August 31.....persecuted

Matthew 5:11-12 “Blest are you when they insult you and persecute you and utter every kind of slander against you because of me. Be glad and rejoice, for your reward is great is heaven.” (NAB)

Matthew 5:10 ”Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” (NIV)

Heavenly Father,

I don’t know why the author of the devotional skips vs. 10, but I will include it here. Persecution….most of us don’t really know what persecution “for my sake” is. We don’t live where admitting that we worship Jesus Christ will get us killed, or tortured, or our families harmed. We are free to worship as we choose. We endure no real hardship in our choice to believe in the one true God, Creator and Sustainer of all life. Some people disagree with our belief and especially our choice to follow Jesus as our Savior, but we come to no real harm from it. We may be ignored, laughed at, argued with, avoided….but not endangered. It makes a difference. We have faith without fear, which should make us bolder, but instead weakens us and quiets us. We don’t have to fight for our God, so we forget to even share the Good News. There are places where we would make little headway in spreading our faith, but we tend to just avoid those places. We sit in our safe church buildings and wait for the lost to find us. But You tell us that our blessing will come from being insulted, persecuted, slandered for the sake of righteousness and the name of Jesus Christ. The Kingdom of Heaven isn’t ours without some discomfort. Leaving our comfort zones to speak out about Christ to those who will ignore us is often as hard as speaking out to those who will kill us. Having to defend our faith to those who ask for proof is difficult. Knowing Jesus well enough in our own life to explain him to others is difficult. We aren’t ready, aren’t prepared to give personal witness to our faith. We will never be insulted, persecuted or slandered if we never speak out. We will also never be blessed with your kingdom. Forgive me. amen.

August 30....peacemakers

Matthew 5:9 “Blest too are the peacemakers; they shall be called the sons of God.” (NAB) ”Happy are those who make peace, for they will be known as sons of God” (Phillips) ”God blesses those people who make peace. They will be called his children.” (CEV)

Heavenly Father,

You are not a God of discord, a God of chaos. You created a perfect world in an orderly fashion. You created a garden of peace and harmony. Man destroyed this. Man brought disorder and disharmony. Man made a pact with the devil and traded paradise for hell. The first murder, the first act of hatred occurs almost immediately. Cain kills his brother Abel. Peace is destroyed. Jealousy rules. Envy murders. Peace is a precious thing…..and so fragile! It only takes a wrong thought, a thoughtlessly spoken word, an unkind act to destroy it. Every day we each destroy peace in some way. We get angry with a co-worker. We act in a jealous manner against a friend. We argue with our families about trivial things. If the sound of peace being broken was audible, we would go deaf from the noise. You bless the peacemakers. Just as we can destroy peace, we can also “make” it. We can apologize to those we hurt. We can react in love to those who try to hurt us. We can forgive those who harm us. We can be more careful of our words and acts. We can look and listen to those around us with senses tuned to your love and grace rather than the world’s values. Making peace takes patience. Making peace takes Jesus Christ in us in action. We will be “sons of God” if we have Jesus Christ in us and his grace and love acting through us. Not I, but Christ in all things. Peace comes from the throne of your love and Christ sits on that throne. Making peace is only possible during an interaction between the Christ in us and another. Peace takes 2, but one must be Jesus Christ, your Son. Make me a child of peace and an ambassador of your love. Amen.

August 29....pure in heart

Matthew 5:8 “Blest are the simple-hearted for they shall see God!” (NAB)

”Blessed are the pure in heart for they will see God.” (NIV)

”Happy are the utterly sincere, for they will see God!” (Phillips)

Heavenly Father,

Is there any Christian who doesn’t long to “see God” more than anything? We dream of what it must have been like to actually know Jesus and listen to him and talk with him. We long for some tangible evidence of our faith even though we still believe without it. We want to hear your voice, catch a glimpse of your glory, have such a complete assurance of your presence that it is as real as “seeing” you. We know that you are too magnificent and powerfully holy for us to actually see. It would be like gazing into the sun and would blind us! Yet we read that you “walked in the garden” with Adam and Eve. They knew your presence and heard your voice. How might we “see” you, O LORD? Jesus Christ “showed” us the Father. Every word we read about Jesus gives us a glimpse of you. We are told here that to “see” you we must be “single-hearted”….”pure in heart”….”utterly sincere”. That seems so hopeless most of the time! We desire to be single-hearted, to think only of you, but the world and our sinful nature intrude. We desire to be pure in heart, but know that it is utterly impossible for us to manage on our own. To purify our hearts, is to remove sin. Only Jesus Christ can do that for us. Through Jesus Christ our hearts are made pure and we “see” you in him. He makes us righteous, and sons of God, and becomes our salvation and our hope. If Jesus purifies our hearts, we are filled with your Holy Spirit and learn to love you with all of our hearts. Unless we abide in you and you abide in us we can not “see” you. Make my heart single-heartedly yours. Purify my hart from sin, through Jesus Christ. Let me see you through the eyes of my Savior, Jesus Christ and abide with you forever! Amen.

August 28....the merciful

Matthew 5:7 “Blest are they who show mercy; mercy shall be theirs.” (NAB) “Blessed are the merciful, they will be shown mercy.” (NIV) “You’re blessed when you care. At the moment of being ‘care-full’, you find yourselves cared for.” (MSG) “God blesses those people who are merciful. They will be treated with mercy.” (CEV)

Heavenly Father,

You showed us mercy “while we were yet sinners”. You didn’t make us beg for it. We weren’t even aware we needed it. You saw our need and provided a solution. I keep hearing bits and pieces of Dennis Jernigan’s song, “Mercy Me”….”mercy me when I’m falling, mercy me when I’m calling, mercy me when I’m dirty, wash me clean”….”pour your grace out on me”. I think that phrase captures the picture of mercy for me. You poured your grace out on us. You washed us in it. You drowned our sins in Jesus’ blood. Mercy or grace pour in an everlasting fountain from the throne of heaven. Grace will never run out. Mercy from our Father is not rationed or in short supply. You have so much love and mercy and grace that you can “pour it out” forever! This is the mercy we have from you. Jesus Christ is exalted and blessed above all others because he showed us mercy in his death. If Christ lives in us, we too will show mercy to others. If we are fully aware of the grace we have received….undeserved….we cannot withhold grace from others. The joy that causes us to sing…”Amazing grace how sweet the sound that saved a wretch like me!” is the joy that will cause mercy and grace to pour from us., just as it pours from You. Mercy begets mercy. Love produces love. “By our fruit we will be known”….love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness, faithfulness, self-control. Mercy produces this fruit. The Holy Spirit is the mark that we have accepted your mercy and now he will produce mercy in us. O, LORD, mercy me that I might mercy others! Your mercy saved me, so I might show others your mercy and love. Fill me Holy Spirit with abundant mercy for others. Thank you! amen

FOUNTAIN OF MERCY Your mercy is like a fountain, pouring out endless love,

Your grace is a healing balm, to remove the pain of our sins.

We come with a thirst and hunger, starved for forgiveness and hope

We bathe our wounds in your mercy and our brand new life begins.

Fountain of mercy, ever flowing

Fountain of grace, filled with God’s love

Fountain of hope, drawing me closer….

Fountain of Life….to my home above.

8-28-07

August 27....hunger and thirst for righteousness

Matthew 5:6 “Blest are they who hunger and thirst for holiness. They shall have their fill. (NAB)

“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.” (NIV)

“You’re blessed when you’ve worked up a good appetite for God. He’s food and drink in the fest meal you’ll ever eat.” (MSG)

“God blesses those people who want to obey him more than to eat or drink. They will be given what they want.” (CEV) Heavenly Father,

Each of these translations gives us a picture of a person starved for the kingdom of God. Hungering and thirsting for all that is holy, right, truly good, obedient to your will. Seeking your presence with a desire that amounts to hunger and thirst. When we hunger or when we are thirsty we are in need of the things that keep us alive. We can’t live without food and water. The Spiritually hungry can’t live without spiritual food. I really like the Message translation for this…”when you’ve worked up a good appetite for God.” We can hardly wait, our need is great, our senses are on full alert, our desire is single-minded and whole-hearted! This is seeking an abiding relationship. We want more of you. We want you at all times in all things. Jesus understood this relationship and described it to his disciples…”I and the Father are One”. This is what we want too! To be one with our triune God…..Father, Son, Holy Spirit. Jesus is our Way to finding this. Jesus said: “I am the Bread of Life.” In John 4 he tells us: “whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst.” Jesus is Bread and Living Water for our souls. All we need of you is found in him. Jesus died for us so that we may be in “right relationship”….righteousness….with you. This is how we are “filled”, how we are “fully satisfied”, how we are “given what they want.” You long for us to desire you as food and drink. Jesus says: “take eat…..take drink”. Jesus became our righteous food and drink. You don’t give us “stones and snakes” when we ask for food! “How much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!” The food and drink of righteousness is ours when we ask! Feed me, O LORD! Quench my thirst for your presence! Amen.

August 26.....the meek

Matthew 5:5 “Blest are the lowly, they shall inherit the land.” (NAB)

“Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.” (NIV)

"Happy are those who claim nothing, for the whole earth will belong to them.” (Phillips)

“You’re blessed when you’re content with just who you are, no more no less. That’s the moment you find yourselves proud owners of everything that can’t be bought”. (MSG)

“God blesses those people who are humble, the earth will belong to the.” (CEV)

Heavenly Father,

“Lowly…..meek…..claim nothing…..content with just who you are…..humble.” We’ve already discussed many verses on humility….”Humble yourself before the LORD, and he will lift you up.” (James 4:10) Jesus can’t lift us up until we’ve become humble. We have to sink before we reach out for help. We have to decrease, before You can increase in us. Humility breaks us down to a place where You can use us. When You take full control of our lives, we can do your work for your glory. These statements all contrast kingdom life with worldly life, so why is the “reward” here that the meek shall “inherit the earth”? Isn’t that what we want to break away from? We want heaven, not earth! My best guess is that when we become humble to the point that God can use us, than we also become stronger in a desire to do his work and more able to accomplish it. With God’s will being done in us, through the Holy Spirit, we can conquer the whole world for Jesus Christ! The earth becomes ours in the sense that we “own it” rather than it “owning us.” Spiritual values allow us to live “in the world” but not be “of the world.” Jesus Christ in us and through us, once again walks the earth. His Church moves forward in victory and glory. When we “inherit the earth” we show kingdom life to others and spread kingdom values along with the Good News. Jesus reigns! Not just in heaven or the future, but now and here on earth in each of us who humbles ourselves to Your will. Thank you! Amen

August 25....those who mourn

“Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.” (NIV) “Happy are those who know what sorrow means, for they will be given courage and comfort.” (Phillips) “You’re blessed when you feel you’ve lost what is most dear to you. Only then can you be embraced by the one most dear to you.” (MSG) “God blesses those people who grieve, they will find comfort.” (CEV)

Heavenly Father,

I read once that we have to be “lost, little, less, last, dead” to find your Kingdom. Over and over in scripture Jesus praises these “virtues”. We have to be down before you can lift us up. We have to see how small we are, to see how big you are. We have to mourn, to find your comfort. When we are lost….you will find us and rescue us. When we are little like a child, our Father can show us his love. When there is less of us, less “self” to interfere, than there can be so much more of You! When we choose to be last, to humble ourselves to your will, than you can lift us higher than we have ever been before. When we are dead to our sinful life, the world’s pull, the stubbornness found in our “free will” choices, our desire to have control…than you can raise us to new life through your grace. “I once was lost but now I’m found, was blind but now I see!” The author of “Amazing Grace” knew how to mourn and had found your comfort! It’s there for all of us when we just let go and let you have our lives. Jesus came to bring us this grace, this kingdom of heaven, this out-pouring of the Father’s love! “He has anointed me to preach good news to the poor,. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to release the oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.” Those people are us! He came to set us free and heal us and release us and be the Good News that puts us in your favor. Salvation has come! Eternal life begins now! The Kingdom of Heaven is ours through Jesus Christ! Hallelujah! Praise the LORD! Thank you. Release me, O LORD, into your love and grace forever. Gift me with your presence now and always. Amen.

August 24....poor in spirit

Matthew 5:3 “How blest are the poor in spirit, the reign of God is theirs.” (NAB)

Blessed are the poor in spirit for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” (NIV)

“You’re blessed when you’re at the end of your rope. With less of you there is more of God and his rule.” (MSG)

”God blesses those people who depend only on him. They belong to the kingdom of heaven.” (CEV)

Heavenly Father,

These teachings draw us into the heart of Jesus’ message from you about kingdom life. They contrast your kingdom values with worldly values. Each one tells us how we may be blessed in our relationship with you. This blessing is a deep happiness or contentment when we are in “right relationship” with you. Who are the “poor in spirit”? Some of the translations make this clearer then others….”Those who know their need for God”….”when you’re at the end of your rope”….”those people who depend only on him”. Poverty of spirit is recognizing that I’m a failure on my own, a sinner, helpless and in need. I can’t do it. I don’t have the answers. I am not in charge. My spirit needs your Holy Spirit. My sinfulness needs your forgiveness. My will needs to obey your will. I must want to be rid of self and instead have you. This is what I will be blessed with if I am poor in spirit. The Message translation says: “With less of you there is more of God and his rule”. To be filled with your Spirit, I must yield my own. What is the Kingdom of Heaven? It is where You rule and everything falls perfectly and peacefully into place in line with your will and purpose. It’s where we all long to be! Being in your kingdom requires acknowledging you as King. Jesus came to give us the kingdom within ourselves now. This isn’t something we have to physically die to receive. It isn’t our future heavenly home. This is having you abide in us now. This is separating ourselves from the world and its pull and choosing you and your will as what we want and need. If we desire you with all of our hearts, Jesus will give us your kingdom now. We are blessed when we recognize our need for that abiding relationship with you and seek it with all our heart, mind, soul, and strength. I need you, O LORD! Amen.

August 23....lifted on wings of love

James 4:10 “Be humbled in the sight of the LORD and he will raise you on high.” (NAB) ”Humble yourself before the LORD and he will lift you up.” (NIV) Heavenly Father, Sometimes bouncing back and forth between seeing you as Yahwah, Creator, Almighty, Jehovah, I AM…and as…Father, Friend, Savior, Shepherd, Jesus…becomes confusing. Do we bow in awe, or snuggle in your arms? Do we tremble in fear, or rest in your love and grace? Do we approach with confidence the Father who stands with open arms, or hide in shame because of our sins and disobedience? Do we pour out our hearts with you like a close friend, or pour out confessions and sins afraid of your wrath and disappointment? I am always “humbled” in your presence because you are Almighty God, the Creator of all, the Author of the Universe, the All-powerful, all seeing, all present LORD. But my heart, the child in me, wants my Father. The discouraged me wants to be held and comforted. The ashamed me wants to be forgiven. The lonely me wants to be loved. The lost me wants to be saved. The dirty me wants to be clean. The disappointed me wants to find joy. The falling, slipping, sliding me wants to be rescued and lifted up. I rejoice in your love! I rejoice in your grace! I rejoice in your presence. I can’t come close to Almighty God, but I can come close to my Father. Help me understand my relationship with you better! You sent Jesus to “show us” the Father and his love. If Jesus is a “picture” of you than I’m not afraid. I am humbled by your love as well as your greatness. I am humbled by knowing you want me and love me. I have been lifted up on wings of love! Thank You! amen.

*

LIFTED UP ON WINGS OF LOVE

I’ve been lifted up on your wings of love,

Raised from the grave of sin and despair

I can soar to the top of your holy mountain

Your wings of grace will carry me there.

*

I will humble myself in your sight,

And bow low to the King of Kings,

And wait in joy and hope and peace….

To be lifted on grace-filled wings.

*

8-23-2007

August 22.....my friend come up higher

Luke 14:10 “What you should do when you have been invited is to go and sit in the lowest place, so that when your host approaches you, he will say, “my friend, come up higher.”

Heavenly Father,

This sounds a bit like fake humility…choosing a low seat so the host will move you up higher. If we choose to sit in the “lowest place” it should be because that is where we think we belong. We should be constantly reminded at this particular party that we are lucky to be there at all….only by the grace of God! This party is the wedding supper for the Lamb….He who is worthy! We are their because the Lamb was slain and the Lamb arose. We come to celebrate the great thing he has done for us! All “places” other than the Lamb’s are “lowest places”. We all enter on an equal footing….dragged from the clutches of sin and death and invited to the best party ever thrown! “When we have been invited”….all are invited. We have to open and accept the invitation. We have to want to be there and come with joy but also fear at our unworthiness. If we sit in the lowest place, the place for sinners, our host will come to get us. When we says, “My friend, come up higher”, he acknowledges that we belong….we are friends…and that he wants us there with him. Grace is the ticket to “come up higher”. Grace is the ticket that says, “Friend”. Jesus went to a lot of pain and trouble to get us there. If we have knowledge of the invitation but choose to ignore it, we insult our host, our Lord and Savior. I long to hear my Savior say, “My Friend, come up higher.” I want to go to the holy mountain where you dwell! I want to come home! I want to be with my Father, my Savior, my Counselor Holy Spirit! By the grace of Jesus Christ, I will take any place in heaven, whether low or high or in between! Please call me to come to my Savior’s side, to come home with you! amen.

August 21....the place of honor

Luke 14:8 “When you are invited by someone to a wedding party, do not sit in the place of honor in case some greater dignitary has been invited.” (NAB)

Heavenly Father,

This parable is about pride and “the place of honor”. We are told to not take the best place because we may be asked to step down, but to instead take the lowest place and we may be asked to move up. The person seated in “the place of honor” is put there by the host. It isn’t our own estimation of our worth that counts, but how the host sees us. In both cases the person was wrong…one saw himself too great, the other saw himself too lowly. We aren’t good at judging our own worth. We need enough self-esteem to function, but not so much that we are prideful. Most of us would probably sit in the “middle” in this situation. You, Father, are the host. Our worth is judged by You. We all fall short of the holiness you intended us to have. We all are sinners and not fit to be invited to the wedding at all. But you showed great compassion and mercy and sent us a Savior to invite us to your heavenly party. If we say: “I’m with Jesus” we are welcome to come to the party. His worthiness, his obedience, his sinlessness makes the party his, and he invites all of us to come. We are only there because of him. That does not grant us any honor. We have nothing to be proud of. We are already blessed just to have been invited, no matter where we sit when we get there. Jesus is in the place of honor! Seeing Jesus gives us great joy, but also shows us our own shame. When I think about Jesus knowing my every thought, every word, every deed, every omission, I am ashamed to even enter the room. The light of Jesus’ glory makes me throw any pride I have out the door. Thank you that I have a place anywhere in the room! I just want to be at Jesus’ party! I want to be home with my Father, my God! Amen.

August 20....Pharisee or tax collector?

Luke 18:14 “For everyone who exalts himself shall be humbled while he who humbles himself shall be exalted.”

Heavenly Father,

The Pharisee and the tax collector. This parable drew me strongly as a child and I memorized it. Did I really understand it? You tell us to come as children . Maybe my child-self knew you better and understood what my adult-self often misses. Am I a Pharisee or a tax collector? As a child I had an awareness of my sins and little awareness of my worth. A certain type of humility comes easily to a shy child, totally lacking in self-confidence. But as an adult it gets harder to understand where I am in my faith journey. I still see my sins, but now I have more of an awareness that I need to do something about them. If I have loved you with all my heart would I still sin so much? When I pray do I trust you and expect answers or do I just go through the motions and talk a lot at you rather then to you? Do I take the posture of the Pharisee, standing tall and ready to be seen, full of “me, me, me”? Do I care more about how my faith feeds me than how my faith might serve you? Do I pray and tithe and volunteer out of love and gratitude or just duty and habit? Have I moved even one step closer to you in all these years or am I still at the place I started ? The tax collector looked at himself and saw lack of worth, his inability to ever deserve anything from You, his deep rooted sins. Jesus came for all of us “tax collectors”. Jesus came to be our bridge, our Way, our Door into your presence. Jesus came to restore us as your children ….loved and wanted, despite our mistakes. Only Jesus can lift me up and lead me home. Jesus has washed me clean in his blood and set me on the pathway home to my Father. Be merciful to me a sinner, cover me with your grace. Amen.

August 19.....humble thyself

Luke 14:11 “He who humbles himself shall be exalted”. Heavenly Father, The words from a communion hymn keep singing in my mind: “According to they gracious word, in meek humility This will I do, my dying Lord: I will remember thee.” ************************************************** Remembering Jesus and his sacrifice, so that he will remember me in your heavenly kingdom. I would gladly take the lowest place to must be there with Jesus…home in your presence. Grace makes this possible. Thank You! **************************** Another song: ”Humble thyself in the sight of the LORD, And he will lift you up….higher and higher And he will lift you up.” **************************** Our humble acceptance of your grace will lift us higher than we could ever imagine for eternity. Praise the LORD! * Humility is Christ upon the cross Humility is Jesus…through and through Humility is giving up my will And seeking to be filled with all of you. * Humility is bowing to my King! Humility is worshiping my LORD! Humility is surrender to my God… Father, Holy Spirit, precious Word! * May I be nothing…that you may be all in me! Amen.

August 18....humble yourself

Luke 14:11 “He who humbles himself shall be exalted.”

Heavenly Father,

How do we humble ourselves? This question probably plagues more Christians than any other. The harder we try, the less humble we are! Just trying to be humble makes it impossible! Jesus humbled himself to your will. He totally submitted himself to obey, even the cross. When we accept that we can’t possibly earn our salvation or be good enough to deserve it and admit defeat on the basis of our own “free will”, we become humble. Giving up ourselves and accepting Jesus Christ is humbling. He succeeded in living a perfect life, where we fail. He deserves praise, where we deserve condemnation. He is willing and able to “save” us, we must be willing to reach out in need and desperation. When I read this verse, I see one of the “titles” that often appear in scripture….”He-who-humbles-himself”. This person…”He-who-humbles-himself”….is none other than Jesus Christ. This fits as another “name” we could call him. He is the only one who truly can claim this title, this name. And because he is the One with that name….he “shall be exalted”. We are told that “every knee shall bow and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is LORD!” We exalt the one who deserves all praise, all honor, all glory! Jesus Christ is Worthy! Jesus Christ is the sacrificial Lamb, the humble obedient Son! We can only become humble through our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. When we give our will, our obedience, our all to Him, He can teach us humility and live his humility in our lives. We take on his character when he abides within our hearts. Thank You, Savior, Jesus Christ! Amen.

August 17....humility

Luke 14:11 “For everyone who exalts himself shall be humbled.” (NAB)

Heavenly Father,

Taking a place of honor when invited to a wedding feast is the example Jesus uses here. Recognizing our own “importance” and choosing what we think we deserve. Even someone as shy as I am, does this in many ways. Pride strikes everyone. It is a formidable tool of the enemy. We are proud of what we own, of who we are in various circles of business and friends, of where we live, of how good we are at doing things, of our accomplishments. Many of us strive for a “false modesty”, but inside we expect to be “moved up” to places of honor. This is very true in our spiritual life. Humility is very hard for active Christians. We become proud of the small every day “good deeds” that we do. We are proud of our churches and our part in building them and running them. We are proud of everyone who walks through the church’s door and we “chalk up” saved sinners or new members like trophies. We are proud of our own daily growth in Christian discipline….proud that we pray, proud that we study, proud that we tithe. Satan uses our pride and destroys our chances at humility. We want to be humble and become proud of any “humble” thing we do! Sigh…it is really hard to block out awareness of self and have pure motives that stem from heartfelt love for You, for Jesus, for the Holy Spirit working in us. Satan twists our minds no matter what we do. Our deepest humility comes in moments of deep thankfulness for what Jesus has done for us on the cross. When we truly contemplate our unworthiness to receive Your grace and forgiveness we are humble. We exalt in our LORD and Savior, Jesus Christ who saves us. Thank you! amen.

August 16....take my yoke

Matthew 11:29 “Learn from me, for I am gentle and humble of heart.” (NAB)

“Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart and you will find rest for your souls” (NIV)

“For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”

Heavenly Father,

A yoke ties 2 oxen together in teamwork, sharing the load. If we take Jesus’ yoke, we become joined to him in teamwork. We “learn from him” because where he goes, we go, what he does, we do. Jesus says: “ I am gentle and humble in heart”. This isn’t one of the well-known “I am….” statements of Jesus, but maybe it should be. Like the others this is a word picture for us of who Jesus is. This “I am” describes the others. As the “Good Shepherd”….Jesus is gentle in his care of the sheep and humble in making their care his priority. As “the Life and the Resurrection”….Jesus “humbled himself even unto death” to die and rise again for us as new Life and eternal resurrection. As “the Vine”….Jesus is the strong rooted plant that we grow from (yoked) and draw strength from and the ability to produce fruit. The vine always nourishes, never weakens the branches, allowing a gentle humble symbiotic relationship. As “the Bread of Life”….Jesus humbly becomes the food we feed upon for Life. As the “Light of the World”….Jesus again is the provider, the one who shines so that we might escape the darkness. As “the Door”….Jesus must remain open to those who seek and closed to the enemy. As “the Way, the Truth, the Life”….Jesus is laid out before us as a path to be walked, a reality to be accepted, a destination to be reached. Jesus’ yoke is never frightening, but always a secure accepting place to learn. Our promised reward is: “you will find rest for your souls”. No matter what Jesus’ yoke of learning entails, the final end is “rest”. Our soul will be at home and at peace. Our soul will find salvation with our Father. Yoke me to my Savior, Jesus Christ, that I might learn from his gentleness and humility. Amen.

August 15.....completing our joy

John 15:11 “All this I tell you that my joy may be yours and your joy may be complete.” (NAB)

Heavenly Father,

Jesus wants us to have his joy and for our joy to be complete. The previous verse speaks of obeying Jesus’ commands just as he has obeyed Your commands. This leads to abiding in Jesus’ love as he abides in your love. This abiding….remaining, lodging, taking up residence, finding a long term relationship…brings about his joy and completes our joy for us. Obedience….abiding love…joy…it all comes from an abiding relationship in your great love. When we accept Jesus into our hearts we give up ourselves and the world. We rejoice at the beginning for your grace….your love and forgiveness that bring us salvation through Christ and his death for our sins. Jesus gives us not only salvation and forgiveness, but the hope and peace that come with this release from our sins. We experience your love through his loving sacrifice. Jesus teaches us love in all he says and does. Learning to obey his commands becomes the Way to this loving abiding daily relationship. When we stray from the Way of love that we learn in Christ, we lose our abiding and our joy. John 14:23 says: “If anyone loves me he will obey my teaching. My Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him.” What a beautiful promise! Knowing that if we love and obey Jesus, that our God, our Father, will love us and actually come and abide within us! That You desire to make a home with us, to abide with us, can only lead to joy! Praise the LORD, our Father of love! Praise the Son, who shows us the Father’s love! Praise the Holy Spirit who comes to complete our joy by filling us with the abiding presence of your eternal love and grace! Amen.

August 14....lost coins

Luke 15:10 “I tell you, there will be the same kind of joy before the angels of God over one repentant sinner.” (NAB)

Heavenly Father,

This is the parable of the lost coin and the woman who seeks diligently to find it and then rejoices with her friends. This was something very important to her, something worth going to extreme measures to find, something that could bring great joy to both her and her friends when it is recovered. This should be a beautiful picture for us of your love. Knowing that you would “sweep the house and search carefully” for us….the lost. You certainly went to extraordinary measures to save us…You sent your son to die to insure that we can be “found” when we are lost. Jesus swept all the dirt away to make it easy for us to repent and be reclaimed by you. The angels rejoice when we repent! We need to let Jesus be formed in us to the point of having this same great love that will cause us to seek the lost with all our efforts. We have come to a place where many “coins” mean little to us. We won’t even bend down to pick up a penny and certainly not sweep and search for anything smaller than a dollar coin….maybe not even that. We also have come to treat the “lost” this way. We have devalued them to the point that we don’t even consider making much of an effort to “find” them. We want them to find us instead, and somehow roll into our churches on their own accord. Give me a heart filled with your Holy Spirit and teach me to sweep and clean and actively seek for the lost! Let me feel the sense of urgency and necessity to seek them. Teach me to share my joy with those who desperately need it. Forgive my apathy and reluctance to do your work. Let my repentance truly lead to change. Amen.

August 13.....joy over the lost who are found

Luke 15:7 “I tell you, there will likewise be more joy in heaven over one repentant sinner than over ninety-nine righteous people who have no need to repent.” (NAB)

1 Tim. 1:15 “…Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners…” (NIV)

Heavenly Father,

Jesus was speaking this to a mixed crowd of tax collectors and sinners who were eager to hear him, and also some Pharisees who were criticizing Jesus’ choice of “sinful” companions. So Jesus tells them the parable of the lost sheep and the shepherd who leaves the 99 to seek the one who strayed. Jesus wants all of his sheep. He won’t allow one to get lost and only care about the already saved. I think we, as the Church, often forget this. We care for the “saved” and forget to seek the lost. Jesus loves those who have repented and been saved, but his calling is to seek those who still wander unrepentant. That is what the Good Shepherd does. I always feel this verse is sort of a “trick” verse….there really are no “99 who have no need to repent”! We all are sinners! We all need to repent! We all need our Savior, the Good Shepherd, who came to hunt for us and take away our “lostness”. If Jesus’ sole calling was to come and save sinners, than as his Church that is our calling also. The Good Shepherd had to leave the saved flock behind to seek the unsaved, the lost. We have to either step out of our churches or bring the lost in. One way or another we have to connect with the lost and give them more attention than the saved. Heaven’s joy is for the lost who repent. Heaven’s joy is keyed to Jesus’ saving work. What the Son does causes his Father and the angels to rejoice. Help me to allow Jesus to use my body to help reach and save others. If you fill me with your Holy Spirit I can be part of your work. I want to bring joy to You, Father, and share in your work. Amen.

August 12....joyful asking

John 16:24 “Ask and you shall receive, that your joy may be full.” (NAB)

Heavenly Father,

I always have some confusion over verses that tell us to “ask and you shall receive”. What should we ask? What will we receive? We ask plenty! We are full of requests and petitions that we beg you to answer. It seems to me that we always seem to ask too much! Do you tire of our endless requests? Do you weary of a people who always want something? I feel guilty to constantly ask for things, and yet I know you are my loving Father, and what child would not ask a loving father for it’s needs? You say we “shall receive” and that “your joy may be full”. These sound very positive to me! We ask and you give and our joy is completed by the act of coming to You. We find joy in our trust in you. We find joy in the knowledge of your omni-presence. We rejoice in Immanuel….God with us! We rejoice in our Father-child relationship with You. I hope that I ask in great expectation of your answer. I ask, knowing that you can give me the blessing I seek and also that you wish to bless me, and that you will bless me. I don’t always understand your answer. I don’t always understand your timing. But I know that your willingness to bless me can’t be exceeded by my asking. I love David’s words in Psalm 5:1-3 “In the morning, O LORD, you hear my voice, in the morning I lay my requests before you and wait in expectation.” Like David, I come to you each morning in prayer and expectation and waiting. In the KJV it says, “…and will look up.” That is the picture of joyful expectation…looking upward in prayer to the Father who loves and hears me each morning! Complete my joy in your presence! Thank you, loving Father. Amen.

August 11....joy no one can take away

John 16:22 “You are sad for a time, but I shall see you again; then your hearts will rejoice with a joy no one can take from you.” (NAB)

Heavenly Father,

Joy without end! Joy that can never be taken away! Hallelujah! This is the promise you give to your followers. No one can take away our joy, but sometimes we seem to give it up. We allow our circumstances to interfere with our knowledge of your abiding presence. We allow the world’s distractions to draw us away from time spent with You and the joy that radiates from You. Satan is very subtle in destroying our ability to experience Your joy and your constant presence. He has made “time” our enemy. We never have enough time. We rush from one place to another. We fill up calendars with things we “have to do”. We watch the clock and let it rule. Jesus knew how to take time to be with You. He knew the importance of joining You on the mountainside in prayer. He knew he had to be filled with You in order to serve You. He gave us the great gift of salvation, of the assurance that we are your children and can spend eternity in your presence. No one can steal that joy! Being aware every minute of every day that You abide with us and in us, is complete joy. This is a joy that can take control of the enemy “time” if we let it. “Draw near to me and I will draw near to you.” If we open ourselves each day to your presence and strive to keep You with us throughout the day, we will know your joy. We don’t have to choose either You or other activity. You are with us in all we do, if we allow your presence to be felt and draw upon your Holy Spirit at all times. If You are in all our “times”, our joy can’t be taken away….ever. Joy is your abiding presence in all things. You are my joy forever! Amen.

August 10....hope and joy

John 16:20 “I tell you truly: you will weep and mourn while the world rejoices; you will grieve for a time, but your grief will be turned into joy.” (NAB)

Heavenly Father,

Jesus gave his disciples this message of hope before he left them. He tried to prepare them for his death even though they didn’t understand. I think that even if he had given them the exact details of what was to happen, they still would have been shaking their heads and asking, “what does he mean?” They didn’t want to understand. They didn’t want to envision a life without Jesus. They didn’t want to think unhappy thoughts or worry about the future. When he would speak to them about leaving, about how they would “weep and mourn” and “grieve for a time” they tended to close their ears to what this might mean. Jesus compares this time to a women giving birth. There is a time of expectancy all throughout the pregnancy even with the discomforts involved. When the actual birth occurs there is much pain and a longing to have it over as quickly as possible and never do it again! However, once the child is born and in the mother’s arms, unspeakable joy comes! Joy that blocks out all the hard part that came before and makes it all worthwhile. Jesus’ death on the cross would be a terrible painful birthing process that would shock, frighten and demoralize his disciples. But once the deed was accomplished and the risen Christ appeared in all his glory, the joy would be uncontainable! The joy as they began to understand all he had done, all he had taught and what it meant to them and the whole world would erase any pain and confusion of the past. Our rebirth as sons of God through Christ is our entrance into that same joy. The moment we realize that grace has set us free our grief will turn to joy forever! Thank you! amen.

August 9...joy

Luke 1:46-47 “My being proclaims the greatness of the LORD, my spirit finds joy in God my Savior.” (NAB)

“My soul glorifies the LORD, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior.” (NIV)

“My heart is overflowing with praise of my LORD, my soul is full of joy in God my Savior.” (Phillips)

Heavenly Father,

Mary was bursting with the Good News and full of joy knowing she was carrying your Son. I think in her place I would have been overwhelmed by the whole thing. She had become pregnant without a husband, she was young and innocent, she had spoken to an angel, she was told her child would be God’s Son, she journeyed to her elderly cousin who was also with child and who confirmed that Mary’s child was special through the Holy Spirit. Wow! That’s a lot to take in and understand! But Mary obviously was a very special young woman who was “blessed” by You and chosen to have this honor. Her answers to the angel were humble and accepting. Her song at Elizabeth’s house shows her character. She sings of the greatness and the joy she finds in YOU, her Savior. She praises You from a full and thankful heart that is aware of the blessing You have given her. She isn’t focusing on the problems….being unmarried, possibly condemned by her village, or Joseph’s reaction to her news. She sees only that you have chosen her for a special job. She sees the blessing and the opportunity to honor You with her obedience. Her “being”…..heart, soul, spirit….glorify You and joy erupts from her. This is how we all should greet the Good News that Jesus is born, that he is our Savior, and that he wants to live in us forever. We are all chosen as temples for your Holy Spirit, given through Jesus Christ. We all have reason for our whole being to rejoice and sing your praises! Holy, holy, holy is the LORD God! Exalted above all! Worthy of our praise! My Spirit finds joy in God, my Savior! Amen.

August 8....news of great joy

Luke 2:10 “You have nothing to fear! I come to proclaim good news to you….tidings of great joy to be shared by the whole people.” (NAB)

 

“Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people.” (NIV)

Heavenly Father,

Forgive me LORD, that I often forget the angel’s message! I don’t treat the message of Jesus Christ’s birth as the “good news” of “great joy” that it is. I allow my knowledge of Jesus to become stale news that I seldom mention or give the importance that it deserves. I should wake up excited every day, because I know this “good news”. I should long to tell it to others, to share the “tidings of great joy”! 

This message is for all the people. This message is the hope that everyone of us needs every day. Because of this “great joy”, this “good news”, we have “nothing to fear.” The message is simple, but we make it complicated. The full message is, “a Savior has been born to you!” We are saved! Saved from sin, saved from death, saved from self-destruction, saved from ourselves.

 Life, hope, peace, forgiveness, eternal love! It all came to us in the angel’s message. You announced your love to the world. You gave us our future in the form of a baby….your Son, Jesus Christ. What an odd way to announce salvation! Angels and a baby! 

We always feel joy when we think about the baby and the angels. Christmas reaches the hardest of hearts and leads them to the manger. We want the baby and the angels all year. As a Christian I should be announcing your Good News all the time. I should be spreading Christmas joy year round. All people need to hear it! All people need to rejoice. All people need the hope that the news of salvation brings.

 Show me how to spread your joy! Show me how to bring Good News to all. I have nothing to fear if I have your Good News of great joy within me! Amen.

August 7....don't judge

Luke 6:37 “Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn and you will not be condemned.” (NAB)

 

Heavenly Father,

I think maybe as Christians we have more trouble understanding these words of scripture than any other….”Don’t judge”….”Don’t condemn.” How do we stand up for our belief in Christ and what he teaches and not “judge others? Pastor Carl says we are never to judge another’s motives. I guess that comes close to what it means. We can recognize the wrongness of someone’s actions without judging what is in his heart. 

We never know the “why” of someone else’s life. Each of us has a million factors at work in us causing our actions. We can’t know what factors make someone else act like they do. Only You, O LORD, see the heart. Only, You, know what purpose you are working out in another. We coin the phrase, “love the sinner, hate the sin” to handle this paradox of judging but not judging.

 I always think about another verse of scripture….”Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye?….first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.” (Mat. 7:35) If we concentrate on our own sins and straighten out our own relationship with You, we will have more then enough to keep us busy. We have a tendency to rate sins, but in your eye all sin is equal. My “little” sins are no less harmful than someone else’s “big” sin. 

Our concentration should be on teaching your words in love to others. If we bring others to you, you will work with them on their sins. If we just teach what your word says, others will judge themselves without us doing it for them. We must love all, no matter what we see in their life that looks wrong to us. You will judge them. That isn’t our job. We are to go and teach and baptize. Help me with this. Amen.

August 6.....forgive

Luke 6:37 “Pardon and you shall be pardoned.” (NAB)

 “Forgive and you will be forgiven.” (NIV)

Heavenly Father,

Every action of ours begets similar action in others. If we forgive others, they will forgive us. We can argue that this doesn’t always happen. There are always exceptions to any “rule”. But this verse gives us a command…what we are to do. If others don’t respond correctly it doesn’t erase the command. Regardless of whether we are forgiven we still have the obligation to forgive others. Our actions are dependent on following your will, not on what will happen after we obey.

 We don’t forgive in order to be forgiven. We forgive to obey our Father. We forgive to show your love to others. We forgive to keep relationships open. We forgive to rid ourselves of anger and resentments and other harmful emotions. We forgive because our Lord Jesus Christ modeled true love and forgiveness by forgiving us. He didn’t just say, “I forgive you”, he acted it out by becoming a sacrifice for our sins. In the face of that sort of love and forgiveness, how can any act committed by another be impossible for us to forgive? 

People do truly, horrible and un-forgivable things in this world, but Jesus can help us forgive them anyway. We must always strive for Jesus’ character to be reproduced in us. Forgiveness is a cornerstone of Jesus’ character. Love flows through all of Jesus’ actions. Having Jesus means having love. Forgiveness comes from the heart of Jesus beating within us. 

Forgiving others releases not only them, but ourselves. Forgiving removes an evil from our hearts and minds. Forgiving releases something that puts “self” in the limelight….how we are hurt. Forgiving puts our focus back on the One who show loves and forgives us. Free me from un-forgiven moments of my past that interfere with your love. Amen.

August 5....love your enemies

Luke 6:27-28 “Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you and pray for those who maltreat you.”

Heavenly Father,

I never think of myself as having enemies or people who hate me. All that really shows is that I spend more time alone than with others. I can’t make enemies if I avoid people. I also can’t obey many of your other commands if I avoid people. Obviously that isn’t the answer. If I’m going to spread the Good News, love others, be a servant, than I must have contact with many people. As your ambassador I will have enemies, I will be rejected, I will be persecuted. When someone shows me hatred, I must respond with love. When someone shows me rejection, I must respond with acceptance. When I am cursed and reviled, I must speak words of blessing. When I am badly treated, I must pray for those who mistreat me. If I want people to see Jesus in me, I have to live as Jesus lived. Jesus met people where they were….he didn’t wait for them to come to him. He made himself available to all….the sick, the possessed, the sinful, the self-righteous, the unclean, the rich, the poor. He concentrated on his message and being who he was in God’s will. He showed great patience. He was peaceful. Loving in the face of rejection is hard. Doing good when you are sneered at is discouraging. Blessing those who are speaking out against you goes against our nature. Praying for those who are mean and unkind and hurt us, is difficult to do sincerely. But Jesus says we must do these things. When we allow Jesus to take possession of us, we also allow his nature to be formed in us, to think, speak, and act in us. What we can’t do, Jesus can. Where we don’t want to act, Jesus will teach us to overcome. Jesus has all the love we need to give to others, if we allow him free access to act through us. He will change us. Amen.

August 4.....known by our fruit

Luke 6:43-44 “A good tree does not produce decayed fruit, any more than a decayed tree produces good fruit. Each tree is known by its yield.”

Heavenly Father,

Fruit bearing identifies the tree in two ways…what type of tree it is and the quality of the fruit it produces. An apple tree produces apples. A Christian produces fruit of the Spirit, Christ-like fruit. Quality is also a factor….rotten trees produce rotten fruit…they may be apples, but not ones to brag about or of any use.

 My family had a small orchard when I was growing up…about 6 different kinds of apples. It was fairly easy to tell one type of apple from another by its color, size, and taste. Some apples are good for eating, others for baking, others for applesauce. Each had a purpose. The “bad” fruit resulted in two ways…lack of pre-care (fertilizer, pruning, spraying for pests) and neglect (leaving it on the ground to rot). 

A good tree needs good care. As Christians we also need good care to produce good fruit. Jesus tells us that the Father “prunes the vine” for a higher yield. We also need to “spray for pests”….stop bad doctrine, wrong teaching, distractions. Once we mature and produce fruit it must be picked and used. Even good fruit left laying on the ground neglected rots. 

If we keep our Christian fruit shut up in our churches, it will never be enjoyed by anyone else or the seeds planted to produce more. The purpose of fruit is 2-fold…to be consumed and to produce new seed. We always had more apples than we knew what to do with and Dad would give them away to everyone we knew…shared fruit…shared joy. If we produce good Christian fruit it must be shared to fulfill its purpose…consumption.

 Good fruit nourishes others. Good fruit produces healthiness in those who consume it. Bad fruit makes people sick. Bad fruit can kill. Jesus wants us to be aware of the fruit we produce and share its goodness with others, planting seeds along the way. Thank you! amen.

August 3....give good measure

Luke 6:38 “Give and it shall be given to you. Good measure pressed down, shaken together, running over, will they pour into the fold of your garment.” (NAB)

“Give and men will give to you….yes, good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over will they pour into your lap, for whatever measure you use with other people, they will use in their dealings with you.” (Phillips)

Heavenly Father,

"What goes around, comes around.” That saying came to my mind as I read this. This verse speaks of real love and honesty. Giving should automatically indicate some level of love. We should give out of love, compassion, mercy, grace. Giving shouldn’t just be a rote learned response. If we tithe in church it should be out of love and a desire to honor You. You gave to us everything…..for us to give back a 10th is a mere minimum of loving response. 

True love gives out of its abundance rather than out of its leftovers. Here we focus on how we give to others. Not necessarily how many checks did we write to charities, but how much of ourselves have we given to others.. How much time, how many kind words, how many caring acts, how many thoughtful deeds, how many sacrificial acts arising from our abundance, the part we want to keep, rather than our leftovers after we satisfy our own needs. 

Real love gives without counting the cost. You need it….I offer it. It may be something I want to keep, but you need it more. When we give with that sort of love, we gain that sort of love in return. There is also an element of honesty here. If I “measure out” what I give on an honest scale, not cheating or hiding anything, I will receive honest measure in return.

 Heartfelt giving doesn’t keep records and worry about repayment. Our love will determine the love we receive in return. We take the first step. You promise that we will be rewarded exactly as we deserve. Giving begets giving, love begets love, mercy begets mercy, grace begets grace. Your blessing will “ run over and pour into your lap” in response to our efforts of love. Thank you. Amen.

August 2.....Be compassionate, merciful

Luke 6:36 “Be compassionate as your Father is compassionate.” (NAB)

 

“ Be merciful, as your Father is merciful.” (NIV)

Heavenly Father,

Help me to understand your compassion, your mercy. I keep hearing the words in my head of a Dennis Jernigan song: “Mercy me when I’m calling, mercy me when I’m falling, mercy me when I’m dirty wash me clean. Father won’t you come and mercy me.” Another line from the song says: “…pour your grace out on me.” I guess that would be my definition of your mercy…the grace you pour out freely on us. 

Mercy is love that doesn’t wait to be asked….it seeks to provide. Mercy is love that knows us, and still forgives us. Mercy is love poured from the throne of your grace through Jesus Christ. Mercy and compassion when used by man seem like different words. Compassion is feeling pity or empathy for the needy. Mercy can have an element of justice involved…..clemency for the prisoner, pardon for the criminal. 

Compassion and mercy on Your level seem synonymous with grace and love. When I think of You I can’t separate any of those terms. You are a God who is always loving, compassionate, merciful, grace giving. It is part of your character, your attributes. You can’t cease being these things. If we are to be compassionate or merciful as You are, we must make it part of our character, too. If Christ is being formed in us, we will be compassionate and merciful. 

What the Father is, the Son is. What the Son is, the Holy Spirit imparts to us. Your mercy, your grace poured out on everyone through Jesus Christ. We must pour our love, our mercy on others. Not just friends and family, but everyone. Scripture describes your love over and over. What we read, we must do and be. The first word of this scripture verse is “be”….not just wear a mask like hypocrites. It must become our character. Pour your mercy on me, that I might learn to be merciful, and so I may pour mercy on others. Amen.

Aug. 1.........Do to others

AUGUST: JESUS PROGRAMS A LIFESTYLE

Luke 6:31 “Do to others what you would have them do to you.”

Heavenly Father,

This is a positive statement. The emphasis is on the active word….”do”. This isn’t about being passive or avoiding something, but about taking the initiative and “doing” something. It isn’t enough to avoid the person you don’t like…we have to seek them out and treat them the way we want to be treated. 

Jesus made it plain in the Good Samaritan that “others” is anyone with a need, anyone we encounter on our life journey, anyone we have the opportunity to help. Closing our eyes doesn’t work. We have to place ourselves in their position and ask what we would hope someone would do for us.

 Jesus’ life personifies love and compassion and mercy. He came for the sole purpose of sacrificing himself for everyone here on earth. That is love. That is “doing”. If Jesus Christ now dwells within us, than that same love, compassion, mercy, should be evident in our thoughts, words, and actions. We should see others through Jesus’ eyes. We should hear their troubles with Jesus’ ears. We should tend their wounds with Jesus’ hands. 

If doing for others makes us weary, than we need to allow You to fill us with more of Jesus’ strength. The one who could die on a cross is strong enough to strengthen us! For most of us “doing” often consists of writing checks. Checks are a very necessary thing, but someone has to convert the money into action. The programs that need checks also need workers. When we ask ourselves “what would Jesus Do?” we need to put more emphasis on the “do” part. 

It isn’t, “what would Jesus think?” Knowing Jesus mind and heart will lead to doing what Jesus did. Forgive me that I often don’t do what Jesus would want me to do. Help me to do more. Amen.