John 7 - Living Water

“37On the last and greatest day of the Feast, Jesus stood and said in a loud voice, "If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink. 38Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from within him." 39By this he meant the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were later to receive. Up to that time the Spirit had not been given, since Jesus had not yet been glorified.”

Jesus was surrounded by believers and non-believers alike, yet He offered them all the “living water” of the Holy Spirit. What a phenomenal gift to offer, and we all have access to the living water of the Holy Spirit, we only have to accept. It is the Holy Spirit that dwells within us, giving us guidance and divine intervention from God above. If you have not accepted Jesus as your personal savior, then don’t delay, do so today. Then drink from the fountain of living water for ever and ever. Thank you, Jesus and praise be to You for giving us the Holy Spirit and dwelling within us.

COMMENT UPDATE

Hey everyone, I know I got a little behind on my daily blog posts, but I believe I'm all caught up now. To avoid confusion, i posted the verses on the day they should have been posted, instead of dating them all today. I'm sorry for falling behind and I will do all i can to keep up. If you have any questions or comments, please post them. I look forward to hearing from you.

John 6 - God makes the Impossible Possible

“ 5When Jesus looked up and saw a great crowd coming toward him, he said to Philip, "Where shall we buy bread for these people to eat?" 6He asked this only to test him, for he already had in mind what he was going to do.”

I like how Jesus approached this situation. He already knew what He was going to do. He knew that He would take the five loaves of bread and two fish and feed thousands; however, Jesus asked Philip where to buy bread to see how Philip would react. I assume to see if Philip would see the task impossible or trust upon Jesus.

We are faced with similar obstacles every day. While we might not be trying to feed five thousand people, we face tasks that appear to us to be impossible. How do we react? Do we fret, worry and complain that the task is impossible, or do we turn it over to God, who makes the impossible possible?

Nothing is impossible for God, many of us know that. We know and believe the examples in the Bible, yet we don’t turn to God out of faith. It’s as if we are saying, “God, I know you parted the Red Sea, but I don’t think you can help me pay my car note”, that’s kind of silly isn’t it? But isn’t that exactly what we do? We fret and worry over that car note, instead of taking it to God and LEAVING it at His feet, FULLY TRUSTING and BELIEVING in His word.

So how will you react the next time God asks you to take on a seemingly impossible task? Will you fret or will you have faith?

John 5 - All You Have to do is Ask

“1Some time later, Jesus went up to Jerusalem for a feast of the Jews. 2Now there is in Jerusalem near the Sheep Gate a pool, which in Aramaic is called Bethesda and which is surrounded by five covered colonnades. 3Here a great number of disabled people used to lie—the blind, the lame, the paralyzed. 5One who was there had been an invalid for thirty-eight years. 6When Jesus saw him lying there and learned that he had been in this condition for a long time, he asked him, "Do you want to get well?"
7"Sir," the invalid replied, "I have no one to help me into the pool when the water is stirred. While I am trying to get in, someone else goes down ahead of me."
8Then Jesus said to him, "Get up! Pick up your mat and walk." 9At once the man was cured; he picked up his mat and walked.

I love these verses, especially the end of 6. Jesus asked the man, “Do you want to get well?”. Jesus could have just healed the man without saying a word. He could have, but He didn’t. He ASKED the man if he wanted healing, Jesus gave the man a choice.

God also gives us choices everyday. He doesn’t press His will upon us, He gives us the option to choose to have His favor, His help. If we want God’s help, His guidance, His direction, then we should go to Him DAILY and ASK for it. He loves us and will be happy to give it to us, but only if we WANT it.

John 4 - Food for Thought

“34"My food," said Jesus, "is to do the will of him who sent me and to finish his work.” Food is sustaining, empowering, a driving force. If you have no food, you will seek it, for when you are hungry it is hard to focus on anything else. Food also fuels the body, gets the blood flowing taking nutrients to our cells, organs, muscles, brains. It brings our bodies strength and energy to go on. In this verse, the sustaining, empowering, driving force for Jesus is doing God’s will and finishing the job given to Him by God. Is that how we look at God’s will? I must admit, many times I have gone about my day without seeking God’s will, praying for His direction, yearning to complete the tasks given to me by Him; yet on those same days, I ate. Like our desire for food, so should our desire for the Father’s will and work to be done. We must seek God’s will and purpose for our lives DAILY and work our best to get it done.

Lord, please forgive me for not focusing on Your will and work and please help guide me and empower me to complete the work You have for me, so Your will be done. Amen.

John 3 - This Verse Says It All

“16"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.” God loves us so much that He gave His Son, Jesus Christ, to die for our sins. Jesus loves us so much that He willingly died for our sins. We must accept Jesus, believe in Him, so we will not perish, but have life eternal with our Father in Heaven. Thank you God for loving us so much that You would sacrifice so much for our sake. We are not worthy, yet You love us still. All praises be to Your Holy Name.

John 2 - Jesus Loves Us

“1On the third day a wedding took place at Cana in Galilee. Jesus' mother was there, 2and Jesus and his disciples had also been invited to the wedding. 3When the wine was gone, Jesus' mother said to him, "They have no more wine."
4"Dear woman, why do you involve me?" Jesus replied, "My time has not yet come."
Jesus knew what was to come. He knew that this miracle would be the beginning to His ministry, and He also knew the danger it would put Him in; therefore, He said, “my time has not yet come.” But even knowing all of this, He still did as His mother asked. That is the compassion and love that Jesus has for us. He was willing to grant His mother’s desire, even though it started the chain of events leading to His death. He loves us and has compassion for us, thank you Jesus, we don’t deserve You, yet You love us still.

John 1 - Jesus Christ, the Light

“5The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not understood it.”

This verse kept going over and over in my mind, so I had to speak about it. It is so simple, yet so profound. I think back to when I was not trying to live for Christ. Was He any less powerful or loving then, of course not. So why is it only now that I can see the goodness of Jesus? It is because I sought Him out. You see, just as in this verse, the light (Jesus) is always shining, even and especially in the darkness (the world), but the darkness has not understood it, therefore, cannot see or accept the light. You see, I could not “see” the light because I chose to ignore it, therefore, I couldn’t “understand” it. I couldn’t imagine how Jesus loved me enough to die for me, that no matter how many good deeds I did, I couldn’t pay the price for sin, only Jesus could, that I was a sinner and needed to confess and be forgiven; I couldn’t (wouldn’t) see the truth. The light was shining, as it is now, the only difference is my eyes are wide open and looking now, where before I was ignoring the light.

I know this might be confusing, but I will explain it as simply as possible. You will not find what you don’t look for; if you are not seeking, you will not find. Seek Jesus, follow His will, share Him with others. The whole world is searching for answers, lets give them the only one that counts, the Light of the world, Jesus Christ!

Luke 24 - Seeing is not always Believing

“36While they were still talking about this, Jesus himself stood among them and said to them, "Peace be with you."
37They were startled and frightened, thinking they saw a ghost. 38He said to them, "Why are you troubled, and why do doubts rise in your minds? 39Look at my hands and my feet. It is I myself! Touch me and see; a ghost does not have flesh and bones, as you see I have."
40When he had said this, he showed them his hands and feet. 41And while they still did not believe it because of joy and amazement, he asked them, "Do you have anything here to eat?" 42They gave him a piece of broiled fish, 43and he took it and ate it in their presence.”

Jesus had to repeatedly show sign after sign of His resurrection to His followers for them to believe. They had been with Him, heard His teachings, been told He would return, yet they were very skeptical when it happened. They were even trying to explain it off as nonsense or even a ghost.

Many of the people you try to minister to will do the same thing. They will try to explain miracles scientifically, dismiss scripture, ignore reason, even after you show them time and time again, Jesus is Lord. Sometimes they will even ask you to test God to prove He is there, DO NOT DO THIS. One, you should not test God. Two, even with a “sign” they still wouldn’t believe. The best thing you can do for them is to pray for their salvation, keep living a godly example for them to follow, and keep ministering to them. For God is working on them from their side too. I know it can be frustrating, but even one soul is worth it. Amen?

Luke 23 - Take Me As I Am

“ 39One of the criminals who hung there hurled insults at him: "Aren't you the Christ? Save yourself and us!" 40But the other criminal rebuked him. "Don't you fear God," he said, "since you are under the same sentence? 41We are punished justly, for we are getting what our deeds deserve. But this man has done nothing wrong." 42Then he said, "Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom." 43Jesus answered him, "I tell you the truth, today you will be with me in paradise."

We had an illustrated sermon on this a few weeks ago and these verses stood out to me again today. Here are two criminals, one on either side of Jesus, each with a choice presented to them. One chose to continue his life of evil and cast insults at Jesus; however, the other defended Jesus and sought Him. Hallelujah! Jesus forgave that criminal and accepted him! This shows that it is never too late, as long as you draw breath, to repent and seek Jesus Christ. Jesus didn’t bring up the criminal’s past, point out his faults, show him his evil life of mistakes, no Jesus said, “I tell you the truth, today you will be with me in paradise.” No matter your past mistakes, your sins, your regrets, Jesus CAN and WILL forgive you, all you have to do is ask. If you haven’t yet, do so now BEFORE it is too late. Accept Jesus as your Savior, place Him as the Lord of your life, while you still have a choice, for we are not guaranteed tomorrow.

Luke 22 - God's Will Be Done

Jesus said, “42"Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done." This verse has always stuck with me. Jesus knew of the impending harm that was to befall Him, He knew why it must be done, yet He still asked God for another way. However, Jesus said, “yet not MY will, but YOURS be done”. Even though Jesus was not “thrilled” at what was to come (His torture and death), He knew that God’s will was best, and that is what He prayed for, God’s will be done.

Many times we pray for things to happen, but do we really look at them and see if they are in God’s will? I take my needs to the Father, present my concerns to Him, just as Jesus did, but I also try to follow Jesus’ example and say, “yet not my will, but yours be done”. For, even if I don’t understand it or particularly like it at the time, God knows what is best for us all. He loves us dearly and always acts in our best interest and on our behalf. Therefore, we must always seek His will and ask that it be done.

Many times I THOUGHT I knew what was best, but found out it was really more harmful to me in the long run; likewise, I thought certain situations were the worst thing in my life, yet they turned out to be a blessing in disguise. We can’t go wrong following God’s will; therefore, we can (and should) take our concerns to Him, but also ask for His will to be done. Amen?

Luke 21 - Giving for the Right Reasons

“1As he looked up, Jesus saw the rich putting their gifts into the temple treasury. 2He also saw a poor widow put in two very small copper coins. 3"I tell you the truth," he said, "this poor widow has put in more than all the others. 4All these people gave their gifts out of their wealth; but she out of her poverty put in all she had to live on."

I can picture the rich smugly looking at the poor widow putting in such a “meager” offering, in comparison to their gifts, and the widow feeling down and ashamed that she could not match their wealth. Oh, how glorious it must have been for her to hear Jesus’ voice saying she had given more than the others, for she gave out of poverty, she gave all she had for the Lord. How outraged and flustered do you think the rich were then?

You see, as this passage clearly illustrates, it’s not the amount of the offering in relation to others (or a collective whole) that matters, but in proportion to what you have to give. In fact, God doesn’t need our money, the giving is not about that, He wants our obedience and a relationship with us. You see, the widow gave from her heart, what she felt called to give. Her gift, though less than the others, was very special because it was all she had (100% of her money) AND her giving was in obedience to God. It appears that the “wealthy” were just giving to draw attention to themselves at how much they had given. It wasn’t about God, it was about their OWN pride, which is no reason to give. So when it comes time to give to the church, ministries, organizations, missionaries, etc., have the Holy Spirit search you and guide you on what to give, whether it be a lot or a little, if you follow the prompting of the Holy Spirit and give out of love and obedience, for God’s will to be done, then the offering (no matter the size) will be exactly the right amount. Amen?

Luke 20

“ 20Keeping a close watch on him (Jesus), they (teachers of the law – chief priests) sent spies, who pretended to be honest. They hoped to catch Jesus in something he said so that they might hand him over to the power and authority of the governor. 21So the spies questioned him: "Teacher, we know that you speak and teach what is right, and that you do not show partiality but teach the way of God in accordance with the truth. 22Is it right for us to pay taxes to Caesar or not?"
23He saw through their duplicity and said to them, 24"Show me a denarius. Whose portrait and inscription are on it?"
25"Caesar's," they replied. He said to them, "Then give to Caesar what is Caesar's, and to God what is God's."
26They were unable to trap him in what he had said there in public. And astonished by his answer, they became silent.”

Notice, if you will, the method and web of deceit that the enemy is using at this point to stop Jesus. The chief priests sent SPIES to try to catch Jesus in a “slip up” so they could turn Him over to the governor. Ok, that alone is disturbing in many ways.

First, the chief priests, supposedly men of God, are TRYING to stop Jesus, simply because His TRUTH is stripping them of POWER; not that Jesus is spreading lies, or that He is desecrating God, but that His teachings are taking away their WORLDLY POWER over the people. The power that they covet so dearly, even above God’s will.

Next, they resort to sending SPIES to trap Jesus. Not just content with waiting on Jesus to snare Himself (as if He would, lol), but ACTIVELY sending spies out with the intent on twisting and confusing Jesus into a mistake. This is no ordinary fear that compels them, satan was working hard to stop Jesus.

Then, they were too afraid of Jesus to take care of things themselves, they planned to turn Jesus over to the governor. They weren’t going to take care of things using God’s authority, but man’s. I think there were two reasons behind this. First, satan was pulling the strings, so he knew that he couldn’t use God’s people to punish Jesus. Lastly, the priests KNEW (maybe deep down) that they were wrong, so they were afraid to take care of things themselves, choosing rather to use the governor to do their “dirty work”, what cowards.

Finally, Jesus knew what they were up to, and refused to be trapped. Instead He relied on God’s wisdom and answered in a method to thwart the spies and teach the crowd. When He did, the spies were QUIETED IMMEDIATELY. You see, satan realized that he couldn’t get the upper hand on Jesus and his minions (the spies in this case) were immediately defeated, shamed and afraid. Why? Because they could not goad Jesus into a “sparing match” to trip Himself up AND they could not stand in a battle of wits and will with the Son of God. So what did they do in fear? They became quiet!

This entire confrontation is a huge lesson for us to learn and apply in our daily lives. While you are out in the world as children of God, satan will be there to try to trip you up. While you are spreading the word of God’s goodness, others will try to question you, cause you to stumble, tangle your words to shame you and make you feel like a fool for following Jesus. If you let pride get in the way (these people are questioning ME, I’ll show them) there could be trouble. However, if you allow the Holy Spirit to prompt you, then the situation can quickly turn from a “grudge match” into an opportunity to witness and minister to people, as Jesus did. Now, we don’t have all of the answers or the authority that Jesus did, but WE DO have Jesus. I’m not saying to scream challenges to everyone from the corners of the streets, but be willing and confident in the Lord our God, for He can make the impossible possible. Amen?

Luke 19

“28After Jesus had said this, he went on ahead, going up to Jerusalem. 29As he approached Bethphage and Bethany at the hill called the Mount of Olives, he sent two of his disciples, saying to them, 30"Go to the village ahead of you, and as you enter it, you will find a colt tied there, which no one has ever ridden. Untie it and bring it here. 31If anyone asks you, 'Why are you untying it?' tell him, 'The Lord needs it.' "
32Those who were sent ahead went and found it just as he had told them. 33As they were untying the colt, its owners asked them, "Why are you untying the colt?"
34They replied, "The Lord needs it."
35They brought it to Jesus, threw their cloaks on the colt and put Jesus on it.

I have heard this story many times, but it just “hit” me today of the significance of the giving of the colt. I had known it was to fulfill prophecy, but I had never really noticed the faith and obedience of the owners of the colt. You see, the owners of the colt did baulk, argue, or even try to stop the disciples, they just asked “why”, when the response came, “The Lord needs it”, then it was done, no more questions, no objections, take the colt for the Lord. How awesome is that?!

Imagine that a group of people walked up to your car and started to get in it and take off. During that you walk up to them and ask, “Why are you taking my car?” they respond, “The Lord needs it.” What would you say? Even if the Holy Spirit let you know that it was the right thing to do, would you do it?

Now I’m not suggesting letting everyone run off with your property, rather for us not to become so attached to our things that we don’t allow them to be used for the Lord. Or even worse, that we “love” our stuff so much and we ignore the Holy Spirit and don’t give as we are told. What if the owners of the colt did that? We can’t let our stuff take precedence over the Lord’s will. This earth, and all the stuff in it, are only temporary. We are just passing through. Our real treasures are in Heaven with the Lord, so no need to get so attached to our things that we interfere with the blessings of the Lord.

There are many times that others have helped me out saying, “the Lord told me to give this to you”, as have I done the same, but sadly not every time I was prompted, sometimes I was selfish and kept someone from being blessed by the Lord. I don’t want to do that ever again.

Lord, please help me to listen to your promptings and be like the colt owners, to do Your will to be a blessing to others and show them Your love, mercy, and goodness. Amen.

Luke 18 - The Parable of the Persistent Widow

“1Then Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up. 2He said: "In a certain town there was a judge who neither feared God nor cared about men. 3And there was a widow in that town who kept coming to him with the plea, 'Grant me justice against my adversary.'
4"For some time he refused. But finally he said to himself, 'Even though I don't fear God or care about men, 5yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will see that she gets justice, so that she won't eventually wear me out with her coming!' "
6And the Lord said, "Listen to what the unjust judge says. 7And will not God bring about justice for his chosen ones, who cry out to him day and night? Will he keep putting them off? 8I tell you, he will see that they get justice, and quickly. However, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on the earth?"

What an awesome parable about persistence and how God moves and blesses us. First off, the widow was persistent in her efforts. Even though, time and time again, she did not receive what she was seeking and needing, she would not give up. She kept at the ungodly judge and he relented, not for her well being, but for his own desires.

This also shows us how God can use anyone, even the non-believers, to take care of His children. Even though the judge did not fear God, God used the judge’s selfishness to take care of the widow. So, since the widow believed and was persistent, God granted her relief, answered her prayers, and all through a seemingly impossible source, and ungodly judge.

This is a huge lesson to us all. Pray and talk with God, build a relationship with Him, be honest, have faith, and be persistent in your prayers, for God will not forsake you, but will deliver you, for we are His children and He wants the very best for us. He makes the impossible possible. So be ready to receive His blessings and be a blessing for Him. If He can use the ungodly to answer prayers, how much more could He use His own children AND how much more eager should WE be to be a part of it. Amen?

Luke 17 - The Warning about Sin

“ 1Jesus said to his disciples: "Things that cause people to sin are bound to come, but woe to that person through whom they come. 2It would be better for him to be thrown into the sea with a millstone tied around his neck than for him to cause one of these little ones to sin. 3So watch yourselves…"

We all have sinned and as Jesus said, there will be things that come about to cause us to sin; HOWEVER, we should NOT be the cause of sin to others. We have to watch our steps daily and be careful not to be the cause of other’s sin. We can influence others unintentionally to sin, while we were trying to help them, so we must be on guard and very mindful of our actions, set apart to a higher standard, not for piety but to show the glory of God. We do this by centering our focus on God, turning over control of our lives to Him, and being fully dependent on Him; therefore, when we interact with others, God shines through to them. We do not influence them to sin, rather we show them the grace and love of the Father.

Luke 16 - The Rich Man and Lazarus

“ 19"There was a rich man who was dressed in purple and fine linen and lived in luxury every day. 20At his gate was laid a beggar named Lazarus, covered with sores 21and longing to eat what fell from the rich man's table. Even the dogs came and licked his sores.
22"The time came when the beggar died and the angels carried him to Abraham's side. The rich man also died and was buried. 23In hell,[c] where he was in torment, he looked up and saw Abraham far away, with Lazarus by his side. 24So he called to him, 'Father Abraham, have pity on me and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, because I am in agony in this fire.'
25"But Abraham replied, 'Son, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things, while Lazarus received bad things, but now he is comforted here and you are in agony. 26And besides all this, between us and you a great chasm has been fixed, so that those who want to go from here to you cannot, nor can anyone cross over from there to us.'
27"He answered, 'Then I beg you, father, send Lazarus to my father's house, 28for I have five brothers. Let him warn them, so that they will not also come to this place of torment.'
29"Abraham replied, 'They have Moses and the Prophets; let them listen to them.'
30" 'No, father Abraham,' he said, 'but if someone from the dead goes to them, they will repent.'
31"He said to him, 'If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be convinced even if someone rises from the dead.' "

This story tells a lot about human nature. We are sometimes so blinded by our own desires and ambitions that we will not see the truth. Just as the children of Israel saw God’s miracles daily, but still easily lost faith, so too do we see God’s goodness and mercy, but refuse to see or listen. So too are our lost friends, who are waiting on a miraculous sign, when the truth is all around them. We tend to think if they can just see one miracle from God then they would repent and believe, but as the story above explains, if they won’t see the truth from the teachings, then the miracle wouldn’t bring them any closer either; they would just want to see another and another and another. The best thing we can do is witness to them, show them the truth, and pray for them to accept Jesus Christ as their Lord. Amen?

Luke 15 - The Parable of the Lost Coin

“8"Or suppose a woman has ten silver coins and loses one. Does she not light a lamp, sweep the house and search carefully until she finds it? 9And when she finds it, she calls her friends and neighbors together and says, 'Rejoice with me; I have found my lost coin.' 10In the same way, I tell you, there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents."

Doesn’t the parable of the lost money bring home the point? It is something we all can relate to even today. Just think about it, you just knew you had a $100 bill but, when you went to get it, you couldn’t find it. What would you do? You would tear the place apart looking for it. At this point, you’re not worried about the rest of your money, it’s safe, but the most important thing is finding that $100 bill. Oh, and when you do, how happy and relieved you feel. How excited and thankful you are! That is the same way God feels when one of the lost find and accept Jesus Christ and come home. If you are one of the lost coins, come home today, there will be much rejoicing! If you are one of the saved coins, rejoice (as all of Heaven does) when the lost come home. It is not a time to be bitter and jealous of the attention the newly saved receives, be joyful and thankful that your new found brother or sister has accepted our Lord and Savior. Amen?

Luke 14 - The Parable of the Great Banquet

“15When one of those at the table with him heard this, he said to Jesus, "Blessed is the man who will eat at the feast in the kingdom of God."
16Jesus replied: "A certain man was preparing a great banquet and invited many guests. 17At the time of the banquet he sent his servant to tell those who had been invited, 'Come, for everything is now ready.'
18"But they all alike began to make excuses. The first said, 'I have just bought a field, and I must go and see it. Please excuse me.'
19"Another said, 'I have just bought five yoke of oxen, and I'm on my way to try them out. Please excuse me.'
20"Still another said, 'I just got married, so I can't come.'
21"The servant came back and reported this to his master. Then the owner of the house became angry and ordered his servant, 'Go out quickly into the streets and alleys of the town and bring in the poor, the crippled, the blind and the lame.'
22" 'Sir,' the servant said, 'what you ordered has been done, but there is still room.'
23"Then the master told his servant, 'Go out to the roads and country lanes and make them come in, so that my house will be full. 24I tell you, not one of those men who were invited will get a taste of my banquet.' "

What a wonderful explanation of Jesus’ life to me. God offered salvation, through Jesus, to the chosen Jews, in the parable, the many wealthy guests. They were too busy with their lives and their interests (possibly established religion) to attend the banquet (listen to Jesus). So then the owner of the house (God) ordered the servant to bring everyone who would come (all who would listen and attend), in the parable, the less fortunate, and they would benefit from the banquet the master prepared, but the original invited guests would not taste the banquet (enter Heaven), for they had rejected God and His salvation for us through Jesus Christ, and were too busy for Him.

Don’t be too busy, make time for God, establish a personal relationship with His Son, Jesus Christ and, when the time comes, dine in Heaven with the Lord forever. Amen?

Luke 13 - The Narrow Door

“22Then Jesus went through the towns and villages, teaching as he made his way to Jerusalem. 23Someone asked him, "Lord, are only a few people going to be saved?"
He said to them, 24"Make every effort to enter through the narrow door, because many, I tell you, will try to enter and will not be able to. 25Once the owner of the house gets up and closes the door, you will stand outside knocking and pleading, 'Sir, open the door for us.' "But he will answer, 'I don't know you or where you come from.'
26"Then you will say, 'We ate and drank with you, and you taught in our streets.'
27"But he will reply, 'I don't know you or where you come from. Away from me, all you evildoers!' 28"There will be weeping there, and gnashing of teeth, when you see Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and all the prophets in the kingdom of God, but you yourselves thrown out. 29People will come from east and west and north and south, and will take their places at the feast in the kingdom of God. 30Indeed there are those who are last who will be first, and first who will be last."

Jesus is speaking of the “narrow door”, the “path less taken”, that is salvation and Heaven. Though the door is narrow, many will try to enter once they face Judgment; however, as the verses say, many will not enter and will be cast out. They will say how they “knew” Jesus, that is, they had “heard” of Him, but He will not know them. He did not know them because they never established a RELATIONSHIP with Him. Simply KNOWING of Jesus is NOT ENOUGH, you must have a personal relationship with Him, accept Him into your heart and life, and live for Him. Then you can be greeted and allowed through the narrow door as a known friend and allowed into the glorious Kingdom of Heaven.

Luke 12 - Acknowledge Him!!!

Jesus says, 8"I tell you, whoever acknowledges me before men, the Son of Man will also acknowledge him before the angels of God. 9But he who disowns me before men will be disowned before the angels of God.”

If you choose to acknowledge Jesus, then you will be acknowledged BY Him in Heaven; however, if you are “too embarrassed” or “ashamed” to acknowledge Jesus in front of others, then you will NOT be acknowledged before Him in Heaven. What powerful verses to digest. Are you ashamed of Jesus? Many times we will be tested, by the world, the enemy and others. You will have a choice to make, a very important one, so choose wisely. We must stand proud, hold our head up high and worship the King of kings, unashamed and unafraid, for if we do, He will gladly do the same for us before His Father on the Day of Judgment. Amen? Thank you, Jesus, You are so worthy of praise.

Luke 11 - Ask, Seek, Knock - God Answers All Prayers

Jesus says in verses 9-10, 9"So I say to you: Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. 10For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened.” These are very powerful verses to me, you will also find them in Matthew 7:7-8; in fact, I have a plaque with the first verse on it in my living room, to serve as a reminder of God’s goodness. So lets examine them.

First, “Ask and it will be given to you”, notice Jesus didn’t say, “ask and God will think about it” or “ask and ‘we’ll see’”, but “ask and it WILL be given”, “for EVERYONE who asks receives”. Thank the Lord! Not just some people or those who are worthy, but EVERYONE who asks receives.

Next, “seek and you will find”, NOT “seek and you might find” or “seek and maybe you’ll find it”, no Jesus said, “he who seeks FINDS”. Praise the Lord! If you seek, you will find. Period.

Finally, “knock and the door will be opened to you”, NOT “knock and someone might answer” or “knock and if the door doesn’t open, give up”. Jesus said, “to him who knocks, the door WILL BE OPENED.” Bless the Lord! The door will be opened to THOSE WHO KNOCK. No knock, you may not have the door opened, BUT if you knock IT WILL BE OPENED to you. Awesome!

These verses can be interpreted in many ways, but I will address two of the main ways that I PERSONALLY look at them, salvation and prayer.

Addressing salvation: ask and receive, seek and find, knock and the door will be opened. ANYONE who asks for salvation from Jesus receives it, ANYONE who seeks Jesus will find Him, EVERYONE who knocks on the door will be received, it will be opened to them. What an awesome God we serve! It doesn’t matter where you came from, who your parents are, how much or little money you have, what race, social class, or education you have, whether you’re worthy or not; ANY and EVERYONE who seeks salvation from Jesus Christ will get it! As Pastor Rusty would say, “that’s shouting ground”. Thank you God for Your mercy, graciousness, and love.

Now, concerning prayer, I believe the same principles apply. If you ask you will receive. God answers ALL prayers. Others will say that “sometimes the answer is ‘no’,” but I don’t believe that for a minute. God answers ALL prayers and He answers them in OUR BEST INTEREST. That is, with our spiritual well-being in mind. To that, in addition to ASKING, we have to SEEK as well. This requires an effort on our part. We don’t just pray and leave it at that, we have to SEEK God’s guidance and will in the matter, we have to give an effort, not just wait. This may require us to do some work, such as KNOCK on the door of opportunity, if it is in God’s will. Therefore, the whole picture is, we ASK in prayer, SEEK God’s will and direction, and KNOCK (do the work) to allow God’s will to enter and work through us.

You might say, “Well, Rick, I asked for a million dollars, I sought a way to get it, and I knocked on the door by buying a lottery ticket and I still didn’t get squat”. Well let’s look at that.

Remember, I said God answers ALL prayers in YOUR best interest. Why did you want the money? To pay off some bills, to buy some things you like, to not to have to worry about anything, maybe even to give to the church and missionaries? The main thing you were SEEKING with the million dollars was to have the security of all of your problems being solved, but you ALREADY have that, and SO MUCH MORE, with God; therefore, your prayer was already answered!

You see, it could be, with the money, you would rely on IT, be comforted and secured by IT, use IT to solve your problems, essentially the money would become your god. You would put your faith in it, not in the one true God and that would be detrimental to your eternal soul. So God did answer your prayer, in your best interest, and offered HIMSELF to provide for you, better than the money could. God is already there to help provide for you, to comfort you, to help carry your burden, and provide for His children AND (unlike the money) He saves your soul.

You asked and received, you sought and found, you knocked and God opened the door. PERIOD. Besides, the money would eventually run out but, praise the Lord, God never does. He is the same yesterday, as He is today, as He will be tomorrow and He loves us enough to send His son to die for our sins, to pay the price of our transgressions, so we may be forgiven and live with Him for ever and ever. No amount of cash can buy you something of that magnitude. Amen?

Luke 10 - To God be the Glory

Though the parable of the good Samaritan is one of my very favorites, I feel compelled to speak on these verses today. “ 17The seventy-two returned with joy and said, "Lord, even the demons submit to us in your name." 18He (Jesus) replied, "I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven. 19I have given you authority to trample on snakes and scorpions and to overcome all the power of the enemy; nothing will harm you. 20However, do not rejoice that the spirits submit to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven."

The seventy-two whom Jesus sent out to spread the Good News returned to Him full of joy and astonishment that they could drive out the demons in Jesus’ name. They had to be thinking, “wow, what awesome power Jesus has given us” or “how awesome and divine is Jesus, that we can drive out demons in His name”. They had to be overjoyed, because what Jesus sent them to do, they were accomplishing! They came back with a “praise report”, astonished and pleased that they were performing well.

To this, Jesus responded not shocked but “matter-of-factly”, of course. He knew, and told them, that He had given them the authority to overcome ALL the power of the enemy, not some, not most, but ALL. Praise Jesus, He equips us properly for the battles we must face. He didn’t need the “good reports” from the seventy-two, for Jesus already knew it was possible, for He had equipped them well; as we are equipped also. God never sends us into something without first giving us all we need to accomplish His goal. We must trust in Him, seek His will, do His bidding, and we will overcome; for God has given us the power to conquer the enemy, if we will only trust in Him and USE it.

However, as Jesus said in verse 20, we should not focus on the power God has bestowed upon us in His Son Jesus’ name, but be more elated that our name is in the Book of Life in Heaven. That, by Jesus’ sacrifice, we are saved and victorious. Sure, the power of God is astonishing, but when we focus solely on that, we tend to focus on what WE are accomplishing, then we forget to give God the glory. Use the gifts God gave you to accomplish His will and His plan for your life, to further His Kingdom; but never forget, the ultimate rejoicing is that we are SAVED by Jesus Christ and will be with Him and our Heavenly Father forever and ever. All praise be to God, for He is good, all the time. Amen?

Luke 9 - Who's the Greatest

“ 46An argument started among the disciples as to which of them would be the greatest. 47Jesus, knowing their thoughts, took a little child and had him stand beside him. 48Then he said to them, "Whoever welcomes this little child in my name welcomes me; and whoever welcomes me welcomes the one who sent me. For he who is least among you all—he is the greatest."

What an awesome lesson to be learned. We, like the disciples, often start looking for personal glory, even as we do God’s work. We get frustrated and aggravated at those doing little to help further the Kingdom of God, then we start to believe ourselves “above” them, because we “do so much” for the church and others. However, this is not so. At that point, we are focusing on our “personal glory” not the glory of God, just as the disciples were doing at this point; wanting to know “who was the greatest”, essentially who was doing the best work.

Jesus aptly answered them by showing them that the “least” among them (the one who was not out for personal glory but humbled to give God the glory) was the greatest. So remember, as in the hymn, “to God be the glory, great things HE has done”. God may use you as a conduit for His miracles, but He is always in control. It is when we forget this and start believing WE are great that we falter and fail, hurting many in the process. Never forget to give credit where credit is due, and God deserves all of our praise for He is worthy and good. Amen?

Luke 8 - Stormy Waters?

“ 22One day Jesus said to his disciples, "Let's go over to the other side of the lake." So they got into a boat and set out. 23As they sailed, he fell asleep. A squall came down on the lake, so that the boat was being swamped, and they were in great danger.
24The disciples went and woke him, saying, "Master, Master, we're going to drown!"

He got up and rebuked the wind and the raging waters; the storm subsided, and all was calm. 25"Where is your faith?" he asked his disciples.
In fear and amazement they asked one another, "Who is this? He commands even the winds and the water, and they obey him."

Another great lesson in faith. These men who were with Jesus were His disciples, not just an ordinary crowd. They walked and talked with Jesus on a daily basis, they saw the miracles Jesus performed, they heard His teachings of God, yet when the storm came, they quickly lost faith. But before you condemn them, let’s look at our own lives as well.

There are countless times that Jesus has performed miracles in my life, yet when trouble hits, I tend to worry. I know that God will take care of me, He has promised to never forsake me, yet I loose faith. However, as God is teaching me, when I feel myself faltering, feel the “weight of the world” crashing down, I now turn to my Heavenly Father and spend some “face time” in prayer with Him. I try to do what is said in Philippians 4:6-7, “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” It’s that peace that God grants me that overcomes fear and boosts my faith. Just as Jesus calmed the storm for the disciples, so can He calm the storm in your life. You simply have to trust in Him, place your faith in Him, not the world. Amen?

Luke 7 - The Faith of the Centurion

“ 1When Jesus had finished saying all this in the hearing of the people, he entered Capernaum. 2There a centurion's servant, whom his master valued highly, was sick and about to die. 3The centurion heard of Jesus and sent some elders of the Jews to him, asking him to come and heal his servant. 4When they came to Jesus, they pleaded earnestly with him, "This man deserves to have you do this, 5because he loves our nation and has built our synagogue." 6So Jesus went with them.

He was not far from the house when the centurion sent friends to say to him: "Lord, don't trouble yourself, for I do not deserve to have you come under my roof. 7That is why I did not even consider myself worthy to come to you. But say the word, and my servant will be healed. 8For I myself am a man under authority, with soldiers under me. I tell this one, 'Go,' and he goes; and that one, 'Come,' and he comes. I say to my servant, 'Do this,' and he does it."

9When Jesus heard this, he was amazed at him, and turning to the crowd following him, he said, "I tell you, I have not found such great faith even in Israel." 10Then the men who had been sent returned to the house and found the servant well.”

What an awesome testament of faith! It was not because of WHO the Centurion was, not because of his GOOD DEEDS, not because of his WEALTH or even his SOCIAL STATUS, it was simply HIS FAITH that Jesus answered his prayer! The Centurion didn’t ask Jesus to come to his servant and heal, he BELIEVED in FAITH that if Jesus said it was done, then it would BE DONE. Because of that, Jesus praised the Centurion for his faith, saying that “I have not found such great faith even in Israel”, what an honor! Would Jesus say that of us?

To tell you the truth, I have not always had such faith. Many times I would pray and walk away thinking, “I hope God has heard me” or “I hope God will answer my prayer”, but you see that was not faith like the Centurion had, he KNEW his servant would be healed; not wondered, wished or even hoped, but KNEW.

Forgive me God for my lack of faith, you have always taken care of me and have said that You would NEVER forsake me. Please help me to have faith like the Centurion, and trust in You more. Amen.

Luke 6 - The Eye of Scrutiny

Jesus said, 37"Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven. 38Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you."

Wow, what a message! How quick we are to judge others, to point out their failures and every fault, BUT somewhere along the line, we fail to look at ourselves with that same scrutiny. We tend to take OTHERS’ actions and blame them on the PERSON. “well, she should know better than that, she’s not really trying, she doesn’t care”. However, when the SAME instance happens to US, we blame the CIRCUMSTANCE. “I tried my best but NO ONE could have done it, if I had MORE HELP, MORE TIME, or a BETTER SYSTEM, I could have made it happen”. Hmm, any of this sound familiar?

That is the cycle we have to break. As the scripture says, we will be measured by the measure we use. If we give freely, forgive easily, judge lightly, then we too will be given to freely, forgiven easily and judged lightly. However, if we are quick to condemn, stingy with our blessings, and refuse to forgive, then we too will be condemned, unforgiven and left wanting.

So the next time you see those in need, instead of judging and scrutinizing their actions, honestly put yourself in their position and lend a helping hand, treat them how YOU would want to be treated, NOT how you THINK they should be. And, the next time you are in a bad situation, before you start “explaining” off the circumstances, examine the situation to see if you are looking for a “pity party” or if you could have done something better. We ALL make mistakes, NO ONE but Jesus was perfect. The more we realize that, the better we can all get a long, join together, and focus on HIM, not on us. Amen?

Luke 5 - Defeat vs. Success, Jesus is the Difference

“4When he (Jesus) had finished speaking, he said to Simon, "Put out into deep water, and let down the nets for a catch." 5Simon answered, "Master, we've worked hard all night and haven't caught anything. But because you say so, I will let down the nets."

Isn’t that a great lesson in life, how to trust in Jesus, what a great example that Simon gives to us. They have been working hard all night, and had no success. They were tired, frustrated, ready to call it quits and accept defeat, to go home and rest. The last thing they wanted to do was to go back out to do more work with no results. BUT, because Jesus told him to, Simon went back out and lowered the nets. Not because he was expecting different results (he had fished all night with nothing to show for it), but because of his faith in Jesus.

“6When they had done so, they caught such a large number of fish that their nets began to break. 7So they signaled their partners in the other boat to come and help them, and they came and filled both boats so full that they began to sink.”

Praise the Lord, because of his faith, Simon witnessed a miracle that day. He had been trying all night to catch fish, failing time and time again, until finally, tired, broken, he turned to trust in Jesus. Then when Simon tried again, WITH Jesus, he had so much success that the fish filled, not one, but TWO boats to the point of sinking.

You see, Simon was trying to fish his OWN way, with nothing to show for it but frustration and weariness. BUT when Simon listened to Jesus, did things the way the Jesus told him, trusted and followed Jesus’ plan, without question and full of faith, he was so successful that his one boat couldn’t hold all of the fish (blessings).

Maybe you are facing defeat, such as Simon was. You have been trying and trying but not having success. We all have faced that, I have many times over; however, I’m here to tell you, if you will put your trust in Jesus, let Him lead the way, you will succeed in His plan, His will; and when you do, it won’t be a “small measure of success”, it will be an overflowing fountain so large that you can’t contain it! Praise the Lord. So align yourself with Jesus’, seek God’s will and plan, forget the failures of the past and move forward in faith, then taste sweet success that can only come from the Lord, then give Him all the praise and glory for the victory, for He deserves it and much more. Amen?

Luke 4 - Blessing Thief or God's Champion?

“42At daybreak Jesus went out to a solitary place. The people were looking for him and when they came to where he was, they tried to keep him from leaving them. 43But he said, "I must preach the good news of the kingdom of God to the other towns also, because that is why I was sent." 44And he kept on preaching in the synagogues of Judea.”

These verses spoke volumes to me today. The people were begging Jesus to stay, in my opinion, implying that there was more that they needed from Him. However, Jesus was called to preach the word of God all over Judea, not just that one town. Even though there might have been more people to help, God had a greater need for Jesus in other towns as well.

This is a perfect example to us. It is so easy to get caught up in helping people. You see everyone hurting, you want to do all you can, you have compassion for their pain, maybe you have experienced the same; however, if God has a greater plan for you, then you must move on.

“Wait a second! Are you saying that God wants us to desert the needy?” No that is NOT what I’m saying. I’m saying this, you cannot help every single person in the world by yourself, nor do I believe one person is called to do that. If you try, three things can easily happen.
1. You can get burned out, quickly. By trying to help everyone, you easily get discouraged, being of no help to anyone. The task becomes overwhelming and you soon loose hope, for you are trying to do it all alone. Then, when you are gone, who will care for the people? You centered it around you alone, so without you, there is no one left to help.
2. You steal someone else’s blessing. That’s right, believe it or not, the world does not revolve around you. God has a network of millions of Christians, all who should be following the same commands. If you try to help everyone around you, then you keep other Christians from being able to help, who might have been more able and qualified than you. Because of your actions, they are not helping; therefore, you interfered and stole the blessings that God had for them and for the people needing help.
3. You interfere with God’s ultimate plan. Yes, in my opinion, at this point, you are more of a detriment to God’s plan that an asset. True, you have good intentions, but by not following God’s ultimate plan for you, by staying and attempting to help everyone, you are saying, “I know better than God”, which we don’t. Also, you will not arrive at the place God needs you the most. What if Jesus stayed in Simon’s hometown and that was the end of the story, no sacrifice, no resurrection, no price for our sins. I’m sure He wanted to stay and help, but He knew that God’s ultimate plan was more important and I thank God and Jesus that He moved on, or we all would have missed out on Salvation.

To clear up any confusion, let me tell you a story that might explain. You have a cart full of apples that you are supposed to take to an orphanage in a town down the road. Along the way there are two other towns before the orphanage. In the first town you stop and see many hungry people, so you give out your entire load of apples, except for one. Now you continue on to the next town. There are also many hungry people here, but you only have one apple left, so you have nothing to give. They ALL go hungry. Finally, you get to the orphanage to deliver the ONE apple. It is not enough, and the orphans go hungry as well. You see, by feeding EVERYONE in the first town, you had nothing to bless the second town with AND you had nothing to deliver to the orphans, which was your goal. If you had given out SOME in the first town, you could have given SOME MORE, in the second town, and STILL HAD ENOUGH to feed the orphans. Which way helped the most people? Which one appears to follow God’s ultimate plan?

Now, I am NOT SAYING don’t help anyone or refuse help saying, “someone else will take care of it, I don’t want to steal their blessing” and then you do NOTHING. I am simply saying, help where you can, actively seek God’s place for you in this world, then stick to the plan to the end. If you feel prompted by the Holy Spirit to help, then by all means HELP, but don’t feel obligated to help everyone, especially if you’re not called to do so, because you may end up helping NO ONE and serve as a hindrance to God’s plan.

“Well, how do I know God’s plan? How do I know if He wants me to move on? How do I know that He didn’t call me to help all of these people?” Let me answer these questions with this. How do you know what your parents want from you? How do you know what your boss needs? How do you know what your leaders expect? By asking! The same applies to God, our Heavenly Father. You seek God’s will by having a relationship with Him. Spend time in His Word, The Holy Bible, and in prayer (communication) with Him every day. When you develop a RELATIONSHIP (two way street, not one way phone call) with God, then He can show you His will and plan for you. Isaiah 48:17 “This is what the LORD says— your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel: ‘I am the LORD your God, who teaches you what is best for you, who directs you in the way you should go’.”

God is waiting on you to seek Him and discover the plan and many blessings He has in store for you and others, isn’t it time that you seek Him NOW and discover that plan? Jesus did and, praise be to Him, I am saved because He stuck to God’s plan and put God’s will above His own!

Luke 3 - Good Fruit or Bad Fruit?

John the Baptist said, “9The axe is already at the root of the trees, and every tree that does not produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire."

What a word of warning to us all. We are to produce GOOD fruit. It is not enough that we exist (trees standing in a forest), not enough just to produce any fruit (bad thing, sinful spirits, griping, complaining, misleading, etc.), but we must produce GOOD fruit (good, godly things, disciples, further the Kingdom of God). For a tree’s (person’s) goodness or badness can be determined by the fruit it produces, Matthew 12:33 “33"Make a tree good and its fruit will be good, or make a tree bad and its fruit will be bad, for a tree is recognized by its fruit.”

So you want to know how you are doing? Or you want to know if other’s are sincere and giving good, godly advice? Look to the fruit. Luke 6:43, “43"No good tree bears bad fruit, nor does a bad tree bear good fruit.” Therefore, if what you or others are producing it good fruit, then you are a good tree. Likewise, if you or others are producing bad fruit, then you are a bad tree.

No fruit produced? This can be just as bad as producing bad fruit. True, you are not producing bad fruit to spoil the world; however, you are not producing good fruit to make it better either. Indecision is still a decision, inaction is still an action. As John says, “every tree that does not produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire.” He doesn’t say, “every tree that produces BAD fruit”, he says, “every tree that does not PRODUCE GOOD FRUIT”.

As was said, how you are living can be determined by your fruit. So take time now to assess yourself, are you producing good fruit? If not, it’s not too late. Unlike a tree, we have the ability to change immediately and start producing good fruit. Jesus Christ died for us to give us that chance. Don’t let your opportunity pass you by, accept Him as your Risen Savior, RIGHT NOW, and start producing good fruit. Make no mistake, there will be a day of judgment, for all people, Christian and non-Christian alike! Woe be to the trees (people) who didn’t produce good fruit, for they “will be cut down and thrown into the fire”. Don’t be one of them, the choice is yours alone!

Luke 2 - Simply Stepping Stones

“6While they were there, the time came for the baby (Jesus) to be born, 7and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.”

Isn’t this how life appears to us sometimes? Nothing works out as WE plan. I am sure that Mary and Joseph planned for Jesus to be born in a “proper” surrounding, in their home where everything was ready to take care of Him and bring Him into this world on the “right foot”. However, that is not how it was.

Because of the census enacted by Caesar Augustus, Mary and Joseph had to travel to Bethlehem, during the last part of Mary’s pregnancy, far away from the comforts of home. They had to endure what could only be a difficult journey, to arrive in Bethlehem, ready to deliver a baby, but have no proper place to do so, there was no room in the inn. Now the time has come, their only choice was to give birth to Jesus, the King of Kings, and wrap Him in rags and place Him in a manger. I’m sure this was as far from Mary and Joseph’s original plan for Jesus’ birth as possible; however, it was exactly as God had planned.

It was exactly what needed to happen to set the stage for the rest of Jesus’ life, how different could every outcome have been if this one step was eliminated? No one knows, except for God, how different everything could have been, had Jesus been born at home in Nazareth instead of in Bethlehem.

This is exactly how it is with our lives. We plan and work on a plan to make everything “perfect” in our lives, but sometimes the world comes crashing down and cuts us short. The worst thing imaginable happens and totally destroys our plans, our “good intentions”. However, just as God was watching over Joseph, Mary and Jesus, He is watching over our lives. He knows infinitely more than we do what is best for our lives. He doesn’t work in the “short-term” fixes, as much as, He works in the “long-term” solutions. What we see as “stumbling blocks” and “dead-ends”, God sees as “opportunities” and “new directions”.

So take comfort in knowing that your Heavenly Father is in control. That, regardless of the current outlook to our eyes, He is able to overcome any and everything and use it for His glory and His purpose. The reason we have our “failures” is to allow God to work through us for His plan to be revealed and to keep us from heading in the wrong direction, away from Him. So, if you haven’t done so, take time now to speak with God, through prayer. Seek His will in your life, seek His direction and plan. Don’t focus on your current situation of seemingly “failures”, for they are just necessary, temporary “stepping stones” to guide you along the path of God’s extraordinary plan. Let Him take control and you will see, His plan is infinitely more rewarding, infinitely more fulfilling that we could ever imagine. And the troubles we see now were necessary to guide us to where He needs to us to bless us the most. Amen?