A Better Way

“Jesus called them together and said, ‘You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them. Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be your slave—just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.’”
Matthew 20:25-28

“It is a far, far better thing that I do, than I have ever done; it is a far, far better rest that I go to than I have ever known.” This quote, the final line in Charles Dickens’ novel A Tale of Two Cities would seem to be the final words of Sydney Carton, who lays down his life for Charles Darnay. How was Mr. Carton able to take the place of the other man - it is quite simple really, he bore a striking resemblance to the innocent, yet condemned Darnay. Carton chooses a better way, when he surrendered his life for another.

Jesus, taught His disciples a better way. He taught them a better way so that they and now we, who are called followers of Christ, would bear a striking resemblance to Him in this world. We are called to serve one another, to lay our lives down for others. When we authentically, put the needs of others before our own needs and comfort - we bear a striking resemblance to the One who allowed His arms to be stretched out on a Roman cross, in order to pay the price we owed.

This better way does not mean, we are to be weak, doormats for others to walk all over - rather we are to find divine strength that allows us to overcome our own selfish desires. When we decide to follow the better way that Jesus sets before us, we can be confident that no matter what we face on this planet, our efforts will one day be rewarded as we stand in the presence of the LORD.

Not many of us will be called to literally give up our lives, but we all will be called to lay aside the things of our hearts that keep us from being who Jesus wants us to be. Will you choose the better way?

A Prayer
Father, you know how selfish we can be; you know we sometimes pull hard against the way you want us to go, wanting to go our own way. Still you sent your Son to teach us a better way and to teach us by example. For His obedience He has been exalted to the highest place, where He waits to meet us face to face. Help us to grow in our likeness to Him, by becoming servants in His better way. Grant us the kind of strength that comes with true humility. In the name of Jesus who sets the perfect example, we pray - Amen.

Worship - The Best Lifestyle

“Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God. And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.”
Colossians 3:16-17

Sunday morning we enter into the church sanctuary, the band starts and we sing, clap or lift our hands in worship. Maybe we listen to Christian music on the radio as we do our errands – maybe we call this worship too. But worship is so much more than that. Worship should be the lifestyle of choice for every Christian and that is what should set us apart from everyone else.

Paul in his letter to the Colossian church wants them to understand that there is more to worship than the songs they sing, or the prayers they pray or even the reading of God’s word. Don’t misunderstand me all three are important aspects of worship – over and over in Scripture we see the importance of all three of these activities. But have you ever thought about your attitude as worship? Have you ever considered how you treat others as worship or not? Do you consider what you do for a living worship?

Jesus tells us that we are to love God and others. When we love one another that is worship and it lets God know we love Him. When we have attitudes of gratitude and humility we are living the lifestyle of worship. Being a good employee, who works with integrity, is also living the lifestyle of worship. I could go on and on about how every aspect of our lives can and should be a continual act of worship but I think you get the idea.

Today choose the lifestyle of worship – it will set you apart and I think you will come to believe that it really is the best lifestyle to live.

A prayer
Father – You alone are worthy of our praise and worship. May we give you that worship with our whole lives, with the attitudes we display, with how we treat one another, yes even in how we do our work. May whatever we do or say be an act of worship. Grant us what we need to live the best lifestyle – the lifestyle of worship. In the name of Jesus Amen.

 

Sacrifice of Prayer

"I call to you, LORD, come quickly to me; hear me when I call to you. May my prayer be set before you like incense; may the lifting up of my hands be like the evening sacrifice."
Psalm 141:1-2

Sometimes we don’t take prayer seriously enough. Sometimes we use prayer to try and get what we want. For those of you who know me personally it is no secret that I really want a white, four-door - Toyota Tacoma pick-up. I have prayed for one to appear miraculously in my drive way. That is not what prayer is for. In today’s passage David wants his prayers to be like a sacrifice.

The dictionary provides a couple of definitions for the word ‘sacrifice’ that might help us with this idea of prayer as sacrifice. The first definition is: “A thing so surrendered or devoted” and the second is: “to surrender, or give up, or permit injury or disadvantage to, for the sake of something else.” These definitions seem to be talking about selfless acts. Now let me make myself clear – I am not trying to say that we should not pray for our personal needs, we should and God desires that we do. What I am saying, however, is that it is the way that we pray that we need to consider.

Are we willing, as we pray for our needs to surrender them to God’s will? Are we prepared to recognize that He may and mostly likely does have something better in mind for us? Are we getting want confused with need? Are we willing to face a trial if it means something better in the long run?

What about our prayers for others? Are we willing to surrender our needs for someone else’s? Jesus prayed in the garden…yet not my will but Your will be done. I have said it before that is a scary thing to pray – that is a sacrifice of prayer.

During this season of Lent I am striving to offer a sacrifice of prayer, will you join me?

A prayer
Father – prayer is one of the ways we communicate with You, find fellowship with You, learn from You with. So often we use prayer to give you our shopping list – forgive us when we fail to make our prayers a sacrifice that is pleasing to you. Help us to surrender our needs and the needs of those for who we intercede to Your will. Thank you for hearing the prayers of Your servants may they be a pleasing to You. In the name of Jesus, Amen.

Sacrifice of Praise

“Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise—the fruit of lips that openly profess his name.”
Hebrews 13:15

As I write this it is a glorious day – the sun is shining, the trees are blooming and all around are the indications of spring. It is one of those days where for me everything seems right with the world. In times like this praising God is anything but a sacrifice – or at least what we would define as sacrifice. When things are good we have no trouble finding the words to express how awesome God is, in fact we may think our words do not adequately express what we feel.

But then there are other days, days when the sun may be shining but all is not right with the world. On those days when our spirits and lives are shrouded by the gathering storm clouds, praise becomes a sacrifice. It can be so easy when life gets tough to not praise God, the words don’t come, the doubt creeps in and we scream why me.

The writer of Hebrews tells us that “through Jesus” we are able to offer praise as a sacrifice. In difficult times we need to lay down our desire to have an “Oh woe is me, pity party” and praise God for the simple fact that He is God and we are able to take a life giving breath.

Maybe, some times our honest cries for help, of doubt, our asking why - is just as much praise as our words of thanksgiving and adoration.

Our God is an awesome God, deserving of every form of praise that we can conceive. I don’t know what kind of day you are having. I don’t know what today holds for any of us, so I want to encourage you to offer a sacrifice of praise whether the sun is shining or the storm clouds are gathering.

During this season of Lent and beyond I want my life to be a sacrifice of praise, how about you?

A prayer
Father – thank you for understanding that sometimes we find it hard to praise you. Help us in those times to embrace the storm and praise you any way we can. Hear the cries of our hearts, may they be pleasing to you. In the name of Jesus, Amen.

Sacrifice of Love

“Be imitators of God, therefore, as dearly loved children and live a life of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.”
Ephesians 5:1-2

I’ve been thinking about what it looks like to be an imitator of God or more precisely an imitator of Jesus. Certainly there are things that we can do, like caring for those in need and showing love to those who the world ignores. We can set aside our selfish desires and work to make the world a better place, but I think there is more to it than just doing stuff.

I have been thinking about Jesus’ attitude as he served the sick, washed the feet of his disciples and had dinner with those who were outcasts - the tax collectors and sinners. Rarely was he thanked, usually he was questioned by the “religious authorities” and no doubt people talked behind his back. Never once have I read that he felt unappreciated (even though he was) even as he hung dying on the cross the closest thing we get to a complaint is his cry of “my God, my God why have you forsaken me” (Matt. 27:46).

I have been wondering how my attitude is when I am striving to be the hands and feet of God. Am I serving so that my life reflects Jesus, so my life is a living sacrifice or am I serving in hopes of receiving some kind of praise from the world? I want to not only do the kinds of things that Jesus did, I want to have the attitude and motivation He had as well.

I want my life to be a sacrifice of love, with no expectation for getting anything back until that day when I stand before the throne and look Jesus in the face. What about you?

A prayer
Father – to echo the Psalmist teach us to walk in your ways. In this world it can be so easy to do the “right” things for all the wrong reasons, so help us to have a right attitude, help us to be motivated by our love for you and you alone. Thank you for being patient with us as we become less and you become more. May our lives be a sacrifice of love. In the name of Jesus, Amen.

Revolution of the Heart

“Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.”
2 Corinthians 3:17-18

In the 2011 movie Seven Days in Utopia an up and coming pro golfer named Luke, has a meltdown on the course and in trying to escape finds himself in the small town of Utopia. In Utopia he meets a man who helps to revolutionize his golf game and in the process brings about a revolution in Luke’s heart. In today’s passage we read how we are being transformed into Christ’s likeness by the work of the Holy Spirit in our lives.

One of the ways that the dictionary defines transform is “to change in condition, nature or character”. The dictionary provides a definition of revolution that is in keeping with this idea of change when it says revolution is “a sudden, complete or marked change in something.” Transformation and revolution rarely come without some degree of pain, without something being broken. But the healing worked by the Holy Spirit will make us stronger, more faithful and change who we look like. This is the kind of heart revolution Luke has in the movie.

Most of us will not have to worry about the pressures that come with being a public figure - like professional athletes, entertainers or politicians and the worldly image many of these people reflect. However, we are just as likely to reflect the world as they are. We are called to something greater; we are called to a life of revolutionary transformation that allows our hearts and lives to reflect the amazing grace and love of God.

Revolution and transformation require sacrifice. Jesus sacrificed His life so that our lives might be revolutionized. The process may be painful are you willing to be broken in order to be transformed?

A prayer
Father – make us new, day by day. We are often afraid of change, of rocking the boat. We read in your word that Your love casts out fear and that because Your Son overcame the world, we have already overcome. We already have the victory; we need only to let Your Spirit work to bring healing and to mold us into Your image, so that we can reflect the light of Your glory. Thank you for your grace, mercy and love as you make us new. In the name of Jesus, Amen.

Mice and Men

“Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit in the desert, where for forty days he was tempted by the devil.”
Luke 4:1-2a

“The best laid plans of mice and men often go awry.” For some odd reason this quote taken from Robert Burns’ poem To a Mouse popped into my head as I started thinking about this devotion. The quote ultimately refers to the idea that no matter how much we plan, something is bound to happen to the plan. If you have been alive for more than five minutes on this planet you know there are at least three possible outcomes to the plans we make: all goes according to plan, everything turns out even better than we could have imagined or they inevitably fall short in some way. So what does this have to do with Jesus’ time in the desert?

Have you ever wondered why Jesus needed to spend that time in the wilderness dealing with the schemes of the Devil? Why couldn’t He have just gotten right down to work, picking disciples, teaching and healing? Would it have been possible that in His humanness he could have chosen to rebel against His own divine plan? After all we humans have managed to mess up God’s plans in the past. What matters here in my opinion is the outcome of the test. Jesus did not allow His humanness to fall into the Devil’s trap and because of that - everything else He did, including His garden prayer - where His humanness shows through - allowed Him to do a few things that help us live transformed lives.

Jesus’ time in the desert allows Him to:

· Understand the temptations we face.

· Show us the importance of being obedient to the leading of the Holy Spirit.

· Show us that it is possible to stand against the temptations we face.

· Be the perfect sacrifice needed to redeem and restore us to a right relationship with God.

Have your plans gone awry? Are you being called into the wilderness? Are temptations closing in on your heart and mind?

Jesus passed the wilderness test and He is standing ready to help overcome whatever you are facing.

A Prayer
Father, you know that we do not like to be tested but you test us anyway. Thank you that Jesus had to face the same kinds of tests while He was on the planet. Thank you that He sets an example for us and stands ready to help us be over comers. Help us to be obedient to the leading of Your Spirit and grant us the strength we need to stand against temptation. Thank you that because of Jesus we are part of your family. In the name of Jesus who passed the wilderness test so we can too, we pray - Amen.

You Are So Loved

“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.”
John 3:16

I just recently finished reading a book that contains selected sermons by A.W. Tozer taken from John’s Gospel. This short verse is the basis for everything that Jesus - as the One and Only Son - would do. Jesus’ ministry was driven by His love for individuals, His love for you and me. Concerning this verse Tozer wrote: “When I read those words ‘God so loved the world,’ it means in personal terms that I mean something to God. God has His eyes on me and is emotionally concerned for me.” Let that thought sink in for a few moments - You and I mean something to God.

Everything Jesus did from changing water to wine, healing those who came to him, feeding the hungry, restoring life and bearing the weight of mankind’s sin on a Roman cross were all done out of his intense love for every individual human that walks this planet.

As followers of Christ, as creatures made in the image of God we are supposed to reflect His image to the world around us. When we realize how intensely He loves us, His love should flow out of us and into those around us even into those who have hurt us, who live differently than we do, who don’t agree with our politics or our religion.

In a world where hopelessness seems to be on the rise, imagine what coming to the realization that God loves you just because you are you. What a difference that would make - what a difference that has made in many of our lives.

Today, if you know how much God loves you, pour that love into the lives of those around you, especially those who do not understand how much they are worth to the heart of God. Today if you are someone who is feeling hopeless - know that God loves you and that there is at least one person praying for you to feel in a tangible way just how much God loves you - so you will know how valuable you really are.

A Prayer
Father, thank you for loving us so intensely, thank you that Your Son was driven by that love in everything He did, including dying in our place to restore our relationship with You. May we who are filled with your love pour into those around us that same love in which we find our hope and our value. May those who think they are worthless and that no one cares for them, feel Your love in a new and tangible way even now. In the name of Jesus, Amen

 

I Powered or God Powered?

“I am going to send you what my Father has promised; but stay in the city until you have been clothed with power from on high.”
Luke 24:49

Three years, Jesus’ ministry on this planet was three years and during most of that time he was training the disciples to do the work He would leave for them to do. Three years of on-the-job training and Jesus still tells them to wait for a bit longer before they get down to real business. In today’s business organizations including the church, three years of on-the-job training is unheard of, people are expected to jump in feet first and get the job done. How is that working for you?

If you were to take a new job or start a new endeavor and didn’t get the right training, resources, authority or power to actually do the job - how successful would you expect to be? Sheer determination and grit may help you make some progress, but eventually the feeling of fighting a losing battle will take hold. Then attitudes turn sour, jobs are lost and hopelessness can find its way in.

Imagine what might have happened if Jesus’ ministry was shorter or if the disciples immediately took charge after His departure, during a time when they still were not sure what just happened. How successful would Paul have been if as soon as he received his sight he had charged back to Jerusalem and tried to join the apostles? I quite possibly would not be writing this kind encouragement and you might not be interested in reading it. There might not even be a church if they had taken it on themselves to act.

In everything you do, it is ok to wait until you have clear direction and all that you need before you act. While you are waiting - pray and listen. The Lord can see the whole picture, but He only gives us enough information to take a step at a time. When you take that step, He will make sure you have everything you need - including His power and authority to act or to wait again.

Today, will it be I power or God power? Which will make you more effective in what you have been called to do?

A Prayer
Father, thank you for taking your time as you teach us how to lead, how to love, how to reflect Your image to the world around us. Thank you for giving us all we need including the power and authority to act. Help us not to take that for granted. Grant us the wisdom to understand that without the guidance of Your Holy Spirit, we are less able to accomplish what you have for us. May we chose Your power over our own power every day. In the name of Jesus, Amen.

Unexpected

“He then began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders, chief priests and teachers of the law, and that he must be killed and after three days rise again.”
Mark 8:31

The people of Israel had been waiting for a very long time for the expected Messiah to come. The prophets seem to have made it clear what would identify the man. I don’t know if they simply did not understand what the prophets had said or if over the course of time their circumstances colored their expectations of who and what the Messiah would be. Many missed Him because he did not meet their expectations. They were expecting a warrior and political king. The Father’s Son came as a carpenter, a teacher and a servant. They expected someone who would overthrow the government. He came to overthrow their hearts and ours.

Even those who did recognize Jesus as the Messiah had expectations that were met with the unexpected. Just as they were starting to “get it” Jesus tells them that He will be killed and then three days later be raised from the dead. What? In the next verse we see Peter rebuking Jesus for what He has just told them and Jesus responds be telling him “get behind me Satan!” That certainly must have been an unexpected response. Jesus was killed just as He had said and the confused and scared disciples wondered what had happened - this was not what they expected. Then there He was standing in their presence, eating with them, talking with them.

The leaders of the day would never have picked any of Jesus’ disciples to be counted among their number, Jesus did the unexpected and left a new community in the hands of fishermen, tax collectors and women - some of whom were of ill repute. This group had no idea that they with the power of the Holy Spirit would change the world by helping God overthrow the hearts of men, women and children.

Today, we have our own expectations of who God is and how He operates. The question is do we allow our expectations to get in the way of how He unexpectedly works? Today try setting your expectations aside so the Lord can work in unexpected ways - I know that could be scary, but ultimately it will be amazing.

A Prayer
Father, thank you for not living up to our expectations, instead treating us in unexpected ways that take us far beyond what we can imagine. Forgive us when our expectations get in the way of what You want to do for us, with us and through us. Help us Lord to be ready for the unexpected, the kind of unexpected that changes hearts and the world. In the name of Jesus, Amen.

Washed Clean

“…let us draw near to God with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water.”
Hebrews 10:22

I am never sure what will bring about the inspiration for these devotions, on this occasion it was a memory from my younger years. My mom comes from a ranching family and once a year there are round ups, to bring the cattle in. Lots of things are done to the cattle at that time but let’s just say it can be a dirty job. At the end of the day, it feels so good to take a bath and wash all that stuff off.

The selfish behavior that causes us to willfully disobey a Holy God, that causes us to be separated from a God who only wants the best for us, created us for the best, makes us dirty too. In the days of the Old Testament, the Israelite priests would offer sacrifices to wash away the sins of the people. The problem was their sacrifices were not sufficient and had to be repeated. It was a get dirty, wash, repeat kind of cycle that didn’t really draw the people back to God the way He wanted.

But God had a bigger plan in the works all along; the Father would send the Son. The Son would have an up-close and personal encounter with mankind, feeling everything we feel, experiencing everything we experience except one thing - that selfish behavior that takes us away from a Holy God. Jesus Christ is that Son, fully man and fully God he was able to live a sinless life. Jesus died on a Roman cross and left His tomb empty three days later, so that whoever believed would have their sins - the dirt of their self-focused lives - washed away.

Because of His death and resurrection, we who believe and have been washed clean can draw near again to the Holy God who made us in His image. Enjoy His presence as he pours out his mercy, grace and love on you.

A Prayer
Father, thank you that from the moment of that first act of disobedience in the garden you had a plan to draw us back into your holy presence. Thank you that Jesus willfully carried out that plan and that His death as agonizing as it was makes us clean again. May we draw near everyday to know you more and love you better. In the name of Jesus, Amen.

Through the Looking Glass

“For now we see only a reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.”
1 Corinthians 13:12

At some point in our lives we all have a day when we get out of bed look at ourselves in the mirror and think… it would just be better to climb back into bed and pull the blankets over our heads. One look and doubt about our value, our purpose creeps in and we haven’t even faced the world yet. We make the choice not to hide and go out into the world where our reflection can become even more clouded. The world has very definite ideas about how we should look and act and if we are living against the current that reflection can really beat us up.

Today’s passage from Paul’s love chapter reminds us that the mirrors in our lives do not reflect who we really are. Imagine that the mirror we gaze into in the morning, the one that reveals the wrinkles, dark circles under our eyes and the graying hair, is actually a two way mirror. On our side we see our flawed selves, the self the world has turned us into. The reflection that says we are not worthy, we have little value. On the other side of the mirror God is looking at us just as intently.

He sees a different version of us. He can see beyond what the world has made us to be. He sees beyond what we are and how we look. He sees beyond our flaws and sin. He sees us as He created us. He created each of us perfectly to fulfill the purpose he has given us. He sees our value and He loves us.

As we race toward the solemn observance of Christ’s passion and the celebration of His resurrection, remember that His sacrifice was made because He loves us and He wants a vibrant relationship with us.

As Paul says today we see only a reflection. Someday we will look Jesus in the face and see who we really are in the glow of His glory. We will see what He sees and he sees us as beautiful and more than worth the price He paid to restore us.

A Prayer
Father, thank you that You see through what we see when we look in the mirror. Thank you for giving us value and beauty. Until we see you face to face, help us to catch a glimpse of who we are in you the next time we see our reflection. In the name of Jesus, Amen.

A Road Less Traveled

“Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death - even death on a cross!”
Philippians 2:5-8

The world Jesus was born into was all about wealth, power and military might. It would seem that nothing has really changed in the two millennia since then. A look at the news will prove that the world is still about wealth, power and military might. But, Jesus whose life, death and resurrection changed the course of mankind took a different road, a road less traveled.

The God of the universe, the creator of everything we see left behind His seat of power, the unfathomable riches available Him and the strength of His supernatural army to become a man, to become a servant, to become the ultimate sacrifice and He did it all for us out of His unfailing and magnificent love.

In today’s passage Paul is telling the Philippians that they too should humble themselves and be servants. In his letter to the Romans Paul says: “I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God…” (Romans 12:1).

Jesus told his disciples that if they wanted to be great they needed to be servants to one another and others. He wanted them to know that when they finally became the leaders He was training them to be, that it wasn’t going to be about wealth, power and military might.

Jesus wanted his leaders to love and serve His people and His enemies with humble hearts and attitudes. The same still holds for us today - are we seeking to walk the road set before us by Christ? Are we taking the road less traveled?

A Prayer
Father, help us to live sacrificial lives. Give us humble hearts and attitudes so that we can love and serve others. Show us the road less traveled and grant us the strength to lay aside the things that the world says makes us great for the things that you say make us great. Thank you that Your Son provides the perfect example of humble service and love. In the name of Jesus who leads us on the road less traveled we pray - Amen.

Show Us - February 13, 2016

“Show me your ways, Lord, teach me your paths. Guide me in your truth and teach me, for you are God my Savior, and my hope is in you all day long.”
Psalm 25:4-5

There are times in life when the cry of our hearts should be simply show us Lord. Show us your love, your strength, your plan, your path, your mercy, your grace - show us.

We live in an ever darkening world and even those of us who call ourselves by the name of Christ can sometimes find ourselves wondering in the shadows, unsure of where we should go, what we should do or what we should say. Those are the moments and seasons of life when we need to ask the Holy Spirit to show us because He will be faithful to make clear the path even if it is just one step at a time.

Not only will He show us, He will give us everything we need to take the step, speak the words and do whatever He has called us to do. He will be our courage if we need it. He will grant us His wisdom and He will be our light.

Where are you today? Do you need new direction - ask Him to show you. Do you need to show mercy and grace - ask Him to show you. No matter what you need or where you are in the journey - take heart and be hopeful because He will show you, guide you and teach you everything you need to know, when you need to know it.

Today ask Him to show you what you need to see, show you what you need to do, show you what you need say and when He does… just do it.

A Prayer
Father, thank you that you are ready to show us what we need to see, teach us what we need to learn and give us what we need to do Your will. Help us to ask when we are uncertain. Be with us, give us hope. In the name of Jesus our Savior, Amen.

All We Need Is Love

“As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. If you obey my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have obeyed my Father’s command and remain in his love. …This is my command: Love each other.”
John 15:9-10, 17

“Love, love, love all you need is love, love is all you need” that’s what the Beatle’s sang. I am not a Beatle’s fan but as I was thinking about today’s passage these words of the song came to mind. Perhaps we could change them to read: Love, love, love because of Love, all you need is love.

Jesus loved his disciples because He was loved by the Father. So He wants his disciples to love others because He has loved them. Earlier in his Gospel John shares similar words from Jesus “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you so you must love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another” (John 13:34-35).

The Greek word translated as love is agape - it is defined “as the active love of God for his Son and his people, and the active love his people are to have for God, each other, and even enemies. For the humans who live in this world, the command to love one another can be a tall order.

Spring is at hand, trees are blooming and soon some will bear fruit. The branches of fruit trees cannot bear fruit without the roots that nourish and water them. We cannot love as we are called to love without Jesus and the Holy Spirit. If we are to love as Jesus loved, if we are to love because Jesus loved, we must stay close to Him. We must live by His example.

Love, love, love - Yes, all we need is love - God’s love. Today as He fills you with His love, show that love to others, especially to those who are hard to love. By that others will see God’s love and you will bear the fruit you are meant to.

A Prayer
Father, thank you for the love relationship you have with Your Son. Thank you that Your Son loves us so much, even when we are undeserving. Help us to love as we have been loved. In the name of Jesus our Savior, Amen.

Something New

“I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean; I will cleanse you from all your impurities and from all your idols. I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh.
Ezekiel 36:25-26

In the course of a single week my husband and I became grandparents for the first time, I started new classes at school and one of our daughters moved with her husband out of our state, that is a lot of new for one week.

As I was thinking about all the “new” in my personal life, I spent some time contemplating the cross of Christ. You see, as we read in this week’s passage God promised to cleanse the people of their sin and to give them a new heart. Jesus’ atoning work on the cross, the surrendering of His life for ours is God’s method of heart replacement.

Left to our own devices, we would try to fill our lives with new stuff - cars, clothes, recipes, furniture, whatever. For a while, those things might make us feel better, might mask the tight feeling of a hardened heart - but the feeling will not last. The search for a heart replacement will continue in a sometimes vicious cycle. Only Jesus can cleanse us from what separates us from God. Only Jesus can give us the new heart we need.

Best of all, because Jesus - the Son of God, paid the unfathomable price warranted by the cross, we can have a new heart as a gift. The remembrance of His death and the celebration of His resurrection will soon be here, so spend some time contemplating Jesus and the cross.

If you haven’t already accepted the gift of a new heart, now could be the right time to get one. The new heart will not guarantee smooth sailing in this life, but it does make new our relationship with God, it grants us an abundant life that allows us to really love and it comes with a warranty that will last for eternity.

A Prayer
Father, only You can make things new. Only You can make us new. Thank you for sending Your Son who willingly paid the price for our heart replacements. Help us to use our new hearts as you would have us use them. In the name of Jesus, the giver of new hearts, Amen

Out of the Ashes (Ash Wednesday)

“…and provide for those who grieve in Zion - to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair…”
Isaiah 61:3

The mythical bird called the Phoenix is held up as a symbol of renewal, resurrection and eternal life. The descriptions of it vary but it is always described as bird of strength and beauty connected with royalty. The Phoenix was reborn from the ashes of its life. In the Bible ashes are a symbol of mourning and often time’s repentance.

Today is Ash Wednesday, the first day of the church’s Lenten season. Traditionally it is a time to look inward and reflect on the state of our hearts. It is also a time to look to the cross and contemplate the amazing sacrifice made there for us.

Because Jesus, in obedience to His Father, willingly sacrificed His perfect, sinless life for our lives we like the Phoenix can rise out of the ashes as new creatures of strength and beauty connected to the divine royal family.

As we begin this forty day journey to the celebration of Jesus’ resurrection may we look into our own hearts and then look humbly upon the cross of Christ knowing that He has stretched out His hand to lift us from the ashes of our sinful, self-centered lives to crown us with beauty, anoint us with oil and clothe us in the garments of royalty and praise.

This Lenten season may we reach out and take the hand of Jesus so we can rise out of the ashes.

A Prayer
Father, search our hearts today, let us bear the ashes of mourning for our sins, humbly as we repent and seek your forgiveness. Thank you that Your Son has made a way for us to rise out of the ashes. Thank you for making us new day by day. In the of Jesus our Savior, who lifts us from the ashes we pray - Amen.