Tag: Jesus

Day 7: Anger, Caution: Use Only with Holy Spirit Supervision
28 Day Love Challenge · Christian. · February · Love · Valentines

Day 7: Anger, Caution: Use Only with Holy Spirit Supervision

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Anger means a strong feeling of displeasure or hostility 

Ephesians 4:26 be angry and do not sin; let not the sun go down upon your wrath,

27 neither give place to the devil;

28 whoso is stealing let him no more steal, but rather let him labour, working the thing that is good with the hands, that he may have to impart to him having need.

29 Let no corrupt word out of your mouth go forth, but what is good unto the needful building up, that it may give grace to the hearers;

30 and make not sorrowful the Holy Spirit of God, in which ye were sealed to a day of redemption.

31 Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamor, and evil-speaking, be put away from you, with all malice,

32 and become one to another kind, tender-hearted, forgiving one another, according as also God in Christ did forgive you.

 Be angry and do not sin.  The verse tells us to deal with the issue immediately and to not sin while dealing with it.
So let’s look at the perfect life to decide about anger.
First Jesus and the Pharisees:

Mark 3:3 And he entered again into the synagogue; and there was a man there which had a withered hand.

2 And they watched him, whether he would heal him on the sabbath day; that they might accuse him.

3 And he saith unto the man which had the withered hand, Stand forth.

4 And he saith unto them, Is it lawful to do good on the sabbath days, or to do evil? to save life, or to kill? But they held their peace.

5 And when he had looked round about on them with anger, being grieved for the hardness of their hearts, he saith unto the man, Stretch forth thine hand. And he stretched it out: and his hand was restored whole as the other.

6 And the Pharisees went forth, and straightway took counsel with the Herodians against him, how they might destroy him.

7 But Jesus withdrew himself with his disciples to the sea: and a great multitude from Galilee followed him, and from Judaea,

 Jesus felt strong displeasure at the attitude of these men.  They worried more about accusing Jesus than loving the man.  His displeasure at their attitude is described as anger.  He dealt with the anger immediately by explaining to them why they were wrong. He healed the man and reprimanded them.  He handled the situation immediately, but that does not mean people with ill intent won’t respond in a negative manner.
Another example:

Matthew 21:12 And Jesus went into the temple of God, and cast out all them that sold and bought in the temple, and overthrew the tables of the moneychangers, and the seats of them that sold doves,13 And said unto them, It is written, My house shall be called the house of prayer; but ye have made it a den of thieves.

Here anger had a little more hostility involved.  These people harmed other people.  They were cheating and forcing people to buy items in order to worship God.  They were disgracing God’s temple.  Jesus ran them out.

I think, and this is just me thinking, that some times we may have to resort to strong action.  When we are called on to to protect someone.

Anger is not wrong, but as a person, I am not capable of knowing when to act or how to act without the direction of the Holy Spirit.  We need to slow down the minute anger arrives and ask God to guide us with His Spirit.  I personally am more likely to be angry for selfish reasons and to act in unchristian ways.  I even can find myself proud of the harm I cause when I act in anger.  No, I am not capable of responding properly when anger is involved.  I have to have guidance.

Anger needs to come with a big label.

Caution Pray before Acting and Handle only with Holy Spirit supervision.

Day 2–What To Do When You Are Asked to Do the Impossible
28 Day Love Challenge · February · Love · Valentines

Day 2–What To Do When You Are Asked to Do the Impossible

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I can’t love the way Christ wants me to love.  I try and I can’t do it.

Do you know what it is like to want to love the way Jesus said, but to find yourself always ending up angry or hurt?  I think I equate making donations or paying for things as love.  Then people take advantage of me and anger grows, resentment takes root.  It’s not pleasant.

I pull away and close the purse.  I feel frustrated that some people seem to always have their hands out.  But even when I give them something it is out of duty and not out of love.

You see, I think about James 2:15 and 16 and I assume Jesus expects me to help them.  I mean  James tells us if we see our Christian brother or sister in trouble wearing torn up cloths and lacking food that we should help.  He asks what good does it do to say keep warm and full, but to do nothing to help. So I give in and help, but it is not our of love it is out of duty.

I look at the negative list in Paul’s definition of love in first Corinthians 13 and I recognize myself.  I know the right words and what I am suppose to say, but I am not sure I really mean them all the time.  My words sound loving and kind but the emotion inside, the one hidden beneath my façade, is much more complex.

Paul says if we give up everything we have including ourselves, but don’t do it with love then we have nothing. Which brings me back to realizing that while I desire to love others as Christ has asked me to love I cannot do so under my own strength.

Galatians 5:22 tells us that the fruit of the Spirit is Love, joy, peace patience, kindness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance

The fruit of the Spirit means God working through us.   God can love with Agape love; I cannot, but the Spirit when I become one with Christ can love others with Agape through me.

I know I am moving through verses today, but I think Jesus in John 15 told us how we could move from people who are incapable of love to people who produce the fruit of Agape.

Jesus said He was the vine and we are the branches.  We can only bear fruit by dwelling in Jesus and by his dwelling in us. We are to live united to him.  Jesus words must become part of us. But it is more than knowing scripture.  It is about staying connected to Jesus throughout our day.

 Journal

Write a prayer to Jesus asking him to draw you closer to him.  Ask him to show you how to live in Him and how to be aware of His living in you.  Ask him to teach you how to love with Agape love.  Admit you are not capable of this type of love on your own.  Ask Him to prune what is not productive.

Activity

Over the next 24 hours focus on discussing the day-to-day events in your life with Christ.  Discuss everything with him as you go through the day.  One day of treating him like a best friend spending the day with you.

Day 1 –To Love or Not to Love
28 Day Love Challenge · February · Love · Valentines

Day 1 –To Love or Not to Love

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Jesus when asked what the most important commandment was said.

Matthew 22:37 “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ 38 This is the first and greatest commandment. 39 And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ 40 All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”

And Jesus said if you love him than

John 15: 12 My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. 13 Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. 14 You are my friends if you do what I command.  15 I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you. 16 You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit—fruit that will last—and so that whatever you ask in my name the Father will give you. 17 This is my command: Love each other.

And John tells us in his first letter

1 John 4:7 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. 9 This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. 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.

 

This 28 Day Challenge is for Christians, those who have accepted the sacrifice of Christ and have asked Him to be Lord of their lives.  We love God because He first loved us and what He asks from us is that we love others as he loved us.

Journal

  1. Are you a Christian?  Have you asked Christ for forgiveness of your sins and to be Lord of your life?  If not you can do so now.  It is not complicated, but you have to be sincere.  Christianity is about faith or trust.  You trust that Christ’s sacrifice removes your sin, you trust that Christ loves you and that He will guide you through the Holy Spirit.
  2. Write a statement of commitment that for the next 28 days you will be open to God filling you with His love for others.

Activity

Keep a small notebook with you during the next 28 days.  As you interact with people who you know are Christians, do you see examples of Christian love?  Make a quick note of what you see.

Also note moments when you could have shown Christ’s love but didn’t.

 

 

 

 

Third Day of Christmas–What are we doing here?
12 Days of Christmas · Christian. · Christmas

Third Day of Christmas–What are we doing here?

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The early traditions of the church held that the days before Christmas were fast days.  A time  preparing one’s heart for the celebration of Jesus birth.  The true Christmas season ran from Feast Celebrating Jesus birth to the Epiphany. The ancient church actually established the Feast of Epiphany prior to the settling on the date of Jesus birth. There are 12 days from the first feast day Christmas to the eve of Epiphany.

Wreaths and other Christmas decorations go up near the 25th of December in the western branch of the church and remain up until the eve of epiphany.

Specific traditions for the Twelve Days of Christmas vary as you move around the world.

In our modern hustle bustle society,  I think a fast, of a negative type, often occurs during the days from December 1 until Christmas day. This is the type of fast we should never experience and leaves us weakened. Society places intense pressure on people during the pre-Christmas time for parties and shopping and rushing to every play or school performance.  We often go great lengths of time without any quite time with God.  One shame in our modern lives is that many reach Christmas Day drained of any closeness to Christ.

The twelve days provides a quieter time to contemplate the bible story of the first days of our Lord’s life on earth.  We need to stop and refuel for the year a head.

Journal Exercise

Do you feel drained and distant from God after Christmas or do you feel closer.  Why?

In response to the Shepherds arrival at the nativity and their repeating what the angels said, we have the following bible verse.

Luke 2:19 But Mary kept all these things, and pondered them in her heart.

What part of the story of Jesus Birth do you hold in a special place in your heart?  Is it the angels announcing Jesus birth to Shepherds in the Fields?  Is it the shepherds rushing to Bethlehem to see the baby?  Maybe it is the wise men coming to place gifts before Jesus?

Write your thoughts regarding your favorite part of the nativity story and why.

 

On the First Day of Christmas
12 Days of Christmas · Christmas · Christmas Traditions

On the First Day of Christmas

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Tis the first day of Christmas.  We sing the song 12 days of Christmas and assume it has to do with some tradition of counting the days prior to December 25th, but we are wrong.  Early traditions around the birth of Christ had the days before the birth of Jesus as fast days.  The days from the birth of Christ until the eve prior to the Epiphany were the 12 days of Christmas.  And they were days of celebration.

The first day of Christmas the Lover of my soul gave me a savior in a manger.

Join me in a journaling adventure over the next 12 days as we look at this old Christmas tradition.  In many ways, the celebration of the 12 days of Christmas fits our modern society better.  The days prior to Christmas day are chaotic with the hustle and bustle of shopping, parties and the secular traditions that have grown around the holy day.  After Christmas, we have more down time to contemplate the miracles of God stepping into the world.

Grab a note pad or some paper in a binder. Prepare to write your thoughts over the next couple of weeks as we study the 12 Days of Christmas.

A New Dial –12 Days of Christmas Song from the 1500’s or early 1600’s

1st Day Verse

 In those twelve days let us be glad 😐
For God of His power hath all things made.

What are they that are but one?
What are they that are but one?

We have one God alone
In heaven above sits on His throne:

Journal Exercise

Describe your Christmas day.

 

Is God on His throne in your life?

 

Do you put God before everything and everyone else in you life?

Pulling Things Together
Christmas · Christmas Traditions

Pulling Things Together

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We have a nativity scene with a young woman and a baby in a manger.
A virgin will give birth as a sign.  Some argue the word means young women.  The word can be translated young women or virgin.  A young woman givng birth is not that much of a sign.

Isaiah 7:14 Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.

And at her side is a man.  A man who trusted God and took the woman as his wife eventhough she was with child.

Matthew 1:

18 Now the birth of Jesus Christ was on this wise: When as his mother Mary was espoused to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Ghost.

19 Then Joseph her husband, being a just man, and not willing to make her a public example, was minded to put her away privily.

20 But while he thought on these things, behold, the angel of the Lordappeared unto him in a dream, saying, Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife: for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost.

21 And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name Jesus: for he shall save his people from their sins.

22 Now all this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying,

23 Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us.

24 Then Joseph being raised from sleep did as the angel of the Lord had bidden him, and took unto him his wife:

25 And knew her not till she had brought forth her firstborn son: and he called his name Jesus.

Just as prophecied the babe was born in Bethlehem.

Micah 5

5 Now gather thyself in troops, O daughter of troops: he hath laid siege against us: they shall smite the judge of Israel with a rod upon the cheek.

2 But thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting.

We see our man and woman traveling to Bethlehem from their home and while there she gave birth.

Luke 2 And it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be taxed.

2 (And this taxing was first made when Cyrenius was governor of Syria.)

3 And all went to be taxed, every one into his own city.

4 And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judaea, unto the city of David, which is called Bethlehem; (because he was of the house and lineage of David:)

5 To be taxed with Mary his espoused wife, being great with child.

6 And so it was, that, while they were there, the days were accomplished that she should be delivered.

Our Christmas traditions of trees, Santa, presents, even Shepherds and wisemen are all secondary to this very simple story.

The Holy Spirit created a baby in the womb of a woman and that woman would give birth to a a baby who would be God with us.  Emmanuel–God with us.  Matthew 1:23

Journal exercise

God’s plan over time was for that babe to come into the world and to form a bridge between man and God.

That Baby was God in flesh.

To me this is the wildest thought in the world.  Write what you feel about the idea that the creator of the universe came to earth in humblest form to a humble family in a small village in a stable with the animals.  The King of Kings stepped into a babies body.  He did all of this for you and me.

Go tell it on the Mountain
Christmas · Christmas Traditions

Go tell it on the Mountain

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Go Tell It On the Mountain, over the Hills and everywhere; Go tell it on the Mountain Jesus Christ is Born.  (An old American Slave Spiritual)

 

Luke 2

15 And it came to pass, as the angels were gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds said one to another, Let us now go even unto Bethlehem, and see this thing which is come to pass, which the Lord hath made known unto us.

16 And they came with haste, and found Mary, and Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger.

17 And when they had seen it, they made known abroad the saying which was told them concerning this child.

 

Those Shepherds heard the words of the angel and they headed to Bethlehem to see for themselves.  Once they found Jesus, they left the place and told others about the baby and about what the angles had said.
Journal Exercise
Do you tell others about Jesus?
Think of times you could have told people about Jesus in a way that was positive.  Why didn’t you tell them?
Checking In
Christmas · Christmas Traditions

Checking In

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Joseph and Mary left their village heading  to Bethlehem to be counted in the census. The village of Bethlehem swelled with people in town for the census.  Mary and Joseph arrive to find every place filled with people.  The Inn Keeper had no rooms left.  Everything was full.  No rooms anywhere.  The only place available was in the stable.

Luke 2 7 And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn.

Today, a beautiful church sits over the cave which was once the stable.  A star marks the spot where a hay trough once stood and where the baby was to be lain.

The Inn Keeper had no rooms except this stable.  The bible doesn’t tell us, but it is interesting to thank about the person who sent Mary and Joseph to the stable to give birth. Have you thought about that Inn Keeper’s decision?  I see two or three options here.

1. The manager of this place was out to make a buck putting people anywhere he could find.  He cared nothing about the man, woman and baby needing a room.  But he would make more money if he put people in the stable.

2. The city had people everywhere and getting the stable was special.  He felt sorry for them.  Mary being pregnant and all.  He took time to find them the only place he could find.

I see one option being so similar to the person with a busy life that gives Jesus the small sliver of time left over in their lives.  But the other person, the one trying to make room for Jesus, cares.  He is trying to find Jesus a place in his life.

But neither one was really what the Lord of the Universe deserved.  Neither is right.  Yet it seems like all of us just give Jesus what is left over.  Some people in a careless way never thinking about Jesus.  The others making an effort to squeeze Him in.

Shouldn’t we be giving him our room.  Saying I will give up my comfort or my favorite things for Jesus my Lord.  We owe Him everything and most of us think we are remarkable if we let him stay in the stable.

Journal Exercise

Do you squeeze God in?  Do you find him a place between all the other activities of your life?

 

Do you feel good about giving Jesus the equivalent of the stable in you life?  You find him a place, but not the prime spot, not the best of your life.  Do you treat Him like He is king or do you treat Him like the livestock?

Angels, angels, angels
Christmas · Christmas Traditions

Angels, angels, angels

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Angels top our trees, angels stand in our yards, angels every where of every size can be found.

But then, angels flooded the Christmas story.

First we have Gabriel appearing in the temple with great news for Zacharias. This angel came with assurances that the priest’s prayers would be answered.  Even though Zacharias and his wife Elizabeth were past the age of having kids, they would soon be expecting a baby boy whose name would be John.  He would grow to be the one who would prepare the way for the Lord.

And Zacharias’ response to this wondrous news

Luke 1 18 And Zacharias said unto the angel, Whereby shall I know this? for I am an old man, and my wife well stricken in years.

Gabriel closed Zacharias mouth until the baby was born and he was asked what to name the baby.

 

A few months later in the town of Nazareth, Gabriel shows up with more news.

He appears to a young 13 or 14 year old girl engaged to marry.  The angel informs the young girl, a virgin,  she will conceive a child by the Holy Spirit.  This baby’s name will be Jesus (God’s salvation).

Mary knows this news means she will be at a minimum mocked in her community.  There is a real possibility her husband to be would have her stoned or removed from the community.  Her life will take a significant turn with this news.

And what is Mary’s response

Luke 1 38 And Mary said, Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word. And the angel departed from her.

Journal exercise

What would your response be if an Angel appeared to you?

If an angel appeared telling you that a prayer would be answered, would you believe or ask for proof?

If the angel asked you to do something really hard what would your answer be?

 

You may not get an appearance from an angel, but you may know that God is asking you to do something for Him.  How have you responded to those requests to do hard things?

 

Light of the World
Christmas · Christmas Traditions

Light of the World

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In the mist of preparing for Christmas, a Jewish holiday exists.  Hanukkah, the feast of dedication, celebrates the miracle of light.  The symbol of this holiday is the Menorah.  A candelabra designed by the Almighty.  And the fact the Lord designed the Menorah is not the miracle which is amazing.

Israel suffered under an evil ruler who interfered with Israel’s worship of the Lord. He even desecrated the temple.

A small group of men in Israel rose up and defeated the ruler’s mighty army.  Then, the people of Israel cleared the temple and made it ready for worship.  When they were ready to rededicate the temple to the Lord, they discovered they had only enough oil to burn the candles for one day. The men trusted the Lord.  And the oil lasted eight days.  This was the time they needed to prepare more oil for this sacred purpose.

Each year, the Jewish faithful celebrate for eight days in memory of the miracle.

Jesus celebrated Hanukkah.  It is right there in the 10th book of John.

22 And it was at Jerusalem the feast of the dedication, and it was winter.

23 And Jesus walked in the temple in Solomon’s porch.

Interesting, Jesus came to Jerusalem to join with others to rejoice in the miracle of God making one day’s worth of oil last for eight days.  All around Him people celebrated the miracle of God, but only a few realized that the Light of the World walked among them.
John 8
12 Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.
Exercise.
In this time of Christmas celebration, write in your journal about the light of the world.
Write about when you stepped out of darkness to walk in the light.  Document that great miracle of light coming into your life.

If you still walk in the dark, ask Jesus to be the ruler of your life, to forgive you of your sins and to guide you in the way that you should go.  Trust Jesus to be your Lord.