Life This Side of Heaven

Are you planning to have a barbecue this weekend? If you are, then here’s something you’ll want to consider: Have you got enough food? After the crowds had spent the day hearing Jesus proclaim the Good news of salvation, it must have seemed reasonable to the disciples to ask Him to now send them on their way to find something to eat. It must have left them, at first, with a pit in their stomach as He told them, "You give them something to eat."

“Coming Soon!” Just those words alone, on a sign at a construction site, can build excitement. Here in Ephesians, Paul announced some tremendous Good News about a very exciting construction project underway. However, unlike a sign that reads “coming soon,” the apostle could have erected a billboard that read, “Coming .. Right Now”!

Drovers. Do you know those are? Chances are good you do if you've ever watched a cowboy movie. And if you have, you know that there are good ones and bad ones. One drives the sheep and cattle off and the other ensures that they arrive safely at their destination. God described just such an image for the prophet Jeremiah.

“Don’t kill the messenger!” Have you ever heard that phrase? It’s a plea not to punish the person who brings the message in anger instead of addressing the unwelcome information or difficult truth it contains. Mark records the beheading of John the Baptizer, a prophet who was killed for the message of repentance and faith that he proclaimed. However, take a look at how Mark has nestled this account into the midst of another. It reveals uplifting good news, something so important that's too good to miss!

“In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.” “Ya, but what happened before that?” That’s one of those great Bible Study questions that comes up from time-to-time. Did you know that God has given us the answer to that question?

Have you ever wondered at what point folks looked at Italy’s Leaning Tower of Pisa and realized that something wasn’t quite right? At some point they would have discovered that it’s not standing upright. It’s crooked. In Scripture, the word to describe this is “iniquity.” And God's Word uses it to describe our sin. Bu wait until you hear what God has done about it!

Ezekiel announced not only God’s judgement on sin but also His grace and mercy. The seed of God’s Word has remarkably more power than we often realize. When you and I share what Jesus has done for us it’s more than simply passing along information. Even in the face of rock hard resistance, God’s Word is powerful and effective and able to accomplish what it proclaims.

In 2 Corinthians, Paul rejoices in one of the useful reminders that God placed in his life. He doesn’t describe it with great clarity but one thing’s for certain, it’s wasn’t a sticky note. The reality is that God’s grace is often seen most clearly in our lives, not in the glorious experiences we imagine, but when you and I are in knee-deep in the midst of our weaknesses.

The folks in Jesus' hometown were amazed by His teaching and miracles but as they considered how He had grown up in their midst, they took offense at Him. Mark tells us that Jesus was amazed at their lack of faith. However, the fact that Jesus, true God from eternity took on our human flesh to become true man and rescue us from our sins was not only necessary, it's a remarkable source of comfort. In fact, it's amazing!

Jairus and his wife must have been thrilled to hear their daughter's first words. Twelve years later it appeared as though they had heard her last. However, Jesus made sure that death did not have the last word when it came to their little girl. And thanks to our Savior's death and resurrection, it no longer has the last word with you and me.

“Parsnips are for poor people.” I have to laugh whenever I hear that phrase because it’s actually on a plaque in my daughter’s home. It was a gift to her from from one of her friends who evidently doesn’t like parsnips as much as she does. However, it's true that by the sixteenth century, parsnips had become a staple among the poor in Europe. Nevertheless, they're actually quite tasty. There are some who feel that Christianity is another one of those things that's for poor people. However, they're actually right! But it has nothing to do with what's in your wallet or bank account.

“I don’t know how much more I can take.” Has life left you feeling overwhelmed? Sometimes, well-meaning friends may try to comfort you by saying, “God never gives you more than you can handle.” As nice as that sounds, you’d be hard-pressed to find a Scripture passage which says this. However, what He does say is something far greater and far more comforting!

When the winds and waves were whipping around them the disciples asked Jesus, "Don't You care if we drown?" Now, having stilled the storm, and demonstrated clearly His care for them, Jesus had a question of His own for the disciples: “Do you still have no faith?” In other words, “Do you still not trust Me?” And as they looked out now, over the once stormy sea now glassy calm, I’ll bet that was an uncomfortable question to hear. But it's also a good one for us to ask ourselves. Do you and I trust our Savior and the promises He has given to us in His Word?

Don’t You care? That’s one of two questions, three actually, that were asked as Jesus and the disciples took a boat ride late one night on the Sea of Galilee. And all three of them are helpful to keep in mind whenever you and I find ourselves frightened and feeling abandoned by our Savior. Let’s look at this first question today. (Join us for our next devotion on Friday as we take a look at the second, and third questions asked during this stunning event.)

In Job, the prophet found himself stricken by crushing loss and crippling illness. And if you’ve ever found yourself experienced loss, faltering finances or diminished health, you may have found yourself confronted by some tough questions. You may have even wanted to give God a piece of your mind. Well, you might be surprised to know that God has a few choice words for us.

Tent camping. Just the image of it ignites your sense of adventure. Stunning scenery, fresh air, sleeping under the stars and camp fires. However, if you've lost your home, tent camping isn’t the summertime adventure that comes to mind. The apostle Paul, a tent-maker by trade, likened these bodies to tents that wear out. With joy, he points us to the resurrection and our heavenly home to come.

In describing the kingdom of God Jesus compared it to a mustard seed. The seed itself is tiny. You can’t help but sigh and think, “Is that it?” However, what appears to be weak and unimpressive brings about remarkable results.

There’s a reason that old gardens –especially those large estate gardens you may visit in the summer – look more majestic than the average garden in your backyard. Plants were given time to grow. We like to see results and we want to see them now. So, it’s not surprising that we may find ourselves expecting much the same when it comes to planting the seed of the Gospel. But it doesn’t always work that way.

“That’s crazy talk!” Now there’s handy phrase to use when the person you’re talking to doesn’t seem make sense. It’s an informal way of saying, “You’re babbling!” And yet there were those who were comfortable using a similar phrase to describe our Savior. The reality is that much of what you and I take for granted as a matter of faith sounds crazy to the world – until the Holy Spirit calls a person to faith by the Gospel.

This year is the 60th Anniversary of National Safety Council's defensive driving program. Some of the principles that it incorporates are based on techniques that were known even before that. One of those principles has a lot in common with the instruction that Paul gives us here in 2 Corinthians.

Sharing the Gospel of our Savior’s love in this world can be difficult. Sometimes it’s thrown back in our face like a bucket of cold water. It can be more than a little disheartening. As a result, we may want to bottle up the Good News that God has given us and keep it to ourselves. So, why keep doing it? As Paul points out, the answer is something you don’t see yet, but you will. And it will be worth it!

Here in Mark, we hear of an instance in which the Pharisees accused Jesus of "trespassing." He crossed a fence that others had made to protect God's command and gift of the Sabbath by healing a man in the synagogue on that day. Jesus reminded them that He has authority over the Sabbath and certainly over any man-made fences that others had built around it to protect it. He assured them, "The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath." In fact, even today, the opportunity for worship is all about healing.

Does the Church seem weak and disappointing? Is your pastor less than movie-star material? Don’t worry. Chances are good, as God’s Word points out, that even if you had Paul as your preacher, or a congregation as gifted as the one in Corinth, many folks would be still be unimpressed. But, as the apostle reminds us, that's not by accident.

Have a rest! That's easier said than done. We have an urge to fill up our free time with work. Sometimes that work can even crowd out the opportunity to worship if we're not careful. In order not to sip into this trap, God has given us a remarkable command and invitation.

When folks first look at Christianity, they tend to look for things that will make life good – handy bits of advice to make life easier, tips for getting richer, life coaching ideas and things like that. However, it's worth noting that on the evening when Nicodemus came to Jesus instead of our Savior giving him a list of things he must do to make life good, Jesus told him that what he actually needed – life itself. Take a closer look at the remarkable gift our God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, gives to us through faith.

Are you and I no better than a rusty old mower that gets rolled out to the curb and winds up in a landfill? Hardly! And as Christians, it would be terrible if we let ourselves fall prey, with the world, to this way of thinking. God has so much more in mind for you and me. Listen to the confidence that David held in the Old Testament. It was the confidence that comes as we look ahead to the resurrection. This was not simply David’s hope in his final hours, but a joyful assurance that gave him strength throughout his life. We share this same hope and joy this day.

Have you ever tried to take a photograph and the brightness of the sun make it impossible? Timothy explains why this is the case when it comes to God. In his first letter, he tells us about our God who “alone is immortal and who lives in unapproachable light, whom no one has seen or can see.” However, now that Christ has come and redeemed us, you and I can now approach Him with confidence.

It’s worth knowing that shortly before His ascension took place, Jesus assured the disciples that He wouldn’t leave them to wander aimlessly on their own. He promised them the Holy Spirit and said, “He will guide you into all truth.” And what a great blessing this is for you and me. Jesus’ promise of the resurrection and everlasting life with Him is our unchanging destination. Here's how the Holy Spirit keeps us oriented on the trip so that we don’t get lost along the way. Like a compass that points steadily north, the Holy Spirit keeps our focus on Christ.

In many cases, the maps at the back of your Bible included one showing how people converged in Jerusalem for Pentecost. It may even have arrows from the locations listed in Acts all pointing to Jerusalem. But take another look at that map. Reverse those directional arrows and what you see is an explosion of people who then returned home – north, south east and west – telling everyone what they had seen and heard. That ongoing eruption of Good News continues to this day and this Good News has now traveled all the way to you. The Holy Spirit made sure of it.

Impressive! You can’t help but marvel when you hear about the events that took place at Pentecost! Whenever we describe something as impressive, we usually mean that it was amazing, astonishing, and incredible to behold. Pentecost was all this an more. And in celebrating this event, yesterday in church, we may have found ourselves thinking, “Wow, I’ll bet that was impressive!” But that word “impressive” refers to much more than just razzle-dazzle. In fact, the ongoing work of the Holy Spirit continues to have an impact and leave a mark this day!

You and I live a world which embraces lies. That’s not surprising since our Savior describes the adversary as the father of lies. In John, Jesus prayed that the Father would protect us from the evil one. And Jesus tells us the manner in which God does this. Praying for the disciples, and all who would follow, He asked the Father, “Sanctify them in the truth.”

Why am I here? It’s one of the great existential questions that folks find themselves asking from time-to-time. With the work of salvation complete, and our risen Savior's assurance of forgiveness and everlasting life, have you ever wondered why you woke up today on this side of heaven? Jesus answers that question!

When folks are asked, “Are you sure that you have eternal life,” a response frequently given is: “I hope so.” Sometimes, the answer given is, “I’m not sure. I don’t know.” However, in Christ you can know that you have eternal life. In fact, you can be absolutely sure of it. 100% sure. Here's why!

I love how Luke describes the scene that takes place at our Savior’s ascension. I imagine them all staring at the clouds as they happen to notice two angels standing next to them. And they ask the same question you might expect: “Why do you stand here looking into the sky?” However, their question doesn’t arise from curiosity. Instead, it sets the stage for the wonderful announcement which comes next.

Following our Lord's ascension into heaven, Luke tells us that the disciples "returned to Jerusalem with great joy. And they stayed continually at the temple, praising God." Wow, that last verse is worth repeating. That’s because for many, the Ascension of our Lord, is a largely misunderstood event in the life of our Savior. However, take a moment to hear what Scripture says took place that day. I suspect that if more of us realized how monumental this was, we’d be banging down the doors at church with excitement for the opportunity to gather and praise God for what has taken place!

When you share what God has done, you too get to be "witnesses" of these things. You and I were not eyewitnesses to the events of the resurrection. However, in Scripture, you and I have the testimony of those who were. We get to testify to truth of what those eyewitnesses saw, heard and touched over those forty days following Easter. We bear witness to Jesus and the significance of what His suffering, death and resurrection means not only for us, but for our friends, our loved ones, and for the world.

In Acts, Luke describes how Philip was led meet a government official from Ethiopia who was reading God's Word on the way home from worship in Jerusalem. As they discussed a passage the man was reading from Isaiah, he asked Philip, “Tell me, please, who is the prophet talking about, himself or someone else?” And what comes next is what always makes me smile. Luke says that “Philip began with that very passage of Scripture and told him the good news about Jesus.” It's a remarkable passage as we'll hear. But I suspect that Philip could have begun with any passage of Scripture and shared the Good News of our Savior’s rescue. That’s_ because _all of Scripture points to our Savior and the salvation God prepared for us in Him.

It may sound like little more than semantics to hear John tell us in that when it comes to God, “We love because He first loved us.” However, knowing this makes all the difference in the world.

It’s the pipe dream that we, and our faith, can flourish apart from Christ. Jesus used the example of branches on a grapevine. He said, “I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. Remain in me, and I will remain in you. ” And then He points out, “No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine.” Why? Because God is the source of our life and salvation. In these weeks following Easter, it’s good for us to hear these words. Abiding in Christ, or remaining Christ, reminds us that we can never “go it alone” when it comes to our new life in Him. Episode artwork in Public Domain.

In Psalm 27, David says that the one thing he seeks in this life is to spend all his days in the presence of God. Why? "To gaze upon the beauty of the Lord.” Consider for a moment what that means. Like David, this is true for us, not simply as a future longing, but also as a present reality. And here's why.

When John tells us of God’s incredible love we may hang our heads in shame and fail to hear what comes next. We recognize how stingy we are at sharing love. To overcome this discomfort we may find ourselves putting these words out of our mind and trying to think of something else. It doesn’t help. We may mistakenly double down and try even harder to show our love. But that’s like trying to rinse the water out of a dirty dish cloth. John does something else and invites us to do the same.

Is it arrogant to say that Jesus is the only way to eternal life? Wouldn’t it be more loving, instead, to teach that all religious paths lead to the same God? Wouldn’t this be a more tolerant, a more educated or more enlighten approach? After all, we live in a pluralistic society today and things have changed. If that’s the case, then what Peter said here in these words might sound out-of-step with the times, hurtful or even intolerant. And this might explain why a growing number of Christians are shying away from making this claim. But in the interest of love, lets’s take a closer look at this verse and these assumptions.

Jesus told the disciples, “My Father’s will is that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in Him shall have eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day.” I suspect that hearing these words made the disciples very happy just as they make you and me happy to hear them again today. But it’s also clear that what this means didn’t begin to fully sink in for the disciples until our Savior appeared alive to them again at Easter. Chances are may not always let the full weight of what these words mean sink in either. Our Savior's resurrection is the guarantee of our own, a real bodily resurrection. And this includes our senses.

It's understandable that you and I want to know what it will be like at the resurrection when Jesus comes. We look at ourselves and wonder what we will be like. What answer are we given? If you notice, Paul answers this question by pointing us, not to ourselves, but to our risen Savior whom we will then see face-to-face. Episode Artwork in Public Domain (Armstrong1113149, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons)

In Acts, Peter addressed a crowd at the Temple. He told them, "You killed the author of life." As you and I hear these words, we're reminded that it wasn’t one particular person, such as Pontius Pilate or any of the other leasers of that day, or even the crowd standing before Peter that was solely responsible for Jesus’ death on the cross. It was our sins that also led Him to be there. However, Jesus' death wasn't an accident. Here's how God has accomplished our salvation and here's how you and I are now invited to "Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord.”

Does it feel like the rest of the world is looking up while you're looking down? Last Monday, the "Great North American Eclipse" took place. Chances are good that many of you may have been among those dawning special glasses and looking up to the sky. However, for those of you looking down at that moment, you may have noticed another incredible phenomenon. It's called a 360-degree sunrise! In John's first letter, the apostle shares an incredible observation that he doesn’t want you to miss. Though there are times when you may feel engulfed in darkness, God's grace and mercy surrounds you on all sides.

When Jesus drew His last breath on the cross He paid for our sins in full. He also conquered death. What does this mean? Three days later and just as He promised, He rose from the dead – a real physical, bodily, resurrection. He stepped out of the grave alive. Now consider the words that John shares, here in his first letter, and all that this means when Jesus promises that at the resurrection you, too, shall rise.

On the day that Jesus rose, the very next thing He did after announcing "peace" to the disciples was to show them His hands and side. These were the hands through which the nails had been driven. This was the side into which the soldier thrust his spear to ensure that Jesus was dead. Why would Jesus hang onto such a reminder of the painful sacrifice that He endured? Wouldn’t the disciples have been satisfied seeing, simply, the beauty of His face? Wouldn’t seeing these wounds be a painful reminder instead a joyous reassurance? The answer to this brings astonishing comfort!

When it comes to Easter, Paul tells us about the eyewitnesses who were on hand and the historical facts of Jesus' resurrection. However, faith is more than acknowleging the fact that we have a living Savior. As the apostle goes on to point out, faith lays hold all that this precious fact brings with it - forgiveness of sins, life and salvation! Knowing this changes not only history, but your life each and every day right now.

At Easter, you may have shared a familiar greeting on Sunday morning. It’s called the “Paschal Greeting.” It goes like this: One person exclaims, “He is risen!” And it’s followed by the joyful response, “He is risen, indeed!” But, you know, the angel who announced our Savior's resurrection also included four more words that are easily overlooked, but which are wonderful, reassuring and too good to miss.