As I started this chapter and read about the commissioning of the 12 it made me think of how I am commissioned each and every day to leave my house and profess the good news of Jesus Christ. Professing Jesus is the Messiah as Peter did, taking up my cross and not being ashamed of who Jesus is in my life, overcoming all the worldly desires and following Jesus wholeheartedly. I need to be observant and make sure I recognize the miracles Jesus performs in my life. To daily be thankful and appreciative of His sacrificial death which gives me eternal life. Recognize any pride I have in my life, not caring if I’m not recognized, that God be glorified for anything he does through me.

The mount of Transfiguration is an amazing story. Jesus only took Peter, James and John up the mountain to meet Moses and Elijah. They did not climb a short mountain, Matthew and Mark mention it’s a high mountain. I don’t know how high they climbed but the disciples were so exhausted when they got there that they fell into a deep sleep. When I have had mountaintop experiences, they usually are exhausting as I follow Jesus on whatever journey I’ve been on to get to that mountaintop, I usually feel like I could use a deep sleep. When the disciples wake up, they see Jesus speaking to two men, it’s amazing to me that they knew these two men were Moses and Elijah.

I’ve heard a lot of teachings over the years about what this meeting would’ve been like, often using sports analogies and words like strategy. The Bible only tells us that they were speaking of Jesus’ coming death. Maybe, Jesus needed someone to talk to to find the encouragement, endurance and strength he needed to follow His Father completely so that we could all have eternal salvation. Jesus was about to face a more challenging situation than anyone else has ever experienced. No one had a closer walk with God than Jesus did, but maybe even Jesus needed a couple of friends to talk to about going through the traumatic events He was about to go through. He had his closest 3 earthly friends Peter, James and John, but then He met with Moses and Elijah, were they possibly His 2 closest heavenly friends?

The next day when they came down the mountain Jesus was met by a man whose son was possessed by a demon and the disciples were not able to drive the demon out. After telling Jesus what the demon does, the father says, “if you can do anything, have compassion on us and help us”. Jesus replied “if you can? Everything is possible to the one who believes”. Mark 9:24 tells us that immediately the father of the boy cried out “I do believe! Help my unbelief”. When I studied Mark years ago, I became enlightened that I was like the father. I fully believe in God‘s blessings for me in my life but, I was in desperate need of Gods help with my unbelief. This was a huge revelation for me at the time, I still today pray often for God to please help me with my unbelief. There’s no doubt in my mind I don’t deserve any of God’s blessings, but that’s not the way God works. He doesn’t look at me with a critical eye as I do with myself and others. He looks at me with a heart full of love for me. All I need to do is trust, obey and believe.

Today’s reading:  Luke 7

Segue – to make a transition without interruption from one activity, topic, scene, or part to another (Miriam Webster).

Do you ever feel like the Gospels are a bunch of short, random stories that jump around?  While I know the Gospels, as a whole, are the story of the life and ministry of Jesus Christ, zooming from story to story sometimes feels a little disjointed to me.  I’m often left wondering what happened to the ever so important segue?

Our text for today, Luke 7, felt a little fragmented to me at first blush.

Start with the story of the Centurion.  This man was a high ranking Roman official.  While the Jews generally hated Roman soldiers, this official must have have been unique.   The group of Jewish leaders that sought Jesus’ help on behalf of the Centurion made their case by attesting, “he loves the Jews and even built a synagogue for us” (Luke 7:5).  Even so, the Centurion recognized he was not worthy of a personal meeting with Jesus.  His humility, coupled with a faith in Jesus uncommon of Roman officials, led Jesus to miraculously heal the Centurion’s ailing servant.

Next, the story of a widow.  Her situation couldn’t have been more opposite of the Centurion.  Her husband, and now her only son, were dead.  Without them and their financial support, this woman was soon to begging for food.  Jesus had compassion on the widow and raised her son from the dead.

On to John the Baptist.  John’s purpose in life was to “pave the way” for Jesus.  Nevertheless, he was human like we are, and had some confusion and doubt that Jesus was really the Messiah.  Jesus didn’t reprimand John for his doubt, rather he recounted his actions and correlated them to Old Testament prophesies to help John connect the dots and be confident Jesus was truly the son of God.

Finally to the sinful woman.  This woman, an uninvited guest, shows up at a dinner being hosted by one of the Pharisees.  She knelt behind Jesus, pouring perfume on and kissing his feet.  Jesus used the situation to rebuke the Pharisees and to teach his disciples – “I tell you her sins, and they are many, have been forgiven, so she has shown me much love.  But a person who is forgiven little shows only little love” (Luke 7:47).

Here we are at the end of Luke 7.  Four short stories about Jesus’ interactions with different people, no real segue between them.  They are linked, however, by one very powerful message.  Jesus cares for everyone.  It doesn’t matter if you are a successful businessman/woman or government leader, it doesn’t matter if you are unemployed or homeless, it doesn’t matter if you are serving in full-time Christian ministry or if you’ve lived your life entirely apart from God so far.  Jesus cares for you.  Because he voluntarily paid the price for every one of our sins, we have a way to be acceptable to God.  Only when we realize the true depth of our sin and the complete redemption offered through Jesus, however, are we able to offer God the gratitude and love he deserves.

I remember reading stories with my Dad at bedtime. We had a big book of fairy tales that we would read and it was always very entertaining. Do you remember the story about the 3 Little Pigs?

I reread this story today and the beginning caught my attention. It went like this, “Once upon a time there was an old mother pig who had three little pigs and not enough food to feed them. So when they were old enough, she sent them out in the world to seek their fortunes”. Those 3 little pigs came from the same house and grew up with the same mother who taught them the things they needed to know before sending them out to fend for themselves.  You would think they would all build the brick house but that was not the case. The first 2 pigs were lazy and chose poor building materials as their foundation which proved to be no match for the big bad wolf as he huffed and puffed and blew their house down hoping to devour them. Luckily they got away and ran to the third little pigs house. The third little pig was not lazy. He worked hard to build himself a house on a strong foundation to offer him protection from the outside world. When the wolf came, he had no power because the third pig knew the importance of a strong house.

Luke 6:47-49 talks about building our solid foundation. My parents did a good job of teaching me at a young age the importance of having Christ as my foundation but I admit to being lazy about it at times in my life. If we are lazy with our relationship with God and pick and choose what to obey, our foundation starts to crumble. The world huffs and puffs all the time and it will blow our house down if we don’t take the time to know God be obedient. Difficulties in life were definitely more difficult when I wasn’t sitting on that firm foundation. When we come to Christ, listen to his teaching, and obey; we are making our foundation stronger.  It takes more work, but we can weather the storms of life so much better. The wolf has no power over us when we know Who our foundation is. It is never too late to start building or rebuilding your foundation.

Luke 6:47 “I will show you what it’s like when someone comes to me, listens to my teaching, and then obeys me. It is like a person who builds a house on a strong foundation laid upon the underlying rock. When the floodwaters rise and break against the house, it stands firm because it is well built. But anyone who listens and doesn’t obey is like a person who builds a house without a foundation. When the floods sweep down against that house, it will crumble into a heap of ruins”.

Be the third pig:)

In today’s reading of Luke 3, we see John the Baptist preparing the way for Jesus as well as the genealogy of Jesus.  It is evident that John does not seek to bring glory to himself or be puffed up with pride regarding his own ministry, rather he points all of the people that he encounters to “he who is more powerful”.

…But one who is more powerful than I will come, the straps of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie…

Luke 3:16

I cannot remember the last time I physically sat in a movie theater to watch a movie.  It has been many years.  I remember as a kid sitting in my seat eating my popcorn and watching all of the previews.  I thought they would never end.  As I grew older I learned that the movie did not actually start at the designated time the theater stated, but I could actually arrive 15 minutes later and be just on time for the main attraction.

In skipping the previews to the movie, I also missed the warnings and guidelines, such as, turn off your cell phone, no talking, pick up your garbage, etc..  These messages help everyone in the theater prepare for the main attraction, the featured movie.  This is kind of what John the Baptist’s role was, he was preparing the people for the coming of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.  

Isaiah 40:3-5 describes John as the “voice of the one calling in the wilderness.”  He urged his listeners to prepare for the arrival of their promised Messiah.  How should the prepare?  Verses 11 through 14 are a set of instructions.                               

11-“Anyone who has two shirts should share with the one who has none, and anyone who has food should do the same.”

13-“Don’t collect any more than you are required to”

14-“Don’t extort money and don’t accuse people falsely-becontent with your pay.”

Simply following the instructions did not imply that they could earn their own salvation, but they should seek to treat others justly and mercifully.  

John realized that he was not the focus of the message.  His job was to point his followers to the One who could save them.  He compared the baptism he offered – water – to the baptism of the “Holy Spirit and fire” that Jesus will bring to believers.

But one who is more powerful than I will come, the straps of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie.  He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.

Luke 3:16

Luke 3:16 points us to Jesus.  He makes the great confession that we all must make….we are NOT God.  He is mightier than we are.  Christ is greater than John because he will not merely baptize with water but with the Holy Spirit and fire.  Jesus will enable those who follow him and who repent and trust him not merely to get wet through water but to be transformed by the Holy Spirit, to be born again.

Today’s entry is on Luke 2. 

I wrote a journal entry on Luke 2 back for Christmas this past year. I’m not going to lie, I was pretty tempted to just go back and copy-paste that journal for today. But coming back to this passage has me revisiting my past thoughts, and reliving the Christmas spirit. I wrote, way back in December, how Christmas was “a day to focus on & be moved by God’s works, to treasure His gifts and to share them with the world through our own one-of-a-kind voice and praises.” Well now in the thick of a blazing-hot summer, revisiting this has me reflecting on how strongly this still applies. Do the movings & praises of your heart from back on Christmas Day those long eight-ish months ago still ring true? Are you still just as fired up and driven to sing & share your joy for the miraculous birth of a savior to those who haven’t heard, as this Gospel was intended to? Is your response to the gift of a savior continually push you to learn & grow in new ways?

I was struck with another impression from this passage recently: how Jesus grew. Starting out a wee baby, he followed His parents and learned from the elders in the Temple, listening and learning and asking questions as any of us would. In verse 52, mentioning “Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men.” God is all-knowing, all-encompassing – yet through Christ, humbled Himself among man and experienced first-hand the plight of being without knowledge; and in being driven through passion for God’s word, pursuing a life of growth and understanding about God’s nature and our place within His kingdom. When we see the birth of Jesus, we’re not only painted the picture of the miracle of God’s fulfillment of the Old Testament prophecy and our Savior’s birth, but through Christ’s example, how we are to be moved by that, and called to action to grow in faithful devotion accordingly. (2 Peter 3:17-18 – “Take care that you are not carried away with the error of lawless people and lose your own stability. But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.”)

In Paul’s letters to Timothy, he wrote of devoting himself to learning and growing: “Until I come, devote yourself to the public reading of Scripture, to exhortation, to teaching. Do not neglect the gift you have, which was given you by prophecy when the council of elders laid their hands on you. Practice these things, immerse yourself in them, so that all may see your progress.” (1 Timothy 4:13-15). His request is one I believe echos timelessly to us all. The gift from God of a savior to die in our sin’s stead was the greatest act of mercy and grace we have ever received, one that we commemorate and act upon on Christmas. But as that savior grew and devoted Himself to learning and teaching, our emotional reaction must prompt (and be followed through on) a physical one; a greater need for knowledge, an ever-mightier spiritual thirst for the Living Water found in Christ Jesus. It can be easy for us to idle in our faith without realizing: becoming content with who we are and what we know, not prioritizing continued depth in our relationship with God. Happens to me sometimes, as it can happen to us all. But as Romans 12:11 reminds us, “Do not be slothful in zeal, be fervent in spirit, serve the Lord.” Do you remain on fire spiritually? Does the gift of Jesus continue to spurn devotion to reading, exalting, and teaching the word of Christ to the world within you?

Today’s reading is Mark 16

On Monday, Chet wrote about Peter’s betrayal of Jesus and Jesus’ beautiful example of forgiveness of Peter before Peter even betrayed Jesus. Today I want to look at what happened after Peter betrayed Jesus.

Peter told Jesus “Even if everyone else deserts you, I never will.” Jesus replied, “I tell you the truth, Peter, this very night, before the rooster crows, you will deny three times that you even know me.” Peter responded, “NO even if I have to die with you, I will never deny you!” Then a few verses later in the chapter we find out that on separate occasions, Peter denied that he knew Jesus three times in one night. Peter heard the rooster crow and then Jesus’ words flash through his mind. He was faced with the realization that he had actually done exactly what he had emphatically declared to Jesus’ face that he would never do. He broke down and wept. Does your heart go out to Peter? Mine does! I promise myself and sometimes others that I won’t do or say something, and then before I know it, I find myself doing or saying exactly what I said I wouldn’t. It is bad enough to break a promise to our selves but poor Peter broke a promise to Jesus…and then Jesus was killed! Can you imagine the pain and shame he must have been filled with for the three days that Jesus was gone? Peter had no way to seek forgiveness or reassurance from Jesus because He was dead. I can only imagine how small Peter must have felt before God and his friends. He must have been devastated and broken. Then Mark 16:7 tells us that the angel in Jesus’ grave told the ladies who had come to prepare Jesus’ body for burial that Jesus was risen from the dead. The angel told the ladies to go and tell Jesus’ disciples, including Peter, that Jesus is going ahead of you to Galilee, you will see Him there. Do you see the forgiveness and redemption in those two words between the commas? The angel said, “including Peter”. God new the shame that was debilitating Peter at this moment in time and He chose to be clear, that Peter was still included in Jesus posy. If this doesn’t display God’s personal love for us, then I don’t know what does. In the midst of our messiest messes he reaches out and offers us help and redemption if we choose to take Him up on His offer. Also proof that we can’t earn His gifts of relationship and forgiveness. He loves us just as we are no matter how broken or messed up we are. The sweet, sweet story of the gospel of Christ!

Let’s sit with that for a moment. We matter to the creator of the universe. Our feelings, thoughts and actions are known to the Almighty, and He acts in our stead to save, protect and love each of us. At this very moment He is sitting in the place of honor at God’s right hand listening to us, considering our circumstances and guiding those of us who seek Him. I can think of no better way to be encouraged this morning than to spend some time soaking in the truth that I matter to Jesus…so much so that He gave His life to make a way for me to have relationship with Him, His Father, and The Spirit.