February 20, 2018

^"For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul?" Mark 8:36

Imagine you had a car with an engine that, with minimal maintenance would run forever. In fact, with that routine amount of attention you know your engine will outlast the body of your automobile. Would you neglect that engine and devote all your energy to making the exterior of the vehicle look good?

I doubt it! That would be foolish!

You may not have an eternal motor, not even a Toyota lasts forever, but you do have an eternal soul! That soul is the core of your being and it is what keeps your body up and running. Your soul is eternal because it was placed within you by an eternal God.

So, how is your soul?

How is your maintenance record?

Are you devoting more time, money and energy on your exterior or on your soul?

In your natural vain flawed judgment you will focus on the temporary and neglect the eternal. Even one as spiritual as the Prophet Samuel needed to be reminded, "But the LORD said unto Samuel, Look not on his countenance, or on the height of his stature; because I have refused him: for the LORD sees not as man sees; for man looks on the outward appearance, but the LORD looks on the heart." I Samuel 16:7

Many of the religious leaders of Jesus' day were caught up in this foolish priority of looking good while neglecting their eternal souls and Jesus had a graphic description for them, "Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs, which look beautiful on the outside but on the inside are full of dead men's bones and everything unclean." Matthew 23:27

I think you get the point!

So, what are you going to do about it today? Will you spend AT LEAST as much time with God in His Word and in prayer as you do with your grooming?

Spend more time on the eternal today.

February 19, 2018

^"He answered, “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind’; and,‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’” Luke 10:27

Selfishness is your default setting.

That is true because your operating system is S-I-N (Selfish Infected Nature) and you process everything from the code of "what's in it for me".

Your operating system is incompatible with the programs God desires to download to you. In fact, it has compatibility problems with all other users and servers. It would much rather use than serve!

Every program that has been downloaded into your soul is contaminated with the viruses and malware that attach themselves to self-centered living. Your system has some fatal errors and is due for a crash.

So what are you to do?

Download new virus protection software?

Press "control", "alt", and "delete"?

Do an uninstall of some programs?

I am afraid it isn't a matter of programming or reprogramming or a system restore, it is the need for a whole new operarting system.

That new operating system can only be applied by God through His Holy Spirit. In fact, the new operating system IS the Holy Spirit! He can only be fully downloaded when you have rejected the old operating system and He has scrubbed your hard drive with the blood of Jesus.

In Scriptural terms, you cannot love yourself or others in a healthy way until you love God with all your SOUL (heart, mind and spirit included).

Are you tired of your default setting?

Are you weary of your incompatibility with God and others?

Do you live in fear of a systems crash?

Would you like a new processor?

Maybe it's time for a new operating system.

Why not decide to put God in charge of your IT (Internal Transformation) needs?

February 18, 2018

"While the women were on their way, some of the guards went into the city and reported to the chief priests everything that had happened. When the chief priests had met with the elders and devised a plan, they gave the soldiers a large sum of money,  telling them, “You are to say, ‘His disciples came during the night and stole him away while we were asleep.’ If this report gets to the governor, we will satisfy him and keep you out of trouble.” Matthew 28:11-14

There is another resurrection story out there. It is a story that sucks the hope out of life. It is the lie that Jesus did not rise from the dead. It is the lie that his disciples sneaked in and stole His body while they slept.

Other than this being an outright lie, it also fails the credibility test. If Roman soldiers ever slept on duty they would be killed by the captain of the guard! And think about it, if they actually did fall asleep how would they have known it was the disciples who took him?

As ridiculous as this story sounds there as millions who believe this it! Some believe it because they choose to believe it. Some believe it because they don't know better. They all need to hear a better story. They all to hear the truth about the empty tomb!

Even more important than hearing the story they need to see people of hope, people who "Come see" and people who "Go tell". They need to see hope lived out in every day circumstances of life. 

Let me ask you, if someone who was looking for hope were to observe your life what would they conclude? Would they find hope? Would they be confronted with the reality of a Risen Christ? Would they be convinced that Jesus is real in your life? Would your story seem more believable than their story?

That is what Jesus calls you to when He says, "Come See!" and "Go Tell!"

This is the Lord's Day! The Sabbath! Sunday! A day to worship! A day to gather with God's people and a day to "come see" the reality of resurrection power so this coming week you will be able to "go tell" about the hope in knowing Jesus! You must "go tell" with your words and your witness!

Come see!

Go tell!

February 17, 2018

"Then the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted. Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” Matthew 28:16-20

Running low on hope today?

I have days like that.

Probably everyone does.

That's why it is crucial to understand where hope comes from and how to restore it.

I have identified two sources of hope from this portion of Scripture already. First, there is the hope from the Resurrection! There are many tombs in Israel. Abraham and Sarah are buried there! Isaac and Rebekah are buried there! Jacob and Rachel and their twelve sons are buried there. Moses is buried there. King David and Solomon are buried there. You

 get the picture, right? But there is only one grave that is empty and that is the one where Jesus was buried! He is alive! He arose from the dead on the third day! Come see! Go tell!

Second, there is the hope from the Relationship! Leaving the empty tomb filled with joy and hope the women ran into the resurrected Jesus! Knowing that Jesus is alive is wonderful but living in relationship with Him makes it real! They embraced Him! The worshiped Him! The talked with Him! He was indeed alive! And after their intimate and inspiring moments of fellowship with joy fully restored Jesus said, "Go tell!"

Come see!

Go tell!

That is how hope is restored!

But there is one more reason for hope! There is the hope 

After the women went to tell the disciples of the Risen Jesus, they became hopeful but responded to the invitation to "Come see"! Going to Galilee with great anticipation they hoped to see their Risen Lord!

The third reason for hope the hope of revival!

Jesus met His disciples in Galilee and they worshiped together. They were strengthened in their faith and encouraged in their spirit as they realized everything He had told them and taught them as true! So everything He promised them was reliable! His Kingdom was coming! His will would be done!

So, after Jesus told them "come see" He told them "go tell"! They were commanded to go into all the world and tell what they had seen! He gave them all of the authority He had over every opposing spirits and assured them that many would believe in Him! And those who believed in Him were to learn obedience. These disciples were to literally reproduce their faith in the lives of those who believed their witness!

Luke gives further insight into this "come see" gathering with the resurrected Jesus:

"In my former book, Theophilus, I wrote about all that Jesus began to do and to teach until the day he was taken up to heaven, after giving instructions through the Holy Spirit to the apostles he had chosen. After his suffering, he presented himself to them and gave many convincing proofs that he was alive. He appeared to them over a period of forty days and spoke about the kingdom of God. On one occasion, while he was eating with them, he gave them this command: “Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised, which you have heard me speak about. For John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.” Then they gathered around him and asked him, “Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel?” He said to them: “It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by his own authority. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” Acts 1:1-8

There it is again, "Come see" - "Go tell!" And when done obediently and sincerely and in the Spirit "Come see" - "Go tell" brings revival! It results in reproduction!

Knowing Heaven awaits us gives us hope, but we need hope before Heaven! We need hope until Heaven! And we find that hope in four words - "Come see" - "Go tell"!

Do You Find Yourself Needing Hope?

"Suddenly Jesus met them. “Greetings,” he said. They came to him, clasped his feet and worshiped him. Then Jesus said to them, “Do not be afraid. Go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee; there they will see me.” Matthew 28:9-10

Filled with hope and joy the women rushed from the tomb to tell the disciples. Suddenly, Jesus appeared before them and said, "Greetings!"

It is one thing to see the evidence of an empty tomb. It is quite another to encounter the Risen Savior in person! The Resurrection is one reason for hope but a personal relationship with the Risen Savior is an even greater source of hope!

When Jesus intercepted them on their path He is essence was saying, "Come see!" And indeed they did! They fell and worshiped Him!

After they had worshiped Him and added to their hope and joy, then Jesus told them, "Go tell!" "Hurry off to tell the disciples to go to Galilee where I will meet them!"

So, we see it again! The way to restore hope is to come see then go tell!

Do you find yourself needing hope?

The way to restore your hope is to "come see"! Enjoy your relationship with Jesus. Come before Him. Come to His Word. Read and meditate and pray and listen. When you come to Him and wait before Him you will find your hope restored!

Once you have revived your hope then "tell"! Testify of His goodness! Witness of His salvation! When you tell others you will give them life and hope. And when you tell others you will find your own faith strengthened as well!

So, there it is!

"Come see - go tell!"

That is how hope is restored! That how hope is sustained! That is how hope is shared!

February 15, 2018

"After the Sabbath, at dawn on the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to look at the tomb. There was a violent earthquake, for an angel of the Lord came down from heaven and, going to the tomb, rolled back the stone and sat on it. His appearance was like lightning, and his clothes were white as snow. The guards were so afraid of him that they shook and became like dead men. The angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. He is not here; he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay. Then go quickly and tell his disciples: ‘He has risen from the dead and is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him.’ Now I have told you.”So the women hurried away from the tomb, afraid yet filled with joy, and ran to tell his disciples." Matthew 28:1-8

We know we have the hope of Heaven but the only way to get to Heaven is to die. No one really wants to do that. So where do we find hope between now and Heaven?

As I was studying Matthew 28 I discovered the answer to sustaining hope while we are on this side of Heaven. 

The answer is found in four words that reoccur throughout this chapter. The four words? Come see - go tell!

First we see it when the women arrive at the tomb. The stone is rolled away from the tomb and the angel is seated on it. He announces the resurrection and bids them to "come see" the empty tomb! 

Looking in they see it is empty indeed they are filled with hope and wonder! They came expecting to prepare a corpse but were unprepared for what they found! Nothing! They came heartbroken but left hopeful!

They were the first to celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ!

After they saw proof of the resurrection the angel who had said, "Come see" then told them to "go tell" the disciples that Jesus had risen.

This is a formula for finding hope. Come see the Risen Jesus. Remember what He accomplished through His death! Remember what He conquered through Resurrection. When your hope is restored go tell someone else about the hope you have in Jesus!

First Day Of Lent

"Dear Theophilus, in the first volume of this book I wrote on everything that Jesus began to do and teach until the day he said good-bye to the apostles, the ones he had chosen through the Holy Spirit, and was taken up to heaven. After his death, he presented himself alive to them in many different settings over a period of forty days. In face-to-face meetings, he talked to them about things concerning the kingdom of God. As they met and ate meals together, he told them that they were on no account to leave Jerusalem but “must wait for what the Father promised: the promise you heard from me. John baptized in water; you will be baptized in the Holy Spirit. And soon.” Acts 1:1-4

In the space of three days the world radically changed never to be the same!

For several millennia patriarchs and prophets and kings and judges had sporadically followed God's will. Often it was one step forward and two steps backward. 

All that was followed by 400 years of silence when no one heard from God.

But then, "the Word became flesh and dwelt among us". 

Jesus showed up on planet Earth and in the space of three years turned the world upside down. Everything that happened in those three years set the stage for the three days that would change the trajectory of time and eternity. 

Ask Luke records, Jesus was crucified on Golgotha to atone for the sins of the world. The Perfect Son of God became the sin offering for "whosoever would believe in Him" so they "would not perish but have everlasting life".

After an excruciating and shameful six hours on the cross, Jesus died. Since the Sabbath was falling they had to hurriedly take His lifeless body from the cross and to the borrowed tomb. With just enough time to clean off the blood and wrap the body in a shroud they laid Him there with intentions of coming after the Sabbath to properly prepare the body.

It was a long Sabbath of grieving as those who loved Jesus tried to cope with His death. What would this mean for them? Would they be the next ones arrested? How could this have happened to One so good and righteous? If He was the Son of God why did God allow this to happen?

Finally, on the third two ladies hurried to the tomb anxious to prepare the body but they weren't prepared for what they found! The stone was rolled away, the guards were passed out on the ground and an angel sat on the stone!

They didn't have much time to wonder what had happened because the angel announced the amazing news that the tomb was empty and Jesus was risen from the dead! Sure enough, when they looked into the tomb it was empty! Jesus was gone!

"Run and tell the disciples He has risen as He said," urged the angel! And they did!

It was a short run because on their way Jesus appeared to them!

They had seen the empty tomb and now they saw the Risen Savior! His resurrection was real! Sin had been conquered and death had died!

In a span of 72 hours history was changed! The world would never be the same!

Hope sprang out of despair!

Joy arose from sorrow!

Worship replaced worry!

He was alive and they had to tell the disciples! They had to tell everyone!

With God things can change dramatically in a short amount of time. Years of suffering and sorrow can turn to healing and happiness in no time at all. The death and resurrection of Jesus is exhibit one!

On this first day of Lent, remember, this is the season of hope! His resurrection power is at work in you!