"But Lord, What About This Man?"

"But Lord, what about this man?"  Jesus' response, "You follow Me."  (John 21)

If I can respectfully paraphrase, "You don't worry about him '....You follow me.'"  The context is a dialogue between Jesus and Peter.  Jesus asked Peter three times, "Do you love me?"  The first time, Jesus adds, "more than these."  Jesus then tells Peter of his future, and concludes with, "Follow Me."  Whatever the "call," no matter mega church or country church, high profile or, "the world will little note nor long remember..," the prime directive is, "Follow Me."

Peter was thankful, I'm sure, for his relationship with Jesus.  It was about to become in Jesus.  He knew he was, "Peter, and upon this rock I will build My Church."  Now how could you get any greater affirmation of your "place" in Christ Jesus than that?  Yet for some reason, Peter seemed concerned that perhaps John had it just a little bit better.  Verse 20 says, "Then Peter, turning around, saw the disciple whom Jesus loved following, who also had leaned on His breast at the supper...."  Maybe it was something like today when a person gets chosen as a deacon or elder and you don't.  Having served as pastor in a number of local churches over the last 50 years, I have often wondered how people in local congregations deal with that.  You know it happens, "Why him/her and not me?"  Maybe there is an assumption, as there may have been in Peter, of a favoritism at play here, "who also had leaned on [Jesus'] breast at supper." 

My friend, the Bible is quite clear on this, "God is no respecter of persons."  The word translated, "respecter," literally means, "a respecter of a face."  I submit today that it does not matter how great or how humble people may be, how talented or limited they may be, how charismatic or dull.  What matters is what the hymn declares, "I am my Lord's and He is mine."  The greatest "call," the greatest ministry/service one can have is, "You follow Me."  No matter what the other fellow is doing, no matter what her call, no matter how acclaimed, appreciated, greatly supported, you just cannot get any higher call than, "You follow Me."  I encourage you again with my sent-to-Berlin verse, "If anyone serves Me, let him follow Me; and where I am, there My servant will be also."  Glorious.

Father, in Jesus' Name, I do, and I so thank You for the invitation.  Amen.
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* If you want some insight into Iran's new president, go to:   jhs58.blogspot.com
* Also, you can read an article just before it about the deception in the EPA, compliments of Jimmy Carter

When Peter, an 18 year old Norwegian, "heard the call to evangelize China, on that day he not only emptied his wallet into the collection plate, but included a small note with the words, 'and my life.'"

"Looking unto Jesus"
Hebrews 12:2

"Do Not Use Libety as An Opportunity For The Flesh"

"For you, brethren, have been called to liberty; only do not use liberty as an opportunity for the flesh...." (Galatians 5:13) (I know, like you have nothing better to do than watch a video and read another devotional)

I read an article today about the anniversary of the 1993 "Oslo Accords" and the 1973 Yom Kippur War.  (I have sent the full article to: jhs58.blogspot.com)  "Israel Defense Minister Moshe Ya'alon, reflecting on the lessons of the Yom Kippur War said, 'One of that war's failure was the great sense of victory of the Six-Day War, which led to excessive self-confidence, arrogance, complacency, and carelessness.  Senior officers had a culture then of 'I am, and there is no other beside me.'"  This attitude is lethal to a person calling him/herself a Christian.

Paul said that he had not yet arrived; you can always tell people who think they have.  It is classic, "I am, and there is no other beside me."  One ominous sign is that they are easily bored with any preaching or teaching which centers in ancient, historic, Biblical Doctrines.  They act as though since you have read and/or heard them so many times, there is no further need to hear or read them (I guess this is why there is so little Bible reading among them).  Yet this is the MO of much of Christendom over the last generation.  People such as this are unteachable about anything in their lives and unwilling to consider they may need to make some changes.  They are always looking for some "new revelation," the latest "now word," then when it comes, if it does not further excite them, they don't act upon it.  Any attempt at correction is met with, "There is no condemnation," translated, "I don't need to change anything."

Today, I encourage you and me together to make a "covenant" that we will not allow "excessive self-confidence, arrogance, complacency, and carelessness" rule.  It will just set us up for a surprise attack from the Enemy.  A good local church will always be a place where we can be held accountable if/when such attitudes manifest.  Paul's exhortation to the Galatians is also to you and me today.

Father, in Jesus' Name, keep me from a "cheap grace" which leads me to "excessive self-confidence, arrogance, complacency, and carelessness."  Amen.

When Peter, an 18 year old Norwegian, "heard the call to evangelize China, on that day he not only emptied his wallet into the collection plate, but included a small note with the words, 'and my life.'"

"Looking unto Jesus"
Hebrews 12:2

"You Are Abraham's Descendants"

"And if you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham's descendants, heirs according to promise."  (Galatians 3:29, NASB)

I made a short video devotional today, but still waiting for the "processing."  It is based on our text.  I just completed my reading in Galatians and was renewed again in the whole theology of, "saved by grace," and kept, "by grace."  The grace is all in Jesus Christ, to whom, "you belong," i.e., we are Christ's and He is ours.

Inherent in this relationship in Jesus is, "you are Abraham's descendants, heirs according to promise."  Our inheritance in Jesus Christ is, "according to promise," not according to our worthiness, Jewishness, good-works-to-obtain-such-an-inheritance."  As Scripture declares, "not of works, lest any man should boast."

Too many people believe that the Jews and Gentile Believers in Jesus have separate promises, a separate inheritance.  This is not true.  There is not some special place awaiting Jews in Heaven.  There is only Heaven, that Heaven where, "I go to prepare a place for you."  The, "you," is for those who embrace Jesus, nothing else.  Yes, there are assignments which are to the Jews, e.g., "Assuredly I say to you, that in the regeneration, when the Son of Man sits on the throne of His glory, you who have followed Me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel."  But this has nothing to do with promises in this life, promises which see us through this life and take us to Glory in Jesus.

Rejoice today that we, "are heirs according to promise," not according to our gender, ethic people group, or self-made spirituality.  All the promises in Scripture are ours because, and only because we, "belong to Christ."

Father, in Jesus' Name, I thank You for including me in "it" all.  Amen.  

When Peter, an 18 year old Norwegian, "heard the call to evangelize China, on that day he not only emptied his wallet into the collection plate, but included a small note with the words, 'and my life.'"

"Looking unto Jesus"
Hebrews 12:2

Prayer To Frustrate Conspiracy...."

"Do not keep silent, O God....For behold, Your enemies make a tumult; and those who hate You have lifted up their head....They form a confederacy against You.... Deal with them...." (From Psalm 83)

Psalm 83 is a foundational Psalm which I pray for the nations.  I highly suggest that you read the whole Psalm to see it's power.  Verses 1-8 state the contemporary global political situation.  Verses 9-18 is the prayer to deal with that political situation.  Believers need to stop reading the Bible with "Sunday School" glasses.

The title of Psalm 83 is, "Prayer to Frustrate Conspiracy Against Israel."  I wrote on my Facebook page that I was praying for the embarrassment (i.e., frustration) of global humanistic philosophy.  This is exactly the praying of Psalm 83.  I have applied the prayer more particularly in praying for the present US Administration, Congress, and Court system, universities, corporations, churches, etc.  I think you can see the point.  We are in a cultural war which the Christian Community is losing.  What the Lord Jesus Christ is and will be doing with the situation in the close of the age is unknown.  But if we are to see transformation of men and nations, the Church is in desperate need of Psalm 83 praying.

Humanism is man over God.  "He Who sits in the heavens shall laugh...."  Now lest you think I am unkind, insensitive, or vindictive in praying for men and nations the kind of prayer mentioned above (of which, by the way, one could also accuse the writer of our text), please notice the two motives for such praying, "....that they may seek Your name," and, "that they may know that You, whose name alone is the Lord [Jesus Christ], are the Most High over all the earth."  One could look at Psalm 83, as with so many Bible prayers, and say the pray-er is vindictive, war-like, prejudiced, etc.  Yet the two motives above reveal that the Heart of the world's Savior, Jesus, is here. 

"Likewise the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses.  For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us."  A look at today's chaotic world reveals the desperate need of such Holy Spirit praying.  It is precisely here, at the point of, "For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought," that I find great power in praying the very, "God-Breathed," Words.  There is just no praying like Holy Spirit praying, which is praying the Heart of our Father and Son, "The Word of God."

Father, in Jesus' Name, I pray for the embarrassment and frustration of all humanists in the earth, "that they may seek Your Name," the Name of Jesus, "and that they may know that You, whose Name alone is the Lord [Jesus Christ] are the Most High over all the earth," and will surrender their hearts to You.  Amen.

When Peter, an 18 year old Norwegian, "heard the call to evangelize China, on that day he not only emptied his wallet into the collection plate, but included a small note with the words, 'and my life.'"

"Looking unto Jesus"
Hebrews 12:2

Invitation to connect on LinkedIn

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Don't Get Run Off The Road

"You ran well.  Who hindered you from obeying the truth?"  (Galatians 5:7)

The Greek word for, "hindered," here is most interesting.  According to Strong's, it does not mean an outright blocking, confrontation or violent resistance.  It has more to do with the "checking" of a ship's direction, or an "obstructed road."  You can still get through that road, but the temptation is to take another road to avoid the obstruction.  The "road," my friend, you and I are traveling in this life is Jesus Christ, "The Way."  Someone or/and some group was out to divert the Galatians from the "road."  The NIV translates the phrase, "who cut in on you?"  When someone cuts, "in on you," in a situation, in order to avoid a collision you change your course.  This is the daily attack which comes upon the Follower of Jesus.  It does not meet us head on.  The tactic is more subtle, hence, much more dangerous.  Some overt challenge, some overt lie, is easily detected and thereby resisted.  But to "check a ship's direction," to merely bump us as a race car driver may nudge an opponent, while more subtle, is nonetheless potentially very dangerous.  There have been massive pile ups in races by just such little nudges.

Even though this is a continual process of the enemy, just as you and I are, "saved by grace through faith," and just as importantly and powerfully kept, "by grace through faith," we run our race, travel our road, "by grace through faith,..looking unto Jesus."  This is an oft repeated phrase of mine, but I remind you that every time we read through the Bible this upmost important command gives us the protection against any who would, "hinder you, " or, "cut in," on us.  It was a Judaistic legalism which was facing the Galatians.  Today, I submit to you, there is even a more subtle attempt to, "cut in on you," to set up an obstruction just subtle enough to get Christendom to take a less obstructed path.  It is the talk of God without centralizing Jesus Christ as the Foundation of our talk of God.  To witness, preach, write, sing, etc. of God without bringing people's attention to Jesus is to confuse the issue.  It leads to and validates more and more the naive, yet totally false assumption that, well, "we all worship the same God," really, "god."  To talk of God without any mention of Jesus is to lead the world to believe that we are of them, all god- believers.

Don't let anyone, "cut in on you," and force you to take another road, which in reality will cause you to become just another "there-are-many-roads-to-god."  I see this as an ever-increasing danger to the Church.  Without Jesus the whole world is lost.  With Jesus the world can be saved.

Father, in Jesus' Name, I pray for wisdom to detect anyone or anything attempting to run me off the road.  Amen.
 

When Peter, an 18 year old Norwegian, "heard the call to evangelize China, on that day he not only emptied his wallet into the collection plate, but included a small note with the words, 'and my life.'"

"Looking unto Jesus"
Hebrews 12:2