No More Goodbyes

In heaven, I will not miss saying goodbye. I will not miss moving or crowding into hospital rooms with tear filled eyes.

Paul made a special stop to see the Ephesians elders on his way to Jerusalem. They talked. They hugged. They cried. And they said goodbye.

There will be no more goodbyes in heaven. You will even rejoin those who have already departed. “And so we will always be with the Lord” (I Thessalonians 4:17).

I can’t wait to go to heaven. I will not miss saying goodbye.

Reading: Acts 20-23

Fearless

Paul approached a people who embraced a plurality of ideas. They prized philosophies that were new and sensational. Their greatest rule: offend no one; accept all beliefs as equal.

This sounds surprisingly like society today. This presents a challenge when trying to share the gospel message. The Bible is seen as outdated, exclusive and, at times, ideologically taboo. So Christians are intimidated– they are afraid and Satan grins.

Paul was fearless, knowing that souls were at stake. He just altered his tactic. He didn’t address the audience as those who crowded a synagogue, carrying their firm belief in God in tow. He changed his method without changing his message.

Here are a few things that Paul did to fearlessly share the Gospel:

• Find a conversation starter. (Acts 17:22-23)
• Use common ground. (Acts 17:23, 28)
• Be concise. (Acts 17:24-28)
• State the importance. (Acts 17:29-31)
• End with hope. (Acts 17:31)

All Of Me

Unconditional love and commitment are not things of the past. People crave them as much as they ever have. So does God.

He doesn’t ask for part of your love or some of your attention. It is silly to think He desires our occasional devotion. He wants all of you.

“And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.”

Have you given God you all today?

Reading: Mark 9-12

A Heart That’s Geared For God

People say, “Follow your heart,” but do you really have a choice? Your heart contains your values, ambitions, and desires. It forms a veritable blueprint for your life—your choices will inevitably follow your heart.

So what is in your heart?

As Jesus surveyed the hearts of the hypocritical Pharisees, he saw evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, coveting, wickedness, deceit, sensuality, envy, slander, pride, and foolishness.

So here’s the scary part: I see those in my heart!

Still, there is good news. Hearts can be cleaned­¹, reshaped² and retooled³ for God. Begin the overhaul of your heart today. Have a heart that is geared for God; then follow your heart.

Reading: Mark 5-8

¹ Hebrews 10:22; ² II Peter 1:5-8; ³ Romans 6:16-18

Losing Your Purpose Because You’re Too Busy

“Are you busy?” What a silly question. Of course you are!

It seems like everyone just needs a moment of your time. There is always something else to do and there are just not enough hours in the day. So you press on busy, stressed and stretched too thin.

After a night of non-stop healing, when the crowds pressed against the door with their sick, lame and demon possessed, Jesus left before the sun came up. When his disciples finally found him, they said, “Everyone is looking for you!” They wanted Jesus to go back and keep healing. But Jesus said no.

He had a greater purpose. He needed to go preach everywhere. He needed to go spread the news about the kingdom and eventually save the entire world.

Jesus teaches a valuable lesson: meeting your purpose requires setting priorities. Sometimes setting priorities means saying no to busyness.

Reading: Mark 1-4

Dealing With Guilt

 

You know how guilt feels. It’s that helpless, angry, sad, empty feeling you get when you recognize you have done something wrong. It can make people do crazy things. People often respond to guilt in four ways:

1. Hide it. This results in feeling isolated and a “no one could be as bad as me” mentality.
2. Suppress it. A barrage of excuses contends there is nothing wrong. This inevitably leads to more sin, as the person grows numb to its effects.
3. Give in to guilt. Fully accepting the gravity of their error and their inability to conceal it, they become overwhelmed. They are filled with despair leading to the conclusion, “I am too far gone. Not even God can help me.” This helplessness can often be too much to bear.
4. Address it. They accept their error, confess and repent of it. This is by far the best response to guilt.

Judas gave in to guilt. He could not live with himself; his sin literally buried him. Don’t be a Judas. If you are feeling guilt over past sins or present struggles, deal with your guilt in a healthy and helpful way that results in a better relationship with God and a deeper appreciation of His grace.

Reading: Matthew 25-28

Behind the Mask

 

Signs of Fake Faith

1. Spends more time condemning others than actually conforming to Christ. (23:13)
2. Evangelizes for reasons other than true discipleship. (23:15)
3. Looks for excuses from commitment to God. (23:16-22)
4. Makes mountains of religious molehills. (23:23-24)
5. Relaxes behind closed doors. (23:25-26)
6. Vigilant about about others’ opinions. (23:27-28)
7. Uncomfortable around righteous people. (23:29-36)

Woe there! Jesus condemns each of these things. Take off the mask and live with authentic faith.

Reading: Matthew 21-24

Bored At Church

 

Have you ever been bored to tears at church? You just can’t focus on the tediously long sermon. Three fourths of the way through the prayer, you realize you have no idea what the man has said. You think about lunch, the weather, purple polka dots, bicycles, rocks…

“How weary this this…” the Israelites complained. Worship just wasn’t what they had hoped. But that wasn’t God’s fault.

They had brought the lame for their sacrifice. They had neglected the contributions. A valuable lesson is illustrated in Malachi:

You will only get out as much as you put in to worship.

Come to worship with reverence. Get excited about the presence of God. Bring your best offering to the Lord and you will never be bored.

Reading: Malachi 1-4

Wholly Wholly Holy

Do you want to be special? Do you crave to be distinguished? Then you must be wholly holy.

That which is holy is set apart for the service of the Lord. It is spiritually special. The Levitical high priest was the most special person in God’s special people. So engraved in gold and tied around his head was the inscription: Holy to the Lord. That was the only place such a distinction was found.

Until now.

Zechariah prophesied that a time was coming in which even the bells of horses and every cooking pot would be Holy to the Lord. Even the most commonplace of items could become special and distinct.

He wasn’t talking about horse bells or cooking pots. He was talking about you.

No matter how common or unclean you have been, you can now be Holy to the Lord. You can be cleansed and sanctified for His purpose. You can be special to God.

Reading: Zechariah 13-14

You’re Invited

Isn’t it nice to be included? It is tangible proof that you are appreciated and your company is enjoyed. So the words, “Come with me,” are music to the ears.

It’s no wonder that the primary mode of spreading the gospel message is from person to person. Even the first disciples, when they were introduced to Jesus, came with someone else.

So looking to the times when the worship of God would be restored among the people of Judah, people would be inviting people.

“The inhabitants of one city shall go to another, saying, ‘Let us go at once to entreat the favor of the LORD and to seek the LORD of hosts; I myself am going.’” Zechariah 8:21

The next time you go to worship, invite someone else. Say the magic words: “Let us go… I myself am going.”

Reading: Zechariah 8-12