Family!

Look at John:19:25, "Near the cross of Jesus stood his mother…"

The crowds were mocking, the thieves were taunting, the priests were jeering, the soldiers were callous, not to mention indifferent, as Jesus bled and embraced His impending death.  Mary stood at the foot of the cross … Mary … A Mother … A Family Member!

When people mock, taunt, jeer and callously leave us to bleed and die, it is supposed to be the family – the family that God has blessed us with –who are called to stand at the foot of our cross.

That is how a family is supposed to operate! That is how a Godly family operates … our Genetic Family and our Church Family!

Spare Moments!

Our priorities determine how we spend our time.

The following statements should help us put time into perspective:

To know the value of one year -- ask the student who failed a final exam. To know the value of one month -- ask the mother of a premature baby. To know the value of one week -- ask the editor of a weekly news magazine. To know the value of one day -- ask the wage earner who has six children. To know the value of one hour -- ask a 60 Minutes fan. To know the value of one minute -- ask the person who missed the plane. To know the value of one second -- ask the person who survived the accident. To know the value of one millisecond -- ask the Olympic silver medalist.

Our time is priceless. Should we not spend just a little of it seeking out God’s power?

Here is an incredible action step:  We must all guard well our spare moments.

Our spare moments are like uncut diamonds. Discard them and their value will never be known. Improve them and they will become the brightest gems in a useful life.

Smile!

An IRS agent told a taxpayer this, “It is your duty as a citizen to pay taxes and we expect you to pay them with a smile.” The taxpayer (grinning widely) responded, “Wonderful! I thought you expected me to pay them with cash!”  What do we have to smile about?

Let us talk about God’s POWER!  That makes me smile!

Why should it be a priority for us to seek out and then celebrate God’s power?   How is that effort best done?

John 15:4-5 says, “Remain in me, and I will remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me. I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.”

Can you see how powerful God is?

Bearing much fruit is the byproduct of a powerful God at work in our lives!  Good Fruit – Spiritual Fruit -- only grows out of a healthy relationship with God! ONLY GOD HAS THE POWER TO MAKE THAT HAPPEN!

Can you see why we should prioritize seeking God’s power?  What is the difference between a relationship with God and a healthy relationship with God?  What is good fruit? What is bad fruit?

Our Hope!

Church, in these days, we need supernatural power for a superhuman work.

What Jesus says in John 15:5 is so very powerful, but even more important than that, it is so very true, “I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; but apart from me you can do nothing.”

God is attracted to our weaknesses.

That is what makes pray so powerful -- our utter dependence upon God! I am dependent today and I would not have it any other way! How about you? God cannot resist those who humbly and honestly admit how desperately they need Him. Our weakness, in fact, makes room for His power to be displayed.

Add that to your prayer life starting today!

In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth! God said that it was good!

Before there were tambourines, choirs, organs, praise teams, praise dancers and praise books -- before there was anyone to praise God, God praised Himself and said it is good. God stepped out onto nothing and said let there be something and it became whatever He said because He is sovereign and it is that sovereign God that we pray too today! Go ahead! Admit your dependence on God because when you are weak, then you are strong!

God’s Grace = Our Hope!

Here Sick!

“I tell you the truth, today you will be with me in paradise.” (Luke 23:43)

Just what is that “paradise”?

In this day and age, paradise is described as many different things, but when Jesus spoke of paradise, He spoke of the heavenly abode of God where there are found things prepared by God for those who love Him … things that are utterly indescribable. I am talking about heaven! “I tell you the truth, today you will be with me in heaven.”

As I have studied this verse, two things jumped out at me!

The thief was having bad day. He was being executed. Things did not look good for him. All seemed lost and then Jesus spoke words of hope into His existence because the thief believed! Jesus spoke words of grace into a world of hurt! Sure, things looked bad, but heaven was just around the corner. I also noticed that the verbal exchange that took place between Jesus and the thief took place at, “…the place of the skull.” (Matthew 27:32) The place of the skull, a hill called Golgotha, was not a pretty, green mountain. Golgotha was not a prime piece of real estate. It was actually a dead piece of mountainous dirt surrounded by a huge garbage dump … and it was from that location … within the heart of that hell … that Jesus spoke words of hope to that thief and reminded Him that because of faith, heaven would be a reality.

Like that thief, don’t some of us have bad days, weeks, months and or years?  Life, at times, has a way of making us feel like we are being executed … maybe not physically, but emotionally and relationally. Things, at times, do not look good. There are those moments when all seems lost, but then Jesus speaks words of hope into our existence -- because we believe – and reminds us that soon, very soon, we will be with Him in paradise aka heaven.

Life is a true blessing. We are all so loved and well taken care of, but there are those days when heaven is on our minds. There are those moments when we are not home sick, we are here sick. WE ARE SICK OF BEING HERE! Some of us are not existing on a “prime piece of real estate.” Too often, all we see surrounding us is rubbish, but … Heaven is just around the corner.

If you feel like you are on the cross today, look to your side … see Jesus … believe … and know that soon, you will be with Him in paradise.

Scabs!

Refusing to Forgive Hurts us Psychologically!

Folks, this is not a new concept! People who refuse to forgive -- people who entertain bitter thoughts and exhibit angry attitudes -- turn into bitter, angry and joyless people! What are you turning into?  We must not allow ourselves to become psychological hostages to our own hate. Some are not holding a grudge as much as a grudge is holding them. Resentment literally means, "to feel again." So, an unforgiving attitude that celebrates resentment causes one to cling to the past -- to relive it and re-feel it -- over and over again, picking at each "scab" so that the mental wound never has a chance to heal.

It is no wonder that Job 5:2 says, "To worry yourself to death with resentment would be a foolish, senseless thing to do." (The Living Bible)

Teeth and Lips!

Everyone loves the first portion of Matthew 6:12, but some tend to forget about the last portion, “Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.”

There are some days when genuine forgiveness seems like such a rare commodity… genuine forgiveness! I read last week that we live in a "dog-eat-dog" world; not a "dog-forgive-dog" world. Some nurse their sores and their grudges like they are so very precious. Many talk about "burying the hatchet," but a "map" is always kept handy that carefully marks the spot where that hatchet has been buried so that it can be dug up again when needed!

In our society, genuine forgiveness -- is at times -- as rare as teeth on a hen or lips on a chicken!  How you you and I live today?

Celebrate!

In Matthew 6:12, Jesus comes right out and says it, “Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors."

As I have studied that verse, here is what I have gleaned.  Jesus prayed that portion of the Lord's Prayer as a reminder for the moment that some stand in need of God’s forgiveness. Are you in need of God’s forgiveness today? Is Jesus your Lord and Savior?

Jesus also prayed that portion of The Lord’s Prayer as a reminder for a Christian’s lifetime that God forgave our debts when Jesus died willingly on the cross for the forgiveness of our sins.

I say we stop today and do a little celebrating!

God has covered our shortfall. The Blood of Christ – The Spotless Lamb – has completely paid the price. Oh, somebody ought to shout this morning!  1st Peter 3:18 says, “Christ died for sins once and for all...” Christian, there should be dancing in the streets today because we did not receive what we deserved, but instead we received mercy! That is some kind of love! Hallelujah!  Of all the people on planet earth, we as believers and followers of the Lord Jesus Christ should be the most joyful of souls. We are forgiven! Today is a day for the redeemed to re-establish the joy of their salvation!

To be forgiven of past sins, to be granted eternal life, to be an heir of the Kingdom, a joint heir with Jesus, these are realities which should bring joy to the believing soul - joy unspeakable and full of glory! Do you know what that often used phrase really means? Joy unspeakable and full of glory is joy that you cannot even put into words with a side order of God’s magnificence, splendor, beauty, wonder and brilliance!

Today, it is well with my soul! How about you?

Famous Last Words!

When someone passes away, people always seem to want to know, “Did the person who died say anything at the end that is worthy of remembrance?”

Most of us want to know what someone’s last words were. As a person faces their final breath, words of insight, words of truth and words of hope usually spring forth.

Let me share with you some “so-called” famous last words!

“This is the last of earth. I am content.” John Quincy Adams“

"Let not poor Nelly starve.” King Charles II

“It is better to burn out than to fade away.” Kurt Kobain

“My God! What Happened?” Princess Dianna

“I am shot!” John Lennon

“I told you that I was sick.” Spike Milligan

“I hope that I have not bored you.” Elvis Presley

“They could not hit an elephant at this distance.” General John Sedgwick

As Jesus hung on the cross, He gave us some famous last words. My guess is this: most of us are much more familiar with His famous last words than we are with the former. However, being familiar with the famous last words of Jesus is not enough. All of us must act on that knowledge.

There are actually seven different famous last phrases that Jesus gave us as He hung on the cross. I want us to look at phrase number one this morning, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.” (Luke 23:34).  Jesus offered forgiveness to the men who were murdering Him. Jesus asked God to forgive His executioners while they were taking His life.

Now, hear this!

In Matthew 3:15, Jesus told John the Baptist to baptize Him and here is the reason that Jesus gave, “…it is proper for us to do this to fulfill all righteousness.”  Jesus was reminding John that He had come to dot every “i” and to cross every “t”. Jesus was reminding John that He had come to provide for us the perfect example and -- teaching us to forgive -- was and still is -- a part of the required curriculum.

Jesus did not come down off of His cross and command 10,000 angels to totally wipeout His enemies, but instead, He hung there in shame and great humiliation so that we might be forgiven and to teach us how to forgive.

Priorities!

What is the definition of a priority?

There is an old saying that says, "You are never too old to learn." What are some things that you have just recently learned?

It seems as if God has been speaking to me -- as of late -- about the words found in Psalm 90:12, "(God) teach us to number our days aright, that we may gain a heart of wisdom.” Here is the Don Schultheis translated version of that verse, “(God) teach us to number our days and recognize how few they are; help us to spend them as we should."

How do today’s priorities affect tomorrow?

Life is like a dollar bill. You can spend it any way you want, but you can only spend it once. When you spend money, there are two options. You can waste it, or you can invest it. The same thing is true with life.  By re-evaluating our priorities, we can make the rest of our life the best of our life.

Explain!

During the game, the coach asked one of his young players, "Do you understand what cooperation is? What a team is?" The little boy nodded yes.

"Do you understand that what matters most is winning together as a team?" The little boy nodded yes. "So," the coach continued, "when a strike is called, or you are called out at first base, you do not argue or curse or attack the umpire. Do you understand all that?" Again, the boy nodded yes.

"Good," said the coach. "Now go over there and explain it to your mother."

God wants to explain some things.  I am willing to listen.  How about you?

A Pickle!

Have you ever been in a pickle?

Exodus 14:12 says, “Didn't we say to you in Egypt, 'Leave us alone; let us serve the Egyptians'? It would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than to die in the desert!"

In the midst of their predicament, the Israelites panicked and actually gave thought to prancing right back to Egypt. Their predicament stirred within them a yearning for the past and their former lives of slavery! If you are facing the Red Sea today – if you are right smack dab in the middle of a predicament -- do not allow temptation to send you back to your former life of slavery.  Yes, it might seem like the easiest way out, but God desires that you progress, not regress!

Do not give in just because a little water lies in front of you! Do not panic in the midst of your predicament! Anyone can throw in the towel! This is what I am getting at: Christians are expected to behave like Christians even when they are right smack dab in the middle of a predicament.

Christians are like tea bags: You do not know what is inside of them until you put them in a little hot water! Your faith is developed when things do not go as planned. Problems are not an elective. Problems are a part of the required curriculum.

We must never return to things that God has already brought us out of! We must not allow fear to force us into compromise.