For This Week

This is one of three scheduled weeks for Reflection, Proclamation, Catch Up. So take the time to go back and reflect on what you have read and learned, share something you have learned with another person and/or simply catch up (which ... if your schedule has been anything like mine across the course of the last couple of weeks, this third option may very well be the one you have to focus on!).

Thanks for stopping by ... my "minute devotionals" will be back next week!
pj

Try to Figure this Out!

Week 5, Day 4 Reading: Luke 2:41-52

Luke 2:51-52  Then he went down to Nazareth with them and was obedient to them. But his mother treasured all these things in her heart. And Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men.

Two thoughts strike me every time I read this passage. First, that Jesus was obedient to Joseph and Mary is simply incredible. Of course, we would expect this of the one who never sinned. But think of who was submitting to whom! The Designer, Creator, Sustainer of all was placing himself under the authority of two of his sinful creatures! Wow! Add to this the thought that Jesus, like any other boy, had to "grow up" intellectually, physically, spiritually and socially! This proves without doubt that Jesus Christ was (and still is) FULLY MAN! And how this fits with His infinite Divine nature is a mystery beyond my meager intellect! 

Thanks for stopping by . . .
pj

Seeking Jesus!

Week 5, Day 4 Reading: Matthew 2:1-23

Matthew 2:1  After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem and asked, “Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star in the east and have come to worship him.”

Who are these "wise" men who came to worship the Christ child after he was born? Matthew refers to them as "Magi."  John MacArthur sheds light on who they were and how they would have known about the coming Messiah. 

"The Magi date from the seventh century B.C., when they were a tribe within the Median nation of eastern Mesopotamia. They became skilled in astronomy and astrology (Which more closely associated disciplines in those days) and had a sacrificial system somewhat similar to the Mosaic one. . . The book of Daniel reports that the Magi, with their knowledge of science, agriculture, mathematics, history and the occult, were among the highest ranking, most influential officials in the Babylonian Empire. Because of Daniel's own high position and place of respect among them (Daniel 2:24, 48), the Magi undoubtedly learned much from him about the true God and His plans for the Jews through the coming Messiah. Because many Jews remained in Babylon after the Exile, it's likely those teachings remained strong in the region even until the New Testament times" (God in the Manger, p. 101). 

So these brilliant and well educated men ... traveled a long distance BY FAITH, believing what undoubtedly was first taught in their region by Daniel the prophet. Oh God, give us the faith of these magi ... and help us to seek Christ above all else!

Thanks for stopping by . . .
pj

No Vacancy!

Week 5, Day 3 Reading: Luke 2:1-40

Luke 2:7  And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in swaddling cloths and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn.

"No place for them in the inn." Before we point our fingers at the people of Bethlehem for not accommodating a very pregnant young woman about to give birth to the long promised Messiah, the Savior of mankind . . . we must take a long, hard look in our mirrors. How often do we do the same? If we are honest, we would, EVERY SINGLE ONE OF US, have to admit that all too often our hearts are too crowded with other stuff to give Jesus Christ his rightful place (that's way true of me!).

Let me encourage you to pause ... and take some time as we close out this year of 2012 and begin the new year of 2013 ... to examine your hearts. Ask yourself, "Is there room in my heart for Jesus? Or are there other "idols" that I have allowed to ursurp HIS rightful place?" Difficult questions, indeed. But necessary ones if we are to become all that God wants us to be!

Thanks for stopping by . . .
pj

Jesus Our Savior!

Week 5, Day 2 Reading: Matthew 1:18-25

Matthew 1:20-21   But as he considered these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, do not fear to take Mary as your wife, for that which is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.”

In this passage we again see the truth that the child conceived by Mary was the result of the Holy Spirit's work within her. We also see that the choice of the baby's name was not the result of Mary and Joseph looking through scrolls of baby names (they did not have books back then!). Rather, the name was chosen by God and conveyed to Joseph through this angelic messenger. Why the name Jesus? I believe it is because God wants us to remember at every mention of his Son ... that the reason his Son came to this earth was "to seek and to save the lost" (i.e. - you and me and everyone else! - see Luke 19:10).

Wow! To think God seeks us when we wanted nothing to do with him (see Romans 3:10-19 and Romans 5:8). That's something to get excited about!

MERRY CHRISTMAS! 

Pastor John

A Miraculous Birth of No Ordinary Baby!

Week 5, Day 1 Reading: Luke 1:26-56

Luke 1:35  And the angel answered her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be called holy—the Son of God."

When the virgin Mary asked the angel how she would become pregnant (seeing that she was a virgin and had no intentions of being anything less until that time when she would consummate her marriage with Joseph), the angel responded with the words above. Her conception would be the work of the Holy Spirit. The end result being the baby she conceived and would give birth to would be none other than the Son of God.

Let that truth sink into your mind and your heart. This little baby born in a stinky stable in the little town of Bethlehem some 2000 years ago ... born to a peasant woman and her poor carpenter husband ... was none other than God incarnate. For at that moment ... God the Son began his earthly pilgrimage as one of us. That's what Christmas is all about!

Thanks for stopping by . . .
pj

Year of Favor . . . Day of Vengeance!

Week 4, Day 5 Reading: Isaiah 61:1-11

Isaiah 61:1-2a  The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me, because the LORD has anointed me to bring good news to the poor; he has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to those who are bound; to proclaim the year of the LORD's favor, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all who mourn;

Here again we see the concept of God's Spirit "upon" his servant, the one whom God has anointed. In Luke 4:16-21, Jesus applied these verses to himself. Now what is fascinating in Jesus' reading of this passage is that he stopped his reading right after the words, "the Lord's favor" - even though the thought did not stop there. He did so because everything mentioned in the first verse through the first line of v. 2 have to do with what he would accomplish in his first advent (coming). The day of vengeance mentioned here will be ushered in at his second advent.

We are, right now, in the time of God's favor. But there is coming a day when God will seek retribution and vengeance (Romans 12:19). This is why the Bible urges us to get right with God NOW ... TODAY, while the "getting is good!" (see 2 Corinthians 6:2). How about YOU? Should you die today, tomorrow, next week, next month --- are YOU ready to meet God? If you are not (or are not sure), take a moment and check out what the Bible has to say about "Two ways to live, a choice we all face." 

Thanks for stopping by . . .
pj

PEACE!!!

Week 4, Day 4 Reading: Isaiah 52:13-53:12

Isaiah 53:5  But he was pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace . . .

The New Testament talks about two types of peace ... both can be ours ONLY because Jesus faced God's wrath for our sins when he died upon the cross. First, there is the peace WITH God. In Romans 5:1 we read, "Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ."  Our sin makes us enemies of God. Through Christ's sacrifice on our behalf, our sin is paid for. With the cause of hostility gone, we can be reconciled to God. Our war with God has been replaced with peace! Secondly, the New Testament talks about a peace OF God. In Philippians 4: 7 we are told that once we take everything to God in prayer that "the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard our hearts and our minds in Christ Jesus." We do not need to be consumed by worry or paralyzed by fear. In the midst of the turmoil around us ... we can be at peace.

Wow! Because Christ was crushed ... we can enjoy peace!  Praise Jesus that he was willing to go through the judgment and devastation of hell that we might enjoy both peace with God and the peace of God!

Thanks for stopping by,
pj

The Servant of the Lord

Week 4, Day 3 Reading: Isaiah 42:1-9

Isaiah 42:1  Behold my servant, whom I uphold, my chosen, in whom my soul delights; I have put my Spirit upon him; he will bring forth justice to the nations.

This passage is one of four "servant songs" in the book of Isaiah in which the servant is the Messiah. The word "messiah" means "anointed." Note that this verse specifies that the Father has chosen this servant (i.e. "anointed" him). In addition the verse tells us that God has placed his Spirit upon this chosen, anointed servant.

Passages from the gospel record that comes to mind in regards to the fulfillment of this prophecy concerning God's coming servant, the Messiah, are the accounts of Jesus' baptism by John the Baptist. When Jesus came up out of the water, a voice from heaven declared God the Father's delight in his Son, and the Spirit of God descended upon Jesus in the form of a dove. Sure sounds like a fulfillment of Isaiah 42:1, doesn't it?

Thanks for stopping by . . .
pj

"To us!" "To us!"

Week 4, Day 2 Reading: Isaiah 9:1-8

Isaiah 9:6-7  For to us a child is born, to us a son is given . . .

In this prophecy of the coming Messiah, we are told that a child would be born "to us" and a son would be given "to us."   To us ... the baby Jesus, crying when hungry, shivering when cold. To us this child would be born. But this child would be no ordinary baby ... for he is the son who is given. Whose son? The Son of God! Given by whom? The Father, of course. For John reminds us in his gospel that "God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son" (John 3:16). And this son is given "to us!"

Can you think of a more wonderful, life-changing, heart-warming, soul-stirring, everything-changing gift than the Son of God? I certainly cannot! Take a moment and bow your heart before God and offer him a heart-felt word of thanks for the gift of his one and only Son!

Thanks for stopping by . . .
pj

A Baby Born .... Fully Man and Fully God!

Week 4, Day 1 Reading: Isaiah 7:1-25

Isaiah 7:14  Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.

Here is one of the best known and most astounding prophecies concerning the coming of the Messiah. The fact that he would be born, indicates that when the Messiah came he would come as one of us. But that he would be born of a virgin . . . this indicates that even though a member of the human race, he would be more than mere human. Luke tells us in his gospel that the angel Gabriel informed the virgin Mary that the child that she was to conceive would be the work of the Holy Spirit. This indicates that the son born to her would be also divine, which is exactly what is communicated to us by the name Immanuel (which means, "God with us").

Imagine that! A baby born who was fully man and fully God. This is the story of Christmas!

Thanks for stopping by . . .
pj

Strike the Shepherd!

Week 3, Day 5 Reading: Zechariah 12:1-13:9

Zechariah 13:7b  Strike the shepherd , so that the sheep may be scattered . . . 

Both Matthew (Mt. 26:31) and Mark (Mk. 14:27) include this verse in their account leading up to the arrest of Jesus. He had just celebrated the Last Supper with his twelve disciples in an upper room in Jerusalem. Just before heading out to the garden of Gethsemane (where Jesus prayed and was arrested), Jesus predicts that his disciples would all "fall away" because of him. He then quoted this verse from Zechariah, stating that in doing so, the disciples would fulfill this messianic prophecy. Of course, no sooner had Jesus made this prediction, Peter blurts out his well known pledge of loyalty to Jesus -  that he would absolutely never in no way at any time EVER turn his back on Jesus (Mt. 26:33-35). Well ... we all know how that promise turned out!

Think about this moment in Jesus' earthly life ... at a time when he was in most need of the steadfast support of this chosen followers, they all turned tale and ran! Yet ... all alone (humanly speaking), Jesus was willing to face the mob! For us! Wow! Hallelujah! What a Savior!

Thanks for stopping by . . .
pj

A Humble Entrance!

Week 3, Day 4 Reading: Zechariah 9:9-17

Zechariah 9:9 Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout aloud, O daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, your king is coming to you, righteous and having salvation is he, humble and mounted on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey.

In John's account of the triumphal entry of Jesus into Jerusalem on what has become known as "Palm Sunday," John quotes this verse from Zechariah to demonstrate that Jesus was fulfilling this prophecy of the long awaited Messiah (John 12:14-15). It strikes me that Jesus entered Jerusalem that day in the same way he entered our world ... humbly. What a thought! The King of kings was willing to humble himself for you and me! Now that's something to rejoice in! 

Thanks for stopping by . . . 
pj

A Divine GPS

Week 3, Day 3 Reading: Micah 5:1-5

Micah 5:2  But you, O Bethlehem Ephrathah, who are too little to be among the clans of Judah, from you shall come forth for me one who is to be ruler in Israel, whose coming forth is from of old, from ancient days.

Centuries before the promised Messiah of God was born, the prophet Micah took prophetic aim at a small town just six miles south of Jerusalem. It was there, he prophesied, that the Messiah would be born. That Bethlehem was being foretold as the birth place of the Messiah has long been the understanding of this passage. When King Herod was questioned by the magi as to where they could find the "new born king of the Jews," Herod gathered the chief priests and the scribes of the people and asked them where the Messiah was to be born.Without hesitation they told him "Bethlehem of Judea." For support they quoted to him this very promise from the book of Micah (see Matthew 2:1-6).

Wow! You talk about a divine GPS. It doesn't get more accurate than this!

Thanks for stopping by . . .
pj

A Branch from David's Family Tree

Week 3, Day 2 Reading: Jeremiah 23:1-8

Jeremiah 23:5-6  Behold, the days are coming, declares the LORD, when I will raise up for David a righteous Branch, and he shall reign as king and deal wisely, and shall execute justice and righteousness in the land. In his days Judah will be saved, and Israel will dwell securely. And this is the name by which he will be called: ‘The LORD is our righteousness.’

This "righteous Branch" to be raised up by God from David's family tree is none other than Jesus Christ, who is often referred to in the New Testament as the "son of David" (Matthew 1:1; Luke 1:32). Even though Jesus as the righteous Branch will indeed reign as king and thus fulfill this prophecy, he first had to go through the humiliation of crucifixion. So as we celebrate this birth of Christ this month, let's not lose sight of the fact that he was born to die.

Thanks for stopping by . . .
pj

A Great Promise

Week 3, Day 1: Genesis 12:1-9

Genesis 12:1-3  Now the LORD said to Abram, “Go from your country and your kindred and your father's house to the land that I will show you. And I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and him who dishonors you I will curse, and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.”

This passage contains one of the great covenants of the Bible. Here is a multi-layered promise to Abraham. It is a promise to give him a great land and name, to make of him a great nation, to bless those who bless him and curse those who dishonor him, and to bless all nations through him. This last promise of this covenant is a reference to the coming Messiah who would be a descendant of Abraham (Matthew 1:1). The Old Testament is the story of the outworking of this covenant to Abraham through God's covenant people Israel, the descendants of Abraham, culminating, of course, in the building expectation of the coming Messiah. And the Messiah's appearance is the story of the New Testament.

Thanks for stopping by . . .
pj

Empty Ritual

Week 2, Day 5 Reading: Amos 5:1-27

Amos 5:21-23  “I hate, I despise your feasts, and I take no delight in your solemn assemblies. Even though you offer me your burnt offerings and grain offerings, I will not accept them; and the peace offerings of your fattened animals, I will not look upon them. Take away from me the noise of your songs; to the melody of your harps I will not listen."

During the days of Amos the prophet, the people of Israel were doing all the "religious" things. They were gathering in solemn assemblies and offering up the sacrifices demanded by God in the Law. They were even worshiping God through song. Yet God told them in no uncertain terms that this worship was all worthless as far as he was concerned. You see, it was merely empty ritual. They were going through the motions of religion ... but their hearts were not in it. As a result, it was not God's blessing and favor they received, but his rebuke and judgment. In fact, less than forty years after Amos prophesied to the Northern Kingdom of Israel, the Assyrian army invaded and conquered the kingdom. 

Do we need a savior? This weeks readings scream a definitive "YES!" 

Thanks for stopping by . . . 

pj

The Brick Wall of Sin

Week 2, Day 4 Reading: Isaiah 59:1-21

Isaiah 59:1-2  Behold, the LORD's hand is not shortened, that it cannot save, or his ear dull, that it cannot hear; but your iniquities have made a separation between you and your God, and your sins have hidden his face from you so that he does not hear.

Sin is the "Great Separator" when it comes to humanity and God. Our sin is like a solid brick wall separating us from God and all the good things he has to offer us. This wall is one that is too thick to break down, too high to climb over, too wide to go around, too deep in the ground to dig under. There is absolutely no way to for us to get to the other side. We have no one to blame for this situation but ourselves. And if left to ourselves, we would be eternally without God and therefore without hope in this life and the life to come.

Do we need a savior? Totally!

Thanks for stopping by . . .
pj

Guilty as Charged!

Week 2, Day 3 Reading: Psalm 14:1-7


Psalm 14:2-3 The LORD looks down from heaven on the children of man, to see if there are any who understand, who seek after God. They have all turned aside; together they have become corrupt; there is none who does good, not even one.

This passage is one that the Apostle Paul quotes from in writing his magnus opus (greatest work), the New Testament book of Romans. In chapter three of that book, Paul quotes these words (see Romans 3:9-20) to build his argument that there is no one who is not under the dominion of sin ... that not one of us is innocent ... that ALL of us are guilty before God. And if left to ourselves, every single one of us would continue down the path toward eternal destruction.

Do we need a saviour? Yes! Yes! Yes!

Thanks for stopping by . . .
pj

Going Astray!

Week 2, Day 2 Reading: Exodus 32:1-33:6


Exodus 32:7-8 And the LORD said to Moses, “Go down, for your people, whom you brought up out of the land of Egypt, have corrupted themselves. They have turned aside quickly out of the way that I commanded them. They have made for themselves a golden calf and have worshiped it and sacrificed to it and said, ‘These are your gods, O Israel, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt!’”

Notice that when God informs Moses of the sinful idol worship of the people of Israel, he states that "they have turned aside quickly out of the way" in which He had commanded them to walk. Now perhaps you are thinking, "You know, if I had been there and seen all the miracles God worked to set us free from our bondage in Egypt, I certainly would not have so quickly turned on God!" If you are thinking these thoughts, let me ask you this: Has God set you free from a hopeless captivity to sin? A bondage you had no hope of getting out of apart from His intervention? Well of course. All of us who have embraced the gospel of Christ and asked Jesus to forgive us of our sin and rebellion against him, have been set free. Yet, like the Israelites before us, we too have this tendency to quickly forsake the one who saved us for lessor "gods."

Do we need a Saviour? Most certainly!

Thanks for stopping by . . .
pj

One Fateful Choice!

Week 2, Day 1 Reading: Genesis 3:1-24

Genesis 3:6-7  So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate, and she also gave some to her husband who was with her, and he ate. Then the eyes of both were opened, and they knew that they were naked. And they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves loincloths.

Ouch! In one fateful moment, Eve (and then Adam) stepped out from under the authority of God. They looked toward heaven with defiance in their eyes and hands raised in rebellion as they shouted through their choice, "God, we don't need you! We can do this thing called life better if we do it on our own!" Oh how wrong they were. And how wrong each and everyone of us are every time we try to live our lives independent of God. And as the rest of chapter 3 of Genesis demonstrates (and our own human experience confirms), this path only leads to trouble, pain, heartache and grief.

Do we need a savior? Absolutely no doubt!

Thanks for stopping by . . .
pj

Rejected by Man ... but not by God!

Reading Day #5: 1 Peter 2:4-10

1 Peter 2:4-5:  As you come to him, a living stone rejected by men but in the sight of God chosen and precious, you yourselves like living stones are being built up as a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.

Jesus' life was marked by rejection. He was rejected by his siblings, he was rejected by his home town of Nazareth, he was rejected by his own people, Israel. But he was not rejected by God! For Jesus was the one whom the Father had chosen to fulfill the mission of reconciling sinful humanity to himself. It is because of what Jesus did for us that we are able to offer up spiritual sacrifices that are acceptable to God. Jesus' sacrifice for us on the cross changed everything for us! Praise Him!

Thanks for stopping by . . .
pj

A Mirror Image!

Day #4 Reading: Hebrews 1:1-4

Hebrews 1:1-4  Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed the heir of all things, through whom also he created the world. He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power. After making purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high, having become as much superior to angels as the name he has inherited is more excellent than theirs.

In today's reading, the writer of Hebrews specifies that God's Son is an "exact imprint" of God's nature. This means if you want to know what God is like, just take a look at His Son (which is precisely what Jesus told his disciple, Phillip when he asked Jesus to show the Father to him and the other disciples - see John 14:8-9). "Like Father, like Son" applies perfectly to God the Father and Jesus His Son.

When my two oldest children worked as servers at Red Lobster, my wife and I would stop for dinner there. Not only was it nice to have our kids serve us (after all those years of us serving them!) :), it was nice to get the family discount. Often our kids would tell us how a fellow server would come along and say, "Those were your parents that were just here, right? You and your brother look so much like them!" Now although this was not something twenty-something year olds wanted to hear ... there was no escaping the familial connection. And so it is with the Father and the Son (although the resemblance between them is a perfect match). Once  you have seen the Son ... you have seen the Father! Keep that in mind as we continue on our journey of The Essential Jesus. 

Thanks for stopping by . . .
pj

A Truly Powerful Savior!

Day #3 Reading: Colossians 1:15-23

Colossians 1:16-17  For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him. And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together.

This entire passage is so rich with truths about Jesus Christ, that I could write for hours in reflecting upon them. But I will practice restraint and point out just two realities. First, the text makes it clear that Jesus created everything. And he did so FOR HIMSELF! So much of the Christianity of today is man focused. This verse reminds us that our faith really needs to be CHRIST focused. He died for me ... yes! But he did so in the long run to bring glory to God! In addition, verse 17 reminds us that Jesus is the power that holds this vast universe together. You talk about power! This Jesus we love and serve and worship is truly amazing!

Thanks for stopping by . . .
pj

Humiliation . . . Exaltation

Day #2 Reading: Philippians 2:1-11

Philippians 2:5-11   Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

Here the Apostle Paul reminds us that Jesus went through the depths of humiliation (the author of life allowing the creatures he had made to nail him to a Roman cross, one of the most devious means of torture ever devised by humanity) ... and he did so willingly. But praise God the story of Jesus the Christ does not end there .... but he also experienced the ultimate exaltation when God raised him from the dead and seated him at his side. From the deepest depths to the highest heights ... this is the story of our Savior!

Thanks for stopping by . . .
pj

Turning on the Light!

Day #1 Reading : John 1:1-18

John 1:4-5  In him was life, and the life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.

Whenever you walk into a dark room and hit the light switch, what happens? The darkness immediately retreats. And the brighter the light, the more definitive the retreat. Jesus is THE LIGHT! John reminds us here in the opening words of his gospel that try as it might, the darkness has not overcome that light! Not then, not now, not ever!  Let's together work on letting Christ's light shine through us today ... and everyday! There's no better way to fight the darkness!

Thanks for stopping by . . .
pj

Running with Endurance

Back in my high school days I was undoubtedly in the best physical shape of my life. How so? Well I ran cross-country in the fall and track in the spring. All the miles of hitting the pavement, fields and cinders kept my body lean and strong.

I learned a lot of lessons from my running days. One of which was the need to focus whenever I ran a race. The days I was able to do this well, I finished well. On days that I did not ... well let's just say I might have done better if I had stayed in bed!

The writer of the book of Hebrews likens the Christian life to a race. He urges us to run the race "with endurance." And we need to do so for our journey of faith is much more like a marathon than a sprint. He also gives the key to doing so . . . and that is that we must "fix our eyes on Jesus" and "consider him" (Hebrews 12:1-3). Only as we look to Jesus (and keep looking to Jesus) will we avoid the temptation to throw in the proverbial towel and end up on the sidelines.

Our essential Jesus initiative is designed to help us sharpen our focus on Jesus, which is something we all need to get intentional about doing. Distractions abound in our culture that would pull our gaze away from Christ. So let's make sure we get serious about our focus. When we fill our minds with Jesus, the distractions that try to enter will find no room!

Thanks for stopping by . . .
pj