Who do you identify with?

Would you risk your life and job to identify with a person who had been sentenced to the death penalty by your co-workers? Beyond just identifying with that person, would you and I go to the judge and beg for the person’s body so we could handle their burial?

That’s what Joseph of Arimathea did.

Matthew 27:57-60      ⁵⁷ As evening approached, there came a rich man from Arimathea, named Joseph, who had himself become a disciple of Jesus. ⁵⁸ Going to Pilate, he asked for Jesus’ body, and Pilate ordered that it be given to him. ⁵⁹ Joseph took the body, wrapped it in a clean linen cloth, ⁶⁰ and placed it in his own new tomb that he had cut out of the rock. He rolled a big stone in front of the entrance to the tomb and went away.

The book of Luke has a few more details:

Luke 23:50-52             ⁵⁰ Now there was a man named Joseph, a member of the Council, a good and upright man, ⁵¹ who had not consented to their decision and action. He came from the Judean town of Arimathea, and he himself was waiting for the kingdom of God. ⁵² Going to Pilate, he asked for Jesus’ body.

Joseph was one of the 70 members of the council, or Sanhedrin. They are the ones that arrested Jesus, tried him, and convinced the people and Pilate to have him crucified. Apparently, it wasn’t a unanimous vote. As Luke stated above, Joseph hadn’t consented to their decision. Instead of giving up, moving on, wallowing in his own sorrow, or thinking he couldn’t make a difference at that point, Joseph chose to identify with and serve Jesus (even after Jesus’ death at the hands of his own co-workers). In fact, Mark 15:43 says he “went boldly to Pilate and asked for Jesus’ body.”

Are you and I that bold?

Are you and I identified as followers of Christ?

How will you and I identify with and serve Christ this week, even when a situation seems hopeless?

Understanding Discipline

Remember how the Lord your God led you all the way in the wilderness these forty years, to humble and test you in order to know what was in your heart, whether or not you would keep his commands. He humbled you, causing you to hunger and then feeding you with manna, which neither you nor your ancestors had known, to teach you that man does not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord.  Your clothes did not wear out and your feet did not swell during these forty years.  Know then in your heart that as a man disciplines his son, so the Lord your God disciplines you.  Deuteronomy 8:2-5

The topic of corporal punishment has come up over the past week.  Many have questioned whether it is child abuse or not.  My belief is that it is necessary in certain situations.  No, I do not endorse any type of punishment that either injures or causes physical harm of children.  However as a parent who as a child saw other children that lacked responsibility and control when those forms of discipline were not in the household, one could understand why my view is what it is.  No matter which side your view on the topic might be, we all agree that in rearing children, discipline, corporal or not, is an absolute necessity.

This brings me to discuss how God disciplines us.  Just as we remember the discipline we were given by our parents to aid in our growth to becoming more responsible, God disciplines us for our spiritual growth.  There are numerous times I suffered at the hand of God’s discipline.  Poor choices led to feelings of emptiness or dealings with the consequences of those choices.  Often we live in the moment where we question God’s goodness when things are not going are way.  However, God always is faithful showing us love and protection not just in the moment but forever and always!  It is with this knowledge that Moses spoke to the Israelites as they were well into their long journey to the Promise Land.  We should embrace the Lord’s discipline the same way as Moses did; with understanding and appreciation that God loves us and does things on our behalf.

Discipline is hard.  No one wants to feel the stinging pain and heartfelt disappointment that comes with it.  However, true spiritual growth cannot happen without it.  While we should never look forward to it, we should be grateful that God loves us enough to deliver it and feel good knowing that both our faith in and relationship with God will be strengthened by the experience.  How can you be more accepting of the Lord’s discipline?  What spiritual growth can you recognize from past discipline?  My prayer is that we take the Lord’s discipline with clear knowledge of its necessity for our own spiritual growth.  Amen.

Tues Devo: Send in the backup!

Exodus 32: ”Now when the people saw that Moses delayed to come down from the mountain, the people assembled about Aaron and said to him, “Come, make us a god who will go before us; as for this Moses, the man who brought us up from the land of Egypt, we do not know what has become of him.” (NASB)

Hello,

As we come to football season, we come to the time in life where the backup quarterback is everyone’s favorite player! We don’t like what we see from the starter – performance is off, too slow to develop, doesn’t make smart decisions – and we are ready to pull them out and put in the backup. We don’t seem to have much patience for those out their performing. We have our way that we believe things should be happening –and anything less is assessed quickly and judged.

This is what Israel decided they wanted – but not only did they want the backup for Moses, but they wanted to fire the coach too! We have to stop measuring our satisfaction with God on terms related to human timetables. All that does is leave us frustrated. His timing is not ours. If God wants to move quickly, He will. If God wants to take more time, He will. That decision we are able to ask Him to change – but it is His decision. Just because He is not moving in the time or at the pace we would prefer doesn’t give us reason to look for the backup, or try to get the coach fired.

Have a blessed day,

Will Hill

Created for Holiness! (Part 7 of 7)

Hello Friends!

Welcome Back! Let’s conclude our exploration of the eternally important topic for the Christian Church today… HOLINESS!

Created for Holiness! (Part 7 of 7)

The Beauty of Humility

This is a beauty that cannot be duplicated in any other way. Not with shining youth, diamonds, clothing or make-up – but only by falling at the feet of Jesus Christ. You might say, “Well, I’m not Moses. He was special.” True. However, let me remind you of the words of our Savior:

 

Verily I say unto you, Among them that are born of women there hath not risen a greater than John the Baptist: notwithstanding he that is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he – Matthew 11:11

You see, according to Jesus, John was greater even than Moses. Yet, as members of the Kingdom, we Christians can be greater than he – we have our Master’s own Word on that. That is our potential!

 

We MUST lower ourselves in worship to RISE to HIS EXPECTATION!

 

Our nation – and the Body of Jesus Christ – are in crisis like never before. We must stand on the mighty promises of Jesus Christ and reach out to Him in faith and humble worship. Crying out for our congregations, America and the nation of Israel, we need to present ourselves before the Throne of Grace through the Almighty Holy Spirit lifting up our prayers up to heaven! 

 

In closing:

Remember, king David cried in humility and faith before fighting Goliath – the blasphemer of the Lord’s Mighty Name: 

 

Is there not a cause? – 1 Samuel 17:29

True worship means surrender through extreme faith! This is WAR dear friends!

Thank you for reading this series! May the Lord Jesus Christ continue to bless you with His perfect love, mercy and grace!

Keep looking up and sharing the Gospel while there is still time… Hallelujah and Maranatha – come quickly Lord Jesus!

Blessings!

Shane <><

Off Course

1. Then the Lord said to Moses, “Now you will see what I will do to Pharaoh: Because of my mighty hand he will let them go; because of my mighty hand he will drive them out of his country.” Exodus 6

God takes the credit here, but he's stating that not only will pharaoh let the Israelites go, but that pharaoh will drive them out of Egypt.  That's quite a turnaround!  There's a saying my mom said often to me growing up, "If you want to hear God laugh, tell him your plans."

Very true.

I planned to never get married or have kids.  I'm married and have one son.  I planned to get an engineering degree.  I got an accounting degree.  I planned to move out of Michigan as soon as I could.  I first got a job in Ann Arbor, and then after a few years my husband and I bought a house in Michigan.  Now, these were only the more recent and realistic plans.  If you would have asked me when I was younger, you would have gotten totally different ideas of what my future plans were.  The point is, circumstances change, and we need to accept these changes.  We all have free will, but God will put things in front of us that will cause our plans to change and veer off the course we had set.  

Pharaoh wanted to keep the Israelites in his service for as long as he was alive.  Yet he ends up kicking them out (and later regretting the decision).  Did circumstances change?  Absolutely.  Did he feel that there was no way out and no better option? Probably.  

All those bumps in the road are directly from God.  He's not doing it to spite you, he's doing it to help you to see the course he set for you.

Threatening God

Do you know people who say they don’t believe in God because He hasn’t proved Himself to them? Do they expect God to prove Himself according to their own terms?

Even during Jesus’ life, many people wanted Him to prove He was God according to their own terms.

Matthew 27:38-44      ³⁸ Two rebels were crucified with him, one on his right and one on his left. ³⁹ Those who passed by hurled insults at him, shaking their heads ⁴⁰ and saying, “You who are going to destroy the temple and build it in three days, save yourself! Come down from the cross, if you are the Son of God!” ⁴¹ In the same way the chief priests, the teachers of the law and the elders mocked him. ⁴² “He saved others,” they said, “but he can’t save himself! He’s the king of Israel! Let him come down now from the cross, and we will believe in him. ⁴³ He trusts in God. Let God rescue him now if he wants him, for he said, ‘I am the Son of God.’” ⁴⁴ In the same way the rebels who were crucified with him also heaped insults on him.

Jesus and God aren’t subject to our demands. They are our Creator and not the other way around. God can protect His own reputation however He chooses. God isn’t compelled to react to a human’s threat or bargain. 

The next time you and I hear someone threaten God or try to bargain with Him, what are some questions we could lovingly ask them without getting defensive or argumentative?

Some I thought of are to ask them if they even want to believe. If so, are they willing to look at the proof God has already given? If not, maybe it’s best we end the conversation for the time being. We can continue to pray for them and let them know that we are available should they sincerely want to consider the proofs of God in the future.

We’ll look at some of God’s unimaginable and supernatural proofs in the coming weeks!

Bad News & Good News

I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.  John 16:33

There’s good news, and then there’s bad news.  What’s bad news?  Remains of a twenty year old who disappeared in a small town community are found.  Ten different states report a mysterious virus that affects children, and they expect it to spread nationwide.  Football player is kicked off the team after video shows him striking his wife.  Children killed in their apartment home in what appears to be a gang related incident.  These are ‘bad’ news headlines from over the weekend.  Is there any wonder why people have grown so critical of the world we live in?  Why would anyone want to live in a world like this?  As Christians, one might wonder why would God put us here in such a place?  It is important that we remember that while the world we live in is not heaven, we are given this wonderful opportunity to share the message of Jesus Christ to others in this broken world.

The Good News of Jesus Christ is still the overwhelming message in a fallen world.  There are plenty things to complain about, and there are numerous worries which occupy our thoughts.  They chip away at our spiritual goodness to attempt disconnecting us from God.  However, the message of Jesus Christ is one that is encouraging, life changing, and reinvigorating.  We follow Him for He has overcome death and everything that the world could dish out.  The Good News is a reminder of who we belong to, and assurance amidst the constant negative messages the world sends.

Knowing Jesus Christ means to have peace when all those about you have chaos and comfort even in the most trying circumstances.  This is not a secret to be kept to ourselves.  It is to be shared to give others hope when all seems lost.  It is to remind them that there is God who loves and protects them.  For all the troublesome things that occur, we are to take heart because Jesus Christ has overcome all of it; past, present, and future.  How can you allow Jesus Christ to give you peace?  My prayer is that when we are inundated with bad news, we take heart in the Good News of Jesus Christ.  Amen.

Created for Holiness! (Part 6 of 7)

Hello Friends!

Welcome Back! Let’s continue our exploration of the eternally important topic for the Christian Church today… HOLINESS!

Created for Holiness! (Part 6 of 7)

Weaponized Worship!

Worship can be the most powerful form of spiritual warfare! However, there must be true humility, heartfelt prayer, utterly seeking His face and absolutely repenting from all forms of wicked, lawless behavior. No gyrations. No showmanship. Just utter sacrifice to and humility before HIM. There is an epidemic of lawlessness in the church that has allowed the world to turn IT upside down instead of the Biblical model of the church turning the world upside down:

 

But when they did not find them, they dragged Jason and some brethren to the rulers of the city, crying out, “These who have turned the world upside down have come here too – Acts 17:6

True worship involves the sacrifice – in deep, earnest faith – of that which is most dear to us: our sin nature. The world calls this EGO! We need to do whatever we can to remind ourselves that HE is Sovereign and we are His bondservants. Our natural man needs to submit itself utterly to the Will of Jesus Christ!

 

Sometimes, it also means the sacrifice of a frequent expression of our ego – our words. We need to spend time in worshipful awe before the Lord and let Him minister to us as He wills. Remember it is about HIM!

Please understand, we need to so passionately worship Jesus Christ that we are driven to our knees by His love and beauty. Humility is needed to destroy our sin nature. We must cling to His Word with all our strength and such fierce intensity and devotion that the character of our lives will be transformed and become as His Character!

 

Thus, when we go out into the world, He will be ever more united to our being as the source and foundation of all that we think and do. We cultivate His Spirit in our heart and soul to the degree that ultimately, we might think and desire nothing other than what the Holy Spirit would have us think and desire. When we make this kind of devotion and worship part of our daily practice we take spiritual warfare to new, unimagined levels! True, pure worship is the ultimate weapon in our spiritual arsenal. Of course, this purity does NOT come from ourselves – imperfect vessels. It comes from the Lord! When we finally surrender and permit the Most High to come and shatter our egos, true worship can come forth in earnest faith and true humility!

 

Archaeologists tell us the alabaster jar that held the ointment used to anoint Jesus’ head had to be BROKEN in order for the sacred oil to be released. If we intend to bless our Savior with the deepest “oil” of our worship, we need to be broken open by the Holy Spirit. We need to surrender and be poured out! In fact, Jesus told us to be the salt of the earth – making others thirsty for the Kingdom:

 

You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt loses its flavor, how shall it be seasoned? It is then good for nothing but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot by men – Matthew 5:13

The only way for our "salt" to keep its "flavor" is by being in complete submission to Jesus Christ through true worship.

 

Moses spent so much time with God, when he came back down the mountain his face glowed! We pray that all Believers would grow hungry for that kind of Divine intimacy – and spend so much time in the Word of God that their visage gleams with His glory!

 

Thank you for reading! Don’t miss next week’s final investigation of God’s HOLINESS!…

May the Lord Jesus Christ continue to bless you with His perfect love, mercy and grace!

Keep looking up and sharing the Gospel while there is still time… Hallelujah and Maranatha – come quickly Lord Jesus!

Blessings!

Shane <><

Hiding the True Source

5 Then Pharaoh said, “Look, the people of the land are now numerous, and you are stopping them from working.”  Exodus 5

Pharaoh didn't let the Israelites go, not without a fight at least.  Was he really that vindictive?  Did he hold a grudge against the Israelites?  The reason why he didn't want to let them go was simple - Pharaoh was greedy.  The Israelites gave him a huge work force to generate money, and also an army should the need arise.  Letting the people go, even for a few days as initially asked, was going to cut into his resources significantly.

We all sin, and have certain sins that we can fall prey to easier, however people around you may not know it.  They may see something else as your vice, and not the underlying root.  There's no hiding them from God, as I've brought up previously.

If you have something that you hide, or something that you shift the focus of your sin to something else so it doesn't seem so bad, don't.  Don't suffer alone and in silence.   If you need a person to talk to, find an accountability partner, someone who can help you to grow in your relationship with God as you go through this.  And don't forget that you should also turn to God, be open with him and trust that he will show you the way to fight that sin. 

Taking Ownership

I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.  The hired hand is not the shepherd and does not own the sheep. So when he sees the wolf coming, he abandons the sheep and runs away. Then the wolf attacks the flock and scatters it.  The man runs away because he is a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep. John 10:11-13

My family decided to take a short trip to Chick-fil-a the other day.  I admired how dedicated their staff was to making the experience a memorable one.  All of them were cheery, and they treated us like . . . well . . . family.  Yet, they are paid no different from other fast food employees, and while they are a Christian owned business, there are other faith based businesses that do not go the extra mile like they do.  So what’s the difference?  Maybe, they believe in something bigger than themselves.  They choose to take ownership for their customer’s experience.  That is far more memorable than the spicy chicken sandwich or the free drink refills.

We as Christians have to own our faith.  Today’s verses are not just about how much Jesus loves us.  It is also a challenge to us as followers of Christ.  We are to be people of deep faith that willfully depend on what God teaches when we are under attack.  We are not to be painted into corners by those who either focus exclusively on God’s law or disregard God altogether. Instead, we are to live with an understanding of the greatest commandment; to love God with all of our heart and to love our neighbors as we love ourselves (see Matthew 22:36-40).  Owning our faith means there are times we will not be popular and take stances others will not believe, but if we show God’s love through it all, we will be victorious for God's truth always wins in the end.

Believing in God is something bigger than us.  Jesus paid for our salvation in blood.  For that, we can choose to act like a hired hand and expect that He owes us something more, or we can go all out living for Him to make the world aware of His love, mercy, and wisdom.  Which would you choose?  How can you and I be more of an owner of our faith?  My prayer is that we truly take ownership of being faithful servants of God.  Amen.