Tag: Lord

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Luke Devotionals

Digging deep

Digging deep

“Why do you call me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and don’t do the things I say?

I will show you what someone is like who comes to me, hears my words, and acts on them: He is like a man building a house, who dug deep and laid the foundation on the rock. (Luke 6:46-48)

Father, let me be one who digs deep. Who doesn’t just skim over your words, but thinks on them and meditates on them. Who seeks to understand them. Who seeks to really know what you’re telling me.

Let your words be the foundation of my life.

Jesus, don’t let be be like those who call you “Lord, Lord,” but don’t do what you say.

You are my King. And I believe you are a good King. So give me ears to hear and a heart to obey you.

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Acts Devotionals

Submitting to our (good) Master

When they heard this, they raised their voices together to God and said, “Master, you are the one who made the heaven, the earth, and the sea, and everything in them. (Acts 4:24)

“Master.”

That’s not a word that’s often used of God in the New Testament. “Lord” is the more typical term the early Christians used.

The word translated “Master,” though, emphasizes more of God’s right and power to command.

That’s a truth that many people refuse to accept and fight against.

People fought against that in David’s time, they fought against it in Peter’s time, and they fight it in ours. (25-27)

But Peter and the rest of the Christians recognized God as their Master. And because of that, they willingly submitted to him. (19-20)

Why?

Because they recognized he’s a good God.

Interestingly enough, the word translated “Master” is where our English word “despot” comes from.”

But far from being a tyrannical leader, God is our loving Creator and Father. 

God, you are my Master. A good Master. A loving Master. And though this world seems to be going mad at times, I believe you are in control. And you desire my best.

You are worthy of my trust. You are worthy of my obedience.

So Master, I submit to you. I surrender all to you. I love you. In Jesus’ name, amen.

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Mark Devotionals

Jesus’ authority

Mark

As I’ve been reading Mark this week, one word has come to mind: Authority. Namely, Jesus’ authority.

You see it first in his message.

The kingdom of God has come near. Repent and believe the good news! (Mark 1:15)

You see it when he calls people to follow him, and they immediately drop everything to do so. (Mark 1:16-20, 2:14)

You see his authority and power over sickness and demons. (1:21-25, 32-34, 40-42, 3:10-12).

You see his authority to forgive sins against God. (2:10)

You see his authority to loosen the Sabbath regulations. (2:23-3:6)

But one thing you also see is people defying or questioning Jesus’ authority. (1:43-45; 2:24; 3:6; 3:22)..

I guess my question for myself and for you is this: What do we do with Jesus’ authority?

Are we like his disciples, accepting his authority in our lives, and following him?

Or do we question or even defy his authority?

In short, do our hearts belong to him?

Would Jesus say to us,

Why do you call me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ and do not do what I say? (Luke 6:46)

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1 John

To have fellowship with God

1 John

In a lot of ways, the word “Christian,” is applied to far too many people. Many people claim to be Christians, but by their lives show themselves to be anything but.

At this point, many people may scream at me for being judgmental. But Jesus himself said,

Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.

Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?’ (Matthew 7:21-22)

In a modern context, people might say, “Lord, Lord, didn’t I go to church? Didn’t I put money in the offering basket? Didn’t I do this good thing and that good thing?”

But Jesus will say to them,

I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers! (Matthew 7:23)

In short, your life cannot be divorced from your actions. And your actions prove who you are.

That’s what John is saying in this passage.

He says,

This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light; in him there is no darkness at all.

If we claim to have fellowship with him yet walk in darkness, we lie and do not live by the truth. (1 John 1:5-6)

Too many people live in their sin, explaining away scripture in some cases, blatantly ignoring it in others.

But John tells us that God is light. There is no sin in him at all. And so if we live in utter rebellion to what he has taught in his Word, explaining it away or blatantly ignoring it, and we still claim to have fellowship with him, we’re liars.

John is very straight here. He says, “You are a liar. Truth is not  in you.”

But then he says,

If we walk in the light as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin. (1:7)

If God is in light, then if want to have fellowship with him, we need to walk in light too. Because God certainly isn’t going to join us in the darkness of our sin. But if we will step out of our rebellion to him and submit to him as Lord, then Jesus’ blood will purify us from all our sin.

But we need to step out of that rebellion. To stay in rebellion against God and to claim fellowship with him is pure impossibility.

In case there is any doubt as to what John is saying, he goes on.

We know that we have come to know him if we obey his commands. The man who says, “I know him,” but does not do what he commands is a liar and the truth is not in him.

But if anyone obeys his Word, God’s love is truly made complete in him. This is how we know we are in him: Whoever claims to live in him must walk as Jesus did. (1 John 2:3-6)

In short, we can tell if a person has a relationship with God by their attitude toward Him.

Is God’s love so complete in them that they respond with loving obedience? That they desire to be more like their Lord and to walk as he did? That they mourn over their sin when they fail and repent?

If not, then there should be serious doubt as if they are truly saved or not.

How about you? What does your attitude toward God show about your relationship with him?

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1 Peter

Living as servants of God (Part 4)

1 Peter

After addressing specific examples of how people should live as servants of God (slaves, wives, and husbands), Peter now addresses us all.

First he addresses how we are to relate to one another.

Finally, all of you, live in harmony with one another; be sympathetic, love as brothers, be compassionate and humble. (1 Peter 3:8)

I can’t help but think of Jesus’ words at this point when he told his disciples,

A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another.

By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another. (John 13:34-35)

In 1 Peter 3:8, I think Peter is merely expanding on the words of Jesus.

Again, the context of this comes in part from chapter 2 verse 12, that we live such lives among the pagans that they can see our good deeds and glorify God. But this is difficult to do when we can’t even get along with one another.

He then returns to the topic of how we, as Christ’s servants, are to deal with suffering and persecution. And we are not to respond as the world often does, with bitterness and retaliation. Rather, we are to respond with blessing. (9)

Again, this echoes the words of Christ who told us,

Bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. (Luke 6:28)

And Peter says that if we bless others, we ourselves will receive blessing from God.

Peter also tells us that in the face of evil, we are not to respond with evil. (1 Peter 3:9)

Rather, he quotes Psalm 34 and admonishes us to watch our tongues, to turn from evil, and to seek peace and pursue it.  (10-12)

That’s hard to do. It certainly was in Peter’s time. Nero literally lit up Christians as torches at his garden parties. Peter himself was crucified under Nero’s order.

But Peter says,

But even if you should suffer for what is right, you are blessed. “Do not fear what they fear; do not be frightened.”  (14)

And then he comes to the key verse of this passage.

But in your hearts, set apart Christ as Lord. (15)

Why should slaves put up with unjust treatment from their owners?

Why should wives submit to their husbands?

Why should husbands respect their wives?

Why should we love one another in the church?

Why should we turn from evil when persecuted and bless those who abuse us?

Because Jesus is Lord of our lives. At least, he should be.

And Peter charges us here to set him apart as Lord in our hearts. To remember that ultimately we are his servants. And that as his servants, we are to shine his light to the world.

But we can’t do that if we’re living for ourselves, putting our own personal desires and goals above his kingdom.

With that in mind, then, in the face of suffering and persecution, Peter tells us,

Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have.

But do this with gentleness and respect, keeping a clear conscience, so that those who speak maliciously against your good behavior in Christ may be ashamed of their slander. (15b-16)

Eventually, if we keep living as Christ’s servants, people will start to wonder why, even our persecutors, and then they will ask.

And when they do, it opens up the opportunity for us to bring them into God’s kingdom too. But that will never happen if we are living for ourselves.

That’s why Peter concludes by saying,

It is better, if it is God’s will, to suffer for doing good than for doing evil. (17)

Certainly none of us wants to suffer. But if we suffer not because we did evil, but because we have been living as servants of Christ, we will see God’s kingdom increase and God will reward us for it.

How about you? Who and what are you living for?

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John John 12 Luke Luke 19 Mark Mark 11 Matthew Matthew 21

The Lord needs it

The gospels

We have now reached the home stretch of the life of Jesus, his final week.

As I read this passage, one phrase struck me. Jesus was instructing his disciples to do something very unusual, to go into the village, and just take a colt and donkey that they found there. And if anyone challenged them, they were to simply say, “The Lord needs it.”

The disciples did as they were told, and when the owners saw this, they immediately asked,

Why are you untying the colt? (Luke 19:33)

The disciples responded as Jesus had commanded, and immediately the owners acquiesced.

The question that came to my mind was, “When the Lord says to me of something, ‘I need this,’ how do I respond?”

If Jesus, for example, were to say, “I need you to give some money to this person. They are in need.” Would I immediately say, “Yes Lord?”

Or if I were headed somewhere, and I happen to run into someone, and Jesus were to say, “I need some of your time. Stop and talk to this person,” would I do so?

Or if God were to tell me, “It’s time to leave Nishinomiya. I need you elsewhere for another work,” would I say yes?

Or would I instead cling to what is mine?

Honestly, I don’t know, and probably too often, the Lord has told me, “I need this from you,” and for whatever reason, I said no.

“I’m too busy.”

Or,

“I need that money for other things.”

The disciples brought the colt to Jesus, set him on it, and honored him as king. And we need to do the same.

When Jesus says to us, “I need this,” we need to bring it to Jesus, setting him above it, and honoring him as our king over all.

Do I?

Do you?

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Luke Luke 6 Matthew Matthew 7

Sermon on the Mount: What we build our lives on

The gospels

And so we come to the end of the Sermons on the Mount and the Plain.

Both end the same way, with a challenge. Essentially, Jesus sums it up by saying,

Why do you call me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ and do not do what I say? (Luke 6:46)

In other words, if you call me ‘Lord,’ but don’t do what I say, can you really say I am your Lord?

One person put it this way, “Either Jesus is Lord of all in your life, or he isn’t Lord at all.”

And it’s very true. Jesus is either Lord of your life, or he isn’t. There is no in-between.

Jesus then gives his very famous illustration of the house built on rock, and the house built on sand.

He tells us that if we hear his words and do them, we are like the person that digs down deep into the ground and lays their foundation on rock. And because we do so, because we have a stable foundation, when the storms of life come, our house will stand.

But if we hear his words and do not obey, we are building our lives on sand.

What is sand like? Always shifting. That’s what the thought patterns of this world are like. Always shifting.

Morals and values in this world are constantly changing. Things that were considered abominable 50 years ago are being celebrated as good. Things that were considered good are now considered passé.

But when we build our lives on shifting sand, our foundation is not stable, and when the storms of life come, our house will collapse.

How about you? Are you building your house on rock? Are you not only hearing the words of Jesus, but putting them into practice?

Or are you instead being conformed to the pattern of this world?

Are you building your house on rock, or on shifting sand?

In short, is Jesus truly your Lord?

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Psalms

Remembering the goodness and love of God

Psalms

The first verse pretty much sums up all of Psalm 136.

Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good.
“His love endures forever.” (Psalm 136:1)

This whole psalm is about God’s goodness and love toward his people.  But as we look at it, we see just who God is to us.

It begins by talking about how he is the “God of gods” and “Lord of lords,” continuing one of the main themes of Psalm 135.  (verses 2-3)

It then talks about him as Creator, the one who created the heavens and earth.  How in his wisdom and power, he created all things.  (4-9)

God is then worshiped as the Redeemer.  The one who delivered the people of Israel from Egypt, by striking down the Egyptians, and bringing the Israelites through the Red Sea.  (10-15)

The psalmist then remembers God as Shepherd, leading the people through the desert, providing for their every need.   (16)

We next see him as the Mighty Warrior, defeating powerful kings and great cities, as he brought Israel into the promised land, and giving it to them as an inheritance.  (17-22)

In verses 23-25, the psalmist proclaims God as the God of grace and mercy.  As one who saw the lowly state of his people, and delivered them.  Who not only provided for their needs, but provides for the needs of every creature he has created.

And finally, we see God as the Lord of heaven.  The one who reigns over all.  (26)

I mentioned in an earlier blog the dangers of cynicism.  One of the weapons against cynicism in our lives is thanksgiving.  Remembering who God is and what he has done for us.

Remembering that he is God and he is in control, even though we can’t see it sometimes.

Remembering how he redeemed us from Satan’s kingdom and eternal death.

Remembering how even now, he is leading us as pilgrims on this earth and will bring us into the kingdom he has prepared for us.

How he is the mighty warrior and will help us in the battles against the spiritual forces that we face every day.

How when we fall, he shows grace and mercy to us, and lifts us back up.  That he never leaves us nor forsakes us.

So every day, let us remember these things.  Let us focus on these things.  And let us sing with hope as the psalmist did,

His love endures forever.