I Want to "See Jesus"

“Open our eyes, Lord We want to see Jesus,
To reach out and touch Him, And say that we love Him.
Open our ears, Lord And help us to listen.
Open our eyes, Lord We want to see Jesus.”

Having just come out of the Christmas Season, I am reminded of those who were part of the story that “SAW” Jesus and embraced Him as the long awaited King. (The shepherds, the Magi, Simeon and Anna) When Jesus began His earthly ministry, He walked through towns and the countryside, passing by a lot of people on the way. To some He was probably no more than another teacher passing through speaking about new ideas with those who would take the time to listen. To some He may have just been an interruption to life. To still others, He was the answer that their heart was so longing for. He was the answer for something far greater than just living a life for self.

Within the heart of every person is the desire to know, “Why am I here? What is my ultimate purpose in life?” For too many, their search never goes beyond the boundaries of their own self. That makes for a small world. To those who believe that there has to be One far greater than myself that has made me, God is eager to make Himself known to them. Accepting the truth that there is a God who has made me and invites me into a relationship with Him so that I can know His heart and mind is a humbling thought. What an amazing adventure He calls us to.

When God wrapped Himself in human flesh and came to this world, He showed us how to live our lives; loving and serving others as well as worshipping God and God alone. His teachings shook the way many lived, right to the core. The economics of an individual or of a town were threatened where they relied on the income from objects of worship to other gods, or where unfair advantages were taken of a lesser class in the area. Philosophically and religiously the population was challenged to the core by the teachings of Christ. Attitudes and treatment of others as well as religious practices that were demeaning to human life were placed on trial by the lessons that Jesus taught.

There is a game, Mad Gab, that we play sometimes, that puts together what looks like a random collection of letters onto a playing card. It appears, at first glance, to say absolutely nothing. When you try reading the card out loud you begin to hear a phrase that seems familiar to you. Eventually the light comes on (most of the time) and you really hear what was intended to be heard. Let me tie this example to our quest of “seeing Jesus”. When we consider the teachings of Christ for our lives we might look at them like we do the letters on the game card. That does not make any sense at all. Let me just throw a couple out there as an example. “Love your enemies.” “Forgive those who sin against you.” “Anyone who loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me.” “Whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.” “If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.” The more that we hear Christ’s words and the more that we trust Him, the words begin to make more sense to us. We move further outside of the boundaries of “self”. We begin to understand, we discover the difference that it makes in our life.

One of the crazy things about playing Mad Gab is that someone listening to the person trying to figure out the phrase hears what it is supposed to be but the player doesn’t know what they are saying. We can say the right things and even appear to be doing the right things in our lives and it may seem to others that we are walking with Christ. But in reality we may be so inwardly focused that we cannot see Jesus and we feel so lost inside. If we want to “see Jesus”, we must believe in faith that what He has already taught us in His word is truth, and walk in obedience to it. We must see the world as He sees it. We must weep over the things that He weeps over and rejoice over the things that He rejoices over.

When we “see Jesus”, it does not mean that life will be smooth sailing from here on, but it does mean we have a new level of courage and assurance that whatever comes our way we are not alone, He is right there with us. As you live out your life each day, open your eyes to “see Jesus”. When we come together for worship, open your eyes to “see Jesus”.
When life is hard and does not make sense, open your eyes and “see Jesus”. When life is going great and you feel like shouting and jumping up and down, open your eyes and “see Jesus”.

In all things, let me always “see Jesus”, and remember He is the King of Kings, the Lord of Lords, my Savior, and my Friend.

…SO MUCH MORE!

For most, holidays are a time for families to spend time together. The time is often filled with eating, talking, football, playing games, gifts, etc. Sometimes there may be tension that exists between family members that makes the thought of getting together a stressful one. When the time is over we are glad it has passed and we don’t have to think about it until the next time. For others it may be the tension from the chaos stemming out of the sheer number of people that will be there. It may be different reasons for you that cause such gatherings to be a stressful time but whatever those reasons may be it doesn’t turn out the way you would like it to be. For still others, family gatherings may be a time that you look forward to. They may be, for the most part, time that is very enjoyable. But after you are gone you may feel down deep inside that it could have been …SO MUCH MORE!

Paul sends words of admonition to the Ephesians about how to order their lives in a world that settles on being shallow, self-centered, crude at times and hurtful to others. He writes:

Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is. Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit. Speak to one another with psalms, hymns and spiritual songs. Sing and make music in your heart to the Lord, always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. (Ephesians 5:15-20)

Paul’s use of words like “careful”, “wise”, “making the most”, “understand the Lord’s will” and “speak with psalms”, interrupts the run on of life and forces us to stop and think about what we will say and do next, and how we will do it. Just one chapter earlier we read, “Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.” (4:29) When we are in a large group setting, even our own family gatherings, and every conversation is way out of compliance with the above instructions it can become extremely difficult to choose the RIGHT words ourselves.

Let me take us back to where we started. Thanksgiving then Christmas is just around the corner. We will be spending time with family and friends during this season. Conversations and activities that we engage in can help us and those around us to become a better person. How much effort are you willing to expend to see that become a reality? Frustration over the direction that conversations can take in a large group will not likely be solved by being everyone’s conscience. Instead, look for an opportunity to engage in a one on one conversation with another person. Share personal victories and struggles. Show a genuine interest in the same of the other person’s life. Look for the opportunity to speak the Word or a song into another life. If the opportunity presents itself, offer to pray for them.

Time passes by too quickly. The moment we embrace and say thanks for a great time we are out the door and into the heat of the battle once again. There are more than enough who with their words and actions will thoughtlessly tear others down. In your gathering of family and friends this Thanksgiving and Christmas season make the most of every opportunity. Embrace the challenge of …SO MUCH MORE! Pour into the lives of others the gift of worth, of support, of love and encouragement and in your heart Give Thanks!

This is Why I have Come

I have a problem with starting a project and then get distracted by something else that takes me away from what I started. It can lead to frustration and discouragement because it can leave me going in too many directions and being ineffective and not completing what needs to be done. If we are not careful, the same thing can happen in our spiritual life. We can become consumed with chasing after many things in life and not give attention to our spiritual growth.

I like Jesus’ response to His disciples when they came to Him to tell Him, “Everyone is looking for you!” Read the encounter below.

Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed. Simon and his companions went to look for him, and when they found him, they exclaimed: “Everyone is looking for you!”
Jesus replied, “Let us go somewhere else—to the nearby villages—so I can preach there also. That is why I have come.” Mark 1:35-38

There almost seems to be a hint of exasperation in the words of the disciples, “Everyone is looking for you.” Why are you out here alone? Don’t you know there is a crowd of people waiting to see you.

Jesus knew the intent of the crowds and turns the attention of the disciples toward His purpose for being here. He punctuates it by saying, “That is why I have come.” Do you remember the words from Isaiah 61 -- “The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me, because the Lord has anointed me to preach good news to the poor?”

Don’t lose focus on our call to “go and make disciples.” Grow in your knowledge of Christ. Pray for opportunities to make Him known to others. Grow in your love for one another. And don't get distracted!!!

Have a blessed day.

The Worth of a Single Soul

How many times have you felt of little worth because of some bad choice you made? We have all been there. There are times we want to hide our face, we want to stay in bed or we just want to run away. We can sometimes feel like we have nothing good to offer anyone. One of the things that Christ did when He came into the world was to impart worth and value to humanity.

First of all, the simple fact that God, the Creator of the universe and Sustainer of all living things, would enter into a sinful world speaks volumes of the kind of compassion and worth that He has toward mankind. Secondly, Jesus invested in people that many times were rejected or looked down upon by society. He called out fishermen and a tax collector to be His disciples, He invited children to hang out with Him and He touched those with leprosy as He healed them, along with many others who were sick. (In Jesus day it was believed by many that blindness and disease was often the result of sin in the person’s life or in the life of the parent.)

Jesus attributed value in the woman’s life that was caught in the act of adultery. The woman’s accusers brought her to Christ publicly for all to see. Jesus said, “If any one of you is without sin, let him be the first to throw a stone at her.” Christ extended forgiveness to one that others were ready to stone. Read the entire story—John 8:1-11. Jesus’ action shows the worth that He placed in a single soul.

Fruitful outreach will require that we recognize the worth and value that God has placed in those we are called to reach out to. The simple fact that God sent Jesus to die for “whosoever will believe in Him” tells us how important each person is to Him.

Prayer: Lord, forgive me for the times I have devalued the life of another person. Open my eyes and my heart to see and to love them as You do. Amen

Hope for the Hopeless

This week our thoughts will focus on the passion that Christ had for those He came to bring life and hope. There are two times in the Bible when it is recorded that Jesus wept. He wept as He stood at the tomb of Lazarus and as He stood outside of Jerusalem looking down upon the city as He approached at the Triumphal Entry.

At the tomb of Lazarus Jesus does identify with the grief of Mary and Martha at the loss of a brother but His words also remind us of the sorrow He feels over the unbelief of the people. Jesus came to bring hope that goes beyond the grave. The scene outside of Jerusalem gives us a good look into the heart of Christ as to the burden that He carried for the people.

As he approached Jerusalem and saw the city, he wept over it and said, “If you, even you, had only known on this day what would bring you peace — but now it is hidden from your eyes. Luke 19:41-42

I did a quick word search in the Bible for “wept”. Numerous times throughout scripture it is recorded that people wept over the sense of hopelessness that had a hold on them. When Christ came to this earth He was the HOPE that cancels hopelessness. He wept because the eyes of people were blinded. The need is still with us today.

As we spend time focusing on outreach, strive to understand the heart of God for humanity that is revealed through Jesus Christ. Will the same passion for the lost that led Jesus to weep drive us to our knees weeping over the state of hopelessness that grips the lives of those around us?

Prayer: Lord, we want to be channels of Your grace to bring a message of HOPE to all who live in constant HOPELESSNESS.

...as working for the Lord

I heard a Labor Day sermon yesterday reminding us that our labors are to be done in the spirit of, "As to the Lord and not to man." When all of our labors are done with a focus on honoring Christ, it will be noticed by those around us that we work with.

The sermon went on to highlight the example of Onesiphorus noted by Paul in his letter to Timothy as one who went beyond the call of duty. While everyone else seemed to be bailing out in their ministry to Paul, imprisoned in Rome, Onesiphorus came to Rome and "searched hard until he found Paul."

There are plenty of people around us the display that spirit of, "You owe me..." In the midst of that kind of world let's follow the admonition from Colossians 3:17:

"And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him."

Have a blessed Labor Day

Lessons from the Life of a Child

Another group of people that Jesus stepped outside of the box with was children. Parents often brought children to the Rabbis of the day to have them bless the children and to pray for them. Although children in Jesus’ day were deeply cherished, they were thought in some ways to be negligible members of society: their place was to learn, to be respectful, and to listen. It is possible that the number of children being brought to Jesus seemed a bit excessive in the eyes of the disciples.

Little children were brought to Jesus for him to place his hands on them and pray for them. But the disciples rebuked those who brought them. Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.” When he had placed his hands on them, he went on from there. Matthew 19:13-15

In an earlier chapter Jesus said, “I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.” What are the life lessons that Jesus wants us to learn from the life of a child? Maybe it is the total dependence, the full trust, the honest openness and the complete sincerity. Thoughts of what someone else is going to think or say about them is not an inhibitor. Wow! I feel convicted, even as I write. Once again Jesus moves outside the norm of the day in order to teach a valuable lesson to those who were there. It is a lesson that bears repeating over and over in our own lives as we grow up in Him.

Take some time today to think about the lessons that God may want to teach you from the life of your own child, or the children around you if you do not have children of your own. As you prayerfully seek the heart of God over those lessons He has for you, take some time to pray for the children that God has placed around you. Pray for ongoing protection over their bodies and their minds as they grow up in Christ.

Take some time to read Matthew 18:1-6; Luke 18:15-17 Share your insights with someone else and ask them to pray for you as well as you praying for them.