Here Comes the Judge – Not!

On December 6, 2016   /   Word of the Day   /   Leave a comment

John 12: 47

I did not come to judge the world, but to save the world.

In his unforgettable characterization, Flip Wilson said, “Here comes the judge!” Jesus might say, “Here comes the Savior.”

I was reading the story of the Samaritan woman when today’s verse came to my mind. The account of Jesus’ interaction with the Samaritan woman is found in John 4, verses 1 – 42. Many people came to believe in Jesus as the Messiah because of this woman. She was an evangelist for Christ even though she had three strikes against her. First, she was a Samaritan, a race despised and disdained by the Jews. Second, she was a woman. As such she was at best a second class citizen; at worst, a non-entity. Then there is strike three. She was apparently living with a man who was not her husband. Strike three, you’re out!

But wait . . . Jesus evangelized a city through this misfit. How can that be? She was the disfavored of the disfavored. Why did Jesus show her acceptance? Why didn’t he try to correct her of everything she was doing wrong? Why did he even condescend to speak with her? One thing is clear to me, as I read this tale; one of us has the paradigm wrong, either Jesus or me.

Many of us, while good intentioned, operate under a wrong mindset. We mistakenly believe that we need to judge and correct in order to save. That is not, however, the model Jesus set for us. In his book, judgment is correlated with damnation. Love is connected to salvation. Let me ask you this question? Which model do you think is most effective? John 4: 39 reads, “Many of the Samaritans from that town believed in him because of the woman’s testimony.” Jesus ended up staying in that Samaritan town for three days at the insistence of the residents all because one unlovely sinner spread the gospel. Because Jesus showed her kindness and acceptance, especially in the light of her living arrangement, she evangelized a town.

Love is the greatest force on earth. God is love (1 John 4: 8) and love is God. Mountains can be moved by applying this, the greatest power on earth. It was love that sent Jesus to earth and it was that same love that caused him to choose the cross. HE DIDN’T ENDURE THE CROSS TO JUDGE US BUT RATHER TO SAVE US. He went to the cross so that we could be free of the judgment that was due us. He removed the judgment from our shoulders, indeed from our lives, and took it on himself. He is called the savior. That must have meaning. In his own words, he describes himself as our savior, not our judge. He has the right to judge us because the Father gave all judgment to him (John 5: 22). He chose not to exercise that authority but rather to spend his life and death in removing judgment from us. That is one powerful testimony. Tell that to a sinner. Tell them that no one is judging them. Tell them God loves them and sent His son to save them rather than judge them. Tell them Jesus wants them to spend eternity with him in heaven. That is the good news of the Gospel.

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Singing Through the Rain

On December 5, 2016   /   Word of the Day   /   Leave a comment

Psalm 69: 13

But as for me, my prayer is to Thee.

David was in great distress, but he knew to whom to turn. He sought people to sympathize with him. He looked for comforters among men. Ultimately, though, salvation and compassion are in the arms of the Lord.

There is something very interesting about this Psalm. It is equally a lament of Jesus as of David. Read the entire psalm with the thought that Jesus wrote it and you will be amazed. Jesus’ problems were those which are common to us all and are mirrored in the passionate songs of David.

In David’s passion, we can read so much of our own hearts, the trials and victory of Jesus, and the faithfulness of the Father. Walking through these Psalms is a journey of the heart. If you allow yourself, you feel the pain and struggles of the writers. You will also experience the victory in Jesus which is always the end of the story. David wrote of his woe, but then he lifted his head and saw the Father. “My prayer is to You,” he sang. Regardless of the trials, despite the hardships, he knew his daily salvation from every challenge and danger was in the Father.

Do you have challenges in your life right now? Fear not! The Father, Son and Spirit are standing by to assist and comfort you. I encourage you, also, to take a stroll through the psalms. Let your heart hear the anguish yet ultimate victory. Be encouraged. What God did for David, He will do for you.

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Plague Barrier

On December 2, 2016   /   Word of the Day   /   Leave a comment

Psalm 91: 10

No evil will befall you, nor will any plague come near your tent.

Do you believe this scripture? To whom do you suggest it is directed? Is it for you, or for someone else? Yesterday’s Word of the Day holds the key to making this verse real and viable in your life. The key to having no evil befall you and to keeping all plagues at bay is belief. Do you believe this verse is for you? Do you believe it speaks truth? Do you believe God is able to make this a reality in your life?

Psalm 91 is truly one of the outstanding chapters of the Bible. It is rich with the promises of God. What good does any of this do, though, if we do not understand that these words were written for each one of us individually? God has provided protection for you among His many gifts. You need to understand your rights as well as other allowances God has already made for you. There is chapter upon chapter of Bible promises, all meant for you. The activator for each and every promise is your belief. If you believe a promise is for you, then you activate it in your life. If you believe today’s verse, that no plague can come near your dwelling and that no evil can befall you, then it’s true. If you really want to add power to your punch, start saying what the Bible says, “No evil will befall me.” When people at work begin talking about all the sickness and disease you say, “No plague shall come near me or my household because we are a household of faith.” Then, you shall have what you say.

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 Believers?

On December 1, 2016   /   Word of the Day   /   Leave a comment

John 2: 22

When therefore He was raised from the dead, His disciples remembered that He said this; and they believed the Scripture, and the word which Jesus had spoken.

Believing Jesus; believing in Jesus, ultimately should bring a person to believing the Scriptures.

We are called “believers”, but what do we believe. There are some basic tenets of the Christian faith which we are all expected to believe: the virgin birth, the resurrection, etc. surprisingly, one of those basic tenets isn’t that Jesus is the Word of God. people are taught to believe that the Bible is the inspired Word of God but if you listen to them, most do not actually believe what they read in the Bible.

Once, when I was a guest at a church, I heard a sermon on Jesus feeding the 5000. To this day I almost regret that I did not stand up and shout, “Blasphemy!” The pastor taught that feeding the 5000 was not a miracle of Jesus. Instead, he posited that women in the crowd fed the people. The women in the congregation appreciated his comment because good church women, especially from the south, do feed the multitude. None the less, can you see that this Pastor is not truly a believer? He does not believe what he reads in the Bible. I wonder, sometimes, how that church is doing. If the pastor teaches unbelief, what expressions of faith can you expect from the congregation?

I want to challenge you to read the Bible and then to believe what you read. Third, I want you to believe that what you read there can happen today and can happen in your life. Do you need food? Read 1 Kings 17. Do you need money? Read Matthew 17: 27. Then believe what you read. Believe that what God did for someone else, He is willing to do for you. Believe the Word of God.

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Finding the King

On November 30, 2016   /   Word of the Day   /   Leave a comment

Psalm 22: 26

The afflicted (poor) will eat and be satisfied; those who seek Him will praise the LORD. Let your heart live forever!

I am struck by the phrase, “those who seek Him will praise the Lord.” That is such a confident expression. One thing is sure, if you seek Him, you will find him. In Jeremiah 29: 14 God says, “I will be found by you.” Well, if we know that when we seek Him we shall find Him, then I suppose it is not a great logical leap to conclude that there will be praise. How could we find God, or better yet, have Him reveal Himself to us and there not be subsequent shouts of praise? I think the real issue is that we don’t seek Him enough and likely most of us don’t really know how. It really is simple but it is the answer you already know. He can be found in His word. He is His Word. We don’t want to spend the time in the Bible or prayer that we need to. I am not saying it takes a lot of time. By no means! Sometimes I have found Him waiting for me when I just bothered to spend even a little dedicated time with Him. You just are not going to see His glory by saying to Him, “Lord, show yourself to me.” You have to actually seek Him. That is what the verse says. The way you do that is to get into your Bible. It is so much like the Kevin Costner movie, Field of Dreams. Costner’s character kept hearing a voice in his head saying, “If you build it, they will come.” And come they did. Now hear this voice in your head, “If you seek Him, you will find Him.” You already have the promise that you will find Him so there is no risk to you. Don’t you want the King of all creation as your personal friend? Of course you do! Open your Bible and look into His heart and mind.

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Home Address

On November 29, 2016   /   Word of the Day   /   Leave a comment

John 2: 17

His disciples remembered that it was written, “ZEAL FOR THY HOUSE WILL CONSUME ME.”

Today’s passage comes from the story of when Jesus overturned the tables in the temple, running out the merchants and money changers. It is a great story; one with which many of you are familiar. I want to put a New Testament spin on it for you today though.

Remember, when Jesus went through the temple overturning the money changers tables, the Old Covenant was still in operation. The new dispensation only came in with Jesus’ victory over death, sin and the grave. Therefore, when the temple was discussed in those times the reference would always have been to the building known as the temple. There is a new message about the temple on this side of the cross.

“For we are the temple of the living God,” (2 Corinthians 6: 16). Bearing this verse in mind, reread today’s passage. Now what do you see? You better believe that Jesus is zealous over the temple. Don’t you imagine that when he went through the building in Jerusalem he had you on his mind? This event occurred when he was about to go to the cross. He had been in that temple many times. Never before did he respond to the commerce going on within. Why this time? The answer is that it was because he had you on his mind. He was on his way to the cross to “cleanse the temple.” His outward display in the church that day was a symbol of the cleansing he was about to do through his sacrifice. Jesus was consumed with zeal for God’s house but it was not the brick and mortar building that captivated him. He was consumed with his love for you. It was that love; that consuming, burning love that gave him the strength to endure the cross.

He had his Father’s mind and his Father’s thoughts. He knew the plan and he understood what he and his Father would accomplish through the cross. The real question is, do we? “Do you not know that you are a temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you?” (1 Corinthians 3: 16). There is your key for understanding today’s scriptural quote. Because of Jesus’ zeal for you, he endured the cross. He had the end in mind. He wanted to be able to make his abode in you so that he could be with you at all times. You are that which Jesus is zealous for. Let this truth sink into the deep part of your being. Absorb it. You are the temple of God. You are Jesus’ home address.

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Delegating

On November 28, 2016   /   Word of the Day   /   Leave a comment

2 Chronicles 20: 20

Listen to me, O Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem, put your trust in the LORD your God and you will be established.”

It is a little bit hard learning to trust someone you can neither see nor hear. If you have never stepped out in faith and believed God for something, then you might appreciate some guidance in learning how to walk in faith. Start risk free with something small. It might be some task you are working on without a lot of success. Maybe you need to write a thank you note and the words just aren’t coming out right. For me, it was leveling a refrigerator.

It was late at night and the freezer door was not staying closed because I had moved the refrigerator and the floor was not level. I had already inadvertently thawed an entire bag of chicken breasts. So, I was lying on the floor turning the leveling legs and it just wouldn’t work. The whole thing defied logic. I was getting tired and frustrated. Finally, I stopped and prayed. Then as I looked back at the refrigerator, I had the idea to lengthen the left side. Now, that was just opposite of what you would think but I did it anyway since I had prayed. You know the end of the story. It immediately fixed my problem and the freezer door stayed closed. I was shocked and flabbergasted but really relieved at the same time. It only took a minute to fix the problem once I prayed but I wasted a lot of time messing with the thing before. I learned an important lesson that night; pray first.

That refrigerator was one of many small ways I learned to trust God. Though I am still learning, now it is much easier for me to trust him in bigger things. As we go, we begin to turn problems over to him more quickly and we learn to take our hands and thoughts completely off of the problem. You will find that you even quit talking about the problem that you have handed over to God because you have such an awareness that it is His problem and He will handle it. It takes seeing Him come through for you a time or two before you really begin to believe He can and will affect our lives here and now. Until you have witnessed it yourself it is easy to think of God as uninterested and removed from our daily lives. Once you know the truth, though, you will be thrilled at how involved with you He really wants to be. Go ahead. Look for some little thing that you can trust Him with and soon you will have fewer and fewer troubles that you have to deal with.

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