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12.9.24. The True Shepherd

Because sheep tend to wander
Sheep need a shepherd

Revelation7 Our Good Shepherd

The Lamb in the middle of the throne will shepherd them and lead them to springs of living water, and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.”

What a marvelous promise to those who have faced the threats and wicked ways of the satanic kingdom. They lived in terror, but the Lord has surrounded them after their martydom and given them peace and a new robe of righteousness. They now live in the embrace of the true Shepherd of their souls. Just as the psalmist wrote, they will be led by the Good Shepherd to the springs of living water. They will feed on the green pastures and lie down in peace. 

Do you know the Good Shepherd? He is waiting to shepherd you to the springs of living water just like the Samaritan woman found and drank from it. Have you drunk from the springs of living water? Come and drink and let Him quench your thirst.

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12.5.24. A King’s Prayer

Let God handle this
Trust God!

Today as I in the past, we are a people that often face turmoil and distress of various things that come across our path. We are a people who feel lost and at times feel like we are alone. Yet, in the midst of this we have this promise: He who owns the cattle on a thousand hills is the author of our faith and He has the gift of mercy. Again we see the heart of David in his prayer as our example: I pour out my lament before him, I tell him about my troubles.

Psalm 142 David’s Prayer

To the Lord I cry out, to the Lord I plead for mercy

When you are in a “mess” is this how you face it? Do you cry out to the Lord? Do you plead for His mercy? King David has given us his prayers that we may know that he is a man just like us. In times of distress, David has gone to the throne of God to seek His face and His mercy. Can you hear his lament? Can you sympathize with him and want to help? 

What trouble are you facing? Are you carrying this trouble to the Lord? Beloved, just as David found peace in the storm you can also for this is true: Even when my strength leaves me, you watch my footsteps.

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12.4.24. Jesus is the LIGHT

Psalm 139 tells us a truth that we need to attend to. Examine me Lord. Show me just as You showed John to the 7 churches. You see all, nothing is hidden from your sight just as a lighthouse has a beam of light to alert the sailor to the shoals and dangerous rocks as it swivels around. As God’s light swivels around he reveals to us our lack of holiness, our lack of understanding, our pride in thinking we can navigate this life apart from him. But as His light swivels around and reveals the rocks that are before us that are dangerous , rocks like untamed words, untamed motives, untamed directions and yet God knows what we will do with what we see. Some men see but refuse to acknowledge. Some men see and reroute to avoid the catastrophe that could take their life. And yet in His loving way he allows us to choose which route we will take. 

Paul told the captain and the centurion to not set out from the safe harbor but they refused. the result was the Perfect Storm to show them that Paul was His servant. Again they thought just emptying the cargo would save them but it only caused the ship to drift ever closer to the rocks. In the end, the ship was lost but the men were saved. God allows the Perfect storms to come into our lives so we may set our course towards a safe harbor and when there to remain there until the weather changes. What lessons did those 276 persons learn …not one was lost…did they then realize that God is the one who ordered that storm to show His power, His presence, His perfect understanding of men’s hearts?

What about me? Am I looking at the Lighthouse which is Christ? Am i navigating the perilous waters around me which hold the rocks of destruction?

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12.3.24. How is your hearing?

Revelation 3 Listening? 

God has spoken
Are we listening?

To each church, Jesus has said: he who has an ear had better listen. What should they listen for and what are we to be listening for? 

To the church at Sardis they should listen to the warning Jesus has for them. The society around them thinks they are alive in their Christian faith, but Jesus says they are dead. What is dead in that church? It is their deeds. They look like they are serving God but in reality they are grumbling, backbiting, lying and other sins. Jesus says wake up! Make your deeds worth something in my eyes. All is not lost however as there are some there who are dressed in white symbolizing purity. 

In contrast the church at Philadelphia has no condemnation. Jesus had given them an open door to go and minister and no one can shut it. One of the marks of this church is their steadfastness under duress. But,Jesus reminds them to persevere lest they lose that purity and their crown. 

And then there is the church at Laodicea which is dead dead dead. However, they don’t realize that this their case. They think they have done all they need to do and have all the requirements necessary. Jesus says, come and buy gold from me so you can stand strong in times of persecution. Are they listening? Seems not! Jesus reminds them that He is coming soon and they need to be ready when He knocks at their door. 

Are we listening? Are we prepared? 

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Christ Knows…

Who is Jesus?
God has provided all you need to know …it’s in the Bible.

 Revelation 2 The Risen Christ Knows…

What does He know but the good we have done but He also knows where we are failing. As He sits on his throne in heaven He looks down and sees the good along with the bad. He knows when we are successful in our witness and where we are failing. What secret am I/are you hiding from earthly peoples but is seen in heaven? As I walked along the street in Ephesus I wondered those thoughts and wondered what John saw and what he was thinking. How about Paul who also walked there? What was Ephesus like in their day? Was it like our cities today where there is hustle and bustle but little to speak of when it comes to the risen Christ?  As I walk along on the street in front of my home what does Jesus see and hear? Does He see that my neighbors know that we attend church each Sunday but then all is silent the rest of the week? Do they know that I pray for them house by house and want them to know Jesus as their Savior? Over and over Jesus is reminding us that he who has an ear better listen. Am I listening? Am I conquering the sins of this world? Am I witnessing to my neighbors who are quiet but lost because I have not prayed enough or served enough or loved them enough? 


	


	





		

		
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12.1.24. Preparing for Advent
	


	
	

		

Revelation 1 Behold He is coming soon










Over and over Jesus prepared his disciples with wisdom and knowledge that they might tell the good news: Jesus Christ has risen from the dead. All of these precious disciples suffered and died but John alone has remained and it is he that has received this vision to share with us, the reader.





John begins by reminding us of this: to be blessed is to take this Word and share it with those who have not heard. John writes: Blessed is he who reads and those who hear the words of the prophecy, and heed the things which are written in it; for the time is near. Are we watching for His return knowing that with God a day on our calendar is like a thousand years in His sight. Are we just reading these words to fill our minds or are we reading it so we know the plan of God for us? 





As this book begins we are given a glimpse into our Lord in all of His majesty. What will you do with this vision? Will you meditate on the beauty and glory of our risen Savior? 





Challenge for December: read and choose one thought to meditate on for that day. Share that thought with someone so they might receive a blessing too because behold, He, our risen Savior is coming soon. 

	


	





		

		
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11.30.24. God’s ways are not our ways
	


	
	

		

Why God? 





Psalm 137 Singing





We sing the songs of our Christian faith often as a reminder of what God has done for us in the past and how to look forward to the future. However, as this psalm reminds us, often when an enemy captures people groups, their songs have been left behind like a treasure that is kept sealed. Yet, Paul and Silas did not allow that circumstance to direct their hearts but they sang and the prison doors were opened. The psalmist captures this scene of the captives of Jerusalem in Babylon who are unable to sing. What was the difference? After marching over many a mile, as if it were not enough, the Babylonians wanted them to amuse them. As it was true then, it is so today in lands far away where Christians are secluded in prison cells. If that were you or I, would we sing to amuse our captors? Would we sing in our hearts or with voices? 





So what are we to glean from the psalmist’s words? First, it is important to remember who we are and whose people we are lest we forget Jerusalem or our land. Secondly, we should recall that God’s ways are higher than ours. Habakkuk had also voiced his frustration that God had allowed their enemies to make sport of them much like a bully.  Thirdly, take a page out of this psalm to see how no matter where we are, we are to give praise to God and offer our prayers seeking God’s answers and peace in the storm. 

	


	





		

		
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11.28.24.How Thankful are you?
	


	
	

		

Thanking God
we worship you





John 21 Thankfulness





Across America today is Thanksgiving and what an appropriate way to celebrate by reading the closing of this glorious gospel message. We know that from all 20 chapters previously we have walked with John as he shares his life with Jesus and the other disciples. It is fitting as well to see the love Jesus has for Peter and John. 





Jesus invited the disciples to breakfast and then after eating he took Peter and questioned his love. Three times, Jesus asked: do you love Me and each time, He gave Peter directions for his future. If Jesus were to ask you those same three questions how would you respond? 





Do you love Him more than “these?” Jesus then said: Feed My lambs. Then He asked Peter: Do you love ME? Then Jesus said: Shepherd my sheep. Again Jesus asked Peter: Do you love Me? Then Jesus said: Feed my sheep. 





How do you respond to those same three questions? Are you willing to feed the lambs, shepherd the sheep and feed His sheep? What are you busy doing today and every day? 

	


	





		

		
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11.27.24.What do you need to believe?
	


	
	

		






John 20 Evidence 





Jesus has risen but only Mary has seen Him and touched Him and believed. Even her words are like that of a foolish woman. How like today when we witness to others, our words fall on fallow ground. Just like the parable of the seeds are the hearts of men. Some fall on fallow ground, others fall on rocky soil, and yet some fall on tilled soil and bear fruit. Which soil is your heart? 





Jesus offers His promise to those who believe. As the Father has sent Him, so now He sends us into all the world to speak the words of the gospel message.  What evidence do we need to believe? Thomas needed the physical evidence of the risen Christ, yet later Peter will remind his readers: even though you do not see Him you love Him. Is this where I am/where you are? What do you need to believe? The gospel of John reminds us of this truth: But these are recorded so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.





When John wrote the book of the Revelation of Jesus Christ he said: Blessed is the one who reads the words of this prophecy aloud, and blessed are those who hear and obey the things written in it because the time is near! Are you blessed today? 

	


	





		

		
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11.26.24. Fear is the enemy
	


	
	

		

Faith or Fear?
What is your guide?





John 19 Guilty or Innocent





In this chapter the Apostle John is like Sherlock Holmes. He has the evidence, will he pronounce the verdict? Jesus remarked that the one who had handed him over to Pilate had the greater sin. Who was He referring to? Could it be Pilate who stood before him in total fear. Of what was he fearful? Jesus had just said he was given the power of his destiny and Pilate had to answer to Rome. Could it be Caiaphas, the high priest because of his announcement that one man should die for the nation. As we read this we encounter several emotions and decisions are revealed. 





The first and prominent emotion is fear and Proverbs reminds us that the fear of man is a snare. Both Pilate and Caiaphas were fearful and their fear was guiding their decisions. As we watch and listen we are reminded that we have an adversary who is clever enough to sway men’s minds just as he did in the Garden of Eden. He presents just enough truth to sway us and then we fall victim to his plans. The worst part of that is that our fear leads us into the path of sin and others become complicit along with us. We can’t say he made me do it. We are all responsible to God for what we decide. 





Both Pilate and Caiaphas leave us with how we are to make decisions. We can allow fear to guide us or we can seek the Holy Spirit to give us wisdom from the Holy One. Whom will you choose? 

	


	



	
		

	

	





		


		
	









	





























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