I do not know you

In The book of Luke Chapter 13 we come across some scripture where Jesus is traveling through the cities and streets on his way to Jerusalem, when someone asks him a very important question. (Luke 13:23 NKJ) "Lord, are there few who are saved?" Another way of putting this question would be to ask; (NLT version) Lord, will only a few be saved?"

Today I wanted to focus on what it means to be known. You see the key to our having eternal life is to be known by Jesus. If he doesn't know you on judgement day, well then you'll be locked outside of his kingdom away from God's love forever. So I ask; "does Jesus know you?"

In my career and my involvement in church and other events around the community, I come across people all the time who know me, but I really don't know them. Has that ever happened to you? Someone comes up and says, "Hi, how have you been?" and even calls you by name, but you just can't place them, you can't remember where you have met them. It was probably at work and they were one of my customers, or maybe at church or a religious function or event. Maybe I met them through my interaction in the community with music? Who knows? But the point I want to make is that just because they know me and know my name and may have even visited with me or heard me speak or sing or teach doesn't mean that I know them.

After this person asked Jesus this question, "Lord, will only a few be saved?" Jesus told them a parable or story that explained the way to heaven or salvation. The way is narrow, meaning very specific. Let's look at the following verses...

The Narrow Way

22 And He went through the cities and villages, teaching, and journeying toward Jerusalem. 23 Then one said to Him, “Lord, are there few who are saved?” And He said to them, 24 “Strive to enter through the narrow gate, for many, I say to you, will seek to enter and will not be able. 25 When once the Master of the house has risen up and shut the door, and you begin to stand outside and knock at the door, saying, ‘Lord, Lord, open for us,’ and He will answer and say to you, ‘I do not know you, where you are from,’ 26 then you will begin to say, ‘We ate and drank in Your presence, and You taught in our streets.’ 27 But He will say, ‘I tell you I do not know you, where you are from. Depart from Me, all you workers of iniquity.’ 28 There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth, when you see Abraham and Isaac and Jacob and all the prophets in the kingdom of God, and yourselves thrust out.

So we see now, it's not enough to know Jesus. He must know us! Jesus is the narrow way. He is the specific and only way to have eternal life in God's Kingdom. Please do not make the mistake that so many of the people did in this parable when they thought that to know Jesus was enough. It must be sad for those people to be standing before Jesus pleading and desperately trying to jog his memory in some way hoping that he'll remember them, when they know deep down they never invested a genuine interest before now.

For Jesus to get to know us, we must spend time with him. First we need to recognize that our sinfulness, our lostness, keeps us away from God. We must respond to the leading of His Holy Spirit and say to Him, I don't want to live this way anymore, I want to give my life to you Jesus and make you LORD of my life. It's when we do this, that Jesus knows who we are. We've established a way for a right relationship and over time Jesus will teach us and shape us into his likeness through the power of His Spirit. Then on that day of judgement... because Jesus knew us, we will be locked inside the Kingdoms gates rather than outside! Trust me friend... you do not want to be left outside. Be sure that you develop a first name basis relationship with Jesus. That means... it's personal and intimate.

My prayer for you is that you will known by Jesus. May God bless you,

Steve

Now that's Faith!

One of my favorite stories in the bible is the story about the Centurions servant being healed by Jesus. I think the reason I like this story so much is because I can relate to it and understand it. Like this Centurion that has been placed in a position of authority, I to have been placed in a position of authority. I was in a position of authority while serving in the US Army, and I'm currently in a position of authority in my retail career. This centurion knew what it meant to be a person of authority and when he went to Jesus to ask him to heal a servant of his, he knew that all Jesus had to do was say the word, and his servant would be healed. He had so much faith that Jesus had all power and authority. This centurion knew that since he was also a man of authority over other soldiers, when he told them to do something, those soldiers did what they were told. They obeyed the one with all the authority. He knew that Jesus only had to speak it, to command it, and whatever he spoke would be done. Now that's faith in Jesus. This kind of faith impressed Jesus so much that he turned to the crowd around him and told them that he had never seen anyone with as much faith, even in all of Israel!

The Faith of the Centurion

1When Jesus had finished saying all this in the hearing of the people, he entered Capernaum. 2There a centurion's servant, whom his master valued highly, was sick and about to die. 3The centurion heard of Jesus and sent some elders of the Jews to him, asking him to come and heal his servant. 4When they came to Jesus, they pleaded earnestly with him, "This man deserves to have you do this, 5because he loves our nation and has built our synagogue." 6So Jesus went with them.

He was not far from the house when the centurion sent friends to say to him: "Lord, don't trouble yourself, for I do not deserve to have you come under my roof. 7That is why I did not even consider myself worthy to come to you. But say the word, and my servant will be healed. 8For I myself am a man under authority, with soldiers under me. I tell this one, 'Go,' and he goes; and that one, 'Come,' and he comes. I say to my servant, 'Do this,' and he does it."

9When Jesus heard this, he was amazed at him, and turning to the crowd following him, he said, "I tell you, I have not found such great faith even in Israel." 10Then the men who had been sent returned to the house and found the servant well.

Let me ask you... Do you have faith in Jesus? Faith first of all that he can save you from an eternal separation from God's love? Faith that he died on the cross for you and rose again three days later to provide a way for us to be made righteous in the sight of God?
Then why do we worry? Why do we not live in joy and peace? Why do we not take everything to the Lord for his help and guidance? Why? Because our faith is weak.
This Centurion should be an example for all of us. He KNEW who Jesus was and because of that understanding and knowledge there was no doubt in his mind that Jesus could do whatever he said he would do.
You know the bible is full of God's promises, full of his commitments to his believers and followers. Time after time were told in the bible to simply ask in the name of Jesus and it will be given to us.

So what is it you need from God today? What have you asked for that only God can provide? Jesus is just waiting to show you want he can do when you put your complete faith and trust in him. Remember, the Centurion knew the power of Jesus and went asking for help knowing full well that if Jesus agreed to help, then his servant would be healed. Do we have that same expectation? Do we have that same faith?

Prayer: Dear Heavenly Father, my prayer today is that I would have the faith that this Centurion had in you. A faith that is expectant and confident in you and what you can do. Help me Lord and increase my faith each day as I see you working in my life. Thank you Jesus! Amen.

Why me Lord?

Self-Pity, brooding, and frustration, happens to all of us. It's what we do during these times that matter most. We can choose to sulk and hang our heads and say woe is me or we can stand and fight against this self-pity that we fell and it's devastating condition it has on our lives. Self-Pity is nothing new, it's been around ever since man has felt that life and life's issues are not fair. Life is not fair, it hurts, it never goes as we plan, and it as most all of us have discovered, it's disappointing so often. Look at some of the men in the following verses and see if you can relate.

Elijah yielded to self-pity for a time and fled to Horeb.

1 Kings 19:4-5

He came to a broom tree, sat down under it and prayed that he might die. "I have had enough, Lord, " he said. "Take my life; I am no better than my ancestors." Then he lay down under the tree and fell asleep.

Asaph, the psalmist, also fell into the sin of self-pity for a time.

Psalm 73:13-14

Surely in vain I have kept my heart pure; in vain I have washed my hands in innocence. All day long I have been plagued; I have been punished every morning.

Jonah became angry and was filled with self-pity, for which God rebuked him.

Jonah 4:3-4

"Now, O Lord, take my life, for it is better for me to die than to live." But the Lord replied, "Have you any right to be angry?"

Without going into each mans situation and the reasons behind their self-pity, we can see that they all felt sorry for themselves and felt the distress of what they were going through. Maybe you are trying your best to do what you feel God would have you do yet it seems that even though you live for him and call him Lord of your life, it doesn't seem to matter much. Evil people still have it better and suffer less it seems. As Elijah did in his frustration, sometimes we just want to give up. Have you ever felt that way? You just want to say... "I've had enough." and then all you want to do is lay down and sleep. Both Elijah and Jonah got to the point they felt they would be better off dead! That's a tough place to be isn't it? The point to where we feel we have nothing left, it's over, life is ruined. Or is it? The answer of course is always... NO. Life is not over and because of our self-pity we just can't see it anymore. Self-pity crushes the spirit, but a person that is happy has a cheerful face and sees things differently. We have to figure out how to turn from self-pity or we can be destroyed by it.

Proverbs 15:13

A happy heart makes the face cheerful, but heartache crushes the spirit.

So how do we pull ourselves out of this depression or self-pity that has preoccupied our mind? Well we can start with the same question that God asked of Jonah. "Do you have any right to be angry?" I mean in the total scheme of things with all that God had done for us, the eternal life and peace he has given us as his children, do we really have any right to allow the circumstances of our day to allow us to fall into this sin of self-pity? We shouldn't, but we do because we are focused on self. That's the key problem with self-pity. We're focused on ourselves and our circumstances. There is good news however! The Lord directs us to a cure for self-pity. I'll leave you with Psalms 37. The Lord wants you to hear his words of comfort and wisdom through this pslam of David. May these verses encourage you and turn you from self-pity.

Psalm 37 (A psalm of David.)

(1) Don’t worry about the wicked or envy those who do wrong. (2) For like grass, they soon fade away. Like spring flowers, they soon wither. (3) Trust in the Lord and do good. Then you will live safely in the land and prosper. (4) Take delight in the Lord, and he will give you your heart’s desires.
(5) Commit everything you do to the Lord. Trust him, and he will help you. (6) He will make your innocence radiate like the dawn, and the justice of your cause will shine like the noonday sun.
(7) Be still in the presence of the Lord, and wait patiently for him to act. Don’t worry about evil people who prosper or fret about their wicked schemes. (8) Stop being angry! Turn from your rage! Do not lose your temper- it only leads to harm. (9) For the wicked will be destroyed, but those who trust in the Lord will possess the land.
(10) Soon the wicked will disappear. Though you look for them, they will be gone. (11) The lowly will possess the land and will live in peace and prosperity. (12) The wicked plot against the godly; they snarl at them in defiance. (13) But the Lord just laughs, for he sees their day of judgment coming.
(14) The wicked draw their swords and string their bows to kill the poor and the oppressed, to slaughter those who do right. (15) But their swords will stab their own hearts, and their bows will be broken.
(16) It is better to be godly and have little than to be evil and rich. (17) For the strength of the wicked will be shattered, but the Lord takes care of the godly.
(18) Day by day the Lord takes care of the innocent, and they will receive an inheritance that lasts forever. (19) They will not be disgraced in hard times; even in famine they will have more than enough.
(20) But the wicked will die. The Lord’s enemies are like flowers in a field—they will disappear like smoke. (21) The wicked borrow and never repay, but the godly are generous givers. (22) Those the Lord blesses will possess the land, but those he curses will die.
(23) The Lord directs the steps of the godly. He delights in every detail of their lives. (24) Though they stumble, they will never fall, for the Lord holds them by the hand.
(25) Once I was young, and now I am old. Yet I have never seen the godly abandoned or their children begging for bread. (26) The godly always give generous loans to others, and their children are a blessing.
(27) Turn from evil and do good, and you will live in the land forever. (28) For the Lord loves justice, and he will never abandon the godly. He will keep them safe forever, but the children of the wicked will die. (29) The godly will possess the land and will live there forever.
(30) The godly offer good counsel; they teach right from wrong. (31) They have made God’s law their own, so they will never slip from his path.
(32) The wicked wait in ambush for the godly, looking for an excuse to kill them. (33) But the Lord will not let the wicked succeed or let the godly be condemned when they are put on trial.
(34) Put your hope in the Lord. Travel steadily along his path. He will honor you by giving you the land. You will see the wicked destroyed.
(35) I have seen wicked and ruthless people flourishing like a tree in its native soil. (36) But when I looked again, they were gone! Though I searched for them, I could not find them!
(37) Look at those who are honest and good, for a wonderful future awaits those who love peace. (38) But the rebellious will be destroyed; they have no future.
(39) The Lord rescues the godly; he is their fortress in times of trouble. (40) The Lord helps them, rescuing them from the wicked. He saves them, and they find shelter in him.

Heavenly Home

John 14:2 In my Father's house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you.
John 14:3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am.

This week I attended the funeral of a co worker of mine and while at his funeral the preacher said something that I've really never thought about before. I mean I know how wonderful heaven will be, I know what the bible says it will be like. But to help us imagine just a little of what heaven must be like, he said this...

"When you look around and see all the beauty that is around us, the trees, mountains, sunsets, and such, all this was made by God in 6 days. Now think about what Jesus said about heaven. I go prepare a place for you. Jesus has been preparing that place for over 2000 years now!" "Think about how awesome and beautiful his creation is here in only 6 days work. Can you just imagine what God can do with 2000 years?" Wow. I do not think we can possibly imagine what heaven will be like, because however we imagine it, we can't possibly do it justice. Our minds can not comprehend what awaits us.

All I have to ask you is this... Are you going? Is Jesus preparing a place for you?

If you are not sure then read the previous posting titled... "Path to Salvation... Knowing Christ" and know for certain you are going to heaven for eternity.

God Bless you,

Steve

Joy in Suffering

Philippians 4:4
"Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I will say, rejoice!"

Everyone wants to be happy. As a matter of fact we make this ideal a lifelong pursuit. Chasing it always and most often happiness eludes us. We spend money, we collect things, and we search for new and exciting experiences. All in the pursuit of happiness. But if happiness depends on our circumstances, then what happens when our toys rust, our loved ones die, our health begins to deteriorate, our money gets stolen, and we realize the party's over? It's during these moments that we see our happiness slip away and despair sets in.

Joy however, is not dependant on our circumstances. Joy, rather than happiness, runs deeper and stronger. Joy is the quiet, confident assurance of God's love and work in our lives. Joy comes from knowing that he will be there no matter what! Happiness depends on happenings, but joy depends on Christ.

The book of Philippians is Paul's letter of joy to the Philippians. The church in the city of Macedonia had been a great encouragement to Paul. The Philippian believers had enjoyed a very special relationship with Paul, so he wrote them a personal letter expressing his love and affection. They had brought him great joy. Philippians is also a joyful book because it focuses on the real joy of the Christian life. The concept of "rejoicing or joy" appears 16 times in four chapters, and as we read through the pages we see this positive message over and over. This message of joy is said best in Philippians 4:4 with "Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I will say, rejoice!"

Lets not forget that although Paul's life was dedicated to serving Christ, it wasn't always a bed of roses. If anyone had reason to be discouraged or experience despair, it would be Paul. He had faced terrible poverty, abundant wealth, and everything in between. He even wrote this joyful letter from prison. Paul had learned to be content.
Philippians 4:11-12 says...
(11) Not that I speak in regard to need, for I have learned in whatever state I am, to be content.
(12) I know how to be abased, and I know how to abound. Everywhere in all things I have learned both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need.

Paul found real joy as he focused all of his attention and energy on knowing Christ and obeying him. We too need to dedicate ourselves to finding joy in Christ. Each Chapter of Philippians speaks directly to our Joy. Chapter 1... joy in suffering, Chapter 2... joy in serving, Chapter 3... joy in believing, and Chapter 4... joy in giving.

Today I want to focus on "Joy in Suffering." (Philippians chapter 1)

We all suffer. Have you ever tired in your faith because of your suffering? Has the suffering your going through challenged you on staying the course. I know when I suffer, I have a tendency to want to withdraw. That's not the thing to do of course but it's a natural desire.

Paul suffered greatly throughout his life as he boldly proclaimed the gospel. I think sometime we are under the false hope that if we serve Christ diligently then we will be blessed in some way because of our service and somehow avoid problems and suffering. But we have to remember that God never promises to protect us from problems or suffering, in fact we learn from our bible that God is our help during times of suffering. This body we live in and this place is only temporary. Our real home is in heaven, and while we are away from our heavenly home, well we groan and moan as we live in this temporary "tent." (refer to 2nd Corinthians)
2nd Corinthians 5:1-2
(1) For we know that if our earthly house, this tent, is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.
(2) For in this we groan, earnestly desiring to be clothed with our habitation which is from heaven.

So suffering will come and we all will have to live through it. Earlier I said that Happiness comes from the circumstances of things that are happening to us. But Joy comes from knowing Christ. It's hard to be happy while we're suffering isn't it? But even in our suffering we can have joy. The joy we receive comes from the Holy Spirit in us as we still live our life for Christ in and among our suffering. Just knowing he will complete a good work in us one day lets us know that we are never alone. Don't let your personal condition rob you of the joy of knowing Christ or keep you from growing closer to him.
Philippians 1:6
(6) being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ;

In verse 7 of Philippians Paul says... "in my chains" he's most likely referring to his imprisonment in Philippi, recorded in Acts 16:22-36. Then again later in Chapter 1 of Philippians verse 13 and 14, Paul speaks of his Roman imprisonment. The thing is... wherever Paul was, even in prison, he faithfully preached the Good News. We need to remember Paul's inspiring example when when our suffering slows down or hinders our work for God. Usually being in prison would cause most people to be bitter or to give up, but Paul saw it as one more opportunity to tell others about the Good News of Christ. Paul realized that his present circumstances were not near as important as what he did with them. He saw past the suffering and looked ahead to what was really important. Turning a bad situation into a good one, he reached out to the prison guards and to the others in the prison to encourage them through their time of persecution. We may not be in prison but we all go through very difficult times of suffering and discouragement. Times of indecision, financial setbacks, family issues or conflict, loss of jobs, I could go on and on. How we act in these situations or circumstances will reflect what we believe. Like Paul, look for ways to demonstrate your faith even in bad situations. The good news is... that whether or not the situation improves, your faith will grow stronger.

Paul is a great example for us, because like us he too suffered greatly. But he was good at not allowing his circumstances to take his focus off of his eternal reward. Life is hard. It's not fair. But we are foolish to expect it to be while we live here in this temporary dwelling place. Our home is in the future. Heaven awaits us and our joy in all circumstances comes from knowing that our Savior is always with us until the day we are made complete. Remember... when we speak fearlessly for Christ, or live faithfully for him during difficult times in our life, we encourage others to do the same. Be an encouragement by the way you live. Let others see your Joy in your suffering.

Comforting a Friend

A Child’s Comfort
A little girl came home from a neighbor’s house where her little friend had died. “Why did you go?” questioned her father. “To comfort her mother,” said the child. “What could you do to comfort her?” “I climbed into her lap and cried with her.”
Source unknown



This short story speaks volumes to each of us. Sometimes when we want to comfort someone, we think we need to be available to talk, but the secret to comforting someone is in just being there for them. This father just couldn't see how in the world a little child could possibly comfort a grieving mother that had just lost her daughter. He didn't realize that it's not what we say during times like this, it's what we do. As a matter of fact it's best we say nothing and simply listen. We can't solve their problems, we can't fix the situation nor should we try to, we can only show love and compassion as a true source of comfort. A hug, an arm around the shoulder, and even crying with them in their pain can comfort more than anything else.

2 Corinthians 1:3-5
(3)Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort,
(4)who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God.
(5)For just as the sufferings of Christ flow over into our lives, so also through Christ our comfort overflows.

Thank God for his compassion. Thank God that he is the God of all comfort. As we go through our own struggles God comforts us so that we can comfort others that are struggling as well. It's just like Christ isn't it? He dies on the cross to save us so that we will go out and tell others about his saving power. He also comforts us so we will in turn comfort others. The reason we can comfort others as only Christ can is because his sufferings flow over into our lives and the compassion that Christ has for us, flows out to those we are comforting. Basically, Christ is comforting others through you. I believe that's why it's best not to say anything in most cases. Just let God's comfort flow through you and touch the life and soul of the one that is hurting. Allow His spirit to speak to their heart. Allow God to work through you and provide the comfort that only God can supply.

Lessons from the little girl.
1. She went to the one hurting as we must go to those hurting. This Mom didn't call her to come over did she? No. As a matter of fact I doubt that this mother would have thought to call this girl over for comfort. But it's what she needed wasn't it?
2. It's not what we say, but what we do. This child simply sat up in the mothers lap and cried along with her.
3. We must share the burden or the pain. It's OK to cry, It's OK to share in the sorrow, as a matter of fact it helps the person suffering to know that you really do care when you hurt because they hurt. This lets the one hurting know that you have compassion for them.

The next time you have the opportunity to comfort someone, remember that God is working through you. Make yourself available and be blessed as you are a blessing to others.

Prayer: Dear Lord Jesus, thank you for Your comfort that spills over through me to others in their time of need. May I be sensitive to You leading me to comfort others, may I be willing to go to them and comfort, may I be willing to simply listen and be there for them, and may I be willing to allow you to comfort as only you can. Thank you Lord Jesus. Amen

All in a Day

This morning I awoke to what I thought would be a normal day (as far as normal can be anyway.) It felt good! A beautiful morning and a good time alone with the Lord at the beginning of my day. I listened to gospel music on my way to work this morning and actually turned my hour drive to Murfreesboro into a worship service. The morning went well and pretty much on the routine that I had planned to some degree, but after lunch my world changed.

As I was having a meeting with several of my associates at work I was paged to answer an urgent call. I asked the group to excuse me for just a moment as I'll be right back after I take this call. The call was nothing that I would have ever expected. I was informed by the caller than one of my asst mgrs was killed in a car crash earlier this morning and that they have just identified who he was and after notifying his family they called me so I could let the associates know about this tragic accident and what had happened. I could not believe what I was hearing. This asst mgr was respected and loved by many of our associates. Sharing this news was going to be difficult. I was grieving myself and couldn't hardly grasp what had just happened either. I was shocked as I knew everyone else would be. This was extremely sad news.

I asked the Lord to help me with delivering this message that I had to share with my associates and I went back in the room to tell those that I had left in there the news. As I shared what had happened we all we're very heartbroken, deeply saddened, and shocked. I knew that the rest of the day would be one of meetings and counseling and comforting others as we all worked together to get through this initial shock and the grieving process. It was a tough afternoon for everyone, people within the Company to contact and brief, schedules to adjust, and all while trying to maintain and focus on the business at hand. What a challenge, but the Lord was with me and He gave me strength when I needed it.

I finally headed home and called my wife and shared with her what had happened as I drove home. The hour drive was spent mourning and thinking about what the associates were going through. Almost home, I saw a vehicle that had run off the road and apparently just crashed into the field to my left as I drove past. It was almost dark and difficult to see, but as I drove by I saw people just outside of a vehicle that had rolled over and rested on it's side just off the road. People from a nearby house off the highway were running as fast as they could to the overturned vehicle. As quickly as I saw this I slowed down and noticed other cars beginning to stop to run to the aid of this car accident. I assumed there were enough people to help and kept driving. I called 911 on my cell phone and reported the accident and it's location and they informed me they were on their way with an ambulance, that someone else had just called. I quickly said a prayer and this of course reminded me again of the loss of our asst mgr this morning.

Just a few minutes from Home I get a call from my wife and she tells me she is driving quickly to a friend of hers house and for personal reasons I won't go into the details, but this whole thing has my wife upset as she's on her way to see if she can be of any help. I finally arrive home and await for her to come back. Finally she gets back home and she fills me in on the details and I see the pain of what she is going through. More grieving, more sadness and more pain.

As things finally settle down it's now the end of the day. I'm exhausted, we both are. Why did all this happen? I don't know. But this I do know... the Lord got me through this day. I could not have handled it on my own. My prayer is this... Tomorrow Lord, I know already my day is full with the issues I have been presented with today. Please Lord, give me strength and the ability to handle whatever comes my way. I hold fast to the promise you have given me in your word. Philippians 4:13, I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. Thank you Lord for your comfort and your love during this next challenge and test in my life. Guide me and direct me O Lord. It's in the name of Jesus I pray, Amen.