Loving like Jesus

Galatians 3:28 (NKJV)

28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus.

The apostle reminds the Galatian Christian’s that they are heirs to the kingdom of God through Jesus Christ. For those who live in Christ and Christ in them there is no discrimination. Christ does not see nationality, the rich or poor, male or female, but a human being who is in need of love, mercy and grace.

Actress Reese Witherspoon, who plays the role of June Carter Cash in the movie Walk the Line, describes the benefit of attending church:

"I was raised going to church every Sunday, and I go to church most Sundays with my kids. For me, where I'm at in my career, so many people want to put you in a place that you're not real and treat you like you're not real. For me it's a great experience of grounding, and I stand next to people who have nothing and who have everything, and we all treat each other the same, because we all are the same. It's just like a little weekly reminder. [Peter T. Chattaway, "The Man in Black," Christianitytodaymovies.com (11-15-05)]

From Matthew 9:9-12: As Jesus passed on from there, He saw a man named Matthew sitting at the tax office. And He said to him, “Follow Me.” So he arose and followed Him. Now it happened, as Jesus sat at the table in the house, that behold, many tax collectors and sinners came and sat down with Him and His disciples. And when the Pharisees saw it, they said to His disciples, “Why does your Teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?” When Jesus heard that, He said to them, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick.

When Jesus saw a need in people’s lives He was quick to attend to that need. Jesus put aside religious status, whether they were rich or poor, and even what others thought about those He was with. For Jesus was there to provide love, grace and mercy to those in need.

We need to learn to love as Jesus did. It is sad to see the conflicts taking place in life whether it is struggles of one race against another, rich against poor, nation against nation or even gender against gender. Look to see the needs of others and reach out to them. Let us begin to love one another as Jesus commanded us to do; for that is exactly how Jesus lived out His life.

Hope in Jesus

John 11:2 (NKJV)

2 And when John had heard in prison about the works of Christ, he sent two of his disciples 3 and said to Him, “Are You the Coming One, or do we look for another?”

As John the Baptist sat in prison he became despondent and began to question whether Jesus was The Messiah. John’s spirit was broken and he began to doubt the things he had spoken to others. So he sent the question to Jesus, “Are You the Coming One, or do we look for another?”

A study that was done in 2010 showed that approximately 79.5% of the United States is made up of Christians. Many people think Christians live without issues. There are even Christians who I have heard say, if your faith was just strong enough you wouldn’t feel depressed or this would not have happened to you. That is not true for Christians face trials in their lives. God allows trials to come into our lives in order to teach us and strengthen us.

John the Baptist had a strong faith in Christ. In Matthew 3:3 John said, “For this is he who was spoken of by the prophet Isaiah, saying: “The voice of one crying in the wilderness: ‘Prepare the way of the Lord; Make His paths straight.’” John was the first cousin to Jesus and knew many details His life. Yet John was locked away in prison, facing the possibility of death, facing hunger, cold and other problems and he felt things just didn’t seem right. Surely this couldn’t be the life he was meant to face.

Jesus sent back an answer to John, “Go and tell John the things which you hear and see: The blind see and the lame walk; the lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear; the dead are raised up and the poor have the gospel preached to them. And blessed is he who is not offended because of Me.” Jesus gave John reassurance that his work had not been in vain. John’s purpose had to proclaim the coming of The Messiah and John had fulfilled that purpose.

Each of us has a purpose in life. Sometimes even with our faith we can feel hopeless and despondent. There are times when we are faced with our own trials that seem like heavy burdens. The good news is Jesus reassured us that in those times He would be with us. The Bible also reminds us to be with fellow Christians so they may interject hope into our lives. For there are others who have faced similar trials, they survived and they can give encouragement. They know just as we can know that Christ was there with them even in the most difficult of times.

May The Lord Jesus bless you, keep you safe, keep you close and help you in your daily struggles. Amen.

The Lord's peace

Isaiah 26:3 (NLT)

3 You will keep in perfect peace all who trust in you, all whose thoughts are fixed on you!

The peace that comes when we our thoughts are fixed upon God is a peace of mind, peace with others, peace with one’s self, and peace through difficult times. As we keep our minds on God we must also trust Him at all times, under all circumstances, and adhere to His desires with total satisfaction.

While staying alone in her convent, an 85-year-old Catholic nun got trapped inside a broken elevator for four nights and three days. She tried pushing the inside elevator door, but the electricity went off. She had her cell phone with her, but there wasn't a signal. Fortunately, she had carried a jar of water, some celery sticks, and a few cough drops into the elevator.

At first she said to herself, This can't happen! But then she decided to turn her elevator into a personal prayer retreat. "It was either panic or pray," she later told an interviewer for CNN. She started viewing the experience as a "gift." "I believe that God's presence was my strength and my joy—really," she said. "I felt God's presence almost immediately. I felt like he provided the opportunity for a closer relationship." [Jenny Wilson, "Nun Stuck in Elevator Survives Four Nights on Celery Sticks, Water and

Cough Drops," Time.com (4-28-11)]

The nun’s choice, focus on panic or focus upon The Lord. Had she focused on panic, her fear would have increased. However, by staying focused on The Lord in prayer she was able to remain calm until her rescue.

All of us go through anxious or fearful moments. Let us turn to The Lord that He may supply the peace we need in our moment of desperation. Philippians 4:6-8 tells us, “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God;  and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.”

Your spiritual talents

Romans 12:4-5(NLT)

4 Just as our bodies have many parts and each part has a special function, 5 so it is with Christ’s body. We are many parts of one body, and we all belong to each other.

When the apostle refers to Christ’s body he is referring to those who are a part of church who Christ gave His life for. Just as there are many parts to the human body, each serving a special function; there are many members in a church, each serving a special purpose.

In 1 Corinthians 7-11 it says, “A spiritual gift is given to each of us so we can help each other. To one person the Spirit gives the ability to give wise advice; to another the same Spirit gives a message of special knowledge. The same Spirit gives great faith to another, and to someone else the one Spirit gives the gift of healing. He gives one person the power to perform miracles, and another the ability to prophesy. He gives someone else the ability to discern whether a message is from the Spirit of God or from another spirit. Still another person is given the ability to speak in unknown languages, while another is given the ability to interpret what is being said. It is the one and only Spirit who distributes all these gifts. He alone decides which gift each person should have.

As seen from the verses above the Holy Spirit imparts special gifts unto people. One person may be wise in advice they give, whether it be financial or legal. Another may be a servant who helps heal others. For example Mother Teresa dedicated her life to serving the poor and the sick. Some are able to take God’s word and speak messages to the church so they too understand the desires of God for their lives. Some have been blessed with wealth that they may help others financially. Each person may have one or several gifts, but by working as a collection group The Church is able to serve many people.

If you are unsure of your spiritual gifts, there are tests available that can help guide you to them. Many churches have these tests available in their church. The internet is also another place where spiritual gift tests can be found. Learn how you can serve your church with the talents you have been given. You never know whose life you may enrich by doing so.

God will provide

Romans 8:32 (NLT)

32 Since he did not spare even his own Son but gave him up for us all, won’t he also give us everything else?

Who can be against us, take away our comforts, keep our needs from us and leave us hopeless, when God loves us so dearly that He gave up the life of His own son for us. When God is for us who can be against us?

 In his book The Divine Commodity, Skye Jethani shares a story from a trip he took to India with his father. While walking the streets of New Delhi, a little boy approached them. He was "skinny as a rail, and naked but for tattered blue shorts. His legs were stiff and contorted, like a wire hanger twisted upon itself." Because of his condition, the little boy could only waddle along on his calloused knees. He made his way toward Skye and his father and cried out, "One rupee, please! One rupee!" Skye describes what happened when his father eventually responded to the boy's persistent begging:

"What do you want?" [my father asked].

"One rupee, sir," the boy said while motioning his hand to his mouth and bowing his head in deference. My father laughed.

"How about I give you five rupees?" he said. The boy's submissive countenance suddenly became defiant. He retracted his hand and sneered at us. He thought my father was joking, having a laugh at his expense. After all, no one would willingly give up five rupees. The boy started shuffling away, mumbling curses under his breath.

My father reached into his pocket. Hearing the coins jingle, the boy stopped and looked back over his shoulder. My father was holding out a five-rupee coin. He approached the stunned boy and placed the coin into his hand. The boy didn't move or say a word. He just stared at the coin in his hand. We passed him and proceeded to cross the street.

A moment later the shouting resumed, except this time the boy was yelling, "Thank you! Thank you, sir! Bless you!" He raced after us once again—but not for more money but to touch my father's feet. …

This, I imagine, is how our God sees us—as miserable creatures in desperate need of his help. But rather than asking for what we truly need, rather than desiring what he is able and willing to give, we settle for lesser things. [Skye Jethani, The Divine Commodity (Zondervan, 2009), pp. 113-114]

Jesus said in Matthew 7:11, “So if you sinful people know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give good gifts to those who ask him.” 

Give glory to The Lord

Matthew 6:5-7 (NLT)

5 “And when you pray, you shall not be like the hypocrites. For they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the corners of the streets, that they may be seen by men. Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward. 6 But you, when you pray, go into your room, and when you have shut your door, pray to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly. 7 And when you pray, do not use vain repetitions as the heathen do. For they think that they will be heard for their many words.

In these verses Jesus is warning us about pride within the body of the church. There were those who called attention to themselves, not for the sake of glorifying God, but for the sake of glorifying themselves. These people receive acknowledgement from others while those who worshipped in private received their acknowledgement from The Lord.

I want to acknowledge and thank a local TV station, WXIA 11 Alive, for showing a group of their reporters at lunch, taking the time to pray before starting their meal on their Facebook page. Many of us have been taught to say a blessing before eating a meal. It is a sacrament that seems to have faded away from traditions of long ago. It is not only a Christian sacrament; for many other religions also give thanks for the food they are about to receive. However, it seems that it is the Christians who are attacked for their actions, sometimes even by those saying they are Christians. I think the quote I heard that says Christians are the quickest to wound their own and leave them on the battle field is so often true.

Let me say directly that there is nothing wrong in giving thanks to The Lord, even in public. Some people were using the verses above on Facebook to say these reporters should have kept their prayers private and away from the sight of others. If we want to take the verses above so literal then we need to see that it talks about those who stand before the crowds so they may be heard. These reporters were peacefully sitting and talking among themselves. The verses of The Bible need to be seen in the appropriate context and with an understanding of grace and mercy. Jesus was talking to those who wanted to place attention on them and not on God.

I once heard a Pastor named Tony Evans speak. Tony said he was once asked to say a prayer for a Dallas football team before the start of a game. I’m not sure who was communicating with Tony, but they said something to the effect he may not want to mention the name of Jesus. You have to know Tony. He is a faithful Christian who places his faith in Jesus and gives Jesus the glory for all that is done in his life. When it came time to pray, Tony didn’t hesitate in thanking Jesus and closing the prayer in the name of Jesus. Tony did not let intimidation keep him from praising the one he loved, JESUS.

So I applaud the 11 Alive crew for holding firm to what they believe. I am glad to see there are Christians who are not afraid to let their faith be seen. We are to shine as candles to the world so others may hear the wonderful news of God. Let us all give glory to The Lord for all that He has done!

Honor Christ

Psalm 16:7-9 (NLT)

7 I will give honor and thanks to the Lord, Who has told me what to do. Yes, even at night my mind teaches me. 8 I have placed the Lord always in front of me. Because He is at my right hand, I will not be moved. 9 And so my heart is glad. My soul is full of joy. My body also will rest without fear.

When we keep our eyes upon The Lord it is easy for our hearts to pour out words of thanksgiving just as David did here in these verses. He is reminded that The Lord is always out in front, leading him in life. Not only does The Lord lead, but He stands with us so we can stand firm. It makes our hearts and souls joyful to know The Lord for we can rest without fear of this world or fear of death. Our hearts can be glad in knowing the Lord’s love, grace and mercy.

[We live in a fast-paced culture, but some things just ought to happen slowly.

The book Final Salute tells the story of Major Steve Beck, a U.S. Marine whose heart-wrenching task is to inform the nearest of kin when a Marine is killed in Iraq. Beck doesn't just break the sad news and then leave; for several days he may help the family through the process of the funeral. That includes supervising the Marine honor guard that stands near the fallen soldier's body.

The honor guard learns from Beck how to salute their fallen fellow-Marine as they leave or resume guard with a slow salute that isn't taught in basic training. The slow salute requires a three second raising of the hand to the head, a three second hold, and then a three second lowering of the hand—a gesture of respect that takes about nine times longer than normal. Beck explains: "A salute to your fallen comrade should take time."

Indeed, those who die serving their country are worthy of great honor, worthy of a slow salute, worthy of extra time. To do some things fast, just to get them done so we can move on to the next thing in our lives, sends a subtle message of disrespect.

So it is with our worship of God. God deserves a slow salute. The Savior who gave his life for us is worthy of our time.

[Craig Brian Larson, editor of PreachingToday.com; source: Jim Sheeler, Final Salute (Penguin, 2008); as seen in "Death Comes Knocking," The Week (5-23-08), p. 37]]

Christ fought a battle against sin and defeated death by giving His own life that we may live an eternal life with Him in heaven. Remember to honor Christ and praise Him for the great things He has done.