Category Archives: Jesus

James: Life of Stability, Wisdom, and Faith

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(Join me in reading chapter 1 of James each day this week)

“If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you. But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. That person should not expect to receive anything from the Lord.”
‭‭James‬ ‭1‬:‭5‬-‭7‬ ‭NIV‬‬

God is all-knowing. There isn’t any circumstance or situation where God is surprised and says, “Wow!! I didn’t see that coming!?!?” He knows our past. He knows our present. And He knows where He is taking us in the future!

Biblical wisdom is God’s knowledge taken into our hearts through His Word and then applied in our lives. When we are up against something that we are unsure of what to do, we need to ask God for His wisdom. God will give us the exact response we need through His Word and show us how to apply it by faith!

When we do ask and He speaks to us on how to apply the knowledge He has give us in His Word, we need to believe what He has spoken! If we waver on whether or not we will believe that His Word is true and that God is faithful to do what He says He will do, we will be “blown and tossed” by the winds of unbelief and fear. We won’t receive what God intended to give to us — His peace, His goodness, His faithfulness, etc. What we will receive is instability in our lives.

Our focus must be Knowing God intimately through His Word. Then He will enable us to apply His Word to each and every circumstance of our lives i.e. “walk in His wisdom.”

Ask for wisdom! Believe the Word! Live in stability and peace!

James — Consider It Pure Joy

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(Join me in reading chapter 1 of James each day this week)

“Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.”
‭‭James‬ ‭1‬:‭2‬-‭4‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Nothing is wasted in our lives. Trials and testing of our faith helps us to mature. In fact, it is what God uses to make us “complete, not lacking anything.”

Perseverance in the Greek is defined as “Endurance, steadfastness, patient waiting for, cheerful endurance, constancy.”

My youngest son has spent quite a bit of time at the gym working on body building. He has told me that building muscle actually requires tearing of muscle fibers that is rebuilt by our bodies in a stronger form. Our spiritual muscles are similar. Testing of our faith through trials can produce a cheerful endurance because we know the end result will be a closer relationship with Jesus.

If you are going through a trial, God is always at work in it! You and I are meant to “consider it pure joy!” In the end our relationship with God will be stronger! Trials build “spiritual muscle” that we all need in order to “not {be} lacking anything.”

Philippians — God’s Family

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Day 2 of Philippians 1 !!

Today verse 3- 7 are standing out to me.

“In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus. It is right for me to feel this way about all of you, since I have you in my heart…”
‭‭Philippians‬ ‭1‬:‭4‬-‭7‬ ‭NIV‬‬

As I read them, the question— “Who’s your tribe?”, keeps coming to my mind.

Tribe is defined as “family.” Paul had his “spiritual family” or “tribe.” He prayed joyfully for them. They had a “partnership in the gospel.” They worked together to make Jesus known! Paul even spoke of his deep feelings of affection for them. He said he had them in his heart.

We are not meant to go it alone! God designed us for relationship, not only with Him, but with each other.

Who is it that you share your life in Jesus with? Who do you pray for? Who prays for you?

If you lack spiritual family (i.e. God’s family)in your life, where do you need to connect to experience it?

Philippians — Servants and Saints!

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Good morning!!
I have been feeling prompted to switch gears on what I am studying in the Bible and present another way of digging deeper in the Word to you all.

I LOVE the Book of Philippians that is in the New Testament! I wanted to invite you all to join me in an in depth study of Philippians in April.

Each week we will read one chapter each day. I would encourage you to take notes and reflect on what God is speaking to You through His Word.

This is going to be AWESOME!!

Philippians is a book that has a lot that is said about Joy. Joy is the passion or emotion excited by the acquisition or expectation of good. Jesus, and His promises in His Word, are that Good!

Paul wrote this book while he was in prison/ under house arrest — chained to a Roman guard. His circumstances did not determine His Joy! Jesus did!

Each Monday we will start with a new chapter. So today let’s start with Chapter 1.

Post a general summary statement below of what God is showing you!

Here’s mine for today:

Servants and saints! That is what sticks out to me in the first two verses. Paul said he and Timothy were servants — in the Greek, slaves — of Jesus. A person who is wholly subject to the will of another; one who has no will of his own, but whose person and services are wholly under the control of another. Is Jesus my Lord/ Master? Is my will subject to Him and His Word, or am I calling the shots?

Saints — God’s holy people — Set apart for God. He was writing to people whose lives were devoted to God alone! Am I entirely, totally, and completely set apart for Jesus? This is God’s desire for us!

When we are His we will experience His grace and His peace that comes from Him! (Verses 1-2)

Show Us The Father — Life

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Today is Mark 15 and 16.

Every time I read the account of the crucifixion, I feel a sense of sadness. To think of the accusations, the false trial, the mocking, the beatings, the carrying of the cross up the hill of Golgotha, the nails being driven into Jesus, and Him being lifted up on the cross… such sadness.

But Praise God the story does not end in death.

Jesus came to show us life! Not only show us, but to make the way for us to experience His life. Jesus said, “I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life…” We experience Life when we experience Him! He and the Father are one. Our Heavenly Father is life!

From the moment of creation, when Our Heavenly Father breathed life into every living being, until now. He is the ultimate source of life. The very breath of life we experience in our lungs comes straight from Him. However there will be a day when that breathing will cease in each one of us… What then?

Jesus showed us on resurrection Sunday what God’s good plan for us is — resurrection life! Eternal life!

We do not have to fear death. Our Heavenly Father desires for us to experience His eternal life. Sin brought death into our world, but we do not have to experience an eternity of the separation of death. 

“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son.”
‭‭John‬ ‭3‬:‭16‬-‭18‬ ‭NIV‬‬
“Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die; and whoever lives by believing in me will never die. Do you believe this?””
‭‭John‬ ‭11‬:‭25‬-‭26‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Show Us The Father — Abandoned

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Abandoned — To give over entirely.

Today is Mark 14.

Jesus at any moment in His 33 years on earth could have changed His course to the cross. He knew exactly why He had came. He knew how this would all play out. He knew the rejection He would suffer. He knew the pain He would endure. Yet He “abandoned” Himself. He gave Himself over to the purpose of His Heavenly Father.

Over and over in this chapter He warned the disciples that He was going to suffer and die. But He chose to abandon His will that desired for His Heavenly Father to “take this cup” from Him. Then He spoke these words, “Yet not what I will, but what You will.” (Verse 36)

Jesus gave Himself. The Father gave His Son! (John 3:16). Our Heavenly Father abandoned, gave over entirely, His Son for us out of His love. When I consider this great love, my thoughts go to what my response should be.

In every situation and circumstance of my life, may I echo the words of my loving Savior. “Yet not what I will, but what You will.” My Heavenly Father gave without reservation His only Son. Jesus gave without reservation His very life. May I give without reservation EVERYTHING I am and live a life that is abandoned to God’s will!

Show Us The Father — Unchanging

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Today is Mark 13.

Jesus and His disciples came out of the temple. One of the disciples commented on the beauty of what he was seeing. Jesus spoke of how all that seemed so certain and indestructible would be destroyed, the Temple.

They went to the Mount of Olive opposite the Temple. As they sat at there Jesus began to tell of what was to come. In all the disturbing events Jesus spoke of, One Thing stood out as unshakeable and unchanging — His Word!

Jesus said, “Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away.” (Verse 31)

In all the changes we experience in our daily lives, Jesus tells us His Word will not change. It will endure.

The Word is God! It is His Divine Expression of Himself. You cannot separate God from His Word. They are one. Jesus shows us that His Word is unchanging, so is His Heavenly Father. Nothing in the future will change the character of our God. He will always be love, goodness, our peace, our strength, etc.

Of all the events that we will face in our lives, there is one certain person to run to that will withstand the storm, God. He and His Word are unchanging!

Show Us The Father — Our Maker

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Today is Mark 12. 

“Give back to Caesar what is Caesar’s and to God what is God’s.” - verse 17

The religious leaders of Jesus’s time rejected Him. They perceived Jesus as a threat because He only cared about what His Heavenly Father thought and commanded, not all their man made laws and traditions. So they looked for ways to trip Him up in what He did and said over and over.

They came to Jesus with a question on taxes. Jesus’s reply strikes a chord in my heart this morning. He told them to pay what was Caesar’s to Caesar- the coin bearing Caesar’s image. BUT He turned it around to point to something in the very heart of the Religious leaders and each of us . “Give to God what is God’s.”

The coin beared the image and inscription of Caesar on it. We are like that coin. We bear an image and inscription upon us — the image and inscription of our Maker, God. Therefore, we belong to Him. We are to give “to God what is God’s”— our entire self!

Show Us The Father — Savior

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Today is Mark 11.

Jesus enters Jerusalem riding on the back of a donkey. The crowds celebrated Him as they would a king. The anticipation of who they thought Jesus was echoed in their cheers. “Blessed is the coming kingdom of our father David! Hosanna in the highest!”

The Jewish people longed for a king that would deliver them from the oppression of the Romans. Jesus seemed to fit the bill. He spoke with authority. He performed miracles. There was no one like Him. But Jesus did not come to establish Himself as an earthly king. He was already the King of Kings reigning in His heavenly kingdom. The people did not understand the truth of the praises they shouted, “Hosanna” which is a Hebrew praise meaning “Oh Save!”

Kingdoms come and kingdoms go. Salvation from an oppressive government would only be a temporary fix to their misery. Jesus came to save with eternity in mind. Kings come and kings go as well. Jesus came to be the Eternal King! He came to rescue us and rule within our hearts not just for the here and now but for all eternity.

Jesus said, “Anyone who has seen me you has seen the Father.” (John 4:9) The crowd rightly shouted “Hosanna” about Jesus. He displayed that our Heavenly Father saves! 

“Our God is a God who saves; from the Sovereign Lord comes escape from death.”
‭‭Psalms‬ ‭68‬:‭20‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Jesus was sent by our Heavenly Father to rescue us from sin and all its destruction that we could not rescue ourselves from. 

“For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.”
‭‭John‬ ‭3‬:‭17‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Our Heavenly Father desires for us to accept the salvation He freely gives!

Show Us The Father — Servant

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Today is Mark 10: 32-52.

“Love needs an object to whom it can give itself away, in whom it can lose itself, with whom it can make itself one.” — Andrew Murray

To be honest, thinking about Our Heavenly Father as a Servant has been uncomfortable to me. In my mind, I’ve had Jesus as “the good cop” in the trinity, and the Heavenly Father as “the bad cop.” Which is not true at all. There is no “bad” in God.

When I was reading this section of Scripture this morning and came upon this verse, I was in awe: 

“For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” Mark 10:45 ESV

Jesus came to reveal the Father to us. When we see Him, we see our Heavenly Father. Jesus came as the Humble Servant. This means our Heavenly Father is the Humble Servant too!

The Greek word for serve that is used in this verse is “diakonēsai.” This is translated in other verses as “minister.” To minister is to afford supplies, to give things needful, to supply the means of relief; to relieve. Our Heavenly Father has done just that. He gives and gives and gives. He provides all that we need. He is always at work for our good in every situation. He serves!

When Jesus knelt on His knees and washed the feet of His disciples, He displayed the very love of our Heavenly Father, who serves us. Jesus, the King of Kings, took the nature of a servant and gave Himself away to provide the very thing His disciples needed, His love.

Our Heavenly Father sent His Son to meet our most pressing need, salvation from sin. “For God so loved the world, He gave…” He ministered… He served us out of His love.

Our Heavenly Father serves us as any good Dad would. He takes good care of us! He provides, sustains, is attentive to our cry, etc,

Jesus shows us the Father who serves. We were made to display that image to others, i.e. imitate God! May we give ourselves away in service that glorifies our Heavenly Father who gives Himself in service to us!