God's Pursuing Grace!

Week 9, Day 4 Reading: Luke 15:1-32

Luke 15:32  It was fitting to celebrate and be glad, for this your brother was dead, and is alive; he was lost, and is found.’”

Those descriptions of the prodigal son are so rich AND so true of all of us who have embraced the gospel of Jesus Christ. We, too, like him were dead ... but are now alive. We too, like him, were lost and are now found!  And this is NOT due to any effort of our own. But rather it is due SOLELY to the grace of God (Ephesians 2:1-9).

As I reflected upon this, I thought of a poem first published in 1893 by English poet, Francis Thompson. The poem, "The Hound of Heaven" is a reference to God and his pursuit of lost sinners. This might seem a strange way to refer to God, but here is an explanation that I believe captures the essence of this haunting, yet beautiful poem.

The name is strange. It startles one at first. It is so bold, so new, so fearless. It does not attract, rather the reverse. But when one reads the poem this strangeness disappears. The meaning is understood. As the hound follows the hare, never ceasing in its running, ever drawing nearer in the chase, with unhurrying and imperturbed pace, so does God follow the fleeing soul by His Divine grace. And though in sin or in human love, away from God it seeks to hide itself, Divine grace follows after, unwearyingly follows ever after, till the soul feels its pressure forcing it to turn to Him alone in that never ending pursuit (quote from The Neumann Press Book of Verse, 1988). 

Thanks be to our GRACIOUS God ... that he pursued us. Otherwise, we would never have come to HIM (John 6:44)! 

Thanks for stopping by . . . 
pj

Serving those Who Cannot Repay!

Week 9, Day 3 Reading: Luke 14:1-24

Luke 14:12-14  He said also to the man who had invited him, “When you give a dinner or a banquet, do not invite your friends or your brothers or your relatives or rich neighbors, lest they also invite you in return and you be repaid. But when you give a feast, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind, and you will be blessed, because they cannot repay you. For you will be repaid at the resurrection of the just.”

These words of Jesus are very counter-cultural. They also go against the grain of our sinful flesh. So often when we do something for another, we so so with the thought in the back of our mind (if not in the forefront of our thinking) that perhaps they will thank us in some sort of tangible material way - an "I'll scratch your back if you'll scratch mine!" On the flip side, why invite "the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind?" Surely these people are not "fun" people to be around!

Yet Jesus turns our thinking upside down (as he so often does!). So given his words, two key questions for all of us: When was the last time you reached out to do something for the "less fortunate" among us? If you are like me ... the answer to that question is "too long!" That said, then, what will you do to rectify this sad situation in your life and do an act of kindness for someone who has no way of ever repaying you for that deed?

"Chew" on these questions ... then act. You will be better for it!

Thanks for stopping by . . .
pj

Invest in God!

Week 9, Day 2 Reading: Luke 12:13-21

Luke 12:15  And he said to them, “Take care, and be on your guard against all covetousness, for one's life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.”

Jesus introduces the parable of the rich fool with these words. Very appropriate for us who live in such a consumer driven culture. A culture in which personal success and worth is most often determined by the size of one's house and the amount of one's pay check. But Jesus makes it quite clear in this passage how much a person has accumulated in worldly goods (or has not accumulated), does not determine the value or significance of his life. What really matters is whether or not one is "rich toward God."

So how about you? Are you rich toward God? Seeking him and  his righteousness above all else? Investing your time and money in those activities that will advance His kingdom?

Thanks for stopping by . . .
pj

Show Mercy!

Week 9, Day 1 Reading: Luke 10:25-37

Luke 10:36-37  Which of these three, do you think, proved to be a neighbor to the man who fell among the robbers?” He said, “The one who showed him mercy.” And Jesus said to him, “You go, and do likewise.”

This parable of the Good Samaritan may be one of the best known of Jesus' parables. And for good reason. It is a powerful story of how one man very unexpectedly helped another man in need. For the one who did the helping was a Samaritan (a half breed mix of Jew and Gentile). The victim, it is assumed was a Jew. Any respectable Jew had nothing to do with the low life Samaritans. Yet this Samaritan merchant stopped and helped this bleeding Jew (even when a priest and a Levite passed him by). This Samaritan showed mercy,even though he knew that if he had been the one lying bleeding and broken on the road, no Jew would have stopped to help him. Yet he was willing to give of himself (both time and money) to offer aid to this suffering Jew. That's mercy. And that's what Jesus calls us to!

Have you shown mercy to anyone in need lately?

Thanks for stopping by . . .
pj

Two Snapshots of Jesus - Mark 1:40-2:12

Here is the PowerPoint slides from Sunday, January 27th. Enjoy!

Two snapshots of jesus jan 27 2013 from John Smith

Thanks for stopping by . . .
pj

When Jesus Returns . . .

Week 8, Day 5 Reading: Matthew 24:1-51

Matthew 24:36  “But concerning that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father only."

First there was Harold Camping setting a date for the return of Christ on May 21, 2011. When that did not work out - the date was moved to October 21. 2011. That day also came and went and still ... no Jesus!

More recently, it was the Mayan calendar which predicted that the end of the world as we know it was to have occurred on December 21st of 2012. Well, I just checked my calendar and it tells me that today is January 25, 2013. So no go again!

Now the failures of predictions such as these (and I could have mentioned several more) should not surprise us. Jesus in the verse above makes it quite clear that even he (during his earthly ministry) did not know the date and the time the Father had set for his return. Only God knows that. But, even though the date is unknown does not mean it will not happen. Be assured that everything Jesus talks about in Matthew 24 (known as the "Olivet Discourse") will indeed one day take place. So ... if Jesus were to return tomorrow - would you be ready to meet him?

Thanks for stopping by . . .
pj

PS - If you are not sure if you are ready, please check out Two Ways to Live: The Choice We All Face. 

A Spring Cleaning in January?

Week 8, Day 4 Reading: Matthew 23:1-39

Matthew 23:27-28  “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs, which outwardly appear beautiful, but within are full of dead people's bones and all uncleanness. So you also outwardly appear righteous to others, but within you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness."

Before we point a finger at the scribes and Pharisees that we know, we had better first take a look in our bathroom mirror. Many of us are guilty of this same sin ... the sin of hypocrisy. Really? No doubt. If we are honest, we would all have to admit that there are times that we pretend to be more spiritual than we really are. So we let on that prayer is our best friend, ministering to others is our first love, and the Bible is our constant companion. But in reality, our heart is cluttered by a lot of junk. 

Spring is coming (really, it is ... just not soon enough for most of us!). With the season comes what many call "spring cleaning." Let me suggest that you take some time (I know, spare time is not something that you have a lot of!) and do some "spring cleaning" of your heart and soul. Ask the Spirit of God to help. It's something he excels at! 

Thanks for stopping by . . . 
pj

Hear and DO!

Week 8, Day 3 Reading: Matthew 7:1-29

Matthew 7:24-27   “Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock. And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not do them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell, and great was the fall of it.”

As Jesus wraps up this powerful sermon, he does so with a parable that adds a beautiful finishing touch. In this parable he contrasts a wise and foolish builder. The wise man builds his house on rock. Therefore, when the storm strikes, it stands. The foolish man builds his on the sand. Of course, when the storm hits, the house has no chance of "weathering" the storm and coming through intact! Now what is interesting in this parable is what distinguishes these two builders. Both heard the word of God. But only one (the wise builder) took the words of Jesus that he heard and put them into practice. The other (foolish builder) heard them and did nothing with them. 

Friends, which is typically your response to God's Word? The answer to this question will go a long way toward determining how you will fare in the face of life's troubles (and if you are not facing any today, you will tomorrow - for troubles are part of the package of life.)  So don't just read the word and walk away ... rather ask yourself, "What does God want me to DO in response to his word?" 

Thanks for stopping by . . . 
pj

Beware of Myopia

Week 8, Day 2 Reading: Matthew 6:1-34

Matthew 6:19-21  “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal.  For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also."

Jesus makes it clear in these verses that all of us have a HUGE choice to make. We can either choose to live for this world or we can choose to live for the next. And even though it might seem to make the most sense to live for the here and now ("A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush") - Jesus states in no uncertain terms that nothing could be further from the truth. "Go ahead," he says, "Store up treasures here on earth ... but they won't last. They will rust away or be stolen away ("Here today, gone tomorrow!"). But," Jesus continues, "Invest in heaven and the profits you will reap (and make no doubt ... you will reap) are out of this world!"  

So if this is true ... why do we go so hard after the stuff of this world while giving little thought to our eternal home? It's because we all suffer from myopia ("near-sightedness"). All we can see is what is right in front of us. Eternity? Too far away to see ... let alone think about. Friends -- let's correct our poor vision and see reality for what it is ... a short prelude (this life) followed by the main event (eternity). Such right thinking will change the way we live in this life ... for the better! 

Thanks for stopping by . . .
pj

One of the Greatest Sermons Ever Given!

Week 8, Day 1 Reading: Matthew 5:1-48

Matthew 5:1-2  Seeing the crowds, he went up on the mountain, and when he sat down, his disciples came to him.

This, the first of five major discourses or sermons in the gospel of Matthew, is often referred to as "The Sermon on the Mount."  As Jesus saw the crowds coming his way, he saw it as an opportune teaching moment. And so he went up on the mountain (to be more easily seen) and sat down (the normal posture of a rabbi when teaching). What follows is truly an amazing portion of Scripture. Please do NOT rush through the readings this week as the first three will take you through this Sermon on the Mount and the last reading will introduce what is known as "The Olivet Discourse" (so named because Jesus gave that teaching on the Mt.of Olives which overlooks the city of Jerusalem). If you allow God some time, I am convinced that he will speak to your heart and mind concerning some very important life issues. So ... please give him that chance! 

Thanks for stopping by . . . 
pj

Toward A Successful Ministry (Mark 1:14-39)

Here are the PowerPoint slides from SUNDAY, JANUARY 20th. Enjoy!

The ministry of the servant jan 20 2013 from John Smith

Thanks for stopping by . . .
pj

Seeing Jesus (and God) for Who They Really Are!

Week 7, Day 5 Reading: Luke 5:1-11

Luke 5:8  But when Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus' knees, saying, “Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord.”

After fishing all night and catching nothing, Peter, James and John were instructed by Jesus to head out to deeper waters and let down their nets. Peter, though reluctant, did so because it was the master who was giving the command. To the utter amazement of the trio, they caught so many fish, that their nets began to tear. And as they began to pull the fish into their boats (for they had signaled for help), the weight of the fish was sinking the boats! Now .. at this point you would have thought Peter and company would have been thrilled. I could imagine them jumping up and down, giving Jesus a high-five, a chest slam, a fist bump, or at the very least, a hearty "Amen!" But no. Peter, when he sensed that he was in the very presence of God responded just as the prophets Isaiah (Isaiah 6:1-8) and Ezekiel (Ezekiel 1:28) had done.

I fear we have lost this sense of the fear of a holy God today. So many people think of God as their friend, their buddy . . . but few look at him with awe and respect, realizing that he is the one true and living God who  is magnificent in his majesty and an INFINITE cut above us! Oh that we might get that view of God into our heads and hearts. We (and the Church overall) would be better for it.

Thanks for stopping by . . .
pj

Listen to Jesus!

Week 7, Day 4 Reading: Luke 4:31-44

Luke 4:31-32  And he went down to Capernaum, a city of Galilee. And he was teaching them on the Sabbath, and they were astonished at his teaching, for his word possessed authority.

The people who listened to Jesus teach were astonished. For unlike the rabbis of Jesus' day who were always quoting this rabbi or that rabbi, Jesus teaching possessed its own inherent authority. Should this surprise us? After all, Jesus is none other than God the Son, the second member of the Triune God. In other words, Jesus is God Almighty and as such he speaks with the authority of the God of the universe!

Wow! Take a moment and try to imagine yourself in the crowd that day listening to Jesus. As you remind yourself of just who Jesus is ... think of your astonishment as you hear these words spoken by none other than God himself (for this is the reality anytime you pick up and read your Bible!).


Thanks for stopping by . . .
pj

Rejection!

Week 7, Day 3 Reading: Luke 4:14-30

Luke 4:14, 29-30  And he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up. And as was his custom, he went to the synagogue on the Sabbath day, and he stood up to read . . . And they rose up and drove him out of the town and brought him to the brow of the hill on which their town was built, so that they could throw him down the cliff. But passing through their midst, he went away.

What a sad event in the life of Jesus. He goes back to his boyhood town, reads a passage from Isaiah which speaks of the coming Messiah, tells them that he is the living fulfillment of that prophecy. This gets the village folk all riled up. And after a sharp response from Jesus (please be sure to read the passage), they decide Jesus has to go ... not just out of town but out of this life! However, since neither the time nor method of death is in sinc with God's plan, Jesus simply passes through their midst and goes his way (as worked up as the crowd was, they would not have simply let him go without a fight ... something of a supernatural sort must of happened at this point. Just what, we do not know!).

Among other lessons, this passage teaches us that there will always be those who will out and out reject Jesus Christ. This is due to the hardness of the human heart and the deadness of the human soul. Unless God does something in us first, no one would ever embrace him. Thanks be to God that he first loved us!

Thanks for stopping by . . .
pj

Living by the Bread of God's Word!

Week 7, Day 2 Reading: Luke 4:1-13

Luke 4:3-4  The devil said to him, “If you are the Son of God, command this stone to become bread.” And Jesus answered him, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.’”

Luke tells us that after the Spirit led Jesus into the wilderness, Jesus began a forty day fast. At the conclusion of that fast, the devil pounced. His first temptation, to turn the stone into bread, was intended to strike where Jesus was most vulnerable (who wouldn't be hungry ... I mean REALLY hungry after a forty day fast?). So the devil moves in for "the kill." But Jesus was not to be deceived. He makes it clear to Satan that he had food to eat that was far better than a mere loaf of bread. This food was the word of God!

So in this first of three temptations, Jesus was making it clear that his desire to know and put into practice the word of God far surpassed his physical appetite for bread (which must have been great at that point!).  Oh that we would get our arms around this concept and learn what it truly means to "live by every word that comes from the mouth of God." Of course, to live by it we have to know it. So that begs the question we all need to ask ourselves, "How well do I know God's word?"

Thanks for stopping by . . .
pj

Pointing People to Jesus the Christ!

Week 7, Day 1 Reading: Matthew 3:1-17

Matthew 3:1-3  In those days John the Baptist came preaching in the wilderness of Judea, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” For this is he who was spoken of by the prophet Isaiah when he said, “The voice of one crying in the wilderness: ‘Prepare the way of the Lord; make his paths straight.’”

John, who was a relative of Jesus, was anointed by God to be the forerunner of the Messiah. This, in fulfillment of a prophecy uttered centuries before by the prophet Isaiah. As such, John had a fruitful ministry which culminated in his introduction of Jesus to the people of Israel through the waters of baptism. At the conclusion of this baptism, God the Father placed his seal of approval upon Jesus via both his spoken word "This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased," and his Spirit, who descended upon Jesus in the form of a dove.

Just as John had the joy of introducing the Christ, the savior of humanity, we can have the same joy! God calls each and every one of us to be a witness for him (Acts 1:8). Is there someone specifically in your network of relationships that needs to hear about Jesus? Purpose to follow in the footsteps of John and today, if possible, point that individual to Christ!

Thanks for stopping by . . .
pj

The Servant Revealed to the World (Mark 1:1-13)

Here are the PowerPoint slides from Sunday, January 13th. Enjoy!

Rev of servant to the world jan 13 2013 (1) (2) from John Smith

Thanks for stopping by . . .
pj

Jonah, the Great Fish, and Jesus!

Week 6, Day 5 Reading: Jonah 1:1-4:11

Jonah 1:17  And the LORD appointed a great fish to swallow up Jonah. And Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights.

Jonah was the prophet who tried to run from God. The Lord told him to go to Nineveh to preach repentance to the Assyrians. Jonah did not think very much of the Assyrians and so he got on a ship that was headed in the opposite direction. When a storm threatened to sink the ship Jonah was on, the crew cast lots to determine just who was the cause of the storm (in their belief system, the god of the seas was upset with someone on board and so the anger of the seas!). The lot, of course, fell to Jonah (for the one true God can work through the superstition of pagans to work HIS plan!). God continued to work his plan by sending a great fish to swallow Jonah alive. Through that experience, Jonah had a change of heart and agreed to go to Nineveh ... which he did and the Assyrians repented (again, not to Jonah's liking). Make sure you read chapter four to see how it all ends.

Jesus pointed to Jonah's "great fish" experience as a sign of what was coming for him. In Matthew 12:38-41, Jesus said that "just as Jonah was in the belly of the great fish, so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth."  This was, of course, a reference to his coming burial ... which would end in the early morning hours of the third day following his crucifixion with his glorious resurrection from the dead.

Take a moment and praise God that we serve a living savior. One whom the shackles of death could not keep bound!

Thanks for stopping by . . .
pj

The Ark of the Covenant

Week 6, Day 4 Reading: 1 Kings 8:1-21

1 Kings 8:20-21  "Now the LORD has fulfilled his promise that he made. For I have risen in the place of David my father, and sit on the throne of Israel, as the LORD promised, and I have built the house for the name of the LORD, the God of Israel. And there I have provided a place for the ark, in which is the covenant of the LORD that he made with our fathers, when he brought them out of the land of Egypt.”

King Solomon makes reference to the ark of the covenant. The ark was a boxlike structure which contained the stone tablets of the law given to Moses. The lid of the box was called "the mercy seat." Above the seat were two cherubim (angels) with their wings spread over the box. Once each year (on the Day of Atonement) the high priest would enter the most holy place of the tabernacle/temple. Once there he would sprinkle the blood of a goat which had been sacrificed to cover the sins of the people of Israel. Don't miss the symbolism here! After this was done ... when God looked down at the tablets of the law within the ark ... he did not see the broken law ... instead he saw the blood of the sacrificial goat which had been sprinkled upon the mercy seat. So instead of meting out judgment ... God gave mercy!

All of this is symbolic, of course, of the sacrifice of Christ on our behalf. For as God looks down upon us from heaven ... he does not see us in our sin and rebellion and the law which we have broken. Rather he sees us washed in the blood of his Son! Praise God for Christ's sacrifice on our behalf. Because he died (and then rose from the dead) --- WE LIVE!

Thanks for stopping by . . .
pj

Jesus and the Bronze Serpent

Week 6, Day 3 Reading: Numbers 21:4-9

Numbers 21:8-9   And the LORD said to Moses, “Make a fiery serpent and set it on a pole, and everyone who is bitten, when he sees it, shall live.” So Moses made a bronze serpent and set it on a pole. And if a serpent bit anyone, he would look at the bronze serpent and live.

When God sent a horde of serpents among the people to judge them for their sin of unbelief, Moses was told to make a bronze replica of those snakes, place it on a pole and then raise it up for all to see. Any who would look to the serpent on the pole he would be healed. Now was there something magical about this bronze snake? Not at all. But it took faith to believe by merely looking at such a thing would bring healing.

Jesus makes reference to this bronze serpent in John 3:14-15, as he says, "And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in him may have eternal life."

My friend, have YOU believed in Jesus? Do you have the faith that will save you from the wrath of God that is clearly coming? It's never too soon nor too late to do so! If you need further assistance in taking this step of faith, take a moment and read through Two Ways to Live: The Choice We All Face. 

Thanks for stopping by . . .
pj

Jesus - The Bread of Life!

Week 6, Day 2 Reading: Exodus 16:1-35

Exodus 16:31-32   Now the house of Israel called its name manna. It was like coriander seed, white, and the taste of it was like wafers made with honey. Moses said, “This is what the LORD has commanded: ‘Let an omer of it be kept throughout your generations, so that they may see the bread with which I fed you in the wilderness, when I brought you out of the land of Egypt.’”

In John's gospel, we find reference made to this manna that God gave to the children of Israel in the wilderness. Here is how the dialogue between the crowd and Jesus unfolded:

"Jesus answered them, “This is the work of God, that you believe in him whom he has sent.” So they said to him, “Then what sign do you do, that we may see and believe you? What work do you perform? Our fathers ate the manna in the wilderness; as it is written, ‘He gave them bread from heaven to eat.’” Jesus then said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, it was not Moses who gave you the bread from heaven, but my Father gives you the true bread from heaven. For the bread of God is he who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.” They said to him, “Sir, give us this bread always.” Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst."  (John 6:29-35)

Jesus makes it clear that just as God sent the people of Israel bread from heaven to fill their stomachs, so God has sent his Son from heaven as "the bread of life" to fill the empty hearts and souls of all men. Praise God for Jesus, the break of life!

Thanks for stopping by . . .
pj

Thankful for the Blood of the Lamb!

Week 6, Day 1 Reading: Exodus 12:1-30

Exodus 12:12-13   For I will pass through the land of Egypt that night, and I will strike all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both man and beast; and on all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgments: I am the LORD. The blood shall be a sign for you, on the houses where you are. And when I see the blood, I will pass over you, and no plague will befall you to destroy you, when I strike the land of Egypt.

Consider the words above, "When I see the blood, I will pass over you." The blood referenced here is the blood of an unblemished lamb which the Israelites were instructed to kill. They were then to smear that blood on the door posts of their houses. When the Lord was exercising judgment that night ... whenever he came to a home that had the blood of the lamb on the door posts, he promised to "pass over" that particular house. So the firstborn within was saved by the blood of the lamb.

What a beautiful picture of the blood of another lamb ... this one the Lamb of God (John 1:29). The sinless Son of God who shed his blood so that God would also "pass over" us when it comes time for judgment (1 Peter 1:18-20; Revelation 7:14). He will do so because the blood of his Son has washed away the guilt of our sins. Praise God for the sacrifice of the Lamb!

Thanks for stopping by . . .
pj

Intro to Gospel of Mark

Here is the PowerPoint from Sunday, January 6 message. Enjoy!

Intro to book jan 6 2013 from John Smith

Thanks for stopping by . . .
pj