Just returned from the Harding Lectures in Searcy, AR. I believe that this was the best lectureship I have ever attended. The theme was "Tell Me the Story of Jesus!" That got me to thinking, no one has a story like Jesus!
His biography is pretty short - all things considered. We know almost nothing about His early life. The gospel accounts of Jesus focus on the last three years of His life.
But look at what they do say! He was born like no one else. He had a mission like no one else. He loved like no on else. He lived like no one else. He struggled like no one else. He died like no on else. He was raised like no one else. Though these aren't the titles of the keynote lectures, they are the essence of them.
It all came into focus at the end of three powerful days.
Tell me the story of Jesus! Write on my heart every word. Tell me the story most precious. sweetest that ever was heard.
Be Strong and Courageous,
L.T.
Friday, September 30, 2005
Wednesday, September 21, 2005
Who is Jesus? #74 (No one like Him)
No one came into the world quite like Jesus. I guess maybe John the Baptizer was close as his "ministry" on earth was delcared prior to his birth. But, Jesus was going to "save his people from their sins." His death was automatically announced in his birth announcement or pre-birth announcement. I am sure they didn't understand it that way; i.e. that to accomplish His mission He would have to die. Who would have understood it - except maybe those who had intently and honestly looked into the prophesies concerning the Messiah?
I know how excited I was when my wife informed me that "we" were pregnant with our children. There were four (not all at the same time) and the excitement never diminished. We prayed, before they were born, that they would be about God's business, that they would find the godly spouses that God was preparing for them, etc. But we could not have outlined their life in detail at the time they were born.
Jesus' life's work was wrapped up in His pre-birth proclamation "he will save His people from their sins." Thus they called him, "Savior."
I know how excited I was when my wife informed me that "we" were pregnant with our children. There were four (not all at the same time) and the excitement never diminished. We prayed, before they were born, that they would be about God's business, that they would find the godly spouses that God was preparing for them, etc. But we could not have outlined their life in detail at the time they were born.
Jesus' life's work was wrapped up in His pre-birth proclamation "he will save His people from their sins." Thus they called him, "Savior."
Monday, September 19, 2005
Who is Jesus? #73 (No one like Him)
There has never been, nor will there ever be anyone who taught like Jesus taught! NO ONE!
Let's see - He made the religious scholars scratch their heads (questions about John the Baptist) and ultimately made them mad enough to kill him ("Woe to you scribes, hypocrites, den of snakes..."). He continually confused His disciples not because of what He said, but, from their perspective, what He wasn't saying.
There is a verse that I have always found interesting. Matthew 7:28-29, "When Jesus finished saying these things, the crowds were amazed at His teaching, because He taught as one who had authority and NOT AS THEIR TEACHERS OF THE LAW! It is as if they knew that the teachings of their "scholars" were powerless, but that was all they had. It was a bunch of words with no dynamite behind it.
Jesus comes on the scene and they recognize in what He said and the way He said it that He was speaking in behalf of an authority above Himself. They had never heard anything like it and neither have I.
I have sat at the feet of some great teachers, but not one of them gave their life for me. Could it be that His teachings were more than just teachings, but they were a description of His life - right down to the ultimate point of SACRIFICE?
Lord, you are the master teacher, Rabbi; now, please help me to be the master student.
Be Strong and Courageous,
L.T.
Let's see - He made the religious scholars scratch their heads (questions about John the Baptist) and ultimately made them mad enough to kill him ("Woe to you scribes, hypocrites, den of snakes..."). He continually confused His disciples not because of what He said, but, from their perspective, what He wasn't saying.
There is a verse that I have always found interesting. Matthew 7:28-29, "When Jesus finished saying these things, the crowds were amazed at His teaching, because He taught as one who had authority and NOT AS THEIR TEACHERS OF THE LAW! It is as if they knew that the teachings of their "scholars" were powerless, but that was all they had. It was a bunch of words with no dynamite behind it.
Jesus comes on the scene and they recognize in what He said and the way He said it that He was speaking in behalf of an authority above Himself. They had never heard anything like it and neither have I.
I have sat at the feet of some great teachers, but not one of them gave their life for me. Could it be that His teachings were more than just teachings, but they were a description of His life - right down to the ultimate point of SACRIFICE?
Lord, you are the master teacher, Rabbi; now, please help me to be the master student.
Be Strong and Courageous,
L.T.
Friday, September 16, 2005
Who is Jesus? #72 (No one like Him)
No one gave people HOPE like Jesus! He met with the hopeless and downtrodden. He interacted with those who were at the end of their rope. He saw those who seemed to be wandering like aimless, shepherdless sheep and He gave them hope.
The HOPE he gave was/is something you could/can hang your life on. It was sure. It was real. It was available. Hope from Jesus is not a whim or a wish. It's an "anchor for the soul,"(Heb. 6:19). You can secure your life there.
It was "today" in paradise with Jesus for that thief. If was "go and sin no more" to the adulterous woman. He said a word of hope and the nobleman's son was healed.
The faithful Jew knew that the Messiah was their only hope and they expected Him to be just exactly that.
I sing the song, "My Only Hope is You," without really thinking about what I am saying. No one, nowhere at no time offers HOPE like Jews.
Jesus, my only Hope is You!
Be Strong and Courageous,
L.T.
The HOPE he gave was/is something you could/can hang your life on. It was sure. It was real. It was available. Hope from Jesus is not a whim or a wish. It's an "anchor for the soul,"(Heb. 6:19). You can secure your life there.
It was "today" in paradise with Jesus for that thief. If was "go and sin no more" to the adulterous woman. He said a word of hope and the nobleman's son was healed.
The faithful Jew knew that the Messiah was their only hope and they expected Him to be just exactly that.
I sing the song, "My Only Hope is You," without really thinking about what I am saying. No one, nowhere at no time offers HOPE like Jews.
Jesus, my only Hope is You!
Be Strong and Courageous,
L.T.
Wednesday, September 14, 2005
Who is Jesus? #71 (No one like Him)
No one knew, like Jesus, when it was time to speak and when it was time to be silent. What a lesson that I need to learn.
At one point during His excuse for a trial, Jesus said nothing (Matthew 26:63). That is not what I would have done. I would have been trying to defend myself.
The gospel of John records several things that Jesus said during his trial. None of them were attempts to refute the false charges but all were direct and to the point. They did nothing to "improve" the situation as far as his end was concerned. He was still going to the cross.
To speak or not to speak. On one occasion, Jesus walked right through a crowd ready to take his life for what he had been saying (Luke 4:30)
The power of Jesus came across even in silence.
The Bible records only seven things that Jesus said from the cross: the last, perhaps the most earth-shattering. "It is finished." With those three words (one word in Greek) a complete summary of His mission was pronounced.
Lord, please give me the wisdom to speak and to not speak and what I do say, may it be by You and Your power.
Be Strong and Courageous,
L.T.
At one point during His excuse for a trial, Jesus said nothing (Matthew 26:63). That is not what I would have done. I would have been trying to defend myself.
The gospel of John records several things that Jesus said during his trial. None of them were attempts to refute the false charges but all were direct and to the point. They did nothing to "improve" the situation as far as his end was concerned. He was still going to the cross.
To speak or not to speak. On one occasion, Jesus walked right through a crowd ready to take his life for what he had been saying (Luke 4:30)
The power of Jesus came across even in silence.
The Bible records only seven things that Jesus said from the cross: the last, perhaps the most earth-shattering. "It is finished." With those three words (one word in Greek) a complete summary of His mission was pronounced.
Lord, please give me the wisdom to speak and to not speak and what I do say, may it be by You and Your power.
Be Strong and Courageous,
L.T.
Tuesday, September 06, 2005
Who is Jesus? #70 (No one like Him)
No one, but no one, stood up to false teachers and false teaching like Jesus did! Of course, He knew a false teacher when He saw one and He knew false teaching when He heard it.
False teachers were those who were deliberately leading people off into a belief in something other than the unadulterated Word of God. It wasn't that they were accidentally wrong or mistaken.
False teachers promoted their false teachings in order to draw people to themselves - to have a following.
Jesus nailed them with words like, hypocrites, den of snakes and "do as I say do, not as I do."
People's souls were at stake and Jesus couldn't just stand by and let false teachers have their way with the hearts of the people.
What I need to recognize is that a false teacher is not somebody who simply disagrees with me, but who intentionally leads people away from the truth of God's Word and into their own flock of believers.
The caution here is for me not to be a false teacher.
Father, sanctify me in Your truth.
Be Strong and Courageous,
L.T.
False teachers were those who were deliberately leading people off into a belief in something other than the unadulterated Word of God. It wasn't that they were accidentally wrong or mistaken.
False teachers promoted their false teachings in order to draw people to themselves - to have a following.
Jesus nailed them with words like, hypocrites, den of snakes and "do as I say do, not as I do."
People's souls were at stake and Jesus couldn't just stand by and let false teachers have their way with the hearts of the people.
What I need to recognize is that a false teacher is not somebody who simply disagrees with me, but who intentionally leads people away from the truth of God's Word and into their own flock of believers.
The caution here is for me not to be a false teacher.
Father, sanctify me in Your truth.
Be Strong and Courageous,
L.T.
Friday, September 02, 2005
Who is Jesus? #69 (No one like Him)
No one except Jesus could look right through a person and see the condition of his/her heart.
"Here is a true Israelite, in whom there is nothing false." Our Lord made this observation about Nathaniel as he was being brought to Jesus by Philip.
Jesus, like His father, looks at the heart and see what is really there.
So often, we are duped by looking on the outside and "judging: right or wrong" what is on the inside. Jesus never misses. He is right on target.
Jesus saw who the Pharisees and Saducees really were. They, "honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me." He knew the hearts of his accusers before whom He underwent a mockery of a trial - a "jealous heart."
Two items for meditation,
1. Therefore, Jesus knows my heart. I can't fake Him out. "Create in me a clean heart, O God." I want Jesus to see a cleansed heart when He looks inside me.
2. Since I don't have this acute ability like Jesus, maybe I should stay out of the heart-judging business. Wait, I have been commanded NOT to do that: Matt 7:1ff!
Search my heart, O Lord and make it pure before You!
Be Strong and Courageous,
L.T.
"Here is a true Israelite, in whom there is nothing false." Our Lord made this observation about Nathaniel as he was being brought to Jesus by Philip.
Jesus, like His father, looks at the heart and see what is really there.
So often, we are duped by looking on the outside and "judging: right or wrong" what is on the inside. Jesus never misses. He is right on target.
Jesus saw who the Pharisees and Saducees really were. They, "honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me." He knew the hearts of his accusers before whom He underwent a mockery of a trial - a "jealous heart."
Two items for meditation,
1. Therefore, Jesus knows my heart. I can't fake Him out. "Create in me a clean heart, O God." I want Jesus to see a cleansed heart when He looks inside me.
2. Since I don't have this acute ability like Jesus, maybe I should stay out of the heart-judging business. Wait, I have been commanded NOT to do that: Matt 7:1ff!
Search my heart, O Lord and make it pure before You!
Be Strong and Courageous,
L.T.
Thursday, September 01, 2005
Who is Jesus? #68 (No one like Him)
No one ever showed compassion for people like Jesus. The woman caught in adultery was a "dead duck" save for the compassion of Jesus. Only he could convict her of sin and still exude compassion for her.
He cried passionately over the city of Jerusalem because she had been given all the chances in the world to connect with God and didn't do it. Her rejection of Him didn't cause anger, but grief. They were sheep without a shepherd, not because there was no shepherd available, but because they had said "no" to the Great Shepherd.
His heart goes out to those at the tomb of Lazarus. They didn't understand His capabilities or His power. He wept because of that.
We get bent all out of shape with righteous indignation, even anger: completely skipping the compassion necessary to meet people where they are. Therefore we do not know how to help, how to comfort, how to instruct how to show people how to let God change their heart.
Compassion, I pray that Jesus looks down on me with compassion.
Be Strong and Courageous,
L.T.
He cried passionately over the city of Jerusalem because she had been given all the chances in the world to connect with God and didn't do it. Her rejection of Him didn't cause anger, but grief. They were sheep without a shepherd, not because there was no shepherd available, but because they had said "no" to the Great Shepherd.
His heart goes out to those at the tomb of Lazarus. They didn't understand His capabilities or His power. He wept because of that.
We get bent all out of shape with righteous indignation, even anger: completely skipping the compassion necessary to meet people where they are. Therefore we do not know how to help, how to comfort, how to instruct how to show people how to let God change their heart.
Compassion, I pray that Jesus looks down on me with compassion.
Be Strong and Courageous,
L.T.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
