Tag Archives: devotions

Full of Gladness and Glad Some More by Pastor Andy

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Matthew 5:11-16

11“God blesses you when people mock you and persecute you and lie about you and say all sorts of evil things against you because you are my followers. 12Be happy about it! Be very glad! For a great reward awaits you in heaven. And remember, the ancient prophets were persecuted in the same way.
Teaching about Salt and Light
13“You are the salt of the earth. But what good is salt if it has lost its flavor? Can you make it salty again? It will be thrown out and trampled underfoot as worthless.
14“You are the light of the world—like a city on a hilltop that cannot be hidden. 15No one lights a lamp and then puts it under a basket. Instead, a lamp is placed on a stand, where it gives light to everyone in the house. 16In the same way, let your good deeds shine out for all to see, so that everyone will praise your heavenly Father.

JOY!

So I blog.

I’ve been blogging for a while – close to 10 years. It started as a way to promote my business. Eventually blogging turned into actual writing. Writing became a passion which turned into a hobby which I’ve pivoted back into a business a couple of times and ways.

Through this journey, my writing has shifted from business related to general life principles and now to faith.

To promote my blog, I occasionally send emails to a list I’ve collected over the years. Many of the people on the list aren’t followers of Jesus, so occasionally I get pushback on my more pointedly Christian material.

Every time I receive an email or an online comment or a Facebook message, my heart tightens. I think, “Someone doesn’t like what I have to say! How should I respond?” Interestingly, Not once have I ever thought, “JOY! I’m so glad! Someone is questioning my faith [smiley face]”

I just haven’t thought to do that.

Rejoice & be Glad!

Jesus commands me otherwise.

He says “Rejoice and be glad…” (literally, be full of gladness and be glad). That’s a lot of happy in a rough position – mocking, persecution, lies, various sorts of evil – all beyond a little push back, yet we are to be glad and then glad some more.

Let’s talk about the why. Why are we glad and glad a little more?

Let’s look at verses 13 through 16. If you’re bible is like mine, there is a section break between 12 and 13. All of Matthew 5 is from Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount. He didn’t preach this with a section break. Persecution and Joy flow right into Salt and Light.

We are glad in the midst of pushback because we are salt and light. Questions, persecution, pushback means we’re still salty; we’re still bright.

When people say things that make my heart tighten up, it means I’m still salty, my light still shines bright.

When was the last time someone questioned your faith? Think about it. These moments are a litmus test of your salt and light. We live in a culture where persecution is light and mile, but it’s happening more and more.

When you are questioned or even truly persecuted, rejoice! You are salt. You are light.

Better yet, rewards await you (vs 12).

Today, be blessed. God is for you, even when people aren’t!

Song of God | Cory Asbury

A New Commandment by Pastor Don

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John 13:34-35

34 So now I am giving you a new commandment: Love each other. Just as I have loved you, you should love each other. 35 Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples.

Text, Context, Pretext

It has been said that a text without a context is a pretext. What does that mean? Let’s take a look!

This passage in and of itself is challenging enough! To love fellow Christians the same way and to the same degree that Jesus loves us. But consider that this concept was introduced as a command just hours before he himself would be arrested, dragged through an illegal trial, beaten beyond recognition, and brutally murdered at the hands of law enforcement. But if that isn’t enough, let’s go back to the dinner table!

Verse 4 of John 13 says that Jesus got up from the table and proceeded to act like a slave: washing his disciples’ feet. And after navigating through some resistance regarding this behavior, he announces that this is how all of us should act, like slaves towards one another. (Philippians 2:5-8)

Then he proceeds to address the fact that he was going to be betrayed by one of the “brothers” at the table; one of the brothers whose feet he had just washed.

After addressing the betrayal and the betrayer, he proceeds to deal with another “main man” who’s going to deny him.

All of this madness reminds me of a term that’s used on the streets: “I’ve got your back!” Really?

So, if there’s a question about what does it mean to love like Jesus loves, we just need to look at the context.

  • Don’t give up on one another; even when they fail.
  • Hope for the best in one another; even when it’s painful.
  • Shoot straight with one another (speak the truth in love); even when it’s awkward.
  • Be forgiving of one another; even when it feels stupid.

The bottom line is that we need to walk so closely to the Lord through prayer, his word, fellowship and the other disciplines of the faith that we’ll have enough gas in our tanks to love one another as Jesus loves us. And that will get the attention of the lost!

Prince of Peace | Hillsong United

Road Rage Love by Pastor Andy

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Romans 13:8-10

8Owe nothing to anyone—except for your obligation to love one another. If you love your neighbor, you will fulfill the requirements of God’s law. 9For the commandments say, “You must not commit adultery. You must not murder. You must not steal. You must not covet.” These—and other such commandments—are summed up in this one commandment: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” 10Love does no wrong to others, so love fulfills the requirements of God’s law.

Who’s my neighbor?

My neighbor is anyone I come in contact with in my day-to-day life.

This weekend, I was driving the family home from visiting Kia’s grandmothers on Mother’s Day. I was on the highway in a construction zone. The car on my driver’s side slid over into my lane a foot or two multiple times. Finally, I honked to let him know what he was doing.

A few seconds later I pulled up beside him. He leaned over his girlfriend/wife/significant other flipping me the bird.

That guy, the bird-flipper, is my neighbor.

What does it mean to love him?

Loving my neighbor means treating him like I want to be treated – with respect.

powerpoint-presentation-the-face-of-road-rage-1-638

Owe nothing. Just love.

Inside, anger boiled. I wanted to say, “I didn’t honk out of anger. I honked so you wouldn’t hit me!” Inwardly, I really wanted to flash the middle finger back. That would definitely show him!

I didn’t.

On a side note, have you ever noticed how ridiculous a person looks flipping up their middle finger in anger? Recently, I was a third party observer of someone doing this in apparent anger. I thought, “How childish.”

On Mother’s Day, it didn’t seem so childish. I really wanted to rage back at him. But that wasn’t treating him with respect. It would have answered his assumption – I honked in anger.

A few weeks ago, Pastor John was accused of only wanting to smile and hug a person with a complaint. We’ve had a lot of fun with that one. If I could have, I would have smiled and hugged this guy. Instead, I did the next best thing. I ignored him.

Don’t get me wrong. It wasn’t easy. I really wanted to slow down, have a stare down and out man that guy. Thankfully I didn’t.

I don’t owe him anything. Just love. I did the best I could Mother’s Day. How are you doing?

Closer | Bethel

Opposite of Love? by Pastor Andy

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Luke 6:27-36

27“But to you who are willing to listen, I say, love your enemies! Do good to those who hate you. 28Bless those who curse you. Pray for those who hurt you. 29If someone slaps you on one cheek, offer the other cheek also. If someone demands your coat, offer your shirt also. 30Give to anyone who asks; and when things are taken away from you, don’t try to get them back. 31Do to others as you would like them to do to you.
32“If you love only those who love you, why should you get credit for that? Even sinners love those who love them! 33And if you do good only to those who do good to you, why should you get credit? Even sinners do that much! 34And if you lend money only to those who can repay you, why should you get credit? Even sinners will lend to other sinners for a full return.
35“Love your enemies! Do good to them. Lend to them without expecting to be repaid. Then your reward from heaven will be very great, and you will truly be acting as children of the Most High, for he is kind to those who are unthankful and wicked.36You must be compassionate, just as your Father is compassionate.

What is opposite of love?

Seems like an easy question. Right? Most would say hate. Google lists hate as the main antonym of love. Hate is definitely a far cry from love.

Others might say indifference. If I love my children, then I’m not indifferent about them playing in a busy street. Indifference may be worse than hate.

What about fear?

Fear may not be the exact opposite of love, but it definitely is antithetical to love. We know perfect love casts out fear (1 John 4:18). We greater love has no man than this, that he lay down his life for his friends (John 15:13). That kind of love leaves no room for fear.

Fear and love can’t coexist.

Sermon on the Plain

Which brings us to today’s passage. It’s mirrors many of the same thoughts in the Gospel of Matthew known as the Sermon on the Mount. In Luke, it’s called the Sermon on the Plain.

I shared about the Sermon on the Mount a couple of weeks ago. It’s not a moral code. It’s not Jesus’ list of 50 ways to live a better life. This is about the nature of God.

The Sermon on the Plain too outlines how God lives, and how we should follow.

How do we follow God when it comes to our enemies? We love.

In other words, we don’t live in fear of our enemies. We combat our fear of our enemies through love.

For many of us our enemy is the culture around us. Our battle is with culture – no matter what the culture is. We are told to fear. Fear government. Fear ISIS. Fear politics. Fear movies. Fear music. Fear public school. Fear Christian school. Fear money. Fear poverty. Fear failure. Fear success. Fear men. Fear women. Fear the church. Fear the secular. Fear the unknown. Fear the known.

I don’t care who you are, or where you are from; there is something out there to fear.

In this message, Jesus doesn’t tell us to fear. He tells us to love.

I understand. It’s not easy. It’s real to me. I have kids who live in a culture strange to me.

It’s not easy to answer questions like, “Where is the line between love and acceptance?” I don’t have easy answers, but I know the answers don’t live in fear.

Author Oswald Chambers wrote,

It is inbred in us that we have to do exceptional things for God: but we have not. We have to be exceptional in the ordinary things, to be holy in mean streets, among mean people, and this is not learned in five minutes.

This week practice love. Love your enemies. Love those you fear. Love our culture. It may be new to you. It won’t be learned in five minutes, but soon you’ll be exceptional at it.

Don’t fear. Love.

No Longer a Slave | Bethel

Are you a follower or a disciple? by Pastor David

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Endless Praise – Planet Shakers

 

This week we will contemplate the meaning and importance of being and making disciples. It’s one of the commands of Christ.

In the original Greek, the word disciple is _mathetes_, it means a pupil or apprentice. Therefore, a disciple is simply a follower and a learner. The idea is someone who is not only learning and following but someone who wants to emulate another.

When Jesus went around and preached the Good News of the Kingdom of God, there were thousands of people that enjoyed His teaching. Many followed Him from place to place. There were scores of people who acknowledged that He spoke the truth. **Thousands followed Jesus but relatively few became disciples.**

Are you a follower of Jesus or are you a disciple of Jesus?

This is an important question to answer. A follower listens to great teaching but rarely puts that teaching into practice. A follower likes to sit and watch the miraculous but seldom prays for it. A follower is in it for the benefits, a disciple follows even when it hurts.

As disciples we are called not only to follow Jesus; we are called to become like Him. “Jesus has now many lovers of the heavenly kingdom but few bearers of His cross.”

Theologian, John Piper, once stated, “The most important word I think Jesus ever said about becoming a disciple was Luke 14:27, “Whoever does not bear his own cross and come after me cannot be my disciple.” Bearing a cross does not mean primarily having hard times. It means going to Golgotha. It means dying with Christ—dying to the old attitudes of envy and strife and jealousy and anger and selfishness and pride; and turning to follow Jesus in newness of life. When we make disciples, we bid people to come and die to their old, destructive ways and to live for Jesus, who loved them and gave himself for them.”

So….in what areas of life do you tend to be a follower and which areas do you tend to be a disciple? Ask God to give you strength and grace to not just follow but to be a fully devoted disciple.