Remember Me

Then he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come in your kingdom.” And Jesus said to him, “I tell you the truth, today you will be with me in paradise.”

Luke 23:42-43 

 

Imagine you are the thief on the cross next to Jesus.  You see how badly He has been beaten and you wonder if He truly is the Savior.  You realize that by the end of this day, you will be dead.  You may have heard Jesus' teaching.  You probably have heard others talking about Jesus' healing in the name of God.  As you feel your breathing becoming more and more labored as you hang there on the cross for your crimes, you realize that Jesus is the One.  He really is the Messiah.  On the other side of Jesus is the criminal who is arrogant to the end.  In fact, even as he, too, is dying slowly and painfully, he demands Jesus perform a miracle and save them all.  You pull yourself up painfully so you can gasp a breath and tell him to shut up!

 

Once more, you dig deep and summon the strength to raise yourself up again, fighting the intense pain, to gasp a breath and say, "Jesus, remember me when You come into Your kingdom."  There are perhaps no more human words in all of Scripture, no prayers we can pray so well as this one.  "Jesus, remember me."  

 

Isn't that what we truly want? To be remembered by Jesus?  Perhaps that should be our prayer even now, "Jesus, remember me."  When Jesus gave the Disciples the last supper, he told them to remember Him.  Remembering someone is a powerful gift.  To be honest, I am horrible with remembering people.  I can remember either the name or the face, but seldom both, at least until I get to know you.  And there's the key to Jesus!  The thief didn't even give his name, he just asked Jesus to "remember me."  Jesus already knew him and loved him and was, at that moment, dying for him.  And He took the time to say kindest words one could hope to hear, "Today YOU will be with ME in Paradise."

 

The one thing that stuck out to me in this scene is that the thief had probably spent a lifetime living against God's Will, probably had lived a life that he messed it up over and over.  I can identify with that.  I, too, have messed up over and over!  Yet, even with a life blackened by sin, this man was forgiven at the proverbial last second and entered Paradise with Jesus.  There's hope for us because Jesus doesn't stop loving us or caring for us or reaching out to us.  And it doesn't matter how badly we have messed our lives up, Jesus died for us and that should give us hope to run to Him and ask Him to remember us.  Isn't it time to ask to be remembered?

Personal Jesus

  

When I was younger, I remember reading the story of the Crucifixion and hearing lots of sermons on the subject that made Jesus' death seem as if it were some great mystery that only a few of the "chosen" could understand.  The more I heard and read, the more I decided that there had to be more to this than some big secret mystery.

Guess what I discovered?  Jesus' act of love was for me too!  Whether I accept it or not does not change the fact that Jesus loves me so much that He gave Himself in MY place. What a sacrifice!  Remember what Jesus said, "There is no greater love than to lay down one’s life for one’s friends." (John 15:13).  

Now, as sterile as that act may sound, Jesus didn't just lay down His life for us, He suffered the torments that WE should have endured.  He endured the horrific slow death that WE should have.  And the thing is, He did it willingly!  He didn't have to do it.  He could have told God, "Nope, not gonna do it!  It's not going to be fun so I don't want to do it."  But He didn't.  Jesus CHOSE to take our place!  That makes me grateful beyond expression, how about you?  

Stripes

He was wounded because of our rebellious deeds,
crushed because of our sins;
he endured punishment that made us well;
because of his wounds we have been healed.

Isaiah 53:5 

 

Several years ago, I saw The Passion of the Christ in the theater.  There was something about seeing this film on a huge screen that made it more meaningful.  When Jim Caviezel, as Jesus, was turned over to the Roman Soldiers the torture Christ endured became VERY real! 

 

You see, I was stunned by the brutality because in my own mind, I had sanitized the scene to the point that I no longer understood the sheer agony endured by my Savior.  And even worse, I had discounted the price Jesus paid so that I could stand before God as one of His forgiven children!  When I saw the film, my soul broke because I felt as if I had turned my back on His suffering and, like those who cheered His entry into Jerusalem, I had rejected Him.

 

We lose so much when we choose to sanitize the Scriptures so that they are Politically Correct and there's nothing that would disturb our soul.  The Scriptures are supposed to be disturbing, I believe, in order to show us just how God has provided for us and helped us and love us even though we may not return His love.  

 

If you have never seen the film, I encourage you to watch it.  If it has been a while since you saw it, watch it again.  We do a great disservice when we whitewash the Scriptures so they are more palatable to us. 

Learning Is Essential

Then he added, “Now go and learn the meaning of this Scripture: ‘I want you to show love, not offer sacrifices.’ For I have come to call not those who think they are righteous, but those who know they are sinners.”

Matthew 9:13 

 

 Who was Jesus addressing with this statement to "go and learn"?  The Pharisees!  They had criticized Him for eating with the tax collectors and sinners.  Jesus reminded the Pharisees that we don't go to the doctor unless we are sick.  Then Jesus tells them to go back and study Hosea 6:6 and figure out what the prophet was saying.

 

I don't know about you, but I have a feeling that the Pharisees were quite a prickly bunch who were not TRULY concerned about the people they were supposed to serve.  The Pharisees seem to only be able to provide arrogant criticism and haughty attitudes. Oh and watch them get bowed up if you try to correct them.  I also believe that Jesus got a chuckle out of annoying the Pharisees.

 

What does the passage Jesus quoted mean?  "I want you to show love, not offer sacrifices."  What does that mean? Well, let's take a look at this and see.

 

Sacrifice - a physical act which can be completed without much thought and can become just another ritual which has lost all meaning.  We can sacrifice out time by doing activities at church, we can sacrifice our money by giving it to the church, any physical act we can generate without much thought can be a sacrifice.

 

Love - is an action that comes from within us. It is a conscious decision.  When we CHOOSE to love the "unlovable" we are reminding ourselves that some probably unlovable to some, and we remind ourselves that Jesus loves us so much that He died for us.  Love is an internal decision that is expressed outwardly.  Love cannot be done by ritual, as sacrifice can.  

 

When we learn the difference, we will begin to have a greater appreciation for Jesus' love for us.

Rock Choir?

But some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to him, 

“Teacher, rebuke your disciples.”  

He answered, “I tell you, if they keep silent, the very stones will cry out!”

Luke 19:39-40

I don't know about you, but I like genuine enthusiasm.  You see it in toddlers when they take off....well, toddling.....down the hallway.  They are so excited at this new adventure and they squeal and giggle all the way, at least my daughter did.  When we get older, why do we seem to lose that enthusiasm?

I hate to say it, but I have been in church services where everyone sat there like rocks only to tell the pastor "Wonderful Service Today" as they were leaving.  I wondered what sort of life these people led outside the church.  Now, I'm not a fan of services where there's so much going on that it seems as if chaos is the rule.  But I admire those who can attend services and are enthusiastic about learning, enthusiastic about worship, and are genuinely glad to be there.  Far too many attend church merely out of habit instead of sincere desire.

When did we lose our enthusiasm?  When Jesus entered Jerusalem for the last time, the people cheered Him and gave Him a rousing welcome.  This apparently annoyed the Pharisees because they told Jesus to get His disciples to stop and be quiet.   And Jesus, as was His habit, annoyed them further by telling them that “I tell you, if they keep silent, the very stones will cry out!” Can you imagine the stones crying out God's praises because we stopped?  That is a rock choir that would break my heart!!

We should never be afraid to tell God that we love Him, are glad He loves us, and thank Him for all He does and gives us.  Unless you are waiting for the stones to do it for you.

Rest

Then he lay down and slept under the broom tree. But as he was sleeping, an angel touched him and told him, “Get up and eat!” He looked around and there beside his head was some bread baked on hot stones and a jar of water! So he ate and drank and lay down again. Then the angel of the Lord came again and touched him and said, “Get up and eat some more, or the journey ahead will be too much for you.”
So he got up and ate and drank, and the food gave him enough strength to travel forty days and forty nights to Mount Sinai, the mountain of God.
1 Kings 19:5-8 

Elijah was under a LOT of stress.  Queen Jezebel had promised to take his life, so Elijah became fearful and ran away far into the wilderness.  When he was exhausted, he lay down and slept.  He was worried about Queen Jezebel's threat more than he remembered that God is the one in control.  And guess what?  God took care of Elijah!  He provided food, drink, and safety while he rested.

Remember that on the seventh day, even God rested.  We are not designed to charge ahead without rest.  We need time to recharge.  We need time to be restored.  We need time away.  Therefore, I will be away for the rest of the week.  I will be back on Monday.  

It is my prayer that each of you will also make time to rest, recharge and be restored.  

So we do not give up. Our physical body is becoming older and weaker, but our spirit inside us is made new every day. 

2 Corinthians 4:16 

 

I'll be honest, I don't like getting older.  I have begun making the same noises my Grampa made when he got up from his chair and when he sat down in it.  I find that I sound like bubble wrap when I stretch first thing in the morning.  I get tired faster than when I was younger.  I've had heart surgery (quadruple bypass) and my hair is almost all gone.

 

But I rest in the knowledge that no matter if my body is growing older and weaker, my spirit is renewed every single day! ​No matter how a circumstance can make us feel...remember one thing...God is working deep within us; to make us into something stronger for Him! 

It Ain't Easy!

So be truly glad. There is wonderful joy ahead, even though you must endure many trials for a little while.

1 Peter 1:6 

 

I remember, quite well, Army Basic Training.  It was torturous. It was challenging.  It was painful.  I wanted to quit.  It was definitely an endurance test.  And, believe it or not, it was one of the best growing experiences in my life.  I still use many of the skills learned in Basic Training, and while I am grateful for my Drill Instructors, at the time I really wanted them to leave me alone.  You see, Basic Training was trying for everyone, but especially for an introvert like me.  I was promoted midway through and was made Squad Leader which forced me to step out of my comfort zone and be in charge of my Squad.  Each day I prayed for this little slice of torment to be over.The endurance test of Basic Training was 24 hours a day, seven days a week for 8 grueling weeks.  I entered Basic Training at 185 lbs. and graduated 8 weeks later at 127 lbs.  

 

However, before I left for Basic, my recruiter told me that it was going to be "the closest thing to Hell you'll face this side of the dirt."  And he wasn't kidding.  Even though I KNEW ahead of time, I still struggled!  Guess what?  Scripture tells us over and over that on this Earth we will have to endure and even with that knowledge we still struggle, at least I do.  But the thing that keeps me going is knowing that God has promised that He will always be there to help.  The mere fact that, compared to the eternity that awaits, our endurance through the trials of this world are relatively tiny discomforts.

 

When we rely on God, that still doesn't take our stresses and trials away, but we will be given the strength to endure and to endure mightily! 

Need Comfort?

As a mother comforts her child,
    so I’ll comfort you.

Isaiah 66:13 

 

Let's see.....there was that time when I got my tonsils out; there was that time I had to get stitches in my face; there was that time I face planted on the driveway; there was that time I broke my collar bone falling down the stairs at Dad's office; there was that time when I got my wisdom teeth out; there was that time when I had a fever; there was that time when I had a REALLY bad reaction to Penicillin; there were so many times when I needed to be comforted.  Okay, reading back through that list, many of them were the result of my own clumsiness, but I still needed comforting.  And Mom was right there to comfort me.

 

When my own daughter was an infant, there were times she would cry and I'd go pick her up and try to comfort her, but nothing would work except her Mom.  There's something about the way Mom's are able to make everything better.

 

How many times have we run to God with our worries? How many times have we run to God when we have messed up?  How many times have we run to God when our hearts are breaking? How many times have we run to God when we were afraid?  And God is always right there to comfort us just as a mother comforts her child.  "The peace which surpasses ALL understanding" (Philippians 4:7) warms our hearts and soothes our fears.

What Difference Does It Make?

If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacks daily food, and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, keep warm and eat well,” but you do not give them what the body needs, what good is it? 

James 2:15-16 

 

One of the biggest criticisms I have heard about Christians is they pray a lot but don't DO much.  And to be honest, that criticism, in some cases, is absolutely correct.  How many times have we heard of someone struggling and our response was "I'll pray for you"?  While praying for someone is always a good thing, wouldn't it be even better if we prayed AND helped that person?  

 

Let's look at this a different way: Suppose you were struggling to provide food for your family after a setback, would it be better for members of the church to come and pray for that family?  Or would it be better to bless the family with groceries?

 

Remember when Jesus fed the 5000?  He met their need and as a result, they listened to Him.  And every time Jesus healed someone, He met their need and, as a result, His message was heard.

 

Remember the Good Samaritan?  The person who had been left for dead was passed over by the religious guys.  It was the Samaritan who came along and met his NEED.  

 

Praying is good!  But God requires us to DO something as well, even if it is to sit with someone while the vent.  There is no reason to ever become a "bookshelf christian" where you look pious and collect dust.  Let us be about following the example of Christ!

Accept That You Are Human

For [God] knows how weak we are;
    he remembers we are only dust.

Psalm 103:14

 

 It has been my experience that some believe REAL Christians don't sin.  Either that or they learn to pretend they don't.  Not only that, but they also believe that if you call yourself Christian but aren't perfect, then you must be lying to yourself and to God and to everyone else.

 

Fact: We are not perfect!  We are flawed!  True, God made us in His image, but being the image of God does not make us perfect like God!  If we WERE made perfect as God is perfect, then Jesus' life here and death for us was nothing but a wasted effort from the Perfect God.

 

Thinking that we, as Christians, are perfect is an incredibly high, unrealistic expectation!  And such expectations can kill you!  That's a LOT of pressure to try to reach and maintain such a standard, which leads to a lot of anxiety and stress which will, in turn, damage your health.

 

Understand, God works in a process.  Remember, "He who began a good work in you will continue to perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus"?  God is still working on us.  Therefore relax, focus on Christ, and trust God's process for you! While you're at it, give those around you some slack as well, because God's working on them too.

Where Is Your Hope?

You must return to your God;
    love him, do what is just,
    and always trust in him as your God.

Hosea 12:6 

 

I remember reading about the travels of Christopher Columbus when he crossed the Atlantic in 1492.  This was at a time when many of the ships would always keep land in sight so they didn't get lost, and here's Christopher Columbus sailing off into the unknown our of the sight of land and had no idea how long it would be before they would find land, fall off the edge of the earth, or have to turn back due to a lack of supplies.

 

The thing that kept the sailors and Christopher Columbus grounded was their faith in God.  They prayed daily that they would find land.  And eventually, their prayers were answered.

 

Do we pray with that same fervor?  Or do we occasionally toss up a "thank you for today Lord"?  We are to put our trust in God, but how can you trust someone you haven't taken the time to get to know?  How can you trust God when He's just some ethereal entity we say "thanks" to once in a while?

 

God WANTS to have a relationship with us!  When we come to Him with all that we have on our hearts and minds, God acts!  He never fails!

Overcome With Joy

I am overcome with joy because of God's unfailing love,

for He has seen my troubles, and cares about

the anguish of my soul.

Psalm 31:7

 

Has your soul ever cried out to God in anguish?  Perhaps during some tragic event; perhaps in the midst of some circumstance in which you found yourself; perhaps you had reached the point where you had just had enough!  If you remember Romans 8:26, God hears the groanings of our soul when words fail us.

 

Guess what?  God not only hears our soul, He loves us so much that He will bring comfort to our us without fail.  Like any true parent, God loves us without fail and wants to calm our anguish.  Therefore, when you feel overwhelmed and have had enough...God understands, loves, and will always draw near to us.  

 

That's calming and comforting to know. 

Strong Through Discouragement

Tell everyone who is discouraged

Be strong and don't be afraid!

God is coming to your rescue.

Isaiah 35:4

 

Have you ever been discouraged?  Yeah, me too.  When I feel discouraged, I can picture Wile E. Coyote overrunning the cliff and suddenly realizing he's about to come crashing down.  Discouragement does that, makes us feel as though we are about to crash!  When I was younger, I used to cheer for Wile E. Coyote because it bothered me that no matter what he tried, he always lost.  Talk about discouraging!  You'd think Wile E. would find something else to eat, become a vegetarian, or at least find a diner somewhere.

 

Discouragement makes us feel weak and fearful.  The question I have posed to myself during times of discouragement is: "What's the point?"  You see, I was missing one key fact: God is coming to my rescue.  I still struggle with that knowledge when I am feeling discouraged, because God coming to my rescue doesn't always happen on MY timetable.  God has His plans for me and sometimes that means I must learn patience.  And how, class, do we learn patience?  By having our patience tested over and over.  Not fun, but in the end we will be stronger!

 

God IS coming to our rescue!  Keep Strong! 

Strong Enough?

Be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power.

Ephesians 6:10 

 

What do you think of when you are told to "be strong"?  Do you imagine a grim, stone-faced warrior that is unmoved by anything or anyone?  How about one whose muscles are so developed that they are intimidating to say the least and are always in the mood to work harder on perfecting their physique?  Perhaps you picture a runner with more endurance than anyone else.

 

Think about this: Being strong can also mean that one is so strong that they aren't afraid to be vulnerable.  Being strong enough to let people see the real you.  Being strong enough to love others (even the difficult people and even those others tell you to give up on).

 

Let me tell you a truth, there was a time when I really needed someone to care and for a time I reached out and no one reached back.  Then God brought someone into my life that was strong enough to not only reach out to me but let me reach out to them.  Being strong can mean you are strong enough to reach out to help someone up and encourage them.

 

Stepping on people or putting them down doesn't take strength.  In fact, it's among some of the most cowardly things we can do to one another.  

 

Be strong!  Reach out!  Lift Up!  Encourage!  If you've ever been down, you know what that feels like and that should be enough to help someone else.  God does it to us every day, who are we to do differently? 

Never Alone!

And I am certain that God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns.

Philippians 1:6 

 

Have you ever felt as though God had brought you to a certain point and then left you there?  Have you ever felt as though God had forgotten where He put you?  Have you ever gotten impatient with God's timing and tried to do it yourself?  How did that go?

 

Remember Abraham?  God had promised that he would have descendants that would out number the sands of the sea shore and the stars of the heavens.  Abraham was getting on up in years and still the promise had not been fulfilled, so at Sarah's urging, Abraham decided he had to make it happen himself and took Hagar (Sarah's servant).  The result was Ishmael.  However, Ishmael was not the promise of God fulfilled, and Abraham had to admit to God that he had gotten impatient.  God DID fulfill His promise in Isaac, but only when God's timing was perfect!

 

There have been times in my life when I have gotten SO impatient and SO frustrated that I decided that God had just dropped me off at some bus stop in the middle of nowhere and forgotten about me.  The fact of the matter was that God had not forgotten me, God waited until everything was in its perfect place before bringing me into the storyline once again.

 

When I tried to "move things along" because I was impatient, things didn't work out the way I imagined they would and I would end up feeling worse than I did by being impatient.  I felt as though I had disappointed God.  Truth be told, God isn't mad at us, but His timing is the only timing that matters.  That's a tough lesson to learn!

 

God has a plan for each of us.  That plan is the perfect plan for us.  God will take His time to make sure everything is perfect.  God NEVER forgets you!  

 

Father,

There are times when we don't understand; There are times when we can't see Your hand moving and we get impatient.  Forgive us for our impatience!  Forgive us for the times we try to do things ourselves.  Help us understand that You love us so much that You want to make sure we will prosper and give You all the praise.

Amen.

What Is Love?

¹⁷ And as we live in God, our love grows more perfect. So we will not be afraid on the day of judgment, but we can face him with confidence because we live like Jesus here in this world.
¹⁸ Such love has no fear, because perfect love expels all fear. If we are afraid, it is for fear of punishment, and this shows that we have not fully experienced his perfect love.
1 John 4:17-18

Let me give you a premise:  "We can only love to the degree that we have been loved."

Now, that might sound a bit bizarre and may be difficult to grasp, until we take a little closer look.  If you are like me, for the longest time I thought that I had to love God in order for Him to love me back.  If I did all the right things then God would love me.  If that were the case, love is a reward...not a free gift.  You see love flows FROM God to us, and as a result, we can love to the degree we are loved (although we tend to limit the love we give).

You see, we need to be reminded that God doesn't need us, and we don't have to do anything to please God.  God loves us SO much (even though the stench of our sin is offensive to Him) He sent the Messiah to save us and cleanse us of the sin stink. There is only one Messiah in the world and we aren't it.  Whatever God is going to do in the world, He will do without our help. God is God and we aren't (and aren't you glad you don't have God's job?).

We must allow God to love us, and love us completely!  As a result, increased faith, compassion and love for others, and an obedient heart will follow...but God's love for you HAS to come first.  You see, it is BECAUSE of God's love for us that we can love each other!  

And remember, God's perfect love drives out fear!  Thus, we can love each other, encourage each other, become part of each other without fear!  Let's love others because God's love has filled us to overflowing FIRST!!!    

Friday Ponderance!

But to all who believed him and accepted him, he gave the right to become children of God.

John 1:12 

And this is something NO ONE can steal from you!!!

Have I Messed Up Too Much?

Today, I'm changing the format of today's devotion.  I know, I know, it's change and "change is bad."  Trust me on this.

Have you ever felt as though you had messed up SO badly that even God couldn't possibly have a plan for your life?  Ever been told that you had offended others so much that even God couldn't undo the offense?  Have you ever TRIED to mess up so badly that you thought God couldn't possibly use you to help anyone? 

I admit it.  I have thought all those things, and even more.  And God has proven me wrong over and over.  Not only has He proven me wrong, but more times than not He has proven it in spite of my situation and in spite of me.

Remember Joseph?  His brothers had sold him into slavery, and Joseph found favor with his new boss, Potiphar, who put him in charge of his household.  Now, that would be a great job for Joseph, but Mrs. Potiphar had other ideas.  She got Joseph in trouble and thrown into prison.  Joseph spent a long time in prison and all the while, God was orchestrating EVERYTHING to bring His plan for Joseph to fruition.  Finally, Joseph found favor with Pharoah and was put in charge of the entire land of Egypt second only to Pharoah.  Now Joseph's brothers had come to Egypt to by food due to a famine and there they encountered Joseph.  Long story short, Joseph told his brothers "You meant me harm, BUT God intended it for a good purpose, so He could preserve the lives of many people, as you can see this day" (Genesis 50:20).

Now, Joseph could have told his brothers, "I'm offended by what you did to me and what you said about me. So I'm going to tell my boss and let him deal with you."  But what good would that have done?  We get offended far too easily by far too much.  If we stop for a moment and ask, what GOOD does my hurt feelings do? We would probably realize it would do more GOOD if we decided to seek God's plan for our life FIRST.  Consider this: "Nothing can stop God's plans for your life" - Isaiah 14:22.  Did you catch that?  NOTHING can stop God's plans!  So we have a choice, rejoice that God's plans are unfolding or we can pout, either way God's plans will arrive with or without our approval.

Let me tell you something that I am still learning...I may THINK I have messed up so badly that even God can't turn it around into something good, BUT the truth is I'm not that powerful enough to thwart God's plans.  You see, God takes all the pieces of our broken lives, our screw-ups, the times we try to force our plans on Him, the times when we fell face first in the muck, the times that we thought we were so very important, and He uses them to shape His masterpiece for us.  This is why the Apostle Paul reminds us, "And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them" - Romans 8:28.  

God is God and we are not!  And aren't you glad.