The Holy Challenge

When Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus’ knees, saying, “Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord!” For he and all who were with him were astonished at the catch of fish which they had taken; and so also were James and John, the sons of Zebedee, who were partners with Simon. And Jesus said to Simon, “Do not be afraid. From now on you will catch men.”  So, when they had brought their boats to land, they forsook all and followed Him.  (Luke 5:8-11)

No man understands who he is until he meets a man of God. Only when he is confronted by God’s righteousness in another man can he compare himself to God’s standard — “I am a sinful man, O Lord!” 

 

Immediately, he must make the decision. “Do I shrink back in fear, or do I answer the call and follow Jesus?”

 

No one stays the same once they have met Jesus. Peter would have turned back, "Depart from me…" But the call of God on his life would not let him. His fear would have caused him to run from the One he should run to; but Jesus promised him a relationship with God that would make him all he could be — “From now on you will catch men.” It was an irresistible opportunity to become a real man— God’s man — and Peter took that challenge.

 

Have you ever met a true man of God? Have you taken God's challenge? Have you decided to follow Jesus? There will never be a more important question, or a more consequential answer.

 

Let's Pray - Dear Lord, I, like Peter, take the challenge to become a real man. I desire to all You have ordained for me, and I will walk in the steps You have ordered. Here I am, Lord. Use me. Amen.

Commanded to Love

“These things I command you, that you love one another.”  (John 15:17)

Many believe love to be a voluntary emotion, and that we should love according to what we feel in our hearts. If so, does God honestly expect us to love unlovable people, or those who hurt us and mean us harm? Does God expect us to love those we do not like, who are nothing like us, or whose behavior we disdain? These are tough questions to wrestle with as we learn to love as Christ commands, and this is where we must surrender our understanding and receive the love poured in our hearts by the Holy Spirit. Otherwise, it is impossible to get beyond ourselves and our fears into the realm of holy love.

 

It may seem odd that Jesus commands us to love, but it makes a remarkable difference to see love as a commandment and not an emotion. Jesus can command and empower us to love, because He has taken it out of the natural realm and placed it in the framework of the spirit. He did that when He bore all our sins and sicknesses, and when He gave His life for ours on the Cross of Calvary — all out of love. God's love is spiritual, based on the work and person of Jesus Christ who is God, and who is love.

 

So, let this true of us; that we love like Jesus loves, that we love by the Spirit, and we love one another. That is God’s command, and if we are His, we will obey.

 

Let's Pray - Father, it is good and right to learn to define love as You do. Teach me to appreciate the opportunity to love as You command. May my words and deeds be salt and light in the earth, and may You be glorified in Your servant. Amen.

The Power of Words

"It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing. The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life." (John 6:63)

 

"But I say to you that for every idle word men may speak, they will give account of it in the day of judgment." (Matthew 12:36)

 

What a marvelous blessing it is to become a wise steward of the tongue! Jesus tells us His words are spirit and life — much more than syllables and sounds, but they are alive, living, and able to carry out the purpose for which they are spoken.

 

There are no idle words from the mouth of God, and as we mature in Him, there will be fewer from us. Our words are pregnant with meaning and effect, and the Lord will hold us accountable for them. We should give longer and wiser consideration before we speak.

 

The Lord is pleased when we speak words of blessing and truth, and when our speech reflects His express viewpoint. The lips of the child of God should release the sweetness of the heart of God and be rooted in faith and kindness. Let us avoid bitter and scornful words that do not reflect the love of our Lord.

 

Jesus is the example we are to follow in our conversation, and His example is one of perfection. May the Holy Spirit teach us to communicate in a perfect way that strengthens and redeems those who hear us.

 

Let's Pray - Father God, help me to speak words that bring life and love to every conversation. I will follow the example and instruction of my Lord to speak the truth in love, and in a way that builds up and strengthens the one who hears me. In Jesus alone, Amen.

The Friend of God

"No longer do I (Jesus) call you servants, for a servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all the things I heard from My Father I have made known to you."  (John 15:15)

 

The Lord has many followers, but few friends. Friends are those who come to Jesus on His terms, and His terms are spiritual, not soulish, emotional, or religious. Friendship with Jesus draws us into the realm of spiritual intimacy where the love, knowledge, and counsel of God are available to us. Close friends are free to share themselves with one another, and they enjoy that freedom because of a bond of trust developed over time and experiences.

 

You are My friends if you do whatever I command you. (John 15:14)

 

Most human friendships are based on affinities, shared interests and desires, or emotional ties; but it is not so in the Kingdom. The Lord is holy, and He will only have friendships with holy men and women. He will never be related to sin and selfishness, and He is not interested in associations and affiliations that do not glorify the Father.

 

Therefore, we must be obedient to His Word if we want to be His friends. Once He can trust us to follow Him closely, He will share His heart with us, because He can trust us as one trusts a friend. Are you trustworthy in that way? Do you follow His commands? Are you a friend of God?

 

Remember, we are not His friends until He says we are. What is He saying about you?

 

Let's Pray - Father, thank You for calling me Your friend through Your Son, Jesus Christ. I want to be the kind of friend that stands with You and obeys Your every command. In Jesus, Amen.

The Ultimate Test

For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. (John 3:16)

This is, perhaps, the most quoted verse in the Bible, and rightly so. It is the best news ever proclaimed, and the simplest and most direct answer to life’s most important question. It is the revelation of God’s love manifest in His Son, Jesus, whose life on the earth, death on the cross, and resurrection from the dead is the central reality of all time and eternity. 

 

Everything done or said will be measured by this verse. There is no truth beyond it or outside its reach, no one above it, and every human thought and deed will be judged by it. God’s love in Jesus Christ is all we need to know about living well, and it is the key to being at peace with God and men. 

 

What an honor to come to God, and to come on His terms — to come through Jesus Christ. Everything that matters depends on Him!

 

Let's Pray - Father God, thank You for the gift of everlasting life through Jesus, my Savior. It is the solid rock on which I stand. All glory to You, Lord. Amen. 

Food Which Endures

Do not labor for the food which perishes, but for the food which endures to everlasting life, which the Son of Man will give you, because God the Father has set His seal on Him." Then they said to Him, "What shall we do, that we may work the works of God?" Jesus answered and said to them, "This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He sent." (John 6:27-29)

With God, success is not about reaching our goals, but what our goals are. If we reach goals that are not the Lord’s perfect will for us, then we are not truly successful. Success in God’s eyes depends entirely on what and who we are working for.

 

 “Don’t labor for the food which perishes, but for the food which endures to everlasting life…” 

 

In other words, do not spend your life chasing things that will not matter in the end. Spend your life knowing and obeying Jesus Christ, who is the Bread of Life.

 

"This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He sent.”

 

What God evaluates is our faith in Jesus. That is all — nothing else! How liberating it is to know that God has given us such a short to-do list!

 

Let's Pray - Dear Father, thank You for teaching me what success truly means. I want to be found in You, and my values are those of the Kingdom of Heaven. In Jesus, Amen.

Mind Your Business

Peter, seeing him, said to Jesus, “But Lord, what about this man?” Jesus said to him, “If I will that he remain till I come, what is that to you? You follow Me.” (John 21:21-22)

"What is that to you?"

 

Comparison and envy are the root of all insecurity, and what the Lord chooses to for others is none of our concern. He distributes opportunities, goods, and attributes according to His wisdom, and He is not accountable to us for an explanation. We are, on the other hand, strictly accountable to Him for that which He gives us. There is a great deal of wisdom in this.

 

"You follow Me."

 

Our walk with God is a very personal one, and while we are members of one another, there is a beautifully unique work He is doing in each one individually. We are to come alongside and strengthen one another, being sure not to interfere in God's sovereign work in others. This takes a great deal of self-control, but that is what God expects.

 

Draw close to Jesus, stand with Him, and leave everyone and everything in His hands. In return, He will work all things together for our good and make us instruments of blessing everywhere He sends us.

 

. . . that you also aspire to lead a quiet life, to mind your own business, and to work with your own hands, as we commanded you . . . (1 Thessalonians 4:11)

 

Let's Pray - Lord, forgive me for comparing myself and my work to any other saint, and for being overly involved in the lives of others. You have a plan for each of Your children and we look to You alone for our strength and purpose. In Jesus' name, Amen.