What was finished?

Lenten Reflection

Scripture:  John 19:30 "It is finished."

Observation:  The fighter still remains.  Those who can remain like the boxer are a rare breed.  I don't necessarily mean win, I just mean remain.  Hang in there. Finish. Stick to it until it is done.  But unfortunately, very few do that.  Our human tendency is to quit too soon.  Our human tendency is to stop before we cross the finish line.  

Jesus didn't quit.  Can you imagine the cry from the cross?  The sky is dark.  There is weeping.  Then Jesus draws in a deep breath, pushes his feet down on that Roman nail and cried "It is finished."

What was finished?  The history long plan of redeeming humankind was finished.  The message of God to man was finished. The works of Jesus as a man on earth were finished. The task of selecting and training ambassadors was finished.  The blood had been poured. The sacrifice had been made. The sting of death was removed. It was over.

Application:  Remember, a finisher is not one with no wounds or weariness.  Mother Teresa is credited with saying, "God didn't call us to be successful, just faithful."  Blessed is the person who perseveres under trial, because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him. (James 1:12).

Kneel:  Thank you, Lord Jesus, for teaching us to remain, to endure and in the end, to finish! Amen!

Maundy Thursday Reflection

John 13:1-17

To allow Jesus to cleanse our feet is to remove all that prevents us from using our feet to follow him. To scrub away our insecurities, to wash away our weariness, to buff off our bitterness.

What do you need to allow Jesus to wash off of your feet?

Together

Lenten Reflection


Scripture:  Hebrews 10:24-25 - And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another...


Observation:  It is the will of Christ, I believe, that his disciples should meet regularly together.  Why?  They meet together to pray, to praise, to sing, to read God's Holy Word, to remember the night Jesus was betrayed, to remember the way to the cross, to remember that God sent his only son into the world, to remember that Jesus was crucified, buried and rose again, to remember that we have eternal and abundant life in Christ, to remember that we have someone who calls us his beloved, to remember that we have forgiveness of sins, to remember that his mercies are new every morning, to remember that we can do all things through Christ who gives us strength, to encourage one another to live vibrant lives of faith and service...


Application:  Together is a powerful word.  I'm an extrovert.  I love the word together.  Although I need my quiet space each day, people energize me!  Together is a powerful word for the church!  We need each other. We cannot make it on our own. We need the different gifts and abilites that are lived out through the Body of Christ (1 Corinthains 12!) With the day of Jesus' return and our ultimate victory on the horizon, we should be motivated even more to help and to encourage each other.


Kneel:  Gracious God, when we want to give up on the church, help us to remember we are all sinners in need of a Savior.  Help us to open our eyes and look around.  Help us to ask ourselves - who needs encouragement today?  Help us to remember that we need one another and most importantly, we need you!  Amen!

Personal Space

Lenten Reflection

Scripture: Luke 9:11 "he welcomed them..." (NIV)

Observation: This is a familiar passage of scripture for me. The phrase that stood out tonight was "he welcomed them." Crowds continued to follow him yet Jesus did not become frustrated by their presence. He welcomed them.

Application: We as Christ followers must not become bothered by those who get into our personal space! There's a reason for it and we have to look down deep to meet their need. I think Jesus fed many souls that day with spiritual food and not just physical food. Because of his welcoming spirit, people could not help but gather around him.

Kneel: God, help us to welcome those who get in our personal space! Amen!

A Long Way Off...

Lenten Reflection

Scripture:  Luke 15: 1-3, 11-32  - "But while he was still a long way off..." (verse 20 - BibleGateway.com)

Observation:  This is a very familiar passage of scripture to me.  Each time I read it, I pray for God to show me something new.  The phrase that spoke to me this time around is "But while he was still a long way off..."  While the son who had squandered everything was still a long way off - his father ran to him and had compassion on him.

Application:  Have you ever been a long way off?  I mean so far off that you thought there was no hope.  There may be people in your life who are trying to get back on track.  They once walked with Christ but because of hard times, addictions, divorce, adultery, lying and/or resentment, bitterness, hatred - they decided to go down the wide road.  It is very easy when we see him a long way off - down the road - for us to condemn or to say that there's no chance for him to get back on track.  However, in this passage we see that the father places no blame and instead shows compassion.  This is why we see sinners and outcasts being drawn to Jesus at the beginning of this chapter.  Jesus placed no blame but was always filled with compassion - grace and truth!  Jesus did not want to sit around and remind the tax collectors and sinners of how they had done wrong; instead Jesus wanted every sinner sitting around him to know that the lost can be found - the dead can rise again - that there's a resurrection going on!

Kneel:  Give us the courage to run to those in need!  Fill us up with your spirit and send us out with compassion!  Amen!

Do Not Lose Heart

Lenten Reflection

Scripture:  2 Corinthians 4:16 - Therefore, do not lose heart!

Observation:  Why are we told not to lose heart? One of the reasons is...
7 But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us. 8 We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed,but not in despair; 9 persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed.

Application:  We must remember that the reason we are not pressed, not perplexed, not crushed, not in despair...is because our strength and power come from God and not from us!

Kneel: God, we beg you to grant us the humility to see that we need you - we need your strength! Your strength and power sustain us and they are a treasure to us! Glory be to God!

Growing Beyond Your Initial Influence

Lenten Reflection

Thankful for Growth! 

Scripture: Luke 3:18-21 NRSV

18 He said therefore, “What is the kingdom of God like? And to what should I compare it? 19 It is like a mustard seed that someone took and sowed in the garden; it grew and became a tree, and the birds of the air made nests in its branches.”

20 And again he said, “To what should I compare the kingdom of God? 21 It is like yeast that a woman took and mixed in with[a] three measures of flour until all of it was leavened.”

Observation:  What does this say about the Kingdom of God?  The similarity between the two is that they both start small but in the end have a powerful positive effect on their surroundings. The mustard seed starts off really small, yet it grows into a tree that the birds of the air can perch on. The yeast is taken from a small pinch of dough and mixed with a huge batch of flour, yet over time it infects the entire flour and produces dough that can be baked into bread. Both these things multiply or grow into much more than their initial size or influence. The significance in Jesus using these two items is that they are initially small and insignificant, yet they have a large effect beyond what one would have imagined or expected. Yet this is how the Kingdom of God often works. It works through the humble, it works through small but sacrificial acts, it works through people who chose to surrender their lives to God’s work, and it works through events that seemed insignificance until you saw it through the clarity of hindsight. The powerful message of this passage is that we can never know the full effect of our actions when we decide to obey God with our lives.

Application:  Personally I think this applies to me in two ways. First, I often fall into the habit of evaluating my effort or actions from a perspective of immediate effectiveness or productivity. I want to know right away if what I do will be received, if it will be helpful to others, and if it will produce the intended effect. I want to do things that will produce something right away. In the area of ministry, I want to see people responding, coming out to serve, listening to the gospel with excitement and coming into a personal relationship with God. With a certain task or project, I want to know that my effort is helping others succeed, that I’m making things more efficient, etc. Second, I often want to do great big things for God because I think that is what God wants or that is what will be the most effective. Yet, again and again, I have experienced God working through the small things, he works through the one-on-one conversations after a sermon or God works in people’s lives through some small statement they heard in small group or through an observation they made on a mission trip. I’m reminded that I’m called to be faithful to the little things. That God works through small things and it is up to him to multiply our efforts. We water and he makes it grow - 1 Corinthians 3:6.  I serve a God that can take the mustard seed and cause it to grow, he is a God that receives glory when something that doesn’t seem like much is so multiplied through his power and results in the expansion of His Kingdom. 

Kneel: Loving Creator and Sustainer of All Things - Thank you for multiplying my meager steps of faith. Amen!

Keep Us From Just Singing

Lenten Reflection

Scripture:  Romans 2:13 - Don't merely listen to the word, do it!

Observation: Being a disciple of Jesus Christ means that you are a learner and a follower! James 1:22 essentially says the same thing as this verse - Be ye doers of the Word and not hearers only! The Word of God is designed to be fruitful in our lives and the fruit is produced through our actions. 

Application:  Whenever we hear God's word in a way that inspires us, we must move to action. Not only are we to feed people spiritually but we are to feed those who are physically hungry!

When I think about these verses, I think about Tim Hughes' song - God of Justice --

God of Justice, Savior to all

Came to rescue the weak and the poor
Chose to serve and not be served
Freely we've received
Now freely we will give
We must go, live to feed the hungry
Stand beside the broken, we must go
Stepping forward, keep us from just singing
Move us into action, we must go
To act justly every day
Loving mercy in every way
Walking humbly before You God
You have shown us what you require
Freely we've received
Now freely we will give
We must go, live to feed the hungry
Stand beside the broken, we must go
Stepping forward, keep us from just singing
Move us into action, we must go
Fill us up, send us out Lord
Fill us up and send us out, fill us up and send us out
Fill us up and send us out Lord

Kneel:  God, give us the courage to go!  Amen!