Daily Manna (Coffee with Jesus)

“I am the way and the truth and the life. 

No one comes to the Father except through me.” –Jesus (John 14:6)

What you seek is standing right in front of you. –Jesus

In today’s language, we want what the religious scholars were seeking in Jesus’ day— “proof of life.”  What does proof of life mean?  Today, when someone is taken, we want evidence indicating that the victim is alive and well. Typically, a ransom demand is made in exchange for the loved one taken from us.  But the ransom demand will not be paid until there is confirmation, “proof of life,” that the hostage is still alive; usually in the form of a photograph with the victim holding up a current copy of a newspaper. 

For example: “I will not pay the ransom until I have proof of life” meaning I will not do what you say until evidence is given that you do indeed have what I want back.

Also: “Taylor, I will not pay your rent until I have proof of life; call your mother.”

We are all hostages of sin.  God wants us back.  Jesus came to pay the ransom demand for our sins so that we will be set free.  The proof of Life is Jesus’ resurrection from death to life everlasting!  This new, set free life, involves relationship with the One who loves us most.

Listen in as Jesus explains the ultimate “proof of life” to those demanding an answer.  Little do they know that the real Proof of Life everlasting is standing right in front of them!

Matthew 12, The Message

Jonah-Evidence

³⁸ Later a few religion scholars and Pharisees cornered him. “Teacher, we want to see your credentials. Give us some hard evidence that God is in this. How about a miracle?”

^39-40 Jesus said, “You’re looking for proof, but you’re looking for the wrong kind. All you want is something to titillate your curiosity, satisfy your lust for miracles. The only proof you’re going to get is what looks like the absence of proof: Jonah-evidence. Like Jonah, three days and nights in the fish’s belly, the Son of Man will be gone three days and nights in a deep grave.

^41-42 “On Judgment Day, the Ninevites will stand up and give evidence that will condemn this generation, because when Jonah preached to them they changed their lives. A far greater preacher than Jonah is here, and you squabble about ‘proofs.’ On Judgment Day, the Queen of Sheba will come forward and bring evidence that will condemn this generation, because she traveled from a far corner of the earth to listen to wise Solomon. Wisdom far greater than Solomon’s is right in front of you, and you quibble over ‘evidence.’

^43-45 “When a defiling evil spirit is expelled from someone, it drifts along through the desert looking for an oasis, some unsuspecting soul it can bedevil. When it doesn’t find anyone, it says, ‘I’ll go back to my old haunt.’ On return it finds the person spotlessly clean, but vacant. It then runs out and rounds up seven other spirits more evil than itself and they all move in, whooping it up. That person ends up far worse off than if he’d never gotten cleaned up in the first place.

“That’s what this generation is like: You may think you have cleaned out the junk from your lives and gotten ready for God, but you weren’t hospitable to my kingdom message, and now all the devils are moving back in.”

WHAT DO WE LEARN—HOW DO WE RESPOND?

Here is more proof of eternal life given to us by God through Jesus His Son:

Jesus paid the ransom for our lives.  God has done this through Christ, His Son, who is our ransom. Mark 10:45: “For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

^“Foryou know that God paid a ransom to save you from the empty life you inherited from your ancestors. And it was not paid with mere gold or silver, which lose their value. It was the precious blood of Christ, the sinless, spotless Lamb of God.God chose him as your ransom long before the world began, but now in these last days he has been revealed for your sake”.  1 Peter 1:18-20 NLT

Why?  “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”  John 3:16

The ransom has been paid in full.  The transaction has been made.  We have been rescued and set free.  We have life forever with Jesus! 

So, why go back to being held hostage by our captors of evil that leads ultimately to our death?  Jesus explains that this act of running back to our old sin nature and habits bind us even tighter making us worse off than we were before coming to Him to be set free.  Yikes!

How can we avoid being recaptured? 

• Ask the Holy Spirit to fill and feed our souls.  He eagerly stands ready to teach us the ways of God.  We will not remain “vacant” but filled with God’s glory as we grow in His character.

• Do what our enemy hates most:  Our enemy hates believers on their knees before God crying out in Jesus Name!  So, keep a clean house by consistently being with God to know God more.  There is nothing better in this life than developing an intimate relationship with God, our Father in heaven by talking and listening for His response to us daily.  God loves to hear from us…just like our parents did when we became adults.  

• Pray like Jesus!  Jesus taught us how to pray…see Matthew 6.  The enemy hates Kingdom of God thinking and behaving!  “Your Kingdom come; your will be done…”

Our enemy hates God-focused people because we are harder to distract!  So, stay focused on what Jesus calls living abundantly.  Proof of eternal life has been generously giving to us by the ransom Jesus paid for our lives.  We who believe that Jesus is not only Savior, but also Lord of our lives, are “evidence” of Kingdom of God thinking and doing.

“The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.” –Jesus (John 10:10 NKJV)

Lord,

You are Life to me.  You are Hope for the world.  I pray that those held captive by the enemy right now will stop and realize that all they need to do is call out in Your Name, repent, believe, and be set free!  YOU are our proof of Life eternal!  Yes, and Amen!

In Jesus Name, Amen

Rarely do I like to jump in between arguing by two opposing sides who both want their own way, but as parents it is mandatory to be the referee before your children who are both precious to you hurt or maim each other with words followed by slaps.  In bringing peace, we listen to each side present their “case” of unfairness and injustice.  Then the parent must choose the best course of action.  Most times, both children are wrong because they have chosen disobedience and they argue as a way to cover it up.  From both children, parents receive this question— “Whose side are you on?”  Sigh.  Our kids don’t get it in the heat of battle—as a parent we don’t take sides—we correct them because we love them.  We are on the side of all that is good for them.

We make decisions every hour of every day.  We make choices that guide the course of our lives.  To do nothing is also a choice!  Avoidance is also a choice.  Decisions, choices, and preferences we make affect not only our lives but it affects all those we relate to every day of our lives. 

Jesus teaches that there is one decision that is the most important one of our lives to make and decide we must!  There is no neutral ground upon which to stand.

“Choose this day whom you will serve…”  Joshua 24:15

“If you’re not on my side, you’re the enemy; if you’re not helping, you’re making things worse.” –Jesus

So, whose side are you on?

Matthew 12, The Message

No Neutral Ground

^22-23 Next a poor demon-afflicted wretch, both blind and deaf, was set down before him. Jesus healed him, gave him his sight and hearing. The people who saw it were impressed—“This has to be the Son of David!”

²⁴ But the Pharisees, when they heard the report, were cynical. “Black magic,” they said. “Some devil trick he’s pulled from his sleeve.”

^25-27 Jesus confronted their slander. “A judge who gives opposite verdicts on the same person cancels himself out; a family that’s in a constant squabble disintegrates; if Satan banishes Satan, is there any Satan left? If you’re slinging devil mud at me, calling me a devil kicking out devils, doesn’t the same mud stick to your own exorcists?

^28-29 “But if it’s by God’s power that I am sending the evil spirits packing, then God’s kingdom is here for sure. How in the world do you think it’s possible in broad daylight to enter the house of an awake, able-bodied man and walk off with his possessions unless you tie him up first? Tie him up, though, and you can clean him out.

³⁰ “This is war, and there is no neutral ground. If you’re not on my side, you’re the enemy; if you’re not helping, you’re making things worse.

^31-32 “There’s nothing done or said that can’t be forgiven. But if you deliberately persist in your slanders against God’s Spirit, you are repudiating the very One who forgives. If you reject the Son of Man out of some misunderstanding, the Holy Spirit can forgive you, but when you reject the Holy Spirit, you’re sawing off the branch on which you’re sitting, severing by your own perversity all connection with the One who forgives.

³³ “If you grow a healthy tree, you’ll pick healthy fruit. If you grow a diseased tree, you’ll pick worm-eaten fruit. The fruit tells you about the tree.

^34-37 “You have minds like a snake pit! How do you suppose what you say is worth anything when you are so foul-minded? It’s your heart, not the dictionary, that gives meaning to your words. A good person produces good deeds and words season after season. An evil person is a blight on the orchard. Let me tell you something: Every one of these careless words is going to come back to haunt you. There will be a time of Reckoning. Words are powerful; take them seriously. Words can be your salvation. Words can also be your damnation.”

WHAT DO WE LEARN—HOW DO WE RESPOND?

Jesus is Lord.  Jesus is King of kings and Lord of lords.  Jesus is alpha and omega, from beginning to the end.  Jesus is Lord of the Sabbath (yesterday’s lesson). Jesus came to earth to save us from our sins by taking the punishment we deserve for our sins.  He chose us because He loves us.  Jesus was, is and always will be driven by the love of God.  God offers eternal life by believing in His Son and choosing to walk with Him.  In walking with God, we receive the blessing of growing in his character with protection from the enemy.  God’s love for us never changes and never ends.  Jesus at this moment is preparing a place for us to live with him in paradise, a place unimaginable in beauty.  Jesus is Life.  Jesus defeated the sting of death forever.

Satan is a former angel who was kicked out of heaven.  He was so full of pride and arrogance that he thought he could not only be like God but BE God.  Satan is a liar.  He is a joy robber who plays with our emotions.  Satan manipulates truth to get what he wants—us!  Satan hates us with a strong desire to lead us all to a forever fiery death.  His ultimate goal is defeating Jesus—but he did not.  But he still wants us to think he can—but he cannot.

We have a choice to make between two opposing sides.  So, whose side are we on? 

We decide daily.  Our words and behaviors will automatically reflect the choice our hearts have made—and world looking on will know who we love most. 

Lord,

The choice is clear.  Life or death?  I choose life.  I choose you.  You have loved me before I knew what love was!  I trust you, dear Jesus.  I have decided to follow you, no turning back, no turning back.

In Jesus Name, For Your Glory, Amen!

When there is trouble in a location that might lead to more trouble for others involved, the police are typically called. Upon police investigation, one of the first questions they will ask is, “Who’s in charge here?”  In other words, who started this and who is keeping it going?  Police investigators know that if they find the one in charge they can resolve the issue much quicker.  Hold that thought.

By this time in the story of Jesus, His popularity is gaining followers of all kinds.  People are impressed and intrigued with his ability to heal with compassion and teach without condemnation.  Jesus embodies a love they have never seen before and they are drawn to this love.  Those attracted to Him cannot explain why they want to be where He is, they just do.  Some people are intrigued by his words of Truth, gently spoken.  Those who have been taught scriptures from childhood and believe what God says are beginning to wonder if this is the Messiah who they have all been longing for, the One who will set them free from their lives of oppression.  All kinds of people with all kinds of wondering.

And then there are others who follow Jesus as religious spies who critique and judge every word and action Jesus makes in order to destroy his reputation, mission, and ministry.  Fear of losing their power drives their actions.  Yes, the Pharisee Police are out to bait him, write him up, with the goal of getting rid of Jesus once and for all. 

However, Jesus is in charge. His death for our sins and resurrection with victory over death proves that God is in charge!  Jesus, God’s Son has been in charge from beginning to end that’s why He is called “alpha and omega”.  We discover that the “end” is actually the beginning of life forever for all who believe He is in charge and readily accept Jesus as King of kings and Lord of lords—the position God gave His Son upon completion of His mission to save us from our sins and reconcile us to God! 

May God’s Holy Spirit guide and lead us always back to God through Jesus Christ, His Son, who is the Way to Truth and Life eternal.  Yes!  And Amen!

Matthew 12:1-21, The Message

In Charge of the Sabbath

^1-2 One Sabbath, Jesus was strolling with his disciples through a field of ripe grain. Hungry, the disciples were pulling off the heads of grain and munching on them. Some Pharisees reported them to Jesus: “Your disciples are breaking the Sabbath rules!”

^3-5 Jesus said, “Really? Didn’t you ever read what David and his companions did when they were hungry, how they entered the sanctuary and ate fresh bread off the altar, bread that no one but priests were allowed to eat? And didn’t you ever read in God’s Law that priests carrying out their Temple duties break Sabbath rules all the time and it’s not held against them?

^6-8 “There is far more at stake here than religion. If you had any idea what this Scripture meant—‘I prefer a flexible heart to an inflexible ritual’—you wouldn’t be nitpicking like this. The Son of Man is no yes-man to the Sabbath; he’s in charge.”

^9-10 When Jesus left the field, he entered their meeting place. There was a man there with a crippled hand. They said to Jesus, “Is it legal to heal on the Sabbath?” They were baiting him.

^11-14 He replied, “Is there a person here who, finding one of your lambs fallen into a ravine, wouldn’t, even though it was a Sabbath, pull it out? Surely kindness to people is as legal as kindness to animals!” Then he said to the man, “Hold out your hand.” He held it out and it was healed. The Pharisees walked out furious, sputtering about how they were going to ruin Jesus.

In Charge of Everything

^15-21 Jesus, knowing they were out to get him, moved on. A lot of people followed him, and he healed them all. He also cautioned them to keep it quiet, following guidelines set down by Isaiah:

Look well at my handpicked servant;
    I love him so much, take such delight in him.
I’ve placed my Spirit on him;
    he’ll decree justice to the nations.
But he won’t yell, won’t raise his voice;
    there’ll be no commotion in the streets.
He won’t walk over anyone’s feelings,
    won’t push you into a corner.
Before you know it, his justice will triumph;
    the mere sound of his name will signal hope, even
        among far-off unbelievers.

WHAT DO WE LEARN—HOW DO WE RESPOND?

Jesus is in charge of our final destination—whether we believe it or not. 

Jesus wants to be in charge of our lives now.  To all who believe, seeking forgiveness and freedom from sin, submitting to His authority to be in charge; Jesus is Savior and He is Lord of our lives.

God so loved the world, all of us, He sent His Son to save us.   “While we were yet sinners, Jesus came to save us.”  “All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.”  (See Romans 5-8)

God so loves us still and wants the best for us.  He uses good times and bad times to teach us and strengthen our resolved faith.

God gives us purpose and significance in this life as we prepare for life forever with Him.  We become contributors to His Kingdom as opposed to merely consumers.

Jesus left earth physically but sent His Holy Spirit, the third part of God, to come and live in us until He comes back again.  When we really believe that Jesus stood in our place to accept our punishment for our sins—all of them—His Helper comes to take up residence in our hearts.  The Helper transforms our minds and daily feeds and fills our souls with the mind of Christ!

We can’t be “good” on our own.  I’ve tried, it doesn’t work.  Instead we seek to become better, to think and behave more like Jesus, as we yield to His Spirit.  Only God is good. So, it is not perfection we seek, but perfect forgiveness from Jesus. We then realize we are not left alone to do life on our own—His Holy Spirit helps and counsels us with every step we take on our journey of walking with God.  The Helper gives the wisdom we need to live skillfully in the unforced rhythm of God’s grace.  Our hearts begin to beat with God’s heart.

“I will always be with you even unto the end of the age,” promises Jesus.  And He always keeps His promises.  (Matthew 28)

The One in charge wants to oversee yielded hearts completely committed to Him.  When Jesus takes control—miracles happen!  Hope reigns.  He give us blessed assurance that fills us with confidence in the unseen, hope for the future, with a faith that we never knew before knowing Him.  

Jesus is the same yesterday, today and tomorrow with the power to change everything about us!  He changes our thinking, perspectives, behaviors, and actions as we learn and grow in His character!    

Our response?  Let Him have His way…

Lord and Savior,

Thank you, thank you, thank you.  All my hope is in you for you are Life!

In Jesus Name, Amen

It is difficult to impossible to teach someone who think they already know it all.  Know-it-alls do not contain all the knowledge of the world but have a human pride and arrogance that makes people, including themselves, think they do know everything.  They are the great imposters who “fake it ‘til they make it” in the world of business and human relationships.  Their arrogance belittles others into thinking maybe they do know it all.  People with these attitudes are probably the most frustrating people to build a relationship with in business or among friends and relatives.

I remember a little boy around 8 years old who’s mom wanted me to teach him how to play the piano.  I wondered, knowing his know-it-all personality, if he really wanted to learn but I consented to the task.  I prepared for the first lesson with the books I normally used with other students.  We sat at the piano together.  The first words from his mouth were, “I already know how to play the piano my way so I don’t need those books.”

My observation of his previous efforts of playing my piano verified he did not.  As we preceded with the first lesson, I became frustrated by his arrogance, pride, and know-it-all attitude.  I turned to my grandson, my beloved, and told him, “Until you are ready to listen with a heart to learn from me, our lessons will cease.  You come back to me when you are hungry to learn.”  I didn’t want to hurt our grandma/grandson relationship with attempting to force teaching on an unwilling student.  I told him I loved him.  Then I prayed for him.

Dear Jesus, I get it!  I understand your frustration in teaching people about the Kingdom of God to know-it-alls who think they have it all together and need nothing from you!  Piano lessons are a very small thing compared to your teaching that explains who God is, what He expects, with how to please God by loving Him with all our hearts, minds, and souls with the reward of eternal life by repenting of our sins!  The message is clear but know-it-alls cannot see it.  Thank you for teaching ordinary people the Way to Truth which leads to eternal Life!  Thank you for not giving up on us!

Matthew 11:20-30, The Message

The Unforced Rhythms of Grace

²⁰ Next Jesus unleashed on the cities where he had worked the hardest but whose people had responded the least, shrugging their shoulders and going their own way.

^21-24 “Doom to you, Chorazin! Doom, Bethsaida! If Tyre and Sidon had seen half of the powerful miracles you have seen, they would have been on their knees in a minute. At Judgment Day they’ll get off easy compared to you. And Capernaum! With all your peacock strutting, you are going to end up in the abyss. If the people of Sodom had had your chances, the city would still be around. At Judgment Day they’ll get off easy compared to you.”

^25-26 Abruptly Jesus broke into prayer: “Thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth. You’ve concealed your ways from sophisticates and know-it-alls, but spelled them out clearly to ordinary people. Yes, Father, that’s the way you like to work.”

²⁷ Jesus resumed talking to the people, but now tenderly. “The Father has given me all these things to do and say. This is a unique Father-Son operation, coming out of Father and Son intimacies and knowledge. No one knows the Son the way the Father does, nor the Father the way the Son does. But I’m not keeping it to myself; I’m ready to go over it line by line with anyone willing to listen.

^28-30 “Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you’ll recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly.”

WHAT DO WE LEARN—HOW DO WE RESPOND?

PRAYER TEACHES US THE UNFORCED RHYTHMS OF GOD’S GRACE

Jesus teaches us three very important principles of being and doing when we minister:

WHEN FRUSTRATED—ABRUTLY STOP AND PRAY.  Stop everything, drop to our knees, and pray to God the Father who does indeed know it all!  He knows our hearts and He knows the hearts of the people we teaching.  He knows the outcomes of our efforts.  He knows exactly what we need as well as what the listeners need.  God knows and works in ways we might not understand in the moment. So, we pray for the people in front of us as we pray for ourselves.  Our temper cannot and will not make people suddenly realize that they need Jesus. 

PRAYER CALMS OUR FRUSTRATIONS.  Jesus, our perfect example, abruptly stopped in his frustration to pray.  This act of prayer brought calm to his warranted frustration.  Look at how He prayed.  He did not ask for God to smite the know-it-alls but rather He first thanked God.  It is in thanking God that Jesus (Son of Man and Son of God) realized again how His compassionate and loving Father works among His people.  He also realized that He would not be able to convince all the people of their need to turn back to God.  Yes, even Jesus could not save those who refused His teaching.  Man has free will—created in Him by God.

PRAYER CHANGES OUR ATTITUDE.  “Jesus resumed talking to the people, but now tenderly.”  Jesus returns to ministering with the unforced rhythm of grace and speaks with the compassion of the Father.  To those who are ready to listen, the ordinary people, Jesus encourages, “I’ll go over this line by line….”  This portrays the longsuffering patience God has for each one of us.  Oh, how we must frustrate our Father God from time to time when we think we know it all!

What is our first thought in frustration?  This is growing process as we learn the unforced rhythms of His grace at work in our lives and in the lives around us.  Go with the Rhythm!  Going against the Rhythm makes us tired and weary.  But guess what, God has a plan for that as well:

“Come to me. Get away with me and you’ll recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest. Walkwith me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly.” –Jesus

Lord,

Wow, what an encouraging passage!  When we come to the height of human frustration, you teach us how to handle it!  Help us to not sin in our anger.  That leads to nowhere but pain.  Help us to avoid letting our tempers take the lead from frustration.  Instead, may we learn the unforced, freely pronounced rhythm of your grace so well that we do it without thinking about it. My desire is to live to the beat of your heart!  Transform me so I can be more like you!

In Jesus Name, Amen

To live with expecting God to be with us always, as promised, is a blessing.  To wait with expectation for God to act because you know He will, is a blessing from God to us.  To expect salvation through Jesus with complete forgiveness for sins is a blessing!  Expectations about God come with blessings from God.  Here are just a few verses from God’s Word about “expecting” …

• “But if we hope for what we do not see, with perseverance we wait eagerly for it.” Romans 8:25
• “The hope of the righteous is gladness, But the expectation of the wicked perishes.”  Proverbs 10:28
• “My soul, waits in silence for God only, for my hope is from Him.” Psalm 62:5
• “In the morning, O Lord, You will hear my voice; In the morning I will order my prayer to You and eagerly watch.” Psalm 5:3
• “For the needy will not always be forgotten, Nor the hope of the afflicted perish forever.” Psalm 9:18

There is so much more that God says about our expectations about Him and what He will do to save us and deliver us.  As Jesus answers John’s question, “Are you the One, He takes our expectation thoughts deeper.

What are you expecting? What are you expecting God to do in and through you? 

Matthew 11, The Message

John the Baptizer

When Jesus finished placing this charge before his twelve disciples, he went on to teach and preach in their villages.

^2-3 John, meanwhile, had been locked up in prison. When he got wind of what Jesus was doing, he sent his own disciples to ask, “Are you the One we’ve been expecting, or are we still waiting?”

^4-6 Jesus told them, “Go back and tell John what’s going on:

The blind see,
The lame walk,
Lepers are cleansed,
The deaf hear,
The dead are raised,
The wretched of the earth learn that God is on their side.

“Is this what you were expecting? Then count yourselves most blessed!”

^7-10 When John’s disciples left to report, Jesus started talking to the crowd about John. “What did you expect when you went out to see him in the wild? A weekend camper? Hardly. What then? A sheik in silk pajamas? Not in the wilderness, not by a long shot. What then? A prophet? That’s right, a prophet! Probably the best prophet you’ll ever hear. He is the prophet that Malachi announced when he wrote, ‘I’m sending my prophet ahead of you, to make the road smooth for you.’

^11-14 “Let me tell you what’s going on here: No one in history surpasses John the Baptizer; but in the kingdom he prepared you for, the lowliest person is ahead of him. For a long time now people have tried to force themselves into God’s kingdom. But if you read the books of the Prophets and God’s Law closely, you will see them culminate in John, teaming up with him in preparing the way for the Messiah of the kingdom. Looked at in this way, John is the ‘Elijah’ you’ve all been expecting to arrive and introduce the Messiah.

¹⁵ “Are you listening to me? Really listening?

^16-19 “How can I account for this generation? The people have been like spoiled children whining to their parents, ‘We wanted to skip rope, and you were always too tired; we wanted to talk, but you were always too busy.’ John came fasting and they called him crazy. I came feasting and they called me a boozer, a friend of the misfits. Opinion polls don’t count for much, do they? The proof of the pudding is in the eating.”

WHAT DO WE LEARN—HOW DO WE RESPOND?

Jesus is the One we are expecting to come back to claim His own and take us home.  The “proof” is in the fulfillment of what God said, accomplished once and for all in Jesus.

Paul writes to the Romans (and us) about who we are and what to expect from our Savior and Lord:

Believe.  “Those who enter into Christ’s being-here-for-us no longer have to live under a continuous, low-lying black cloud. A new power is in operation. The Spirit of life in Christ, like a strong wind, has magnificently cleared the air, freeing you from a fated lifetime of brutal tyranny at the hands of sin and death.” Romans 8:1-2

Expect. “This resurrection life you received from God is not a timid, grave-tending life. It’s adventurously expectant, greeting God with a childlike “What’s next, Papa?” God’s Spirit touches our spirits and confirms who we really are. We know who he is, and we know who we are: Father and children. And we know we are going to get what’s coming to us—an unbelievable inheritance! We go through exactly what Christ goes through. If we go through the hard times with him, then we’re certainly going to go through the good times with him!” Romans 8:15-19, MSG

Live with expectant, anticipated joy:  “That’s why I don’t think there’s any comparison between the present hard times and the coming good times. The created world itself can hardly wait for what’s coming next. Everything in creation is being more or less held back. God reins it in until both creation and all the creatures are ready and can be released at the same moment into the glorious times ahead. Meanwhile, the joyful anticipation deepens.  Romans 8:18-21, MSG

Lose to Gain.  “So don’t you see that we don’t owe this old do-it-yourself life one red cent. There’s nothing in it for us, nothing at all. The best thing to do is give it a decent burial and get on with your new life. God’s Spirit beckons. There are things to do and places to go!”  Romans 8:12-14

Lord,

We cannot help but see your glory at work in our lives and in the lives of those around us.  We know you love us and want the best for us.  We know and believe that you are always with us.  We know and believe you are for us, not against us.  We know that you have saved us from all our sins.  Thank you for allowing us to trade up from our old way of life to a new life with joyful expectancy in You.  Thank you for a place in your Kingdom. So, what’s next, Papa?

In Jesus Name, For Your Glory, Amen

Jesus came to earth to turn the tables of thinking upside down!  No, I’m not talking about the time He physically overturned the merchant tables at the Temple, I’m talking about how He came to cleanse hearts, renew minds, refresh souls and restore the joy of His salvation at work in the lives of God’s created humans.  This task was beyond doing by Temple leadership.  The current priests, scribes and other teachers of the Law set aside the true intent of The Law to the point of using The Law as just a way to gain power for themselves over the people they were supposed to be guiding, serving, and helping.

These leaders stepped into power by other men based on tradition and generational position in the community.  God no longer looked on these manipulators of His Law as people of authority.  God sent His Son as THE authority to change minds and teach truth because Jesus was Truth.  Jesus proclaimed upside down thinking to these leaders of self-promotion and to His followers listening, “If your first concern is to look after yourself, you’ll never find yourself. But if you forget about yourself and look to me, you’ll find both yourself and me.” 

In other words, real life is not about you, it’s about God.  Life is about what God wants to do in us.  Life is being with God, learning and growing in an intimate loving relationship.  Life is losing and leaving our own agendas in the dust of the world and looking solely to what God wants.  True, real life is a forever life with God and His Son.  This is what it means when Jesus teaches a new thinking, “lose to gain” to his followers.

Jesus began with God’s people but extended this work to all people.  Why?  “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”  (John 3:16) 

God thinks we are all worth His love, mercy and grace!  Listen in as Jesus explains…

Matthew 10, The Message

Forget About Yourself

^29-31 “What’s the price of a pet canary? Some loose change, right? And God cares what happens to it even more than you do. He pays even greater attention to you, down to the last detail—even numbering the hairs on your head! So don’t be intimidated by all this bully talk. You’re worth more than a million canaries.

^32-33 “Stand up for me against world opinion and I’ll stand up for you before my Father in heaven. If you turn tail and run, do you think I’ll cover for you?

^34-37 “Don’t think I’ve come to make life cozy. I’ve come to cut—make a sharp knife-cut between son and father, daughter and mother, bride and mother-in-law—cut through these cozy domestic arrangements and free you for God. Well-meaning family members can be your worst enemies. If you prefer father or mother over me, you don’t deserve me. If you prefer son or daughter over me, you don’t deserve me.

^38-39 “If you don’t go all the way with me, through thick and thin, you don’t deserve me. If your first concern is to look after yourself, you’ll never find yourself. But if you forget about yourself and look to me, you’ll find both yourself and me.

^40-42 “We are intimately linked in this harvest work. Anyone who accepts what you do, accepts me, the One who sent you. Anyone who accepts what I do accepts my Father, who sent me. Accepting a messenger of God is as good as being God’s messenger. Accepting someone’s help is as good as giving someone help. This is a large work I’ve called you into, but don’t be overwhelmed by it. It’s best to start small. Give a cool cup of water to someone who is thirsty, for instance. The smallest act of giving or receiving makes you a true apprentice. You won’t lose out on a thing.”

WHAT DO WE LEARN—HOW DO WE RESPOND?

We worth more than a million canaries that God looks after each day!

God pays attention to all the details of our lives!  He even delights in our details.  Nothing we deal with daily goes unnoticed in our lives.  God care for us goes to infinity and beyond!

“We are intimately linked”, says Jesus.  We are together with Him in our lives with God.  “Stand up for me and I’ll stand up for you.”  How many times have we said that to each other but couldn’t hold up our promise to them because of unforeseen circumstances.  We cannot always count on people, even those in our family, but we can ALWAYS count on Jesus. 

Jesus is our advocate to the Father, God.  Jesus is the Way, Truth, and Life.  No one goes the Father without believing, repenting of sins, trusting and obeying Jesus.  The bonus is that Jesus’ power works in us helping us to do what He says!  Wow! Again, life is not about us and what we want but what God wants and what He wants is always the best for us.  If we “go all the way” with Jesus in the lead, undeterred or distracted by the world around us, we will have nothing to lose—but self.  Self gets us into trouble.  Self-desires distract us from God.  Self will be a continual battle, but with Jesus, we can have victory over self!

While on earth Jesus got alone often to communicate with God, asking Him what His will is with direction about what to do next.  The gospel writers witnessed this act of obedience to God and ask Jesus to teach them how to communion with God through prayer.  Jesus readily taught them (and us) how to pray and listen to God.  (See Matthew 6) 

Communion with God, In Jesus Name, never ceasing in praying and listening to God, is “being” while recognizing God in us—the “secret” to real life, as Paul writes when he discovered being before doing.  (Colossians 1:27)  If Jesus went to God first before doing anything significant in His life, who are we not to do the same?  This act of “being” before God help us to know God. The more we know God, them the more we know what God wants.

Being with God in prayer, worship, and listening removes self as we lean into what God wants.  He even removes self-doubt!

Overwhelmed by God and what He asks us to be and do?  Not to worry, Jesus explains the simplicity of losing to gain by beginning small.  Offer a glass of water to a thirsty soul. We can’t lose anything but self and have everything to gain by trusting and obeying what Jesus says is the way to God, the Truth of His love with eternal Life with God. 

Proof that beginning small can work in our world today reminds me of the young man who was bullied in school.  He decided to start small in relating to others in a better, more positive way.  Josh Yandt explains that after his father died, he became depressed and felt alone. To make matters worse he was bullied at school for missing his father. At first he didn’t know what to do, but one day he decided to stand up to his bullies by opening doors.

“I was sick and tired of being a no one. I wanted to be someone. And I wanted to reach out to people and show who I was,” Josh says in the video. He began holding the doors open for his classmates and greeting them. The simple act not only changed his whole life, it also had a positive effect on the entire school.

“And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him. “Glory to God!” Angels and saints alike have uttered these words. They encapsulate much of why we exist. We exist to glorify God in and through our lives.”  Colossians 3:17 in another translation – “Let every detail in your lives – words, actions, whatever – be done in the name of the Master, Jesus, thanking God the Father every step of the way.”  Yes!

Jesus’ message is clear.  THIS is what it means to lose ourselves, forgetting what we think we want, to gain knowledge of what God wants to do in and through us.  So, open a door, offer a cup of water, pick up trash, look into the eyes of people with compassion, setting aside our own interests for theirs…all with a loving smile because of Jesus in us.  Be different.  Be a Kingdom thinker and doer.

Lord,

Your words are easy to understand and essential for growing in your character as I strive to become more like you.  Now we must act on what you have taught us.  May all the details of my life be done in your Name for your glory.  May your Kingdom come and monopolize my thinking.  May your will be done in my behaviors. 

In Jesus Name, Amen

Kingdom of God training of His followers by Jesus looks nothing like how the world trains us for a new job in the company!  We are taught in this world to rise up and be heard no matter what.  We are told to “fake it ‘til you make it.”  Leaders considered successful by the world’s standards must be insanely rich, naturally aggressively who step on anyone who gets in their way of reaching their goals. Influential leaders can easily manipulate and dominate every conversation so that full attention is drawn to themselves.  They sell themselves as they sell their product while bullying people into submission to follow where they lead.  Mm…

Jesus’ Kingdom of God training seems quite a bit different.  Just preceding this chapter, Jesus called on everyone to “pray for workers for the harvest” of lost souls who were all around Him.  God answered His prayer and sent him twelve men to train for Kingdom work.  One becomes Twelve.  Twelve exponentially many.  (Do the math, that’s a lesson in and of itself!)

By the way, Jesus always prayed to God, His Father, before doing anything significant in God’s work.  That was His mantra, his habit and discipline.  Jesus—Master Teacher.  Later—Savior and Lord of believing lives committed to Him!

Let’s listen in to His training session…take notes!

Matthew 10:1-28, The Message

The Twelve Harvest Hands

^1-4 The prayer was no sooner prayed than it was answered. Jesus called twelve of his followers and sent them into the ripe fields. He gave them power to kick out the evil spirits and to tenderly care for the bruised and hurt lives. This is the list of the twelve he sent:

Simon (they called him Peter, or “Rock”),

Andrew, his brother,

James, Zebedee’s son,

John, his brother,

Philip,

Bartholomew,

Thomas,

Matthew, the tax man,

James, son of Alphaeus,

Thaddaeus,

Simon, the Canaanite,

Judas Iscariot (who later turned on him).

^5-8 Jesus sent his twelve harvest hands out with this charge:

“Don’t begin by traveling to some far-off place to convert unbelievers. And don’t try to be dramatic by tackling some public enemy. Go to the lost, confused people right here in the neighborhood. Tell them that the kingdom is here. Bring health to the sick. Raise the dead. Touch the untouchables. Kick out the demons. You have been treated generously, so live generously.

^9-10 “Don’t think you have to put on a fund-raising campaign before you start. You don’t need a lot of equipment. You are the equipment, and all you need to keep that going is three meals a day. Travel light.

¹¹ “When you enter a town or village, don’t insist on staying in a luxury inn. Get a modest place with some modest people, and be content there until you leave.

^12-15 “When you knock on a door, be courteous in your greeting. If they welcome you, be gentle in your conversation. If they don’t welcome you, quietly withdraw. Don’t make a scene. Shrug your shoulders and be on your way. You can be sure that on Judgment Day they’ll be mighty sorry—but it’s no concern of yours now.

¹⁶ “Stay alert. This is hazardous work I’m assigning you. You’re going to be like sheep running through a wolf pack, so don’t call attention to yourselves. Be as shrewd as a snake, inoffensive as a dove.

^17-20 “Don’t be naive. Some people will question your motives, others will smear your reputation—just because you believe in me. Don’t be upset when they haul you before the civil authorities. Without knowing it, they’ve done you—and me—a favor, given you a platform for preaching the kingdom news! And don’t worry about what you’ll say or how you’ll say it. The right words will be there; the Spirit of your Father will supply the words.

^21-23 “When people realize it is the living God you are presenting and not some idol that makes them feel good, they are going to turn on you, even people in your own family. There is a great irony here: proclaiming so much love, experiencing so much hate! But don’t quit. Don’t cave in. It is all well worth it in the end. It is not success you are after in such times but survival. Be survivors! Before you’ve run out of options, the Son of Man will have arrived.

^24-25 “A student doesn’t get a better desk than her teacher. A laborer doesn’t make more money than his boss. Be content—pleased, even—when you, my students, my harvest hands, get the same treatment I get. If they call me, the Master, ‘Dungface,’ what can the workers expect?

^26-27 “Don’t be intimidated. Eventually everything is going to be out in the open, and everyone will know how things really are. So don’t hesitate to go public now.

²⁸ “Don’t be bluffed into silence by the threats of bullies. There’s nothing they can do to your soul, your core being. Save your fear for God, who holds your entire life—body and soul—in his hands.

WHAT DO WE LEARN—HOW DO WE RESPOND?

We learn plenty!  We learn that our power comes from His Holy Spirit living in us.  We cannot do life without being with God first.  We cannot do life alone.  We need Jesus and other believers for God’s Kingdom work of helping others find and follow Him with us.  Do the math!

Not everyone will agree and believe what we say about Jesus as the Holy Spirit speaks through us.  However, our souls will remain intake in God’s hands of protection when we are under attack from bullies of evil.  This is blessed assurance of God’s love for us as His love abides in us. 

Lead with the love of Jesus. Imitate how Jesus related to others who needed healing and wholeness, salvation, and freedom.  There was no condemnation, only compassion with a way forward to freedom from sin.  (See also Philippians 2 as a reference.) 

Read Matthew’s passage again for all the character traits we need to develop as we represent Jesus to others.  Make a list…I’ll get you started:  Live generously.  Travel light.  Be content.  Be courteous and gentle.  Stay alert.  Move on when they say no to Jesus.  Point people to Jesus not you….and the training continues. 

Did you notice that this Kingdom of God training is the opposite of today’s thinking for those who do not know or follow Jesus?  But, yet, we are prone to bring to play all the “principles of the highly successful” into our churches and treat Christ Body of Believers (church) as a business venture.  Oh, how this must break the heart of God.  Pride, arrogance, putting our interests ahead of others, are not traits of Jesus, who is the Cornerstone upon which we build our lives together as His people called “church.” 

Oh Lord,

Help us to live in the world but not play a part in it’s thinking and behaving.  Give us your wisdom that is the opposite of the conventional wisdom of the world.  Cleanse our hearts, renew and transform our minds, refresh and feed our souls, help us develop your character while restoring the blessed joy of your salvation at work within us.  Thank you for training us to be all you want us to be before doing anything. 

In Jesus Name, For Your Glory, Amen

“You must have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had…” Philippians 2:5

“And what does the Lord require of you?  To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.”  Micah 6:8

A few years ago I was involved in a Bible study group that challenged our thinking as we dove deep into God’s Word.  It was not about mere opinions of what was being said, but more of taking the Word as Truth that no one can change.  We were challenged to answer a very important question at the beginning, in the middle and at the end of the study;

Do you really believe that what God says about Himself and His Son, Jesus, really real?

Stopping in our study to seriously answer this soul-searching question caused us to examine the condition of our hearts.  You can grow up in the church, attend all the church functions, read the Bible daily, know all the rules and traditions and obey them to the best of your ability and yet remain in a state of mind that is only impressed with Jesus as a good teacher.  Impressions, sacrifices of our time for church, focusing on doing good things is not what God is looking for first from us.  He wants us. 

God wants to walk and talk with us in consistent communion with Him.  God wants all our attention.  2 Chronicles 16:9 tells us that God looks over the earth to seek hearts fully committed to Him no matter what is happening around them.  God wants to pour out blessings of His growing character into these believing hearts!  God wants to fill all of who we are, (heart, mind and soul) with all of who He is—into our whole being.  Being is primary.  Doing is secondary.  Both are important just as both arms are important for the balance of our physical bodies.  Being with God prompts doing what He says.

So, do you really believe that what God says is really real?

Jesus challenges the blind men who want to see with this very question with a follow up command—Become what you believe. 

Matthew 9, The Message

Become What You Believe

^27-28 As Jesus left the house, he was followed by two blind men crying out, “Mercy, Son of David! Mercy on us!” When Jesus got home, the blind men went in with him. Jesus said to them, “Do you really believe I can do this?” They said, “Why, yes, Master!”

^29-31 He touched their eyes and said, “Become what you believe.” It happened. They saw. Then Jesus became very stern. “Don’t let a soul know how this happened.” But they were hardly out the door before they started blabbing it to everyone they met.

^32-33 Right after that, as the blind men were leaving, a man who had been struck speechless by an evil spirit was brought to Jesus. As soon as Jesus threw the evil tormenting spirit out, the man talked away just as if he’d been talking all his life. The people were up on their feet applauding: “There’s never been anything like this in Israel!”

³⁴ The Pharisees were left sputtering, “Smoke and mirrors. It’s nothing but smoke and mirrors. He’s probably made a pact with the Devil.”

^35-38 Then Jesus made a circuit of all the towns and villages. He taught in their meeting places, reported kingdom news, and healed their diseased bodies, healed their bruised and hurt lives. When he looked out over the crowds, his heart broke. So confused and aimless they were, like sheep with no shepherd. “What a huge harvest!” he said to his disciples. “How few workers! On your knees and pray for harvest hands!”

WHAT DO WE LEARN—HOW DO WE RESPOND?

What does “become what you believe” look like?  Let’s begin Jesus.  Jesus personified the love God has for us.  Jesus taught Kingdom of God thinking and healed those broken by life on earth.  Jesus’ heart was broken as He looked over all the precious lives created by God who needed God desperately.  God’s love that sent Jesus into the world to save all who would believe, really believe, now prompted Jesus’ challenge to all who follow Him: “On your knees and pray for harvest hands!” 

Do you really believe who God is and what He says is really real?

Become what you believe!

If our answer to Jesus is the same as the blind men, “Why, yes, Master” then we, too must become what we say we believe.  God’s love in us, working through us to become fully formed from the inside out, is the beginning to really believing and becoming.  Jesus asked the blind men, “do you really believe I can do this”?  Hearing their affirmative response Jesus replied, “Become what you believe.”

God wants us love Him back with the same kind of love He has for us—without conditions or bargaining.  God wants a growing, intimate, loving relationship with us that is eternal.  Jesus tells his followers that loving God is the greatest command from God.  Second to that command is to love each other like God loves us!  Paul describes this unique love of God in a very familiar passage:

“If I could speak all the languages of earth and of angels, but didn’t love others, I would only be a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. If I had the gift of prophecy, and if I understood all of God’s secret plans and possessed all knowledge, and if I had such faith that I could move mountains, but didn’t love others, I would be nothing. If I gave everything I have to the poor and even sacrificed my body, I could boast about it; but if I didn’t love others, I would have gained nothing.

Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proudor rude. It does not demand its own way. It is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged. It does not rejoice about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out. Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance.

Prophecy and speaking in unknown languages and special knowledge will become useless. But love will last forever! Now our knowledge is partial and incomplete, and even the gift of prophecy reveals only part of the whole picture! But when the time of perfection comes, these partial things will become useless.

When I was a child, I spoke and thought and reasoned as a child. But when I grew up, I put away childish things. Now we see things imperfectly, like puzzling reflections in a mirror, but then we will see everything with perfect clarity. All that I know now is partial and incomplete, but then I will know everything completely, just as God now knows me completely.

Three things will last forever—faith, hope, and love—and the greatest of these is love.”

1 Corinthians 13, NLT

Do you really believe?  It depends on your “love life” with God.

Become what you believe.  Our actions will automatically reflect the true belief of our hearts.  Under pressure, our level of love will also be evident. 

Lord,

Your challenge is to believe, really believe then become what we say we believe. Thank you for this reminder of your love for us and in us.  Thank you, Jesus for portraying the heart of God on earth while showing us God’s love for us, how to love Him back, along with how to love each other.  I do believe.  Help me to become more and more like you and less like my natural self.  You are first.  I am second to last.  I love you back with all my heart, mind and soul. 

In Jesus Name, For Your Glory, Amen

When we finally exhaust all our human efforts to fix a persistent problem, we pause life to think of what to do next.  Do we accept it and just live with it?  Do we listen to what others say we ought to do?  Do we give up altogether, thinking we have done all we can do? These are the moments in time that humble us and bring us to our knees. 

However, these are also times when God does His best work in, around and through us. Our faith may be fragile, but still remains. In our desperation, our faith might be reduced to the size of a mustard seed.  But guess what!?  God can work with that, Jesus said so!  (Matthew 17)

When God’s Son, Jesus came down from heaven and moved into the neighborhood of humanity, He cleansed and changed hearts, transformed minds, and filled empty, hungry souls with Kingdom of God ways of thinking and behaving.  Mustard seed faith in God began to take root and grow as “God with us” reached out with compassion and love.  And with just one touch Jesus had the power to heal, forgive, teach, and restore broken and battered lives.  Then in one last obedient act of love—He saved us for eternity!  Pause to thank God!

We see why these two stories of “just one touch” are interwoven.  The desperate faith of a father who has lost his daughter along with the plagued woman with nothing left to lose seek the Master’s touch in a risk of faith that defies the gossips and naysayers all around them in the passing crowd.    

Matthew 9:18-26, The Message

Just a Touch

^18-19 As he finished saying this, a local official appeared, bowed politely, and said, “My daughter has just now died. If you come and touch her, she will live.” Jesus got up and went with him, his disciples following along.

^20-22 Just then a woman who had hemorrhaged for twelve years slipped in from behind and lightly touched his robe. She was thinking to herself, “If I can just put a finger on his robe, I’ll get well.” Jesus turned—caught her at it. Then he reassured her: “Courage, daughter. You took a risk of faith, and now you’re well.” The woman was well from then on.

^23-26 By now they had arrived at the house of the town official, and pushed their way through the gossips looking for a story and the neighbors bringing in casseroles. Jesus was abrupt: “Clear out! This girl isn’t dead. She’s sleeping.” They told him he didn’t know what he was talking about. But when Jesus had gotten rid of the crowd, he went in, took the girl’s hand, and pulled her to her feet—alive. The news was soon out, and traveled throughout the region.

WHAT DO WE LEARN—HOW DO WE RESPOND?

I love that Jesus got rid of the casserole carrying gossipers so He could do His best work for the little girl’s family.  Jesus brought life back to this family despite the jeers of people who knew death but didn’t know Jesus. 

On the way to bring life to a little girl, Jesus brought new life to the bleeding woman who was considered unclean, a person not to be touched by the community.  Both lives broken in need of Jesus. Both at Jesus’ feet. Both with enough faith in Jesus for God to notice and show up in their lives.  Jesus, God’s Son, changes everything when He comes into our lives as we listen and believe what He says.

Risk?  Jesus took a risk to heal the woman deemed untouchable by society, but instead, Jesus affirms her risky faith!  “Courage, daughter. You took a risk of faith, and now you’re well.”  Just one touch…changes our thinking.  Jesus changes how we perceive life!  Wow.

No wonder the news of what “just one touch” from Jesus can do spread throughout the region—faster than the gossipers could tell it!

Lord,

I think my faith is strong on the good days but when troubles happen with no apparent human solution, my faith falters.  Thank you for your blessed assurance of always being with us as you provide ways through it all with courage to endure in the passage our problems that test our faith.  Thank you for the many ways you have touched my life and made we whole again…and again.

In Jesus Name, Amen

“Consider it a sheer gift, friends, when tests and challenges come at you from all sides. You know that under pressure, your faith-life is forced into the open and shows its true colors. So don’t try to get out of anything prematurely. Let it do its work so you become mature and well-developed, not deficient in any way. 

If you don’t know what you’re doing, pray to the Father. He loves to help. You’ll get his help, and won’t be condescended to when you ask for it. Ask boldly, believingly, without a second thought.”  James 1:2-8, MSG

Jesus.  Jesus came to earth as Son of Man and fully Son of God.  He is not like other men.  He earns his keep, speaks of God intimately, mentors others who follow Him as he walks through the countryside.  He is in constant communication with His Father who sent Him.  Jesus often goes to a quiet place to speak with the Father and then listens to what He is to do next in His mission.  Jesus knows God will provide all He needs to fulfill the promises of God written centuries ago and passed down the ages in the lives of God’s people.  Jesus was with God when He created the world so He knows what God can do!

For generations, the prophets foretold of “something new” that will happen.  This something new is Jesus.  Jesus, the promised Messiah, has come and moved into the neighborhood of humanity.  He has come to teach with a higher authority unassigned by humans and speaks in ways that amaze all who listen.  He has power to heal and restore lives to wholeness quickly and completely.  Jesus is not popular for His good looks, success in business, or for political charisma.  Jesus exudes a love and compassion above all others in the world and goes to depths unlike the other prophets or priests.  Jesus draws crowds just by who He is—And He has come to save us.  All of us.

May the celebration begin and never end because this “something new,” spoken of by Isaiah and other prophets is a brand-new way of life that no longer fits into our old way of life.  The old is used as a backdrop to announce the new way, to prepare mankind for a new Kingdom of God thinking and behaving while fulfilling every detail that was told by God through His prophets.  The law helped mankind stay on the right path to God. Jesus now reconciles (connects) us to God in a relationship that will last forever. 

Matthew 9:14-17, The Message

Kingdom Come

¹⁴ A little later John’s followers approached, asking, “Why is it that we and the Pharisees rigorously discipline body and spirit by fasting, but your followers don’t?”

¹⁵ Jesus told them, “When you’re celebrating a wedding, you don’t skimp on the cake and wine. You feast. Later you may need to exercise moderation, but not now. No one throws cold water on a friendly bonfire. This is Kingdom Come!”

^16-17 He went on, “No one cuts up a fine silk scarf to patch old work clothes; you want fabrics that match. And you don’t put your wine in cracked bottles.”

WHAT DO WE LEARN—HOW DO WE RESPOND?

Jesus speaks of this “something new” Kingdom thinking and behaving way of living that leads to eternal life with examples in people’s lives He knows that will understand.  To the winemakers, He says, “you wouldn’t put new wine in old, used up wine skins that are cracked and can’t take the pressure of the reaction that wine will have as it ages, would you?”  Of course not, the winemakers are thinking. 

To those who repair their clothing with patches of material, Jesus says, “you wouldn’t patch your garments with cloth that doesn’t match what you are trying to repair, would you”?  Of course not.  You want the new to match up with the old so that it will last!

Therefore, Jesus is not merely an “add-on” or a “patch of goodness” to our old way of living.  We are “reborn” with new life.  Jesus give us new ways of thinking, new ways of loving, new wisdom, new mercies, new compassion for others—everything is changed!  Every detail has a new perspective. Upon rebirth into the Kingdom of God—we no longer fit into that old way of life.  Our identity has changed.  Our new identity is in Christ, our Savior and now our Lord who guides us into all things new.  Wow! 

“Forget the former things;
    do not dwell on the past.
See, I am doing a new thing!
    Now it springs up; do you not perceive it?
I am making a way in the wilderness
    and streams in the wasteland.”  Isaiah 43:18-19, NIV

“So we have stopped evaluating others from a human point of view. At one time we thought of Christ merely from a human point of view. How differently we know him now!  This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!”  2 Corinthians 5:16-17

New lives have a new purpose!  We represent Jesus to others who are lost, confused, perplexed, who are wandering aimlessly through life.  We who have been reconciled (reconnected) to God in relationship with God by believing and following Jesus must tell others how to seek and find the One who loves us most.

New lives have a new message to tell!  “And all of this is a gift from God, who brought us back to himself through Christ. And God has given us this task of reconciling people to him. For God was in Christ, reconciling the world to himself, no longer counting people’s sins against them. And he gave us this wonderful message of reconciliation. So we are Christ’s ambassadors; God is making his appeal through us. We speak for Christ when we plead, “Come back to God!” For God made Christ, who never sinned, to be the offering for our sin, so that we could be made right with God through Christ.  2 Corinthians 5:18-21 NLT

Made right.  Made new.  All because of Jesus.  As we “age” like a fine wine, may we grow in our loving relationship with God as God expands His love in us to others. 

Lord,

Thank you for forgiving us of all our sins, setting us free to enjoy a new life with you!  Lead us not into the temptations of looking back to our old life that no longer fits into our new life forever with you!  The old is gone, the new is here.  May we rejoice in You!

In Jesus Name, By Your Power working in us, For Your Glory, Amen!

I have decided to follow Jesus

I have decided to follow Jesus

I have decided to follow Jesus

No turning back, no turning back.