April 28, 2018

"Now there was a Pharisee, a man named Nicodemus who was a member of the Jewish ruling council. He came to Jesus at night and said, “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God. For no one could perform the signs you are doing if God were not with him.” John 3:1-2

Jesus ministered to many people during His earthly ministry. Often they came by the thousands to hear Him teach. We know two occasions where He miraculously feed thousands. But when He did soul-winning it was often one person at a time.

I am thinking of the woman at the well, I am thinking of Zachaeus, and in this case, Nicodemus.

It is not hard to imagine why people would want to seek out Jesus one-on-one. I would! Wouldn't you?

In this devotional I want to focus on three reasons why people were drawn to Jesus that you and I can learn in order to be more successful in reaching people.

First, Jesus was authentic.

Second, Jesus was available.

Third, Jesus was approachable.

Of course Jesus was authentic, He was the Son of God. He was the REAL deal.

While you can't be Jesus you should strive to be the real deal! Or, I should say, let Jesus be real in you! Live out His life and His love in the way you live your daily life.

If you come across as a phony you won't have to worry about any witnessing opportunities because no one will be interested in what you have to offer.

Make a conscious effort each day to be available to the ones you want to reach. By being available I refer to your physical availability but also your emotional availability. Do your best to be tuned into them when you are around them so they pick up on your care and concern for them. Remember, time + attention = caring!

Even a quick glance at the Gospels will reveal that Jesus intentionally made Himself available to people He wanted to reach.

If you give attention to those first two issues, this third one (being approach able) will happen. Intentionally and prayerfully determine to be someone that people want to come to when they have a spiritual need. That is what Jesus was all about and that is how He wants to shape you!

Give attention to becoming like Jesus in these three ways and you will have more opportunities to reach people for Christ!

Recognize A True Seeker

"Now there was a Pharisee, a man named Nicodemus who was a member of the Jewish ruling council. He came to Jesus at night and said, “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God. For no one could perform the signs you are doing if God were not with him.” John 3:1-3

There is a reason why I wrote about how to recognize a true seeker. Nicodemus is an example of a true seeker.

If you desire to lead people to Christ, you will have your greatest success if you witness to seekers. Think about it. When you go to pick apples or tomatoes which ones do you pick? You pick those that are the most ripe don't you? Seekers tend to be the most spiritually ripe because they are taking initiative to find answers on their own.

Nicodemus was a spiritually ripe seeker because he was at a moment in his life where he was intellectually and spiritually open to what Jesus had to share. Jesus saw it, recognized it and seized on the opportunity.

Do you want to know how to double the size of your church this year? Each one reach one during this coming year. In other words, if each member and regular attender chose to focus on one person that they will try to win to Christ and win that person the church would be twice the size! To accomplish this goal it will be important to identify a person who you have influence with and who is the most spiritually "ripe".

Who is that person in your life?

Who is your "Nicodemus"?

Do you know?

Do you want to know?

If you don't, that is a problem.

If there is no one in your life that you have influence over, that is a big problem.

If you have no desire to influence someone for Christ, that is a shame! That probably means you are not spiritually ripe - you may be spiritually rotten!

April 26, 2018

"Men of Galilee,” they said, “why do you stand here looking into the sky? This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen him go into heaven.”  Then the apostles returned to Jerusalem from the hill called the Mount of Olives, a Sabbath day’s walk from the city." Acts 1:11-12

While we were without a children's director for a brief period at a church I served, I began giving a children's sermon every Sunday. It worked much better than I expected and if you ask me, the adults enjoyed it as much as the kids!

On particular Sunday I had talked to the kids about the importance of obedience. As I was wrapping it up and making the powerful application of this profound truth, a little girl named Maddy was persistently raising her hand and calling, "Passer Brad, Passer Brad!"

I finally recognized her, "Yes, Maddy!"

She exclaimed with great emphasis,"Passer Brad, we don't got no 'bedience at our house!"

My glance shot past little Maddy to her parents who were beet read with embarrassment.

Let me ask you, "Do you have 'bedience at your house? How about in your heart?"

If you want to know the one thing that is the key to growing in the Spirit it is obedience.

In these verses from the first chapter of Acts, we see the disciples responding in obedience to the command Jesus had given them prior to His ascension into Heaven. They responded immediately and they responded urgently. Their response is to be admired and imitated because delayed obedience is disobedience.

The day that changed history - the Day of Pentecost - would never have happened without their obedience. Nothing transformational will ever happen in your life without obedience. There will be no blessing or growth without obedience. There will be no spiritual power or growth without obedience. There will be no salvation nor holiness apart from obedience.

One of my favorite singers out of my generation, Don Francisco, connects obedience with holiness in this song:

http://youtu.be/ry5O9SuUfvY

When you hear the Lord do you answer, "Yes", regardless of the question?

Revival and Obedience

Does obedience come as a result of revival or is revival a product of obedience?

What do you think?

My answer would be, "Yes!" I can make a case that both are true. But while obedience is always a product of revival, revival never happens without obedience.  I contend that wherever obedience is a constant revival is continual.

I am thinking about the first two chapters of Acts where the supernatural events of Pentecost were obviously direct results of the obedience of the 120 believers in the Upper Room.

Since that is so obviously true, let's consider several important insights into the nature of obedience that can edify your life and your church.

Obedience should bring an urgency.

I see that in this portion of Scripture from Acts 1 - "They were looking intently up into the sky as he was going, when suddenly two men dressed in white stood beside them. “Men of Galilee,” they said, “why do you stand here looking into the sky? This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen him go into heaven.” Then the apostles returned to Jerusalem from the hill called the Mount of Olives, a Sabbath day’s walk from the city. When they arrived, they went upstairs to the room where they were staying. Those present were Peter, John, James and Andrew; Philip and Thomas, Bartholomew and Matthew; James son of Alphaeus and Simon the Zealot, and Judas son of James. They all joined together constantly in prayer, along with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brothers."  Acts 1:10-13

As all believers should, these followers felt an urgency to immediately obey the command of Christ. I am sure you have heard it said, "Delayed obedience is disobedience."

That's because it is true!

An urgency to obey and do the will of God always precedes and follows a season of revival.

Do you obey God immediately?

Obedience should bring unity.

"When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place", Acts 2:1

There is incredible power available to a group of believers who dwell in unity. That is in evidence throughout the Bible but nowhere more evident than here on the day of Pentecost.

Unity is unanimity. I am sure these believers didn't agree on everything. No group ever does. But they were totally in agreement over the urgent need to obey God.

If only we could have more churches in our nation that were unified in their urgency to obey God!

Do you long to see more power in your life?

Do you want revival for your church?

Live with urgency and pray for unity!

April 24, 2018

"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

Has your life ever seemed like this?

^{http://youtu.be/IRkZN27Hp_k}

^{(Note - I am referring to the spinning plates not having people stepping on your head)}

Life gets tougher when you try to do too many things. The reason people pay to watch these Chinese acrobats is because of their unusual ability to do several difficult tasks at the same time. They are the exception not the norm.

God wired you and calls you to do just one thing well - obey Him.  You obey Him because you love Him. As you love Him well through obedience other good things happen! You will love others and you will serve Him by serving others.

So, the last thing Jesus told to His followers was one thing to do was one thing: "Wait!" But not just to "wait" but to wait for His promise to be fulfilled. With that in mind you realize the one thing Jesus is actually requiring of them

You know as well as I do that the enemy to doing one thing are the distractions caused by many things! Here is another humorous example of how that feels when you get stretched too many ways:

http://youtu.be/bYvbaqfq9mI

If your life feels like either the plate spinners or the sprinters with no direction, why not meditate on this Scripture text and let God refocus you on the one thing that will rescue you from the many things?

April 23, 2018

"As Jesus and his disciples were on their way, he came to a village where a woman named Martha opened her home to him. She had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet listening to what he said. But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made. She came to him and asked, “Lord, don’t you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!” “Martha, Martha,” the Lord answered, “you are worried and upset about many things, but only one thing is needed. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.” Luke 10:38-41

How do you react to this story?

Do you identify with Mary sitting at Jesus feet? Or do you relate to Martha fixing Him something to eat?

From Jesus' response it sounds as though Martha was the problem and that Mary was preferred example. Was Jesus being harsh with Martha? Was He siding with Mary?

Actually he was helping Martha with her priorities. Do you ever struggle with priorities?

Of course you do! Jesus knew that and understood. He wanted to help these sisters find some balance in their priorities. You can't always sit at Jesus' feet nor do you always need to be serivng. Both of these activities are important. You need to both. But you need to to know what your priorities are and why.

Mary and Martha demonstrate and illustrate the two sides of the struggle for balance - the sitting one and the serving one. The serene one and the stressed one. The worshiping one and the working one. Where is the balance and how does a busy woman find it?

The determining principle for these priorities is simple, "What pleases Jesus the most?"

Obviously, as He told Martha, Mary had chosen the better part. She had balanced her priorities better than Martha had. The better part then, is waiting with Jesus rather than working for Him. Serving Jesus should flow from loving Him and loving Him grows from sitting quietly at His feet.

Busy women, wives, and mothers, learn the lesson of Martha. Adopt the priorities of Mary and the battle for balance will swing in your favor!

April 22, 2018

"But when he asks, he must believe and not doubt, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. That man should not think he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all he does." James 1:6-8

I don't know if you have ever played golf but if you have you know it is a hard game. If you haven't you can take my word for it. But I have noticed it is easier when I can fully commit to a shot. My last round I had one of those days where it seemed like every shot was from an awkward lie or an uncomfortable distance so that I was never quite sure whether to go up a club or down a club. So I really struggled to hit those shots with confidence. When there is the slightest bit of doubt as I hit the shot, it seldom turns out well.

Anytime I stand over a shot with uncertainty in my mind the result is seldom good.

In other words, it is hard to play golf when I have conflicting thoughts about the club selection or the correct distance or what sort of shot I should hit from the lie I have. When I am double-minded my game is unstable and results in double bogeys.

However, when I am facing a shot that has a comfortable distance and a good lie and I know exactly what club to hit, then I can commit to the shot and hit it with confidence and the result is much better.

In the same way, life is more difficult when I am uncommitted. Any time there is doubt or confusion or indecision life gets more difficult. When I doubt God or am not fully convinced about His Word or indecisive in regard to His will, life gets harder.

James, in these verses admonishes believers to be fully convinced about God's goodness and His grace and the truth of His Word. When I am committed to God in these ways, my life gets immediately better.

I want to be a single-minded follower of Christ. I don't want to second-guess Him nor live in confusion or doubt. I want to walk with faith and confidence in my Christian life. That is what commitment is. Commitment is being single-minded and fully convinced God is Who He says He is.

When Jesus was facing the temptations from the Devil in the wilderness, what the devil was after was getting Jesus to doubt the goodness and the holiness of God. He wanted to shake the Lord's confidence in His Father and under mind His faith. In short, the Enemy wanted to offer the Lord a "Plan B" in place of the suffering on the cross.

But the Lord would have nothing of it! He countered each time with truth from the Bible. He affirmed truth in the face of deception. He was committed to "Plan A" completely and exclusively. That is what commitment is!

Is commitment hard for you? Are you struggling with double-mindedness? Do you struggle with doubting God and/or yourself?

"A double-minded man is unstable in all his ways!" Stabilize you heart and you spirit and your mind by fully committing to Christ. Commitment is easier when there is just a Plan A!