**Are You Ready?
Note from Jesus Dear Beloved, Are you ready? That’s a question that could be asked about so many things that are a normal part of life — things like marriage, children, illness, moving, job change, or death. But what about even bigger things? Are you ready for those things? Some folks can’t think of anything bigger than the first list. However, there are bigger and more important things — things like following Me, recognizing the presence of the kingdom of God, and preparing for My return as the victorious Son of Man. I want you to be ready for the things in both lists. However, the verses we focus on today center on the more important second list. As I approached Jerusalem for My last visit before the cross, there was speculation about the kingdom of God coming. People were wondering if I was going to seize control politically and militarily. Some were hoping that I would use My power to restore the greatness of Israel as a nation. Notice how Luke describes it: The crowd was listening to everything Jesus said. And because he was nearing Jerusalem, he told them a story to correct the impression that the kingdom of God would begin right away. (Luke 19:11 NLT) The power and character of the kingdom of God were already present and visible in the lives of My disciples. They had yielded their hearts to My Lordship and had submitted to My reign as Lord over their lives. This reign was displayed in the spiritual family they formed after Pentecost and the character and compassion with which they lived (Acts 2:42-47). Read the verses below carefully. The coming of the kingdom of God is more than just My return as the glorious Son of Man from heaven (Daniel 7:13-14). Notice what I taught My disciples to pray: Your prayers, rather, should be simple, like this: Our Father in heaven, let Your name remain holy. Bring about Your kingdom. Manifest Your will here on earth, as it is manifest in heaven. (Matthew 6:9-10) It is important for you to realize that the manner of writing and speaking at that time meant that “Manifest Your will…” was a restatement of “Bring about Your kingdom.” That kingdom has already arrived among you as you live for Me and as you live My lifestyle in the world. Yet there is still My coming with power and glory in the kingdom at the end of time. As long as you are on earth, there will always be glimpses of the Father’s kingdom breaking through, and yet the full dawning of that kingdom will be still ahead. Here are some basic things about My coming in power at the end of time: Before My great coming as the victorious Son of Man, I had to suffer and be crucified. There will be no doubt when I come as the victorious Son of Man and no doubt that I have come: My coming will be visible and recognizable to everyone! At My coming, people will be carrying on life normally as they always have done — marrying, eating and drinking, doing business, farming, building, etc. The day I come as the victorious Son of Man will come suddenly, and so you must always be ready for it. When I come as the glorious Son of Man, I will raise and bring eternal life to those who have died but belong to Me, also bring eternal life to those who are still alive and belong to Me, and take them all to share in My glory. My plea to you, today, contains two challenges: Yearn, pray, and live to see the reign of My kingdom take hold in your life. Be ready for My ultimate return — live as if it could occur at any moment because it could! Verses to Live Notice how carefully and firmly I move from the Pharisees’ question about the coming of My kingdom to talking about My coming again in glory as the Son of Man. Both are important, but the two shouldn’t be confused. The coming of My kingdom has arrived and should be present among you as you live with My character and compassion. My return to earth as the glorious and powerful Son of Man lies in the future, but you must always be ready for it to happen. Some Pharisees asked Jesus when the kingdom of God would come. Jesus: The kingdom of God comes — but not with signs that you can observe. People are not going to say, “Look! Here it is!” They’re not going to say, “Look! It’s over there!” You want to see the kingdom of God? The kingdom of God is already here among you. Jesus (to His disciples): Days are coming when you will wish you could see just one of the days of the Son of Man, but you won’t see it. People will say, “Look, it’s there!” or “Look! It’s here!” Don’t even bother looking. Don’t follow their lead. You know how lightning flashes across the sky, bringing light from one horizon to the other. That’s how the Son of Man will be when His time comes. But first, He must face many sufferings. He must be rejected by this generation. The days of the Son of Man will be like the days of Noah. People were eating, drinking, marrying, and being given in marriage. Everything seemed completely normal until the day Noah entered the ark. Then it started raining, and soon they were all destroyed by the flood. It was just the same in the days of Lot. People were eating, drinking, buying, selling, planting, building, and carrying on business as usual. But then came the day when Lot left Sodom — a different kind of rain began to fall, and they were all destroyed by fire and sulfur falling from the sky. That’s how it will be on the day when the Son of Man is revealed.
Today’s Verse – Romans 3:21-22
But now a righteousness from God, apart from law, has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify. This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. —Romans 3:21-22 Thoughts on Today’s Verse… The Old Testament — the Tanakh — looks forward to a new time when law is not the basis of righteousness. The Law and Prophets testify to this time. This righteousness comes from God, which God gave us based on the sacrificial work of Jesus, who liberated us from law and brought us God’s grace. The real issue for us is genuine trust — many today confuse believing with simply thinking something in our heads. However, the Bible defines belief as something that involves our heart’s faith in Jesus, demonstrated by our obedient behavior to the LORD Jesus’ example and teachings (Matthew 7:13-27). So, what is the basis on which you are building your life today? What is the measure of your righteousness? On what is your security tied? Thank God we can trust our life, future, and salvation to Jesus Christ and not law-keeping. As the apostle Paul said: God made [Christ Jesus] who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God (2 Corinthians 5:21). My Prayer… Precious Father, thank you so much for providing me with a Savior in Jesus. Thank you for declaring me righteous through his sacrifice on the cross and my faith in him. Please help me as I entrust my life and salvation to Jesus so that I can exemplify his life and character by how I live. In Jesus’ holy name, I pray. Amen. All scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION. © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House.
Seekers, Sinners, and Savior
Note from Jesus Dear Friend, You are most likely seeking to be one of My disciples or you wouldn’t be reading this. Or you already are a part of My family. Then you are an insider — one of My followers and someone who is religious, in the best sense of that word. So I want to challenge you to listen to the two stories Luke gives you in the verses below. Realize that these stories are intended to speak to you, as My disciple. They are reminders of how you are to treat people who are seeking to get close to Me. Notice several things about these two events! At first glance, these situations are very different from one another. One man is blind and has to beg for just enough money to survive. The other man, Zaccheus, is a tax collector and is rich; he lacks nothing financially. However, when you look more closely at the two events, you find that these two men have a number of things in common. They both live on the margins of society — the first as a beggar and the second as someone considered by the people as a “notorious sinner”! Neither can see Me — one because of blindness and the other because he is too short to see over the crowd. Both are determined to get close to Me. The blind man shouts and begs for mercy. The tax collector climbs a tree to see over the crowd. Both show humility in My presence. The blind man begs for mercy. Zaccheus humbles himself by pointing out that he gives his money to help the poor and will pay restitution for whatever he has done wrong. Both receive what they need from Me. The blind man receives his sight and praises God. The tax collector receives salvation (“liberation”). Now notice one other disturbing parallel between these two people. Folks around Me try to get in the way of each of these men. They try to keep them from connecting with Me. The blind man is given a “reprimand” from the people in the crowd. I am criticized by the crowd around Me for going to be “the houseguest of this fellow [Zaccheus] who is a notorious sinner.” Have you ever thought about why many religious people act so differently to broken and sinful people than I did? Have you ever wondered why broken and sinful people longed to be around Me, but now they mostly avoid those in your world who claim to follow Me? Don’t you feel sad, even angry, when you see people who deeply need My help yet they are told to shut up — or made to feel that they are not good enough to be in My presence because of their lifestyle? But these people know they desperately need My love, My acceptance, and My grace! Don’t skip over the preceding questions too quickly. Go back and read them again. Think about the implication of what those questions mean for you and the religion you pursue. Be troubled by those questions! Also, contemplate the following questions: Why would Luke tell these stories? Why would he put them back-to-back? Now notice what I told My disciples that My mission was: I came “to seek and to liberate the lost.” If you are My disciple, and your goal is to become like Me, then what does that say about your mission and the people you must welcome and serve? The religious crowd didn’t understand Me. They criticized Me for the questionable people whom I helped and with whom I shared meals. What does that say about what some folks — even religious folks who claim to follow Me — will say about you as you emulate My interaction with others who do not seem so religious? Rather than hiding from the broken and lost sinners of the world, shouldn’t you be out there among them helping them find their way to Me? Verses to Live So how are you going to be like Me in your daily life? What will need to change? How will you have to connect to people differently? What criticism must you be willing to receive? Who are people around you that are wanting to draw near to Me and need your help in getting closer to Me? I hope you will think about these questions as you read these two very important and interconnected stories from My ministry! Picture this: Jesus is nearing the city of Jericho. A blind man is sitting there, begging by the roadside. He can hear the sounds of the crowd accompanying Jesus, and he asks what’s going on. Crowd: Jesus of Nazareth is passing this way. Then the man starts shouting. Blind Man: Jesus, Son of King David, show mercy to me! The people in the front of the crowd reprimand him and tell him to be quiet, but he just shouts louder. Blind Man: Son of King David, show mercy to me! Jesus stops and tells the people to bring the man over to Him. The man stands in front of Jesus. Jesus: What do you want Me to do for you? Blind Man: Lord, let me receive my sight. Jesus: Receive your sight; your faith has made you well. At that very instant, the man is able to see. He begins following Jesus, shouting praises to God; and everyone in the crowd, when they see what has happened, starts praising God too. Jesus enters Jericho and seems only to be passing through. Living in Jericho is a man named Zaccheus. He’s the head tax collector and is very rich. He is also very short. He wants to see Jesus as He passes through the center of town, but he can’t get a glimpse because the crowd blocks his view. So he runs ahead of the crowd and climbs up into a sycamore tree so he can see Jesus when He passes beneath him. Jesus
Today’s Verse – Ephesians 3:20-21
Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen. —Ephesians 3:20-21 Thoughts on Today’s Verse… We have far greater power than we often realize. That incredible power is at work within us (Ephesians 1:18-19). This promise of power, however, is tied to two opportunities God gives us daily: Ask God to do great things based on a Spirit-charged imagination. Intentionally live to bring God glory each day. So, let’s ask, imagine, and give God glory. Let’s praise him for what he is doing in our lives. Let’s imagine great things he can do in us, with us, and through us, while expecting him to do far greater things than we ask or even imagine! My Prayer… Dear Father in Heaven, forgive me for limiting your power through my pedestrian dreams, selfish prayers, and short-sighted goals. Awaken my heart to your will and open my eyes to your plans by the power of your Holy Spirit. I ask this in Jesus’ name and for your glory. Amen. All scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION. © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House.
Unable to Comprehend
Note from Jesus Dear Child of God, Sometimes the truth is simply hard to comprehend. I’m not talking about a truth that is intellectually tough to comprehend. Instead, I’m speaking about a truth that is hard to comprehend emotionally. This kind of truth is out of phase with what the world expects and understands. On My way to the cross, I hinted, I taught, and I repeatedly made plain statements about My passion in Jerusalem. Nevertheless, this truth was hidden from My disciples. To put it bluntly, these facts were too gruesome for My disciples to imagine. It was too horrible for them to comprehend. They had seen Me restore sight to the blind. They had witnessed Me raise the dead back to life. They had watched as I restored to health those with leprosy. They viewed My work in amazement as I enabled the lame to walk. They marveled when I freed demon-possessed people. They were humbled when I stilled the storm with its wild winds and raging seas. They picked up twelve baskets of leftovers when I fed the multitude with a small amount of food. They joined in the joy as I tenderly restored broken folks to their families, to robust health, or to a productive place in society. How could their Lord, the Savior, someone with such power, have to face such a grotesque and humiliating death? They couldn’t understand the truth about My upcoming crucifixion because there was simply no place in their thinking for it. Their Messiah should never have to endure such things. Yet the great prophet Isaiah had spoken about Me as the Servant of the Lord — the great suffering Servant. This description was the great window of the prophets to the truth I was about to embrace. Below, I want you to read about My disciples’ inability to grasp My journey to the cross and to the resurrection. Then I want you to read one of Isaiah’s famous servant songs about My suffering. I want you to realize that there will always be mysteries for you to uncover about Me. These are experiential mysteries for you yet to discover about My identity. You will come to understand some truths about Me because your life experiences and your time in the Scriptures intersect. In that intersection, you are suddenly able to unwrap new, deep, and powerful truths about Me that were hidden from you. Following Me brings a lifetime of discovery! Verses to Live Remember, My disciples would have quoted the servant songs from Isaiah as part of their earlier training in the synagogue. However, until the cross and My resurrection, they did not put those songs together with My ministry as Messiah. When they did put them together, what a powerful testimony they had to others. My story was written into the DNA of Scripture hundreds of years before I lived, yet only fully appreciated after My resurrection! He [Jesus] took the twelve aside and spoke privately to them. Jesus: Look, my friends, we are going up to Jerusalem. Everything the prophets have written about the Son of Man will be fulfilled. He will be handed over to the outsiders. They will mock Him, disgrace Him, and spit on Him; they will scourge Him, and they will kill Him. And on the third day, He will rise from death. But they had no comprehension of what He was talking about. The meaning was hidden from them, and they couldn’t grasp it. (Luke 18:31-34) Who has believed our message and to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed? He grew up before him like a tender shoot, and like a root out of dry ground. He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him, nothing in his appearance that we should desire him. He was despised and rejected by mankind, a man of suffering, and familiar with pain. Like one from whom people hide their faces he was despised, and we held him in low esteem. Surely he took up our pain and bore our suffering, yet we considered him punished by God, stricken by him, and afflicted. But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed. We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to our own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all. He was oppressed and afflicted, yet he did not open his mouth; he was led like a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before its shearers is silent, so he did not open his mouth. By oppression and judgment he was taken away. Yet who of his generation protested? For he was cut off from the land of the living; for the transgression of my people he was punished. He was assigned a grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death, though he had done no violence, nor was any deceit in his mouth. Yet it was the Lord’s will to crush him and cause him to suffer, and though the Lord makes his life an offering for sin, he will see his offspring and prolong his days, and the will of the Lord will prosper in his hand. After he has suffered, he will see the light of life and be satisfied; by his knowledge my righteous servant will justify many, and he will bear their iniquities. Therefore I will give him a portion among the great, and he will divide the spoils with the strong, because he poured out his life unto death, and was numbered with the transgressors. For he bore the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors. (Isaiah 53:1-12 NIV) Response in Prayer O Father, open my eyes so that I can clearly see Jesus. I ask for the help of the Holy Spirit to remove what is hidden
Today’s Verse – Acts 3:19-20
Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord, and that he may send the Christ, who he has appointed for you — even Jesus. —Acts 3:19-20 Thoughts on Today’s Verse… When did you last catch yourself straying from a passionate walk with the LORD? Refreshing times come when we change our hearts and lives to turn our hearts toward Jesus and live for God in our daily lives! This is real repentance. When we repent and live for him, Jesus promised to reveal himself to us and make his home in us (John 14:15-21, 23-24). When we turn our hearts and lives around in repentance to live for him, we enjoy forgiveness and immediate refreshment now as we look forward to going home to be with him and enjoy our ultimate refreshment with him forever. My Prayer… Abba Father, I am consciously turning my life over to you today. I renounce the sin in my life and yearn to live for you. I ask for your forgiveness for any sin that I have committed. I trust you will refresh my spirit through a deeper awareness of Jesus’ lordship and presence in my life today. I pray this, trusting in your promised refreshment and presence. Amen. All scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION. © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House.
As a Child!
Note from Jesus Dear Precious One, When you read the verses below, I want you to notice My interactions with My disciples regarding a rich public official who turned away from following Me. I challenged My disciples to think through his rejection of My call and focus their attention on those who are worthy of their emulation: Don’t you realize — the kingdom of God belongs to those who are like children? You can depend on this: if you don’t receive the Kingdom as a child would, you won’t enter it at all. Religion gets far off track when the focus becomes a question of who is most important, most religious, and most deserving of the Father’s love. I came to you as God. The rich public official in the story below missed this truth. He called Me “good” and only God is truly good. So I challenged him to listen to Me as God. I told him that he needed to drop his religious game of trying to earn the Father’s love. He needed to quit trying to outdo all the others around him in his religious practices. He needed to look deep into his own heart and see that there was an idol he held as more important than obeying the voice of the Father. However, he dismissed what I said. He refused to give up his idol — his great wealth — for two reasons: He didn’t think of Me as God. He dismissed what I said as just more religious teaching. He didn’t accept what I said as the very commands of God. He was rich and his idol — his real god — was his money. Unfortunately, he thought he could earn the Father’s favor just like he had earned his money. Sadly, he walked away from Me and from the joy of My kingdom because he couldn’t give up what was false. Just before the description of this rich public official’s visit with Me, you meet children who are the model for the kind of heart that receives My kingdom. Just after this official, you meet My disciples. In childlike amazement, they wonder how anyone can be saved if someone who has lived a good life, like this rich public official, couldn’t find his way into My kingdom. I reminded them that they were thinking in human terms. And in human terms, it is impossible. But We — Father, Son, and Spirit — make the impossible possible. All that My disciples had to do was look at themselves and what they had given up. You see, nothing is impossible for the heart totally yielded to Me. You cannot give up more for Me than you will receive many times over in the age to come (Matthew 19:29). However — and this is a huge “however” — you have to be willing to follow Me as a child. So come, dear precious one, and follow Me! Verses to Live During My time on earth, children were not an important part of society. They were trained, loved, nurtured, and apprenticed at home. They were not important in adult society. For Me to hold them up as a good example of a disciple was shocking. To elevate children above a rich, devoted-to-the-law public official was shocking. Sometimes, My precious one, shocking is good. Listen with your heart. Invite the Holy Spirit to attach these words to your soul. I AM the good teacher. I AM God among you. I AM the One teaching the eternal truth. You either renounce all of your idols and follow Me as a child, or you walk away from Me with a sad heart. If you leave, you forfeit your hope of enjoying My kingdom. Some people brought infants to Jesus, hoping He would touch them to bless them. The disciples rebuked them for doing this. However, Jesus reacted strongly to their rebuke. Jesus: Let the little children come to Me. Never hinder them! Don’t you realize — the kingdom of God belongs to those who are like children? You can depend on this: if you don’t receive the Kingdom as a child would, you won’t enter it at all. Public Official: Good Teacher, what do I need to do to inherit the life of the age to come? Jesus: Why did you just call Me good? No one is good but God — only God. You know what the Hebrew Scriptures command: “Do not commit adultery; do not murder; do not steal; do not bear false witness; honor your father and mother.” Public Official: I’ve already been doing these things — since I came of age. Jesus: One thing you still lack — one thing; sell all your possessions and distribute the proceeds to the poor. Then you will have treasure in heaven. Then you can come and follow Me. The man heard these words and sadness came over his face, for his wealth was considerable. Jesus: What a hard thing it is for those with much wealth to enter the kingdom of God! In fact, it would be easier for a camel to squeeze through the eye of a needle than it would be for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God! Listeners: Then who can be liberated? Jesus: Remember, what is humanly impossible is possible with God. Peter: We have left our homes and followed You. Jesus: I’m telling you the truth: there is nobody who leaves his house or wife or siblings or parents or children for the sake of the kingdom of God who will not receive more than he has given up — much more — in this age and in the age to come. He will receive eternal life. (Luke 18:15-30) Response in Prayer Father in heaven, I thank You for Jesus being among us in His earthly ministry as Immanuel — God with us. I confess that I sometimes try to win Your approval by compiling a list of things I
Today’s Verse – 2 Corinthians 3:18
And we, who with unveiled faces all [contemplate and] reflect the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit. —2 Corinthians 3:18 Thoughts on Today’s Verse… “Transformed … with ever-increasing glory.” In other words, it’s an ongoing process. The beauty of this truth is that with the continual help of the Holy Spirit, we’re going to arrive at our goal — the Spirit is transforming us to become more and more like Jesus! The message is that we must not give up on our journey. We must keep looking to Jesus and reflecting his character, his compassion, his love, and his holiness, while we trust that the Holy Spirit is doing God’s work in us, making us more and more like Jesus each day. My Prayer… Father, please forgive me for the times when I’ve let my faith grow complacent, and I’ve lost my focus on Jesus. Please bless me as I try to be more intentional in my plans, especially my spiritual maturity. Please make me more like Jesus each day. I offer myself to you that I might become more JESUShaped. In his name, I pray. Amen. All scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION. © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House.
Questions Out of Focus
Note from Jesus Dear Believer, Have you noticed how people sometimes ask the wrong questions? Those questions reveal their assumptions about reality and their place in it. Religious people are not immune to asking the wrong questions. The two parables that I told in the verses below challenge you to think about the assumptions that lie behind your questions. In the first parable, the implied question of My people is this: “Will God hear my prayers and answer my repeated pleas to bring justice and deliverance for us, His people?” My response is the parable of the persistent widow and the unjust judge. In story form, My answer is clear. An unjust judge can be swayed by a powerless widow who will not give up asking him for help. Surely you know that your loving Father in heaven will hear you. He will lovingly hear your earnest and repeated prayers and answer according to His gracious purposes for you. That answer will not be haphazard; it will come at the best possible time for your wellbeing and for the wellbeing of the fallen universe in bondage to decay. However, I want to remind you of an even more important question: “[W]hen the Son of Man comes, will He find anyone who still has faith?” That Son of Man is Me! You must live for Me with urgency anticipating My coming at any moment. You need to be full of anticipation regardless of how it seems your prayers are heard. The Father hears and cares about your hurt. He cares about the delay you feel in His response to your prayers. So please, be patient and faithful, knowing that I AM near. In the second parable, the self-righteous man’s implied question is this: “How can I display to others that I am a person of righteousness and honor when I go to pray in the Temple?” My answer is this: The Father doesn’t want you to try to make yourself look honorable and righteous to others when you worship Him or try to honor Him. Instead, the Father wants you to focus on a question of deeper significance about His love for you: “O Father, how can You be so gracious as to forgive me and to be merciful to me, a sinner?” Going home having been made righteous by the Father is much more important than appearing righteous. Your questions, even when they are legitimate, often have their focus on you and your circumstances. Shouldn’t your questions focus on the Father’s faithfulness, mercy, and grace? Shouldn’t your questions focus on how blessed you are because the Father has chosen you to share in His grace? Shouldn’t your perspective include the needs of the lost around you? Shouldn’t your questions show amazement at the Father’s great love for you even when you were a rebellious sinner and so prone to abandoning your faith? Verses to Live Please remember two things as you read the following verses: First, at the heart of sin, is an “I” problem. People focus too much on themselves! Even when times are hard and persecution becomes increasingly dangerous, don’t give up and don’t lose heart. Be like the persistent widow in My parable. The Father is listening and will answer you! Second, God’s faithfulness, mercy, love, and grace are reliable. You can trust in them because you trust in Him! He [Jesus] told them a parable, urging them to keep praying and never grow discouraged. The parable went like this: Jesus: There was a judge living in a certain city. He showed no respect for God or humanity. In that same city there was a widow. Again and again she kept coming to him seeking justice: “Clear my name from my adversary’s false accusations!” He paid no attention to her request for a while, but then he said to himself, “I don’t care about what God thinks of me, much less what any mere human thinks. But this widow is driving me crazy. She’s never going to quit coming to see me unless I hear her case and provide her legal protection.” Did you catch what this self-assured judge said? If he can be moved to act justly, won’t God bring justice for His chosen people when they cry to Him day and night? Will He be slow to bring them justice? Mark My words: God will intervene fast with vindication. But here’s the question: when the Son of Man comes, will He find anyone who still has faith? He told another parable — this one addressed to people who were confident in their self-righteousness and looked down on other people with disgust. Jesus: Imagine two men walking up a road, going to the temple to pray. One of them is a Pharisee and the other is a despised tax collector. Once inside the temple, the Pharisee stands up and prays this prayer in honor of himself: “God, how I thank You that I am not on the same level as other people — crooks, cheaters, the sexually immoral — like this tax collector over here. Just look at me! I fast not once but twice a week, and I faithfully pay my tithes on every penny of income.” Over in the corner, the tax collector begins to pray, but he won’t even lift his eyes to heaven. He pounds on his chest in sorrow and says, “God, be merciful to me, a sinner!” Now imagine these two men walking back down the road to their homes. Listen, it’s the tax collector who walks home clean before God, and not the Pharisee, because whoever lifts himself up will be put down and whoever takes a humble place will be lifted up. (Luke 18:1-14) Response in Prayer Almighty God, I confess that I sometimes place myself at the center of my spiritual universe and do not consider the long-term implications of my influence. Forgive me for my impertinence in prayer and the selfishness sometimes found in my
Today’s Verse – Philippians 3:17
Join with others in following my example, brothers, and take note of those who live according to the pattern we gave you. —Philippians 3:17 Thoughts on Today’s Verse… Some critics of preaching and preachers say, “I would rather see a sermon any day than hear one.” I’m not distressed because people want to “see a sermon.” The life of those preaching should be consistent with what they preach. Some don’t “practice what they preach,” and their hypocrisy discredits the message of Christ in the ears of our critics. A leader’s primary tool of influence is a life of faithfulness, character, and compassion. Whether the leader serves in politics, business, church, or family, godly influence is necessary! All who seek to influence others toward JESUShaped living MUST practice what we preach. Why? Because most folks need to both hear and see the message before it becomes a part of their daily lifestyle. My Prayer… LORD God Almighty, please forgive me, equip me, and make me fit for your service. Please help me, dear Father, as I try to live a life worth imitating as I seek to lead others to Jesus and JESUShaped living. I ask for the Holy Spirit’s guidance and strength because I cannot lead with faithfulness, character, and compassion without the Spirit’s power and grace transforming my life. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen. All scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION. © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House.