God Was In Christ: An Advent Reading Of Luke 15

Day 15 Luke Chapter 15

“What man among you, if he has a hundred sheep and has lost one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the open pasture and go after the one which is lost until he finds it? When he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing” {vv.4-5 NASB}.

The care our magnificent Creator of the universe takes in reaching the poor, lost, and wandering sinners. His sheep are important to Him. He cares so much for His sheep that even though He has one hundred, should one stray away, He will search until He finds that one lost sheep.

I find it so beautiful (and no accident) that today is the third Sunday in Advent, in which we focus on joy. {If you would like to read more on joy in Advent, I wrote several posts a few years back for Advent; you can find them here, here, here, here, here, and here}. Jesus continues within this verse to say, “I tell you…there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance” {v.7 NASB}. When one sinner comes to Him, there is JOY in heaven. There is joy in the presence of the angels of God! Imagine how wonderful that is, that though they cannot fathom salvation {1 Pet. 1:12}, they rejoice when one of God’s human creations receives salvation. Our salvation is one of joy; the psalmist prays, “Restore to me the joy of Your salvation And sustain me with a willing spirit” {Ps. 51:12}.
I heard a minister of the Word once say that most Christians look more like they are on their way to hell rather than heaven. We should be the most joyous people on earth. Our salvation should sparkle in our eyes, exude joy on our faces, and joy in our walk; we should not cause the loss to long for what we have. If our Messiah has this much joy over finding us, should we not have joy when we find Him and walk with Him for the rest of our lives?

In chapter fifteen, Jesus teaches parables throughout on the importance of finding those who are lost. The righteous ninety-nine should take care lest they think themselves more virtuous than the lost one. We need to share the heart of the Shepherd and search for those who are lost. Pray daily for the lost—those you know and those you don’t. Jesus came to seek and save the lost. Let’s search for them this Advent season and bring them into the care of the Good Shepherd. 

 

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God Was In Christ: An Advent Reading Of Luke 14

Day 14 Luke Chapter 14

“Whoever does not carry his own cross and come after Me cannot be My disciple”

 {v. 27 NASB}.

Discipleship. It is the most important call Christians receive. The disciples have been following Jesus for some time now. Yet, He continues to speak to them in parables so that perhaps they will begin to understand what He has been teaching them—what He is teaching us—that we are to give God first place in our lives. The disciples are traveling with Him and are caught up in all the needs of the ministry, yet, Jesus still needs them to understand exactly what it means to be a disciple. To be a disciple is an act of obedience, not a declaration of faith. 

For the mighty ones, for the great ones of the world, there are only two places where their courage deserts them, which they fear in the depths of their souls, which they dodge and avoid; the manger and the cross of Jesus Christ.[1]

The Father gave us the most incredible gift that one could give—His only Son because of His love for us:

“For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life. For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through Him” {Jn. 3:16-17 NASB}.

The Father gave us a wonder beyond all comprehension to our finite understanding. He endured a long path to the cross to restore all that was lost. Can we not give Him back our best? Can we not follow Him with our whole hearts? Can we move beyond a confession of faith and follow Him in obedience? In this season, it is so easy to be caught up in the busyness of preparing for the holidays, just as the disciples were so busy with work that they—and we—forget about what Jesus is endeavoring to teach us; discipleship is the call, and it's going to cost us.

“Discipleship means adherence to Christ, and, because Christ is the object of the adherence, it must take the form of discipleship. An abstract Christology, a doctrinal system, a general religious knowledge on the subject of grace or on the forgiveness of sins, render discipleship superfluous.”[2]

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[1] Dietrich Bonhoeffer, The Mystery Of Holy Night (New York: Crossroad Publishing Company, 1996), 16.

[2] Dietrich Bonhoeffer, The Cost Of Discipleship (New York: Touchstone, 1959), 58.

Sabbath Sanctuary: Graceful Restraint

Happy Sunday. Happy Sabbath. I pray you are resting this Sabbath. Just a few lovely pictures and beautiful, holy words for your sabbath. 

“Rest shows us who God is. He has restraint. Restraint is refraining from doing everything that one has the power to do. We must never mistake God's restraint for weakness. The opposite is true. God shows restraint; therefore, restraint is holy.” Matthew Sleeth, 24/6: A Prescription for a Healthier, Happier Life

“Sabbath is a time to transition from human doings to human beings.” Matthew Sleeth, 24/6: A Prescription for a Healthier, Happier Life

“We cannot turn back the hands of time. Our 24/7 world is not going to change. Life will only get more intense. New communication tools, nanotechnology, and human engineering will increase the number of tasks an individual can do simultaneously. We will look back with nostalgia at the 24/7 world once these “advances” make 48/7 a reality. If we wish to have a weekly day of rest, it will no longer happen as a societal default. It will happen only as a result of a conscious choice.” Matthew Sleeth, 24/6: A Prescription for a Healthier, Happier Life

 

“The bow cannot be always bent without fear of breaking. Repose is as needful to the mind as sleep to the body. . .Rest time is not waste time. It is economy to gather fresh strength. . .It is wisdom to take occasional furlough. In the long run, we shall do more by sometimes doing less. 

     Matthew Sleeth, 24/6: A Prescription for a Healthier, Happier Life

 “Thou madest us for Thyself, and our heart is restless until it rests in Thee.” Augustine of Hippo

“The rhythm of work and rest seems to help us function more purposefully and energetically, living in the responsive obedience to the pattern God designed for us.” Lynne M. Baab 

“A world without a Sabbath would be like a man without a smile, like a summer without flowers, and like a homestead without a garden. It is the joyous day of the whole week.” Henry Ward Beecher

I pray that you have a wonderful, restful, grace-filled sabbath.

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Advent: Seeking Christ Day 15

Day 15 Luke Chapter 15

“What man among you, if he has a hundred sheep and has lost one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the open pasture and go after the one which is lost until he finds it? When he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing” {vv.4-5 NASB}.

The care our magnificent Creator of the universe takes in reaching poor, lost, wandering sinners. His sheep are important to Him. He cares so much for His sheep that even though He has one hundred, should one stray away, He will go searching until He finds that one lost sheep.

I find it so beautiful (and no accident) that today is the third Sunday in Advent in which we focus on joy. {If you would like to read more on joy in Advent, I wrote several posts a few years back for Advent; you can find them here, here, here, here, here, and here}. Jesus continues within this verse to say, “I tell you…there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance” {v.7 NASB}. When one sinner comes to Him there is JOY in heaven. There is joy in the presence of the angels of God! Imagine how wonderful that is, that though they cannot fathom salvation {1 Pet. 1:12} they rejoice when one of God’s human creations receives salvation. Our salvation is one of joy; the psalmist prays, “Restore to me the joy of Your salvation And sustain me with a willing spirit” {Ps. 51:12}.

I heard a minister of the Word once say that most Christians look more like they are on their way to hell rather than heaven. We should be the most joyous people on earth. Our salvation should put a sparkle in our eye, joy on our face, joy in our walk; we should cause the lost to long to have what we have. If our Messiah has this much joy over finding us, should we not have joy when we find Him and walk with Him for the rest of our lives?

The whole of chapter fifteen Jesus teaches parables on the importance of finding those who are lost. The righteous ninety-nine should take care lest they think themselves more righteous than the lost one. Instead of glorying in that we have been found, we need to share the heart of the Shepherd and search for those who are lost. Pray daily for the lost—those you know and those you don’t. Jesus came to seek and save the lost. Let’s search for them this Advent season and bring them into the care of the Good Shepherd.

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Advent: Seeking Christ Day 14

Day 14 Luke Chapter 14

“Whoever does not carry his own cross and come after Me cannot be My disciple” {v. 27 NASB}.

Discipleship. It is the most important call we Christians receive. The disciples have been following Jesus for some time now. Yet, He continues to speak to them in parables so that perhaps they will begin to understand what He has been teaching them—what He is teaching us—that we are to give God the very best. The disciples are traveling with Him and are caught up in all the needs of the ministry, yet, Jesus still needs them to understand exactly what it means to be a disciple. To be a disciple is an act of obedience, not a declaration of faith.

For the mighty ones, for the great ones of the world, there are only two places where their courage deserts them, which they fear in the depths of their souls, which they dodge and avoid; the manger and the cross of Jesus Christ.[1]

The Father gave us the most incredible gift that one could give—His only Son because of His love for us:

“For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life. For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through Him” {Jn. 3:16-17 NASB}.

The Father gave us a wonder beyond all comprehension for our finite understanding. He endured a long path to the cross to complete everything for us. Can we not give Him back our best? Can we not follow Him with our whole hearts? Can we move beyond a confession of faith and follow Him in obedience? Can we move beyond a confession of faith and follow Him in obedience? In this season it so easy to be caught up in the busyness of preparing for the holidays, just as the disciples were so busy, that they—and we—forget about what Jesus is endeavoring to teach us; discipleship is the call and it's going to cost us.

Discipleship means adherence to Christ, and, because Christ is the object of the adherence, it must take the form of discipleship. An abstract Christology, a doctrinal system, a general religious knowledge on the subject of grace or on the forgiveness of sins, render discipleship superfluous.[2]

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[1] Dietrich Bonhoeffer, The Mystery Of Holy Night (New York: Crossroad Publishing Company, 1996), 16.

[2] Dietrich Bonhoeffer, The Cost Of Discipleship (New York: Touchstone, 1959), 58.

Sabbath Sanctuary: Jesus, Lover Of My Soul

See how great a love the Father has bestowed on us, that we would be called children of God; and such we are. For this reason the world does not know us, because it did not know Him {1 John 3:1 NASB}.

See how great a love the Father has bestowed on us, that we would be called children of God; and such we are. For this reason the world does not know us, because it did not know Him {1 John 3:1 NASB}.

Jesus, lover of my soul, let me to thy bosom fly, while the nearer waters roll, while the tempest still is high; hide me, O my Savior, hide, till the storm of life is past; safe into the haven guide, O receive my soul at last! 

Other refuge have I none; hangs my helpless soul on thee; leave, ah! leave me not alone, still support and comfort me. All my trust on thee is stayed, all my help from thee I bring; cover my defenseless head with the shadow of thy wing. 

Plenteous grace with thee is found, grace to cover all my sin; let the healing streams abound;
make and keep me pure within. Thou of life the fountain art; freely let me take of thee; spring thou up within my heart, rise to all eternity. 

Charles Wesley, 1707-1788

Charles Wesley, was the great hymn-writer of the Wesley family, perhaps, the greatest hymn-writer of all ages. Charles Wesley was the youngest son and 18th child of Samuel and Susanna Wesley, and was born at Epworth Rectory, Dec. 18, 1707. In 1716 he went to Westminster School, staying with his elder brother Samuel, then usher at the school, until 1721, when he was elected King's Scholar, and as such received his board and education free. In 1726 Charles Wesley was elected to a Westminster studentship at Christ Church, Oxford, where he took his degree in 1729, and became a college tutor. In the early part of the same year his religious impressions were much deepened, and he became one of the first band of “Oxford Methodists.” He wrote this hymn in 1740.

Sabbath Sanctuary: O For A Thousand Tongues To Sing

O For A Thousand Tongues To Sing (18 Original Stanzas)

This hymn was written by Charles Wesley in 1739 to commemorate his conversion on May 21, 1738. It was first published in the Wesleys' collection Hymns and Sacred Poems of 1740 under the title, For the Anniversary Day of One's Conversion.

As soon as He was approaching, near the descent of the Mount of Olives, the whole crowd of the disciples began to praise God joyfully with a loud voice for all the miracles which they had seen {Lk. 19:37 NASB}.

Glory to God, and praise and love be ever, ever given, by saints below and saints above, the church in earth and heaven.

On this glad day the glorious Sun of Righteousness arose; on my benighted soul he shone and filled it with repose.

Sudden expired the legal strife, ‘twas then I ceased to grieve; my second, real, living life I then began to live.

Then with my heart I first believed, believed with faith divine, power with the Holy Ghost received to call the Savior mine.

I felt my Lord’s atoning blood close to my soul applied; me, me he loved, the Son of God, for me, for me He died!

I found and owned His promise true, ascertained of my part, my pardon passed in heaven I knew when written on my heart.

O for a thousand tongues to sing my dear Redeemer’s praise! The glories of my God and King,
the triumphs of His grace.

My gracious Master and my God assist me to proclaim, to spread through all the earth abroad
the honors of thy Name. 

Jesus! the Name that charms our fears, that bids our sorrows cease; ‘tis music in the sinner’s ears, ‘tis life, and health, and peace!

He breaks the power of canceled sin, He sets the prisoner free; His blood can make the foulest clean; His blood availed for me.

He speaks, and listening to His voice new life the dead receive; the mournful, broken hearts rejoice, the humble poor believe.

Hear Him, ye deaf, His praise, ye dumb, your loosened tongues employ; ye blind, behold your Savior come, and leap, ye lame, for joy.

Look unto Him, ye nations, own your God, ye fallen race! Look, and be saved through faith alone, be justified by grace!

See all your sins on Jesus laid; the Lamb of God was slain, His soul was once an offering made for every soul of man.

Harlots and publicans and thieves, in holy triumph join! Saved is the sinner that believes from crimes as great as mine.

Murderers and all ye hellish crew, ye sons of lust and pride, believe the Savior died for you; for me the Savior died.

Awake from guilty nature’s sleep, and Christ shall give you light; cast all your sins into the deep and wash the Ethiop white.

With me, your chief, you then shall know, shall feel your sins forgiven; anticipate your heaven below and own that love is heaven.

Charles Wesley {1739}

Sabbath Sanctuary: Am I A Soldier Of The Cross?

Be on the alert, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong. Let all that you do be done in love {1 Cor. 16:13}

Isaac Watts (1724)

Am I a soldier of the cross, a foll'wer of the Lamb? And shall I fear to own His cause or blush to speak His Name?

Must I be carried to the skies on flow'ry beds of ease, while others fought to win the prize and sailed through bloody seas?

Are there no foes for me to face? Must I not stem the flood? Is this vile world a friend to grace to help me on to God?

Sure I must fight, if I would reign; increase my courage, Lord; I'll bear the toil, endure the pain, supported by Thy Word.

Thy saints in all this glorious war shall conquer, though they die; they see the triumph from afar by faith's discerning eye.

When that illustrious day shall rise, and all Thine armies shine in robes of vict'ry through the skies, the glory shall be Thine.

Am I a soldier of the Cross? I. Watts. [Holy Fortitude.] Appended to his Sermons, published in 1721-24, in 3 vols., vol. iii., and intended to accompany a sermon on 1 Cor. xvi. 13. It is in 6 stanzas of 4 lines and entitled “Holy Fortitude.”

Sabbath Sanctuary: Resting In His Grace

Fall has officially arrived here in Colorado. Fall is one of my favorite seasons, but I do not readily welcome the winter which follows—which appeared today in 22-degree weather and snowfall. I have written about the tension between me and winter for the last couple of years and it seems to reflect where I am spiritually as well. If I am honest, I feel as though I have been stuck in winter for several years, regardless of what season the calendar reads and no matter how hot the sun blazes. I am in winter. I am tired and weary and long for a change of season in my walk with my Savior.

This season has been particularly hard. Many times, it is all I can do to awake from my slumber to face the challenges of the day. The Lord has been so good to me this week as He gently reminded me of His grace.

We know grace to be that attribute that is part of the manifold of God’s love. God deals with us not on our merit or worthiness, or on what we deserve—our lives consistently displaying our fallenness. He deals with us on the basis of His goodness and generosity. God’s grace supplies us with undeserved favor—grace is a precious, beautiful gift. We cannot earn it and we do not deserve it.

Grace, however, goes beyond undeserved favor. The New Testament book of Luke describes Jesus as having “the grace of God upon Him” {Luke 2:40} and as “growing in grace with God and man” {Luke 2:52}. Many more references to grace are found in the Book of Acts. The good Doctor Luke makes a strong association between grace and power. Grace is often linked with the power of God to create spiritual life and to sustain Christians. Grace, in the New Testament, “God’s unmerited favor,” has a new aspect added to mean power in the Spirit.[1] In many of Paul’s writings; {Rom. 1:5; 12:6; 15:15; I Cor. 3:10; Gal. 2:9; Eph. 2:2,7} it means the power and equipment for ministry.[2] Grace is the power to do what you cannot do for yourself.

I have worked so hard at trying to make things change and happen in my own strength—which explains my weariness. Working in our own strength will drain us and deplete us of any life. We must rest in Him and allow Him to do the work for us. This does mean that we become complacent waiting for Him to do something, we must abide in His presence through the Word and prayer and allow Him to fill us with His grace; remembering always to cultivate a heart of worship. Through His grace this week I have been able to face the challenges and the hard times knowing that He is my strength and is working everything according to His purpose.

Rest in His grace this sabbath weekend. He is waiting to fill you with grace to empower you to run the race. Oh, and when you rest in Him, He will refresh you to overflowing and bring you to a place of rest from the storm. 

When they walk through the Valley of Weeping, it will become a place of refreshing springs. The autumn rains will clothe it with blessings {Psalm 84:6}.

Read all about Grace in the 11th edition of SHINE Magazine and you can order one here 

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[1] Walter A. Elwell ed., Baker Theological Dictionary of the Bible, s.v. “grace,” (Grand Rapids: Baker Books, 1996), 314.

[2] W.E. Vine, ed., Vine’s Expository Dictionary of Old And New Testament Words, s.v. “grace,” (Nashville: Thomas Nelson), 500.

Sabbath Sanctuary: Rest in the Greatest Gift

The first Sunday of Advent we prepared our hearts for the coming of Christ, and our hearts were filled with the hope of the promise of His coming to this lost and fallen world. The second Sunday we were challenged to spread the love of Christ in this season; He is the reason for the season. When we share His love, we are His light to lead the world to Him. The third Sunday of Advent we breathed in one of the greatest promises in the Word—joy—His Joy. The arrival of the incarnate Lord was a joyful event—the angels could not suppress their joy at His arrival, how much more should we rejoice? In this last Sunday in Advent, as we are preparing to give and to receive gifts, we remember the ultimate gift ever given; all gifts this season pale in comparison.

God, who first ordered light to shine in darkness, has flooded our hearts with his light. We now can enlighten men only because we can give them knowledge of the glory of God, as we see it in the face of Jesus Christ (2 Corinthians 4:6 J.B. Phillips).

The glory of God in the face of Christ; this is the greatest gift. When I remember how broken and lost I was; how deep in bondage I was to sin, it amazes me that the Father sent His only Son to set me free. He came to redeem us and to reconcile us to the Father. He came to dwell with us. He has given us many wonderful gifts and many precious promises (see 2 Pet. 1:4), but of all His gifts, none is greater than the gift of His Son Jesus. In giving us His Son He gave us himself.

I traveled to Israel many years ago, and I walked through the shepherd’s fields in Bethlehem. I tried to imagine the holy stable, and where it may have stood. I thought of Joseph and Mary, and the baby Jesus. How he slipped into the world quietly in the night. Stable animals were his company. Humble shepherds came and worshiped. A sense of wonder came over me as I imagined the angels appearing and announcing the greatest gift that changed the world forever, and then celebrating His arrival.





Rest in the greatest gift this world has ever been given, Jesus Christ, the reason for this season. There is not a gift that you or I can give this Christmas season, as great as giving the gift of Jesus Christ. Give Him to everyone you know, by sharing the Message that will change their world.

“Remember, our Message is not about ourselves; we’re proclaiming Jesus Christ, the Master. All we are is messengers, errand runners from Jesus for you. It started when God said, ‘Light up the darkness!’ and our lives filled up with light as we saw and understood God in the face of Christ, all bright and beautiful” {2 Cor. 4: 5-6 Message}.

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Resting in the Passion of Rabbi Jesus

The disciple that Jesus loved was reclining next to Jesus…He leaned back on Jesus’ breast {John 13:23, 25}

I heard a minister on television this past week speak about passion. He suggested that many Christians are not succeeding in life because they do not know what their passion is. Find your passion and your life will change. There is much wisdom is this and it struck a chord in my heart. 

What is my passion? What sets me on fire? I love to read, I love to write, but are they my passion? Do I live and breathe reading and writing? Some who know me would argue that they do, but I am not so sure. I love Jesus with all my heart; but is He my passion? How do we find our passion?

Just after hearing the minister speak on passion, the next day in my devotional from Brennan Manning’s The Rabbi’s Heartbeat, I was awed at the grace and mercy of God. The chapter is entitled Recovering Passion and he speaks about his challenge in finding his passion.

If you have lost your passion, or are trying to discover it—read the account of John reclining on the table with his head on the Master’s breast in John 13.

“We must not hurry past this scene in search of deeper revelation, or we will miss a magnificent insight. John lays his head on the heart of God, on the breast of the Man whom the council of Nicea defined as ‘being coequal and consubstantial to the Father…God from God, Light from Light, True God from True God.” (Manning, p. 96)

Sometimes it hard to imagine that you or I could lie on the breast of Jesus—but He is beckoning us to do the same.

“Fearing that I would miss the divinity, I distanced myself from His humanity, like an ancient worshiper shielding his eyes from the Holy of Holies. But as John leans back on the breast of Jesus and listens to the heartbeat of the Great Rabbi, he comes to know Him in a way that surpasses mere cognitive knowledge. What a world of difference lies between knowing about someone and knowing Him!” (p. 96).

John discovered in this encounter with Jesus, by experiencing Him, listening to His heartbeat, that he is loved. As Manning so poignantly affirms, God allowed a young Jew in the rags of his twenty-odd years, to listen to his heartbeat. It was in this experience that John discovered who he was and that Jesus the Great Rabbi loved him.

How do we then recover our passion?

“The recovery of passion begins with the recovery of my true self as the beloved. If I find Christ I will find myself and if I find my true self I will find Him. This is the goal and purpose of our lives. John did not believe that Jesus was the most important thing; he believed that Jesus was the only thing” (p. 97).

In order to have a passion for Jesus, we must be hungry for it.

There have been times when I preferred slivers of glass to the pearl of great price. B. Manning

The world offers many allurements, but we must not fall in their trap. Jesus is calling us. Only Jesus can give the peace we need—it is freely ours if we will rest in Him.

The paltriness of our lives is largely due to our fascination with the trinkets and trophies of the unreal world that is passing away…our capacity to be affected by Christ is numbed. B. Manning

Manning began this chapter with a story of a young Jewish boy who had been dedicated to the Lord by his parents. This boy was ensnared by the world, much like the prodigal son parable we know so well. The parents attempted, to no avail, to convince the boy to give up his ways. Their wisdom fell on deaf ears.

“But one great day the Great Rabbi visited the village and asked to be left alone with the boy. To leave their son alone with this lion of man terrified the parents, but they left him. He then picked up the boy and held him silently against his heart” (p. 95).

The next day, the boy began going to synagogue and allowing the Word of God to penetrate his heart. He grew up and helped many people. The end of the story and what the boy answered to the change in his life; touches my heart deeply:

Mordecai grew up to become a great man who helped many people. And when they came to him he said, “I first learned the Word of God when the Great Rabbi held me silently against his heart” (p. 95).

By this, we know we are the passion of Jesus, His heart beats for us. What then should our passion be? Maybe our passion is not what we do; maybe our passion is a person—Jesus Christ. Once we know deep down in our spirit that we are Jesus’ heartbeat and He is ours, and we rest a while longer on His breast, He will instruct us what to do. His passion will beat in our heart. If Jesus loves people—if they are His passion—they should be ours too. We will each have a different calling and assignment, but our passion should be the same.

Rest. Recline on the breast of Jesus and hear His heartbeat. It beats for you. You are loved.