FOCUSED ON THE ONE TASK

Life is tough enough as it is. It’s even tougher when we’re headed in the wrong direction.

One of the incredible abilities of Jesus was to stay on target. His life never got off track. He had no money, no computers, no jets, no administrative assistants or staff, yet Jesus did what many of us fail to do. He kept His life on course.

As Jesus looked across the horizon of His future, He could see many targets. Many flags were flapping in the wind, each of which He could have pursued. He could have been a political revolutionary. He could have been a national leader. But in the end He chose to be a Savior and save souls.

Anyone near Christ for any length of time heard it from Jesus Himself. “The Son of Man came to find lost people and save them.” (Luke 19:10)  “The Son of Man did not come to be served. He came to serve others and to give His life as a ransom for many people.” (Mark 10:45)

The heart of Christ was relentlessly focused on one task. The day He left the carpentry shop of Nazareth He had one ultimate aim -- the cross of Calvary. He was so focused that His final words were, “It is finished.” (John 19:30)

How could Jesus say He was finished? There were still the hungry to feed, the sick to heal, the untaught to instruct, and the unloved to love. How could He say He was finished? Simple. He had completed His designated task. His commission was fulfilled. The painter could set aside his brush, the sculptor lay down his chisel, the writer put down his pen. The job was done.

Wouldn’t you love to be able to say the same? Wouldn’t you love to look back on your life and know you had done what you were called to do?   

-- Max Lucado in “Just Like Jesus”

#6347

THE ANNOUNCEMENT OF JOY

“While they were there, the time came for Mary to give birth. She gave birth to a son, her firstborn. She wrapped Him in a blanket and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room in the hostel. There were shepherds camping in the neighborhood. They had set night watches over their sheep. Suddenly, God’s angel stood among them and God’s glory blazed around them. They were terrified. The angel said, ‘Don’t be afraid. I’m here to announce a great and joyful event that is meant for everybody, worldwide: A Savior has just been born in David’s town, a Savior who is Messiah and Master. This is what you’re to look for: a baby wrapped in a blanket and lying in a manger.’”  (Luke 2:6-12 MSG)

Christmas is more than lights, gifts, and traditions -- it is the announcement of joy breaking into a weary world. The shepherds, ordinary men keeping watch in the dark, were the first to hear the angel’s proclamation of a “great and joyful event that is meant for everybody, worldwide.” This joy was not dependent on circumstances, wealth, or status. It was rooted in the arrival of Jesus, the Savior who came to bring peace, hope, and reconciliation.

Joy at Christmas is not fleeting happiness; it is the deep assurance that God has come near. In Christ, we discover that joy is not something we manufacture -- it is a gift we receive. Even in seasons of difficulty, the presence of Jesus brings a joy that sustains and strengthens. 

– Adapted from BibleStudyTools at Crosswalk.com

#6263

WORTH CELEBRATING EVERY DAY

Some Christians only go to church two days out of the year, at Christmas and Easter Sunday. In their defense, those are the two biggest days of the Christian year, celebrating the two biggest events in history.

Christmas, of course, is the day it was reported, “For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.” (Luke 2:11)

And on Easter we remember that although that child, now a grown man, had been murdered by authorities two days earlier, on the third day those coming to mourn him were greeted by an empty tomb and asked, “Why do you seek the living among the dead?” (Luke 24:5)

That sacrifice and resurrection were key to a rather joyful development, “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life.” (John 3:16)

The one thing those twice-yearly visitors may not fully appreciate is that those two bookends of Jesus’ journey are worth celebrating every day, not just on those two specific days of celebration.

And so, Merry Christmas! Happy Easter! 

-- Warren Bluhm

#6256

JESUS IS THE GOOD NEWS

“After John was put in prison, Jesus went into Galilee, proclaiming the good news of God. ‘The time has come,’ He said. ‘The kingdom of God has come near. Repent and believe the good news!’”  (Mark 1:14–15 NIV)

From the very beginning of His public ministry, Jesus didn’t merely announce the Gospel -- He embodied it. The “good news of God” wasn’t a distant promise or a future hope. It was standing in Galilee, speaking with authority, healing the broken, and calling hearts to repentance. Jesus is not just the messenger; He is the message.

When Jesus said, “The time has come,” He was declaring that the long-awaited fulfillment of God’s redemptive plan had arrived -- not in a scroll, not in a temple ritual, but in a person -- in Him. The kingdom of God was no longer a concept -- it was present, active, and accessible through the Lord of the Kingdom Himself.

Bishop Kenneth L. Carder wrote, “The Gospel is a person, not an abstract argument. That person, Jesus Christ, confronts our sin and suffering by entering our guilt and pain and death. He extends an outstretched, pierced hand of forgiveness and love.”

To “repent and believe the good news” is to turn from self and sin, and to turn toward Jesus. It’s not just believing a set of doctrines -- it’s trusting a Savior and Lord. The Gospel is not merely about what Jesus did; it’s about who Jesus is. His life, death, and resurrection are the heartbeat of the Gospel; His presence is its pulse. 

-- SOUND BITES Ministry™, compiled from a variety of sources 

#6229

THE GOSPEL OF FORGIVENESS – Part 1 of 3

“For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through Him.”  (John 3:17)

More than any other world religion, Christianity teaches, preaches, veritably shouts forgiveness. Yes, some of our preachers dwell too long on guilt, and consequently many see Christianity as primarily a religion of guilt. That is unfortunate, for a Christianity obsessed with guilt is no Christianity. Christianity is a faith whose central focus is not guilt and condemnation, but grace, redemption, healing, forgiveness, and mercy.

But the process of forgiveness begins with our awareness and understanding of sin, for if we are not aware of our sin, we go on living self-absorbed lives while hurting others. So the purpose of preaching and learning about sin is to open the door to healing…

God wants to relieve us of the burden that comes with a life of sin, and to set our feet back on the right path. That is precisely why Jesus came. His life and ministry are defined by forgiveness. It was a mission laid out for Him before He was born. He was still in the womb when the angel spoke to Joseph and said, “Do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will give birth to a son, and you are to give Him the name Jesus, because He will save His people from their sins.” (Matthew 1:20-21)…

Jesus did as He taught. He forgave the tax collectors, prostitutes, and adulterers. At the Last Supper, He took the wine and said to His disciples, “Drink this cup, for it is My blood of the new covenant poured out for you and for many for the forgiveness of sins.” In this He offered Himself as an amends -- an atoning sacrifice -- for the sins of the world. Later, as He hung on the cross, Jesus demonstrated the ultimate in forgiveness, praying for those who were putting Him to death.

-- Adapted from “Forgiveness: Finding Peace Through Letting Go” by Adam Hamilton

#6217

WITNESSING FOR CHRIST

Jesus said, “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be My witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”

What do we mean by "witnessing"?  Spouting a lot of Bible verses to a non-Christian?  Not quite.  Witnessing involves all that we are and therefore do; it goes far beyond what we say at certain inspired moments.  So the question is not will we witness (speak), but how will we witness (live)?  Often students will ask, “Which is more important in witness -- the life that I live or the words that I say?” That’s like asking which wing of an airplane is more important, the right or the left?

When we're trusting Jesus Christ as Lord as well as Saviour, He enables us to live and speak as faithful witnesses.

-- Adapted from Paul E. Little 

#6205

“HE GETS US”

I’m used to commercials for beer and pickup trucks during football games. Another product has entered the advertising lineup: Jesus. The tagline is, “He gets us.” Jesus invited everyone to His table, we are told. Jesus was misunderstood. Jesus could handle disagreement. Jesus was a refugee. None of these claims is untrue on its face. The problem here is what these commercials leave out…

Misunderstood by his family, accused of demonic sorcery, betrayed by one of His closest followers, hung upon a Roman cross…. Yes, Jesus gets us all right. He gets that we are sinful, willful creatures bent on our own destruction. He gets that, left to our own devices, we will rebel against our created nature and, hence, against God. He gets us, and He loves us anyway. That is why He came to save us…

To reach people for Christ is a noble task, but who is this Christ? Most will agree that He was a wise teacher, a friend to sinners, a misunderstood prophet, a refugee. But He is also God-made-flesh, the embodiment of perfect humanity, the bearer of new life, and, yes, a judge. He gets us. After all, He became one of us, though not for free hugs and vague sentimentality, but to save us. Sin and death abound. The devil is loose in the land. What Western culture needs is not another bearer of its common values with a bit of religious window dressing, but a savior.

“In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace.”  (Ephesians 1:7 NIV)

-- Excerpted from an article entitled “He Gets Us” by David F. Watson, Lead Editor of Firebrand Online Magazine

#6194

LET LIGHT SHINE OUT OF DARKNESS – Part 2 of 2

“Our concert of praise
To Jesus we raise,
And all the night long
Continue the new evangelical song:
We dance to the fame
Of Jesus’ name;
The joy it imparts
Is heaven begun in our musical hearts.”  
(Charles Wesley in “Hymns for the Watch-Night”)

There could hardly be a better time to preach the gospel of Christ, and surely no better time to sing it. The gospel has always been needed, since it is God’s solution for the human race, but in our day the need is more poignant and more dramatic. Whether one looks at the penultimate threat of nuclear destruction, or the private anguish of the lonely soul in an impersonal society, one cannot imagine a world more starkly in need of a Savior. There could hardly be a more demanding, more exhilarating time to preach the good news of Jesus Christ. We have never been more needed.

But we must have a song to sing. Without a song, we will only add to the dissonance of the times. 

-- J. Ellsworth Kalas in “Our First Song: Evangelism in the Hymns of Charles Wesley” (1984)

#6145

OUR RESPONSE TO JESUS

“The Son is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For in Him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through Him and for Him. He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together.”  (Colossians 1:15-17 NIV)

Jesus was a little baby born in Bethlehem, but He’s more than that! He was a preacher and a healer, but He’s more than that! He was the Savior nailed to the cross whispering forgiveness to the world, but He’s more than that! In the magnificent words of Paul, He is the image of the invisible God, the One through whom all things were made and in whom everything holds together. When we are overwhelmed by this vision of Jesus, our response can only be “Jesus, You are the One I want to love and follow.” 

-- Trevor Hudson and Stephen D. Bryant in “The Way of Transforming Discipleship”

#6020

THE GREATEST GIFT

“God saved you by His grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it.”  (Ephesians 2:8-9 NLT)

As we journey toward Christmas, let us reflect on the profound truth that throughout our lives we will inevitably give ourselves to something. People often devote their lives to things they can boast about -- pleasure, possessions, popularity, or power. However, true followers of Christ understand that the highest and best use of a human life is to give ourselves to others, pointing them toward faith in Christ.

Let us remember that the greatest gift we can offer is an introduction to the God who sent His Son to redeem us. If we truly believe in the redeeming and transforming power of God's presence in a person's life, then sharing the message of how to be rightly connected to Him becomes our most significant mission.

As we light candles and prepare our hearts for Christmas, let us commit to being signposts that guide others toward God. May we boldly share the good news of Christ's love and redemption, offering the gift of grace to those we encounter. Let us embrace our calling to point people to the Savior, knowing that in doing so, we are giving the greatest gift of all. 

-- SOUND BITES Ministry, compiled from a variety of sources

#6015

JOY AND SORROW

“An angel of the Lord appeared to [Joseph] in a dream, saying, ‘Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take to you Mary your wife, for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit. And she will bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins.’ So all this was done that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Lord through the prophet, saying: “Behold, the virgin shall be with child, and bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel,’ which is translated, ‘God with us.’”  (Matthew 1:20-23 NKJV)

Grief is particularly difficult at Christmas, as the best memories can be the hardest ones. But the hope of Christmas is broad enough for joy and sorrow.

The strangeness and scandal of the season get easily lost in its familiar rituals. In Christian belief, the boundless, timeless God became, in J.B. Phillips’s phrase, one of those “crawling creatures of that floating ball.” …it is the central tenet of an enduring faith. Instead of setting out a philosophy to interpret the human drama, God joined it. He became “God with us” -- a God with a face. In the process, He both shared and dignified ordinary human life, with all its delight, boredom and suffering. The Christmas story revels in this blasphemous elevation of the ordinary -- a birth in second-rate accommodations under a cloud of illegitimacy.

The story is also shadowed by sorrow. In one of the odder moments of the narrative, a random stranger at the Jerusalem Temple predicts a mother’s grief. “A sword,” Simeon tells Mary, “shall pierce through your own soul also” (Luke 2:35). As it did. As it has for many mothers and fathers who have followed.

The point of Christmas is not a sentimental optimism about the human condition or even a teaching about the will of God. It is an assertion that God in Christ came to our rescue, and holds our hand, and becomes, at the worst moments, our brokenhearted brother. It is preposterous, unless it is true. And then it would be everything. 

-- Michael Gerson in “The Washington Post,” December 24, 2012

#6012

CHRISTMAS IS ABOUT RESCUE

“For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord.”  (Romans 6:23 NLT)

This is what we need to be rescued from -- from the decision each of us have made, and continue to make, to ask Jesus to leave so that we can be the captain of our own soul and the ruler of our own life -- the attitude the Bible calls sin. We need to be rescued from the consequences of our decision.

When you realize this, the first Christmas comes to life, because when you realize this, you read these lines and you feel a deep hope and a dawning of joy: “You are to give Him the name Jesus, because He will save His people from their sins.”  (Matthew 1:21)

The divine Shepherd-Ruler came. The Magi were right to give Him gold. He showed glimmers of His kingdom and He invited people to join Him and enjoy Him. But He did more than that. He came not just to rule, but to rescue. He came to rescue you from your sin and its consequences.

Christmas is about rescue. It’s a rescue that you and I desperately need, and can wonderfully have. 

-- Carl Laferton in “Rescuing Christmas: The Search for Joy that Lasts”

#6004

A WORLD IN NEED OF A SAVIOR

Let us remember that it is a full salvation we offer. Some movements have been content to save their people and then leave them to heaven. [From early on] Methodism has insisted that we are saved so that we can grow. John and Charles Wesley believed that their somewhat ragtag group of butchers, miners, and household servants could become saints. We are challenged to believe as grandly for the computer generation, for a century of skeptics, and for the spiritually cautious.

And we are saved to serve our present age. Traditionally, we have believed we could “spread scriptural holiness throughout the land.” Now we must do so in a time when family structures are under assault while political systems build their new Babels, and when evils of misery, poverty, and war seem more entrenched than ever.

There could hardly be a better time to preach the gospel of Christ, and surely no better time to sing it. The gospel has always been needed, since it is God’s solution for the human race, but in our day the need is more poignant and more dramatic. Whether one looks at the penultimate threat of nuclear destruction, or the private anguish of the lonely soul in an impersonal society, one cannot imagine a world more starkly in need of a Savior. There could hardly be a more demanding, more exhilarating time to preach the Good News of Jesus Christ.

But we must have a song to sing. Without a song, we will only add to the dissonance of our times… On one of his birthdays, Wesley wrote:

          In rapture of joy
          My life I employ,
          The God of my life to proclaim:
          ‘Tis worth living for this,
          To administer bliss, 
          And salvation in Jesus’ name.

-- J. Ellsworth Kalas in “Our First Song: Evangelism in the Hymns of Charles Wesley”

#5969

 

THE RIGHT MAP

[Jesus said to His disciples,] “Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe also in Me. My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with Me that you also may be where I am. You know the way to the place where I am going.” Thomas said to Him, “Lord, we don’t know where you are going, so how can we know the way?”  (John 14:1-5 NIV)

Maps are certainly important for giving direction. But, the only thing worse than having no map is having the wrong map. Stephen Covey writes about the importance of having the right map in his book “Seven Habits of Highly Effective People”:

“Suppose you wanted to arrive at a specific location in central Chicago. A street map of the city would be a great help to you in reaching your destination. But suppose you were given the wrong map. Through a printing error, the map labeled ‘Chicago’ was actually a map of Detroit. Can you imagine the frustration, the ineffectiveness of trying to reach your destination? You might work on your behavior – you could try harder, be more diligent, double your speed. But your efforts would only succeed in getting you to the wrong place faster. You might work on your attitude – you could think more positively. You still wouldn’t get to the right place, but perhaps you wouldn’t care. Your attitude would be so positive, you’d be happy wherever you were. The point is, you’d still be lost. The fundamental problem has nothing to do with your behavior or your attitude. It has everything to do with having the wrong map.”

It seems that there are a great deal of people today trying to find their way with the wrong map. If I just put out the right effort… If I just have a positive attitude… If I just do enough good works… then I’ll get there. That’s why Jesus answered Thomas’ question by saying, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me. If you really know Me, you will know My Father as well. From now on, you do know Him and have seen Him.” (John 14:6-7 NIV)

Jesus is not only the right map, He is the way. The Son will take you to His Father’s house.

– Rev. David T. Wilkinson, SOUND BITES Ministry

#5957

SALVATION 101 - JOHN 3:16

“For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son that whosoever believes in Him may not perish but have eternal life.”  (John 3:16)

 The heart of salvation: “For God so loved”

The breadth of salvation: “For God so loved the world”

The act of salvation: “For God so loved that He gave”

The Savior of salvation: “That He gave His only begotten Son”

The means of salvation: “That whosoever believes in Him”

The need of salvation:  “That whosoever believes may not perish”

The promise of salvation: “That whosoever believes may not perish but have eternal life”

-- Rev. David J. Kalas

#5891

JUDGMENT OR SALVATION

“If My people who are called by My name humble themselves, and pray and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land.”  (2 Chronicles 7:14 ESV)

When God comes among us there are always and only two possible consequences: judgment or salvation. There is judgment if we close our eyes to His coming or refuse to receive Him. In that case, we are dependent on God’s justice and mercy. Or there is salvation and healing if we welcome Him with faith and trust.  “But to all who did receive Him, who believed in His name, He gave the right to become children of God.” (John 1:12 ESV) 

– David Winter in “Forty Days with the Messiah”

#5872

THE FREE GIFT OF GOD

“For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”  (Romans 6:23 ESV)

I often ask people, "What do you think a person has to do to go to heaven?" Most people respond by saying something like this, "Do the best you can, live a good life, observe the golden rule, keep the Ten Commandments, etc." But I'd like to ask you, "Has anyone really kept the Ten Commandments?" The Ten Commandments are indeed God's standard of righteousness (Romans 7:12), but who has ever kept them?... No one will ever be good enough to go to heaven by keeping God's law; for His law only reveals our sin (Romans 3:19-20).

This is why Jesus came! We all need a Saviour! The word "Saviour" has the idea of "one who can rescue you from the penalty of your sin." Jesus rescues people from perishing so that they might have eternal life (Matthew 1:21).

To be good enough to go to heaven we must have a righteousness that equals God's (2 Corinthians 5:21). The "good news" of the gospel is that not only will Jesus forgive your sins, but He is also offering -- freely -- His very own righteousness as a gift (See Romans 5:17). Do you need a new start in life? A relationship with the God of heaven who loves you very much?… Would you consider turning to Him through Jesus Christ? Accepting Him as your personal Saviour and following Him as your Lord? He loves you very much! 

-- Don Krow

#5871

AMAZING GRACE

“Amazing grace! How sweet the sound
That saved a wretch like me!
I once was lost, but now am found;
Was blind, but now I see.”

When I was young, I was sure of many things; now there are only two things of which I am sure: one is, that I am a miserable sinner; and the other, that Christ is an all-sufficient Savior. He is well-taught who learns these two lessons. 

-- John Newton

#5870

BELIEVE IN THE LORD JESUS – Part 4 of 4

“Show me how anyone can have faith without actions. I will show you my faith by my actions.” (James 2:18b GNT)

Then is basic Christianity the belief that Jesus is the Son of God who came to be the Saviour of the world? No, it is not even that. To assent to Christ’s divine person, to acknowledge man’s need of salvation, and to believe in Christ’s saving work are not enough. Christianity is not just a creed; it involves action. Our intellectual belief may be beyond criticism, but we must transfer our beliefs into deeds.

What must we do, then? We must commit ourselves, heart and mind, soul and will, home and life, personally and unreservedly to Jesus Christ. We must humble ourselves before Him. We must trust Him as our Saviour and submit to Him as our Lord; and then go on to take our place as faithful members of the Church and responsible citizens in the community. 

-- John R. W. Stott in “Basic Christianity” 

#5791

 

BELIEVE IN THE LORD JESUS – Part 3 of 4

Supposing Jesus was the Son of God, is basic Christianity merely an acquiescence in this truth? No. Once persuaded of the deity of Christ’s person, we must examine the nature of His work. For what purpose did He visit this world? The Biblical answer is “Jesus came into the world to save sinners.” (1 Timothy 1:15b) Jesus of Nazareth is the heaven-sent Saviour whom we sinners need. We need to be forgiven and to be restored to fellowship with the all-holy God, from Whom our sins have separated us. We need to be set free from our selfishness and given strength to live up to our ideals. We need to learn to love one another, friend and foe alike. This is the meaning of “salvation.” This is what Christ came to win for us by His death and resurrection. 

-- John R. W. Stott in “Basic Christianity” 

#5790