Are You Paying Attention?

The challenge that I gave my congregation yesterday went something like this: “If you fail to pay attention to your choices, your obedience and your gospel, then you are failing to be a Christian.” The fact of the matter is this: when God calls a man or woman to be the person He wants them to be, there is responsibility on the part of that person whom God has called to pay attention to the “product” of the life that is lived.

Let me try and explain it this way: Let’s say I own a business that makes widgets of some kind. Now I want to build this business to become something great so I hire people into my company who do all sorts of things. Some people actually build the widgets, some test the widgets, some prepare the widgets to be shipped, others manage all of the people who do all of this stuff. But each individual, while called to the greater purpose of building widgets, is responsible to produce the product of a widget. If even one of the people in the production line fails to do their job properly, the widget will no longer be the widget that I wanted to be produced.

Now, let’s take this analogy and put it in terms of the church. God is the one who owns the business, and this business is called the church. He is the one building the business and He is the one responsible for the hiring of those who will work in the business. Therefore, He has a reasonable right to expect that those who work with and for Him to hold a certain standard of excellence when doing their work. If we fail to pay attention to the work we are doing, it will not be long until the work fails and becomes less than what it was intended to be.

So, Christian, let me ask you the question: Are you paying attention to the life that you are living? Are you paying attention the gospel that you are proclaiming by your word and your deeds? Are you paying attention to be obedient to the Word of God as it is defined in your life? If not, allow this post to be your wake up call. Because there is no better time than now to get up and to PAY ATTENTION!

Think about that today! And God bless you!

Love That Shows

“If you love me, then you will keep my commandments.” –Jesus

Jesus was very clear in what He expected from His followers. He knew that they would have trouble knowing if they loved Him or not. If most of us are honest, I am sure there are times that we would wonder if we really are following Jesus the way we ought to. Truth of the matter is that it’s hard to know when we’re “doing it right”.

So Jesus tried to make it very plain for us to follow. He said, “If you love me, then you will do what I tell you to do.” Now that is a paraphrase of the words of Scripture, but it means the same thing. An if/then statement says that if the requirements of the “if” side of the equation are met, then the outcomes stated in the “then” statement will also be true.

Here’s an example: “If I step off the edge of a 100 story building, then I will fall to my death.” So what this is saying is that if one steps off a tall enough building (in this case, 100 stories), then they are going to die. Hopefully that clears it up for us enough to understand what Jesus is trying to tell us, His disciples, here.

He is simply saying that if we truly love Him, not just saying that we do, then we will live that out in obeying His commands. This is how we show Jesus we love Him. When we obey, we demonstrate our love for Him.

So what does that mean for us today? I hope that it is obvious, but just in case it isn’t, let me help you with it…demonstrate your love for God today in the way you obey His commands. Is God asking you to forgive? Then forgive! Is God asking you to give up your comforts to go talk to a neighbor who is hurting? Do it! Is God asking you to give up your job and take another one with less hours so that you can spend more time at home with your family? Don’t wait! Do it!

When we obey God, we demonstrate our love for Him…and in so doing, demonstrate to the world around us how much He is Lord of our lives!

Think about that today! And God bless you!

Surrender

Yesterday we talked about Jesus being the Supreme EVERYTHING. And I hope that as you read that post, you found yourself agreeing with what was being said.

Now if you did, there is a natural response that needs to take place. And that response is complete and total surrender. Surrender is not a word that we like to think about in our society. We’re Americans. We do not surrender. We’ve never surrendered in war, and we’re not about to now. We think of ourselves as independent and we don’t need anyone or anything to prop us up.

But if that’s your attitude, can I honestly say this: “You are not living the Christian life that God has called you to live.” The fact of the matter is that the Christian life that God wants us to live is first of all characterized by surrender.

Case Study #1:

Peter, Andrew, James and John were fishermen. That’s how they made the money that they needed to feed their families and build their homes. It was their livelihood. Jesus comes along, and tells them to follow Him because He was going to make them “Fishers of Men”. Now if you’re reading Matthew’s gospel, you’re going to see an interesting word used here. As soon as Jesus calls to them, it says “and immediately they left the boat and their father and followed Him” (emphasis added).

Why is this important? Two reasons. First is that they recognized who Jesus was. This wasn’t the first time these men meet Jesus. In fact, they had been spending time with Jesus for about a year before this. But now, Jesus calls them to follow Him…to be His disciples…and they respond immediately. This shows that they trusted Jesus, to be sure, but it also shows that they were convinced that He was the One who would show them the way to the Kingdom of God.

The second reason this is important is that they left everything to follow Jesus. Notice that they left the boat. This represented their work, their livelihood and their security. It represented all that they had put their faith in up to that point. Now they were going to put their faith in this builder from Nazareth. They also left their father, which represented the surrender of their past. Their families were still important to them (we see this through the gospels as James and John’s mother comes and asks Jesus if they could sit by Him in the Kingdom), but they were not as important to them as following this man they believed was Messiah.

So now the question comes to us. Do we love Jesus, do we trust Jesus, enough to surrender everything to follow after Him. For some of us, we are going to be asked to give of our lives, but others of us need to surrender our hobbies, our comforts, our personal freedoms in order to follow after the King that leads us to triumph. If we are willing…if you are willing…let’s let Him know that we will lay it all on the line to follow after Him.

And we’ll see you on Sunday!

The Shrinking Church

The changing landscape of Christianity in America is creating some alarming statistical anomalies. For example, the numbers of those who would classify themselves as a part of the Christian “religion” continue to grow in America. Many identify as Christians simply due to the fact that they were born and grew up in what has been called a “Christian” nation. But this anomaly is one that simply isn’t true.

Here are some interesting statistics. Nearly nine in ten Americans (88%) actually own a copy of the Scriptures. 80% of people surveyed identify the Bible as sacred literature. However, we continue to see the morality of our culture in rapid decline. Why is this? I believe that it is because while many own a copy of the Scriptures and believe it to be sacred, very few actually read it and even fewer actually follow it.

Here’s the point. Our churches are in decline…there’s no way around that. Oh, your attendance may be up, you may have lots of programs and people are wlaking through your doors day in and day out, but what is the real impact of what you are doing? Are you touching people where they live? Are we really ministering to people where their needs are, or only where we believe them to be?

I want to challenge you today, believer, to pray and ask God these questions: “Lord, how can I make my faith active in my community? How can touch the lives of those around me so that they would be drawn to You? And how can most effectively stand for truth in the midst of a culture bent on crowding You out?”

When we honestly and faithfully answer these questions, we will see that God’s desire for us is more than just calling ourselves “Christian.” He wants to actually be like Christ. No more role-playing, but actual living, breathing, authentic Christianity. And I promise you, that when these things become the common way of thinking within the church, we are going to see God move in mighty ways to bring the lost back to Himself.

I hope you take the time to pray those questions today, and I look forward to seeing you on Sunday!

Something Completely Different—Part 3

Earlier this week, I was thinking about C.S. Lewis and some of his works that have influenced my life in profound ways. Not the least of these works is his 7 volume children’s book series, entitled The Chronicles of Narnia in which children discover an alternate realm that mirrors Biblical truths. The first of these books (and my favorite, I might add) is called The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe.

In this book, a young girl named Lucy stumbles upon Narnia from a magical wardrobe in the home of a professor they have gone to stay with during the Blitz in London in 1940. While there, she meets a fawn (half human, half goat) and befriends him. Going back to the professor’s house, she then tells her two brothers and one sister about the world she found. Not being able to find it themselves, they believe her to be lying.

Later on, however, youngest brother, Edmund stumbles into Narnia as well. While there he meets the White Witch who enchants him with sweets and gets him to promise her that he will bring his brother and two sisters to her when they get back. He then finds Lucy and they return to the professor’s house and Edmund plays as if he’s never been there, but only playing along with Lucy.

To figure this whole thing out, the oldest two children, Peter and Susan, decide to talk to the old professor, who asks them this question: “And your sister, she has a habit of lying?” to which they both reply, “No sir. In fact, quite the opposite. I would think that Ed would be the one to lie more that Lucy.”

The professor then replies, “If you believe your sister to be the more honest of the two, then why are you not believing her?”

“Because it can’t be true,” Susan answers. “I mean, magic, other worlds in the back of a wardrobe? It can’t be true!”

“If your sister is the one who is the most honest, that it must follow that she is the one telling the truth.” The professor’s reply here has much to say to us today. Allow me to reflect on two of them.

The first issue that I want to talk about is integrity. Integrity is the very thing that Edmund had lost and Lucy had gained. How? Simply by being honest in little things. The little things matter greatly in the minds of people when it comes to trust, integrity and believably. Even when the tale is, to our ears, “preposterous,” those with integrity will be believed.

The second is the issue trust. Those who are habitual liars are not to be trusted, but to be shunned. Those who cannot tell the truth are to be cast off, and not listened to. But those who are always faithful, honest, loyal and truthful ought to be followed, listened to and, yes, even obeyed.

There is one who speaks often to our hearts, souls and minds Who has never once lied to us. He is always telling the truth, because He is the Author of Truth. There is one who will never lead us in the wrong direction because He’s been there and knows the way we should be going. That Person is, of course, God Almighty.

So when God tells you something, or asks you to do something, don’t hem and haw…obey…now! He can be trusted, because He has never once lied to you or let you down…AND HE NEVER WILL!

We’ll see you on Sunday!

Submit

We’ve talked about submission a couple of times here on this blog, but as it relates to the wise men of the Christmas account, we see a submission to the authority of God by a group of men who may or may not have been God-fearing people. They knew that something special had taken place when they first saw the star, but what would be the result of that knowledge?

The result was a search that lead them to Jerusalem, and then to Bethlehem where they found a young boy named Jesus and His parents living in a home there. They knew that this boy was someone special, although how special we may not really know. But one thing we do know is that when they were warned in a dream about not going back to Jerusalem, they submitted to that higher authority and went home another way. Was it a more convenient way? We don’t know. We don’t know for sure where they came from, except that it was somewhere east of Israel. We also know that they were learned men who knew what the star meant and then followed it to see what they might find. And what they found changed them.

Their submission is a call for us to submit to the authority that God has on our lives. We have been called to obey God in such a way as to follow His instructions no matter how crazy they may seem to us.

Joshua was the brand new leader of the nation of Israel, and God tells him that in order to defeat the city of Jericho, he must have all of the people march around the walls of the city once a day for six days. Then on the seventh day, they were to march around the city seven times, then shout and the walls would collapse. If I had been Joshua, my response might have been, “Wait, what?” But Joshua had seen Moses’ faith in God and he trusted that God knew what was best. And what happened as a result of his obedience? Exactly what God told him would happen. They took the city of Jericho without lifting a finger. They walked right in, and won the victory.

Sometimes it’s hard to submit, but when we do, victory is just around the corner. So make the decision now that you will obey God no matter what He should ask you to do. It might seem crazy, but submission in those cases will always lead to our ultimate victory!

Keep on obeying and we’ll see you on Sunday!

Submitting to Humility

Last week we touched a little bit on submission. Today I want to talk about it again, with a bit of an emphasis on our humility. Humility goes hand in hand with submission. When we submit to God, we are doing so, understanding that He is greater than we are. This is humility.

One of the greatest passages in the whole Bible on this topic is found in Philippians chapter 2. Read it here, and then come back and finish our blog post.

As you read that passage, did you notice that Jesus was (and is) God, and even though He was, he did not cling to it. Look at it again, and notice that Jesus "gave up His divine privileges." He didn't come to this earth and say, "I am the King of kings! You must serve me! You must bow to me! You must give me the best of what you have because it is what I deserve!" He could have, because it would have been the truth; He does deserve all of that. But instead, the passage says that "he took the humble position of a slave (emphasis added)." He served those around Him. He saw the intrinsic value in each and ever person He came into contact with, and He served them.

Not only did He serve those around Him, He also "humbled himself in obedience to God." He became obedient to God. Elsewhere in Scripture it says that Jesus "learned obedience from the things he suffered" (Hebrews 5:8). It's hard for us to think that Jesus had to learn something, but it's true. He learned to be obedient to God throughout His life, ultimately giving His life on the cross. The ultimate obedience was Jesus going to the cross. My friends, that is true submission through humility. If we want to be God's servants, then we must humble ourselves.

Just another something for you to think about today. So have a great day, comment below if you have a story about a time you were obedient, and we'll see you on Sunday!

Taming the Tongue

I want to begin this week with a short video. Just a word of caution, though. This video doesn't start running until about 25-30 seconds into it, so if you click it and nothing happens, just wait a minute or so, and then if nothing happens, try again.

So the tongue is the topic of our messages this week. We talked a bit about it a few weeks ago, but we're coming to it again because James seems to be telling us that if we want to influence a culture that hates Christ, then we will need to manage our words with care.

So how do we tame our tongue? We need to use the bit and bridle of the Word of God. There is an interesting passage of Scripture that we will cover in detail at a later date, but in it there is this phrase: "We take every thought captive to make it obedient to Christ." (2 Cor. 10:5-NIV) In James, there are three specific places where the tongue is mentioned. Here in chapter 3, in chapter 1, and again at the end of chapter 4. James wants us to be careful about what we say. So much so, that we are to be "quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry" (1:19-emphasis mine).

What these verses mean for us, taken together, is that before we open our mouths, we must learn the art of bringing our words captive and make them obedient to the will of our Heavenly Father. Before the words come out, they need to be filtered through Jesus. Would Jesus say that? Would He say it that way? Would Jesus really get angry and raise His voice here? Answering these questions helps us to bring our thoughts and our words captive to Christ so that we might be obedient sons and daughters of the King!

Comment below about a time you spoke before thinking and how it got you into trouble...and we'll see you on Sunday!

Walking With God

In Genesis chapter 5, we read the accounts of several men who lived out their lives in relative obscurity. None of these men were written about much in this chapter...most of them only have two or three verses to their credit. But the truth of the matter is that each of these men were used by God to bring His truth to the next generation. How do we know this? Two reasons.

First is found in verse 24, where we are told that Enoch walked with God. He was one who understood who God was, and as a result, God took him to heaven before he could taste death. This man, as close to the Lord as he would have walked, most certainly would have passed this love of God on to his kids. This passion for God could have only come from a parent who taught him of this God and how He worked on behalf of Adam and his decedents after him.

The second is found in verse 32 where we find the first mention of Noah. We know from chapters 6-10 that Noah loved God deeply and walked Him. Of all the people on the face of the earth at the time, no one sought after God except for Noah. This could have come from God speaking directly to Noah, but I would venture to guess that Noah knew about God from his family's history. I'm sure that the stories of Adam, Enoch and others would have worked their way down to Noah to the point that he placed his whole faith in God.

God honored that faith and chose Noah out of all the people on the earth to spare from the disastrous flood that was coming upon the world. We are told that Noah, too, walked with God and found favor with Him.

So let me ask you a question today...how's your walk with God? Are you seeking after Him? Are you following Him with all of your heart, mind, soul and strength? Do you love Him to the point that you will obey Him no matter what he asks you to do? Have you given everything to Him? These are important questions, because if we can't answer these, then we must decide who we are and just who we are following, because if it isn't God, then it is ourselves.

Feel free to leave a comment below on how seek to walk with God on a daily basis. It might just help someone else who reads this get an idea on how they can walk with God more closely.

And we'll see you on Sunday!

Do God's Will

Yesterday, we encouraged everyone to do a little research in the Bible to find the actual places where God has said in His Word “It is God’s will that…” and then walk in obedience to those things. I want to take that challenge a step further today.

Today, I want to challenge all of you who read this blog regularly to dig for God’s will in His Word. What do I mean by this? Well, one of the things that we learn in Hermeneutics class (“Hermeneutics” is $34 word that simply means “Bible study principles”), is that every Scripture passage we read has an interpretation, and possibly a number of applications. There are at least two applications that can be made from every Scripture. The primary application (or the first application made from the original author, readers and speakers), and the secondary application (or the application made by us in the 21st century).

Let me try and explain how the primary application works. When Paul wrote the book of Philippians, he was writing to a specific group of people for a specific purpose at a specific time. The things that he said, and the people to whom he said them, are of vital importance as we seek to understand the primary application of the book of Philippians. To know what the primary application is of a passage, it is paramount that we figure out who wrote it, to whom they wrote it, where the people were to whom it was written, what the circumstances were surrounding reason for the writing of the book, and the place in which the recipients lived. All of these things can be found in a commentary on the book you are reading, or sometimes in the notes at the beginning of each book of the Bible. 

A word of caution here: it may be tempting to skip the primary application since it has little to do with where we are today. But as you will find out, if you don’t understand the primary application, it may lead you into error when determining the secondary application.

The secondary application is trying to figure out what the Scriptures are saying to us today…right here…in the 21st century. This is where a careful study of the primary applications can really help us to determine what God is trying to tell us here today. When you study a passage, and you see how God used that passage to speak to the people of that time, it becomes easier to figure out what God is saying to you. But when you figure that out, be careful.

Read these words of Jesus and then let’s finish our post.

When you get a secondary application that is right on, and that you know is from God, you better be careful to follow that application. Why? Because as James says, “The one who knows the good they ought to do and does not do it, to them it is sin!” Simply put: When you know what God wants you to do, not doing that is sinful.

So get out there and study, and figure out what God wants of you. Then walk in the obedience that will bring you the blessing of God…His eternal peace, joy and confidence!

Feel free to comment below and we’ll see you on Sunday!

Celebration Week 6

This week we've heard some hard things for us to hear. I hope that you can find encouragement in what we've said and understand that these things are not said to knock us down and depress us, but to
"spur us on toward love and good deeds." (Hebrews 10:24)

It is also my sincere hope that as you continue to walk in obedience to the Word of God that you read each and every day that you will find yourself continuing to become more holy and more like Jesus. This holiness that you exhibit will be the light that shines to a dark world that denies the very existence of God. We know Him, and to know Him is to love Him and to love Him is to obey Him. So walk in the knowledge, love and obedience of God to a life beyond anything that you could have imagined!

And CELEBRATE!!

And we'll see you Sunday!

The Deception of the Nation

Today I want to talk about something that is probably going to be a bit controversial. But I feel that it needs to be said. I'm going to post here and I'm also going to be posting this to my Facebook page as well. I feel it is a challenge that everyone needs to here.

Our nation is living in the midst of the greatest deception that we have ever seen...and we have done it to ourselves. I will explain what I mean in a minute, but first I want to lay down some facts.

FACT: The majority of our nation today has denied the existence of absolute truth. We see this in the growing numbers of people who claim that all people who are sincere in what they believe will eventually make it to heaven. We also see this in the number of people willing to take lives for the sake of a "cause" or "principle." We see it in the "decision" of the FBI director to not prosecute individuals who are clearly guilty of breaking the law. In fact, that last one stinks of the basic tenant of relativism, "what is truth for you may not be truth for me."

FACT: The majority of people living in America today would classify themselves as a part of the "Christian religion". This means that most people, when asked what religion they are would identify themselves as Christians, but would most likely be so in name only.

FACT: When people claim to follow Christ (that's what the term "Christian" means..."Little Christ") and then refuse to do what He said to do, they deceive themselves. James 1:22 says, "Do not merely listen to the Word and so deceive yourselves; do what it says." We live in a society that claims to know Christ, but refuses on every hand to obey Him.

Nowhere is this more prevalent than in the church of America. We have been deceived, Church, and it all stems from the fact that we KNOW what God says to do and we REFUSE to do it.

For example, we know that the church is to be the hands and feet of Jesus to the world. But the missions efforts of the church in America are now lagging behind the missions efforts of places like South Korea, Ireland, Malta and Palestine.* We are seeing our country lagging behind because (I believe) we have failed to emphasize from our pulpits the importance of walking in obedience to the Word of God.

We are hearing the Word of God, but we are not doing it. Friends, this needs to change. If we are going to save our nation, we must begin to wake up from the deception that it is okay to simply know what the Bible says, and not necessarily have to do it. If we are going to call ourselves people who know how to live rightly, then we must begin to obey God's Word.

Please feel free to comment below and we'll see you on Sunday!

*This is in terms of number of missionaries sent per 1 million church members.

With Great Knowledge Comes Great Responsibility

If you happen to be a nerd, like me, you'll at least recognize that the title of our blog post today comes from a movie released way back in 2002. The movie was titled, Spider-Man, and in this movie, a young Peter Parker is bitten by a radioactive spider. In turn, his body begins to change and he is now able to do “whatever a spider can.” Peter’s change was also enhanced by great power and strength. He was able to jump, run, lift and do things with reflexes not many could. He had enormous power and not many knew about it.

One night, he witnessed a crime being committed, and he did nothing to stop it. As a result, the man he let go was the same man who shot and murdered his Uncle Ben, who was his guardian. When he finds Uncle Ben lying in the street bleeding to death, Ben gives Peter a word of wisdom that would then guide the rest of Peter’s life. He said, “Remember, with great power comes great responsibility.”

The same is true with God’s Word. In His Word there is great power, and knowledge, and wisdom. If we choose to listen, we find that the wisdom and power and knowledge give us strength. However, if we fail to obey, our lives become nothing more than a discordant noise in the symphony of life. Simply put, our outsides will not match what we say we believe on the inside…or what we know.

We are called to be active in our faith…in living out the Christian life. But if we refuse to obey, our lives become labeled as “hypocritical” or “not genuine”. None of us wants that label, so let’s do what needs to be done to make our lives a living replica of what Jesus has called us to be and to do!

Please feel free to leave a comment or question. We will respond to every one. And we hope to see you Sunday!

Good Morning!!!

How many times has this happened to you:

You wake up; you get out of bed, and then head off to the bathroom. Once you get there, you look at yourself in the mirror. There you see one of the most horrifying images that anyone could have stuck on your mirror. You reach out to take it down, but find that what you're actually looking at is your own reflection.

At this point there are a couple of things you can do. Most normal people would take the time to make adjustments to the image they see. They might comb their hair, or wash their face, or even put on make up. But sometimes (and especially if you are a parent) something comes up that takes you away from what you're seeing, and for one reason or another, you forget to go back and take care of that "horrifying image."

I certainly hope that has never happened to you. But there is a very real sense in which many Christians walk around with that "horrifying image" in their lives. This week, we will be looking at the mirror of God's Word and how it is able to help us correct those things in our lives that need to be taken care of. James said in James 1:25 that the Word of God "gives freedom." This is so true because when we allow God's Word to change us, we will be free from sin, free from condemnation, free from regret. God's Word is the mirror that helps us to know how we should "look" in our lives, and when we obey it, it will help us change us from the "horrifying image" to the "beautiful reflection" of Jesus!

Feel free to leave us a message or comment below and we'll see you Sunday!

Take Off/Put On

Colossians 3 gives us a list of things that we are to "put to death" or "get rid of" in our lives. These ten things that are listed are all things that James would call "moral filth" in James 1. They are things like sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires, greed, anger, rage, malice, slander and filthy language. I don't think many of us (if we call ourselves Christians) would disagree with this list of things that should be taken out of our lives.

But Paul then goes on and tell us that as God's children, we are to clothe ourselves with something that is in stark contrast to these things. Things such as compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. We are to bear with one another and forgive each other. We are to put on love, because it is the "belt" that hold everything in place so that we look like Children of God.

So as we challenged you on Sunday to get rid of the moral filth and evil that is so prevalent in our society and culture today, I also want to encourage you to accept the power of God's Word in your life. Allow it to "clothe" you with the things listed above. And this is by no means an exhaustive list on either side, but it is a start. Allow God to do His work in you through His Word and walk in humble obedience to what He is calling you to do!

Please take the time to comment below on some of the things that you feel God might be wanting you to get rid of...and we'll see you on Sunday.

Rejoicing in Circumstances

It has been said that our circumstances do not define who we are. I believe that is true because in no way can the things that happen to us make us who and what we are. Our reaction to them is what does that. And so we come to the reminder of our first challenge of the week.

What circumstance do you find yourself in this day? Are you unemployed or facing a downsizing situation at work? Are you in a relationship that is abusive or just not going where you think it should? Do you have an addiction that you just can't seem to get control over? May I remind you today that these things do not define who you are, but your reaction to them will define who you are.

So today, choose to rejoice in your circumstance, whether good or bad. Choose today to be the man, woman, young person that God has called you to be. Choose to obey God's Word rather than follow after human logic. Choose to follow in the footsteps of Jesus Christ our Lord rather than the footsteps of men and women who have taken shortcuts to get where they are.

Rejoice...no matter where God has placed you today, rejoice. Thank Him today, because in your circumstance, you can find joy...if you choose to see it.

Please feel free to comment below or ask a question. And we'll see you Sunday!

Getting to Know James

Yesterday we looked at James in the context of being one of Jesus' half-brothers. We looked at an account from the Scriptures that showed us a moment in time when Jesus' brothers and mother were trying to get in to see Him, but Jesus shut them out. I'm pretty sure that Jesus did love His earthly family, but He also knew that their thoughts about Him were not the thoughts that the Father had for Him.

This Sunday we will look more in-depth at that, but today I want you to read John 7:2-9. These verse share the account of Jesus' interaction with His brothers just before the feast of Tabernacles. His brothers want Him to go show Himself to the world at this feast, but Jesus says His time has not yet come. There is something here that is troubling, and as you read it, see if you can pick up on what it is. Then come back and read the rest of this post...

Are you done? Good. Did you see what it was? Jesus tells His brothers in verse 8, "I am not going up to this festival." But then in verse 10, he goes up to the festival. So this begs a few questions. Did Jesus lie to His brothers? Was there ulterior motive in what Jesus did here? Did Jesus not keep His word? These are questions that we will discuss more in detail and try to resolve Sunday morning, but suffice to say, we know that Jesus does keep His promises, that He is not a liar and that His sincerity is unquestionable. So there is definitely something else at work here, and we will talk about it Sunday.

But for today, I want you to think about those who would push you to do things that you know God does not want you to do...or to not do something that you know God wants you to do. I had a youth who told me that he wanted to go to Moody Bible Institute and become a youth minister some day. I cannot tell you the joy that my heart felt when I heard him say that. But a few weeks later I found out that he had told his parents and they discouraged him from it because "there's no money in that". I wish I could tell you that this young man listened to God over his parents, but he did not. Today he is an agnostic and has nothing to do with the church, and very little to do with spirituality.

So when God is calling you to something, do not settle to do something else easier, or more comfortable. Do what God is calling you to do.

Please feel free to leave a comment or question. And we will see you on Sunday!