Renounce Everything
So therefore, any one of you who does not renounce all that he has cannot be my disciple. (ESV) Luke 14:33 The Gospels are filled with many hard and difficult sayings of Jesus as he challenges his listeners, and us by extension, to take seriously the call of faithful humble obedience. The questions he asks always penetrate to the root of our heart desires. The statements he makes bring us to a critical decision point where we must either continue along our simple path of understanding or the more challenging in-depth examination of our hearts and minds to better align…
Look of Love
And Jesus, looking at him, loved him, and said to him, “You lack one thing: go, sell all that you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me.” Mark 10:21 (ESV) This verse highlights a portion of a conversation that Jesus had with a rich young ruler in the Book of Mark. This particular story is of interest to me because it shows this man who seemingly had everything in this world that people desire. He was wealthy. He had influence and authority. He was diligent in his religious observations. On the outside, he was the…
Word and Deed
And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him. Colossians 3:17 (ESV) What exactly does Paul mean when he tells us to “do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus?” Is he simply telling us to tack on a quick “in Jesus name” to the end of all that we do? Or is he calling us to something exponentially more intimate and personal? I confess that I am far from even being adequate in obedience to this call. Rarely do I think about…
Held Together
And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together. Colossians 1:17 (ESV) I have been thinking a lot about my recent past and have seen myself delve into a low depressive valley. It has taken me quite a while to truly understand I was actually in this valley and it is taking just as long for me to understand and discern the pathway out. I find myself in this valley more often than I would expect. So often, I consider this a persistent depressive state. As I have been looking for consistent markers of my time…
Desiring More
‘Jesus’ said to them, “Whoever receives this child in my name receives me, and whoever receives me receives him who sent me. For he who is least among you all is the one who is great.” Luke 9:48 (ESV) I have been troubled in my thoughts from yesterday as I battle to understand the simple truth of this statement from Jesus in Luke 9:48. There has seemingly always been within me a rising tide of jealousy, envy, and pride that ebbs and flows over time. Days where I am content with where God has placed me in His great story.…
Devouring Strongholds
For Israel has forgotten his Maker and built palaces, and Judah has multiplied fortified cities; so I will send a fire upon his cities, and it shall devour her strongholds. Hosea 8:14 (ESV) In verse 14, Hosea gives a final statement to summarize the state of Israel’s heart toward God. In their hypocrisy, they have worshipped idols of their own making. In their hardness of heart, they have neglected and spurned the goodness of God. Which has led the people to forget their Maker completely. Israel has chosen to move away from a life of dependence and trust in the…
Incapable of Innocence
I have spurned your calf, O Samaria. My anger burns against them. How long will they be incapable of innocence? Hosea 8:5 (ESV) The Lord has spurned the idols of the people. He has rejected their false worship given to worthless man-made objects. He has spurned the depraved inclination of their heart’s intention and asks a rhetorical question to bring to mind the state of their soul. By asking aloud about the duration of this incapability of innocence, the Lord is bringing into full focus the utter depravity of the people. They are incapable of innocence. Not that they fail…
Idols of Hypocrisy
To me they cry, “My God, we—Israel—know you.” Hosea 8:2 (ESV) Chapter 8 of Hosea is an indictment against the hypocritical nature of Israel during this time. The people of Israel verbally acknowledged and confirmed that God was their God and even claimed to know God on a personal level. Hosea brings evidence to them in this chapter to refute this claim and demonstrate to the people the hypocritical ways their actions portray something entirely different than their words. They were honoring God with their lips but pursuing idols and self-righteousness in their daily lives. This is true of me…
Crowd Pleasing
So Pilate, wishing to satisfy the crowd, released for them Barabbas, and having scourged Jesus, he delivered him to be crucified. Mark 15:15 (ESV) “Wishing to satisfy the crowd.” O how this phrase should strike me to the core of my being and pierce my soul. It is a phrase that should cause me to tremble as I am reminded of the many times throughout my life that it has been proven true in my words and actions. There have been immeasurable times throughout my life where I have wished to satisfy the crowd. Times where I have “released Barabbas”…
Aroma of Sacrifice
And while he was at Bethany in the house of Simon the leper, as he was reclining at table, a woman came with an alabaster flask of ointment of pure nard, very costly, and she broke the flask and poured it over his head. Mark 14:3 (ESV) What exactly does it mean to make a sacrifice to the Lord in the context of my life living in this modern world some 2,000 years after this passage in the Gospel of Mark was written? It has always been an interesting question for me to think about and ponder over the years. There…
Return Again
Come, let us return to the LORD; for he has torn us, that he may heal us; he has struck us down, and he will bind us up. Hosea 6:1 (ESV) I sometimes feel as though God is so very distant from me. As though there is this great chasm between us that keeps us separated. When these times are present in my life I tend to ask God why he has abandoned me or why he has drawn away from me. The promise of the Bible is that God will never leave me nor forsake me. He has not…
Beyond Purchase
For what can a man give in return for his soul? Mark 8:37 (ESV) The questions Jesus asks throughout the gospels deeply penetrate the center and core of our being. His questions, even the seemingly simple ones, like the one in Mark 8:37 are meant to give us pause and cause us to truly evaluate what we are hearing him say. This question relates to verse 34, where Jesus laid out the parameters of what it costs to follow him. To be his disciple we must deny ourselves and take up our cross. As Jesus further explains what this means,…
Wolvish Ways
Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves. You will recognize them by their fruits. Are grapes gathered from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? Matthew 7:15-16 (ESV) The path that leads to the wide gate of destruction is littered with false prophets. Wolves in sheep’s clothing masquerading as teachers of the truth whose only aim and ambition is deception and destruction. Notice here that Jesus understands that the wolves will come and mingle among the flock. This is no “what if” scenario where we must imagine this happening in some distant far-off…
Narrow to Life
“Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. [14] For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few. Matthew 7:13-14 ESV We are often told that the Christian life is a crutch or simply an escape from the “real” world of life. The Christian life is also portrayed as a choice people make to numb themselves and walk through their lives in comfort and ease as they neglect the…
Others Focused
So whatever you wish that others would do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets. Matthew 7:12 ESV How we treat others is a direct indication of the spiritual well-being of our hearts. Jesus states several times that the Law and the Prophets can be summarized by loving God with all our hearts and by extension, loving all people. This verse is another restatement of that thought. When Jesus told the people that they were to love their neighbor, someone immediately asked him who was his neighbor. Meaning that this person wanted to…
Loving Provision
If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him! Matthew 7:11 ESV Doubt, fear, anxiousness, mistrust, and pride are all at the root of a believer’s heart that doesn’t truly understand the depth of love that the Father has for his children. I know this because this is my heart. In the spirit of honesty and truth, I must examine my own heart and see the darkness that resides there. A darkness that misleads me in…
Expressing Faith
“Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. [8] For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened. Matthew 7:7-8 (ESV) As I have been reflecting and meditating this morning, I am reminded of how I generally focus on the latter parts of these promises. By this, I mean that I focus mainly on the outcome, the faithfulness of God to give, open, and reveal. This is truly important and should always be at the…
Inward & Outward
You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother’s eye. Matthew 7:5 (ESV) Jesus has taught that the whole of the law can be summed up in the phrase, “Love God and Love People”. This truth is continually found in the teaching of Jesus throughout the gospels and this verse is another representation of that teaching. How do we go about loving others well? We must first love God with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength. Loving God means that we are seeking…
Make No Provision
But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires. Romans 13:14 (ESV) This week I have been meditating and focusing my thoughts on this verse from Romans where Paul sums up his teaching on how love is the fulfillment of the law. I was leading a small group through the larger passage of verses 8-14 and we spent a good amount of time discussing what this verse looks like in our lives as we seek to not only put on Jesus but to make no provision to gratify our fleshly desires.…
Specks and Logs
Why do you see the speck that is in your brother’s eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when there is the log in your own eye? Matthew 7:3-4 (ESV) Continuing in his teaching on our interactions and relationships with others, Jesus further explains the role of judging in the lives of believers. As with all of Jesus’ teachings, the premise is wrapped around the basic theme of love. The first step in our relationships and dealing with other people is to always come from a heart of humility with an intention to love. This is the central and key point of…
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