Choose Your Glue

For I determined to not know anything among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified. 1 Corinthians 2:2

You know, the message of the cross just doesn't fly with the world. It doesn't fly with the world because it flies in the face of everything the world loves.

For those of us who believe in Jesus, however, we have no other choice but to embrace the message of the cross, no matter what the world thinks about it. Wherever we go in the world, if we mention Christ and the cross, there will be a knee-jerk reaction, but we should just expect it because the message of the cross is offensive to the world.

They don't understand it, not one part of it. They're all out there, trying to cram their message of self down our throats. Cars, houses, wealth, money, beauty, youth, sex, power, intelligence, fame, fun-these are the things the world says will fix the pain, solve the problems, and fill the void in our hearts.

All of these things point to pleasure and entertainment that can only temporarily distract us from the internal mess of our hearts, but none of them have the power to heal us. Only the cross, that terrible symbol of death and pain and suffering-everything the world hates-holds the secret key to our salvation. Only the cross held Jesus Christ, where He carried our sins, hurts, and failures upon Himself.

Jesus taught that the way of destruction would be wide, that it would be pretty and paved and easy to follow. But He also taught that the way to salvation would be narrow, rough, difficult, and ugly.

The world is preaching a gospel that's really easy to follow. It's pretty. It's appealing. It entices and seduces and promises pleasure. But one thing it doesn't do is deliver on its promises, because it leads to destruction.

The gospel of Christ crucified is an ugly door that makes the world wretch to look at it. It's a blood-stained, gruesome picture of torture and death. But for those who embrace it and walk through it, the cross is healing, wholeness, and life everlasting in Jesus Christ.

The world might not understand, but we have no other message. We preach Christ, and Him crucified.

Prayer Lord Jesus,

Thank You for hanging and dying on the cross for me! No matter what the world thinks about You, or about me for believing in You, You are my only hope and I trust in You. I give You all the problems of my heart; please give me everything You purchased on the cross!

Amen

Rethinking Rebellion

I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God. Romans 12:1-2

There is a rebellion that is good. It is a rebellion against the culture around us that wants to sweep us up and carry us away from Christ Jesus.

Many people in our culture want to believe that they live for themselves, worshiping nothing and serving no one. Others deceive themselves into thinking that they have found their own way to Enlightenment.

The truth is that all people have sold themselves to one cause or another. Countless businesspeople serve money and the bottom line. Environmentalists sacrifice themselves for the sake of nature. Many politicians surrender ethics to gain money and power.

Our call is to not be conformed to this image that we see all around us. We belong to God, and our duty is to present ourselves to Him as a whole and living sacrifice. Becoming a sacrifice means that there is nothing that we get to keep for ourselves. Our lives belong to God for Him to use as He sees fit.

We do not think like the world anymore. Instead, we renew our minds to think about the will of God. The word re-new means to make it new again and again as often as needed. Whenever we find ourselves thinking in a way that does not line up with God's will, we need to re-new our minds.

Then we will no longer be conformed to the culture around us, rather we will be transforming the culture around us.

Prayer Lord Jesus,

Thank You that You have a good, acceptable, and perfect will for me! Teach me to renew my mind so that I can follow Your will in everything I do.

Amen

This Changes Everything

And He said to them, Why are you troubled? And why do doubts arise in your hearts? Behold My hands and My feet, that it is I Myself. Handle Me and see, for a spirit does not have flesh and bones as you see I have.' Luke 24:38-39

Idon't care how manly any man says he is, we all need some touching moments sometimes. The disciples were certainly in need of a touching moment in the context where our verses come from today. They had just watched Jesus die, but in the course of that day, several of them had seen Him. They had just been sharing their stories with each other, trying to figure out what in the world was really happening, when Jesus suddenly appeared in their midst. It's like, Hey, we were just talking about You, and Jesus just shows up. So now all of them can see Him as plainly as ever, but they still doubted, thinking that He must just be a ghost. So He proved Himself to them by having them touch Him, and when that touching experience didn't satisfy them, He asked them for some food. He ate the food in front of them to prove again that He really was alive, resurrected in His glorified body that will last forever. As you read this today, do you have doubts about whether Jesus really lived, died, and physically rose again? Do you have some fears about what's going on in your life? Well, these are the very things that Jesus appeared to prove to the disciples.

First, He appeared to remove fear. He replaced it with His shalom peace, calming their fears as He had calmed the storms.

Second, He appeared to remove all doubt. He invited them to be personal with Him,

voluntarily giving Himself to them for them to touch Him and see for themselves that He really was alive.

Third, He appeared to remove all their gloom. They had been hiding away behind locked doors, but when He appeared, they were filled with joy.

Fourth, He appeared to remove all loneliness. Even in groups, people often feel lonely. But in eating with them He opened up a new level of fellowship and relationship.

Everything changed for the disciples in one brief, touching moment. Whatever needs to change for you, all you need is just a touching moment with Jesus.

Prayer Lord Jesus,

Thank You for letting the disciples touch You. I really need to touch You today and be touched by You! I know that one touch will change me forever, so please come and touch me today!

Amen

Letting God Means Letting Go

Bless the LORD, O my soul; and all that is within me, bless His holy name! Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits: Who forgives all your iniquities, who heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from destruction, who crowns you with lovingkindness and tender mercies, who satisfies your mouth with good things, so that your youth is renewed like the eagles. Psalm 103:1-5

Did you know that God has a benefits package? He does, and it's way better than you have at your job.

I hear people give all sorts of responses to the benefits they get from their workplaces. If they pay a lot for insurance, you know, and not much vacation time, then I hear a lot of complaining. But if they get good medical coverage, retirement benefits, and vacation time, people are usually very thankful because they realize they're getting a better deal than most.

Well, I'll tell you what, there is no better benefits package to be found anywhere than the one we get with our God, and there is one and only one appropriate response.

We see this response from King David, who also had been blessed with a lot by God. I mean, he was taken from the backside of some hill where he watched sheep, delivered out of a wilderness where a mad king was hunting him down, and placed upon a throne where God gave him a promise like no one else ever received. What's David's response?

Bless the LORD, O my soul; and all that is within me, bless His holy name!

David called all that was within him-and he had a lot-to bless God's holy name. See, I think we can learn a lot from David, because, what we've done in the church of America is compartmentalize Jesus into having a bit of a slice of the pie. We give Him Sundays, and actually, we only give Him half of Sunday.

But David gives us this call today, to bless the Lord with all that is within us, all the time, never holding back, because we remember His benefits. And what incredible benefits they are! I mean, did you read the verses today?

I know some of you reading this right now are like, That's all too good to be true.

No, it really isn't. That's how good God is. But maybe it seems a little too good to be true because you've never let Him truly be God, because you've never truly completely given all that is within you to Him. He wants to give you these benefits today; will you believe Him for them?

Prayer Lord God,

Thank You that You really are so good that You give these benefits to those who will believe in You! I give my all to You today and call all that is within me to bless Your holy name!

Amen

Who's Being Held?

If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God. Colossians 3:1

Don't panic, but right now something is holding on to you. All around you, entwining your whole body right now, is something that you cannot see, and it is either dragging you away from Heaven or anchoring you to it.

What is holding you right now is desire.

Listen, all of you reading this are in different stages of life. For some of you, it's like you are in the penthouse; your view of life couldn't be better. But for some of you, it's like you're stuck in the parking structure. You feel like you're five levels down and you're just struggling to get back to sea level, barely keeping your head above water.

It is to all of us, regardless of our stage in life, that Paul wrote to remind us of one great truth-that the grave is empty. No matter whether we're in the penthouse or the parking structure, the grave is empty. Jesus is alive!

And why does that matter to all of us? Because it means that there is no limit on our lives anymore. Not even death can hold us down! The Lord wants to take you further, but perhaps something is holding you back.

That's why Paul says, If you have been raised with Christ. Do you recognize that reality today? That Jesus was raised and that you have been raised with Him? If so, then seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God.

Desire Heaven. Desire God. Desire His throne, His Lordship, over your life. Set your mind on these things! Seek them!

Why? Because it breaks off of you the things that keep you down. It busts open the ceiling on your penthouse and puts a heavenly elevator into your parking garage. Whether your position in this world is high or low, position in this world is a chain to our souls when we forget our true position-raised with Christ.

If you have been raised with Christ today, then forget the things of this world. Set your eyes on something higher, where Jesus is, sitting at the right hand of His Father.

Prayer Lord Jesus,

Thank You that I am raised with You! I choose today to set my focus and desire on heavenly things and not on things of this world. You are worth more than the whole world, so I pursue You, and I know that You will store up for me true riches in Heaven.

Amen

Hijacking the American Dream

But also for this very reason, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue, to virtue knowledge, to knowledge self-control, to self-control perseverance, to perseverance godliness, to godliness brotherly kindness, and to brotherly kindness love. For if these things are yours and abound, you will be neither barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. 2 Peter 1:5-8

God loves you and has a wonderful plan for your life. Have you heard that before?

That famous phrase comes from the Four Spiritual Laws gospel tract created by Bill Bright, founder of Campus Crusade for Christ. You know what? I believe those words with all my heart, but there's a problem.

Actually, it can be a big problem, because it can completely keep you from the wonderful plan God has for your life. The problem I'm talking about, of course, is sin.

See, if we're not careful, we'll fall short of all that God desires for us, because the only way to access God's plan is through His forgiveness. Do you know why this is so easy to miss? Because in order to experience God as our Father of forgiveness, we have to admit that we are guilty.

Now, how often do you see people in the world who actually plead guilty? I mean you'll see some of the most heinous crimes and hellish activities going on, and yet still the criminal will show up in the courtroom and plead-what?-Not guilty. It's not my fault.

Listen, you'll never experience the Father of forgiveness until you're willing to accept the fact that you've committed murder.

You're like, I haven't committed murder.

Well, let me remind you of Jesus, because it wasn't anything He did wrong that put Him on that cross. Stop giving responsibility for this away. Stop blaming it on the Jews, Romans, and Pontius Pilot. If you were the only person on the planet, God still would have still sent His Son to die on the cross for you, even if you were the only person to try Him, convict Him, and personally hang Him on that cross.

We all have to get to the point where we can say, It's my sins that put Him on that cross. And it's His love for me that kept Him on the cross, not the nails.

We'll never experience God's forgiveness unless we admit that we deserve Hell, that we have sinned, that we have fallen short of the glory of God, and that we are guilty.

Confess your guilt today. Only then can you be forgiven and free.

Prayer Father God,

Thank You for Your wonderful plan for my life. Wow, have I sinned! I know I'm guilty, and that it's my sin that caused Jesus to come and die so that I could be forgiven and free. Please forgive me today, set me free, and live in me for the rest of my life!

Amen

Click Refresh

Grace to you and peace from...Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, and the ruler over the kings of the earth. To Him who loved us and washed us from our sins in His own blood, and has made us kings and priests to His God and Father, to Him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen. Revelation 1:4-6

Why do you worship Jesus? Have you ever thought about it? John gives us a perfect list in these verses from the book of Revelation to help us remember why we worship Jesus. We worship Jesus because He gives us grace, and it is by grace we are saved. He not only gives us grace, but also His peace that runs deeper than our need to understand why. His peace will sustain us through confusing and difficult seasons of life. Do you know anyone else who can do this?

Jesus is the faithful witness. He never changes. He came to bear witness to the heart of the Father and lived out the perfect image of what God is like. Everything He says is true. We can trust His word. It will never fail because He is faithful. Can you say that of anyone else?

He is the firstborn from the dead. He rose from the dead and conquered death for us. He is the reason we have everlasting life. Oh, and He's the only one in that category, too.

He is ruler over the kings of the earth. He calls all the shots. No one is above Him. Period. The next reason is that he loved us. We love Him because He first loved us. He loved us before we were worth loving. No one else is like that.

He washed us from our sins in His own blood. This is real love, and what other so-called god has done this? Only Jesus was humble and loving enough to die for people who hated Him so that He could redeem them for His name.

There's more-He has made us kings. Yes, you read that right. We are kings. Do you know anyone else out there who wants to make you a king?

This is our Jesus; this is who He is. No one else is like Him. No one else shows us goodness the way He does. That is why He is worthy, and that is why we worship Him.

Prayer King Jesus,

Thank You for all You have done for me! I am not worthy of all You have done, but I receive your gifts with thankfulness, and I choose to worship You for who You are.

Amen