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Luke 7

This chapter of Luke is packed with some awesome stories that show the compassion, love, and grace of our amazing God. The passage starts with a centurion recognizing and trusting the authority of Jesus. Jesus mentions that He hasn’t seen this kind of faith, not even in Israel. Jesus heals his servant from afar displaying the power of God.

The very next day, Jesus is heading into this town called Nain. As he is walking into the town he sees a funeral procession for a young man, the son of a widow. The love of Jesus is on display here. This widow, without a son or husband would have an extremely hard time providing for herself, if she could at all in this culture. Jesus not only has compassion on her because she was weeping, but because Jesus recognized what this woman’s life would be like without a protector and provider.

The very next passage contains Jesus’ cousin’s disciples asking a pointed question; “Are you the Coming One, or do we look for another?” Jesus then quotes prophesy from Isaiah indicating He is the Messiah and has fulfilled the prophecy that the blind sees, the deaf hear, the lame walk, and the lepers are cleansed.

One of the coolest passages of scripture in this chapter is the last one. The subtitle is a Sinful Woman Forgiven. Jesus was asked to share a meal in the home of a pharisee. At some point in the evening, a sinful woman shows up. We can conclude that this woman was a notorious sinner and likely a prostitute. This prostitute showed up to the pharisees house, an act of courage and faith, and wept at the feet of Jesus. She then used her hair to wipe His feet and anointed His feet with an alabaster flask of fragrant oil. Someone who was once an outcast and notorious sinner was now broken by an encounter with Jesus. Jesus teaches us a simple lesson. He who has been forgiven much will love much. This woman had Faith that her sins could be forgiven so she went to Jesus and worshipped the Messiah who would take away her sins.

You are not too far gone. Your children are not too far gone. Your coworkers are not too far gone. The lesson to learn here is to keep praying for those people in your life that have hard hearts toward God. Keep praying for those prodigals who need to come home. When they come home, they will no longer be enemies of God, but important vessels of love for God and His Church. The second lesson is to not think lowly or put down “notorious” sinners in your life. God is a much bigger God than you think. In fact, He is infinite. So don’t count certain people “out” because of a pattern of sin. God is a forgiving God who stands at the door and knocks. Whoever opens the door, God will come in and dine with. Pray the radical prayers and fix your eyes on the Lord to see what He will do!

Today’s Reading: I Peter 5 

So many times in our current society, we have placed a big emphasis on individualism and independence. So many times we try to accomplish things by ourselves and without the help of others. Sometimes we think that this is a sign of strength, but it could also be a sign of weakness.

One of the strongest things that we have as a society is community. Community is more than just the gather of people, but it is a connection in a relationship between individuals.

In these writings of Peter, Peter is telling us how to become a community. He has given us information of how to lead and also how to follow. He is saying that each one is necessary for the growth of the whole.

When God, who is the best shepherd of all, comes out in the open with his rule, he’ll see that you’ve done it right and commend you lavishly. And you who are younger must follow your leaders. But all of you, leaders and followers alike, are to be down to earth with each other, for—

God has had it with the proud,
But takes delight in just plain people.

6-7 So be content with who you are, and don’t put on airs. God’s strong hand is on you; he’ll promote you at the right time. Live carefree before God; he is most careful with you.

‭‭1 Peter‬ ‭5‬:‭4‬-‭7‬ ‭MSG‬‬

There is a native people in Tanzania called the Maasai, these nomadic people have as a right of passage, a hunting of a lion. This is where a young juvenile goes out into the wilderness and comes back with a lion to prove his ability to provide and to protect for the family and for the group. This is a very strenuous and a very powerful ritual. The individual has to prepare his entire life to be ready for this.

“Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. Resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same kinds of suffering are being experienced by your brotherhood throughout the world.”

‭‭1 Peter‬ ‭5‬:‭8‬-‭9‬ ‭ESV‬‬

Now, when individuals are not for the Massai group and they are on Safari, sometimes they will gather sharp branches and trees, and around the encampment to protect from lions, leopards, and hyenas.

We see here that with the proper training, the lion’s roar cannot affect a train hunter, but without that training you would be frightened by the prowling and roaring of the lion.   But when you are in community, the lion’s roar would be less threatening. You have other individuals to help you and protect you.  

This is what Peter is alluding to, when we are in community, we can build each other up and not be frightened as easily by the Iion’s roar. When we are community and we understand that we need each other and our different skills and strengths help to make us all better.

The community that we have is through the body of Christ. So many times we can forget through the different dogma of religion that we all connected. The body of Christ is not just for one individual denomination, but it’s for all of those who believe in Christ and the connection that we have through God. 

May we continue to connect and share our love for Christ and each other and our love for community this week. May we be examples of Christ love for us.

Be blessed.

Community gathering around a central idea – Hog Roast

1 Thesalonians 5

I pretty much slept through high-school.  As soon as I took my seat at my desk, opened the book and tried to listen, I got tired. It’s not because I was overworked or even overstressed. No, this was a different sort of tired. It’s marked by boredom and disinterest. This was true of most subjects but math and world history stand out to me. Funny thing is I knew that both were useful information. I actually enjoyed math, I even liked the drama of world history, even so, I couldn’t keep my eyes open.

I wonder if that’s what Paul is talking about in 1 Thessalonians 5. He warns us about two ways we go through our Christian lives sleepy, and drunk.  Sleepiness is what happens when I slowly stop paying attention to God. Drunkenness is what happens when I intentionally look somewhere else to satisfy or numb my soul. One is drift; the other is escape. Both leave me unprepared for the life God has called me to live. Sometimes, my Christian life is just like that world history class, unmotivated, disinterested, and disconnected.

The remedy, as Paul puts it, is to put on our armor. The breastplate of faith and love and the helmet of the hope of salvation.  Remember your armor?  The faith that God is for you and a love that dies for you.  But don’t forget hope.  Remember the promise that he is coming?  A day is coming where sin, darkness and deception are gone.  These are not just our protection but also our motivation. 

Faith trusts God today.

Love serves others today.

Hope keeps our eyes on tomorrow.

2 Corinthians 4

Paul’s Letters

God gave us all a new way, a new opportunity, and there is no room for quitters.  We are not messing around with sneaky, manipulative tactics.  No spin or deceit, just the straight truth and everyone else can judge us off that.  If others still cannot see it, it is because the enemy has their blinders on from seeing how amazing Jesus really is.  We weren’t put on this earth to promote ourselves.  Jesus is King.  The same God who flipped a switch and said “let there be light” also made it so the light shines in our hearts so that we could know the glory of God, and that is through Jesus.

If we are not willing to recognize the sin in our lives, we refuse to see the truth and cannot accept the gift of forgiveness that God offers us through a relationship with Jesus.  As we reflect honestly on our lives, God will help us see where we need to change.  Then we can confess our sin and trust Jesus to forgive us to make the needed changes.

Here is the catch…. We are of the most fragile of any living thing to exist.  We are breakable. We don’t see it, but we are all wrapped in “Handle With Care” tape.  But that is also the point.  When something this powerful comes though people this weak, it is obvious the power isn’t coming from us, it is coming from God.  We are pulled in every direction.  We get knocked down but never knocked out.  As others see God’s work in our lives, they may hopefully gain the courage to face and conquer their own sins and areas of weakness with God’s help.

Well, we are not quitting!  Sure, our bodies on the outside tend to dwindle as the years go by, but on the inside we are being renewed every single day.  This hard stuff we go through??  It is actually producing something – a weight of eternal glory so massive it makes the suffering look tiny by comparison.  The key is keeping your eyes on what you can’t see.  Everything you can see is just temporary.  Everything you can’t see is forever.

We may have to wait awhile for God’s eternal blessings, but if we trust Him to help us in this life of decay, we can be sure of his blessing in the future.

My prayer:

Father, when I feel squeezed, confused, and knocked down – remind me that I am not crushed, abandoned, or destroyed.  You are renewing me from the inside out, even when I cannot feel it.

Philippians 4

Philippians 4:7, NKJV says,

“and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.”

Philippians 4 reminds me that contentment is not found in perfect circumstances, but in the presence of Christ. Paul writes about rejoicing, praying instead of worrying, thinking on what is good, and learning to be content in every season. That kind of contentment does not come naturally. It is learned through surrender.

As I reflect on Father’s Day, I am grateful for the blessings God has placed in my life: my marriage, my children, and the sacred responsibility of being a husband and father. These are not roles I want to take for granted. They are gifts from God. My marriage has taught me the beauty of covenant love, patience, forgiveness, and daily faithfulness. Fatherhood has taught me that love is often expressed through sacrifice, steady presence, correction, encouragement, and prayer.

Yet I also recognize my weaknesses. I can become anxious, impatient, distracted, or focused on what still needs to be fixed instead of what God has already given. Philippians 4 calls me back to gratitude. It reminds me to bring every concern to God with prayer and thanksgiving, trusting that His peace will guard my heart and mind.

God’s strength is perfected in weakness when I stop pretending I can lead my family well on my own. His strength meets me when I admit I need more patience, more wisdom, more humility, and more grace. My weakness becomes the place where God teaches me dependence.

Today, I offer Him my weakness of trying to control outcomes and carry burdens alone. I ask Him to replace that with contentment, gratitude, and peace. Lord, help me love my wife well, lead my family faithfully, and rest in the truth that Your strength is enough.

Luke 22

Our passage starts on a Thursday when the Passover meal would be eaten. We see some interesting things happen within the vicinity of this day. First, Judas is possessed by Satan. He is one of two people in the bible that is possessed by Satan himself. The other person is the future Antichrist. The next thing we see is a plot starts to form to kill Jesus. While all of this is happening, Jesus sends Peter and John to go make preparations for the Passover meal, which Jesus fervently desired to share with His friends.

During this weeklong feast of Unleavened Bread, the mood should be remembering and celebrating the great things God did bringing His people out of Egypt. This is not so for Jesus. In these last few days, Jesus would deal with betrayal, isolation, and denial.

Let’s start with betrayal. There is not much more pain that can be felt from a friend than being stabbed in the back. When we look at Matthew’s gospel, Judas not only plotted to have Jesus killed, but he did it for 30 shekels of silver. His greed was greater than his love for his friend and teacher of at least three years.

Not only was Judas leading the chief priests, captains, and elders to Jesus, but the other eleven were sleeping in Jesus’ greatest need of prayer. When we compare the Gospel of Matthew, this was not just one occurrence, this happened three times on Jesus’ last night with His friends. He asked them to pray but they slept instead. They isolated Jesus in his last night of prayer and then scattered after He was arrested.

Lastly, Jesus was denied by one of His closest disciples, Peter. Betrayal hurts, but so does denial. Imagine pouring so much into a friendship that you spend three straight years together through thick and thin. These men were bonded by hardship, sleepless nights, and impact moments (essentially miracles upon miracles). The pain Jesus must have felt to know one of His closest disciples would not just deny being an acquaintance but would deny even knowing Him. Peter denied the friendship, the closeness, and the bond that they experienced. Don’t think that Peter is such a bad guy, you and I would do the same thing if we were in that situation.

Jesus wasn’t just plagued by physical suffering in His last days, but was also dealing with the pain of betrayal, isolation, and denial from his closest friends. Let’s look at the strength of Jesus’ prayer in the garden of Gethsemane. Jesus prays, “Father, if it is Your will, take this cup away from Me; nevertheless not My will, but Yours, be done.” His prayer shows strength in time of suffering. Jesus recognizes the pain, but His love for you was of more importance in the garden. He submitted to the Father’s will so that He could have relationship with you. He was obedient where we are not. Put your trust in Him today.

Today’s Reading: Matthew 11 

Every day we are asked to be someone different. We are asked to be a parent. We are asked to be a sibling. We are asked to be a child. We are asked to be a spouse. We’re asked to be a friend. We are asked to be a coworker. We are asked to be a person.

In all these asking, we sometimes can forget or need a reminder of who we actually are. We are a child of God through Christ. That’s the one thing that we have to remember. When we lose sight of that, then we can try to play all the roles that society has put on us.

 But when we forget that we are our child of God, then we are confused and disillusioned. Even in this text of this passage, Christ and John the Baptist are seen differently through the lens of society.

As they went away, Jesus began to speak to the crowds concerning John: “What did you go out into the wilderness to see? A reed shaken by the wind? What then did you go out to see? A man dressed in soft clothing? Behold, those who wear soft clothing are in kings’ houses. What then did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I tell you, and more than a prophet. For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, ‘He has a demon.’ The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, ‘Look at him! A glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!’ Yet wisdom is justified by her deeds.””

‭‭Matthew‬ ‭11‬:‭7‬-‭9‬, ‭18‬-‭19‬ ‭ESV‬‬

Many times we place so much effort on what the world and others think of us that…

We become depressed.

 We become anxious.

We become distraught. 

We become insecure.

 But through Christ, we are able to become more than our wildest thoughts.

 We have become strong … compassionate…  loving … fearless … beautiful individuals.

Let us look at ourselves this week as God sees us. Let us look at ourselves, as beautiful creations. Let us deafen the noise of the world and embrace our beauty in Christ.

Be  blessed