Wednesday Thought – November 10, 2016

Good Morning Friends,

“Think of what you were when you were called. Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were influential; not many were of noble birth. God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; the weak things of the world to shame the strong. He chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things -- and the things that are not -- to nullify the things that are, so that no one may boast before him. It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God -- that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption. Therefore, as it is written:  ‘Let him who boasts boast in the Lord.’” (1 Corinthians 1:26-31)

The apostles were uneducated, but God chose them to launch a movement of faith that is still strong today. No educated group could have been more powerfully used than were these eleven simple men. Where did they get the power to accomplish what they did? It couldn’t have come from them, it had to come from the Lord!

Zacchaeus was so small he had to climb a tree to see Jesus. He was an outcast and called “a sinner” because of his dishonorable profession. They laughed at his stature behind his back. But something happened when he met Jesus. You can’t explain it through Zacchaeus’s intelligence or his sensitivity to spiritual things. God did something in Zacchaeus’s heart that was so radical that God is the only explanation.

Mary Magdalene was a prostitute. A woman can’t get any more disreputable than that. That prostitute was given the very first glimpse of the Risen Lord. Only God would have chosen a witness like her. Man’s wisdom would have chosen someone more upstanding, someone people would have listened to more readily. God chose one whom He had changed so radically it was almost unbelievable.

The apostles, Zacchaeus, Mary Magdalene, and millions of others are testimonies to God’s power and grace. None of us is a testimony to our intelligence, abilities, and power. The only testimony that is worth giving is a testimony to His wisdom, His gifts, and His power. He deserves all the credit and the praise!

His, by Grace, Steve

Wednesday Thought – November 9, 2016

Good Morning Friends,

“For Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel -- not with words of human wisdom, lest the cross of Christ be emptied of its power. For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. For it is written: ‘I will destroy the wisdom of the wise; the intelligence of the intelligent I will frustrate.’” (1 Corinthians 1:17-19)

For thousands of years man has been on a futile journey to find the solutions to the problems of our world. We’ve tried human reason, but the problems of the world are beyond our ability to solve with human reason. We’ve walked down the path of what we called “moral freedom,” but found at the end of that path just continued emptiness. Military might hasn’t solved the problems, it’s just opened the way for more and more powerful tyrants. There used to be hope in psychotherapy, but the more therapy that became available the more problems we’ve uncovered and been unable to cure. Technology seemed to provide possibilities, but it has failed just as miserably as every other path we’ve tried. Political solutions have been equally ineffective. And there are a thousand other paths that have been tried and a thousand other dead ends and incomplete answers.

The place where the answers lie is the one place the people of our world don’t want to look. In Paul’s day, Christ and His cross were a “stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles.” (1 Corinthians 1:23) They still are in our day, too, not just to Jews and Greeks, but to every nationality of men and women. We’re too sophisticated and intelligent to think that the answers to man’s problems could be found in something so old and so counter to man’s own independence and abilities.

Yet, Christ is the answer that Paul gave. The message of God and the experience of man confirm that He is the only real answer available. A life lived in dependence upon and obedience to Him seems foolish to most, but it’s the power of salvation for those who will trust Him.

His, by Grace, Steve

Monday Thought – November 7, 2016

Good Morning Friends,

“I appeal to you, brothers, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree with one another so that there may be no divisions among you and that you may be perfectly united in mind and thought. My brothers, some from Chloe’s household have informed me that there are quarrels among you. What I mean is this: One of you says, ‘I follow Paul’; another, ‘I follow Apollos’; another, ‘I follow Cephas’; still another, ‘I follow Christ.’ Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Were you baptized into the name of Paul?” (1 Corinthians 1:10-13)

Can you imagine anyone arguing over which preacher is better? They actually did that back then, in Paul’s day. Apollos, Cephas, Paul -- they were all great preachers. God used one to reach certain people and another to reach other people. It’s strange how that works. Then there was that group of people who refused to put any man on a pedestal. They thought they were better because they refused to be known as followers of any man. But their pride was just as bad as the other groups. Each thought their group was better. Each thought they had been taught more correctly. Each group looked down on the other groups as somehow inferior.

Amazing that people could be so shallow back then. It’s a good thing people today are so much more mature. Or are we? Seems like we still do the same thing. Some people put their current preacher on a pedestal -- the best one around. Others put dead preachers in the place of honor! We’ll call ourselves by the name of someone from the past and develop pride that our group is better than those others. Of course, there’s still a group or two that refuses to say they follow any man. But their pride still gets in their way.

If we could just learn that it’s not about pride. It’s not about exalting ourselves, our leader, or our group. It’s about all of the followers of Jesus working together, each in his or her own corner of the Kingdom. All getting along, all complementing each other’s work and cooperating with each other to accomplish more.

That’s God vision of His Kingdom. It’s mine, too! I hope it’s yours.

His, by Grace, Steve

Friday Thought – November 4, 2016

Good Morning Friends,

“Paul, called to be an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and our brother Sosthenes, To the church of God in Corinth, to those sanctified in Christ Jesus and called to be holy, together with all those everywhere who call on the name of our Lord Jesus Christ -- their Lord and ours: Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.” (1 Corinthians 1:1-3)

The first verses of the first Corinthian letter are pretty standard stuff. It’s just the beginning of a letter. They talk about the one writing, they talk about the ones being written to, and they share the goodwill of the author. It is pretty standard stuff, but it’s pretty significant stuff, too!

This passage speaks of the fact that both the author and the recipients have been called. Called by God, of course. That says something about the activity of God. What they are about is of God’s initiative. That’s true of you, too. You aren’t a Christian by your own initiative, but by God’s. He called you to Himself. He drew you. He invited you into a relationship with Him.

What were the Corinthians called to? They were called to holiness. God called them to a changed life. And God continues to call people to a changed life. That’s what He’s called you and me to. He doesn’t want to see us stay the way we were before we met Him. He wants to see us different, changed, holy, like Him. Oh, it doesn’t happen all at once, but it does happen. Bit by bit, small change by small change, sometimes almost imperceptible, but God is changing us, He always changes the people He touches.

He has changed me -- and still is. If you have a relationship with God then He’s already changed you, too -- and He is still at work changing you even more!

His, by Grace, Steve

Thursday Thought – November 3, 2016

Good Morning Friends,

“Then the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted. Then Jesus came to them and said, ‘All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.’” (Matthew 28:16-20)

Last words are usually important. When someone lies dying, we listen with close attention to their final words. Their words often represent a clear glimpse of the heart of the one departing. The words above are some of Jesus’ last words. They do offer a clear glimpse of His heart, of what He considered important.

Jesus’ last words were a challenge and a command to His followers to take His message to others. The command was based upon His authority, an authority which cannot be challenged anywhere. It was all encompassing vision, no nation or people were to be left out. It is to be fulfilled intentionally, the command is to “go,” not to wait for them to come to us. It contained a clear focus, He is looking for disciples, those who will follow Him, those who will unashamedly identify with Him in baptism, and those who will long to hear His will and do it. It offers help to accomplish it, He will be with us as we go.

The Great Commission was deep in Jesus’ heart just before He left this world, and it still is. There remain nations that have not yet been heard the message of Jesus, and people that have not yet responded to it. The challenge and command from Jesus is still before us!

God loves you, and He loves the world.

His, by Grace, Steve

Wednesday Thought – November 2, 2016

Good Morning Friends,

“Some of the guards went into the city and reported to the chief priests everything that had happened. When the chief priests had met with the elders and devised a plan, they gave the soldiers a large sum of money, telling them, ‘You are to say, ‘His disciples came during the night and stole him away while we were asleep.’ If this report gets to the governor, we will satisfy him and keep you out of trouble.’ So the soldiers took the money and did as they were instructed. And this story has been widely circulated among the Jews to this very day.” (Matthew 28:11-15)

For an honest person to remain in unbelief he must find a way to deal with the resurrection. If the resurrection is true, then there really is no choice but to follow Jesus. But if you can explain away the resurrection, then you can reject Jesus.

The chief priests weren’t honest men. They didn’t find a way to explain away the resurrection, they created one! Contrary to all the evidence, they chose to remain in unbelief. Why would anyone do that? It comes down to this, what they wanted to believe was more important to them than what was true!

Jesus told Pilate during His trial, “I came into the world, to testify to the truth. Everyone on the side of truth listens to me.” (John 18:37)

Don’t follow Jesus because your parents did, or because your friends do, or because it helps the country. Follow Jesus because it is true -- He is true! Jesus said, “I am the truth.” (John 14:6)

His, by Grace, Steve

Tuesday Thought – November 1, 2016

Good Morning Friends,

“After the Sabbath, at dawn on the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to look at the tomb. There was a violent earthquake, for an angel of the Lord came down from heaven and, going to the tomb, rolled back the stone and sat on it. His appearance was like lightning, and his clothes were white as snow. The guards were so afraid of him that they shook and became like dead men. The angel said to the women, ‘Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. He is not here; he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay. Then go quickly and tell his disciples: “He has risen from the dead and is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him.”’” (Matthew 28:1-7)

The greatest event in all of human history, and Matthew tells it in just a paragraph or two! Jesus was crucified, dead, buried. His followers were grief-stricken, hopeless, coming to care for His body. God had other plans! They should have expected it, even His enemies knew He had predicted it and made arrangements to guard against it. But it was so unbelievable that until it happened they could not believe it, and even then it was not easy!

It’s not easy for us to believe it, either. We’ve seen death. We’ve been to funerals, buried loved ones. Death is permanent. People don’t just come back alive again. But Jesus did! History records it. The disciples testified to it. Changed lives confirm it. The church proclaims it. Jesus -- died -- came back to life!

That is the core truth of Christianity. It is the one act of Jesus that divides people. Believe it, and you must follow Him. Don’t believe it, and you cannot follow Him. “If Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is your faith. If Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins. … But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead.” (1 Corinthians 15:14-20)

Christ has been raised from the dead. So follow Him!

His, by Grace, Steve