Musings from My Sun Porch

Tag: christianity

  • Lessons from the Gospel of Luke: Faith in Action

    Read Luke 9:46 – 62

    Last week we considered a few of the questions raised in Chapter 9 of Luke’s Gospel. As we look at the remainder of the chapter, Jesus’ disciples find themselves entrenched in sins that still plague us today.

    • Pride and ego are sins that most of us battle against regularly.  While it’s somewhat comforting to know we are no different from the Apostles, it is still sobering to be reminded that to Jesus, “greatness” is very different than the world’s perception.  As the men argued among themselves about who was the “greatest”, Jesus said it was simple: “For he who is least among you all—he is the greatest” (Luke 9:48b, NIV84). While the world focuses on us and challenges us to be the best and brightest, Jesus says to focus on Him by developing faith like a child.
    • Later, when a Samaritan village refused to welcome Jesus and His team, James and John wanted to call down fire on them, which may be why they were called “Sons of Thunder” (Mark 3:17). Their reaction to the rejection by the village was not so different from how many of us react when we are rejected; we want revenge.  Yet, Jesus rebuked the disciples, not the village.  Perhaps it was because His disciples, like us, should know better, while that village had not yet had the opportunity to know the Lord.  As Christians, our behavior should look different from the world’s behavior.
    • Finally, Jesus concludes this chapter by reminding us to count the cost of following Him—a topic He would raise on several occasions. His answers to the men who offered to follow Him indicate that following Him will not be easy, and that He must be our only priority.

    Following Jesus requires a choice.  Will we live as citizens of this world, with its sinful desires and focus on what this world can offer, or will we make Him the center of our lives, striving to live as one “…fit for the kingdom of God”? (Luke 9:62b, NIV84). That’s a question each of us must answer for ourselves!

  • Lessons from the Gospel of Luke: Faith in Action

    Read Luke 8 Again

    In the first 15 verses of chapter 8, Jesus tells us that the hearer’s responsibility is to accept the message and make Jesus the Lord of their life.  However, that does not mean that the Gospel messengers are free of responsibility once the message is presented.

    In the remaining verses of this chapter, He clarifies several of our responsibilities as messengers.

    • No one hides a lamp under their bed.  Jesus is the light of the world, and we are responsible for ensuring that He is not hidden from the rest of the world (Luke 8:16).
    • As we “listen” to God’s Word and come to know Christ better, our responsibility to share Him with others also increases (Luke 8:18).
    • The Kingdom of God is more important than everything—including our families (Luke 8:19 – 21).
    • Trust the One who “… commands even the winds and the water, and they obey him” (Luke 8:25b NIV84). Don’t give Him reason to ask, “Where is your faith?” (Luke 8:25a, NIV84).
    • Be prepared to “… tell how much God has done for you” (Luke 8:39a, NIV84). Your personal testimony is one of your most powerful tools for sharing the Gospel message.
    • “Don’t be afraid; just believe…” (Luke 8:50b, NIV84). If Christ is our Savior, then He is also our Rock and our Refuge.  We have nothing to fear!

    Accepting Christ as Lord and Savior requires both the messenger and the hearer.  We each begin as the hearer, but if we truly follow Him, we will become the messenger.  Our journey with Christ is a process of growth, as we learn to share His message and trust Him more.

  • The Remedy for an Out-of-Control Life

    “My life is out of control!”  How many times have you said those words or at least thought them?  I’ve had many of those days throughout my life, and even now, being retired is not without its challenges.  There are always the routines of life, such as doing laundry, cleaning house, and putting food on the table.  Those things alone can be exhausting, but when we add family activities, Bible studies, and serving opportunities, our lives seem out of control. 

    Jesus’ disciples felt that same kind of stress. “The apostles gathered around Jesus and reported to him all they had done and taught.  Then, because so many people were coming and going that they did not even have a chance to eat…” (Mark 6:30 – 31a NIV84). Did you catch that?  Their lives were so out of control that they didn’t even have time to eat!  Fortunately, Christ had the solution. “…he said to them, ‘Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest.’ So they went away by themselves in a boat to a solitary place” (Mark 6:31b – 32 NIV84).

    Out-of-control lives are often the norm in our fast-paced world.  The question is, how will we handle the stress that life brings?  Unfortunately, our sinful nature often evokes grumbling and complaining, just as the Israelites did in the desert (Numbers 14:26, 27), or we might throw a “pity party” as Elijah did (I Kings 19:1 – 4). However, Christ reminds us that there is a better solution.

    First and foremost, we must make time to spend with our Savior.  Even Jesus sought time with His Heavenly Father (Mark 1:35).  How much more important is it for us to spend time with our Father? The Scripture reminds us that “He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak… those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint” (Isaiah 40:29, 31 NIV84).  Time with Jesus renews us.

    In addition to our quiet time with our Savior, we also need rest.  Jesus called the disciples to a quiet place to get some rest. God set the pattern when He rested on the seventh day of His creation (Genesis 2:2).  Throughout Scripture, He emphasized the need for rest.  The Sabbath, while primarily a day of worship, was also a day of rest.  He ordered the Israelites to give the land a year of rest (Leviticus 25:5), and He promised to give them rest (Exodus 33:14).  Jesus renewed that promise in Matthew 11:28. “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest” (NIV84).

    The next time you feel the walls closing in or your life spinning out of control, spend some time with your Savior and give your body some much-needed rest.  The Master will help you put things back in perspective.

    Mark 6:30 – 32; Matthew 11:28 – 30

  • The Faithfulness of God

    We often talk about our faith, the trust we have in our God and Savior.  We remember the faith of those who have gone before us and those who have instilled that same faith in us.  Faith and faithfulness are key attributes of our life in Christ.  However, we sometimes overlook our Father’s faithfulness.  We serve a faithful God!

    “Because of the Lord’s great love, we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail.  They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness” (Lamentations 3:22, 23 NIV84).

    “O Lord, you are my God; I will exalt you and praise your name, for in perfect faithfulness you have done marvelous things, things planned long ago” (Isaiah 25:1 NIV84).

    “For the word of the Lord is right and true; he is faithful in all he does” (Psalm 33:4 NIV84).

    “But the Lord is faithful, and he will strengthen and protect you from the evil one” (II Thessalonians 3:3 NIV84).

    “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness” (I John 1:9 NIV84).

    “If we are faithless, he will remain faithful, for he cannot disown himself” (II Timothy 2:13 NIV84).

    “Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful” (Hebrews 10:23 NIV84).

    “God, who has called you into fellowship with his Son Jesus Christ our Lord, is faithful (I Corinthians 1:9 NIV84).

    I can testify that my God is faithful.  He has walked with me through some of the most difficult challenges of my life.  Not only did He bring me through those trials, but He made me stronger in my faith and in my faithfulness to Him.  We can depend on His presence in our lives.  We can trust His promises.  We can be assured that the hope we have in Him is real.  He is faithful! The only question is: will we be faithful to Him?

  • Continuing the Battle for Christ – Week 9

    How should we respond to persecution?

    I recently heard a speaker ask this question: “What if Joseph had been released from Pharaoh’s prison? What if he wasn’t there when Pharaoh had a dream that needed interpretation?” (Genesis 39:1 – 41:41).

    That same thought applies to our persecuted brothers and sisters.  “… he determined the times set for them and the exact places where they should live” (Acts 17:26b NIV84). God has them there for a reason.  Those who are persecuted are in unique positions to witness for Christ, often to those who have never heard the name of Jesus.  Pray that they will be bold in their witness so that many of their persecutors may be won to Christ!     

    How should we pray for the lost?

    “In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness.  We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express” (Romans 8:26 NIV84).

    Too often, we don’t know how or what to pray for those we love who are lost.  Remember that the Holy Spirit can intercede on their behalf.  Ask Him to show you how and when to speak Truth, and to soften the hearts and open the ears of those who need to hear and accept the Truth.

    Leadership Prayer Focus This Week: State Senators

    “Everyone must submit himself to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established.  The authorities that exist have been established by God” (Romans 13:1 NIV84).

    Together with the State Representatives, our State Senators govern the State.  They enact laws, create state budgets, and have the power of veto over the Governor’s actions.

    Pray that: They will recognize that they serve at God’s pleasure, not their own.

    They will turn away from political expediency and instead determine what is best for all their constituents.

    They will be fiscally responsible.

    They will serve with honesty and integrity.

    For all our leaders, pray that if they do not already know Christ, they will accept Him as Lord.  For those who do know Christ, pray that they will stand firm on His Truth and His Word, never compromising it or minimizing it.

    “Pray continuously” (I Thessalonians 5:17 NIV84)

  • One Door

    A new grocery store recently opened in my neighborhood.  I’ve been told that it’s the largest of its kind in the United States.  I can’t confirm that, but I do know that you can easily get your steps in if you try walking up and down every aisle in the store.

     This morning, as I was checking out, a lady who had checked out before me stopped in the aisle, looking both left and right, obviously confused.  Finally, she said to the cashier, “Where is the door?”  At first, that sounds like a stupid question, but because this store is laid out differently than most, it wasn’t stupid at all.  Most stores of this kind have two doors.  One leads to one side of the store, and the other is at the exact opposite side of the store.  This new grocery store has two doors, but they both lead to the same area of the store, effectively creating one door.  Thus, the cashier’s response to the lady’s question was, “It’s that way,” pointing in the direction of the door, and then adding, “There’s only one door.” Confusing though that might be, it was accurate.  There is only one way in and out of that store

     As I thought about that this afternoon, I thought, “That’s just like heaven.”  With all the religions in the world today, we get overwhelmed with all the different ideas of how we might get to heaven. Some people believe they can reach heaven by being good.  The only problem is that no one is good.  The Scripture tells us clearly that “…all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23 NIV84).

     Some religions think that they must make great sacrifices to appease their gods.  However, Christianity is the only religion where God sacrificed Himself for His people.  Others believe that they will be reincarnated as a different person, based on how they lived their life. 

    Unfortunately for all these misguided souls, they are all wrong. The truth is that there is only one door to eternal life, and that door is Christ!  Jesus said, “I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved” (John 10:9a NIV84).  Later, He also said, “I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life. No man comes to the Father except through me” (John 14:6 NIV84).  Jesus is preparing a place for His people, and He welcomes all who believe. 

    Like the grocery store that only has one door, heaven only has one door.  Jesus is that door, and He anxiously waits to invite each of us to walk through.  All He asks is that we believe that He is the Son of God and our Savior.  It doesn’t get much easier than that.

    John 3:16

    John 10:9

    John 14:6