Category: Jesus

Devotional 45: Made to Stumble

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Mark 14:27-31  Jesus Predicts Peter’s Denial

27 Then Jesus said to them, “All of you will be made to stumble because of Me this night,[a] for it is written:

‘I will strike the Shepherd,
And the sheep will be scattered.’[b]

28 “But after I have been raised, I will go before you to Galilee.”

29 Peter said to Him, “Even if all are made to stumble, yet I will not be.”

30 Jesus said to him, “Assuredly, I say to you that today, even this night, before the rooster crows twice, you will deny Me three times.”

31 But he spoke more vehemently, “If I have to die with You, I will not deny You!”

And they all said likewise.

***************

Let me set up a scenario for you:

You’re in a dark, cold cell; hungry, tired, and thirsty.

Heavy chains and manacles are on your wrists and ankles.

Vermin nip, flies beset, and you’re shivering.

The cell door opens, and in come the guards again; you see they mean business, again.

Heavy blows that hold nothing back rack your face and body, and once again, the long, cold, shiny blade is laid against your throat, and the spit lands on your cheek as they pull your head up by your hair and use the blade to life you on your toes, and it breaks the skin as you feel your neck start to bleed.

“Renounce Jesus,” they say, and you open your mouth….

**************

The goal is to be like Christ, but as I’ve said before, we’re more like Peter.

Our faith is not entirely based on what we believe of Christ, but also what we believe of ourselves.

How steadfast and faithful we are in our own minds! How unwavering and brave!

When storms come, the Christ image in our minds sets our faces like flint, but on the inside we’ve taken our eyes off Him, and we don’t dare say, “Lord, save me!” because of a moment of fear and doubt, or in the midst of a trial.

We are told over and over again that the Apostles not only didn’t understand, but ultimately they were afraid to question Him on what He meant. (Mark 9:30-32)

In our weakness, we try to repair the torn veil or substitute it by statements of boldness: “Even if all are made to stumble, yet I will not be.”

And then an unbeliever exposes us to the harsh light of our tormentors, and we curse, then hide and weep.

I am thankful that He has compassion, and that He knows me better than myself.

We’re only fooling ourselves, and I am thankful that He forgives a broken heart and contrite spirit.

He later asked Peter three times if he loved Him, one brick of restoration for each one Peter broke apart with his denial.

Do we love Him enough to die, figuratively and literally, that He might not be ashamed of us, deny us to the Father, and command our departure to the outer darkness? Paul admonishes us to take heed when we think we stand, lest we fall.

Let us build each other up in faith, and with joyful hearts embrace our fates like ‘the others’ in Hebrews who received no miraculous rescue from persecution and death because the world ‘was not worthy of them.’

Peter’s bitter tears finally humbled him, but the Lord uses that in which we are gifted to His glory, for in the book of Acts, the Holy Spirit touched the hearts of three-thousand because of Peter’s boldness, and he never looked backed (except when he lapsed in front of Paul. Big mistake…)

Be encouraged, brothers and sisters; He is the author and finisher of our faith.

Therefore I pray:

Lord Jesus,

If I scatter, let my bitter weeping make the ground good soil and fill me with the power of the Holy Spirit to speak light to darkness, love to hate, but mostly truth to power. Let me be compassionate but uncompromising, bold but not self-righteous, fearless with faith and holding onto Your promises of a prepared place.

And let me always speak, as You did, in love. Let my words be few as they point to Our Father, that He get all the glory, honor and praise.

Thank You for looking upon this unworthy servant, and restoring him to be reconciled.

In Your Name, I ask it.

Amen

Devotional 44: He Sighed in His spirit…

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The Pharisees Seek a Sign

11 Then the Pharisees came out and began to dispute with Him, seeking from Him a sign from heaven, testing Him. 12 But He sighed deeply in His spirit, and said, “Why does this generation seek a sign? Assuredly, I say to you, no sign shall be given to this generation.”

A sign seemed a small thing to ask, for Jesus was unlike other preachers, teachers, rabbis and prophets of His time: He had no equal.  Indeed, how could He?

He astonished the crowds with His teaching, He was confident in His authority to perform miracles, He had a retinue of unlearned yet passionate men, and a women’s ministry that was unheard of in His time.

He spoke to Samaritans, forgave the sins of the faithless, and called out the religious leaders for their hypocrisy, challenging their power over the people and their control of political events in Israel.

All the while He knew that eventually He would have to die at their hands in order to save them all.

They questioned His authority relentlessly, tried to trap Him repeatedly, and he constantly left them in a state of embarrassed confusion and wrath that exposed their corrupt hearts.

They called Him out as a blasphemous youth and rebellious upstart, and sought to stone him more than once.

He could’ve ended it with a sign.

Why not gather them all together on the mountain, where there could be no doubt, in full view of Heaven and earth, before all the people? Why not give them a sign that You are truly sent from the G-d of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob?  They’d believe You then, Jesus. They’d leave You alone then.

Jesus knew what was in a man, and refused them. He was not a street magician performing to please crowds. If they were jealous and hated Him for the ministry He was doing without a sign, how much more jealous and hateful would they be if they saw the Father seal Him before their eyes as the Messiah?

The virgin birth they knew about was not enough.

The miracles He performed in front of them were not enough.

He took what they knew and told them it all pointed to Himself, and it was not enough.

Their stubborn faithlessness  wearied Him so, he sighed deep in His own spirit.

How many of us, in our moments of unbelief, can make that claim?

Is He enough for us, O we of little faith? Do we truly believe, professing with lips and no honor in our hearts? Do we sacrifice instead of obey? Do we pray on the night’s watch?  Do we shout what He’s whispered? Do we forgive as He did, and love as He loves?

What are the signs?

Where are the signs?

Therefore I pray:

King Jesus, 

I grow weary of doing good in an ungrateful world. I grow fearful of what people will think and say if I profess You, though I don’t deny You in my heart. I have no boldness, and am quiet when I should shout. I withdraw from the kinds of crowds You went into.

I don’t believe You will give me what to say when I open my mouth to preach the Gospel.

I feel as though I have no authority at all to speak of You as I act on my own sinful desires.

And I ask for signs: wet fleece, wet grass, a star in the heavens, a prophetic word, a verse in the Word, a reversal of bad fortune…

If I just had those, Lord, I’d be so much more encouraged to speak of Your goodness, Your mercy, Your grace, and yes, Your judgment. 

And You say to me, “No sign shall be given.”

Then increase my faith to continue. Help my unbelief. Feed this little dog the scraps from Your table. Let me take a drink from the well of Living Water. Let me eat of the Bread of the Life. Let me set stones on the path, and find wells in the desert. Let me see Your glory fill the temple of my heart, for even King David said, “I am poor and needy.” 

I would not have my spirit fail, nor be broken.

If you’re trusting me with Your silence, Lord, then I trust Your hand works where I can’t see, preparing my place, and guiding me along the path.

I thank You, King Jesus, for all that You’ve done, and all that You will do to complete my story as the Author and Finisher of the work You started. Write Your sign on my life, Lord, and set me on a hill so that men will see, and glorify G-d.

Amen.

Christmas Signs

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CHRISTMAS SIGN: Luke 2:12

12 And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.”

God tailored the sign given to the recipients of the news. Not for the shepherds the subtlety of a Star in the east, but an angel in their midst. The shepherds received a Savior; the Magi were told of a King. The shepherds’ message was given in a startling fashion so that there would be no misunderstanding of the event that had taken place.

The Magi had been studying the star and plotting to follow it long before.

How fitting they bought gold, so that a carpenter could afford to flee to Egypt.

And frankincense, a kingly scent to overpower the smell of livestock.

And myrrh, a burial spice, prophetic in its symbolism, as was the oil of anointing at Bethany.

Shepherds were not welcome in places such as palaces and temples, so access would be given them by placing the newborn King someplace where they too could see and worship.

But the city of David was the city where the pinnacle of King David’s line was born. The Magi would be welcome there, and treated as the royalty they were. And when they arrived under the guidance of the star they worshiped Jesus, not his parents.

Of the thousands of babies born that night to swell the ranks of the census, this one was in a special place, a place where typically no human baby would ever be placed, a container to feed cattle and sheep.

A synonym for manger is “crib.”

Later He would come to say, ‘He who eats my body…’

The signs that point the way to Him are still being revealed to those who would walk the path to see and worship, and those who would look for the signs G-d has promised He would set in the heavens.

May the knowledge that your King is accessible to you, and that you may partake of Him, bring you comfort and joy.

Amen.

Christmas Child

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CHRISTMAS CHILD

“For there is born unto you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.” Luke 2:11

Children are born of their mothers, into their families, not to groups of people.

Christ, already being begotten of God, had to be in a sense born again Himself through the body of Mary, thereby becoming in His earthly body like the people He came to redeem.

Unlike Adam, made fully formed as a man, Jesus went through a cycle of growth:

He understood what it was to be under parental authority, to learn at the feet of the rabbis (and later amazed them).

He knew what it was to work, play, and interact with siblings who think you’re strange.

He understood temptation to seize power, hunger, thirst, scorching heat, and freezing cold when He was in the desert, so much so that at the end of His testing the angels came to tend Him.

He understood grief, weeping at the death of Lazarus.

He marveled at the centurion’s proclamation of faith.

He understood frustration, trying to get the Pharisees to open their eyes.

He understood obedience in the face of fear in the Gethsemane Gardens.

He understood what it is to die.

But this night, He is a baby, sleeping in his mother’s arms, under His earthly father’s protection, given to us by the Father of all, and we celebrate His delivery not only to Mary, but to us, and for us.

“The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel” (which means “God with us”). Matthew 1:23

“For unto us, a child is born. Unto us, a Son is given.” Isaiah 9:6

May His Holy Presence be newly born in your homes and among your families this Christmas.

Amen.

 

Devotional 41: A Triumphal Entry, A Confession of Defeat

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John 12:12-19

The Triumphal Entry

12 The next day a great multitude that had come to the feast, when they heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem, 13 took branches of palm trees and went out to meet Him, and cried out:

“Hosanna!
‘Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!’[a]
The King of Israel!”

14 Then Jesus, when He had found a young donkey, sat on it; as it is written:

15 “Fear not, daughter of Zion;
Behold, your King is coming,
Sitting on a donkey’s colt.”[b]

16 His disciples did not understand these things at first; but when Jesus was glorified, then they remembered that these things were written about Him and that they had done these things to Him.

17 Therefore the people, who were with Him when He called Lazarus out of his tomb and raised him from the dead, bore witness. 18 For this reason the people also met Him, because they heard that He had done this sign. 19 The Pharisees therefore said among themselves, “You see that you are accomplishing nothing. Look, the world has gone after Him!”

As they saw the people leaving, those who witnessed the dramatic raising of Lazarus, and those who heard of it from the witnesses, their hearts must’ve failed within them, for in this they saw, finally, that Jesus had broken their oppressive grip on the people.

Caiaphas had prophesied that:

” (Jesus) would gather together in one the children of G-d who were scattered abroad.”(John 11:52)

Their plotting to kill him was intensifying, but Jesus knew what to do and stayed on mission, knowing what He was going to endure. How easy it would’ve been to slip away, to be seen no more, to give over control and the oppression that came with it back to the men who believed themselves empowered by G-d to twist His Word to their benefit.

But then, we would not have the final cry of Our Savior gaining victory over sin, death, and hell: “It is finished.”

He did well to try to get them to see that the Law they so loved to quote and add to was embodied in Him, that the patriarchs existed to guide Israel to Him, that Moses and the prophets were writing about and speaking of Him, but they refused to see.

It is with good reason our Lord tells us to set our minds on things above, for these men were lost in the trappings, living for the approval of men. Even now, ministers of the Gospel are falling prey to this in a world of immediate gratification and accolades for doing wrong and evil things.

And even in this, we see the Word of the Lord being played out before us. Nation against nation, brother against brother, divided houses of worship falling prey to predatory teaching and false doctrine.

We would do well to remember that in His capacity as Savior, our Lord admonishes us to remember these things: to watch and pray, that he who endures to the end will be saved, that there is no other name under Heaven by which we come to the Father, and we have been called out of this world, that we may receive the gifts of Grace, Salvation, and Eternal Life from the Wisest, as He received gold, frankincense, and myrrh for our sake.

Therefore I pray,

King Jesus, 

I ask that You bring to remembrance in me all that You’ve said to do, to bring to mind the promises of the Father for me through You. Help me to watch and pray, to fast in seeking, to build altars in my home, and set guards over my mouth and heart, that my meditation be pleasing to You.

As I celebrate Your birth, help me not to be sentimental, disconnecting its importance from Your resurrection to which Your own 12 witnesses and Mary Magdalene have seen, to which Thomas proclaimed You Lord and G-d, for having seen You, he saw the Father too.

In the year ahead I ask Your blessing over all my house and those of my family in You. I ask Your protection, that no weapon formed against me will prosper. I ask Your mercy once again over the wrong I know I will inevitably do as surely as sparks fly upward, and I thank You for the grace you will impart.

Help me, above all, to know that it is in You I live, and move, and have my being.

Thank You for paying the price of this servant; I would not grieve Your heart for doing it.

In You there is eternity, and as time grows shorter, draw this lost sheep closer, for I would be found by You even as I seek, as the father ran to the prodigal.

In Your Name above all names, I ask it.

Amen.

Devotional 41: They Made Widely Known…

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Luke 2:8-18  Glory in the Highest

8 Now there were in the same country shepherds living out in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. 9 And behold,[a] an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were greatly afraid. 10 Then the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people. 11 For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. 12 And this will be the sign to you: You will find a Babe wrapped in swaddling cloths, lying in a manger.”

13 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying:

14 “Glory to God in the highest,
And on earth peace, goodwill toward men!”[b]

15 So it was, when the angels had gone away from them into heaven, that the shepherds said to one another, “Let us now go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has come to pass, which the Lord has made known to us.” 16 And they came with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the Babe lying in a manger. 17 Now when they had seen Him, they made widely[c] known the saying which was told them concerning this Child. 18 And all those who heard it marveled at those things which were told them by the shepherds.

The Father uses shepherds for all manner of things, from kings to evangelists.

They were often men of low birth, smelly, filthy, and ragged from the toils of their ignoble but necessary service. Yet in the fullness of time, when the Messiah finally arrived, it was to these and not the religious leaders that the angels appeared.

If anything this proved a foreshadowing of the unconventional ministry of our Lord: a King born in poverty, a Savior born amid peril, a Divinity clothed humanity, a Creator helpless in the arms of His earthly mother.

Why shepherds?

They were simple, as in uncomplicated: They weren’t puffed up with learning and ritual, they weren’t sidetracked by philosophy or obsessed with power and control, they had no trappings of office, and no real wealth to speak of that made them arrogant.

They were dutiful, as in responsible: They were in the fields at night, when more predators are about. Their lives were ever in danger, and their vigilance had to be constant at all times. They likely slept during the daylight hours  in order to be alert and earn their keep.

They were unified, as in co-operative: Whatever differences they may have had took a back seat to the fact that in order to survive the perils of the night’s watch, they had to work together to make it through.

They were fearful, as in reverent: When the angels appeared, they didn’t panic and run though they were afraid. After the assurance of the angel, after the blessing of the hosts, they rejoiced at the news.

They were bold, as in excited: Knowing how they were perceived by society at large, nevertheless they left for Bethlehem to see the Babe for themselves, and believing, they made what the angel told them widely known. They probably spent a great portion of the night traveling to wherever they would to spread the Good News, a foreshadowing of the Apostles going into the world, to make His resurrection widely known.

Therefore I pray:

Father, I’m not a shepherd. I’m not built for mountain perils or desert dangers, but You already know that, nor did You call me to it.

But I find that oftentimes, I’m not as the shepherds were: simple, dutiful, united with other believers, not reverent, and definitely not bold. 

Yet I would not be fruitless tree, cursed by the Messiah to never bear again. 

So Father, I ask for the shepherds’ heart, that I may make widely known the Good News of my Lord, who willed to reveal You to me, and sent me the Spirit to empower me and seal the Word of my salvation on my heart.

Equip me, Father, to find travel the long, hard distance to the narrow road; I would greet my brothers and sisters who walk with me there. I would see my family rejoicing in the Kingdom. I would save a lost soul who needs You, even if it’s just to plant a seed.

The lions and bears of life come for me. The desert sun of doubt and cold moon of rebellion makes my heart hard soil. My darkness is greater for the things I see, though I profess to know You. 

I would plead You send a star to guide me on the path back to my King, that I might worship Him in spirit and truth, and honor my vows to Him.

I would once again be a wise man bearing gifts for Him, ever seeking, rejoicing, glorifying and praising, and making widely known that which was told to me: He is Emmanuel.

“G-d is with us.”

I ask it in the power of His Name, believing I’ve received.

Amen.

Devotional 40: Who Touched Me?

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Text: Luke 8:40-48

A Girl Restored to Life and a Woman Healed

40 So it was, when Jesus returned, that the multitude welcomed Him, for they were all waiting for Him. 41 And behold, there came a man named Jairus, and he was a ruler of the synagogue. And he fell down at Jesus’ feet and begged Him to come to his house, 42 for he had an only daughter about twelve years of age, and she was dying.

But as He went, the multitudes thronged Him. 43 Now a woman, having a flow of blood for twelve years, who had spent all her livelihood on physicians and could not be healed by any, 44 came from behind and touched the border of His garment. And immediately her flow of blood stopped.

45 And Jesus said, “Who touched Me?”

When all denied it, Peter and those with him[a] said, “Master, the multitudes throng and press You, and You say, ‘Who touched Me?’”[b]

46 But Jesus said, “Somebody touched Me, for I perceived power going out from Me.” 47 Now when the woman saw that she was not hidden, she came trembling; and falling down before Him, she declared to Him in the presence of all the people the reason she had touched Him and how she was healed immediately.

48 And He said to her, “Daughter, be of good cheer;[c] your faith has made you well. Go in peace.”

As Jesus’ popularity grew, the crowds increased and became pretty much the order of the day wherever He went. Their reasons for gathering were as varied as their problems, their needs, and their motives for wanting to see Him.

What encourages most about these stories where he travels among large crowds is that there are those who are there because of two things: their faith in His claim, and their desire to get to Him for their need.

Some spoke with Him, others were brought to Him, and still others were afraid to approach His presence. We have such a story here, often sermonized through the years from various perspectives, but what’s truly remarkable about this story to me is what Jesus said after having His clothing touched:

“Who touched Me?”

He’d lain hands on many people, and restored their sight, their health, their right minds, even their departed spirits, but this touch was so special, so lost amid the large number of people, so random in that there was no crying out to Him, that even He had to ask who it was that touched Him.

Imagine a need so great, so full of longing, so full of the desire to be released from pain that you’d be willing to risk the wrath of a divine being by personally touching them. Imagine your faith so strong in that divine being that you’d be willing to touch just their clothing on the off chance that such a seemingly foolish gesture would make you well.

We’re not told how old this woman is, only that she had her condition for twelve years, one that in the culture was shameful and unclean. It likely brought her a great deal of ridicule, and caused no end of embarrassment. Yet, she knew that if her life was going to change by believing on Jesus, this would be her opportunity to change it.

We read in verse 46 Jesus’ reply to Peter:

46 But Jesus said, “Somebody touched Me, for I perceived power going out from Me.”

As with so many miracles, faith is the key that makes the power work. It won’t do so in cases of doubt or faithlessness. It can’t. So great was her faith, and so desperate was her desire that when she did touch His clothing, power He had not deliberately dispensed went out of Him, and in such an amount that He felt it leave.

And as before with the blind man’s cry that made Jesus stand still, so too did this.

Not knowing how Jesus would react, she tried to hide, but in verse 47 we read:

47 Now when the woman saw that she was not hidden, she came trembling; and falling down before Him, she declared to Him in the presence of all the people the reason she had touched Him and how she was healed immediately.

Interesting that in the midst of the press of a large crowd she was suddenly ‘no longer hidden.’ We are admonished that it is we who must press through our own personal crowds to get to Him. It need not be a crowd of people. It could be a crowd of idols we’ve set up around us, a crowd of past failures that tell us to be quiet, when we need to shout out all the more. Perhaps it’s a crowd of deeds and words from the past that tell us not to trouble Him, for He is royalty, and we are rags.

But He never turns away those who earnestly seek Him, who persist in spite of their current circumstances.

Jesus always responded to faith and usually called forward the petitioner. Such was the case here, but so commanding is His presence that she grew afraid, fell to her knees, and confessed what she’d done and gave her testimony as to what happened.

Jesus graciously blesses her in front of crowd:

48 Daughter, be of good cheer; your faith has made you well. Go in peace.”

Her faithful boldness has not only been approved, but given the royal seal, and her restoration is now spiritual as well as physical, so that we have her story even to this day.

Therefore I pray:

Lord Jesus,

I confess that I don’t seek Your attention, for though I profess to follow and serve, there are times I don’t carry myself as a servant of all, but as a pompous man entitled and deserving of the service of others.

There are times I think my meager, half-hearted service does You honor, when it is You who has called me to serve those in need of You, to be salt and light, to be the city on the hilltop, to shout from the roof what You whisper to me in my far too infrequent prayer time.

My need of You is greater than I know, and I would press through to touch the hem of your garment, the strap of your sandal, the soles of Your feet if I were truly conscious of how small a part of my life I’ve made You. I would turn away in defeat, shouted down. I would kiss Your cheek in a moonlit garden while the servants of Hell took you in my place, count my silver, and spend it on raucous living that leads to death.

I wonder then, if You’d look for me, and leave the ninety-nine to find me still, lead me beside still waters,  restore my soul, and put me back in my right mind with the joy of my salvation.

My issue of blood is that I need Yours to cover me, that I would be mindful of my rebellious backsliding into sins that held me in a grip long ago, before the Spirit revealed You to me. I would stay connected at all times, in all things if I had strength to crucify my flesh by taking up my cross.

I would not be conveniently obedient as King Saul was, but I know that I don’t possess King David’s desire to pursue capturing Your heart. I would be mindful of counting the cost of following You, and throw the silver of betrayal into the dust.

Help me press through, Lord. Hear my cry. Stand still, turn and call to Me so that I would not be hidden from You, and I will know Your voice and follow.

Once again, let me touch the hem of Your garment, that Your power is shared with me, making me whole again.

In Your Holy Name I ask it.

Amen.

 

 

 

Devotional 38: He had Compassion

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Luke 7:11-17

Jesus Raises the son of the Widow of Nain

11 Now it happened, the day after, that He went into a city called Nain; and many of His disciples went with Him, and a large crowd. 12 And when He came near the gate of the city, behold, a dead man was being carried out, the only son of his mother; and she was a widow. And a large crowd from the city was with her. 13 When the Lord saw her, He had compassion on her and said to her, “Do not weep.” 14 Then He came and touched the open coffin, and those who carried him stood still. And He said, “Young man, I say to you, arise.” 15 So he who was dead sat up and began to speak. And He presented him to his mother.

16 Then fear came upon all, and they glorified God, saying, “A great prophet has risen up among us”; and, “God has visited His people.”17 And this report about Him went throughout all Judea and all the surrounding region.

Here in the United States, we have acronyms of exclusion: NOK (Not Our Kind) and NIMBY (Not In My Backyard).We want no proximity with the unpleasant. We don’t want to sup with the unfortunate, much less was their feet.

Yet the Lord Jesus says this: (Matthew 25:34-40)

  34 Then the King will say to those on His right hand, ‘Come, you blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: 35 for I was hungry and you gave Me food; I was thirsty and you gave Me drink; I was a stranger and you took Me in; 36 I was naked and you clothed Me; I was sick and you visited Me; I was in prison and you came to Me.’

37 “Then the righteous will answer Him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry and feed You, or thirsty and give You drink? 38 When did we see You a stranger and take You in, or naked and clothe You? 39 Or when did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?’ 40 And the King will answer and say to them, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me.’

There are those who toil in the background, unseen and unsung, unknown and uncared for, taken for granted, whose names we don’t ask and never know. There are those readily helping people without question, the thought of cost or usury, or getting anything back in return. It is these who will enter into the Savior’s rest, glorified and lifted by the Savior Himself.

The most striking thing about this was something I heard from Pr. Alistair Begg, who preached that in this particular story no one asked Jesus to do anything. It seemed a matter of timing and opportunity, but there was never anything random about the ministry of our Lord.

A large crowd and many disciples, not just the twelve, are with Him.

A large crowd proceeds from the gate with the unclean corpse, to bury it.

A mother is losing her son, a recurrent theme in the Word of G-d, but so is what follows.       In verse 13 we read:

When the Lord saw her, He had compassion on her and said to her, “Do not weep.”

And such was His compassion that he not only went into the midst of them, but in the midst of all the uncleanness of the moment, He touches the open coffin, and such was His authority, those who carried it grew still.

With no further delay, or even an introduction, He speaks to the body of the young man, and restores his spirit to him, and life. We can only wonder what the first words of his new life were, but we are told only that he began speaking. I’m pretty sure it was a bunch of questions.

He also restores the mother’s joy.

Through the power of the Holy Spirit working through the Son, all of their eyes were opened, and they knew Him, and as with all the culmination of Jesus’ work, the Father was glorified in reverent fear and love.

Therefore I pray:

With thanksgiving and reverent joy, I thank You, Lord Jesus, for raising me from the dead, restoring me to my Father in Heaven.

   You saw my soul being carried from the gates, an unclean thing borne by unclean things, to be taken out as a fruitless vine for burning, and you touched the open casket of my life, and commanded the demons to stop.

    And You spoke to me in Power, and restored my spirit to me, for I did not complete the work, and you’d not finished making me into Your likeness.

     I would arise, Lord, and take my rightful, lowly place, but the grave is quiet and peaceful, and there are no dreams, nightmares or strife. No one mocks me there, or asks me where You are, or tells me You’re only in my mind and don’t exist.

     No persecution comes because of the Word, and I would have peace, and have You depart from me.

     But You have given me a Great Commission, and as you have completed the work the Father gave You, so must I, and do His will unto the least, in Your strength, and in Your Name, and with Your compassion, for I have none in this sinful flesh to give on my own.

    Let it be done to me, as You have said.

   Amen.

Devotional 37: I Fell at His Feet…

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Revelation 1:10-17

10 I was in the Spirit on the Lord’s Day, and I heard behind me a loud voice, as of a trumpet, 11 saying, “I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last,” and,[a] “What you see, write in a book and send it to the seven churches which are in Asia:[b] to Ephesus, to Smyrna, to Pergamos, to Thyatira, to Sardis, to Philadelphia, and to Laodicea.”

12 Then I turned to see the voice that spoke with me. And having turned I saw seven golden lampstands, 13 and in the midst of the seven lampstands One like the Son of Man, clothed with a garment down to the feet and girded about the chest with a golden band. 14 His head and hair were white like wool, as white as snow, and His eyes like a flame of fire; 15 His feet were like fine brass, as if refined in a furnace, and His voice as the sound of many waters; 16 He had in His right hand seven stars, out of His mouth went a sharp two-edged sword, and His countenance was like the sun shining in its strength.17 And when I saw Him, I fell at His feet as dead. But He laid His right hand on me, saying to me,[c] “Do not be afraid; I am the First and the Last.

In this day, we hear the confident boasts of the faithless, the bitter, the unrepentant, the scorners and mockers, the defiant rebellious, and the witches and satanists:

“When I stand before G-d, I will say/do/ ask/ tell Him  –”

Hear the Word of the Risen Lord, for to you he will say:

“Depart from me, you cursed…”

He speaks of the fate of worthless servants, even those who profess to be sons of the kingdom, and the fate of Lucifer’s goats.

To Him, you are lawless strangers, disqualified from entry into His kingdom. You questioned His existence, did good with wrong motives, mocked His atoning death, and scorned His rising, reconciled to His Father, and reconciling you through His blood, which would have made you spotless, had you but listened.

You placed your faith in your knowledge, in the science, in reason, and yet the son of a carpenter confounded the learned leaders of His day, and taught with such authority, they bore false witness.

But this is why He came. And this is what He said would happen.

You’ve rejected the Son of Man, the Son of God, the Savior of the world, and the King of angels. He is subject to His Father, and will rule over all, and you’ve spurned His love, grace and mercy, because of your pride.

And He has told you, you will share the fate of the prideful.  In Matthew 7, we read:

I Never Knew You

21 “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. 22 Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’ 23 And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’

Build on the Rock

24 “Therefore whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock: 25 and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it did not fall, for it was founded on the rock.

26 “But everyone who hears these sayings of Mine, and does not do them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand:27 and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it fell. And great was its fall.”

28 And so it was, when Jesus had ended these sayings, that the people were astonished at His teaching, 29 for He taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes.

And again, in Matthew 25:

41 “Then He will also say to those on the left hand, ‘Depart from Me, you cursed, into the everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels: 42 for I was hungry and you gave Me no food; I was thirsty and you gave Me no drink; 43 I was a stranger and you did not take Me in, naked and you did not clothe Me, sick and in prison and you did not visit Me.’

44 “Then they also will answer Him,[b] saying, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to You?’ 45 Then He will answer them, saying, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to Me.’ 46 And these will go away into everlasting punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.”

If judgment starts with those who profess Him, how then, will you stand, unbeliever?

Here is what you will do, and all that you will be able to do:

You will fall at His feet as one dead, and if you don’t seek Him while He may be found, indeed, that is what you will be.

You will find yourself unable to speak, if indeed, the disciple who was the closest of Jesus’ inner circle, the only disciple to escape execution, could not speak, and could not stand in the presence of the holy Majesty.

Spare yourself, and cease your prideful boasting, putting faith in the transitory world, and the ever shifting sand of scientific discovery, for the mind of G-d is infinite, and His works past finding out, because they were known to Him from the beginning, and they begin and end with our Lord, Jesus.

Therefore I pray:

Lord Jesus, You came among us to call the lost, and we indeed are all lost, even those who profess You, and speak of You before men, and invoke Your Name in doing kingdom work, but don’t glorify You in their hearts, or their motives. They begin to think they are in their own strength, and tempt You to destroy them, not knowing You will simply release them into the hand of the enemy, who will, in fact, destroy them, and bring them to share his own fate.

We ask the anointing of the Helper to reveal that the unquenchable fire is no metaphor.

We ask the anointing of the Helper for discernment of pride, and wrong motives.

We beseech You to have Him ignite in us a renewal of Power to carry Your two-edged sword, to cleave hearts, and bring tears of repentance, that they, and we, might see once again the love of undeserved grace and mercy to souls otherwise doomed to twist in the fire, as a kite in an errant wind.

We would not be unprofitable servants, or cursed and lawless strangers to You, the One we profess to love above all, and prove it false by our actions.

Align us with the Your will, Lord Jesus, for it is the will of the Father that we believe on You, and Your will is not separate from His as to the work we are to perform.

It is only difficult because of our hard hearts, prideful minds, and sinful thoughts.

Yet You are long-suffering, and hear the prayers of Your servants.

Hear this prayer, Lord, for it is the cry of my heart, and the heart of every servant, and unbeliever, who reads these words.

Grant us ears to hear, and plow the hard soil of our hearts, and help us to store up treasures in Heaven, where there are no thieves, and we stand reconciled, spotless, blameless, under the Cross, redeemed by the Resurrection, and our works stand the test of fire, that we may enter into the joy of our Master.

Once again, Lord, I beseech the Throne for mercy, the Cross for grace, and the Spirit for power.

In Your Name, I ask, in faith believing.

Amen.

 

Devotional 36: Show Us the Father

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John 14:8-14

8 Philip said to Him, “Lord, show us the Father, and it is sufficient for us.”

9 Jesus said to him, “Have I been with you so long, and yet you have not known Me, Philip? He who has seen Me has seen the Father; so how can you say, ‘Show us the Father’? 10 Do you not believe that I am in the Father, and the Father in Me? The words that I speak to you I do not speak on My own authority; but the Father who dwells in Me does the works. 11 Believe Me that I am in the Father and the Father in Me, or else believe Me for the sake of the works themselves.

If ever there was proof of the spiritual disconnect between man and G-d, Philip’s request of Jesus to show them the Father manifest is it. He’d seen Jesus’ ministry up close, and indeed, had moved in power on his own under Christ’s authority, and yet his words seemed to echo that of the Pharisees in their constant demands for proof and credentials that Jesus was who He claimed.  In John 8: 57-58 we read:

57 Then the Jews said to Him, “You are not yet fifty years old, and have You seen Abraham?”

58 Jesus said to them, “Most assuredly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I AM.” 

 

Jesus often rebuked the Apostles for their lack of faith and their uncomprehending of His mission, yet He chose by and large unlearned and ‘average’ men; they were of no great account or consequence in Galilee save that they walked with Jesus.

So then, what differentiated them from other average men? Jesus saw that they could be reached, and would respond, and His preparation, sowing, and ministering to them took as much of His time as ministering to the sick, the possessed, and the dead.

He saw that Philip upon His departure, they would indeed be obedient and change the world, carrying the sword He brought that would cleave households in two, as it does to this day.

Yet Philip, it seems, captures Him off guard right after Thomas demonstrates another kind of misunderstanding regarding the way to Heaven and to the presence of G-d.

“Lord,” Philip says, “show us…. ”

Jesus effectively replies that basically that’s all He’s been doing, and how could Philip not know that.

Nicodemus, the secret believer among the Pharisees, knew it:

This man came to Jesus by night and said to Him, “Rabbi, we know that You have come from G-d as a teacher, for no one can do these signs that You do unless God is with him.” (John 3:2)

This too is a revelatory statement; Nicodemus would have heard what the Pharisees were saying about Jesus when He wasn’t around. They agreed on His teachings and signs as being from G-d, yet constantly banded together to discredit Him, until He turned their questions on their heads, and made them fearful of His authority, though He lacked what they thought were the required credentials.

The multitudes followed Him because they saw, and their needs were immediate, and possibly for the most part, their motives were immediate gratification, as in the lepers He cleaned, but only one returned to thank Him.

But there were others who came to receive the Word, a word of hope and encouragement, of long-suffering love, of the forgiveness of sins for the repentant, and the promise of eternal life when earthly life was done, renewed and transformed, even glorified, and praising G-d forever.

And Philip, in earthly failing such as we all have, says “show.”

Jesus responds by telling him that He speaks what the Father gives, and the Father works through Him to perform His will in miracles as well as His word, that we might see that He is a good G-d through the works of the Son: the healing of the sick, the restoration of the dead, and the sowing of the Good News as a covenant act of grace unmerited.

And Philip, at the angel’s command, sees a chariot driver in the desert, and by the power of the Holy Spirit, changes a nation…

Therefore I pray:

Lord Jesus, since I first received You, I find that I am repentant, yet still sinful. Your apostle who was once your enemy advises us the fight is lifelong, and we go on doing what we don’t want, mixed with what You would have us do. That is lukewarm, and You have said in no uncertain terms You would spew that out.

Help our unbelief while there is yet time.

I, for one, am relieved the Father is long-suffering, and that He sent You to redeem my wretchedness, and turn it into righteousness. In my weariness of trials, I anticipate the easy yoke, yet You say persecution comes.

And I must choose, consciously, and daily, whom I will serve. It is to our shame that our humanness thinks to please everyone, that You wink at our rebellion, that You only love those of us who’ve professed our faith in You, but if You and the Father are One, and He is in You, we are admonished that to evangelize, lest the souls of the lost be on our heads, for the Father says He takes no pleasure in the death of the wicked.

Help transform and transport us as well, Lord, and help us to see You in each other, and know that You and the Father are indeed One. We believe on Your word, and in the signs and wonders You perform, for our own salvation, and the imparting of the Father’s Spirit to us was in itself a miracle to us, the hour we first believed.

And let us go into all the world, and open Your Word to the hungry chariot drivers.

I ask it in Your Name, knowing by faith You will grant it to us, as You have said.

Amen