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And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever— the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you (John 14:16-17).

Does following Jesus sometimes make you tired?  I will admit I am finding myself a lot more tired and discouraged than I’ve been at any other time in my life.  There are a lot of days I’m tired of trying to do what is right, tired of figuring out how to speak the truth in love, tired of turning the other cheek and definitely tired of taking the high road and feeling like I’m always getting kicked in the gut.

As I was reading and preparing to write today’s post, it dawned on me.  While my calling or what is required of me hasn’t changed, maybe I’m tired because I’m not using all the resources available to me.

In John chapter 14, Jesus tells his disciples that God was sending them a helper to guide them after Jesus departed from the earth.  But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you (John 14:26).  Ah ha. I am called to do what is right, speak truth and turn the other cheek, but I don’t have to do all these things on my own.  The Holy Spirit, who lives in my heart, will show me the way if I call on his power.

As I was studying for this post, I came across three insights about the Holy Spirit that that were very helpful to me:

• The Holy Spirit is defined by truth, it is his nature / who he is.  But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes…(John 16:13).  The Holy Spirit isn’t just any spirit, he is the Spirit of Truth.

• Speaking truth is the Holy Spirit’s purpose. …he will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on his own but will tell you what he has heard. He will tell you about the future (John 16:13). The truth the Spirit speaks to us is from Jesus himself.  And don’t forget, Jesus is THE WAY, THE TRUTH AND THE LIGHT.

• When the Spirit Speaks Truth, he brings glory to Jesus – He will bring me glory by telling you whatever he receives from me (John 16:14).  God is glorified when the Holy Spirit guides our actions.

God, thank you for sending your Spirit to dwell in our hearts and guide us in truth.  As we follow his ways, may we find new energy and continually bring glory to you.  Amen.

 

 

Romans 8:1-2 So there is therefore now no condemnation for those that are in Christ Jesus. For the law of the Spirit of Life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death.

Do you know the feeling of “walking on egg shells” around someone? It is a horrible feeling. It is being overly careful in dealing with a person or situation because they get angry or offended very easily. With these people, there is no room for a discussion, everything is under scrutiny, it is suffocating and full of fear.  There is no learning process or helpful guidance.  It is condemning and lacking in freedom. Maybe you have had a boss like this, a former teacher or neighbor, or even a parent.

This verse in Romans 8:1-2 is the exact opposite of that feeling! With Jesus, there is NO condemnation or walking on egg shells, but rather FREEDOM in love. In this verse the word “law” also means “principle” or “fundamental truth”.  Jesus Christ has set us free from the “principle” or “truth” of death and replaced it with the Spirit of life by taking our sin and putting it to death on the cross with Him. It was our sin that he carried away so that we would not be condemned to death but would share in eternity with Him. When we live with the spirit of life which is Jesus, it does not mean that we suddenly live a perfect life. It means we are set free from sin and death and there is no guilty verdict on our heads. Jesus sees us as clean and without sin, regardless of what we have done in the past and will do in the future. God wants the life of Jesus to be manifested in and through our lives. And the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus is how this happens. It’s working inside our lives to reveal Christ. Our job is to recognize, believe, and participate in the process. Our part is a process…..Jesus’ part is done! We will always have a sin problem, but He is working through the spirit to move sin out so we can continue to mature and grow in our relationship with Him. We do not have to be perfect to have the spirit of life in us. He was perfect for us!

There is no “walking on egg shells” with Jesus. When we have accepted Him as Savior of our lives, there is no fear or condemnation. We are deeply loved, accepted and allowed to grow and mature in our faith. Are you living a life that reflects the freedom that comes from the spirit of life through Jesus or does your life reflect the spirit of death that comes from the world? In the midst of all that is going on in our world, we can live a life that is grounded in the Spirit of life – Jesus. I pray that you will find this freedom today.

 

Today’s Reading Hebrews 10:29

The spirit of grace is mentioned twice in the Bible verse in Zechariah 12:10 and in Hebrews 10:29. The spirit of grace is the Holy Spirit, but a manifestation of the Holy Spirit in which God delivers Grace to the people of Israel different ways. Grace is the love of God shown to the unlovely, the peace of God shown to the restless, the unmerited favor of God. This is the love that God has for us while we have not done anything to deserve his love.

In both of these instances the authors are showing how God’s grace is delivered to everyone. In Zachariah,  God shows that after the people have pierced the flesh of the Messiah that God will still give grace. In the Hebrews section it shows God’s the true extent of grace. In this chapter of Hebrews, Paul is showing us how God has given grace to us even after we have crucified Christ. But in this section of Hebrews, Paul is giving us a vision of what would happen in the event that we completely discredit the crucifixion and the blood and above all the Holy Spirit that has come to comfort us.   This is a warning that Paul is giving: If we fully know the gospel and the crucifixion and still choose to not to believe and speak against the Holy Spirit, that is the extent of God’s grace.

So this grace that God has given us is not completely free. The grace of God that has been given to us is dependent on us acknowledging the blood of Christ and the spirit of God has given us the grace by our understanding and by our submission to this new covenant.

Many of our trials and tribulations that we encounter in this life we can see God‘s grace in those if were able to acknowledge God‘s presence in our life. One of the most amazing manifestations that I have seen of Grace was through my grandmother. Throughout her life she overcame many severe obstacles in at the end of her life she still shows so much love for God that the only way to explain it is to God‘s grace. Look at some of the things that she experienced in her life. Diabetes, Heart Disease, High Blood Pressure, Kidney Disease, Loss of the function of limbs, Amputation of limbs, Colostomy, Loss of her spouse, Loss of mobility, and Metabolic seizures.   This list may seem like a hard life, but it actually shows the true grace that God had in her life amplified by her devotion to His word and His work.  Can you name 10 times in your life that God has shown you unspeakable Grace? Can you imagine life without that Grace? What is the spirit of grace the Holy Spirit asking us to do today.

3 Then he told them many things in parables, saying:  “A farmer went out to sow his seed.  4 As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up.  5 Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil.  It sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow.  6 But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no root.  7 Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the plants.  8 Still other seed fell on good soil, where it produced a crop — a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown.  9 Whoever has ears, let them hear.

Matthew 13:3-9

I have read this parable numerous times in the past and always focused on the soil.  This is the first time I have read these verses with the sower in mind.  When we read this parable from the perspective of the sower we get a better understanding of why Jesus called it the parable of the sower, and not the parable of the soil.

Jesus himself explained to the disciples what this parable means.  The farmer is like Jesus.  The seed that he sows is the seed of the good news about Jesus.  The farmer sows the seed in many different places, just as we Christians should share God’s good news in many different places.  What happens to the seed is different in different places.  It is the same with the good news about Jesus.  It has a good result in the lives of some people, and it has a poor result in other lives.  

Jesus shares that the sower scattered seed (the Word of God) on all types of ground.  It didn’t say that he was meticulously planting the seeds in designated ‘good soil’ areas — it says he was scattering the seed everywhere. 

In Luke 5:31 we are reminded, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick.”

The meaning of the parable of the sower is to show that Christ came to share the Word of God with everyone.  We don’t serve a stingy God who picks and chooses who is good enough to hear the word.  He graciously sows into everyone who is willing to accept his word.  

One of God’s traits I keep coming back to over and over in my reading, writing, and thoughts is His sovereignty. To know my God is our sovereign God – the rightful, unquestionable, unrestrained leader, creator, decider, and controller of all –  has been a priceless comfort in this life. When I am overwhelmed with the state of the world; when I feel powerless to the happenings in my life outside my control; when I feel not up to the task of handling things I can control on my own; when my own negativity and pessimism drown out all other rational thoughts; when my sorrow and grief feels discordantly crushing; every time these things happen, I learn more and more the value of belonging to the Lord, instead of relying on myself for these things. Romans 8:28 reminds us, “we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.” When God is singular Lord over us and all that ails us, we know in all these things we further experience His goodness and His holiness by trusting those facts over ourselves. Through Scripture, we know we don’t need to worry of any of these – we know God’s got it all under control.

In this way, I understand the prophet Habakkuk’s sentiment in Habakkuk 3:19 – “The Sovereign Lord is my strength; he makes my feet like the feet of a deer, he enables me to tread on the heights.” When confronted with the inequity of man’s action, he finds joy and strength in the promise of the Lord’s promise of deliverance and rule over all that assails him. Or the understanding of Simeon in Luke 2:29, the righteous man who waited patiently at his life’s end to see Christ with his own eyes, declaring “Sovereign Lord, as you have promised, you may now dismiss your servant in peace. For my eyes have seen your salvation, which you have prepared in the sight of all nations: a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and the glory of your people Israel.” Knowing the Lord has created and resided over all His people and planned their salvation from the beginning brings me the deepest peace I could know. God’s incontestable claim over me consoles me that none could separate me from Him. God’s hand stretched over all creation and all time helps me know that of course the Lord will see me through all things to do good in His name.

Take the time with me today to ruminate on what Romans 11:36 means in your life: “From him and through him and to him are all things.” Paul’s words to the Church in Rome all those years ago still ring true submission to the sovereign rule of Christ – all we have and all that is, He created. Not for me, or for any of us, but to Him, for His glory. I think – when I say that God is the one and only creator and king over all there is and all I have, do I consider these things from, through, and to Him? Does thanking God for what comes from & through Him go hand in hand with knowing and acting on how all should go to further His glory as well – how all I have, I desperately need to give to God? One constant prayer of mine is for a heart that would do less for myself and more for Christ, and I know God answers this prayer when, at the times I need it most, 1 Corinthians 10:31 comes into my head: “Whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.”

Our God is the sovereign Lord over all – the one and only, no-holds barred ruler over all that was, is, and is to come. Pray that all the world, created in His glory, may receive with open hearts His word so that all would proclaim the glory of God that is rightfully His. Pray that all you would go to Him to further His kingdom here on earth. And, today and every day, be thankful for the claim our Lord has on us!

 

 

Mat 12:40, 24:27

 

“For as lightening flashes in the east and shines to the west, so it will be when the Son of Man comes”. Matt 24:30-31 goes on to say, “And then at last, the sign that the Son of Man is coming will appear in the heavens, and there will be deep mourning among all the peoples of the earth. And they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. And He will send out his angels with the mighty blast of a trumpet, and they will gather his chosen ones from all over the world–from the farthest ends of the earth and heaven.”

Does this passage excite you? Are you longing for this moment in time or does it strike fear into your heart? Maybe you feel a mix of the two emotions, excitement with a little fear or anxiety for the uncertainty surrounding these events. These verses talk about events unlike anything we have ever experienced before in life! With all that is going on in the world today, many people are looking forward to the end of life on this earth. The hope of heaven is tangible in our current earthly climate. I also think it is very normal to have some apprehension around seeing the face of God for the first time in our lives, no matter how long we have had relationship with Him. When we see the reaction of others in the Bible as they experience God face to face, we see that most fall facedown on the ground. If I begin to sense worry or fear in my mind over these future events, all I have to do is concentrate on the One I will be meeting, and fear is wiped away. While the Son of Man’s majesty and Lordship will always cause unmatched respect and humility that will most likely drop us to the ground, we have to remember His other character traits that we know so well after studying them for the last year. His love for us is so perfect that He willingly gave His life to pay the price for our sin. He purchased us out of the consequences we deserve so we could have relationship with Him and live forever with Him. Seeing Him face to face will certainly be daunting since we have never experienced Him physically, but we have to remember how deeply He desires relationship with us. He is doing all of this to be with us. Being gathered up by His angels and taken to heaven has to be good!

Safety and assurance of being included when Jesus comes back is completely dependent on our choice now to accept His gift. If we do not tell Him we believe in Him and accept His death on the cross as payment for our sin, then reading these two passages in Matthew should strike fear in our hearts. Jesus’ return will be swift and sudden. If we have not chosen Him by the time He returns, there will be no chance for last minute repenting or changed minds. The decision we have already made about the truth and reality of Jesus will determine our eternal destiny. This is big, friends! I want for every one of you reading this to know for sure that Jesus is real and true. I want all of you to be experiencing relationship with Him now so that you never have to wonder what your fate will be on the day He returns.

If you are confident in your relationship with Jesus, I hope that this passage inspires you to urgency in sharing your good news with those you love and anyone you know who doesn’t have relationship with God. Since we don’t know the day or time of Jesus’ return, we have no idea how much time is left for others to choose Him. Typing these words has awakened me again from complacency in sharing my good news. Visiting this passage today gives me new fervor in praying for those I know are not open to or interested in the truth of Jesus. Matthew’s words remind me that this is life or death. I can’t be complacent or shy in conversations. I always have to be willing and able to share truth about Jesus.

 

Are you ready to see the Son of Man appearing in the heavens?

The Bible depicts God’s undying love for His people. God is referred to as the Trinity, three in one. The Father, the Son, and The Holy Spirit. Through most of the Old Testament, the Father is depicted as the creator, God, the great “I am”, and Jehovah over the Israelites. However, throughout the entire Old Testament, the Son of God starts to be depicted as the One that can save everyone from the Israelites’ sins, uproot the evil from the world, and much more. Everything leads up to the Son of God, but who is the Son of God and why do we need Him today? 

As any “Sunday School” answer goes, let’s answer the first question. Who is the Son of God? Jesus. Matthew 1:21-23. (English Standard Version) is one of the earliest depictions of knowing that Jesus would be the Son of God. 

“‘She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins’. All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet: ‘Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call his name Immanuel’ (which means, God with us). 

Jesus, the Son of God, is going to be God with us. We see clearly that the Son of God must be Jesus himself. Also, in John 1:43-51 (ESV), Jesus’s depiction as the Son of God is no longer just said in a dream by an angel, but by Jesus himself. In these verses, Jesus is calling Phillip and Nathanael to follow Him. Philip immediately takes the response and is ready to believe in who Jesus is, but Nathanael questions Philip until he sees who Jesus is himself. 

John 1:47-51 (ESV)

“Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward him and said of him, ‘Behold, an Israelite indeed, in who there is no deceit!’ Nathanael said to him, ‘How do you know me?’ Jesus answered him, ‘Before Philip called you when you were under the fig tree, I saw you.’ Nathanael answered him, ‘Rabbi, you are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel!’ Jesus answered him, ‘Before I said to you, I saw you under the fig tree, do you believe? You will see greater things than these.’ And he said to him, ‘Truly, truly I say to you, you will see heaven opened and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man'”. 

Who is the Son of God? A baby that was born of a virgin, who was called to save the people from their sins. A young boy, who followed after his father’s craft. The Son of God was a man that forgave the sins of many, performed miracles, and became the Savior of the world. That man, fully God and fully man, was Jesus Christ. 

Why the Son of God? How does Jesus, the Son of God, affect us today?

Most people today question the relevance of the Bible. Not only do the question the Bible, but Jesus himself. I’ve heard multiple times, “That’s great for you that you are Christian. It sounds like you needed that in your life. I just don’t need it for my life”. With everything out there in the world like advanced medicine, technology, and human development, why would we need the Son of God? 

The answer is truly found in who the Son of God is. Jesus was named Jesus because “he will save people from their sins” (Matthew 1:21b). That must mean that humanity needs to be saved from their sins. From the beginning, we learn that we are all broken and sinful people. In Romans 3:23 we see that “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God”. Nobody is good enough on their own. We are all destined to sin and rebel against God. Jesus is the only one who can save us and all of us are in desperate need of Him. 

Jesus is the Son of God, whom God chose to save us from our sins. He did this because of agape (unconditional) love for us. In 1 John 4:9-10 its stated that “In this, the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him. In this love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins”. God sent His only Son to die on a cross to save us from our sins. He is the Son of God, the One that we are all in desperate need of. 

Thank you Father for sending your Son to die on the cross for my sins. I believe in You Jesus, and want to live out Your love in my life and share this with others. Keep sowing that inside my soul more and more each day. Amen!