Who Is He?

Good morning!  I hope your week is off to a great start.

Yesterday was the annual observance of Palm Sunday.  In the original account from scripture we find that many people came to see Jesus that day for a variety of reasons.  Some were curious, as they had heard all of the talk about this man named Jesus.   Others were there with an agenda, hoping that Jesus would become the political leader who would remove them from Roman governance.  Others who came had no idea who Jesus was and still others came hoping to find fault with him.

Unfortunately many people in all world today are represented by this crowd.  Seeing Jesus not for who He truly is, but instead trying to make him who they want him to be.   The reality of Jesus is this:

John 1:1 (NASB)
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
If Jesus is not who the Bible says He is....then our faith is in vain.   If Jesus was just a good man, a teacher, a martyr the his work on the cross would to atoning and complete.   It is the reality of Jesus that makes our relationship to him, such a powerful thing.   It also means that when we try to shape him to our own way of thinking, we diminish the role in our lives that is rightfully his.

This week take some time to ponder the reality of who Jesus truly is and what his death, burial and resurrection ultimately mean to you.

Until next Monday, may God's richest blessings be yours this week.

Carl

He Wasn't Persuasive

Good morning!  I hope you had a great weekend.

1 Corinthians 2:1-5 (NASB)
1 And when I came to you, brethren, I did not come with superiority of speech or of wisdom, proclaiming to you the testimony of God. 2 For I determined to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ, and Him crucified. 3 I was with you in weakness and in fear and in much trembling, 4 and my message and my preaching were not in persuasive words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, 5 so that your faith would not rest on the wisdom of men, but on the power of God.

This morning I wanted to spend a few moments considering these words written by the Apostle Paul to the church in Corinth.  They give us a wonderful picture of not only what made Paul's ministry so effective, but they also challenge us to consider how we conduct ourselves.   Paul was a highly trained Pharisee, schooled in the law and traditions of his faith.  It would have been easy for Paul to use intellectual arguments and reasoning as he went about his ministry, since he had the training to do so.   Paul instead chose to focus on nothing other than Jesus Christ.   In doing so, the power of the Holy Spirit was able to work freely through him.   It was this demonstration of power that was so life changing to so many.

Today I want to challenge you to examine your own life.  Have you committed yourself to forgetting all that you know for the sake of only knowing Jesus.  When we begin to make this adjustment in our life that we see the power and presence of God begin to work through us and all around us.   In our interactions with others, they may not remember the words that we spoke, but they know that what was said was powerful.   This is the beauty of our relationship with Jesus.  When we let go of the reins, He begins to do things in and through us that we could never imagine otherwise.

Until next Monday, may God's richest blessings be yours this week.

Carl

To The Extent It Depends On You

Today in the U.S. we are observing a national holiday commemorating the life and work of the late Dr. Martin Luther King.   This day has been set aside to remember his work towards the goal of racial equality in our country.

This brought the following scripture to my mind today:

Romans 12:18 (NASB)

18 If possible, so far as it depends on you, be at peace with all men.

Peace is something we all search after, but sometimes peace seems difficult to find.   In reality, the process of peace begins with us.  To whatever degree we can influence the situation, we ought to be proactive in that direction.  We cannot control the views, opinions and prejudices of others, but we can control those things in our lives.   Often times our willingness to lay down our biases is the very catalyst that brings about resolution to the tension we've been experiencing.

Today I encourage you to examine the places in your life in which there is a lack of peace in your relationship with someone else.  Ask the Lord to show you the ways that you can change those things that are within your control to help foster an atmosphere of peace.

Until next Monday, may God's richest blessings be yours this week.

Carl