Fellowship in the Fall Introduction

Each day in October, there will be a daily devotion written for the Fellowship in the Fall participants of LMPC (and anyone else who cares to read this).  It will concentrate on the Temple Teachings of Jesus- right before His arrest- in Matthew 21-24.  

As they approached Jerusalem and came to Bethphage on the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent two disciples, 2saying to them, “Go to the village ahead of you, and at once you will find a donkey tied there, with her colt by her. Untie them and bring them to me. 3If anyone says anything to you, say that the Lord needs them, and he will send them right away.”

Thoughts: Jesus was preparing to enter into Jerusalem coming up from Jericho.  He had many followers out in the country, but he had not publicly taught in Jerusalem for any length of time.  He was about to enter Jerusalem as a prince, but he could not afford and did not own a donkey (the coronation animal that a prince in Judah rode).  The method of obtaining the donkey was not stealing it, or even planning way ahead of time to have the donkey there.  There was no email, text, cell or even hard line phone that would allow a message to be sent ahead to say, "Have the donkey at just the right spot and a guy named James or John will come along and get it at 8:00 in the morning."  Jesus, is the Son of God, and he prophecies his death but also prophecies his entrance as king- and the detail of the donkey is a part of that. 
     But the sad thing is "He came to his own and his own did not receive Him...Thought the world was made through Him the world did not recognize Him." (John 1:10-11).  The king, the Messiah, the most holy high priest comes and the Temple officials not only don't recognize Him- they kill Him.  Jesus knows it is a sad and short coronation that He faces.  

Prayer: Lord, let me recognize you are the King.  The whole world- all the donkeys, all the cars, all the things made of the elements you made are yours.  All I have is yours too.  Thank you that you rode into Jerusalem for me- even though it meant your death.  

Jesus Has Compassion on the Blind

29As Jesus and his disciples were leaving Jericho, a large crowd followed him. 30Two blind men were sitting by the roadside, and when they heard that Jesus was going by, they shouted, “Lord, Son of David, have mercy on us!”

31The crowd rebuked them and told them to be quiet, but they shouted all the louder, “Lord, Son of David, have mercy on us!”

32Jesus stopped and called them. “What do you want me to do for you?” he asked.

33“Lord,” they answered, “we want our sight.”

34Jesus had compassion on them and touched their eyes. Immediately they received their sight and followed him. (Matthew 20:29-34)

Thoughts: Jesus is able to heal the blind.  He had before.  Why would the crowd tell the blind men to keep quiet?  Maybe they discounted them.  Maybe they thought they were cursed by God (a common way of thinking in that day), and should not even ask for help.  But God in Jesus is full of mercy and grace.  No one should give up hope.  Perhaps they thought Jesus was too busy- or maybe they wanted Jesus' attention and not let Christ give these blind guys any attention.  The blind men were believed and shouted all the louder.
     Jesus heard them, and asked them to specifically define what he wanted them to do.  It is a good thing to be able to name our problem.  Do not assume the obvious.  God wants us to pray and wants us to ask specifically.  

Jesus had compassion.  They were grateful and followed Him after their healing.  It should not be taken for granted.  When Jesus helps you- be grateful- and show that gratitude in following and obedience.  

Prayer: Lord, Help me to see your compassion and have that compassion on others myself.  Let me always be grateful for you, O Lord.  

The Servant is Lifted Up

24When the ten heard about this, they were indignant with the two brothers. 25Jesus called them together and said, “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them. 26Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, 27and whoever wants to be first must be your slave— (Matthew 20:24-27)

Thoughts: Can we not sympathize with the indignity of the other 10 disciples?  Why would these two be elevated above the rest?  Jesus said the standard for elevation was to serve others.  When we humble ourselves and serve others, God sees us.
    So the very humble person who works in a nursing home showing extra care- is elevated in God's kingdom.  So a Francis of Assisi who gives up everything to serve the poor is elevated.  So Mother Teresa who sacrifices the little she has over and over is elevated over others.  
     Of course, if being first means being last, then we must lose the jealousy of being first.  The ones that are elevated are the ones who are willing to give up their honor, their attention, their power and riches for the glory of God.  Of course, Jesus- the very Son of God- gave up honor, power, and ultimate riches to serve us by coming down and then dying on the cross.  

Prayer: Lord, let me give up my place to you and for you.  I do not seek to be elevated, I seek your will for me.  

Dying to Live and Giving Up a Right

20Then the mother of Zebedee’s sons came to Jesus with her sons and, kneeling down, asked a favor of him. 21“What is it you want?” he asked. She said, “Grant that one of these two sons of mine may sit at your right and the other at your left in your kingdom.” 22“You don’t know what you are asking,” Jesus said to them. “Can you drink the cup I am going to drink?” “We can,” they answered. 23Jesus said to them, “You will indeed drink from my cup, but to sit at my right or left is not for me to grant. These places belong to those for whom they have been prepared by my Father.” (Matthew 20:20-23) Thoughts: James and John were both persecuted as Jesus was.  James died a martyr's death, while John was the only disciple (tradition says) that was not martyred though he was in exile for years on Patmos. To follow Christ we die to selves and live to God (Lk. 9:23).  Jesus has given honoring to the Father out of respect for Him.  Though they are co-equal in the godhead, This is an image for us.  We may give things up- not because we want more power, but out of respect.  It is a powerful thing to not claim more for yourself than you could.  It takes the strength of grace and self-control to not claim it all for yourself.   Prayer: Help me, Lord, give up my place for your glory.

20Then the mother of Zebedee’s sons came to Jesus with her sons and, kneeling down, asked a favor of him.

21“What is it you want?” he asked.

She said, “Grant that one of these two sons of mine may sit at your right and the other at your left in your kingdom.”  22“You don’t know what you are asking,” Jesus said to them. “Can you drink the cup I am going to drink?”

“We can,” they answered. (Matthew 20:20-22)

Thoughts: Not only is the question an inappropriate one, the timing makes it even more inappropriate.  Jesus just finished talking about going to Jerusalem to die a sacrificial death.  This mother gathered her two boys and the three of them asked Jesus to grant them a high religious position.  His response was basically, "are you willing to die too?"  Jesus was offering them the glory and reward of a martyr (the cup he would drink is the martyrs cup).  I don't think that the mother had that in mind when she was asking Jesus for a position in his kingdom.  

People naturally want popularity, power and position.  We want to be honored above others.  But in Jesus' kingdom the honor goes to those who honor God with sacrifice.  Our fulfillment is not found in popularity, power, or position.  Our joy is found in honoring God- even if that means our lives.  Any honor we get by doing that is merely secondary.  It is a real joy to have a purpose- something to live and die for (besides ourselves).  In heaven the twelve around the throne cast their crowns down before Him.  Our reward is found in His glory- not ours.  To many this is weird.  The way of life is in sacrifice.  The way of hope is in death to self.  The way of joy is in giving ourselves to others in unconditional love.  

Prayer: Lord, let me honor you above all others, and above my own self-fulfillment.  May by true fulfillment come in fulfilling your purpose in me.  

Sacrifice of Self-Fulfillment?

17Now Jesus was going up to Jerusalem. On the way, he took the Twelve aside and said to them, 18“We are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be delivered over to the chief priests and the teachers of the law. They will condemn him to death 19and will hand him over to the Gentiles to be mocked and flogged and crucified. On the third day he will be raised to life!” (Matthew 20:17-19)

Thoughts: Jesus knew he came to give Himself for others.  Twice before (Matthew 16 and 17) Jesus predicted that he would die. But now as they enter into Jerusalem only to be rejected and killed there was a sense of foreboding (Mk. 10 and Lk. 18 make this clear).
What if Jesus said, "We should all live for ourselves and our own self-fulfillment and flourishing."?  Many, even Christians, are saying this about their own lives.  Some mothers are giving up their sacrificial love for their children and husbands in an effort to find fulfillment for themselves- because, frankly, it is hard.  Some husbands are leaving their wives and children in the dust in the name of fulfilling "who they are."  There is little sense of duty, loyalty, and sacrifice there- but a tremendous sense of entitlement that we are put here to fulfill our senses to the max.  Jesus teaches us by example, that sacrificial love, though tremendously hard, is the way of God.  But make no mistake, it is also the best and most abundant life we can live here and is fulfilled in our own resurrection.  We are not put here to be selfish in the name of self-fulfillment.  Rather, we are put here for a purpose, that may at times require a most meaningful sacrifice.
     Jesus predicts specifics.  He says he will be delivered over.  This is a forecast of his betrayal.  Perhaps Judas heard these words and was inspired to play a role in Jesus' destiny.  He would be handed over to the religious leaders.  One would think the Son of God would be welcomed by those who were looking for the Messiah, but they saw Him as a threat and would work hard for his death.  The Jews alone are not to blame.  The whole world- Jew and Gentile play a part in the death of Christ. The Romans mock, flog, and crucify Him.  This was fulfilled to a tee.  Jesus also predicts that the suffering is not the end- but God and right win when we persevere.  Jesus did not head off to a Mediterranean resort (as Jonah did and got swallowed by a whale), in an effort to avoid the suffering he saw ahead.  Rather, he predicted this so that the disciples (and us) would know- He knew what going to Jerusalem would cost Him.  But He went anyway.  If He didn't go, our sins would not be atoned for, His teachings would not be confirmed with the resurrection, and our hopes would not be fulfilled.  The best way of life is not seeking a pie-in-the-sky fulfillment here, but giving ourselves to Him and to each other in sacrificial love.

Prayer: Lord, give me grace to give myself for you and for my family, church, and neighbor.  Help me to find a true purpose and calling in persevering through the hardness of life to find meaning in the middle.   
     

First shall be last

16“So the last will be first, and the first will be last.” (Matthew 20:16)

Thoughts: In the Kingdom, the values of the world are often flipped.  The humble are exalted while the proud are humbled.  Here the greedy are brought low, but the generous are exalted.  Jesus in another place said, "If you want to be great in God's kingdom, learn to be the servant of all."  

Prayer: Lord, help me to value what you value.  Help me to want to serve and honor you.  

Don't Criticize God's Generosity

14Take your pay and go. I want to give the one who was hired last the same as I gave you. 15Don’t I have the right to do what I want with my own money? Or are you envious because I am generous?’  (Matthew 20:14-15)

Thoughts: God adds variety to life.  He does not bless us in the same way or with the same amount; God is a generous God who rewards us not according to what we deserve, but according to His grace  We should not despise His grace by our own limited view of what fairness involves.    

Prayer: Lord, help me to value your blessing and generosity.  

Watch and Pray

32“Now learn this lesson from the fig tree: As soon as its twigs get tender and its leaves come out, you know that summer is near. 33Even so, when you see all these things, you know that it^e is near, right at the door. 34Truly I tell you, this generation will certainly not pass away until all these things have happened. 35Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away.

36“But about that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son,^f but only the Father. 37As it was in the days of Noah, so it will be at the coming of the Son of Man.38For in the days before the flood, people were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, up to the day Noah entered the ark; 39and they knew nothing about what would happen until the flood came and took them all away. That is how it will be at the coming of the Son of Man.40Two men will be in the field; one will be taken and the other left. 41Two women will be grinding with a hand mill; one will be taken and the other left.

42“Therefore keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come. 43But understand this: If the owner of the house had known at what time of night the thief was coming, he would have kept watch and would not have let his house be broken into. 44So you also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him.

45“Who then is the faithful and wise servant, whom the master has put in charge of the servants in his household to give them their food at the proper time? 46It will be good for that servant whose master finds him doing so when he returns. (Matthew 24:32-46)

Thoughts: There are always curious people who want to predict exactly when Christ comes back. There are several who say He should come back now.  The gospel has been preached in every country- with converts in every country (first fulfilled in 1984).  There is a lot of wickedness and the faith of many is growing cold.  There is more persecution in the last hundred years than all the other centuries put together.  But God's timing is perfect.  As someone once said, "The day you think you know is God's day, is the day you are wrong."  People should quit predicting the day and the hour.
    Yet we also have to be aware that others scoff at the idea of His coming back at all.  However, It is hard to separate the teaching of Jesus from his teaching on his coming again.  It is in almost every New Testament book.  We should want a day when evil ends and doesn't triumph.  We should want to let go of this world a bit more, and long to see the face of the One who loves us more than anyone else.  Jesus us tells us to always be watchful, ready, and prayerful.  The Bible ends with the prayer that we should all strive to pray: "Come Lord Jesus."  

Prayer: Lord, we do long for a day when injustice is made just, the haters are condemned, and your true righteousness shows through for what it really is.  

Revelation 12 Sign

1A great sign appeared in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet and a crown of twelve stars on her head. 2She was pregnant and cried out in pain as she was about to give birth. 3Then another sign appeared in heaven: an enormous red dragon with seven heads and ten horns and seven crowns on its heads. 4Its tail swept a third of the stars out of the sky and flung them to the earth. The dragon stood in front of the woman who was about to give birth, so that it might devour her child the moment he was born. 5She gave birth to a son, a male child, who “will rule all the nations with an iron scepter.”^a And her child was snatched up to God and to his throne. 6The woman fled into the wilderness to a place prepared for her by God, where she might be taken care of for 1,260 days. (Revelation 12:1-6)

Thoughts: Usually this passage is interpreted as the first incarnation.  Mary gives birth to the Son of God and the dragon (Satan) tries to kill the baby- like Herod tried to kill the babies of Bethlehem.  Mary, Joseph, and the baby fled to the wilderness and then went to Egypt to escape the evil wrath- of the devil- shown through Herod's soldiers.
    Some have recently (see wikipedia article) interpreted this in a more astronomical/ astrological way.  Specifically they see this the stars- Virgo (the Virgin) and Leo (the symbol of Judah) intersecting on September 22, 2017 on Rosh Hoshanah (the Jewish New Year- also called the "Feast of Trumpets").  There are many verses that speak of the trumpet sounding when the Lord comes back (Mt. 24:31; 1 Cor. 15:52 et al).  The twelve stars are the nine stars of Leo along with the planets Mercury, Venus and Mars.  The moon will be at the bottom of Virgo and the sun will go through its middle.  Jupiter will also pass right through the constellation in September.
     So what does this mean?  For Christians, believers in the Bible, we should always be ready to see Jesus face to face.  We may see Him face to face by death or we may see Him when He comes- but we will see Him (if we do not believe that, we should question our faith).  Martin Luther, who believed Jesus was coming back 500 years ago because of the immorality of the church, was asked what he would do if he knew the Lord was coming back tomorrow.  He spoke of reading the Bible praying, and then planting his field.  His point was being faithful is the most important way to prepare to see God.
    Sure there are signs- earthquakes, wars and rumors of war (North Korea vs. USA, Afghanistan, Iraq, Syria), signs in the heaven (like solar flaring, hurricanes, eclipses, planets aligning, etc).  But such signs have been there before.  These are all reminders simply to do our duty- worship Him, give ourselves to Him, live faithfully for Him- and not for what is temporary and passing.  I do not yawn at the signs.  But I also know there are people who so want to see Christ that they see His signs everywhere. Jesus tells us to always watch and pray. That doesn't mean to quit our jobs and go on a mountain.  It does mean to live for Him. Our reaction should be the same as it should be each day- live in faith, hope and love faithfully for His glory and honor.  

Prayer: Lord, let me always be ready to see you face to face no matter what the time.  

The minimum is what we deserve

13“But he answered one of them, ‘I am not being unfair to you, friend. Didn’t you agree to work for a denarius? (Matthew 20:13)

Thoughts: The first group of workers had probably bargained with the landowner before they went out into the field.  20:2 says that the landowner agreed to pay a denarius with them before they were sent into the field.  The second and third group were simply told that he would pay them what was right.  The last group hired at 5:00 were just told to go out there.  The owner did not pay them any more nor any less than what they had bargained for.  The workers had a problem with the landowners generosity and mercy. 

Prayer: Help me, Lord, to trust our mercy. 

9“The workers who were hired about five in the afternoon came and each received a denarius.10So when those came who were hired first, they expected to receive more. But each one of them also received a denarius. 11When they received it, they began to grumble against the landowner.12‘These who were hired last worked only one hour,’ they said, ‘and you have made them equal to us who have borne the burden of the work and the heat of the day.’ (Matthew 20:9-12)

Thoughts: The fairness is not always from our perspective.  We compare how long, how hard. God sees us all as not deserving anything, but some as being chosen anyway.  We have no reason to grumble, and every reason to be grateful.  

Prayer: Lord, give me grace to not compare but to give you thanks.  

The Great Reward Compares to None

9“The workers who were hired about five in the afternoon came and each received a denarius. (Matthew 20:9)

Thoughts: There are some that make a big deal out of levels or circles of heaven.  But the basic thing is admission.  To be admitted into the presence of God and to have eternally blessed life is the best blessing of all.  All levels beyond that pale in comparison.  That would be almost like comparing how shiny your denarius is.
    In some ways, Jesus wants us to see our common goal, and does not want us to get all hung up in comparison of awards.  It is not that everyone gets a present.  The ones the owner chooses are the ones he chooses to award.  But we should not be overly excited about how great our rewards are once we get to heaven.  All really pales in comparison to God.  Even the twelve around the throne give up their crowns to Him- He deserves all the glory, reward, honor, and power.  To be able to rejoice in His glory is the greatest reward.  When we love God with our heart, soul, mind, and strength- His glory and honor is our greatest love too.  We find peace not in our reward- or how it compares to others- but in Him. 

Prayer: Lord, let me find my peace in your glory and honor.  Keep me from comparing myself to others- for we all pale in comparison to your holiness. 

God's Fairness

8“When evening came, the owner of the vineyard said to his foreman, ‘Call the workers and pay them their wages, beginning with the last ones hired and going on to the first.’ (Matthew 20:8) 

Thoughts: Jesus was thoughtful in how he told this story. He is a master story-teller.  The owner of the vineyard requests that the last be paid first.  This is symbolic and also a teaching tool.  It teaches us the last shall be first- which is a great principle of humility being exalted, and the people who have little hope being given much hope.  But it also is a teaching tool for the first.  We might say that the first should be paid first.  They have waited a long time.  If the first had been paid first there is no problem.  They don't see what the others get because they will leave when they get paid.  They will be paid according to what they agreed to work for.  It is not that the owner (symbol of God) is not fair.  The owner wanted to be transparent and not hide anything- even if he is accused of being unfair.
      Our sense of fairness is the over-riding issue for us.  It is particularly an issue for our day.  We believe we are the judge and we know best- even though we don't have all the information- only God has that- and only He is the best, most patient, most fair judge. We want what we think is best for us, and we often feel it is our RIGHT to judge God.  Certainly we are free to do so, but to do so would be at our own peril.  Yes peril.  When we judge God we are going against reality (kicking against the goads- as Jesus described it to Paul).  When we judge God, we are actually elevating ourselves above God- which is a false illusion (that was the illusion of Satan described in Isaiah- 14:12-14- "I will raise my throne above the Almighty.").  We will not change reality, we just make ourselves more and more discontent and miserable.  There is no peace for those who think they know better than God. I would also say that there is little peace for those who cannot find peace in listening to God and His Word.  God is THE FAIR one- who knows each circumstance, and judges both with love, patience, generosity, mercy as well as holiness and righteousness.  To say we can judge God's decisions would be to elevate ourselves to a place from which we are sure to fall and lack true peace.  

Prayer: Lord, give me grace to listen to your justice and fairness.  Help me to be fair to others, but also true to you.    

God Invites

“He went out again about noon and about three in the afternoon and did the same thing.6About five in the afternoon he went out and found still others standing around. He asked them, ‘Why have you been standing here all day long doing nothing?’

7“ ‘Because no one has hired us,’ they answered.

“He said to them, ‘You also go and work in my vineyard.’ (Matthew 20:5-7)

Thoughts: The owner of the vineyard continues to call people again and again to come and do vineyard work.  God is an inviting God.  He invites again and again.  He cannot understand why people do not choose to put themselves in a position to be invited.  There are many who are just wasting their lives- doing nothing.  We should always be looking for God's invitation to do His work.

Prayer: Lord, thank you that you invite, welcome, and accept me.  

God Calls Us to Work in His Kingdom

3“About nine in the morning he went out and saw others standing in the marketplace doing nothing. 4He told them, ‘You also go and work in my vineyard, and I will pay you whatever is right.’5So they went. (Matthew 20:3-5)

Thoughts: The owner of the vineyard wanted to get his grapes in fast.  He didn't have enough workers to make it happen.  The standard pay of that day was a denarius.  The parable is about the last workers receiving the same day's pay as the first workers.
    In some ways it is a reminder that the time that you believe is not the most important factor in an award from the Maker.  What is important is that God calls some to take part in His kingdom.  He calls people not because they have already proved themselves, but only from His good pleasure. 

Prayer: Lord, help me to find peace and satisfaction in you no matter when you call me to yourself.  

Mathew 20:2- He agrees to His Reward

He agreed to pay them a denarius for the day and sent them into his vineyard. (Matthew 20:2)

Thoughts: God does not owe us anything.  We owe Him everything.  Everything we use including our time and talents and abilities are gifts from Him.  If He chooses to reward us, it is out of His sheer grace.  But the other side is that God keeps what He promises.  If He promises a reward, He will keep that promise.  He knows how to keep promises and is the ultimate, most-powerful promise keeper. 

Prayer: Lord, than you for your grace and reward.  Help me to also be gracious and rewarding.  

Matthew 20:1- The kingdom is Hiring

1“For the kingdom of heaven is like a landowner who went out early in the morning to hire workers for his vineyard. (Matthew 20:1)

Thoughts: The kingdom of heaven is like a landowner.  Perhaps it might be better put if Jesus said, "The kingdom of heaven is like a King..."  But the workers work for the kingdom and the King and kingdom cannot be separated.  God elects people to be saved who do not deserve it.  Just as workers do not deserve to be hired.  They are picked.  God picks workers and when He does, that means we are to work for a reason.  The kingdom is made from those the King chooses to do His work.  We are not chosen to do nothing- we are chosen to do kingdom work.  What work is God calling you to do?  

Prayer: Help me to be a worker for you, O Lord.  Let me follow you.  

Last shall be First

30But many who are first will be last, and many who are last will be first.  (Matthew 19:30)

Thoughts: Jesus has said this many times in many ways.  "The meek will inherit the earth." "If you want to be great in God's kingdom learn to be the servant of all."  In Matthew 20:16 Jesus defends God's right to elevate the humble.  In Luke 13:30 Jesus speaks of the kingdom of God made up of not the greatest on earth, but some of the humble ones.  But in this context it is a bit different.  The context is in giving temporary things up for the eternal kingdom's cause.  Jesus was speaking of giving 100 times what we give up and also eternal life.  Then he says, "the first shall be last and many last shall be first."  It is in giving that we receive.  It is in humility that we find that God lifts us up.  Do not seek to always be the first in line, the first in the world.  It is always important to do our best- for God's glory, but to do it humbly.  Let us seek to serve God in humble ways that He would be first.  

Prayer: Lord, give me grace to live humbly for your glory.  Let me seek your glory, not mine  

God Blesses Us

29And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or wife^e or children or fields for my sake will receive a hundred times as much and will inherit eternal life.  (Matthew 19:29)

Thoughts: There is a verse in which the Bible says, "Do not take revenge.  Revenge is mine says the Lord."  God sees when people do us harm and treat us poorly.  But God also sees when we give up things voluntarily to do the Lord's work.  The reward for us is not dependent on the here and now.  The reward is better when it is not in this temporary life anyway.  In this life our reward may be a one to one replacement (like insurance).  In the next life the reward is multiplied. It is almost as if God gives us interest for waiting.  The point is not that we will have a hundred wives or a hundred fathers or mothers or a hundred children.  We can only have one mother, so we should be careful to not interpret this in a physical way.  However, in heaven relationships are smoother, deeper, purer- with no friction or sin to divide us.
    Once John Calvin was ridiculed by an adversary as not being blessed by God because his only child died in childbirth while his wife miscarried other pregnancies.  Calvin said he had tens of thousands of children throughout the church.  Perhaps this is what this means.  Relationships are different in heaven Jesus said.  We are not married and given in marriage.  Yet real deep love is in heaven.
    Jesus also throws in there- almost "by the way, you will also inherit eternal life."  God loves His children and desires to bless them- with life that not only last forever, but is forever young and forever joyful.  God loves to bless His children.
     Christians do not need to concentrate on what they give up.  Others should not hesitate on thinking that their life will be miserable and they will have to give up all joy and pleasure to become a Christian.  Becoming a Christian means we begin to live as we are design to live.  Sometimes it is the destructive and hurtful behavior that God asks us to give up.  When we begin to truly believe our "want to"- our desires change.  Our joy is only made complete in Him.  He comes to give us the abundant life now and eternal life to come. 

Prayer: Lord, help us to count it all a loss to serve and honor you.  Let us focus on our goal more than what we have to give up to get to that goal.  

When the Power Goes Out

All power is given to me in heaven and in earth. 19Go you therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:20Teaching them to observe all things whatever I have commanded you: and, see, I am with you always, even to the end of the world. Amen. (Matthew 28:18-20)

Thoughts: Today I write this as our power went out because of Hurricane Irma.  Six million are out of power in Florida and millions in Georgia and South Carolina too.  I just read that one of the possible threats of North Korea was to blow a nuclear missile up in space to cause an EMP- electro-magnetic pulse that would knock out the power grid to America.  Can we survive without power?  We have so many basic things that use electricity to make things work- stoves, washing machines, dryers, hair blowers, heating and air conditioning, internet service, and more.
     But make no mistake- our true power comes not from coal or gas or electricity.  The energy and purpose to live is more powerful than all of these things.  A purpose in life can help you persevere through hard times.  These blessings from God- given through the wisdom and talents of others are nice, but they do not strangle us.  The One who calms the wind and waves- who made the wind and waves and all we see has power!
     Jesus says, "All power has been given me in heaven and on earth."  He is the greatest energy source.  He gives life, sustains life, redeems life, and offers us eternal life.  No one can thwart His power or knock it out.  However, we may cut His mighty power off ourselves as we turn away in unbelief.  Our call is to plug into God's power and strength.  

Prayer: Lord, Help me to stay plugged into your power.  Let me find the power to persevere in the tough times.  

Jesus Calms the Storm

22One day Jesus said to his disciples, “Let us go over to the other side of the lake.” So they got into a boat and set out. 23As they sailed, he fell asleep. A squall came down on the lake, so that the boat was being swamped, and they were in great danger.

24The disciples went and woke him, saying, “Master, Master, we’re going to drown!”

He got up and rebuked the wind and the raging waters; the storm subsided, and all was calm. 25“Where is your faith?” he asked his disciples.

In fear and amazement they asked one another, “Who is this? He commands even the winds and the water, and they obey him.” (Luke 8:22-25) 

Thoughts: Jesus spoke to the wind and waves and they calmed down.  He could have waved a wand or thrown some dust in the air or said a long liturgy or gone into a trance to still the wind and waves.  But the Word of Jesus is enough and it is powerful enough to calm the wind and waves.  It was God who spoke into the chaos and light and the world were created.  

Jesus asked them, "Where is your faith?"  Matthew has Jesus saying, "You of little faith, why are you so afraid?"  The accusation of lack of faith is not because a storm came.  It was not that bad things don't happen to those who follow Jesus.  But their lack of faith was in Jesus' ability to calm the storm. They were afraid and amazed at His power (vs. 25).  Jesus would encourage us to believe that He has power over the storm. The weather forecaster does not have power- in fact- they can often be wrong.  Jesus doesn't just predict the weather, He changes it and calms the storm.  He is able to rescue His people and give peace to us. He is able to change our fears into peace just as He is able to change a storm into stilled waters.  

Prayer: Lord, help me to believe and not be afraid.    

A Psalm About Thanks in a Sea-Storm

Give thanks to the Lord for He is good.
His love endures forever. 

For he spoke and stirred up a tempest

that lifted high the waves.

26They mounted up to the heavens and went down to the depths;

in their peril their courage melted away.

27They reeled and staggered like drunkards;

they were at their wits’ end.

28Then they cried out to the Lord in their trouble,

and he brought them out of their distress.

29He stilled the storm to a whisper;

the waves of the sea^b were hushed.

30They were glad when it grew calm,

and he guided them to their desired haven.

31Let them give thanks to the Lord for his unfailing love

and his wonderful deeds for mankind.

32Let them exalt him in the assembly of the people

and praise him in the council of the elders.(Psalm 107) 

Thoughts: Storms will come.  Even hurricanes will come.  They have been around since the beginning of time. Psalm 107 is a song that asks us to thank God when He rescues us from different kinds of trouble- including trouble from sea storms.
     When Jesus calmed the storm to a whisper, perhaps the disciples were thinking about this Psalm when they bowed down to worship Jesus. God calms the storm.
        When God sees you through a rough spot, give thanks to Him.  A life of gratitude in good and bad times is essential to faith.  

Prayer: Lord, calm my heart.  Calm the storms around me, and I will give you thanks.