More Than Bread Devotional for 5/9/08

John 7:41-44
41 Others said, "He is the Christ."
Still others asked, "How can the Christ come from Galilee? 42 Does not the Scripture say that the Christ will come from David's family and from Bethlehem, the town where David lived?" 43 Thus the people were divided because of Jesus. 44 Some wanted to seize him, but no one laid a hand on him.

Have you ever thought you had God more or less figured out, only to end up confused and humbled? If you haven't already, you will someday. If there is a common theme in the Gospel stories of Jesus, it is one of confusion on the part of those around Him. It seems that plenty of folks thought they had Him figured out and then He went and messed up their notions alltogether. Even the disciples didn't get what they expected most of the time. Look at them again in the Gospels. They spend half the time it seems marveling or amazed at something that Jesus did or said. I find encouragement in this. We serve a God who is bigger and more incomprehensible that we can ever imagine. He keeps revealing more and more of Himself to us as we are ready for it. So get to know Him a little better each day and see what amazing things you can discover.

More Than Bread Devotional for 5/7/08

Matthew 9:9
As Jesus went on from there, he saw a man named Matthew sitting at the tax collector's booth. "Follow me," he told him, and Matthew got up and followed him.

Call me simplistic if you will, but it seems to me that sometimes we overcomplicate simple things. When Jesus called His disciples, He simply asked them to "Follow me". When we seek to be obedient and make new disciples of Jesus Christ, what do we ask them to do? Follow this set or that set of guidelines? Or do we point them to the Master and say, "Follow Him!"? I am not saying that the Christian life is simple or easy at all. I am just saying that we might be guilty sometimes of making things more difficult than they should be for others and especially ourselves.

More Than Bread Devotional for 5/6/08

Hebrews 13:1-3
1 Keep on loving each other as brothers. 2 Do not forget to entertain strangers, for by so doing some people have entertained angels without knowing it. 3 Remember those in prison as if you were their fellow prisoners, and those who are mistreated as if you yourselves were suffering.

I had the most amazing thing happen on Monday. I had a chance to put these words into practice in a very real way. I got a call on the church phone from a guy who had been given a room at a local motel and some food for the night through the help of our local ministerial association. He called me with an unusual request. He wanted to know if we would wash his clothes for him. He was out of money and had no way to wash them himself. I went to the hotel and got the clothes from him and talked with him for a few minutes. I brought the clothes home and we washed them and then I took them back along with a few other clothing items I thought he might be able to use. He had mentioned the first time I talked to him that he was a believer, and when I went back to deliver his clothes; he told me more of his life story and testimony. We talked for a half hour or so about faith and trusting God. He spoke with great passion about what God had done for him in his life. Before I left, we prayed together and thanked God for the chance to meet this side of heaven. I want to ask you who read this to pray for Nick as well. Pray that God would keep him safe and direct him to the place He has planned for him to live and minister.

How many doctrinal discussions does it take to light our world?

I enjoy reading other's opinions. I like being challenged in my beliefs and taking those challenges back to God's Word to find the truth for myself. In some ways the Bereans are my heros I suppose. But I have honestly scaled back in the last few years and not sought out a lot of discussions online. Maybe it was because I was getting some good discussions from my classes at Liberty Online or maybe I was just tired of getting into arguments over things that increasingly seemed trivial at times. This week, I found myself drawn into a discussion over at the Internet Monk website regarding the Lord's Supper. Actually, it has been somewhat ranging and the discussion I have really gotten into involves some questions about baptism, but in a real sense these two things are tied together. Much of what separates the Body of Christ universal is division(s) on how to handle these two subjects. You can see my posts on the subject in the comment thread, mostly in the later comments since I didn't really get involved in the discussion until 5/3.
If you have any thoughts to share, let me know what you think. I am curious. At some point I am going to rework the ideas I get from this discussion into a post of my own here.

More Than Bread Devotional for 5/5/08

John 8:54-56
54 Jesus replied, "If I glorify myself, my glory means nothing. My Father, whom you claim as your God, is the one who glorifies me. 55 Though you do not know him, I know him. If I said I did not, I would be a liar like you, but I do know him and keep his word. 56 Your father Abraham rejoiced at the thought of seeing my day; he saw it and was glad."

I find it amazing that most people I talk to speak of how loving and kind Jesus was. And truth be told, He was loving. He loved everyone, but that didn't keep Him from saying some things that weren't what we would consider nice. Most of the really harsh words went toward the Pharisees and the other hyper-religious people of His day. Many of the times He speaks harshly to try and get through the callous and hardened religious exterior of the self-righteous. And while we should certainly be imitators of Christ, I don't know that I would recommend this harsh approach to the average person. I have tried it in the past, and it is hard to come off as loving when you are admonishing someone. I know this because I have usually failed at it spectacularly when I have tried it in the past. If you have to admonish someone, try to stick to the Word of God and add little or nothing to it. God's Word is the best remedy for a hardened heart.

More Than Bread Devotional for 5/2/08

Galatians 6:2
Carry each other's burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.

I saw the neatest film clip today. It was from a college softball game out west. A girl hit a home run to win the game, but when she got to first base, she blew out her knee and couldn't keep running. By rule, she had to circle the bases for the winning run to count, but her teammates weren't allowed to help her or even touch her or she would be out. Two girls from the other team came over and carried this girl around the bases, costing themselves the game and a chance for the playoffs. In the process, they aptly demonstated the heart of this verse. They fulfilled the "law" of the game by carrying another person (literally in this case). What burden can you carry for another today?

More Than Bread Devotional for 5/1/08

Ephesians 4:31-32
31 Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. 32 Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.

Compassion is an important part of love. In fact, some people think the term synonymous with love. When true compassion is demonstrated, it is felt as love. Compassion is the sharing of another's suffering and hurt. I was reading a story about Steven Covey in a book. One Sunday morning, he was riding the subway in New York. It was a quiet and peaceful morning on the train, until one stop where a man boarded with three young children. The children immediately transformed the peace and quiet into chaos and noise, yet the father seemed to not notice and made no move to correct the kids. The other passengers were getting pretty annoyed and Covey was as well. Finally, he leaned over and asked the man if he was going to do something with his kids to restore order in the car. The man replied, "I know I should do something. We just came from the hospital. Their mother died an hour ago. I just don't know what to do." When we have compassion on someone and understand where they are hurting, forgiveness and grace follow naturally behind. This isn't always easy, but it is always Christlike.

More Than Bread Devotional for 4/30/08

Romans 5:6-8
6 You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. 7 Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous man, though for a good man someone might possibly dare to die. 8 But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

Several years ago, one of my favorite songwriters/singers had a song that referred to the "reckless, raging fury that they call the love of God". There were quite a few people at the time that took exception to characterizing God's love as reckless. For many it seems the idea of recklessness goes against what we think God's character should be like. But in reflection, it is a wonderful way to picture the love that God lavished on us. Think about it. Who in their "right mind" if you will would be willing to die for their worst enemy. Yet, God willingly sent His Son and His Son willingly laid down His life for you and for me, "while we were still sinners". Even those who choose to spit in God's face and curse His name, like the Roman soldiers and those who crucified Him, experienced the depth of this reckless love when He said from the cross, "Father, forgive them."

More Than Bread Devotional for 4/29/08

1 John 4:7-8
7 Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. 8 Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love.

Did you know that we were given a litmus test for ourselves? This is not the only place in Scripture that tells us this, but we are defined primarily by our loving attitude and behavior. The world has even been given permission by Jesus Christ to judge our Christianity by the way we show love. You know that song that goes, "they will know we are Christians by our love"? There is a lot of truth in that statement. God loved us, and that in turn enables us to love others. First our brothers and sisters in Christ and then the rest of the world.

More Than Bread Devotional 4/28/08

1 John 4:10-12
10 This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. 11 Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. 12 No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us.

I have been doing a lot of thinking the past few days about God's love. I have a feeling that we really never have a very firm grasp on the love that God has for us and what it does in our life. Sometimes I think I have it, and I know I am continuing to grow in this, but then I see that there is so much more to learn and to understand. I asked my son, Jonathan, about 1 John 4:10 Sunday morning before church. It is his favorite verse and I asked him why that was. He told me that it was because this is the verse that led him to want to ask Jesus into his heart. Imagine that. As a four year old kid, he heard about the love of God and responded to it. Jesus said we have to come to Him as little children ourselves. Could it be that sometimes we just need to hear and understand the love of God and respond to it?

More Than Bread Devotional 4/22/08

John 5:19-20
19 Jesus gave them this answer: "I tell you the truth, the Son can do nothing by himself; he can do only what he sees his Father doing, because whatever the Father does the Son also does. 20 For the Father loves the Son and shows him all he does. Yes, to your amazement he will show him even greater things than these.

Did you ever stop to consider what Jesus said here? He said that He did nothing by Himself; He did only what the Father did. The funny thing is a lot of times, I have convinced myself that I can do this small little thing that I know would please God on my own. I mean it is just a little thing. But then I remember that Jesus said He could do nothing by Himself. You know nothing as in no thing. Makes you stop in your tracks when you think about it. If you are trying to do something, even something small, for God on your own, it is destined to fall short.

More Than Bread Devotional for 4/21/08

Isaiah 59:16-17
16 He saw that there was no one,
he was appalled that there was no one to intervene;
so his own arm worked salvation for him,
and his own righteousness sustained him.
17 He put on righteousness as his breastplate,
and the helmet of salvation on his head;
he put on the garments of vengeance
and wrapped himself in zeal as in a cloak.

This passage speaks of Christ and what He did for us. Does the language look familiar? Paul used some of this same imagery when he wrote about the armor of God that we are to use each day. This passage tells us what Christ did and shows us that we are to fight our spiritual battle in the same way that He did. He set a pattern for us to follow. So today, as the old song says, put on the gospel armor; each piece put on with prayer. See what the Lord does in your life when you are ready for the battle.

More Than Bread Devotional 4/18/08

Romans 3:19-20
19 Now we know that whatever the law says, it says to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be silenced and the whole world held accountable to God. 20 Therefore no one will be declared righteous in his sight by observing the law; rather, through the law we become conscious of sin.

Have you ever been around someone that wouldn't stop talking? You find yourself thinking that you would give almost anything just to get a break from the incessant babble. This isn't quite the same thing, but this passage says that God's Word, specifically His law, can stop the mouth. I have actually seen this in practice a few times. God's Law is able to work in a person's life to stop them from justifying themselves and helping them to understand where they truly stood before God. His Word is like that in all of our lives. It shines a beacon of light inside to help us see our true self, the way God sees us.

More Than Bread Devotional 4/17/08

Isaiah 26:3-4
3 You will keep in perfect peace
him whose mind is steadfast,
because he trusts in you.
4 Trust in the LORD forever,
for the LORD, the LORD, is the Rock eternal.

I have written before about our need for something unshakeable to place our trust in. This passage from Isaiah speaks to that as well. We can experience peace when we trust in the Lord. Jesus Christ is the Rock of Ages and He is steady when all around us may be shaking. Hebrews says He is the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow. Place your trust in Him today and forever.

More Than Bread Devotional 4/16/08

Matthew 20:9-16
9 "The workers who were hired about the eleventh hour came and each received a denarius. 10 So when those came who were hired first, they expected to receive more. But each one of them also received a denarius. 11 When they received it, they began to grumble against the landowner. 12 'These men who were hired last worked only one hour,' they said, 'and you have made them equal to us who have borne the burden of the work and the heat of the day.
13 "But he answered one of them, 'Friend, I am not being unfair to you. Didn't you agree to work for a denarius? 14 Take your pay and go. I want to give the man who was hired last the same as I gave you. 15 Don't I have the right to do what I want with my own money? Or are you envious because I am generous?'
16 "So the last will be first, and the first will be last."

Have you ever gotten a little bit jealous or upset because you felt you didn't get your fair share? When Jesus told this parable, He hit on an attitude that occurs all too often in our lives. I know that the quickest way to get me angry is to show me an unfair situation. Here the workers who came and worked all day suddenly raised their expectations based on the pay given to someone else. Jesus quickly corrects them and tells them that they are getting exactly what they agreed to work for that day. This parable is a tough one for many to understand and I can understand why. We all feel slighted when we think we deserve more. But the point of the Gospel flies against our self-deserving notions. The good news of the Gospel is that we don't get what we really deserve from God. Instead, we get a whole lot of good that we could never earn on our own.

More Than Bread Devotional 4/15/08

Luke 12:47-48
47 "That servant who knows his master's will and does not get ready or does not do what his master wants will be beaten with many blows. 48 But the one who does not know and does things deserving punishment will be beaten with few blows. From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked.

I have found a recurring theme in my life lately. Many of us are unaware just how blessed we are and just how much we have been given. I sometimes think I get it and understand, and then God shows me anew how much I have been gifted. This passage tells us that from those of us who have been given much, much will be demanded. It seems funny but this idea was actually incorporated into the tale of Spiderman (with great power comes great responsibility). As a follower of Christ we automatically fall into the category of those who have been entrusted with and given much. Another thing to consider is the words of the book of James when he tells us that if we know the good to do and don't do it it is a sin for us. If God is speaking to you and has shown you something that He wants you to do, the time to do it is now.

More Than Bread Devotional 4/14/08

Ezekiel 13:1-3
1 The word of the LORD came to me: 2 "Son of man, prophesy against the prophets of Israel who are now prophesying. Say to those who prophesy out of their own imagination: 'Hear the word of the LORD! 3 This is what the Sovereign LORD says: Woe to the foolish prophets who follow their own spirit and have seen nothing!

I have been thinking about how many false messages there are out there these days. There are many people, some very popular, who teach what they call a Christian message, but who contradict the Bible itself. They use a piece of a single verse from the Bible but twist it to mean something that fits their message. Be very careful who you listen to and be sure to filter every message you hear through the truth of God's Word; from your local church to that hugely popular television preacher, even to that hugely popular TV talk show host telling you how to live. If it doesn't agree with the whole of Scripture, then it is just their imagination talking. Later in chapter 13 we see one of the identifying marks of a false teacher or teaching. In verses 22-23 it says, "Because you disheartened the righteous with your lies, when I had brought them no grief, and because you encouraged the wicked not to turn from their evil ways and so save their lives, therefore you will no longer see false visions or practice divination. I will save my people from your hands. And then you will know that I am the LORD."
When someone has a hard time speaking about sin or even condemning sinfulness and sinful behavior, you can rest assured that they are not speaking a message from God. We need to always be prepared to offer the full counsel of Scripture. An important part of the good news of the Gospel is identifying what God has saved us from.

More Than Bread Devotional 4/11/08

Matthew 9:35-38
35 Jesus went through all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the good news of the kingdom and healing every disease and sickness. 36 When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. 37 Then he said to his disciples, "The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. 38 Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field."

Christianity is a call to a life of work. We don't work for our salvation as if we could earn it, but consider this. Jesus' call to his disciples wasn't to make a confession; it was to follow Him and He would make them fishers of men. I think it is important for us to remember that we can't serve Christ sitting on the sidelines. There are no bench players in the Christian life. The amazing thing about this passage is the request His disciples were told to make and consequently us as well. Ask the Lord of the harvest to send out workers for the harvest, but don't be surprised if one of the first workers He wants is you.

More Than Bread Devotional 4/10/08

Luke 8:24-25
24 The disciples went and woke him, saying, "Master, Master, we're going to drown!"
He got up and rebuked the wind and the raging waters; the storm subsided, and all was calm. 25 "Where is your faith?" he asked his disciples.
In fear and amazement they asked one another, "Who is this? He commands even the winds and the water, and they obey him."

This past evening I was praying for many friends who were in the path of severe storms and frightening weather. In the midst of that, these verses came to me. This same story with almost these exact words are recorded in three of the Gospel accounts. I can see why this would make a lasting impression on all who were there. No matter what storms come into our lives, physical or otherwise, we serve a God who commands the obedience of the storms and the turbulence. He can calm the storms in our life as well.

More Than Bread Devotional 4/9/08

Luke 16:27-31
27 "He answered, 'Then I beg you, father, send Lazarus to my father's house, 28for I have five brothers. Let him warn them, so that they will not also come to this place of torment.'
29"Abraham replied, 'They have Moses and the Prophets; let them listen to them.'
30" 'No, father Abraham,' he said, 'but if someone from the dead goes to them, they will repent.'
31"He said to him, 'If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be convinced even if someone rises from the dead.' "

Have you ever tried arguing with someone who just doesn't agree with you? I did this for years myself over a variety of topics. I was sure that I could convince people of the truth of if I just showed them enough evidence. It took me a long time to understand human nature. I am not saying that we shouldn't point out the truth. I am certainly quick to correct or at least try to if I feel that someone can benefit from the knowledge. But if that correction falls on deaf ears, then I am not going to keep on arguing anymore. So do what you can do. Speak the truth in love and let God do the rest. After all, if they won't listen to One who rose from the dead, what makes you think they will listen to you?