Friday Thought – October 30, 2015

Good Morning Friends,

"So I say to you: Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened. Which of you fathers, if your son asks for a fish, will give him a snake instead? Or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!" (Luke 11:9-13)

Jesus promises that God will not give His children something worthless or harmful when they ask for something good. God is like a good parent in that way. No parent, at least no loving parent, will deliberately disappoint or hurt his child.

But, what if a child asks for something worthless (a stone) or something harmful (a snake)? It's not beyond children to do that. Many a young boy has asked for a gun before he was ready to handle it. Many a child has asked for a car before they were mature enough to use it wisely. And the worthless gifts that children ask for are very common. So, how does a loving parent respond when a child asks for something harmful? He refuses to give it! And if it is something worthless, he'll often say "no" to that, too.

I think those principles give us great insight into why God says "no" to so many of our prayers. Like a small child, I often don't know that I'm asking for something harmful. But as a wise parent, God knows and refuses to give me what will hurt me. Like an unknowing child, I ask for many things that are worthless, and God often says "no" to those trinkets.

His, by Grace, Steve

Thursday Thought – October 29, 2015

Good Morning Friends,

“Jesus and his disciples came to a village where a woman named Martha opened her home to him. She had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord's feet listening to what he said. Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made. She came to him and asked, ‘Lord, don't you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!’ ‘Martha, Martha,’ the Lord answered, ‘you are worried and upset about many things, but only one thing is needed. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.’” (Luke 10:38-41)

Are you more like Martha or like Mary?

Martha was the doer. She was concerned about taking care of everyone. She wanted the meal she fed Jesus to be just right. She was the kind of person who would have wanted the house spotless when guests arrived and everything picked up at the end of each day. She was always busy. She was busy with good things –but still, she was busy.

Mary found time for contemplation. She would have been fine with sandwiches her guests would have made for themselves from the fixing she quickly set on the table. She would have done some straightening before Jesus arrived, but would not have been concerned if the house wasn’t spotless. She wouldn’t have noticed about any clutter that accumulated while her guests were there and wouldn’t have done anything about it even if she had noticed. She was content to sit and listen to Jesus.

Being a Martha isn’t wrong – as long as the busyness doesn’t keeps you from focusing on the Lord and listening to Him.

Being a Mary isn’t wrong, either – as long as your contemplation doesn’t cause you to ignore things that really do need to be done – that God wants you to do.

There is a time to be a doer and a time to be listener. The hard part is in knowing which takes priority at any given time.

That’s what Martha missed. When Jesus was in her home it was time to simplify the doing and focus on the listening. She missed that and tried to get Jesus to make Mary miss it, too.

When Jesus wants you to be listening, are you? Or are you too busy doing?

His, by Grace, Steve

Wednesday Thought – October 28, 2015

Good Morning Friends,

A religious lawyer came to Jesus with a question: "Teacher," he asked, "what must I do to inherit eternal life?" (Luke 10:25)

It is a very good question. What do you think the lawyer expected Jesus to say? Jesus didn’t answer directly, but instead He turned the question back to the lawyer and asked him what he thought the Law said was necessary for eternal life.

The lawyer gave the right answer and it was summed up two fundamental laws:

Love God completely -- “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind.”

Love your neighbor wholeheartedly -- “Love your neighbor as yourself.” (Luke 10:27)

Of course, Jesus didn’t allow the lawyer to get all smug because he had answered correctly and He didn’t allow the lawyer to think that he could actually keep those laws well enough to satisfy God. Jesus followed up with one of the most famous of His stories … the Good Samaritan.

The bottom-line of what Jesus was trying to teach the lawyer is the same lesson that He has tried over and over to teach to every audience who heard Him. The lesson is – none of us can keep the law well enough to gain eternal life by it.

We aren’t capable of loving God completely. There is always some aspect of our heart, mind or life that we hold back from God. We may not want to hold back – but we all do. Our self-centeredness gets in the way.

We aren’t capable of loving our neighbors as ourselves. Our love of self is inborn and try as hard as we can, we can’t stop loving ourselves. Love for others is not inborn and every bit of loving others requires intentionality and self-discipline. We all can manage that for a time – in spurts – but not all the time. That’s just beyond our capability.

Where does that leave us? Exactly where Jesus wants us to be – pleading with God for His grace and mercy. Grace and mercy – those are the only real path to eternal life.

His, by Grace, Steve

Tuesday Thought -- October 27, 2015

Good Morning Friends,

“Then he turned to his disciples and said privately, ‘Blessed are the eyes that see what you see. For I tell you that many prophets and kings wanted to see what you see but did not see it, and to hear what you hear but did not hear it.’” (Luke 10:23-24)

I was thinking about the kings that Jesus mentions in these verses. Their lives were not as luxurious as the lives of kings today, but they were as luxurious when compared to the lives of their subjects as kings’ lives are today when compared to their subjects now. That brings a perspective to what Jesus is saying here.

Many of us have watched a part of the royal wedding in England or in some other place. The weddings of Charles and Diana of a generation ago or the wedding of William and Kate in this generation were more luxurious than any weddings we’ve ever attended. They are the things of dreams. Little girls will put weddings like those in their minds as the ultimate in wedding fantasies. Kings can do that; they can afford weddings that are luxurious beyond measure.

Kings can stay in the finest hotels. Eat in the most expensive restaurants. Play the most exclusive of golf courses. Live in palaces. Vacation in the most beautiful places. They can do the most amazing things.

The lives of kings are the lives of dreams and fantasies. They are successful on an earthly level beyond what most of us can even imagine. That’s true today and that was true in Jesus’ day, too.

So listen to Jesus with that in mind: “For I tell you that many kings wanted to see what you see and did not, and to hear what you hear but did not.”

Jesus is talking about what the apostles saw and heard – and about what you and I have witnessed as followers of Jesus Christ. In Jesus, we have what kings dream of!

His, by Grace, Steve

Monday Thought – October 26, 2015

Good Morning Friends,

“The seventy-two returned with joy and said, ‘Lord, even the demons submit to us in your name.’ He replied, ‘I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven. I have given you authority to trample on snakes and scorpions and to overcome all the power of the enemy; nothing will harm you. However, do not rejoice that the spirits submit to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven.’” (Luke 10:17-20)

Miraculous power is impressive. When the people of Jesus’ day saw the miracles He could do – healings, casting out demons, multiplying food, and raising the dead – they were VERY impressed. They flocked to Jesus to see more miracles. They flocked to Jesus so that He could meet their needs.

When Jesus sent out the 72, they were also impressed with the miraculous power that accompanied them. They even saw demonic powers submit to their commands. They enjoyed the power they had been given. They enjoyed the impact those powers could have on others. They probably enjoyed the notice those powers brought to them, too. We all like it when others think that what we can do is impressive.

When the 72 returned, they were excited to tell Jesus about what they had been able to do. And Jesus could tell them about even greater works of power. In what seemed like the ultimate work of power, Jesus told them of seeing Satan fall from heaven. The most powerful demonic force was subject to the power of God.

But Jesus went on to tell the 72 that there was something even more impressive than seeing Satan cast out of heaven. There was something more impressive than seeing spirits submit to the power that has been given you. The something more impressive is the eternal place that God has given to us through Jesus.

What is the source of your joy? Is it in what you can do for God? Is it in what God can do through you? Are you impressed with your gifts and your powers? Or are you impressed just that you’re saved?

His, by Grace, Steve

Friday Thought – October 23, 2015

Good Morning Friends,

"Woe to you, Korazin!  Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the miracles that were performed in you had been performed in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago, sitting in sackcloth and ashes. But it will be more bearable for Tyre and Sidon at the judgment than for you. And you, Capernaum, will you be lifted up to the skies? No, you will go down to the depths. He who listens to you listens to me; he who rejects you rejects me; but he who rejects me rejects him who sent me." (Luke 10:13-15)

The principle Jesus teaches in this passage is that people will be judged, at least in part, according to the opportunities they received during their lives. Korazin and Bethsaida received many opportunities, but they did not respond to them very well. They will be judged more harshly because of that. Places like Tyre and Sidon which did not receive as many opportunities will be judged less harshly.

It seems, then, that America will be judged very harshly because the opportunities we have received are more than any other nation in the world, at least in this era. There are more churches and more ministries here, per capita, than in any other place in the world. More money is available for preaching the Gospel here than can be imagined in other places. The Gospel has been broadcast many times on television and radio, preached in huge stadiums and other large venues, books have been distributed, videos given away. Americans who have not responded to the Gospel have no excuse, they've had plenty of opportunities.

It is discouraging that so many Americans have heard the Gospel but have not responded to it by receiving Christ. Even as we have shared our own faith with those around us we've seen that happen, people don't always respond to what we share. Judgment awaits them -- harsh judgment. That's a powerful motivation for us to keep sharing. It is also powerful motivation to be sure that we take advantage of the opportunities the Lord gives to us.

His, by Grace, Steve

Thursday Thought – October 22, 2015

Good Morning Friends,

“The Lord appointed seventy-two others and sent them out two by two ahead of him to every town and place where he was about to go. He told them, ‘The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.’” (Luke 10:1-4)

I’ve been appointed to things before – committees, boards, jobs, etc. With each appointment came responsibility. Each appointment also came with trust. The very decision to appoint me to something was a statement of trust. Someone was trusting me to do what needed to be done. That’s what Jesus was saying about the seventy-two He appointed to bear His message. He was trusting them with an important responsibility. He believed they could do what needed to be done. When He appoints you to some task – bearing His message, doing His work – He is saying the same about you – He trusts you. The Lord of Lords trusts you!

This passage also says that Jesus sent them out “ahead of Him.” They weren’t responsible for the whole thing. All of the work of God was not tied to what they were going to do. They were responsible for only a piece – the Lord would bring the work to its completion. That’s still true about the work we do for Him. We do what He assigns, but all the work is not tied to what we do. There is a piece – the biggest piece – that is God’s to do. He’ll bring the work to completion.

There were many ready to respond in Jesus’ day. There are still many ready to respond in our day. There are places around the world where the response to the message of Jesus is huge. Even here, where the impact of the Gospel seems limited, there are still people who are responding and lives being changed. What was lacking then – and what is lacking now – are those willing to bear the message.

One final point: remember whose harvest it is. The Lord sends workers. The Lord answers prayers. He is the Lord of the harvest. It is His harvest field.

The Lord is looking for workers for His harvest. Will you bear His message?

His, by Grace, Steve