Creation to Christ: Reading 54 – September 30, 2016 – 1 Corinthians 13, Love One Another

Today’s Reading

Context 

The "Love Chapter" is not about fluffy, sentimental love. It speaks of a gritty, sacrificial, action-oriented love - the kind Jesus Christ demonstrated when he lived on earth and laid down his life for us. He embodied love and we are called to live out that love.

Two things stand out to me. First, it is notable how much time Paul and the other NT writers devote to love, unity, and kindness within the Body of Christ.

Second, it is sad how quick we are to forget that, or to treat unity as an unnecessary option. "If he will agree with me, apologize to me, do things my way, we can have unity."

Based on the word of God, the division of the Body of Christ must break the heart of God and hinder the work of God in this world. 

Devotional - Life without Love

We live in a world of brutal hate. September 11. Al-Qaeda. Isis. A political season that has been more hateful than any I can remember. Every day we witness more atrocities, hear of more wars, read of more broken homes, broken lives, shootings, unspeakably cruel acts. We stand and shake our heads.

Our fleshly response is to fight fire with fire, and certainly we want our government to enforce justice in this world. But as Christians, we have different weapons with which to fight the spiritual fight in this world. 1 Corinthians 13 describes God's primary weapon - love. When the world rebelled against him and fought his Lordship, he responded with love. And in 1 Corinthians 13 he reminds us that no matter what we do in life, if our lives are not marked by love, they will matter for nothing.

The first three verses are amazing, when you think of what they assert are meaningless without love.

If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. 2 And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. 3 If I give away all I have, and if I deliver up my body to be burned, but have not love, I gain nothing.

The preceding chapter was a corrective about the Corinthians fascination with tongues and other spectacular gifts. But Paul says if you can display the most amazing spiritual giftings (speaking in the tongues of men and angels) but have not love, it's like a loud, annoying cymbal solo. Meaningless noise. If you have prophetic gifts and insights into all the mysteries of God, but you do not live in God's love, or if you have the faith to work miracles that would wow the world, but you do not love others, all your wisdom and all your miraculous power is in vain. Even if you give all your earthly goods away or become a martyr for Christ, but you do it out of selfish motives, not out of a love for Christ and others, there is no reward. All of this is empty and without value unless love is the motive.

The rest of the chapter goes on to define love as Christlike actions - patience, kindness, forgiveness - all those things that Christ did. When we live in Christ, his love works through us to change the lives around us. We can make more of an impact on the world through the love of Christ than in any other way.

We must remember a couple of things about this love. First, these descriptions are actions, not emotions. Our love is measured not by how we feel but by how we act. Second, the descriptions of love are essentially a non-specific biography of Jesus. Every word that describes love describes the life of Jesus. The definition of love is Jesus!

It behooves us to remember the words that Paul ended this chapter with - The greatest of these is love.

Father, may my life not be marked by wisdom or rhetoric alone, but by your love displayed to others day by day. 

Think and Pray

Is your life marked by the kind of self-sacrificial love that Paul describes?

Creation to Christ: Reading 53 – September 29, 2016 – Romans 8:1-17, Galatians 5:16-26 Life in the Spirit

Today’s Readings

Context 

The Holy Spirit is often the forgotten (or hidden) member of the Trinity in evangelical churches. We honor the Father and the Son but the Spirit scares us a little - some people do weird things and blame the Spirit. So, in certain evangelical circles you will hear little about the Spirit. But the work of the Spirit is essential. He is the one who applies the grace of Christ to our hearts and accomplishes that work within us.

In Romans 8, after the grand promise that there is no condemnation in Christ, Paul differentiates the life of the flesh and that of the Spirit. The Spirit life is vastly superior.

In Galatians 5, we see the works of the flesh contrasted to the fruit of the Spirit. "You know them by their fruit," Jesus said. Here, he spells out that fruit. In the ideal, every believer would walk in the Spirit and exhibit the fruit of the Spirit. However, as the admonition makes clear, we do not always walk in the Spirit and need to be faithful to walk in the fullness of the Spirit, evidencing the fruit of the Spirit. 

Devotional - The Flesh and the Spirit 

Paul articulates, in Galatians 5, the clear difference between walking in the flesh and walking in the Spirit of God. Those who have been redeemed are called to walk in the freedom of Christ and not under the power of the flesh.

In verse 1, Paul warns the Galatians against regressing from the high standing they have achieved by God's grace to a life lived by the works of the law and the slavery that brings. In verses 2-15, Paul explains the tragedy of such a choice - having experienced God's grace and then returning to walking in the flesh and living by works.

Then, in verses 16-24, Paul clearly differentiates the life of the flesh and the life of the Spirit. He begins with a warning against gratifying the desires of the flesh because they stand in opposition to the fruit of the Spirit.

Simply put, there is a clear and unmistakeable difference between how someone acts when they are walking in the flesh and walking in the Spirit. It's one or the other. Paul lists the things that mark those who are walking in the flesh.

Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. (19-21)

But the Spirit produces a different kind of fruit. 

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. (22-23)

Are you walking in the flesh or in the Spirit? It's not that hard to discern. If your life is marked by the behaviors on the first list, you are squandering the grace of God by walking in the power of the flesh, the old nature that Jesus died to defeat. If you are walking in the Spirit, your life will evidence love and joy and peace and all the rest. 

Father, may your Spirit produce fruit in my life, the fruit of Christ, that the works of the flesh might be destroyed. 

Think and Pray

Read through the list of the works of the flesh. In your life, your relationships, your online communications, do you exhibit them often?
Do people see the fruit of Christ's Spirit at work in you?

Creation to Christ: Reading 52 – September 28, 2016 – Romans 6:1-14 Dead to Sin, Alive to Christ

Today’s Reading

Context 

It is amazing how many ways people have found through the years to distort and pervert the teaching of the greatest truth ever - salvation by grace through faith in Jesus Christ. In Romans 6, Paul begins his teaching on "righteousness by faith" that would continue through chapter 7, dealing with the common objections to the teaching and excuses people might give for living shoddy lives after receiving God's grace.

There were groups in the First Century who made the argument that since forgiving sin brought glory to God, the more we sin the more glory we bring to God. Some groups practiced all forms of licentiousness and uncleanness as a part of their worship practices - all so they could magnify the grace of God.

I don't think most of us would go to that extent. But I heard today of a conversation between a couple of people who claimed to be Christians but who both lived in blatant and unrepentant sin. Another person, listening to their discussion, added, "God forgives." Yes, he does. But when we assume from that fact that our sin is meaningless, that it doesn't matter how we sin or how much, we insult the cross of Christ and pervert his grace. 

Devotional 

• I've been saved by grace so it really doesn't matter if I sin, right?
• Forgiving my sin brings glory to God, so I might as well sin so that he can be glorified in forgiving me, right?
• We aren't under the Old Testament Law anymore, right? So I can live any way that I please!

Every time I've ever done a baptism, I've quoted Romans 6:4.

Therefore we were buried with Him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, so we too may walk in a new way of life.

A new life - that's why Jesus saved me. I wasn't saved just so I could go to heaven one day when I die. I wasn't saved simply to forgive me of my wins and wipe them away. I was saved for these reasons, but also for more. Jesus died on the cross that I might die with him to my life of sin and be raised with him to a new life that is lived by new standards. A new life in Christ.

That's why Paul gives the answer he does when he asks the question in verse 1. Do we sin so that grace can abound? God forbid! By no means. Don't let such a thought even cross your minds. No way, Jose! It is absolutely unthinkable that a believer would embrace sin. We are not sinless, but the grace of Christ moves us to fight sin with every ounce of our redeemed bodies.

Since this is true, verses 12 and 13 explain clearly how we ought to live.

Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body, so that you obey its desires. And do not offer any parts of it to sin as weapons for unrighteousness. But as those who are alive from the dead, offer yourselves to God, and all the parts of yourselves to God as weapons for righteousness. 

Those who have been given a free salvation, won by Christ's work and not our own works, ought not to use that as an excuse to sin. We ought never allow sin to reign over us - Christ has broken its grip, its mastery over us - but instead we ought to offer ourselves completely to God and every part of our existence to him for his use.

It is the only fitting response to so great a salvation as ours.

Father, may I never treat your grace as an excuse to sin or an authorization for a spiritually sloppy life. Your son died and rose so that I could live a new life. May I see that more every day. 

Think and Pray

Are you ruled by Jesus Christ or by the sin that he died to free you from?

Creation to Christ: Reading 51 – September 27, 2016 – Romans 1:16-17, 3:21-31, A Righteousness by Faith

Today’s Readings

Context 

The most glaring break between the church and Judaism took place on the basis of the teaching Paul championed - salvation by grace through faith alone, apart from the works of the law. In Romans 1:16-17, Paul declares his passion for the gospel he preached, because it was the power of God to save everyone - Jew and Gentile alike.

Then, in Romans 1:18-3:20, he makes the clear case that all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. That is why we need a righteousness that comes from God and is by faith. In Romans 3:21-31, Paul introduces this new righteousness that is so different from that which comes from works, from the law. It flows from God, it is rooted in the righteousness of God, and it is appropriated by faith alone. Works have no part in salvation; they are a product of it.

Our text today tells us not only the effects of the gospel (Romans 1:16-17) but describes its nature and character.

It's greatness is seen in that it allows Christ to be both "just" and the "justifier." God cannot simply ignore sin - he had to deal with it. That is what Jesus did. He permanently and eternally dealt with human sin by paying its debt himself. By paying for our sins he could justify and save us while still satisfying God's righteous wrath against sin. 

Devotional - Boasting Prohibited

I can remember the bumper sticker clearly. "Proud to be a Christian." That is an oxymoron. You can be proud. And you can be Christian, but you cannot be both. A proper understanding of the gospel of Jesus Christ absolutely, totally and eternally precludes any boasting on my part. I understand that the person with the bumper sticker may have had something else in mind - that he was not ashamed of his (or her) faith, that he would not apologize for his convictions. Perhaps. But it is a crucial point. Pride is the opposite of Christianity!

Paul made this clear in Romans 3:27.

Where then is boasting? It is excluded. 

Paul devoted chapters 1-3 to stating our utterly helpless position before God. We have all sinned and are guilty, Jews and Greeks alike. And in verses 21-26 he spelled out the real theme of the entire book of Romans. Now, God has revealed to us a righteousness that is not based on our works, our ability to keep the Law, or our merit. It is now based on God's grace and comes to us by faith.

And that, Paul concludes, leaves no room for boasting. I am no better, no more worthy, in no better standing before God (on my own) than are the despicable sinners of this world. I am as incapable of saving myself as the lowest lowlife on the planet. Anything I might be, anything I might become, any merit or good in me is a product of the grace of God.

Boasting about it just makes no sense!

There is a great scene in Revelation in which the saints who have earned crowns come and lay them at the feet of Christ. How appropriate. My place in heaven was secured by Christ's death on the Cross, not anything I have done. It is the indwelling Holy Spirit who is at work to make me holy, to conform me to Christ. If anything good happens, it is the work of God and any rewards I might earn belong to him!

So, why wait? One day we will lay our crowns at the feet of Christ. Why not do so, at least symbolically, today? Humble yourself before the God and Heaven and thank him for all he has done for you. Give credit where credit is due. Thank him for everything!

Father, I am nothing without you. My soul is redeemed by the blood of your Son, my destiny is settled by his resurrection, my life is powered by your Spirit. It is all you, God. Forgive me for any moment when I have taken credit myself for the work that you have done. 

Think and Pray

Thank God for a salvation that is rooted in Christ's work, not your works.
Remember that the gospel holds the power of God to save and to transform. Never be afraid to proclaim Christ crucified and risen!

Creation to Christ: Reading 50 – September 26, 2016 – Romans 1:18-32, A Righteous Wrath

Today’s Reading

Context 

What is wrong with this world? Why do people make such foolish choices and do such self-destructive things? 

The only reason we are confused about this is that we haven't taken seriously the clear testimony of scripture, which tells us that the "god of his age has blinded the minds of unbelievers" and that the "heart is deceitful above all things." We live in a world dominated by the lies of Satan and enslaved to them.

The painful path of sin is marked out in Romans 1. This world is not as God created or intended, but our sin interfered. We humans "suppressed the truth" (verse 18) and embraced unrighteous living. Adam and Eve decided to reject the ways of God to turn to their own ways. It all began because human beings refused to worship God and instead exchanged the glory of God for the worship of idols made by human hands. In our supposed wisdom, we became a race of fools, abandoning God to follow our own paths of destruction. 

There is a course of judgment that follows this sin. God's first act of judgment is not Sodom and Gomorrah-style fire and brimstone, but he simply gives us over to our sinful ways. Every sin carries its own punishment, its own curse, its own consequences. You cannot play with the serpent without feeling its venomous bite. 

First, verse 24 says that God gave humanity over to sexual lust, to dishonor our bodies which were created to glorify God. Then, verse 26 describes the second step, when God gave humanity over to the perversion of homosexuality, to exchange what is normal for what is contrary to God's created order. Finally, verse 28 tells us that God gave society over to absolute depravity - giving a list of sins that looks like tomorrow's newspaper!

Paul concludes with the solemn and sad statement that these men and women know that the judgment of God is coming on such sin, but they do it anyway. 

What is wrong with this world? Simple. Sin. Rebellion against God. A world at war with its creator and rightful Lord. 

Devotional 

Do you believe the Bible? Really believe it?

If you do then there are some things that you know when you speak to someone that they might not even know and certainly will not admit, based on Romans 1. The person you are talking to may be a new age hippie, an angry atheist, a shrugging postmodernist, or a secularist unconcerned with spiritual things, but Paul says that there are several things about every person that are true. They may deny it, but on the authority of God's word, it is so. There are two truths that every person knows instinctively whether they admit it or not. They may suppress that truth, but deep down in the recesses of their hearts and minds, they know these things to be right.

First, according to Romans 1:20, every person knows that there is a Creator of this world, a God over all. People instinctively know that there is a God. Ever notice that the atheists are the ones having to convince people that there is no God? That is because people seeing a world like ours instinctively realize there is an intelligence, powerful force behind it. We try to convince ourselves that evolution can explain all the mysteries of the universe, but it falls dramatically short.

Of course, this truth is suppressed and people make the foolish, self-destructive choices laid out in Romans 1, but that does not change the fact that deep in the human heart there is a sense of God. It is not a saving knowledge of God that people have, but it is a knowledge of his existence and his sovereign power.

Second, according to verse 32, people have a sense of guilt. Psychologists act as if this is just a neuroses that we need to move beyond, a relic our religious upbringing, or some kind of personal hangup that needs to be overcome. But Paul says it is more simple. We feel guilty because...well...we are guilty. Our spirit inside knows that we deserve death because of our unrighteousness. There is some part of us that knows, as sinful as we are, that what we are is not what we are meant to be and how we are living is not how we are meant to live.

There is a God and we all have sinned against him. When you speak with someone, you can know that deep inside they know these truths. They may have suppressed them and will deny it, but that knowledge is there and the Spirit of God can use it to bring conviction and repentance as you proclaim Christ.

Our duty is to complete that knowledge with the saving truth that the God who exists sent his Son to die for the sins that cause our guilt.

Father, your Son took the sting from sin and death by his sacrifice. May we share that love with a world that need him and knows deep down that you ARE!

Think and Pray

Do you see the evidence of the suppression of truth and the stages of God's "giving them over" in the world around you?
Remember that though everyone deep down knows that there is a God and that they have sinned against him, they will only know of his saving grace if we share the gospel of Jesus Christ. 

Creation to Christ: Reading 49 – September 25, 2016 – Acts 13-14, To the Ends of the Earth

Today’s Readings

Context 

The great church at Antioch, the church God infused with a heart to break out of the Jerusalem, Judea and Samaria part, and get into the "to the ends of the earth" part of God's purpose of grace, dwas worshiping God when suddenly the Spirit of God spoke to them, clearly and specifically. He told them to set apart two men, Barnabas and Saul, for the mission work he had planned for them. They would be God's chosen servants to begin the worldwide spread of the gospel.

So, Barnabas and Saul, with Mark (for a while), headed off to the Galatians region to tell people about the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. They encountered some tough times, saw the powerful work of Christ, were opposed by the party of the circumcision who didn't like that Gentiles were coming to Christ and continued to break new ground in kingdom work. 

Devotional - Perseverance 

The most amazing thing about Paul's ministry was not the rhetorical force of his sermons or even the miracles that he performed. These were all impressive, but what leaps out is the perseverance he demonstrated in his work.

In his first missionary journey, he ran into trouble pretty much everywhere he went. He'd go into a city where no one had heard of Jesus, proclaim Christ, establish a church, then suffer a backlash from either the Jewish leaders or Gentile powers-that-were who found his ministry threatening. He'd leave that town (often with a lynch mob close behind) then move on to the next town where the cycle would start over again.

Time after time, city after city, Paul experienced opposition, insult and persecution, but he just kept going. He kept preaching, kept contending, kept serving, regardless of how much force the enemy brought against him.

I was especially struck with Acts 14:21-22. After Paul had been chased out of all of these towns, this is what he did.

After they had evangelized that town and made many disciples, they returned to Lystra, to Iconium, and to Antioch, strengthening the disciples by encouraging them to continue in the faith and by telling them, “It is necessary to pass through many troubles on our way into the kingdom of God.”

He went back. He returned to places that had run him off and continued to serve Jesus there. It is not accident that he taught the disciples that it was necessary to "pass through many troubles" in the service of Christ.

Perseverance is a key to successful ministry. It certainly was the key to Paul's. He committed himself to the service of Jesus Christ and when things got ugly, when things got hard, when people turned against him, when the forces of darkness were arrayed to stop him, he just kept on going.

Father, may I be one who perseveres in your service!

Think and Pray

Do you give up when you are opposed, when things don't go your way?
Remind yourself that every work of God is opposed and that if you are doing God's work you will receive opposition. Expect.it.

Creation to Christ: Reading 48 – September 24, 2016 – Acts 8:1-4, Acts 11 The Jerusalem Problem

Today’s Readings

Context 

In the Great Commission, Jesus told the disciples to go and to make disciples of all nations. In Acts 1:8 he made it clear that they would be witnesses in Jerusalem - their home, the city they lived in. They would also be witnesses in Judea and Samaria - the ancient nation of Israel, their own country.  But Jesus also told them that they were to be witnesses to the ends of the earth.

There was one problem with being witnesses to the ends of the earth - the people at the ends of the earth were Gentiles and they just didn't care much about them.

God sent Jesus to the cross to redeem individuals. He loves each of us individually so much he gave his Son to die for us. But the Bible also tells us that God sent Jesus to redeem One Body out of all the nations on earth. Rev 5:9-10 records the song of praise of the 24 elders - representing the church.

"Worthy are you to take the scroll    and to open its seals,for you were slain, and by your blood you ransomed people for God    from every tribe and language and people and nation,and you have made them a kingdom and priests to our God,    and they shall reign on the earth.”

Jesus will receive heavenly praise for ransoming a people from every tribe and language and people and nation on earth and uniting them into one "kingdom." 

The problem is that even the newly empowered Apostles didn't seem to catch the heart of God for the people of the whole world. Acts shows their sacrifice and bold testimony among the Jews, but they never made even the smallest effort to reach beyond their city. 

God allowed persecution in Jerusalem that scattered the church into Samaria, through Philip. Then he saved Saul of Tarsus and called him to be an Apostle to the Gentiles and raised up the church in Antioch to be the sending church. Even then, those in Jerusalem often resisted the spread of the gospel among the Gentiles. 

The lesson here? It is the easiest thing, even for godly, Christ-loving, Jesus-devoted, gospel-faithful people to develop an inward focus. Even the great Jerusalem church fell prey to it and God had to take extreme measures to break down the barriers and take the gospel to the ends of the earth. 

God loves America and he loves Americans. But he loves the world just as much - Russians, Chinese, Africans. And Muslims. Yes, God loves Muslims as much as he loves Americans. The early church allowed its prejudice to overwhelm its godly purpose. We must never allow that. We must never allow racial or political prejudice to interfere with the purposes of God in Jesus Christ - to use us to be witness not only in Jerusalem and in Judea and Samaria, but to the ends of the earth. 

Devotional  - For Me and Mine

"I've got to do for me and mine."

Those are the words that are repeated in that great cinematic classic, "O Brother, Where Art Thou?" It reveals the unfortunate heart that so many, even those in the church have; an unfortunate attitude that assumes that while God loves everyone, we are his favorites! He loves us (white?) Americans just a little more than he loves anyone else.

Have you ever read a passage of scripture for the 100th time and then seen something you had never seen before? I don't know exactly how many times I'd read Acts 11, but it had likely been dozens of times. I've read it, studied it, and preached it. But recently as I was studying it again I noticed verse 19 for the very first time. I don't know if someone just added that verse recently or if I'd just missed it before.

Now those who were scattered because of the persecution that arose over Stephen traveled as far as Phoenicia and Cyprus and Antioch, speaking the word to no one except Jews.

The believers scattered in Acts 8, after Stephen was stoned to death, scattered and shared the gospel. I knew that part. I'd preach about that. "From great persecution came the spread of the gospel." But what I'd never noticed were the last five words of that passage. 

"...to no one except Jews." 

Jesus couldn't have been clearer that the gospel was for the world. His command in the Great Commission was plain and his purpose in Acts 1:8 could not have been clearer - "...to the ends of the earth." The gospel was meant to go everywhere and be preached to everyone. Jew. Gentile. Man. Woman. Rich. Poor. Slave. Free. Everyone. They got most of that in the early church, but they absolutely ignored the part about "to the ends of the earth." Even when they were kicked out of the city of Jerusalem by persecution and they went out to share the gospel, they only went and told their countrymen, their fellow Jews. 

The fact that the Gentiles were dying without Christ and they couldn't care less. Their hearts were passionate that all of the JEWS would come to Christ. The Gentiles could just go to hell. Literally. How could someone love Jesus that much and yet not care that Gentiles were without Christ? It is one of the great mysteries of Christian history. 

Racism is absolutely contrary to Christianity. Jesus died to break down racial barriers and to unite us in one church, in one Body. Racism, discrimination, segregation - they divide what Christ has united and it is an insult to the Cross, an offense to the Blood of Christ. 

• When we are content to stay in our little circle of friends and family and ignore the lostness of the world, we offend the blood of Christ. 
• When we fail to care about the lost and dying world, we offend the blood of Christ. 
• When we look at people as worthless, useless, or beyond redemption, we offend the blood of Christ. 
• When we care more about the death and destruction of Muslims than their salvation, we offend the blood of Christ. 
• When we judge other races as less worthy or valuable, we offend the blood of Christ. 
• When we advocate racial superiority we offend the blood of Christ. 

Jesus died to redeem individuals. 

He also died to tear down human walls and bring those individuals into one body, united in grace. 

Father, help me to be faithful to your Great Commission and the purposes you established in Acts 1:8....to the ends of the earth!

Think and Pray

Are you fully invested in God's mission to bring Christ's name to the ends of the earth?
Is your life a part of God's great worldwide purpose? 

Creation to Christ: Reading 47 – September 23, 2016 – Acts 2, Pentecostal Power

Today’s Readings

Context 

This is the birthday of the church of Jesus Christ, as the promised and long-awaited Spirit came on the church in the Upper Room and everything changed. The disciples suddenly were transformed to become the greatest missionary force in world history.

It is interesting to note that they spent over 3 years with Jesus and did not understand. They didn't get it. They loved Jesus and were willing to leave all to follow him, but they could not do what they should, understand what they were taught, or know the power of Christ they saw. '

But suddenly at Pentecost the Spirit of God entered them and the words of Jesus came true. "It is better for you if I go away," he said. When he went away the Spirit would come and things would be better.

The Spirit of God in us is better even that Jesus with us. It is hard to believe, but Jesus said it and the facts bore it out. Jesus is the Savior and Lord we love, but it is the inner work of the Spirit who helps us experience Christ and understand what he is doing in us. 

Devotional - One Thing Changed 

Let me introduce you to two groups of men.

The Twelve Disciples

If a corporate analyst had presented a report on Jesus’ “organization” in the early days, it would have included a scathing section on the leadership selection and training process. Jesus selected twelve men to live with him, walk with him, learn from him and lead when he was gone, and for the entire time he was with them, there is no evidence that any of them ever got much of anything right. They were low-class fishermen, tax collectors, and political radicals.

And they were the spiritual equivalent of the Keystone Cops, or perhaps the Twelve Stooges – good-hearted and sincere, but incompetent. They bumbled and stumbled their way through the ministry of Jesus Christ. Their de facto leader, Peter, spent most of those days with his size 12 sandal firmly in his mouth.

Read the gospel stories. I love Matthew 16:5-7. Jesus warns the disciples against the leaven of the Pharisees and the Sadducees, and they put their heads together, worried because they had forgotten t bring bread. They never got it. Jesus clearly predicted his death and resurrection, but it took them by surprise. Peter actually tried to stop the crucifixion by taking up a sword and lopping off a servant’s ear.

Jesus surrounded himself with confused, slow-on-the-uptake bozos who never understood what he was saying and who always seemed to do the wrong thing. The only thing they did right was devote themselves to Jesus.

The Twelve Apostles

Then, there is a second group of men. They, like the first group of men, were unlearned and ignorant, but committed to Jesus. But this group of men, called Apostles, turned the world upside down in a generation. They were men of wisdom and insight, who understood the message of Christ and proclaimed it clearly. Within about 35 years, they took the gospel throughout most of the Roman Empire. They wrote letters that are still devoured today for their spiritual truth.

Their leader stood before a crowd of people and proclaimed the mysteries of Christ and 3000 souls entered the Kingdom. A sermon like no other.

Two Truths

Two groups of men who were nothing alike. I would make two observations about them.

1) They were the same men. Well, Judas checked out and was replaced, but by and large, these were the same men. Peter was still Peter but he was a completely different man. John and James had not been replaced, but they had been unalterably altered.

2) Only one thing changed. As best I can tell, only one thing happened to turn the disciples into apostles. One. They did not go to seminary and get an advanced degree in systematic theology. They did not get a box with a new video curriculum from Lifeway that was going to revolutionize their ministry. They had no revelation about a new theology.

And they turned the world upside down.

Why? Because Jesus baptized them in the Holy Spirit and fire, just as John had predicted. That was the only discernible difference between the two groups. The fullness of the Holy Spirit. Jesus told them to wait until they were endued with power from on high. The Holy Spirit came on them, they were filled with the Spirit and power and nothing was ever the same again.

The disciples never understood anything. The apostles understood the deep things of God. The disciples were confused about the purposes of God. The apostles understood God’s agenda and served it. The disciples struggled for supremacy and greatness. The apostles laid down their lives for Christ and for others in Christ’s name. The disciples were timid and afraid. The apostles were bold and powerful. The disciples failed in much of what they did. The Apostles succeeded in doing God’s work.

We now have the Holy Spirit dwelling in us. We have access to all the riches of Christ, the wisdom of Christ, the power of Christ, and the presence of Christ – all because of the work of the Spirit within.

Spirit of the Living God, fall fresh on me. Spirit of the Living God, fall fresh on me. Break me, melt me, mold me, fill me. Spirit of the Living God, fall fresh on me.  

Think and Pray

How is the Spairit working in your life? What changes is he making?
How have you been transformed since your salvation?

Creation to Christ: Reading 46 – September 22, 2016 – Matthew 28:16-20, Acts 1:4-11 Final Instructions

Today’s Readings

Context 

A man's last words are often imbued with significance, power, and great impact. Jesus' are among the greatest of all. He spoke to his disciples and gave what is known as the Great Commission and then just before he ascended into heaven he gave his final words, promising the coming of the Spirit's power.

The Great Commission sets the marching orders for the church, putting before us our duty to go into all the world and teach people to follow Christ. It also promises us the one thing that God consistently promised to those he sent on overwhelming tasks. "I am with you." We must go into this sinful world with only the promise that he will go with us.

In Acts 1, we see that Jesus' disciples were still not getting it. They were still expecting him to "restore the kingdom" - to set up an earthly kingdom, throw off Rome and establish himself as king (with them, of course, as his chief men). Nothing he taught them seemed to sink in, so he told them to do the one thing that would make a difference - to wait in Jerusalem until the Spirit came upon them. As soon as the Spirit fell, they understood and became powerful servants of Christ. 

Devotional - Gospel Warrants

"But, I don't believe in Jesus."
"That may be your truth, but it is not my truth."

We live in a subjective world. Truth is judged from my own perspective. What I think is right is right and what I think is wrong is wrong. The greatest wrong, in our world, is to try to impose our own reality or convictions on another. Who am I to tell you what is right for you, after all?

But Jesus blew the concept of relative truth and subjective reality out of the water when he told his disciples, in Matthew 28:18, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me." Jesus died for our sins and purchased us with his blood. He then rose up from the dead as Lord over all the earth. Philippians 2 tells us that "God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name." At that name that was give to Jesus, "every knee will bow and every tongue confess..."

Jesus is Lord, the rightful boss, ruler, sovereign, the king over this world. He has the absolute right to rule over my life and yours. I don't get to choose a way; you don't get to choose a way. Jesus is the way. I don't get to define truth for myself and you don't get to decide for yourself what truth is. Jesus is truth. You do not have the right to make your life what you want it to be and I don't have the right to run my own life as I see fit. Jesus is life and he won the right to rule our lives when he died and rose from the dead to give us new and eternal lives. Jesus is Lord.

When a police officer has a warrant, he has the full weight and authority of the government behind him. He has the right to do what he does because the government has told him to do so. Search your house? If the warrant tells him to. Break down your door? If the warrant allows it. Take you into custody? If that is what the warrant says. The representative can do what the warrant authorizes him to do.

You and I have a warrant, a gospel warrant. If I encounter someone who does not believe in God, or does not accept our faith, or believes that all religions are equally true, does that stymie me? Does that prevent me from telling God's truth? It should not. I have a duly authorized warrant for the spiritual arrest of sinners. "All authority has been given to me," Jesus said. Then he told us to go and to proclaim the truth about him and to make disciples, to call people who are living in sin to follow him. We do not coerce sinners, or cajole them, or manipulate them. No. But we can and we do preach truth to them - regardless of their response or their attitude toward Christ.

We do not need permission to proclaim Christ. We have government warrants - from the ruler of the entire universe. He has authorized us to tell sinners that Jesus is Lord, that he paid for their sins, and that there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.

Stop apologizing. Stop hemming and hawing. And for the love of Jesus Christ, start going and start proclaiming!

Father, may I, may we, use the great authority you have given us and exalt Christ, proclaiming the truth of Christ's death and resurrection to a lost and needy world. 

Think and Pray

Do you walk in fear in this world, or in the confidence of Christ, remembering that you have gospel warrants to preach Christ?
Consider the commands of Christ in these passages. Are you living out these claims? 

Creation to Christ: Reading 45 – September 21, 2016 – Luke 24, Jesus Rises Again

Today’s Readings

Context 

As the crucifixion began the ultimate showdown and changed the course of world history, the resurrection was culminating the process. It demonstrated the pleasure of God on the sacrifice of Christ, his acceptance o Christ's payment for our sins. Everything in our lives and in this world changes because Jesus rose from the dead. 

Devotional - The Resurrection Changes EVERYTHING!

Consider the sadness the three ladies felt as they made their way to the tomb. Jesus had more than just the Twelve following him; there were several women who had joined his cause and were devoted to him. These were some of that group. The two Marys and Salome headed to the tomb early on Sunday morning, likely to do what they had not been able to do after Jesus' death - clean and prepare Jesus' body for his burial. They had a pure and holy love for him and were determined to perform this one last act of service to the One for whom they grieved.

But they got to the tomb and something was not right. The stone was gone and no one was there guarding it. They walked into the tomb and saw a young man in a white robe sitting on a stone slab to the right.

He is not here. He has risen! (Luke 24:6)

Everything was changed. Jesus had done many wondrous things in his life, and these women had witnessed many of them. But this was the greatest act of all. To conquer sickness and disease is impressive, but to defeat death itself, to break those iron bonds and rise again - that is beyond words!  What glory! What power!

And the fact of the resurrection changed everything. They went to the tomb with broken hearts, but they left rejoicing. They went in defeat and left in victory. Jesus altered everything from history itself to the course of these three women's hearts. 

Everything changed because Jesus rose from the dead. You and I were sinners, condemned before God and awaiting an eternal hell, without hope. But Jesus rose again. Because Jesus rose, you have hope today; an eternal, unending and glorious hope! This world is scary and sinful. But Jesus rose again. One day, Jesus will rule this world in an awesome peace and all will be well. You struggle with sin today and sometimes you feel that it will never change. But Jesus rose from the dead. He will raise you up and utterly redeem you from your sin. If death could not conquer him nothing can stop him. Perhaps your days are hard and sad and joyless, but Jesus rose from the dead. He can sustain you with his joy and power whatever this world throws at you. 

We sometimes forget the second half of the crucifixion equation. Jesus died for our sins. Amen. Glory, hallelujah!  And we were crucified with Christ. We die to self daily. We were buried with Christ by baptism into death. But that is only half of the story. 

Jesus rose from the dead. "He is not here. He is risen!" He was raised to a new life, a glorified body. But do not forget the second half of the baptismal verse. Yes, we were buried with Christ by baptism into death. But we were also "raised to walk a new life in him." We have been crucified with Christ, yes. "Nevertheless I live, yet not I, but Christ lives in me." 

When we died with Christ we were born again to a new life. We became new creations. We have not experienced fully the glory that will be ours in heaven one day, but we are the dwelling of God. We display his glory. 

Oh, my friend, things may look bad, but Jesus is alive and you have been raised with him to a life of glory and power. Do not despair. Do not give up. Do not be downcast Do not be stressed out. Jesus is alive!

Father, you raised Jesus from the dead and you raised me with him. I thank you for the life you gave me in Christ, a new life of joy, power, peace and eternal significance. I rejoice in him, in your Son, my Savior. 

Think and Pray

Consider this - what in your life is different because Jesus rose from the dead? Everything should be, but what is? 

Creation to Christ: Reading 44 – September 20, 2016 – Luke 23, (Also Matthew 27:27-68) Jesus is Crucified

Today’s Readings

Context 

We live in a world of illusion. Think about Jesus as he stood before Pilate, in Luke 23:1-5, and before Herod in Luke 23:6-13. These were powerful men and Jesus was a prisoner, a pauper, seemingly under their thumb.

Consider what everyone else thought as Jesus stood before Pilate, thinking that Pilate held Jesus' life in his hands. People stood there wondering what Pilate was going to do with Jesus, what decision he would make. Jesus was at the mercy of the Roman governor - so thought everyone who was there that day.

But that was nothing but an illusion. Pilate was not running the show that day. Satan moved in hearts and tried to destroy Jesus, but he was not in charge. Evil men did evil things, but the religious leaders were not dictating the course of events. Despite appearances, nobody was doing anything to Jesus. He was doing as he willed, according to the Father's plan devised in eternity past for the redemption of man. God was doing what he purposed to do.

That is the illusion we live with. It appears that evil men are doing evil things and that the purposes of God are threatened. Nothing could be further from the truth. God is still on the throne. Does it seem like things are so bad that nothing good can come from them? That is an illusion. Do you feel abandoned by God? It's not real. Does it seem certain that evil will prevail and the cause of righteousness be defeated in this world? A mirage in the desert. That is not reality.

It is crucial to remember at all times in the crucifixion story that Jesus was NOT a victim, but he was the prime mover. This was something Jesus DID, not something that was DONE TO HIM. He made it clear to Pilate and it is something that each of us should remember. 

God did this. Jesus submitted to this. We are saved because of it. Satan was defeated by it. 

Devotional - The Darkest Day

The land was dark, a darkness that settled in and did not go away for hours on end. This was no ordinary darkness. It wasn't nighttime; it was noon, one, two, three. There was no eclipse or severe cloud cover. This was a divine darkness, the darkness of judgment. Jesus was on the Cross bearing the sins of the world and the wrath of God poured out on him darkened the world. At the climax of the eternal crisis, Jesus called out the opening words of Psalm 22, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?"  They gave him a sponge with sour wine, then he cried out with a loud voice (we know from John that he spoke the glorious words "It is finished") and then Jesus died.

Tragic. Awful. Brutal. The worst moment in human history as the Son of God dies under the hand of God's judgment. But it was also the turning point of time, the moment when sin died and hope began. The story doesn't completely turn around until the glorious moment three days later when Jesus rises from the dead, but there are immediate hints that this death is a turning point.

First, and perhaps most significantly, the curtain of the temple is torn in two - and the tear comes from top to bottom (Mt 27:51). The curtain symbolized the separation between God and man that our sin created. Only the high priest, once a year, could enter the holy of holies with the blood of the sacrifice to be in God's presence. The curtain prevented anyone else from enjoying God's glorious presence. Not anymore. Jesus died once for all and tore that thing down! From God's end! Our sin no longer separates us from the presence of God when we come to God through Christ.

Second, even though the resurrection had not happened yet, there was a little foreshadowing of what was to come as dead saints came to life and entered the city (Mt 27:52-53). That must have been quite a night of both celebration and fear!

Finally, there was a recognition of Jesus' nature from an unlikely source, a Roman centurion (Mt. 27:54). Having observed Jesus on the Cross for all of those hours, having seen the darkness fall, having experienced the earthquake and perhaps just being in the presence of one of the greatest moment in world history, the centurion and those with him remark, "Truly, this was the Son of God."

They took Jesus away and prepared him for burial and the Romans put a guard at the tomb, but nothing could stop what God was about to do. Jesus died for our sins and this world would never be the same. Sin has been defeated and the sting of death is removed. The curtain is gone and sinners like you and me can enter the presence of Almighty God.

The day may have been dark in Jerusalem, but in reality, it was the end of darkness for those who believe in Jesus Christ!

Father, I thank you for all that happened there that day. Jesus bore my sins and tore down the curtain that separated me from you and your glory. Thank you for your power and mercy and hope. 

Think and Pray

There is little you can do but read, grieve, and rejoice as you think of the great work of Christ on the cross.
Repent of your sin today.
Rejoice in your salvation.
Recommit yourself to Christ and his Lordship.

Creation to Christ: Reading 43 – September 19, 2016 – Luke 22:14-23, 1 Corinthians 11: 17-34, The Lord’s Supper

Today’s Readings

Context 

A few days ago, we read in Jeremiah 31 of the New Covenant God promised to Israel. Here, Jesus instituted a new covenant with his disciples, the great reminder of what he would go through the next day. The church was to take the bread and the cup as a memorial of the Body and Blood of Christ. 

Devotional - The Unworthy Worthy

There is one very important word in the passage on the Lord's Supper, 1 Corinthians 11:17-34, a single word that changes everything. Verse 27 gives this warning:

Whoever, therefore, eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty concerning the body and blood of the Lord.

Imagine a small change to that verse. It says that we must observe the supper in a "worthy manner" (well, not in an unworthy manner - same thing). Imagine that the word "manner" was missing and it just said that we had to be worthy to receive the supper. I'd be in trouble, how about you? Go ahead, you can admit it. You would never be worthy of God's grace and neither would I. 

We don't have to be. We do not have to be worthy of the supper, but simply have to observe it in a worthy manner. What is that? It has nothing to do with how the supper is served or any words we intone or any such logistical or liturgical matters. It has to do with our hearts. 

There are two things we must do to honor Christ and celebrate the supper the right way, in a worthy manner. First, we must remember the death of Christ and honor the meaning of cross. We must be reflective, worshipful, both introspective and celebratory as we think about the fact that Christ bore our sins in his body and washed them away in his blood. But this is the part we sometimes forget. Christ did not simply die for millions of individuals but for ONE BODY, the church. He didn't just die for me, he died for us. If I celebrate the Lord's Supper as simply a time for personal worship and introspection without giving proper thought to the Body of Christ, I've not celebrated the work of Christ properly. 

We must consider both the work of Christ at the cross for our sins and his work for us, the Body. We must give thought to Christ and to his church. 

Father, I thank you for your Son's sacrificial work on the cross and for the Body he purchased with that death. May I give proper regard to both. 

Think and Pray

You will never be worthy of salvation, and yet through Christ you may observe the Lord's supper in a worthy manner. Give thanks to God for that.
Are you observing the supper in a worthy manner - examining yourself and your relationship with the Body of Christ? 

Creation to Christ: Reading 42 – September 18, 2016 – Matthew 21, An Offer Refused

Today’s Readings

Context 

It had been over 500 years since the prophet Zechariah had delivered his prophecy that the king would come riding in humility into Jerusalem on a donkey. (Zechariah 9:9) Now, Jesus rode into the city as a direct fulfillment of that prophecy with crowds lining the path and crying out "Hosanna. Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord."

Israel's king had come. But how would they respond? Matthew 21 is actually part of a larger section which goes through chapter 23. In it, Jesus cleanses the Temple, curses the fig tree, battles the Pharisees, and gives a lament over Jerusalem. Listen to that lament.

O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to it! How often would I have gathered your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you were not willing! 38 See, your house is left to you desolate. 39 For I tell you, you will not see me again, until you say, ‘Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.’”Matthew 23:37-39

Look at that closing phrase. When Jesus entered the city, they chanted, "Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord." But it became clear that Jerusalem was rejecting its king and would not accept him - right up to the fateful moment they chose Barabbas and he was sentenced to die. Here, Jesus says they will not see him again until the city says what was said by those who accompanied him on the way in - "Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord." Same phrase. They rejected him and that must one day be corrected. 

It will be, in the day, but that's for the future!

Devotional - The Whole City Was Stirred

Jerusalem was a big city, but this had everyone talking. Something big was happening and people were wondering what was going on. The crowd came over the rise on the Mt. of Olives and was walking down the steep hill toward the gate to enter the city. One man was on a donkey while the rest of the crowd was chanting, "Hosanna. Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord." As the crowd approached the city it is likely that others joined the group. People were laying palms and placing their cloaks before the path of the animal with the rider.

Who is that and what is going on?

The praise and worship of the disciples of Jesus Christ stirred up the entire city. Can you imagine? The hottest news in town was the worship of the people of God? Not a protest or press conference. Just praise. The loud and raucous praise of Jesus Christ swelled up to the point where everyone in Jerusalem was drawn to inquire.

And they responded by declaring that it was Jesus of Nazareth entering Jerusalem. They proclaimed Jesus. Yes, it's a stretch to call that evangelism - these people thought Jesus was coming into Jerusalem to take the reins of government not to lay down his life to establish the invisible Kingdom of God. But they praised Jesus and then they proclaimed Jesus.

Wouldn't it be great if our lives were so filled with joy and praise that people would be drawn to inquire, "What is going on here?" Wouldn't it be great if there was such joy, such spiritual power, such an evident sense of the presence and power of God at our worship services that people were drawn toward Jesus?

Our lives are meant to be the primary advertisement for the gospel. People should see Jesus in us, displaying his power through us and be drawn to Christ. "I want what you have." That is why we must seek Christ, be renewed, and purified. Jesus' glory must shine through us.

Father, may the light of Christ shine through me. May his joy bubble up through me. May I be holy as you are holy. May the world see you through me and be drawn to you. 

Think and Pray

Does your life shout Jesus to the world?
When people take a long hard look at you, are they attracted to Jesus or do they see the works of the flesh? 

Creation to Christ: Reading 41 – September 17, 2016 – John 3, Born from Above

Today’s Readings

Context 

If there is one verse in all the Bible known more universally than John 3:16, I can't imagine what it is. God loved the world and gave his Son that those who believe would have eternal life.

This great truth is part of an exchange between Jesus and Nicodemus, a Pharisee. Evidently not all those who were part of the religion of the day stood in opposition to Jesus. Some, like our Nicodemus, were seekers, inquirers, interested in finding truth. Jesus always gave frustrating answers to those who looked to confound him, but to those who came to him in sincerity he gave sincere answers.

But those answers sometimes were as indecipherable as the riddles he told his enemies. "You must be born again." Those famous (infamous?) words were a simple explanation to Nicodemus about what Jesus came to do, but in his natural state there was no way that he could grasp the meaning. Born again, or to be more precise, born from above. Jesus did not come to reform human institutions, to make human religion better, or to simply show us a better way. He came to give new life. As we were born physically we would now be born spiritually. Those born spiritually would be the ones to receive eternal life. We know that Nicodemus assisted in the burial of Jesus, and church tradition says that he was a follower of Christ, but we will have to await heaven's clarity to know for sure.

The second half of the chapter serves the same purpose but from a different source. As Jesus explained his purposes to Nicodemus, so John clarified to his disciples that Jesus must increase in prominence and he must decrease. 

Devotional - The Greatest Miracle

Nicodemus was no idiot. He was one of the scholars of Israel, a man of learning and wisdom. The people of God's Chosen Nation would come to him for advice and insight into the ways of God, into the things of the Law. But the simplest truth of God he could not understand.

You must be born again. 

The best and the brightest in this world do not get it. They look at the gospel and dismiss it as silly. I'm not so bad. I don't need someone to die for me, to pay for my sins. And, "born again?" That's just silly. Even the most intelligent people, in their natural condition, cannot grasp the simple truths of redemption.

That is because salvation does not start with a concept or that theological idea. It starts with a miraculous work of God. God's act of salvation is not to convince us of certain truths or to motivate us to certain actions. It is to raise the dead. We were born in sin and under God's judgment because of it. The Bible describes us as dead in our trespasses and sin. Dead. Helpless. Unable to fix what is wrong. So, God did what was needed. He gave us new life. A new birth. A birth from above (that's what "again" really means - "from above").

Salvation is not intellectual or emotional, it is divine and miraculous. It starts with God's great creative act. We become new creations. "The old is gone; the new has come."

That is why Paul reminds us over and again that pride has no place among the redeemed. We are not better or smarter or stronger than the lost. We are simply the recipients of God's grace. And there are only two responses that are appropriate to those who have been give a new birth in Christ.

• First, we must devote our lives to gratitude. If I spent every moment of the rest of my life giving thanks to God for all he has done for me, it would only scratch the surface of the gratitude the Savior is owed. Human words are inadequate to thank God for his amazing grace. 
• Second, we must proclaim the grace of God to the world. The world must know that Jesus Christ saves and that he gives new life to those who believe. In fact, the best way that we can give praise to God and show gratitude to Christ is to tell the world about the salvation Christ gives. 

It is never enough to be born in a Christian home, to attend church, or to be part of a Christian community. Jesus said we MUST be born again. There is no Christianity without Christ's miraculous work, without the new birth.


Think and Pray

Give thanks to God for his amazing grace.
Can you think of one person who needs salvation with whom you can share? 

Creation to Christ: Reading 40 – September 16, 2016 – Matthew 8:1-9:8 Jesus’ Authority over All

Today’s Readings

Context 

The gospel writers never told stories to amaze us, though Jesus' deeds were amazing. They did not seek to entertain us, though the things Jesus did were fascinating. They told the stories of Jesus that they told for specific reasons. Here, Matthew tells us stories about Jesus; stories of his glory and power. Each of these stories is told in greater detail in other gospels.

Devotional - Jesus Over All

There was a cost to following Jesus, he said in Matthew 8:18-22. It was not going to be easy. You had to count the cost and decide if you really wanted to give all to him. But Jesus had amazing power and glory. The stories that Matthew put together here demonstrated the power of Jesus over every sort of earthly power or problem.

First, Jesus is on a boat in the Sea of Galilee, and a storm blows up that scares the disciples into panic. Remember, these were professional fisherman - they knew when the danger was real. But what was Jesus doing? He was asleep in the bottom of the boat, resting in God's protection over him. When they woke him, he rebuked them for their lack of faith and then he blew their minds. He rebuked the winds and the waves and the storm suddenly ceased and the sea was calm. Jesus spoke and the sea responded. Jesus ruled nature.

The next story happened in the Gadarene area on the northeastern shore of the Galilee. There, Jesus encountered two men who were possessed by many demons. After a confrontation, Jesus cast the demons out, sending them into a herd of pigs who ran down into the water and drowned (I will not use the old jokes that the local Hogicide department came to investigate this suey-cide). The confrontation between Jesus and the demons ended in absolute victory - Jesus won and the demons fled. Jesus ruled demons.

The final story takes place back in Capernaum, when a man on a stretcher is brought to Jesus, (let down through a roof, as we learn elsewhere). Jesus did something strange before he healed the man, something that offended the religious leaders who were following him and watching him. He told the man that his sins were forgiven. Healing him was one thing, but claiming to forgive his sins was an act of hubris, even of blasphemy. Jesus did not back down, but healed the man and made it clear that he had every right to forgive sin - the Father had given him that authority. Jesus ruled disease.

That is what these stories are all about. Matthew was not just telling interesting stories about Jesus, but reminding us of the awesome power and authority of Jesus. He had authority over nature itself, speaking to the storm and making it stop. He had authority over demons, demonstrating full authority to cast them out. He had authority over sickness and disease, telling the lame man to rise up and walk.

But the most important authority of Jesus is the one he lays claim to in Matthew 9:6, the right to forgive sin. He is the one who can remove the burden of sin from the backs of people like you and me.

Whatever it is that  you are facing today, whatever your challenges, you can know this, the authority of Jesus Christ extends to whatever is badgering you. He can heal. He can frustrate the schemes and works of the enemy. There is no power on earth that he cannot overcome to accomplish his work. This Jesus we serve - he wins! His is mighty and awesome and has all authority in heaven and on earth.

Most of all, by his death and resurrection, he has authority over sin and death and hell. Your sin cannot destroy you or send you to hell because Jesus has conquered it.

Father, I thank you for Jesus who triumphed over everything - sin, death, hell - and has the authority to deal with every problem I face. 

Think and Pray

What are the struggles and trials that you are facing? Illness? Is the enemy bringing his schemes and attacks against you? Is this world filled with trouble?

Remember that Jesus Christ has all authority over all of those things that trouble you. Trust in him.
Also remember that Jesus is victorious over sin. Seek him and confess sin.