said would convince John. Nicodemus said to Jesus, “Rabbi, we know you are a teacher who has come from God. For no one could perform the miraculous signs you are doing if God were not with him.” (John 3:2)

No one could do what Jesus did unless He was from God. And if He was from God, all that He said was true! All that He said about Himself was true. All that He said about eternal life was true!

Look at what Jesus has done: the miracles He did 2,000 years ago, the lives He changed then, the lives He’s changed in the years since, the lives He is still changing today. And the ultimate proof that He is who He said He was is that empty tomb!

He really is who He said He was. He really is God Himself in the flesh.

Worship Him. Serve Him. Trust Him. Love Him.

His, by Grace, Steve

Monday Thought – August 8, 2016

Good Morning Friends,

Jesus sent His disciples to share His message with others. Before He sent them out, He gave them encouragement, instruction, and warning.

“Freely you have received, freely give.” (Matthew 10:8) Don’t withhold the Gospel, sharing it only sparingly. Give it away freely to all who will listen.

”I am sending you out like sheep among wolves. Therefore be as shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves.” (Matthew 10:16) Share the message with all of the intelligence you have and with deliberate planning. Guard the purity of your life, no matter how well you share the message, people will not listen if what they see in you contradicts it.

“All men will hate you because of me, but he who stands firm to the end will be saved.” (Matthew 10:22) Not everyone will love you because of the message you are sharing. Many will turn against you because you follow Jesus.

“It is enough for the student to be like his teacher, and the servant like his master.” (Matthew 10:25) In all you do, strive to be like Jesus, follow His example.

“Even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows. Whoever acknowledges me before men, I will also acknowledge him before my Father in heaven. Whoever disowns me before men, I will disown him before my Father in heaven.” (Matthew 10:30-33) It will not be easy to share the message. But God sees what is happening in your life, and He loves you. Don’t be afraid to stand with Him, for He is standing firm with you!

“Anyone who loves his father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; anyone who loves his son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me; and anyone who does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me. Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.” (Matthew 10:37-39) There are many things a person can give his or her life to. None of them compare in value to Jesus!

God is sending us into the world, even as Jesus sent His disciples. We have a message worth sharing.

His, by Grace, Steve

Friday Thought – August 5, 2016

Good Morning Friends,

“Jesus went through all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the good news of the kingdom and healing every disease and sickness. When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. He said to his disciples, ‘The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.’” (Matthew 9:35-38)

When Jesus saw the crowds that surrounded Him, He did not get disgusted at their sins, problems, or demands. Instead, He was moved with compassion. He saw their deep needs and longed to be able to help them. He healed their diseases, provided wisdom, cleansed their sin, and offered abundant and eternal life.

Two things kept Jesus from meeting the needs of the multitudes:

There were not enough workers to take His message and power to them. The harvest was plentiful but the workers were few. That’s still true today. There are many who will not respond to His message no matter how many times it is presented to them. But there are multitudes who know their deep need and would respond if they heard the message. The great need is for workers. The most powerful thing we can do is to pray, ask God to send more workers into the field. Ask Him to move by His Holy Spirit in our hearts and in the hearts of others to open our eyes to see the need and to motivate us to respond.

Many were unwilling to turn to Him, even when they had the chance. Jesus looked over Jerusalem and cried, “How often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing.” (Matthew 23:37) How it hurt Jesus when people did not respond to Him. He was sad because they were left hurting when they could have been helped.

Pray for workers. Respond when called. Weep for the lost. People need the Lord!

His, by Grace, Steve

Thursday Thought – August 4, 2016

Good Morning Friends,

A desperately hurting father came to Jesus. His daughter had just died. He said to Jesus, “Come and put your hand on her, and she will live.” (Matthew 9:18) Jesus came and she did come alive again! Such faith is seen in the father. Such power and compassion is seen in Jesus!

A woman who had been bleeding for 12 years came up behind Jesus and said to herself, “If I only touch His cloak, I will be healed.” (Matthew 9:21) She did manage to touch His hem despite the crowd and she was healed! Such faith is seen in the woman. Such power that flowed through Jesus!

Two blind men followed Jesus and begged Him, “Have mercy on us, Son of David.” They were asking for their sight to be restored and when Jesus asked if they believed He could do it, they responded, “Yes, Lord.” (Matthew 9:27-28) Jesus touched them and they could see again! Such faith is seen in the blind men. Such power and compassion is seen in Jesus!

Then a demon-possessed man was brought to Jesus. He could not talk. Jesus drove out the demon and the man began to talk again! (Matthew 9:32-33) Those who brought the man to Jesus showed such faith, Jesus showed such power and compassion!

Death is powerless in His presence.

Sickness and infirmity cannot defeat His power.

Demonic forces must submit to His commands.

Such power! And such compassion that Jesus would use that power for people, like us!

Do you believe He still has that power? Do you believe He still has that compassion? He does! Have faith in Him!

His, by Grace, Steve

Wednesday Thought – August 3, 2016

Good Morning Friends,

“Then John’s disciples came and asked him, ‘How is it that we and the Pharisees fast, but your disciples do not fast?’ Jesus answered, ‘How can the guests of the bridegroom mourn while he is with them? The time will come when the bridegroom will be taken from them; then they will fast. No one sews a patch of unshrunk cloth on an old garment, for the patch will pull away from the garment, making the tear worse. Neither do men pour new wine into old wineskins. If they do, the skins will burst, the wine will run out and the wineskins will be ruined. No, they pour new wine into new wineskins, and both are preserved.’” (Matthew 9:14-17)

Jesus came challenging deeply held beliefs and traditions. What He was offering could not be accepted and just become a part of the old system, the old way of approaching God. It was something totally unfamiliar and required a radical shift in thinking and in life.

The Jews struggled with that because their roots in the old system were so deep. They couldn’t envision approaching God any way but the way of their fathers, the way they had been used to for generations. Because they couldn’t, or wouldn’t, let go of the past, many of them missed what Jesus was offering; the peace, the joy, the freedom, the eternity of a fresh relationship with the Heavenly Father.

What Jesus offers continues to challenge deeply held beliefs and traditions. Men and women continue to fall back into old belief systems. People want to approach God in the way that seems right to them -- by something they offer Him. But nothing that we can ever offer God will put us into right relationship with Him. That is available in only one way, through the new thing Jesus offered then, and still offers today, a relationship with God through what He’s done.

His, by Grace, Steve

Tuesday Thought – August 2, 2016

Good Morning Friends,

“As Jesus went on from there, he saw a man named Matthew sitting at the tax collector’s booth. ‘Follow me,’ he told him, and Matthew got up and followed him. While Jesus was having dinner at Matthew’s house, many tax collectors and ‘sinners’ came and ate with him and his disciples. When the Pharisees saw this, they asked his disciples, ‘Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and ‘sinners’?’ On hearing this, Jesus said, ‘It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. But go and learn what this means: “I desire mercy, not sacrifice.” For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.’” (Matthew 9:9-13)

Tax collectors weren’t very highly thought of in Israel in Jesus’ day. They were traitors to their own people. They were servants of Rome, participating in the unreasonable taxation of Israel for the Roman Empire. The Jews hated that. They wanted no part of Rome. They longed for independence but were not strong enough to secure it. More than just participating in Roman taxation, most tax collectors were lining their own pockets, too, charging more for taxes than even Rome required. The tax collectors were hated by the Jews, considered the lowest people and the farthest from God.

Why would Jesus pick such a man to be among His closest followers? Because Jesus knew Matthew’s heart and it was a heart ready to respond to Him. Because Jesus loved, and still loves, sinners. In fact, He loves only sinners! His strongest condemnation was reserved for the righteous and His most gracious invitations were extended to sinners.

Of course, there really aren’t any righteous people. “All have sinned.” (Romans 3:23) There are people, like the Pharisees, who think they are righteous, but they are deluded. Jesus invites those who know they are sinners to follow Him.

Isn’t that great! That means His invitation doesn’t leave you and me out! We’re sinners.  I know I am and I hope you know you are, too. He has invited us sinners to follow Him. Praise God!

His, by Grace, Steve

Monday Thought – August 1, 2016

Good Morning Friends,

“Two demon-possessed men coming from the tombs met him. They were so violent that no one could pass that way. ‘What do you want with us, Son of God?’ they shouted. ‘Have you come here to torture us before the appointed time?’ Some distance from them a large herd of pigs was feeding. The demons begged Jesus, ‘If you drive us out, send us into the herd of pigs.’ He said to them, ‘Go!’ They came out and went into the pigs, and the whole herd rushed down the steep bank into the lake and died in the water. Those tending the pigs ran off, went into the town and reported all this, including what had happened to the demon-possessed men. Then the whole town went out to meet Jesus. When they saw him, they pleaded with him to leave their region.” (Matthew 8:28-34)

There are forces at work in our world we cannot see. We are unfamiliar with the work of demons. On the one hand, it would be wrong to see a demon behind every bad thing that happens and in every person who has some kind of problem. On the other hand, it would be wrong to believe that the work of demons is no longer influencing people’s lives and our world in any way. There is great comfort in knowing that “the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world.” (1 John 4:4) We need not fear the power of demons in our lives because of the superior power of the Holy Spirit who indwells us.

There were some people who were not comfortable having Jesus around. The people pleaded with Jesus to leave their region. Can you imagine that? They didn’t want Jesus anywhere near them. There are still people who are not comfortable having Jesus around, having Him talked about or having His Word preached. There are many people who do not want their lives changed by God. Sometimes His work in our lives is painful and uncomfortable, but don’t run from Him, everything He does is for our good and out of His love.

His, by Grace, Steve