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!

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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. 

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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!

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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!

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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