Tag: Jesus

How To Be Ready For Christ’s Return – Luke 21:20-38

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From my reading in Luke 21:20-38 in the One Year New Testament.

Watch Out! 

From the  warnings that we get from Jesus about the end times there is a primary application. Watch out…

“Watch out! Don’t let your hearts be dulled by carousing and drunkenness, and by the worries of this life. Don’t let that day catch you unaware, like a trap. For that day will come upon everyone living on the earth. Keep alert at all times. And pray that you might be strong enough to escape these coming horrors and stand before the Son of Man.” Luke 21:34–36

We need to be waiting and ready for Jesus’ return.

Don’t get drunk.

Don’t be overly worried about details of this life.

Be ready because Jesus is coming when no one is expecting it.

Christ’s purpose for telling us some of the details in advance is not so that we can make a fancy chart or sell books on the subject.

Christ primary reason for warning us of the end time events was so that we would stay faithful to Jesus and be ready for his return! 

We are to pray that God would give us the strength to escape the coming horrors and preserver to the end and stand before Jesus!

Be faithful with the tasks that God has given you today.

Pray for strength to preserver. 

Be aware that he could come back at any moment!

Ps… If you have never repented of your sin, asked Jesus to forgive you and given your life to Jesus then that is a good idea too! Just saying!

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“Showing Off” Spiritually Is Stupid! – Luke 20:27-47

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From my reading in Luke 20:27-47 in the One Year New Testament.

“Showing off” is a big part of our culture and has trickled in to our churches and ministries.

If we are not careful, pastors can become more worried about their Instagram and Twitter followers then their church members.

I have been tempted to to show off how my ministry “blowing up” at certain times and have also been tempted to be quiet sometimes when it was not going well. I think this is an issue that all ministry leaders are tempted with.

Spiritual showoffs were around even in Jesus’ time. Here’s what he said about them.

“Beware of these teachers of religious law! For they like to parade around in flowing robes and love to receive respectful greetings as they walk in the marketplaces. And how they love the seats of honor in the synagogues and the head table at banquets. Yet they shamelessly cheat widows out of their property and then pretend to be pious by making long prayers in public. Because of this, they will be severely punished.” Luke 20:45–47

The religious leaders were taking the glory only God deserves and trying to steal it for themselves.

They didn’t desire personal holiness, instead they sought public recognition in the following ways.

1. Paraded around in flowing robes – These were extra-long fancy white linen garments worn by religious leaders that set them apart from others.

Do you wear things to get attention from others?

2. Love Respectful Greetings – They love being greeted as they walked through the town.

Do you enjoy being called pastor or reverend or even the recognition of being a good servant?

3. Seats of Honor In The Synagogue and Banquets – They got the best seats in the house because of their position.

Do you love being treated special at Church or events?

4. Pray Long Pious Sounding Prayers – They make their prayers extra long in order to show off how spiritual they are!

When you pray are you really talking to God or are you trying to impress people?

All the while these men were cheating widows out of what little property they have! These men looked good on the outside, but were rotten to the core.

Attempting to steal God’s glory is one of the things God takes most seriously!

Jesus warns that these men will receive greater punishment because of their greater responsibility. Jesus’ brother James gives a warning to those of us in spiritual leadership…

“Not many of you should become teachers in the church, for we who teach will be judged more strictly.” James 3:1

The role of spiritual leadership is not something to be taken lightly and is certainly not to make us look good. It is to make Jesus look good!

As spiderman would tell you, with great power comes great responsibility. 

We should do what ever we can to keep from causing others to stumble, people’s eternity are hanging in the balance.

Are you ministering to make much of yourself or to make much of Jesus?

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Why Jesus Came – Luke 19:1-27

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From my reading in Luke 19:1-27 in the One Year New Testament.

Jesus came to the town of Jericho and met a man named Zacchaeus who was a crooked tax collector.

He had become very wealthy by skimming profits off the top of what people actually owed to the government.

Jesus saw Zacchaeus up in a tree, and invited himself over.

Jesus went to Zacchaeus’ house and was for spending time with a “notorious sinner”.

In Christ’s presence Zacchaeus showed his repentance by vowing to give half of his wealth to the poor and pay back those he cheat four times as much as he owed!

“Jesus responded, Salvation has come to this home today, for this man has shown himself to be a true son of Abraham. For the Son of Man came to seek and save those who are lost.” Luke 19:9–10

Jesus came to seek and save the lost.

Jesus sought Zacchaeus out and saved him. Jesus came to down to earth as a human and saved us through his sacrificial death on the cross.

Christ is still seeking and saving the lost through his Church.

We get to be a part of his life saving mission by spending time with the lost and inviting them into God’s family. One of the best way we can serve Christ is to help other’s find him.

I am so grateful that Jesus come to seek and save sinners like me and Zacchaeus! 

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Jesus Fulfilled His Own Prophecy About Himself – Luke 18:24-43

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From my reading in Luke 18:24-43 in the One Year New Testament.

I usually skim through the parts of the gospels where Jesus predicts his death to the disciples. Because I (Spoiler Alert) already know the end of the story, it does not shock me.

The disciples didn’t even understand what he said so plainly until after Jesus came back, so what was the significance of these passages.

Jesus reminded the disciples of the messianic prophecies.

“Listen, we’re going up to Jerusalem, where all the predictions of the prophets concerning the Son of Man will come true” Luke 18:31

He quoted some of the old testament predictions of what the “Son of Man or Messiah would do.

Even though they didn’t realize it right away Jesus words like this possibly helped some of them remember prophesies Jesus fulfilled when they wrote the gospels.

Jesus was basically saying, I’m the Messiah and I’m about to prove it! Then Jesus went on the predict in detail what would happen to him.

“He will be handed over to the Romans, and he will be mocked, treated shamefully, and spit upon. They will flog him with a whip and kill him, but on the third day he will rise again.” Luke 18:32–33

Many of these things are prophesies of the OT but Jesus was able to predict in a very precise and specific way. Jesus prophesied about himself!

Jesus shows us here that he had the power of prophet. 

Jesus was handed over to the Romans, and mocked, shamed, spit on, flogged, ripped, killed, and victoriously rose from the dead. In doing so he fulfilled many prophecies, paid the penalty for our sins and offered us new life!

This passage is another confirmation of Jesus’ wisdom and divine power!

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You Are Invited To The Easter “After Party” – Luke 15:11-32

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From my reading in Luke 15:11-32 in the One Year New Testament.

So The Party Began…

I imagine a huge bash going on in heaven with God and the angels right now. This Easter thousands of people started their new life in Jesus! And that is something to celebrate!

The Parting, Then The Party

The story of the prodigal son is one of the most famous of Jesus’ parables. Jesus is continuing his explanation to the Pharisees about why he prioritizes spending time with tax collectors and “sinners”. Here’s the story.

A man had two sons. One son told his father that he wanted his share of the inheritance and his father agreed. The son moved to a distant land, wasted all the money on wild living, and soon was starving and broke.

In desperation he took a job feeding pigs until he realized that even the servants of his father got better food than he did! He decided to go home in shame. He was hoping his father would let him work the with the other hired hands.

Welcome Home Party

As he was returning his father caught a glimpse of him on the horizon from a long way off and he began running! The father was so filled with love for his son that he embraced him, kissed him and welcomed him home!  The son then humbly repented of his sin. Instead of reprimanding him the father told his workers to bring a robe, a ring, sandals, kill the fattened calf, and throw a huge party! Here’s the reason…

“for this son of mine was dead and has now returned to life. He was lost, but now he is found.’ So the party began.” Luke 15:24

Today, Easter Sunday this happened all over the world.

People who were dead received new life in Christ.

Those who were lost stumbled into a church building for one reason or another and were found in Christ.

That is something to celebrate! I love that last phrase, SO THE PARTY BEGAN!

Our father feels this way whenever one sinner repents and turns to Jesus.

The angels rejoice whenever one sinner repents and God along with them! We should be joining the party right?

The Party Pooper

Every party has a pooper thats why we invited the older brother. The older brother was jealous that the foolish younger brother was getting such an extravagant party after being so dumb. It wasn’t fair! So he complained to the father and this is the father’s response.

“Look, dear son, you have always stayed by me, and everything I have is yours. We had to celebrate this happy day. For your brother was dead and has come back to life! He was lost, but now he is found!’ ”Luke 15:31–32

It is truly a HAPPY DAY when the dead are raised to life!

I follow some mega churches pastors on Instagram and today I was tempted to be jealous of the thousands of salvations they were having. In those moments I was acting like the older brother. If you are in ministry here’s a very relevant question.

Are you genuinely excited when you hear stories of OTHER ministries growing and reaching a lot of people?

Or are you skeptical, jealous, or wish it was your ministry? 

For those not in full time ministry you can apply this on a micro level.

When your friend leads someone to faith do you get excited with them?

Whenever the lost or found and the dead are raised we should rejoice.

Rejoice with me over the thousands of people young and old, American, Asian, African, European, Australian, White, Black, Hispanic, and many others who were found in Christ today in an Easter service! Let the party begin!

Just think about it…

If you start celebrating now you will have practice for heaven!

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What Is The Cost Of Following Jesus? – Luke 14:25-35

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From my reading in Luke 14:25-35 in the One Year New Testament.

Jesus made some pretty radical claims about the cost of following him. Let’s look at a few…

Love and Hate

“If you want to be my disciple, you must hate everyone else by comparison—your father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters—yes, even your own life. Otherwise, you cannot be my disciple.” Luke 14:26

Jesus is not actually saying that we should just hate our families.

He is saying that that the earthly love we have for our families should look like hate when compared to the love we have for God.

Basically Jesus is saying “whatever you love most in life you must love me much more.” The reason we can make the assumption is that in the rest of God’s Word it is clear that we are to love our families and even our enemies.

Carry Your Cross

“And if you do not carry your own cross and follow me, you cannot be my disciple.” Luke 14:27

The cross is an instrument of death. Carrying your own cross means being willing to sacrifice yourself for the sake of Jesus even if it means dying for him.

Count The Cost

Jesus encourages his listeners to count the cost before deciding to follow Jesus. He uses two illustrations.

  • When you construct a building you must make sure you have enough money to build it otherwise you will waste your money and look foolish.
  • If you are going to war you need to get advise and decide weather an army of 10,000 could take on an army of 20,000. If not then you can save many lives and try to negotiate terms of peace.

The last phrase of this paragraph seems to be a summary statement for this section.

“So you cannot become my disciple without giving up everything you own.” Luke 14:33

Surrender is the prerequisite for following Jesus.

This doesn’t mean that everyone has to give all their money away but it does mean that when we decided to follow Jesus we must be willing to give up anything he asks us to. We must be willing to give up sinful habits, unhealthy relationships, sometimes our comfort and surrender it to Jesus.

Jesus is Lord, and he wants us to treat him like it!

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#Selfie – The Danger of Self Promotion – Luke 14:1-24

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From my reading in Luke 14:1-24 in the One Year New Testament.

“Shotgun No Blitz!”

Growing up we used to play the game where when you saw the car you yell “shot gun” and then you get to sit in the front seat. We would fight over the better seat. Jesus dealt with a similar issue with some people who were with him.

Jesus saw that all the people who came to the dinner party he was attending were maneuvering to try and get the best seats. Noticing this, Jesus gave some powerful advice.

Imagine you are at a wedding.

Don’t take the most important seat, because if someone even more distinguished than you comes you will be embarrassed and asked to move to one of the least important seats.

If you take the lowest seat first then when the host recognizes you you will be put in a better position and will be honored in front of everyone. Here’s the moral of Jesus’ story.

“For those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.” Luke 14:11

“Back Seat No Leg Room!”

After learning about humilty and a verse on “putting the interests of other above our own” we put a different spin on our game. Instead of yelling “shot gun on blitz” we would yell “back seat no leg room.”

#Selfie

I am active on Instagram and I see way more “selfies” than I would care to. Our culture tells us that if we don’t promote ourselves no one will. Often when we are in the process of self promoting we don’t even recognize it. It is such a part of our culture, we need to make a conscious effort not to toot our own horn.

How Do You Humble Yourself?

I think humbling yourself is choosing to allow others to have the spotlight. To celebrate others and to give them the priority. It is coming to a place where you are more worried about the happiness of others than your own happiness. As many have said…

“Humility is not thinking less of yourself it is thinking of yourself less.”

People love being around someone who genuinely looks out for their interests. Humble people are a joy to be around.  Jesus story is basically a paraphrase of a Jewish proverb…

“Don’t demand an audience with the king or push for a place among the great. It’s better to wait for an invitation to the head table than to be sent away in public disgrace.” Proverbs 25:6–7

It may take longer to “make it big” or for you to reach the audience you want. But if you choose humility and if you are promoted then it will be because you are meant to be there and not because you pushed for it. Then you will be better prepared for the greater responsibility that comes with notoriety.

Are you willing to wait humbly to be promoted? 

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What Was Christ’s Relationship With The City Of Jerusalem? – Luke 13:23-35

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From my reading in Luke 13:23-35 in the One Year New Testament.

Chicken In A Good Way

Jesus loved Jerusalem even though it was the place where he would be killed.

“O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones God’s messengers! How often I have wanted to gather your children together as a hen protects her chicks beneath her wings, but you wouldn’t let me.” Luke 13:34

Christ’s love was so great that he desired to care for the people of the city as if they were his own children.

He used the illustration of a mother hen caring for her chicks by protecting them under her wings to illustrate the tender care he wished to give them.

But Jerusalem refused to live under his protection, instead they rejected him and killed him.

“And now, look, your house is abandoned. And you will never see me again until you say, ‘Blessings on the one who comes in the name of the Lord!’” Luke 13:35

Because they rejected him, Jesus “abandoned” the great city to their own devises. Ironically after Christ’s resurrection Jerusalem would be the very place that Christianity first exploded with growth!

Jesus then made a prophesy by saying that they wouldn’t see him again until they said he was indeed the Messiah. This was fulfilled on Palm Sunday which we just celebrated. As Jesus rode into the city on a donkey they said,

“Praise God for the Son of David! Blessings on the one who comes in the name of the Lord! Praise God in highest heaven!” Matthew 21:9

A Love Hate Relationship

As you can see Jesus had a love hate relationship with Jerusalem.

The people of Jerusalem loved him, then they hated him.

But Jesus never stopped loving them. 

I pray that I will have that same love for the places where God has called me to minister. I want to love the campuses of San Diego as well as the community God has put me in even if I am repeatedly rejected.

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How To Guard Yourself Against Greed – Luke 12:1-31

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From my reading in Luke 12:1-31 in the One Year New Testament.

In Jewish society, it was tradition for the eldest son to receive the entire inheritance of their father. Here, a man who was most likely the younger bother asked Jesus to tell his old brother to split their father’s inheritance with him. Jesus responded that really he wasn’t the one to sort that out and then warned him about the heart of the problem.

“Beware! Guard against every kind of greed. Life is not measured by how much you own.” Luke 12:15

You Must Be The Monopoly Guy

It is interesting that Jesus warns agains “every kind” of greed. This means that there are various ways that greed can rear its ugly head in our lives.

When most people think of greed, they think of real life Monopoly. The greedy are the rich who exploit the poor, drive fancy cars and benefit from the unjust work of the less fortunate. Many rich people do fall into the trap of greed, but they are not the only ones who deal with this problem.

The Other Face Of Greed

The poor struggle with greed just as much as the rich. Actually, the man who asked Jesus the question was the one who didn’t get the money!

The poor are greedy for what they don’t have, and the rich are greedy with what they do have! 

Greed is not about how much money you have; it is about your mentality toward it.

Bigger Barn Syndrome 

Jesus tells a parable of a man who had a very fertile farm that produced more crops than he needed. He had plenty for himself and even had filled his existing store rooms with extra! Instead of giving the remainder away, he built bigger barns for his crops so that he could just sit back, be lazy and party it up! Here is God’s perspective on this issue.

“But God said to him, ‘You fool! You will die this very night. Then who will get everything you worked for?’ Yes, a person is a fool to store up earthly wealth but not have a rich relationship with God.” Luke 12:20–21

God judged the man for putting his hope in earthly wealth and not in God. It is foolish to trust in riches instead of trusting in God!

If you want to experience real life, then beware of greed. Be generous. Don’t let money control your life. Remember, Jesus’ words, “life is not measured by how much you own.”

You can buy temporary happiness, but you can’t buy joy!

Life is really about loving God and loving others! If we let money become an idol in our lives, we will miss out on the most important things and will waste  our lives! I encourage you to read this whole passage yourself because Jesus continues talking about the danger of worrying about money and how those who seek him first will be provided for!

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How Perfectionism Kills Your Relationship With God – Luke 10:25-42

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From my reading in Luke 10:25-42 in the One Year New Testament.

The Danger of Perfectionism 

There is a powerful story in the Bible of two women who both wanted to please Jesus but had different approaches to relating to him. Martha and Mary were hosting Jesus at their home. Mary sat at Jesus’ feet and listened carefully to his teaching. Martha, on the other hand, wanted to make everything perfect for big dinner for Jesus.

Martha complained to Jesus that it wasn’t fair for Mary to just sit and listen while she do all the work, and she told Jesus to tell Mary to go help her.  First of all, it’s not a great idea to tell Jesus what to do, but Jesus graciously responded in a way that gives us two powerful lessons.

“My dear Martha, you are worried and upset over all these details! There is only one thing worth being concerned about. Mary has discovered it, and it will not be taken away from her.” Luke 10:41–42

1. Don’t Sweat The Small Stuff

The fact that Martha was working hard to prepare a meal was a good thing. The problem Jesus had with her was that she was worried and upset over the details.

One of the reasons we get worried about the details is not because we want to serve the people but because we want everything to be perfect so that we look good.

The perfectionist gets their idently from their performance instead of from Christ.

Men and women both struggle with this desire to make everything perfect in the name of serving God. I encourage you to make sure that as you work hard for God’s glory, you don’t get so focused on minor details that you forget what life is really about – loving God and others. Jesus is our first priority, and other people are our second priority. Next time you find yourself worrying about the details ask yourself…

Am I really motivated to serve God and others or make myself look good?

2. Don’t sacrifice time with God for service of God.

Martha was doing a great service for Jesus, but was missing out on valuable time with Jesus. Those of us in ministry can get so caught up in spending time working for God, we fail to get adequate time simply enjoying his presence and listening to his voice. Jesus modeled a life of sacrificial service while maintaining healthy amounts of time in prayer to the Father. He modeled this principle…

Our relationship with God is the fuel for effective service of God. 

Stop focusing on minor details and make sure that you take the time you need to slow down and connect with Jesus. Another danger of perfectionism is that it not only hurts your relationship with Christ but it also hurts your relationships with people. Don’t get so busy focusing on petty things that you forget about the people in your life. Ultimately, though, if you are focusing on your relationship with God, then a love for others will naturally flow out of that!

Slow down, take a chill pill and just sit at Jesus’ feet for a while; it is the most valuable thing you can do!

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