Jesus Over Everything

Angels-Landing

September 29 (Matthew 7:13-14)

Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few. (ESV)

Angel’s Landing is one of the scariest hikes in the United States. The trail takes you two and a half miles to a peak that towers 5,790 feet above Zion Canyon in Zion National Park. The narrow path to the ascent is not for the faint of heart, yet the reward for making it is a breathtaking view of natural splendor, and it is a perfect illustration for what Jesus was talking about.

Do not let anyone tell you the Christian life is easy. It is not. Ask the martyrs, both in the ancient world of the Roman colosseum and in modern day Iran. As one Iranian Christian put it, “We know that if they get us, the first thing they will do to us as a woman is rape us and then they will beat us and ultimately they will kill us.” An Iranian Christian leader said this. “Disciples forsake the world and cling to Jesus ’till he comes. Converts don’t. Disciples aren’t engaged in a culture war. Converts are. Disciples cherish, obey, and share the word of God. Converts don’t. Disciples choose Jesus over anything and everything else. Converts don’t. Converts run when the fire comes. Disciples don’t.”

Disciples choose Jesus over anything and everything else. Have you? Have I? Are we nice, polite, decent people who help make society work in a civilized manner, or are we more than that? Are we born-again, washed-in-the-blood, new creations in Christ? Do we see Jesus when we look at our problems and desires? Do we see Jesus when we look at our jobs and our money and our time? Do we see Jesus when we look at other people? Pause for a moment and present the words of Jesus and the actions of your own life to God. Let Him speak to you and show you which path you are truly walking.

Lord, I want no illusions. Have I truly forsaken the world to cling to Jesus? Do I cherish, obey, and share Your word? Do I choose Jesus over anything and everything else? Reveal to me any place where my answer is no and lead me back to the narrow path of life. In the name of Jesus, Who has redeemed me and made me new, amen.

Telling God No

Lucy_football

August 11 (Acts 10:14)

“No, Lord,” Peter declared. (NLT)

I was listening to Danielle Strickland, who takes the gospel to those involved in prostitution and human trafficking, deliver a talk, and when she referenced this verse, she said it was a contradiction and moved on, but I couldn’t. That observation punched me in the face. One of two things is true. If Jesus is truly your Lord, you can’t tell Him no. If you really mean no, then He isn’t your Lord.

Of course, Jesus was Peter’s Lord, and this was Peter’s typically impetuous response, this time to a vision in which God was telling him to eat animals that his Jewish heritage told him were unclean, but think about it for a moment. If we surrender to God, we are giving up our right to tell Him no. We are acknowledging His sovereignty over our lives. If He is really and truly our Lord, then our only response ever to His call must be that of Mary, the mother of Jesus. “Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word.”

On top of that, why wouldn’t we say yes to God? Jesus Himself taught us to pray that He would not lead us into temptation, so what are we afraid of? Do we really think that God is going to trick us? Do you honestly believe that He is going to yank the football away just as you go to kick it? If God is truly your Lord and if He is indeed good, then why on earth would you ever tell Him no?

Jesus, when I hesitate to obey You, it reveals all my true fears and lack of faith. Make me bold. I do love You and have acknowledged You as my Lord and Savior, but I am also weak and allow so many other thoughts to affect my actions. Help me to only and always to see You and follow Your lead with a quick and simple yes. Amen.

The Message of Jesus

light-darkness

May 5 (Acts 26:17-18)

Yes, I am sending you to the Gentilesto open their eyes, so they may turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God. Then they will receive forgiveness for their sins and be given a place among God’s people, who are set apart by faith in me. (NLT)

Life in Jesus is about far more than having a genie in a bottle to help us out every now and then when things get rough. It is a radical altering and reorienting of the very essence of our selves, and Jesus lays this out quite clearly in His words to Paul.

First, we move from spiritual, and very real, darkness to light. Apart from God we are susceptible to the power of Satan, which can be hard to recognize and almost impossible to resist. By surrendering to Jesus, we move out from that power and come to God Himself. Second, we receive forgiveness for our sins, which we would not even know we needed without the light of God illuminating what is truly dark. Finally, we receive a place among the people of God. The work of Jesus is not just to clean us up and then send us out on our own, but to incorporate us into the body of those who dwell in the joyful presence of God forever.

And all of that is available through faith in Jesus. That is all it takes. Accept Him as Lord and Savior, and all that can be yours. Pause and think about that for a moment. If you have already surrendered your life to Him, rejoice and thank Him for the amazing gift He has given you and share this good news with those you know who need that gift as well. If it all sounds too good to be true, but something you know you light-darkness desperately want, then invite Him into your heart today. What Jesus told Paul to offer people two thousand years ago, He is offering to you right now.

O Jesus, the light and life You offer is more than I can comprehend, yet I know I want it. In fact, I want nothing more than You this day. However closely or poorly I have followed You before, I confess my sin to You and surrender all to You this moment. Help me to live in the light and life of You, my Savior. Amen.