“Come and see”…the Lord’s invitation still stands true for you today. He beckons you to draw near and discover who He really is. He challenges you to put aside self and begin a quest for all things holy. “Come and see” is His call to the depths of your soul to scrutinize, probe, and delve deeply into what it means to be a Believer…for in the end, old beliefs, falsehoods, and biases will be turned upside down in the light of His truth. “Come and see.”
Month: February 2018
Colossians 2:2 ” My purpose is that they may be encouraged in heart and united in love…”
As people waited in the crowded lobby, I over-heard a kind looking elderly gentleman ask the young lady seated next to him a rather probing question. She was bent over her phone, oblivious to anything or one around her, when he asked, “What would you be doing right now if you weren’t on your phone?” His tone of voice was gentle and reflective, which completely caught the young lady off guard and rendered her speechless. His question though got my mind whirling! How can we show the agape love of Christ to others when we’re folded up like a flower over our phones? How can we be Jesus to those around us when we totally disengaged from our surroundings…detached and indifferent? This verse says we are to be united in love which takes dedicated involvement and connection…not self-isolation and selfishness.
Psalm 18:30 ” As for God, His way is perfect; the word of the Lord is flawless.”
Deuteronomy 32:4 tells us, ” He is the Rock, His works are perfect, and all His ways are just. A faithful God who does no wrong, upright and just is He.” So let’s ponder the word “perfect” in both these Scriptures for a moment. Everything the Lord does is complete, truthful, and faultless. His manner and means will always be sincere and pure, for there is no deception found in Him. In a very imperfect world, He is our shield and refuge and the Rock we can run to in times of fear and confusion.
Luke 9:61 “Still another said, ‘I will follow You, Lord; but first let me go back and say good-by to my family.’ “
Looking at this verse at face value, we think this man will run back to his family, hug everybody, and run back to follow Jesus. But if we look up the Greek meaning of good-by, it shows what could be a lengthy process of turning a household or estate over to someone else… filled with numerous duties that took a long time to accomplish. When Jesus says to you, “Follow Me” , it starts with the believing trust that He’s your Redeemer…but it also requires obedience. Making any kind of excuse to delay Jesus’ call on your life is dangerous…for you are justifying your will over His.
John 16:23 ” In that day you will no longer ask Me anything.”
When you’re waiting for important test results to come back…your head can be filled with questions, doubts, and uncertainty. But if you allow the Lord to take you back, He will show you the many times that He carried you through equally tough times. And with each event He brings to mind, your faith and trust grows…for you’ll see where He has worked mightily on your behalf. Jesus tells us in John 14:1, “Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in Me.” Total reliance and confidence in the Lord means that we no longer need to question God’s plan or purpose for our lives…for we know with certainty what He’s done for us in the past… will continue into the future.
Proverbs 15:3 ” The eyes of the Lord are everywhere, keeping watch on the wicked and the good.”
I look at the unethical and immoral activity in the world today and I think to myself, “God, don’t You see this and aren’t You going to do something?” It’s then that He gently reminds me that, #1…God doesn’t see as we do. (Job 10:4) and #2…His eyes are on the ways of men, He sees their every step. (Job 34:21) The wicked of this world may think they’re getting away with their evilness…but God is still watching. And in the end, Hebrews 4:13 tells us, “Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of Him to whom we must give account.” There is coming a day of reckoning for all of us…the good as well as the bad…the righteous as well as the unrighteous.
Proverbs 15:1 ” A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.”
Romans 12:17 tells us to, “not repay anyone evil for evil”…and I Corinthians 13:6 reminds us that, “Love doesn’t delight in evil.” The war of words is waged on a bloody battlefield… with many casualties and walking wounded that never recover from the pain inflicted by unkind and caustic words. When we simply take a moment and answer a mean verbal attack with kindness instead…it defuses the situation immediately…for we deprive the enemy of ammunition.
Hebrews 1:1-2 ” In the past God spoke to our forefathers through the prophets at many times and in various ways, but in these last days He has spoken to us by His Son, whom He appointed heir of all things, and through whom He made the universe.”
I may be very old fashion, but I still like to talk to people on the phone…or better yet, face to face! Texting is ok, but I like to hear a person’s voice and interact in a more personal way. At the beginning of time God could have been silent, but He chose to speak through prophetic disclosure. But then Jesus Christ was born into the world, making a way for all of us to have an intimate relationship with our Savior. No longer did we have to hear about God…we could experience Him for ourselves.
Ecclesiastes 5:19 ” More over, when God gives any man wealth and possessions, and enables him to enjoy them, to accept his lot and be happy in his work – this is a gift of God.”
We somehow mistakenly think our fate is in our own hands. If we just work hard enough we’ll achieve our dreams…a high paying job, esteemed among our peers, and honored by our employer. But when this doesn’t happen like we imagine…when work is instead pure drudgery and toil…and we’re left weary at the end of the day…what should we think? First, we need to remember that our lot in life is from God, (Job 31:2) and all wealth and honor come from Him, (I Chronicles 29:12) Secondly, the work we want to do may be far from what God actually wants for us. When we look at this verse, we see three attitudes we need to have…regardless of whether we have some dream job, or not. We are to maintain an attitude of acceptance, joy, and happiness whatever job we have. To bloom where we’re planted, and influence the people God brings across our path. To be honest with you, most of us will never have that dream job…but that doesn’t mean God’s not still using us for Kingdom work.
Acts 9:15 ” But the Lord said to Ananias, ‘Go! This man is My chosen instrument…”
The Believers in Damascus had heard about Saul and his murderous threats against them. Ananias also knew Saul had traveled there with the authority from the Chief Priests to arrest them all. So you can imagine that Ananias had many excuses as to why he shouldn’t go and lay hands on this man…but God said, “Go!” And Ananias went. But somewhere between his house and the house where Saul was staying Ananias had a major heart adjustment. For when he greeted Saul, he called him Brother Saul. Brother meaning Saul had been accepted into the community of brothers and sisters in the Lord.
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