Name the Name

 

32 Therefore whoever confesses Me before men, him I will also confess before My Father who is in heaven.

33 But whoever denies Me before men, him I will also deny before My Father who is in heaven.

     Matthew 10:32-33 (NKJV)

Christians who hold a Biblical worldview these days are often called deniers.  For example, we’re referred to as science deniers because we believe in creation rather than evolution. We also may be called deniers of other things that don’t go along with the world’s humanistic, godless agenda.  Such labels should not worry or distract us.  Instead, we should be concerned that we are not deniers of the Lord Jesus Christ. 

There can be outright denial, as Peter did three times.  Although the Lord was gracious to forgive and restore Peter after he repented, the experience was bitter for Peter.  Apparently, Peter’s denial was due to pressure and fear that if he were associated with Jesus, he too might have been arrested.  We must not let pressure and fear does not cause us to deny the Lord—either by express denial or even perhaps indirectly by avoiding the name Jesus. 

 

It can be confrontational to say Jesus because He is a “stone of stumbling and a rock of offense.” (1 Peter 2:8, NKJV)  Yet “there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.” (Acts 4:12, NKJV)  And no one comes to the Father except by Jesus. (John 14:6)  This exclusivity is offensive to some, but that must not deter us.  We must point people to Christ, not just God.  That’s not to say we can never use the name God or Lord, but we should be careful and examine our motives if we're avoiding the name of Jesus. 

 

In these "perilous times" we must not be ashamed to stand for Christ, we must not be afraid to name the name of Jesus, regardless of the cost to us.

Bigger Than That

 

On the way, Jesus told them, “Tonight all of you will desert me. For the Scriptures say,

‘God will strike the Shepherd,
    and the sheep of the flock will be scattered.’

But after I have been raised from the dead, I will go ahead of you to Galilee and meet you there.”

Peter declared, “Even if everyone else deserts you, I will never desert you.”

Jesus replied, “I tell you the truth, Peter—this very night, before the rooster crows, you will deny three times that you even know me.”  Matthew 26:31-34

A friend of mine was having some challenges a month ago.  They had lost their brother to cancer earlier in the week, and then a close nephew committed suicide a couple of days later.  I could see how grieved she was, and the pain was visible on her face.  I hugged to console her, and her reaction showed it was not only appreciated but also vastly needed.  I saw her again this past weekend still looking a bit pained but clearly in better spirits than last month.  It was then she revealed something disturbing.  It was the type of thing that I had previously disassociated from some people as it went against my values as a Christian.  I paused for a moment to reevaluate things.  Do I cut ties courteously?  Do I raise my deep concern as I inform them of my decision to distance myself from her?  I chose a different path.  I let her know I loved her and chose to remain friends without discussing it further.  We may discuss it one day in the future, but when we do, I decided we would remain friends.  The relationship was more valuable than the issue between us.  Some things are just bigger than others.

God’s love for us is far bigger than anything we may do to separate us from it.  My situation gave me fresh insight into the conversation between Peter and Jesus and Peter’s denial of Jesus.  In all my years of doing devotional writing, I never focused on this in part because it is showed an ugly part of the relationship between God and me.  Jesus knew His most loyal disciple, Peter, would betray Him.  As a person who is both loyal to and honest with my friends, this had to be the most difficult thing for Jesus to deal with.  Yet, Jesus loved Peter deeply, and would entrust Him to lead the new Christians as He ascended to Heaven.  Later of course, Peter, having realized the fulfilment of Jesus’s prediction, “went away , weeping bitterly.” (Matthew 26:75b)  Bitterly in this case is not meant with anger but instead spoke to its intensity.  This story is invaluable as we gain greater understanding of our own relationship with Christ.  Yes, we all fall short of God’s glory at some point and in some way.  Yet, He looks at us, and get this because here is the most valuable part of the story.  He not only loves us but also still asks do we love Him.  This is the epitome of God’s grace; His extending a hand to us even when we knowingly failed Him.

Jesus’s love for us is bigger than anything else.  He did not shy away from His crucifixion as payment for our sins.  He simply confirmed with God that it was His will praying, “My Father! If it is possible, let this cup of suffering be taken away from me. Yet I want your will to be done, not mine.” (Matthew 26:39b)  We were bigger to Him than His own life.  That’s how much He loves you.  How much do you acknowledge His love for you?  What will you do to depend your heart for Him today?  What relationship can you mend today that is bigger than what broke you apart?  My prayer is that we look to Jesus Christ realizing no matter how big our failures, His love for us is just bigger than that.  Amen.

Finding a Good Job

 The sheer volume of employment services, applications, and supporting services can be overwhelming. I used to be a pastor, and I was surprised about how many sites there were to help pastors find churches, and vise versa. There is an entire industry centered around finding qualified employees and jobs.

You would think that, with such a robust industry connecting people with places to work, there would be no jobless people. But just because jobs exist, doesn't mean finding a "good job" is easy.

I was recruited out of my first job with Thomson Reuters into my second. I didn't look for it, it found me. When that position was eliminated during a reorganization, finding a good job where I lived wasn't easy at all. Suddenly I was left with the challenge of finding any job. I love coffee, and wound up as a barista. From there I "graduated" to coffee roaster, a position I still hold with that company, even after I was rehired by Thomson Reuters.

So, good jobs aren't impossible to find, but they're not necessarily easy either. What if you were happily employed, family career, it paid well, your family was happy, and you were offered another job that would take you away from all that? It would depend on the job? Okay, how about one where you weren't paid much, you had to travel constantly, your employer had no home and had to live with you sometimes, dealt with crowds constantly becoming mobs, and your employer intentionally moved from publicly popular, to a social pariah? Sound like a great job? 

Well, what if you were given specific responsibilities, though, authority, actually. Like this:

Now Jesus went up the mountain and called for those he wanted, and they came to him.  He appointed twelve so that they would be with him and he could send them to preach and to have authority to cast out demons. (Mark 3:13-15 NET)

See, that sounds better, doesn't it? Can you imagine the "headhunter" pitching that job to someone? "You'll love it! It includes travel around Galilee, Phoenicia, Samaria, and Judea! There is public speaking involved, and you will be given the responsibility, with authority, to cast out demons! I mean, seriously, where could you find another opportunity like this?"

Let's just leave out the sleeplessness, missing meals, and crowd control duties. The authority to cast out demons! Who doesn't want that? It may sound great, but it does sort of make you a "first responder" of the spiritual type. And demons are no fun. Being a fireman or police officer may start to sound more appealing.

And let's not forget public speaking, that is one of the greatest fears of people in our society. Most people would rather die than speak in public. Isn't that awesome? No, not really at all.

So, proclaim that the Kingdom of God is at hand, cast out demons, and heal any disease as proof. That's the job if a disciple. Oh, and travel everywhere to do it. 

Jesus called a strange group of people. And He called them for a strange job. So, consider the power involved in carrying out that job. What has your Savior called you to do? Where has He called you to go? Notice that "He called for those He wanted." He had many to choose from, but He called these. And He calls you.

It may not be our dream job, but Kings rarely ask what we want. It may not seem possible, but it is our "Employer" who provides what is necessary. Our part is obedience, and confidence. It kind of gives me the willies.