John 11:35 Psalm 56:8 1 Thes 4:13 Isaiah 25:8 10/27/15

John 11:³⁵ Jesus wept.

You probably think I didn't feel like preparing this week so I picked everyone's favorite memory verse. But this little verse contains an amazing truth.

Jesus' friend Lazarus had died and Jesus was going to his hometown to call him out of the grave. On the way Lazarus' sister, Mary, met them and fell at Jesus' feet and wept.

 ³³ When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who had come along with her also weeping, he was deeply moved in spirit and troubled ³⁴ “Where have you laid him?” he asked.
“Come and see, Lord,” they replied.³⁵ Jesus wept. (John 11:33-35)

The question is why?...what brought Him to tears?...He was coming to raise Lazarus from the Dead...why didn't Jesus just smile?... after all He was there to save the day.

Why would the toughest man in all of history, who will later be beaten, spit upon, and crucified without the slightest thought of himself, weep at that moment?

I believe the answer is in verse 33....His heart broke for her broken heart, just like it does for yours. God knows His plan, but that doesn't mean he ignores your pain.  Psalm 56:8 says of God that .."you have collected all my tears in your bottle".  That means your tears are important to Him, not one goes unnoticed.

So know that when you go through seasons of pain, God not only understands your tears, He is "deeply moved" and weeps with you.  His heart hurts for you

We "do not not grieve as do the rest who have no hope" (1 Thessalonians 4:13) because we have been promised that the day will come when we will weep no more.   "The Sovereign Lord will wipe away the tears from all faces"(Isaiah 25:8)

But until then never be ashamed to cry, and rest assured you never cry alone.

Prov 16:18 Galatians 2:20 John 3:30 10/20/15

Proverbs 16:18   ¹⁸ Pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall

This proverb never fails, and God doesn't use the word destruction lightly.  

 It should be more ominous to us, we should fear it but we don't.  Pride is somehow subtle and seductive to us and accepted with a hint of self sufficiency, but that doesn't alter this proverb.

Pride is one of the most destructive forces on earth. It has destroyed things in each of our lives, and in the lives around us.  We have to learn to see it as the disease it is.  It is insidious, never satisfied, and uncontrollable.

Pride is part of our DNA.  It was the original sin,  and it comes as "standard equipment" when we are born in sin.

It takes a rebirth to remove it.  We can not be fixed, we  have to be replaced.   ..." I no longer live, but Christ lives in me." (Galatians 2:20)  "He must increase, but I must decrease" (John 3:30)

Our only hope is a rebirth into the freedom of the Cross.

Let's recognize  the destructive power of Pride and  allow the Holy Spirit to wash and renew us until we see others as more important than ourselves.

....the only other option leads to destruction.

Jonah 1:1 Ephesians 3:18 10/13/15

Jonah 1:1 The word of the Lord came to Jonah the son of Amittai saying, ² “Arise, go to Nineveh the great city and cry against it, for their wickedness has come up before Me.” ³ But Jonah rose up to flee to Tarshish from the presence of the Lord.

When we hear about Jonah we usually think of the fish...God providing Jonah a second chance to obey.

But the book is really about Jonah's disobedience and hardheartedness.

Nineveh was the capital of the Assyrian empire and was a huge city, full of evil people. God sent Jonah to warn them to turn away from their wickedness and turn to God.

Jonah did not fear the people of Nineveh, and he wasn't afraid they would ignore him....he was afraid they wouldn't.  He was afraid they would listen.  He preferred God destroy them, and he feared his message would cause them to repent.

You see the people of Nineveh were not like Jonah.  They had different colored skin, different beliefs, different political views. They were wicked people that did not follow, or respect the laws of God. The simple fact is Jonah didn't like them, and felt that God's goodness was being stretched too far if it included them...

Let's pray this week that God will eliminate our narrowness, and give us the ability to see others through His eyes.  The ability to lovingly share the gospel regardless of our differences.

Let's Pray that what breaks God's heart, would break ours.....And that we " may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ,  (Eph. 3:18)

Philippians 2:3 Philippians 2:5 10/6/15

 Philippians 2: 3 Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves;

There are two points in this simple verse, both equally hard to swallow.

1. We are to do nothing because it is best for us. Much like our speech should be for the benefit of others, so should our actions. What a change in my daily routine if I were to "do nothing from selfishness".

2.  We are to "regard one another as more important than ourselves."  Not equal , which would be a big step up in my mind for most, but "more important".  This seems unattainable. Can I actually value others more than myself?  Can I love at that level?

Later in this chapter it says "⁵ Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus", and that brings it home.  I have a blessed eternity because Jesus loved me, and viewed me as more important than His right to be treated as God.  Instead He allowed Himself to be mistreated for my sake.  That is what Love does, and there is not an easier way.

Christianity is not a buffet where you pick and choose what you like. Servant-hood and selfless love are required courses.- " if there is any encouragement in Christ, if there is any consolation of love, if there is any fellowship of the Spirit" .... Then we must live this way.  It's not a suggestion.

I challenge you this week to try it....pick a day, assume everyone is more important than you, and act accordingly...you will experience encouragement, love, and fellowship like you have never known.
We have all  played sports with "reckless abandon"... I dare you to live your faith the same way.