Monday Thought – November 30, 2015

Good Morning Friends,

"Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much, and whoever is dishonest with very little will also be dishonest with much. So if you have not been trustworthy in handling worldly wealth, who will trust you with true riches? And if you have not been trustworthy with someone else's property, who will give you property of your own? No servant can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money." (Luke 16:10-13)

Money makes a good servant, but a bad master. The trouble is that too many people allow money to be their master. They make decisions based upon how it will affect their money. Money becomes more important to some people than anything else -- more important than doing God's will, more important than people, even more important than God.

God calls us to have the right perspective on our money, to consider it a servant, a tool to be used to accomplish what God wants to accomplish with it. Money is a "very little" thing, it has no importance in the eternal scheme of things. It is given to us as a test of how we will manage the more important things that will come later, the "true riches" of eternity.

We are to consider the money we have as someone else's property. It belongs to the Lord and He has only entrusted its care to us. When we are caring for someone else's property we are to do with it what they want, not what we want.

So the questions are --

Is your money your master or your servant?

Are you passing the test with your money, showing yourself faithful in how you use it?

Are you using the money entrusted to you in the way its Owner desires, or do you consider it your own?

His, by Grace, Steve

Friday Thought – November 27, 2015

Good Morning Friends,

“The older brother became angry and refused to go in. His father went and pleaded with him. He answered his father, 'All these years I've been slaving for you and never disobeyed your orders. You never gave me even a young goat so I could celebrate with my friends. When this son of yours who has squandered your property with prostitutes comes home, you kill the fattened calf for him!' 'My son,' the father said, 'you are always with me, and everything I have is yours. We had to celebrate and be glad, because this brother of yours was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.'" (Luke 15:28-32)

The story of the prodigal son ends with the encounter of the father with the older son. When the prodigal turned toward home the father ran to meet him. The father sought the prodigal and brought him back into a loving relationship. The prodigal was lost in his sin and the father sought him and brought him back.

The older son was lost, too. He was not lost in the same kinds of sin his younger brother was, but he was lost just the same. He was lost in the sin of pride, self-righteousness and duty. He wasn’t enjoying the loving relationship offered by his father. He was serving for what he hoped to get from it.

When the older son’s sins became evident, then the father sought him out, too. “So his father went out and pleaded with him.” The father didn’t just want the prodigal to come back into a loving relationship with him, that’s what he wanted for the older son, too. The father longed for both of his sons to be in a loving relationship with him and in a loving relationship with each other, too.

Apart from a relationship of love with our Father, we are all lost in sin. Some lost in sins similar to the prodigal and some lost in sins like those of the older son. Without a loving relationship with the Father we are all lost in sin.

The father longs for all of His children to be in a loving relationship with Him and in a loving relationship with each other, too.

His, by Grace, Steve 

Wednesday Thought – November 25, 2015

Good Morning Friends,

"Jesus said: 'There was a man who had two sons. The younger one said to his father, 'Give me my share of the estate.' So he divided his property between them. Not long after that, the younger son got together all he had, set off for a distant country and squandered his wealth in wild living. After he had spent everything, there was a severe famine in that whole country, and he began to be in need. He went and hired himself out to a citizen of that country, who sent him to his fields to feed pigs. He longed to fill his stomach with the pods that the pigs were eating, but no one gave him anything.'" (Luke 15:11-16)

The parable of the prodigal son tells the story of what it's like to be lost. It's a story most of us are familiar with because it is our story. The world looks so inviting, especially when we are young. We feel confined by the things we've been taught about God's standards and we want out. We want to be free live like we want to live instead of being bound by things that seem only designed to take away our fun. Many of us left the Father's house and traveled down that road of what we thought was freedom.

Like the prodigal, we find that what looked like freedom and fun from a distance wasn't so free and wasn't so fun. In the end, we realized that life away from God was empty and miserable. That's what the son realized after he squandered his money. He found himself in deep need and in that need he turned back toward his father's house.

When you look at the lives of the people around you who do not know God their lives sometimes seem so good. They are free, they are having fun -- or so it seems. But remember your own story and the truth told by the prodigal -- the freedom and fun of the world are illusions that last only briefly and turn to the emptiness they really are. True freedom and satisfaction are found in only one place -- with the Father!

His, by Grace, Steve

Tuesday Thought – November 24, 2015

Good Morning Friends,

“Jesus told this parable: ‘Suppose one of you has a hundred sheep and loses one of them. Does he not leave the ninety-nine in the open country and go after the lost sheep until he finds it? And when he finds it, he joyfully puts it on his shoulders and goes home. Then he calls his friends and neighbors together and says, “Rejoice with me; I have found my lost sheep.” I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent.’” (Luke 15:3-7)

Using the criteria found in this parable are you able to call yourself a friend of God?

Friends of God care more about lost sheep than they do about their own needs. They give up their time and resources to celebrate the finding of a lost sheep. It’s not even their sheep. The sheep belongs to someone else. But they care so much about lost sheep, and the One whose sheep it is, that they celebrate when it is found. Do you celebrate when lost sheep are found?

Friends of God care more about lost sheep than they do about the sheep that are secure in the sheepfold. Heaven rejoices over one sinner who repents more than over the ninety-nine who do not need to repent. Friends of God are willing to put the needs of the secure sheep aside in order to look for lost sheep. Even though there are far more secure sheep than there are lost sheep, finding the one lost sheep matters more than meeting the needs of the secure sheep. Do you care more about finding lost sheep or being sure the needs of the secure sheep are met?

Let’s bring that home even more. Do you care more about lost sheep being found than you do about your own needs being met? Are you willing to lay your needs aside in order for lost sheep to be sought after? Friends of God are willing to do that because they know how much lost sheep matter to God.

His, by Grace, Steve

Monday Thought – November 23, 2015

Good Morning Friends,

“Large crowds were traveling with Jesus, and turning to them he said: ‘If anyone comes to me and does not hate his father and mother, his wife and children, his brothers and sisters — yes, even his own life — he cannot be my disciple. And anyone who does not carry his cross and follow me cannot be my disciple.’” (Luke 14:25-27)

Jesus was not interested in attracting crowds. He was interested in attracting followers. That’s what a disciple is – a person who follows someone else. A disciple of Jesus follows Jesus. Literally, a disciple is a learner. So a disciple of Jesus listens carefully to Jesus in order to do what He says. A disciple of Jesus watches Jesus closely in order to do what He does.

A disciple of Jesus is someone who focuses more on Jesus than on anyone else. A disciple of Jesus focuses on Him more than he focuses on his family. A disciple of Jesus focuses on Him more than he focuses on his own life – what is best for him and what he wants. Instead, a disciple of Jesus focuses on what is best for Jesus and what Jesus wants.

A disciple of Jesus is willing to sacrifice anything for Jesus. A disciple will sacrifice his time for Jesus. A disciple will sacrifice his energy for Jesus. A disciple will sacrifice his possessions and resources for Jesus. A disciple will sacrifice his talents for Jesus. A disciple will even sacrifice his life for Jesus if he is called upon to do so.

Jesus is looking for disciples. He longs for us to go into all the world to make disciples – not to gather crowds. He longs for each of us to be His disciples. He doesn’t just want us to be a part of His crowd – He wants us to be His followers – His students.

Are you just a part of Jesus’ crowd? Or – Are you His disciple?

His, by Grace, Steve 

Friday Thought – November 20, 2015

Good Morning Friends,

"Jesus replied: 'A certain man was preparing a great banquet and invited many guests. At the time of the banquet he sent his servant to tell those who had been invited, 'Come, for everything is now ready.' But they all alike began to make excuses. The first said, 'I have just bought a field, and I must go and see it. Please excuse me.' Another said, 'I have just bought five yoke of oxen, and I'm on my way to try them out. Please excuse me.' Still another said, 'I just got married, so I can't come.' The servant came back and reported this to his master. Then the owner of the house became angry and ordered his servant, 'Go out quickly into the streets and alleys of the town and bring in the poor, the crippled, the blind and the lame.''" (Luke 14:16-21)

There are many good things that keep people from following Jesus.

Sometimes people get busy with their career or business and can't take time for the Lord. Many of these people plan to make the Lord a part of their lives later in life, perhaps when they retire.

For others, family concerns and responsibilities keep them from following Jesus. There are so many responsibilities in raising a family. The house takes a lot of time to care for. It's important to have good and nutritious meals. The kids have more and more activities as they get older and their involvement in things helps them develop.

None of these are bad things, they are all good things, but they keep many people from following the Lord. They plan on having time later in their lives for spiritual things. It's not that spiritual things are unimportant to them, it's just not a good time for them.

Good things, important things, but are they worth endangering your eternity and the eternity of your family?

His, by Grace, Steve

Thursday Thought – November 19, 2015

Good Morning Friends,

“When he noticed how the guests picked the places of honor at the table, he told them this parable: ‘When someone invites you to a wedding feast, do not take the place of honor, a person more distinguished than you may have been invited. If so, the host who invited both of you will come and say to you, “Give this man your seat.” Humiliated, you will have to take the least important place. When you are invited, take the lowest place, so that when your host comes, he will say to you, “Friend, move up to a better place.” You will be honored in the presence of all your fellow guests. Everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.’” (Luke 14:7-11)

There is strong temptation to make sure we get what we think we deserve.

I think my position entitles me to the best parking place. I deserve the best seat at the game. No one should dare to sit in my chair in front of the TV. I want to be at the table at the front of the room. Let someone else sit by the restaurant kitchen – I should be in a quieter and better place.

It’s what I deserve. It’s what I’ve earned. It’s about respect. It’s about honor. It’s about my place in life.

In truth, it’s about pride!

Consider the place on earth Jesus deserved? Was coming into the world in the womb of a woman the kind of entrance He deserved? Was a stable the appropriate place for Him to be born? Was Nazareth a fitting place for Him to be raised? Should He have slept outside much of His life? Would a palace have provided accommodations more befitting who He is? Did He deserve the mocking – spitting – beating – execution? Was a cross the fit way for Him to die?

None of what Jesus got on earth was fitting for Him and who He is. What He deserved was the place He left in heaven – the glory that He knew in eternity past. What He accepted was a place of humility. He did that for us.

Are you following His footsteps to humility or walking in the pride that comes so naturally?

His, by Grace, Steve