In the Beginning was the Word...

The first chapter of John is one of my favorite portions of Scripture. Why? Because, the author begins the Gospel reflecting back to the Creation. The Gospel of John is known for the theme of light, life, and love...the first chapter shares that all things were made through Him, without Him nothing was made that has been made. Thus, all Creation comes from God.

In John, the author uses the word "life" twice and uses the word "light" six times just in the first chapter. All light and life comes from the Creator God. It is through this picture that the author shares that about the Word becoming flesh, Jesus. Using the Creation narrative language, the reader enters into God's story from the beginning in Genesis to the birth of Christ.

As our devotional goes through John, my prayer is that my eyes are opened to witness God's light, life, and love in my life. If I can see just a little more clearly (with God's light), or feel just a little more vitality (with God's life), or share a little more compassion (with God's love)...I will be satisfied knowing that in Him all things are made through Him. I also pray that your eyes be opened to see God's word unfold in your life. Let's start this journey into John, together!

Our God is Sovereign

Our God is greater, our God is stronger...Our God is Sovereign. In the Gospels, Jesus reveals Himself as the Messiah, Savior, Counselor, Shepherd, and Lord. Most of all, Jesus is Sovereign over all creation. Yet, He does not demand payment. He is the payment. He does not demand sacrifice. He is the sacrifice. He does not demand our life. He is our life.

What a Sovereign Savior is Jesus! He works for our good and His glory. He is the Good News to the whole world because Jesus comes to save the lost. Jesus came to rescue the poor and needy. Jesus came to rescue me. Thank you Lord for being SOVEREIGN.

The Gospel of Luke thus far...

In our bible reading so far, we have finished the Gospel of Matthew and Mark. Now, we are almost to the end of the Gospel of Luke. A question came to surface during our daily morning devotional and I am meditating on this question my devotional through the Gospels: "How are the Gospels all similar? (what is the common thread?) How are the Gospels all different? (what is unique about each Gospel).

Well, the simple answer to the first question would be Jesus is the common thread. However, the second question I believe is more difficult to answer. So for today's blog, I will try to share some of my thoughts about the Gospel of Luke being different from Matthew and Mark.

First, the Gospel of Luke really emphasized the fulfillment of God's promise to Israel through the life of Jesus. In my earlier post on Mary, Luke shares the beautiful song of praise from Mary from Luke 1. In Mary's Magnificat, Jesus is the promise and fulfillment of God's promise.

Second, Luke also shares a lot about "the Spirit of the Lord is upon me [Jesus]". After Jesus return from the temptation in the wilderness in Luke 4, Jesus right at the beginning of His public ministry declares, "The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to bring good news to the poor...to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor".

Third, there is a distinct message that the Good New of Jesus in Luke is to liberation, freedom, and justice. There are many passages in Luke that echoes Isaiah's message that Jesus will break the bonds of oppression and injustice. Jesus brings life to all people especially the poor and needy.

That's my summary so far of Luke, I will continue to write out my thoughts on all the Gospels as we move into John, the Gospel most known for the author's focus on love. I also hope to give a brief summary of Matthew and Mark when I get a chance. Thanks for reading and God bless!

Story of the Rich Young Man...and Jesus! (2/2)

Luke 18:25-30: Those who heard this asked, “Who then can be saved?” Jesus replied, “What is impossible with man is possible with God.” Peter said to him, “We have left all we had to follow you!” “Truly I tell you,” Jesus said to them, “no one who has left home or wife or brothers or sisters or parents or children for the sake of the kingdom of God will fail to receive many times as much in this age, and in the age to come eternal life.”

What did you learn from the story of the rich young man and Jesus? The rich young man went away sad because Jesus knew that his heart was divided. He wanted to do good but since he had all that wealth it was hard for him to let it go. This young man was not necessarily and evil man in fact he was keeping the majority of God's commands (almost all of them!). But one thing was lacking...He was not able to give his WHOLE heart to God because part of it was stuck in worldly riches. Many of us can fall into this easily, the cares of the world can pull us away from God. I know I have fallen into that in my life but for me I have asked myself "what good would it profit me if I gain the world but lose my soul". For me, I want Jesus as the center of my life. The rich young man did not pass the test...but will you pass? Jesus more than anything else wants us to follow him with our whole heart! This is hard! But Jesus gave me hope, gave us all hope when he said, "With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible!"

1) Keep the commands of Jesus 2) Sell everything, give to the poor! 3) Money and things become idols 4) Follow Jesus with your whole heart!

Story of the Rich Young Man...and Jesus! (1/2)

The Gospels uses both parables and stories to teach us about Jesus and His teachings. There are many parables that Jesus told and there are also many stories of people who met Jesus...The story of the rich young man is not a parable but one of the later...A story of a person who actually asked Jesus a question. And if I have learned one thing after reading all those stories...I know the one thing that always happens when a person meets Jesus face to face. That person is never the same. Blind people see. Lepers healed. Fisherman become disciples. Young rich man faced with a life-changing choice.

In this story of the rich young man, I think there are many teaching points and many "learning" points for us to discover. However, I want to focus on one for this devotional today and it is this...Love the Lord your God with all your heart...The rich young man ask what good thing must he do to be saved? Each of us could actually ask the same question and Jesus response is obey keep the commandments. The rich young men replies he has kept all the commands but still feels lacking. Jesus answers if you want to be perfect sell your possessions and give to the poor.

The story of the rich young man can be found in Luke 18:18-24 as follows: A certain ruler asked him, “Good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” “Why do you call me good?” Jesus answered. “No one is good—except God alone. You know the commandments: ‘You shall not commit adultery, you shall not murder, you shall not steal, you shall not give false testimony, honor your father and mother.’[a]” “All these I have kept since I was a boy,” he said.

When Jesus heard this, he said to him, “You still lack one thing. Sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.” When he heard this, he became very sad, because he was very wealthy. Jesus looked at him and said, “How hard it is for the rich to enter the kingdom of God! Indeed, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.”

What is a missional youth? (2/2)

God looks at the heart of the matter namely whether a young person has a heart set on purity, goodness, and faith or on carnality, wickedness, and pride. In 1 Timothy, Paul encourages his young disciple to fight the good fight and holding on to faith with a good conscience. Paul role models what is require to serve God in faith. The apostle's requirements are quite different than what would normally be expected. Paul does not ask Timothy to be perfect, to be a saint, or to be successful at least not in the world's perspective. In fact, Paul begins sharing and repeating his own testimony to Timothy that he was once a blasphemer, persecutor, and violent man who acted in ignorance and unbelief. However, God invites Paul to join His mission of saving and transforming lives in the name of Jesus Christ. Paul does a complete 180 degree turn and does begin to serve God. In addition, the apostle Paul understands that he is a sinner and even confesses that he is the worst kind of sinner because he persecuted believers in Christ. From this example, however, God's heart for the lost is evident as well as His desire to find humble, faithful, and obedient missional disciples.

In Paul's instruction to Timothy, God's desire for every disciple is made apparent that He looks for pure hearts filled with sincere faith and a good conscience to fulfill His mission. God's missional youths all possess a shared quality - a faithful obedient heart. Throughout Scripture, God looks for those who can serve him with faith and obedience. In 1 Timothy, Paul lays out the foundation of faith comes from love that is born out of a pure heart. This does not mean a sinless heart but a heart filled with sincere faith. Apart from Jesus Christ, all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. However, in the power of Christ and with sincere faith, a disciple can follow God's mission with a good conscience through the power of the Holy Spirit.

What is a missional youth? (1/2)

Timothy holds a special place in my life because my middle name comes from this youthful disciple. At my point in life, I resonate a lot with the message that God spoke to Timothy through the apostle Paul. I imagine I'm very close to Timothy's age at the time that Paul wrote this letter to him. I hope, however, that Timothy and I have more than just age and name in common. 1 Timothy is a great epistle on encouragement because the language and style is written from a mentor to a disciple. In this letter from Paul, a lot can be learned about God's heart for His disciples. The first chapter of 1 Timothy introduces the discipling and mentoring nature between Paul and Timothy. Paul calls Timothy a true son in the faith. This acknowledgement only is a powerful one. Paul recognizes and affirms Timothy's faith even in this first address. In this passage, some background is shared about Paul's own life before he met Christ and the lessons he has learned since accepting Christ. Timothy gets a full dose of wisdom, encouragement, and blessing from Paul throughout this epistle beginning in very first sentence.

If there is one point that ought strikes out the most in this passage, the repeated use of the word "faith" ought to stand out the most. The description of "faith" and "faithful" are repeated at least six times in this very first chapter and rightly so for "faith" is a vital element of living out God's mission. Paul encourages Timothy to promote not controversies but encourage God's work which is by faith. In addition, Paul the wise Christian mentor, goes on to say that, "The goal of this command is love, which comes from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith." If I could choose one key theme verse that ties together the need for missional youths to have faithful obedient hearts it would be this! The greatest command ever written in the Bible is summed up by loving God and loving others. Paul states in one sentence that this kind of love comes from a pure heart with a good conscience and a sincere faith. One of God's greatest skill throughout history has always been choosing the right missional youth to carry out His will. For God sees what man does not, the heart.

Mary Did You Know? (2/2)

Often times, the Sunday School lesson stops when the angel leaves Mary. However, the miraculous story continues even after angelic visitation. The Bible records that Mary hurried over to her relative and kin Elizabeth who was also with child. The often overlooked miracle here is that Elizabeth according to the Bible was past the age of child birth. Of course, God also helped Sarah, Abraham's wife, in her old age to also bear child so this miracle has happened before in the Bible. Mary's miracle on the other hand has never happened before! When Mary meets Elizabeth, her cousin filled with the Holy Spirit begins praising the Lord and blessing Mary. Again, here is another often unnoticed miracle, Mary just had an angelic visitation that no one else knew about, and yet Elizabeth filled with the Holy Spirit already knew that Mary would give birth to a child. Even the visitation, tells a story of God's mission namely that God works in mysterious ways! God also has the power to transform lives and often does so with those who have faithful and obedient hearts. Not only did the Story of Mary inspire a beautiful Christmas song, but God's mission also inspired Mary with a song! In fact, Mary's song is one of the most beautiful words of praise to God in Scripture. Mary's Magnificat begins with, "My soul glorifies the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for he has been mindful of the humble state of his servant." The penned words of Mary's praise song affirms God's constant search for faithful obedient hearts. Mary is truly an example of a humble servant who listen to her Lord. She offers up praise to God despite the uncertainty of being with a child as a virgin without being married to Joseph. Mary is a testimony of a missional youth, one filled with faith and obedience to carry out God's calling despite the obstacles.

Mary Did You Know? (1/2)

Luke 1:26-56 - God grants favor to Mary to become the mother of Jesus, because He finds in Mary, a faithful obedient heart. If I had only one opportunity to share a story about faith and obedience, I would be inclined to share the Story of Mary and start off with the words, "Mary, did you know?" Not only is this passage of scripture penned into one of my favorite Christmas songs, the Story of Mary is simply put miraculous on all accounts. Is there any other example in history of a young virgin with God's only child? Mary is given the honor and title as the mother of Jesus not because of her social status, good looks, or even heritage. Although, the Bible prophecies that the birth of Jesus would come from King David's line and would be born in Bethlehem, I am quite certain there were other young virgins who could have been eligible. What makes Mary different from all other youths was her missional heart filled with faith and obedience. In the first chapter of Luke, a story of the birth of Jesus unfolds with the central character who is Mary, a young virgin pledged to be married to Joseph. She was most likely only a teen in our modern age definition, but in Bible times she was a young woman ready to be married. When the angel of the Lord, Gabriel, appears to Mary, the first words that the angel says are, "Do not be afraid, Mary, you have found favor with God. You will be with child and give birth to a son..." Mary asks a straightforward question about how could it be possible to give birth knowing she is a virgin. However, the key point, I focus on in this passage is when Mary give her final reply to Gabriel, "I am the Lord's servant... (Part 1 of 2)

Whom Shall I Fear [God of Angel Armies]

There comes a time in every believer's walk with God that fear must be confronted, trials must be overcome, and hope must be tested. I hope that this song reminds us that when that day and hour comes, we can find our strength in our God. The God of Angel Armies!

Commands of God or Traditions of Men

Mark 7:1-23 tells of the exchange between the Pharisees (and teachers of the law), Jesus, and His disciples: The Pharisees and some of the teachers of the law who had come from Jerusalem gathered around Jesus and saw some of his disciples eating food with hands that were defiled, that is, unwashed. (The Pharisees and all the Jews do not eat unless they give their hands a ceremonial washing, holding to the tradition of the elders. When they come from the marketplace they do not eat unless they wash. And they observe many other traditions, such as the washing of cups, pitchers and kettles.)

So the Pharisees and teachers of the law asked Jesus, “Why don’t your disciples live according to the tradition of the elders instead of eating their food with defiled hands?” He replied, “Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you hypocrites; as it is written:

“‘These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. They worship me in vain; their teachings are merely human rules.’ You have let go of the commands of God and are holding on to human traditions.”

.....He went on: “What comes out of a person is what defiles them. For it is from within, out of a person’s heart, that evil thoughts come—sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, greed, malice, deceit, lewdness, envy, slander, arrogance and folly. All these evils come from inside and defile a person.”

Today's devotional from Mark taught me the importance of listening and obeying God and God alone. Man's downfall throughout history is man's pride. The Pharisees, instead of washing their hearts of sinful pride, had turned to outward washing to prove to others that they lived "clean". Jesus rebuked them and shared this lesson with His disciples so that they would understand that it is not what we eat that makes us "unclean"...it is what we digest in our heart and mind that makes us unclean.

Take for example the chorus from a pop song from the Disney movie "Mulan" which says this: "True to your heart You must be True to your heart That's when the heavens will part And baby, shower you with my love Open your eyes Your heart can tell you no lies"

Although, our culture today tells us to trust in our hearts, the Bible actually paints a very different picture of what the heart is really like...Jeremiah 17:9 says that "The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it?" So the question you and I should be asking is what should we do then? What should we really believe in? Well, I still have to face my heart and feelings daily because it is part of who I am and what makes me, me. However, I have also learned to trust in God's heart and character. Because, although, my heart can tell me lies. God's heart cannot. God in His divine nature is holy (not sinful), loving (not unkind), and just (not unfair).

Jeremiah 17:10 is the highlight of trusting in God's commands over man's traditions: “I the Lord search the heart and examine the mind,to reward each person according to their conduct,according to what their deeds deserve.”

Jesus the "Calmer" of the Storms

There is really only one main distinction that separates Christianity from all other religions that is the person-hood and God-hood of Jesus Christ. All religions try to "explain" a worldview (or paradigm) of how to interpret human life. Some look to wealth and happiness. Some turn to fame and recognition. Others try to give and serve others. Others meditate and philosophize on life. But really...the one missing ingredient, the one essential element, and the one missing link crucial to understanding our purpose and existence in life is found in Jesus. Jesus was no ordinary man. Some called him a prophet. Still others called him a criminal. How do I see Jesus? Plain and simple, He was and is the "Calmer" of the storms in my life. Though He died, He still lives. Though He lived a man, He rules as the Lord of Creation. Though He is unfathomably wholly other, He made himself fully known by living as one of us. This God-man, Savior-friend, and Creator-servant is who I put my trust in day by day. For I understand that there is really no one quite like Jesus.

That day when evening came, he said to his disciples, “Let us go over to the other side.” Leaving the crowd behind, they took him along, just as he was, in the boat. There were also other boats with him. A furious squall came up, and the waves broke over the boat, so that it was nearly swamped. Jesus was in the stern, sleeping on a cushion. The disciples woke him and said to him, “Teacher, don’t you care if we drown?”

He got up, rebuked the wind and said to the waves, “Quiet! Be still!” Then the wind died down and it was completely calm. He said to his disciples, “Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?” They were terrified and asked each other, “Who is this? Even the wind and the waves obey him!”

Mark 4:35-41