Ecclesiastes 1:9
History merely repeats itself. It has all been done before. Nothing under the sun is truly new.
Nothing is really new. We use different terms and different wrapping, but most things are just recycled.
I did look up what some “new” things would cost.
New House: $152,000
New Mercedes-Benz: $75,835
New Harley: $11,000
New Adventure (going into space): $200,000
A New Relationship with Jesus: YOUR LIFE
Jesus did a brand new thing when He came. Jesus did an unheard of thing when He came.
GOD BECAME A HUMAN!
It was so new that the old systems could not handle it. Jesus tells us that we have to let Him make a new system because the newness of who He is and what He is doing will destroy the old system.
Mark 2:22
No one pours new wine into old wineskins. The wine would swell and burst the old skins. Then the wine would be lost, and the skins would be ruined. New wine must be put into new wineskins.
Jesus brings newness.
Paul tells us that in Jesus, everything about us becomes new when we surrender ourselves to Him.
2 Corinthians 5:17
Whoever is a believer in Christ is a new creation. The old way of living has disappeared. A new way of living has come into existence.
God gives us a new LIFE.
Ezra 9:9
We are slaves, our God has not abandon us in our slavery. He has extended grace to us in the presence of the Persian kings, giving us new life, so that we can rebuild the house of God and repair its ruin, to give us a wall in Judah and Jerusalem.
Romans 6:4
By our baptism, then, we were buried with Him and shared His death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glorious power of the Father, so also we might have a new life.
Two things will make up that new life.
New Praise
Psalm 40:3
He put a new song in my mouth, a hymn of praise to our God.
New Hope
Isaiah 43:19
See, I do a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland.
God gives us a new HEART & SPIRIT.
Ezekiel 18:31
Rid yourselves of all offenses you have committed and get a new heart and a new spirit.
Romans 7:6
But now we have been delivered from the law, having died to what we were held by, so that we should serve in the newness of the Spirit and not in the oldness of the letter.
A new heart means a new will to obey Jesus.
A new spirit means a new aliveness and freshness in life.
God gives us a NEW & LIVING WAY.
Isaiah 40:3
A voice is crying out: “Clear the Lord’s way in the desert! Make a level highway in the wilderness for our God!”
Hebrews 10:20
By the new and living way that He opened for us through the curtain, that is, through His flesh.
That way is brought about by a New Birth.
1 Peter 1:3
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! By His great mercy He gave us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.
This leads to us following a New Teaching.
Mark 1:27
Amazement gripped the audience, and they began to discuss what had happened. “what sort of new teaching is this” they asked excitedly.
This allows us to experience a New Covenant with God.
1 Corinthians 11:25
In the same way, He took the cup of wine after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant between God and His people - an agreement confirmed by My blood.”
God gives us a NEW ATTITUDE.
1 Samuel 2:35
Then I will appoint a faithful priest to serve Me. He will do everything I want him to do.
Ephesians 4:23
Instead, let the Spirit renew your thoughts and attitudes.
This new attitude leads to New Compassions.
Lamentations 3:22-23
The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases: His mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness.
The new attitude allows us to have New Treasures.
Matthew 13:52
He said to them, “Therefore every teacher of the law who has become a disciple in the kingdom is like the owner of a house who brings out of his storehouse new treasures as well as old.”
God makes you a NEW PERSON.
Genesis 1:27
So God created man in His own image; in the God He created them, male and female He created them.
Ephesians 4:24
And clothe yourself with the new person created according to God’s image in justice and true holiness.
The fact that you are a new person in Christ allows you to be One New Person. We don’t have to be everything to everybody. We can be who God wants us and created us to be.
Ephesians 2:15
He canceled the detailed rules of the Law so He could create one person out of the two groups, making peace.
As a new person in Jesus I have been given a New Command - to love others.
John 13:34
So now I am giving you a new command: Love each other. Just as I have loved you, you should love each other.
The old is not working in:
Government
Marriage/Family
Finances
Life
We are given a promise by God in Revelation 21:5: And He Who is seated on the throne said, “See! I make all things new.”
Let Jesus make you new!
Raise the Roof and Remove the Walls will continue into a new year. I am expecting Jesus to do some new things in our lives. We can not produce those new things but He can. We can submit ourselves fully to Him and let Him produce awesome new things in us and through us.
As you end 2013 and start 2014, start fresh and new, putting the past behind and letting Jesus make you NEW with His Newness.
Newly Raising the Roof and Removing the Walls
Joe
Sunday, December 29, 2013
Monday, December 23, 2013
The Hope of Christmas
Hope is a confident expectation. It is a confident expectation based on the promise of God and His Word.
Hope is not wishing.
Hope is not fantasy.
Hope is the reality that Jesus is God.
Hope is the reality that Jesus is the Truth.
Romans 15:4 tells us that the Scriptures were written to gives us hope.
Ephesians 1:18 tells us that God desires for us to experience hope.
Romans 15:13 tells us that God wants us to overflow with hope.
Ephesians 4:4 tells us that we have one hope - Jesus.
When I think of Christmas I think of hope.
Christmas gives us hope because Jesus came as a baby.
Babies are weak, vulnerable, and needy.
We are weak, vulnerable, and needy.
Jesus came to totally identify with us. He came and lived facing all weaknesses and sharing all our temptations, struggles, and needs.
Jesus shared them, but He overcame them. He lived a perfect sinless life. He did that as a flesh and blood human.
Christmas is for children.
Matthew 18:3
And He said, “I tell you the truth, unless you turn around and become like little children, you will never enter the Kingdom of Heaven!”
Why is Christmas for children?
Why do you have to become like a little child to enter the Kingdom of Heaven?
Children are incomplete and incompetent.
Children are not finished yet they still have to grow and learn. We don’t let children drive cars, vote, or get married. They are competent to do these things.
We are not competent in ourselves either.
Paul reminds of that in 2 Corinthians 3:5. It says, “Not that we are adequate in ourselves to consider anything as if it were coming from ourselves, but our adequacy is from God.”
Christmas shows us Jesus as a baby. He was like us, human and as a baby, helpless. He faced all the things we face and overcame them all.
Christmas gives hope because Jesus came to ordinary people.
Jesus came into the world in unimpressive circumstances. He was born in a barn.
Jesus came into the world to parents of no social significance. His parents were a carpenter and a housewife.
Jesus’ welcoming committee were shepherds. They were considered sinners by the religious establishment of that day.
Jesus came for sinners.
Mark 2:17 says, “When Jesus heard that, He said, ‘Healthy people don’t need a doctor; those who are sick do. I’ve come to call sinners, not people who think they don’t have any flaws.’”
Christmas is for sinners - those who know they are sinners.
Christmas gives us hope because Jesus came as our peace.
Romans 5:1
Therefore, since we have been declared righteous by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.
Circumstances screw with our emotions and our feelings are all over the place, but if we are in Jesus we are in peace.
Jesus gave peace to His disciples as He met them after His resurrection.
John 20:19-20
Later on that day, the disciples had gathered together, but, fearful of the Jews, had locked all the doors in the house. Jesus entered, stood among them and said, “Peace to you.” Then He showed them His hands and side.
Just as Jesus was peace for those disciples, He is peace for His disciples today.
Jesus = Peace
If we are anchored in the Rock (Jesus) and not in the shifting sands of feelings we can and will experience peace.
Christmas gives us hope because Jesus came to give us great joy.
Luke 2:10
Then the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which shall be to all people.”
Joy in Jesus is discovering the true worth of Jesus.
In Matthew 13:44 Jesus tells a story of a man who found a treasure hidden in a field. The second part of that verse says, “And from joy over it he goes and sells all that he has and buys the field.”
The man saw that the treasure was worth much more than all that he had, so he gladly gave up all that he had to get.
Jesus is worth more than all we have or will ever have. Real joy comes when we understand that and give up everything for Jesus.
Christmas gives us hope because Jesus gave us Himself.
In John 12:21 a group of Greeks, non-Jews, come and tell Philip that they want to see Jesus.
When the shepherds and wise men come, they come to see Jesus.
They didn’t come to see Joseph.
They didn’t come to see Mary.
They didn’t come to see a religious icon.
They didn’t come for the “experience”.
They came for the sole purpose of seeing - JESUS!
What we need most this Christmas is not more stuff that in a short time we will get rid of.
What we need most this Christmas is not more religious experiences.
What we need most this Christmas is not spending time with family.
What we need most this Christmas is to see Jesus.
Jesus is of no importance unless He is of supreme importance.
1 Timothy 1:1
Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by command of God our Savior and of Christ Jesus our hope.
Jesus is our hope.
Colossians 1:15-23a describes who Jesus is.
He is:
the image of the invisible God
the firstborn over all creation
creator of all things
before all things
who holds all things together
head of the church
the beginning
firstborn from among the dead
supreme
the fullness of God
who reconciled all things to God
who made peace by His blood
who reconciled us by his death to the Father
who makes us holy
who makes us with blemish
who makes us free from accusation
That is the God who became human in the barn at Bethlehem.
That is the God who gives us hope.
That is why Christmas gives us hope.
My prayer for:
My Wife
My Children
My Grandchildren
My Faith Family,
and for unrighteous, confused, immoral sinners,
is to know Jesus and experience His love and forgiveness and for Him to become our hope and their hope.
In the Hope Christmas Brings Raising the Roof and Removing the Walls
Joe
Hope is not wishing.
Hope is not fantasy.
Hope is the reality that Jesus is God.
Hope is the reality that Jesus is the Truth.
Romans 15:4 tells us that the Scriptures were written to gives us hope.
Ephesians 1:18 tells us that God desires for us to experience hope.
Romans 15:13 tells us that God wants us to overflow with hope.
Ephesians 4:4 tells us that we have one hope - Jesus.
When I think of Christmas I think of hope.
Christmas gives us hope because Jesus came as a baby.
Babies are weak, vulnerable, and needy.
We are weak, vulnerable, and needy.
Jesus came to totally identify with us. He came and lived facing all weaknesses and sharing all our temptations, struggles, and needs.
Jesus shared them, but He overcame them. He lived a perfect sinless life. He did that as a flesh and blood human.
Christmas is for children.
Matthew 18:3
And He said, “I tell you the truth, unless you turn around and become like little children, you will never enter the Kingdom of Heaven!”
Why is Christmas for children?
Why do you have to become like a little child to enter the Kingdom of Heaven?
Children are incomplete and incompetent.
Children are not finished yet they still have to grow and learn. We don’t let children drive cars, vote, or get married. They are competent to do these things.
We are not competent in ourselves either.
Paul reminds of that in 2 Corinthians 3:5. It says, “Not that we are adequate in ourselves to consider anything as if it were coming from ourselves, but our adequacy is from God.”
Christmas shows us Jesus as a baby. He was like us, human and as a baby, helpless. He faced all the things we face and overcame them all.
Christmas gives hope because Jesus came to ordinary people.
Jesus came into the world in unimpressive circumstances. He was born in a barn.
Jesus came into the world to parents of no social significance. His parents were a carpenter and a housewife.
Jesus’ welcoming committee were shepherds. They were considered sinners by the religious establishment of that day.
Jesus came for sinners.
Mark 2:17 says, “When Jesus heard that, He said, ‘Healthy people don’t need a doctor; those who are sick do. I’ve come to call sinners, not people who think they don’t have any flaws.’”
Christmas is for sinners - those who know they are sinners.
Christmas gives us hope because Jesus came as our peace.
Romans 5:1
Therefore, since we have been declared righteous by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.
Circumstances screw with our emotions and our feelings are all over the place, but if we are in Jesus we are in peace.
Jesus gave peace to His disciples as He met them after His resurrection.
John 20:19-20
Later on that day, the disciples had gathered together, but, fearful of the Jews, had locked all the doors in the house. Jesus entered, stood among them and said, “Peace to you.” Then He showed them His hands and side.
Just as Jesus was peace for those disciples, He is peace for His disciples today.
Jesus = Peace
If we are anchored in the Rock (Jesus) and not in the shifting sands of feelings we can and will experience peace.
Christmas gives us hope because Jesus came to give us great joy.
Luke 2:10
Then the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which shall be to all people.”
Joy in Jesus is discovering the true worth of Jesus.
In Matthew 13:44 Jesus tells a story of a man who found a treasure hidden in a field. The second part of that verse says, “And from joy over it he goes and sells all that he has and buys the field.”
The man saw that the treasure was worth much more than all that he had, so he gladly gave up all that he had to get.
Jesus is worth more than all we have or will ever have. Real joy comes when we understand that and give up everything for Jesus.
Christmas gives us hope because Jesus gave us Himself.
In John 12:21 a group of Greeks, non-Jews, come and tell Philip that they want to see Jesus.
When the shepherds and wise men come, they come to see Jesus.
They didn’t come to see Joseph.
They didn’t come to see Mary.
They didn’t come to see a religious icon.
They didn’t come for the “experience”.
They came for the sole purpose of seeing - JESUS!
What we need most this Christmas is not more stuff that in a short time we will get rid of.
What we need most this Christmas is not more religious experiences.
What we need most this Christmas is not spending time with family.
What we need most this Christmas is to see Jesus.
Jesus is of no importance unless He is of supreme importance.
1 Timothy 1:1
Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by command of God our Savior and of Christ Jesus our hope.
Jesus is our hope.
Colossians 1:15-23a describes who Jesus is.
He is:
the image of the invisible God
the firstborn over all creation
creator of all things
before all things
who holds all things together
head of the church
the beginning
firstborn from among the dead
supreme
the fullness of God
who reconciled all things to God
who made peace by His blood
who reconciled us by his death to the Father
who makes us holy
who makes us with blemish
who makes us free from accusation
That is the God who became human in the barn at Bethlehem.
That is the God who gives us hope.
That is why Christmas gives us hope.
My prayer for:
My Wife
My Children
My Grandchildren
My Faith Family,
and for unrighteous, confused, immoral sinners,
is to know Jesus and experience His love and forgiveness and for Him to become our hope and their hope.
In the Hope Christmas Brings Raising the Roof and Removing the Walls
Joe
Sunday, December 15, 2013
The Cradle Leads to The Cross
There are two life changing events in every person’s life.
The first is birth.
The second is death.
Birth always leads to death. Estimates of how many people who have ever lived on planet earth range from 56 billion to 108 billion. Only two people of the billions who have ever lived have not died.
According to Genesis 5:24 Enoch walked with God, then he was no more because God took him.
And according to 2 Kings 2:11 Elijah went up to heaven in a whirlwind.
So whether it is 56 billion or 108 billion, our chances of not dying are not very good.
Birth is how we enter the world. It is usually against our will.
Death is how we leave the world. It is usually against our will.
Birth is someone else’s choice - mom and dad.
When and how we die can impact others greatly.
Do you remember from your study of American history Nathan Hale? He was an American soldier who was executed as a spy during the Revolutionary War. He is known for the last words he spoke before his death. He said, “I regret that I have only one life to give for my country.”
What we remember about him was how and why he died.
Do we know who his parents were?
Do we know what colony he was born and raised in?
Do we know how old he was when he died?
Do we know what his occupation was?
Most people don’t, but we know why he died - serving his country - and how he died heroically.
Luke 2:1-20 records Jesus’ birth. It is a wonderful story. If the story were to end there, then Christianity would be:
Nice
Sweet
A Great Story
Even Heroic
But it would not be life changing.
In the movie Talladega Nights the main character Ricky Bobby is sitting down with his family for a meal. He prays before the meal to baby Jesus. His wife reminds him that Jesus grew up. But Ricky Bobby says that he likes the baby Jesus best.
Many people like to keep Jesus a baby because:
Baby Jesus isn’t dangerous.
Baby Jesus isn’t challenging.
Baby Jesus is controllable.
People, have you noticed the cradle is EMPTY!
Jesus’ death is recorded in all four gospels (his birth in only two).
The description of Jesus’ death is:
Painful
Bloody
Disturbing
But Jesus’ death gives meaning and purpose to His birth.
The cradle has to lead to the cross.
The cradle has to lead to the cross because we need to be forgiven of our sins.
We all have sinned.
Romans 3:23
For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.
If there is no shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sin.
Hebrews 9:22
Indeed, under the law almost everything is purified with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sins.
For our sins to be eternally forgiven there had to be perfect blood, innocent blood shed. The only perfect innocent blood that would do was Jesus’ blood.
1 Peter 1:18-19
Live in this way, knowing that you were not liberated by perishable things like silver or gold from the empty lifestyle you inherited from your ancestors. Instead you were liberated by the precious blood of Christ, like that of a flawless, spotless lamb.
The cradle has to lead to the cross because we need to be made righteous.
None of us is righteous on our own.
Romans 3:10-12
As the Scriptures say: “There is no one who is righteous, no one who is wise or who worships God. All have turned away from God; they have all gone wrong; no one does what is right, not even one.”
We can only be made righteous by Jesus’ blood.
Romans 3:25-26
God presented Christ as a sacrifice of atonement, through the shedding of his blood - to be received by faith. He did this to demonstrate his righteousness, because in his forbearance he had left the sins committed beforehand unpunished - he did it to demonstrate his righteousness at the present time, so as to be just and the one who justifies those who have faith in Jesus.
We are declared righteous through our faith in Jesus so we can live out that righteousness daily.
The cradle has to lead to the cross because we need to be transformed from enemy to friend.
We are naturally enemies of God.
Colossians 1:21
Once you were alienated from God and were enemies in your minds because of your evil behavior.
Jesus desires that we become His friends.
John 15:13
There is no greater love than to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.
Jesus lay down His life for us so we could become His friends.
The cross is what reconciles us (makes us friends with God).
2 Corinthians 5:17-18
Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation.
Jesus was born to be your Savior.
Matthew 1:21
She will give birth to a son, and you will call him Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.
Jesus died to be your Savior.
1 John 2:2
Christ is the sacrifice that takes away our sins and the sins of the world’s people.
1 John 4:10
Real love isn’t our love for God, but his love for us. God sent his Son to be the sacrifice by which our sins are forgiven.
Jesus is returning as The King.
Revelation 19:13-16
He is dressed in a robe dipped in blood, and his name is the Word of God. The armies of heaven, dressed in fine linen, white and clean, were following him on white horses. Out of the rider’s mouth comes a sharp sword that he will use to defeat the nations, and he will rule them with a rod of iron. He will crush out the wine in the winepress of the terrible anger of God Almighty. On his robe and on his upper leg was written the name: King of kings and Lord of lords.
Raise the Roof and Remove the Walls is about celebrating Christmas not as the coming of a cute lovable baby into the world. It is about celebrating the coming of our Savior and King into the world.
Raise the Roof and Remove the Walls is about acknowledging Jesus as our Savior and submitting to Him as our King.
With the Cradle Leading to The Cross Raising the Roof and Removing the Walls
Joe
The first is birth.
The second is death.
Birth always leads to death. Estimates of how many people who have ever lived on planet earth range from 56 billion to 108 billion. Only two people of the billions who have ever lived have not died.
According to Genesis 5:24 Enoch walked with God, then he was no more because God took him.
And according to 2 Kings 2:11 Elijah went up to heaven in a whirlwind.
So whether it is 56 billion or 108 billion, our chances of not dying are not very good.
Birth is how we enter the world. It is usually against our will.
Death is how we leave the world. It is usually against our will.
Birth is someone else’s choice - mom and dad.
When and how we die can impact others greatly.
Do you remember from your study of American history Nathan Hale? He was an American soldier who was executed as a spy during the Revolutionary War. He is known for the last words he spoke before his death. He said, “I regret that I have only one life to give for my country.”
What we remember about him was how and why he died.
Do we know who his parents were?
Do we know what colony he was born and raised in?
Do we know how old he was when he died?
Do we know what his occupation was?
Most people don’t, but we know why he died - serving his country - and how he died heroically.
Luke 2:1-20 records Jesus’ birth. It is a wonderful story. If the story were to end there, then Christianity would be:
Nice
Sweet
A Great Story
Even Heroic
But it would not be life changing.
In the movie Talladega Nights the main character Ricky Bobby is sitting down with his family for a meal. He prays before the meal to baby Jesus. His wife reminds him that Jesus grew up. But Ricky Bobby says that he likes the baby Jesus best.
Many people like to keep Jesus a baby because:
Baby Jesus isn’t dangerous.
Baby Jesus isn’t challenging.
Baby Jesus is controllable.
People, have you noticed the cradle is EMPTY!
Jesus’ death is recorded in all four gospels (his birth in only two).
The description of Jesus’ death is:
Painful
Bloody
Disturbing
But Jesus’ death gives meaning and purpose to His birth.
The cradle has to lead to the cross.
The cradle has to lead to the cross because we need to be forgiven of our sins.
We all have sinned.
Romans 3:23
For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.
If there is no shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sin.
Hebrews 9:22
Indeed, under the law almost everything is purified with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sins.
For our sins to be eternally forgiven there had to be perfect blood, innocent blood shed. The only perfect innocent blood that would do was Jesus’ blood.
1 Peter 1:18-19
Live in this way, knowing that you were not liberated by perishable things like silver or gold from the empty lifestyle you inherited from your ancestors. Instead you were liberated by the precious blood of Christ, like that of a flawless, spotless lamb.
The cradle has to lead to the cross because we need to be made righteous.
None of us is righteous on our own.
Romans 3:10-12
As the Scriptures say: “There is no one who is righteous, no one who is wise or who worships God. All have turned away from God; they have all gone wrong; no one does what is right, not even one.”
We can only be made righteous by Jesus’ blood.
Romans 3:25-26
God presented Christ as a sacrifice of atonement, through the shedding of his blood - to be received by faith. He did this to demonstrate his righteousness, because in his forbearance he had left the sins committed beforehand unpunished - he did it to demonstrate his righteousness at the present time, so as to be just and the one who justifies those who have faith in Jesus.
We are declared righteous through our faith in Jesus so we can live out that righteousness daily.
The cradle has to lead to the cross because we need to be transformed from enemy to friend.
We are naturally enemies of God.
Colossians 1:21
Once you were alienated from God and were enemies in your minds because of your evil behavior.
Jesus desires that we become His friends.
John 15:13
There is no greater love than to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.
Jesus lay down His life for us so we could become His friends.
The cross is what reconciles us (makes us friends with God).
2 Corinthians 5:17-18
Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation.
Jesus was born to be your Savior.
Matthew 1:21
She will give birth to a son, and you will call him Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.
Jesus died to be your Savior.
1 John 2:2
Christ is the sacrifice that takes away our sins and the sins of the world’s people.
1 John 4:10
Real love isn’t our love for God, but his love for us. God sent his Son to be the sacrifice by which our sins are forgiven.
Jesus is returning as The King.
Revelation 19:13-16
He is dressed in a robe dipped in blood, and his name is the Word of God. The armies of heaven, dressed in fine linen, white and clean, were following him on white horses. Out of the rider’s mouth comes a sharp sword that he will use to defeat the nations, and he will rule them with a rod of iron. He will crush out the wine in the winepress of the terrible anger of God Almighty. On his robe and on his upper leg was written the name: King of kings and Lord of lords.
Raise the Roof and Remove the Walls is about celebrating Christmas not as the coming of a cute lovable baby into the world. It is about celebrating the coming of our Savior and King into the world.
Raise the Roof and Remove the Walls is about acknowledging Jesus as our Savior and submitting to Him as our King.
With the Cradle Leading to The Cross Raising the Roof and Removing the Walls
Joe
Monday, December 9, 2013
The Crisis of Christmas
There is a crisis this Christmas! A crisis of faith.
You see, if Jesus is really Lord of my life, then He is Lord of my:
Priorities
Family
Relationships
And Christmas
My relationship with Jesus has to be the most
intense & intimate
relationship I have.
And I have to submit EVERYTHING to Him!
Let me encourage you to ask yourself two questions:
First, what has power over me?
Do People?
Do Things?
Do Problems?
Second, how would my life be different if JESUS had power over me?
Christmas has to be more than:
The Finale to a Frantic Shopping Season
Sentimental Music
Tinsel on a Tree
A Children’s Pageant
Boozy Good Will to the World
Christmas, like Raising the Roof and Removing the Walls, is staking your life on the revelation of God in Jesus.
Christmas, like Raising the Roof and Removing the Walls, requires the Necessity of Faith.
There is a great picture of faith in Matthew 13. Jesus tells the story of a farmer who is out planting his crop in His fields. After Jesus tells the story, His disciples come and ask why He teaches the way He does, in parables. They were really asking what this story meant. Jesus tells them in verses 19-23.
Matthew 13:19
Someone who hears the word about the kingdom but doesn’t understand it. The evil one comes at once and snatches away what was planted in him. This is what the seed planted along the road illustrates.
This is a picture of the INSENSITIVE.
They hear the word but it doesn’t speak to them interiorly (in their spirit). For them, the word is meaningless.
They are like the people that God speaks to in Isaiah 29:13. The Lord says, “Since these people turn toward Me with their mouths, and honor Me with lip service while their heart is distant from Me, and their fear of Me is just a human command that has been memorized.”
Matthew 13:20-21
The seeds that fell on rocky ground are the people who gladly hear the message and accept it at once. But they don’t have deep roots, and they don’t last very long. As soon as life gets hard or the message gets them in trouble, they give up.
This is a picture of the SUPERFICIAL.
This people are open - too open! They are ready to receive everything, but nothing takes root.
They are like Simon the Sorcerer in Acts 8:13, 18-19. Even Simon himself believed, and after being baptized he continued with Philip. And seeing signs and great miracles performed, he was amazed.
Now when Simon saw that the Spirit was given through the laying on of the apostles’ hands, he offered them money, saying, “Give me this power also, so that anyone on whom I lay hands may receive the Holy Spirit.”
Simon was open, but he didn’t get it. He was focused on the things of faith, not the object of faith - Jesus.
Matthew 13:22
And what is the seed that fell among the thorny weeds? That seed is like the person who hears the teaching but lets worries about this life and the temptation of wealth stop that teaching from growing. So the teaching does not produce fruit.
This is a picture of the DEFEATED.
They have fought long and struggled for their faith, but their passion for Jesus has gotten swallowed up in trivial concerns.
In Revelation 2:4 Jesus shares a concern with the Church at Ephesus. This church has so much going for them. They are hard working, preserving, right believing, but Jesus says, “You have forsaken the love you had at first.”
They had lost their passion for Jesus.
Matthew 13:23
The seed that fell on the good soil represents those who truly hear and understand God’s Word and produce a harvest of thirty, sixty, or even a hundred times as much as had been planted.
This is a picture of the VICTORIOUS.
Now, even among the victorious there are levels of submission to Jesus and in surrendering to do His will, His way.
The 30% are the pillars of the church. They are nice, with good morals, and helpful people. They like their church and serve because it is a good thing to do. They produce some fruit. They, however, shirk back from the radical demands of the Gospel.
The 60% are genuinely others-centered. Some focus on relationships. Others are social activists. Others are just people persons. They want to help and make a difference. They produce much fruit.
The 100% are totally surrendered to the person of and will of Jesus. They are surrendered to doing what Jesus says no matter what the circumstances are. They are submitted to following Jesus no matter where He leads.
These people show the attitude that Paul shares in Philippians 3:8-9. More that that, I now regard all things as liabilities compared to the far greater value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things - indeed, I regard them as dung! - that I might gain Christ, and be found in Him, not because I have my own righteousness derived from the law, but a righteousness from God that is in fact based on Christ’s faithfulness.
Yes, Paul says that compared to knowing Jesus and serving Jesus, everything else in his life is animal poop.
The beginning of Christmas is Jesus.
Luke 2:9-11
The Lord’s angel stood before them, the Lord’s glory shone around them, and they were terrified. The angel said, “Don’t be afraid! Look! I bring good news to you - wonderful, joyous news for all people. Your Savior is born today in David’s city. He is Christ the Lord.”
It was at Christmas that God became human. It was at Christmas that the Kingdom of God came to the earth.
Christmas, just as Raise the Roof and Remove the Walls, means we are to drop everything and run to Jesus.
We are not to be intimidated by the cultural patterns of doing Christmas.
We are to celebrate Christmas as though Jesus is REAL - He is!
We are to celebrate the realness of Jesus with our:
Motives
Speech
Behavior
The way that we celebrate Christmas will reflect our faith in Jesus.
Raise the Roof and Remove the Walls is about celebrating Jesus 365 days of the year. It is about making Christmas about the birth of Jesus our Savior.
In Celebration Raising the Roof and Removing the Walls
Joe
You see, if Jesus is really Lord of my life, then He is Lord of my:
Priorities
Family
Relationships
And Christmas
My relationship with Jesus has to be the most
intense & intimate
relationship I have.
And I have to submit EVERYTHING to Him!
Let me encourage you to ask yourself two questions:
First, what has power over me?
Do People?
Do Things?
Do Problems?
Second, how would my life be different if JESUS had power over me?
Christmas has to be more than:
The Finale to a Frantic Shopping Season
Sentimental Music
Tinsel on a Tree
A Children’s Pageant
Boozy Good Will to the World
Christmas, like Raising the Roof and Removing the Walls, is staking your life on the revelation of God in Jesus.
Christmas, like Raising the Roof and Removing the Walls, requires the Necessity of Faith.
There is a great picture of faith in Matthew 13. Jesus tells the story of a farmer who is out planting his crop in His fields. After Jesus tells the story, His disciples come and ask why He teaches the way He does, in parables. They were really asking what this story meant. Jesus tells them in verses 19-23.
Matthew 13:19
Someone who hears the word about the kingdom but doesn’t understand it. The evil one comes at once and snatches away what was planted in him. This is what the seed planted along the road illustrates.
This is a picture of the INSENSITIVE.
They hear the word but it doesn’t speak to them interiorly (in their spirit). For them, the word is meaningless.
They are like the people that God speaks to in Isaiah 29:13. The Lord says, “Since these people turn toward Me with their mouths, and honor Me with lip service while their heart is distant from Me, and their fear of Me is just a human command that has been memorized.”
Matthew 13:20-21
The seeds that fell on rocky ground are the people who gladly hear the message and accept it at once. But they don’t have deep roots, and they don’t last very long. As soon as life gets hard or the message gets them in trouble, they give up.
This is a picture of the SUPERFICIAL.
This people are open - too open! They are ready to receive everything, but nothing takes root.
They are like Simon the Sorcerer in Acts 8:13, 18-19. Even Simon himself believed, and after being baptized he continued with Philip. And seeing signs and great miracles performed, he was amazed.
Now when Simon saw that the Spirit was given through the laying on of the apostles’ hands, he offered them money, saying, “Give me this power also, so that anyone on whom I lay hands may receive the Holy Spirit.”
Simon was open, but he didn’t get it. He was focused on the things of faith, not the object of faith - Jesus.
Matthew 13:22
And what is the seed that fell among the thorny weeds? That seed is like the person who hears the teaching but lets worries about this life and the temptation of wealth stop that teaching from growing. So the teaching does not produce fruit.
This is a picture of the DEFEATED.
They have fought long and struggled for their faith, but their passion for Jesus has gotten swallowed up in trivial concerns.
In Revelation 2:4 Jesus shares a concern with the Church at Ephesus. This church has so much going for them. They are hard working, preserving, right believing, but Jesus says, “You have forsaken the love you had at first.”
They had lost their passion for Jesus.
Matthew 13:23
The seed that fell on the good soil represents those who truly hear and understand God’s Word and produce a harvest of thirty, sixty, or even a hundred times as much as had been planted.
This is a picture of the VICTORIOUS.
Now, even among the victorious there are levels of submission to Jesus and in surrendering to do His will, His way.
The 30% are the pillars of the church. They are nice, with good morals, and helpful people. They like their church and serve because it is a good thing to do. They produce some fruit. They, however, shirk back from the radical demands of the Gospel.
The 60% are genuinely others-centered. Some focus on relationships. Others are social activists. Others are just people persons. They want to help and make a difference. They produce much fruit.
The 100% are totally surrendered to the person of and will of Jesus. They are surrendered to doing what Jesus says no matter what the circumstances are. They are submitted to following Jesus no matter where He leads.
These people show the attitude that Paul shares in Philippians 3:8-9. More that that, I now regard all things as liabilities compared to the far greater value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things - indeed, I regard them as dung! - that I might gain Christ, and be found in Him, not because I have my own righteousness derived from the law, but a righteousness from God that is in fact based on Christ’s faithfulness.
Yes, Paul says that compared to knowing Jesus and serving Jesus, everything else in his life is animal poop.
The beginning of Christmas is Jesus.
Luke 2:9-11
The Lord’s angel stood before them, the Lord’s glory shone around them, and they were terrified. The angel said, “Don’t be afraid! Look! I bring good news to you - wonderful, joyous news for all people. Your Savior is born today in David’s city. He is Christ the Lord.”
It was at Christmas that God became human. It was at Christmas that the Kingdom of God came to the earth.
Christmas, just as Raise the Roof and Remove the Walls, means we are to drop everything and run to Jesus.
We are not to be intimidated by the cultural patterns of doing Christmas.
We are to celebrate Christmas as though Jesus is REAL - He is!
We are to celebrate the realness of Jesus with our:
Motives
Speech
Behavior
The way that we celebrate Christmas will reflect our faith in Jesus.
Raise the Roof and Remove the Walls is about celebrating Jesus 365 days of the year. It is about making Christmas about the birth of Jesus our Savior.
In Celebration Raising the Roof and Removing the Walls
Joe
Wednesday, December 4, 2013
Christmas Is Christ's Mission
CHRISTMAS
Greatest Time of the Year
Most Stressful Time of the Year
A Great Spirit of Love & Peace
Totally A Spirit of Commercialism
A Great Time for Family
A Time of Family Conflict
Christmas seems to be many things to people. Some of those things are good and some are bad. Some of those things bring joy and some bring sadness and even anger.
What is Christmas supposed to be?
We are told what Christmas is to be in the name - Christmas.
Christmas means Christ’s Mass.
Oh, ok, but since I’m not Catholic, then I don’t go to mass. So what does mass mean for me?
The word mass has its origin in the word - Mission.
Christmas is Christ’s Mission.
What is Christ’s Mission?
Luke 19:10 says, “The Son of Man came to look for and to save people who are lost.”
Jesus’ mission was to look for the lost.
Jesus’ mission was to save the lost.
Christmas is celebrating Jesus’ mission of looking for and saving the lost.
How do we do that? We do it by joining Jesus in His mission.
Jesus’ mission is looking for the lost.
We as people who celebrate Christmas (Christ’s Mission) need to be where lost people are. Lost people are part of our everyday life. They are all around us.
They are at our work.
They are at our schools.
They are in our neighborhoods.
They are at the social events we attend.
They are even in our families.
Jesus didn’t spend that much time with the religious people of His day. We have only a few recorded times that Jesus was in the synagogue. Most times when Jesus did go to the synagogue He just ticked off the religious leaders.
When Jesus taught in the temple, He taught in the outer court (the Court of the Gentiles). He taught there because everybody could go there, Jews and Gentiles, men and women, believers and nonbelievers, good people and bad people.
Jesus spent most of His time out with the public in public places. He reached out to prostitutes, tax collectors, and other kind of “sinners”.
Many Christians just want to spend time with other Christians. We have made our church buildings strongholds to keep us from the “sinners” of our world. The only stronghold we should have and need to have is Jesus.
Jesus has called His followers to be fishers of men. You can catch fish unless you go where the fish are. And they are not in the baptistry.
The concept of Raise the Roof and Remove the Walls is to get the church, the Body of Christ, the people on mission with Jesus, out in the world being transparent so we can show our awesome Lord Jesus to a world (people) that desperately needs Him.
Jesus calls us to be IN the world but NOT OF the world.
So let’s celebrate Christmas, Christ’s Mission differently than the culture celebrates.
Let’s celebrate Christmas 365 days a year by:
- Feeding the Poor
- Refreshing the Thirsty
- Befriending the Strange
- Clothing the Naked
- Serving the Sick
- Connecting with the Prisoners
Let’s celebrate Christmas by sharing day in and day out our Jesus Story (the gospel) with anybody and everybody.
Let our celebration not be about:
- Black Friday
- Decorations
- Family
- The Season
- Religious Traditions
Let our celebration of Christmas be about what the celebration was about when Jesus came into the world.
Luke 2:8-11
That night there were shepherds staying in the fields nearby, guarding their flocks of sheep. Suddenly, an angel of the Lord appeared among them, and the radiance of the Lord’s glory surrounded them. They were terrified, but the angel reassured them. “Don’t be afraid!” he said. “I bring you good news that will bring great joy to all people. The Savior - yes, the Messiah, the Lord - has been born today in Bethlehem, the city of David!”
The angels weren’t announcing an event. They were announcing a person, the Savior, the Messiah, the Lord - JESUS!
Jesus really is the reason for the season. Without Jesus there would be no Christmas. Without Christmas there would have been no Cross. Without the Cross there would have been no Resurrection. Without Christmas, the Cross, and the Resurrection there would be no SALVATION and we would be lost.
Raising the Roof and Removing the Walls is about celebrating Christmas (Christ’s Mission) by connecting with God through a relationship with Jesus and joining Jesus in His mission to look for the lost and share the Person of Salvation - Jesus.
Joining Christ’s Mission Raising the Roof and Removing the Walls
Joe
Greatest Time of the Year
Most Stressful Time of the Year
A Great Spirit of Love & Peace
Totally A Spirit of Commercialism
A Great Time for Family
A Time of Family Conflict
Christmas seems to be many things to people. Some of those things are good and some are bad. Some of those things bring joy and some bring sadness and even anger.
What is Christmas supposed to be?
We are told what Christmas is to be in the name - Christmas.
Christmas means Christ’s Mass.
Oh, ok, but since I’m not Catholic, then I don’t go to mass. So what does mass mean for me?
The word mass has its origin in the word - Mission.
Christmas is Christ’s Mission.
What is Christ’s Mission?
Luke 19:10 says, “The Son of Man came to look for and to save people who are lost.”
Jesus’ mission was to look for the lost.
Jesus’ mission was to save the lost.
Christmas is celebrating Jesus’ mission of looking for and saving the lost.
How do we do that? We do it by joining Jesus in His mission.
Jesus’ mission is looking for the lost.
We as people who celebrate Christmas (Christ’s Mission) need to be where lost people are. Lost people are part of our everyday life. They are all around us.
They are at our work.
They are at our schools.
They are in our neighborhoods.
They are at the social events we attend.
They are even in our families.
Jesus didn’t spend that much time with the religious people of His day. We have only a few recorded times that Jesus was in the synagogue. Most times when Jesus did go to the synagogue He just ticked off the religious leaders.
When Jesus taught in the temple, He taught in the outer court (the Court of the Gentiles). He taught there because everybody could go there, Jews and Gentiles, men and women, believers and nonbelievers, good people and bad people.
Jesus spent most of His time out with the public in public places. He reached out to prostitutes, tax collectors, and other kind of “sinners”.
Many Christians just want to spend time with other Christians. We have made our church buildings strongholds to keep us from the “sinners” of our world. The only stronghold we should have and need to have is Jesus.
Jesus has called His followers to be fishers of men. You can catch fish unless you go where the fish are. And they are not in the baptistry.
The concept of Raise the Roof and Remove the Walls is to get the church, the Body of Christ, the people on mission with Jesus, out in the world being transparent so we can show our awesome Lord Jesus to a world (people) that desperately needs Him.
Jesus calls us to be IN the world but NOT OF the world.
So let’s celebrate Christmas, Christ’s Mission differently than the culture celebrates.
Let’s celebrate Christmas 365 days a year by:
- Feeding the Poor
- Refreshing the Thirsty
- Befriending the Strange
- Clothing the Naked
- Serving the Sick
- Connecting with the Prisoners
Let’s celebrate Christmas by sharing day in and day out our Jesus Story (the gospel) with anybody and everybody.
Let our celebration not be about:
- Black Friday
- Decorations
- Family
- The Season
- Religious Traditions
Let our celebration of Christmas be about what the celebration was about when Jesus came into the world.
Luke 2:8-11
That night there were shepherds staying in the fields nearby, guarding their flocks of sheep. Suddenly, an angel of the Lord appeared among them, and the radiance of the Lord’s glory surrounded them. They were terrified, but the angel reassured them. “Don’t be afraid!” he said. “I bring you good news that will bring great joy to all people. The Savior - yes, the Messiah, the Lord - has been born today in Bethlehem, the city of David!”
The angels weren’t announcing an event. They were announcing a person, the Savior, the Messiah, the Lord - JESUS!
Jesus really is the reason for the season. Without Jesus there would be no Christmas. Without Christmas there would have been no Cross. Without the Cross there would have been no Resurrection. Without Christmas, the Cross, and the Resurrection there would be no SALVATION and we would be lost.
Raising the Roof and Removing the Walls is about celebrating Christmas (Christ’s Mission) by connecting with God through a relationship with Jesus and joining Jesus in His mission to look for the lost and share the Person of Salvation - Jesus.
Joining Christ’s Mission Raising the Roof and Removing the Walls
Joe
Sunday, November 24, 2013
The God of Surprises
Jesus is the God of paradoxes and surprises.
Paradoxes:
- you have to die to live
- you have to give to get
- you have to humble yourself to be honored
- you have to be last to be first
Surprises:
- Jesus’ grace to the woman caught in adultery in John 8.
- Jesus’ power in raising the Widow of Nain’s son in Luke 7.
- Jesus’ glory in His transfiguration in Matthew 17.
- Jesus’ love as He died for us on the cross.
The biggest surprises come in how Jesus deals with death.
Mark 5:35-42
While He was still speaking to her, messengers arrived from the home of Jairus, the leader of the synagogue. They told him, “Your daughter is dead. There’s no use troubling the Teacher now.” But Jesus overheard them and said to Jairus, “Don’t be afraid. Just have faith.” Then Jesus stopped the crowd and wouldn’t let anyone go with Him except Peter, James and John (the brother of James). When they came to the home of the synagogue leader, Jesus saw much commotion and weeping and wailing. He went inside and asked, “Why all this commotion and weeping? The child isn’t dead; she’s only asleep.” The crowd laughed at Him. But He made them all leave, and He took the girl’s father and mother and His three disciples into the room where the girl was lying. Holding her hand, He said to her, “Talitha koum,” which means “Little girl, get up!” And the girl, who was twelve years old, immediately stood up and walked around! They were overwhelmed and totally amazed.
Luke 7:11-16
Soon afterward Jesus went with His disciples to the village of Nain, and a large crowd followed Him. A funeral procession was coming out as He approached the village gate. The young man who had died was a widow’s only son, and a large crowd from the village was with her. When the Lord saw her, His heart overflowed with compassion. “Don’t cry!” He said. Then He walked over to the coffin and touched it, and the bearers stopped. “Young man,” He said, “I tell you, get up.” Then the dead boy sat up and began to talk! And Jesus gave him back to his mother. Great fear swept the crowd and they praised God, saying, “A mighty prophet has risen among us,” and “God has visited His people today.”
John 11:39-44
“Roll the stone aside,” Jesus told them. But Martha, the dead man’s sister, protested, “Lord, he has been dead for four days. The smell will be terrible.” Jesus responded, “Didn’t I tell you that you would see God’s glory if you believe?” So they rolled the stone aside. Then Jesus looked up to heaven and said, “Father, thank You for hearing Me. You always hear Me, but I said it out loud for the sake of all these people standing here, so that they will believe you sent me.” Then Jesus shouted, “Lazarus, come out!” And the dead man came out, his hands and feet bound in grave clothes, his face wrapped in a head cloth. Jesus told them, “Unwrap him and let him go!”
There are several surprises in these three miracles.
First, Jesus is not intimidated by death.
Death brings fear to most people. Even people who know that they will go to heaven to be with God are a little frightened by death.
Jesus is not frightened by death. He is not intimidated by death.
Why?
Jesus knows that He Is More Powerful than death.
And Jesus proves His power over death by bringing the young girl, the young man and Lazarus back to life.
Second, Jesus is control in each of these situations.
Jesus doesn’t let the crowd’s emotions dictate what He does or how He does it.
The crowds were:
- grief stricken
- hopeless
- unbelieving
Jesus confronts these emotions with:
- confidence
- compassion
- anger
- tears
Jesus knows what He is going to do and how He will do it, so He has confidence.
Jesus understands the pain and hurt of those who love the people who died, so He shows great compassion.
Jesus hates death because He sees it as the mark of sin. He sees it as the result of sin.
Paul tells us that death is the result of sin in Romans 5:12. He says, “When Adam sinned, sin entered the world. Adam’s sin brought death, so death spread to everyone, for everyone sinned.”
Jesus shows anger and tears as He confronts death.
Third, Jesus follows the Father’s schedule for doing these miracles.
He follows the Father to Nain at the exact time when the funeral procession was leaving.
He follows the timing of the Father to first help the woman with the blood disease before He raises Jairus’ daughter.
He waits two days before He goes to the home of Martha, Mary and Lazarus.
Jesus could have let the urgency of the families and crowds determine when He dealt with each situation.
He didn’t! Jesus always let the Father’s will determine the what when, and how of His life.
The fourth surprise in these three miracles is that He raises these three people in different ways.
With Jairus’ daughter He goes into her room and physically touches her (holds her hand). She is a young girl and needed Jesus’ loving touch to give her comfort.
With the Widow of Nain’s son, He has the men lower the coffin and, looking the young man in the face, gently tells him to get up. The first thing the young man needed to see was Jesus’ face to give him peace as he came back to life.
With Lazarus, Jesus stands outside the tomb and shouts out for him to come out. The crowd needed to see Jesus’ authority and power.
The last surprise is that Jesus views death as only temporary. Jesus tells the Widow of Nain not to cry. He refers to Jairus’ daughter and Lazarus as sleeping.
Jesus saw death as a temporary thing. He knew that He would restore life to each of these people.
Jesus is the God of surprises.
He surprises us to show us that we can’t put Him in a box.
He surprises us to show us that we can’t figure Him out.
He surprises us to show us that He is not nice and tame.
Jesus is the wild, untamed, undomesticated God. His thoughts are not our thoughts and His ways not our ways.
Jesus surprises us so that we have to stay connected with Him and focused on Him.
Raising the Roof and Removing the Walls is about:
- Letting Jesus conforms us to Him, not Him to us
- Not following religious rules but following Jesus
- Staying connected with and focused on Jesus
- Letting Jesus interrupt our lives with His awesome surprises
May Jesus the God of surprises fill your life with His surprises of
- Grace
- Power
- Glory
- Love
Surprisingly Raising the Roof and Removing the Walls
Joe
Paradoxes:
- you have to die to live
- you have to give to get
- you have to humble yourself to be honored
- you have to be last to be first
Surprises:
- Jesus’ grace to the woman caught in adultery in John 8.
- Jesus’ power in raising the Widow of Nain’s son in Luke 7.
- Jesus’ glory in His transfiguration in Matthew 17.
- Jesus’ love as He died for us on the cross.
The biggest surprises come in how Jesus deals with death.
Mark 5:35-42
While He was still speaking to her, messengers arrived from the home of Jairus, the leader of the synagogue. They told him, “Your daughter is dead. There’s no use troubling the Teacher now.” But Jesus overheard them and said to Jairus, “Don’t be afraid. Just have faith.” Then Jesus stopped the crowd and wouldn’t let anyone go with Him except Peter, James and John (the brother of James). When they came to the home of the synagogue leader, Jesus saw much commotion and weeping and wailing. He went inside and asked, “Why all this commotion and weeping? The child isn’t dead; she’s only asleep.” The crowd laughed at Him. But He made them all leave, and He took the girl’s father and mother and His three disciples into the room where the girl was lying. Holding her hand, He said to her, “Talitha koum,” which means “Little girl, get up!” And the girl, who was twelve years old, immediately stood up and walked around! They were overwhelmed and totally amazed.
Luke 7:11-16
Soon afterward Jesus went with His disciples to the village of Nain, and a large crowd followed Him. A funeral procession was coming out as He approached the village gate. The young man who had died was a widow’s only son, and a large crowd from the village was with her. When the Lord saw her, His heart overflowed with compassion. “Don’t cry!” He said. Then He walked over to the coffin and touched it, and the bearers stopped. “Young man,” He said, “I tell you, get up.” Then the dead boy sat up and began to talk! And Jesus gave him back to his mother. Great fear swept the crowd and they praised God, saying, “A mighty prophet has risen among us,” and “God has visited His people today.”
John 11:39-44
“Roll the stone aside,” Jesus told them. But Martha, the dead man’s sister, protested, “Lord, he has been dead for four days. The smell will be terrible.” Jesus responded, “Didn’t I tell you that you would see God’s glory if you believe?” So they rolled the stone aside. Then Jesus looked up to heaven and said, “Father, thank You for hearing Me. You always hear Me, but I said it out loud for the sake of all these people standing here, so that they will believe you sent me.” Then Jesus shouted, “Lazarus, come out!” And the dead man came out, his hands and feet bound in grave clothes, his face wrapped in a head cloth. Jesus told them, “Unwrap him and let him go!”
There are several surprises in these three miracles.
First, Jesus is not intimidated by death.
Death brings fear to most people. Even people who know that they will go to heaven to be with God are a little frightened by death.
Jesus is not frightened by death. He is not intimidated by death.
Why?
Jesus knows that He Is More Powerful than death.
And Jesus proves His power over death by bringing the young girl, the young man and Lazarus back to life.
Second, Jesus is control in each of these situations.
Jesus doesn’t let the crowd’s emotions dictate what He does or how He does it.
The crowds were:
- grief stricken
- hopeless
- unbelieving
Jesus confronts these emotions with:
- confidence
- compassion
- anger
- tears
Jesus knows what He is going to do and how He will do it, so He has confidence.
Jesus understands the pain and hurt of those who love the people who died, so He shows great compassion.
Jesus hates death because He sees it as the mark of sin. He sees it as the result of sin.
Paul tells us that death is the result of sin in Romans 5:12. He says, “When Adam sinned, sin entered the world. Adam’s sin brought death, so death spread to everyone, for everyone sinned.”
Jesus shows anger and tears as He confronts death.
Third, Jesus follows the Father’s schedule for doing these miracles.
He follows the Father to Nain at the exact time when the funeral procession was leaving.
He follows the timing of the Father to first help the woman with the blood disease before He raises Jairus’ daughter.
He waits two days before He goes to the home of Martha, Mary and Lazarus.
Jesus could have let the urgency of the families and crowds determine when He dealt with each situation.
He didn’t! Jesus always let the Father’s will determine the what when, and how of His life.
The fourth surprise in these three miracles is that He raises these three people in different ways.
With Jairus’ daughter He goes into her room and physically touches her (holds her hand). She is a young girl and needed Jesus’ loving touch to give her comfort.
With the Widow of Nain’s son, He has the men lower the coffin and, looking the young man in the face, gently tells him to get up. The first thing the young man needed to see was Jesus’ face to give him peace as he came back to life.
With Lazarus, Jesus stands outside the tomb and shouts out for him to come out. The crowd needed to see Jesus’ authority and power.
The last surprise is that Jesus views death as only temporary. Jesus tells the Widow of Nain not to cry. He refers to Jairus’ daughter and Lazarus as sleeping.
Jesus saw death as a temporary thing. He knew that He would restore life to each of these people.
Jesus is the God of surprises.
He surprises us to show us that we can’t put Him in a box.
He surprises us to show us that we can’t figure Him out.
He surprises us to show us that He is not nice and tame.
Jesus is the wild, untamed, undomesticated God. His thoughts are not our thoughts and His ways not our ways.
Jesus surprises us so that we have to stay connected with Him and focused on Him.
Raising the Roof and Removing the Walls is about:
- Letting Jesus conforms us to Him, not Him to us
- Not following religious rules but following Jesus
- Staying connected with and focused on Jesus
- Letting Jesus interrupt our lives with His awesome surprises
May Jesus the God of surprises fill your life with His surprises of
- Grace
- Power
- Glory
- Love
Surprisingly Raising the Roof and Removing the Walls
Joe
Sunday, November 17, 2013
Bowing Down
God has called you to be His children.
God has called you to be His servants.
God has called you to be His disciples.
God has called you to be His followers.
What characteristics do all these callings have in common?
Humility and Submission!
A child has to humbly submit to the authority of the parent.
A servant has to humbly submit to the authority of the master.
A disciple has to humbly submit to the authority of the teacher.
A follower has to humbly submit to the authority of the leader.
God has given us a beautiful discipline to help us as Christians to show our humble submission to Him.
Worship
The word translated worship in Hebrew means to bow down.
The word translated worship in Greek means to kiss the hand out of reverence.
Worship is to bow down and kiss the hand out of reverence.
The bowing down and kissing the hand out of reverence shows a humble submission. If my worship is truly bowing down and kissing the hand out of reverence, then I have really worshiped.
So how do I really worship God?
We really worship God by bringing the first and best to God.
Deuteronomy 26:10
And now I bring the first fruits of the soil that you, Lord, have given me. Place the basket before the Lord your God and bow down before Him.
God doesn’t want leftovers. He wants the best and He wants it off the top, not the bottom.
We really worship God by leading our family to honor God.
Psalm 22:27
All the ends of the earth will remember and turn to the Lord, and all the families of the nations will bow down before Him.
I cannot make my family worship and honor God. I can set an example of worship and create an atmosphere for worship in my family.
We really worship God by praising His name.
Psalm 138:2
I will bow down toward your holy temple and will praise Your name for Your unfailing love and Your faithfulness, for You have so exalted Your solemn decree that it surpasses Your fame.
I praise God’s name. That means I praise God for who He is, not just for what He has done for me.
We really worship God by acting justly, by loving mercy, and by walking humbly.
Micah 6:6-8
With what shall I come before the Lord and bow down before the exalted God? Shall I come before Him with burnt offerings, with calves a year old? Will the Lord be pleased with thousands of rams, with ten thousands rivers of oil? Shall I offer my firstborn for my transgression, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul? He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.
I act with justice and honesty in my dealings with others. That is true worship.
I show mercy to others, because God shows me mercy. That is true worship.
I walk humbly before others and with God. That is true worship.
We really worship God by acknowledging God as who He is - God.
Romans 14:11
It is written: “As surely as I live“, says the Lord, “every knee will bow before me; every tongue will acknowledge God.”
Referring to God as:
- The Man Upstairs
- The Big Guy
- The Good Lord Up Above
- The One Who Snatches My Butt Out of Trouble
- The Religious Santa Claus
- The Provider of All My Desires and Wishes
- The One I Blame When I Don’t Get What I Want
That Is Not Acknowledging God!
Because that is NOT who He is.
When we acknowledge God, we recognize Him for who He is:
- Lord
- Savior
- Father
- Creator
- The Only Ruler of All Creation
Why do I really worship God?
I really worship God because of His awesome power.
2 Kings 17:36
But the Lord, who brought you up out of Egypt with mighty power and outstretched arm, is the one you must worship. To Him you shall bow down and to Him offer sacrifices.
I really worship God because of His great unconditional love.
Psalm 5:7
But I, by Your great love, can come into Your house; in reverence I bow down toward Your holy temple.
I really worship God because He is my Creator.
Psalm 95:6
Come, let us bow down in worship, let us kneel before the Lord our Maker.
I really worship God because He cares about me.
Exodus 4:31
And they believed. And when they heard that the Lord was concerned about them and had seen their misery, they bowed down and worshiped.
I really worship God because He saved me.
Exodus 12:27
Then tell them, “It is the Passover sacrifice to the Lord, who passed over the houses of the Israelites in Egypt and spared our homes when He struck down the Egyptians.” Then the people bowed down and worshiped.
God emphasizes that we are to worship, bow down and kiss the hand out of reverence. He tells us to do that only to Him.
Exodus 23:24
Do not bow down before their gods or worship them
or follow their practices. You must demolish them and break their sacred stones to pieces.
Matthew 4:10
Jesus said to him, “Away from me Satan! For it is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God, and serve Him only.’”
We are not to bow down and kiss the hand out of reverence to anyone but God.
An awesome picture of not bowing down and kissing the hand out of reverence is found in the lives of three Jewish young men. These three young men, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah are told along with thousands of other officials of the Babylonian Empire to bow down and worship a ninety foot tall gold statue that King Nebuchadnezzar had set up.
Their answer to the king is found in Daniel 3:16-18, “Your Majesty, we will not try to defend ourselves. If the God whom we serve is able to save us from the blazing furnace and from your power, then He will. But even He doesn’t, Your Majesty may be sure that we will not worship your god, and we will not bow down to the gold statue that you have set up.”
They said, “NOT GOING TO BOW!”
If we are children of God, servants of God, disciples of God and followers of God, then we are to humbly submit ourselves to God. We are to worship, bow down and kiss the hand out of reverence. We are to do that to God and no one else.
If we really want God to Raise the Roof and Remove the Walls, then we will humbly submit ourselves under God’s authority. We will do that by worshiping and serving God, and God only.
Humbly Submitting to God Raising the Roof and Removing the Walls
Joe
God has called you to be His servants.
God has called you to be His disciples.
God has called you to be His followers.
What characteristics do all these callings have in common?
Humility and Submission!
A child has to humbly submit to the authority of the parent.
A servant has to humbly submit to the authority of the master.
A disciple has to humbly submit to the authority of the teacher.
A follower has to humbly submit to the authority of the leader.
God has given us a beautiful discipline to help us as Christians to show our humble submission to Him.
Worship
The word translated worship in Hebrew means to bow down.
The word translated worship in Greek means to kiss the hand out of reverence.
Worship is to bow down and kiss the hand out of reverence.
The bowing down and kissing the hand out of reverence shows a humble submission. If my worship is truly bowing down and kissing the hand out of reverence, then I have really worshiped.
So how do I really worship God?
We really worship God by bringing the first and best to God.
Deuteronomy 26:10
And now I bring the first fruits of the soil that you, Lord, have given me. Place the basket before the Lord your God and bow down before Him.
God doesn’t want leftovers. He wants the best and He wants it off the top, not the bottom.
We really worship God by leading our family to honor God.
Psalm 22:27
All the ends of the earth will remember and turn to the Lord, and all the families of the nations will bow down before Him.
I cannot make my family worship and honor God. I can set an example of worship and create an atmosphere for worship in my family.
We really worship God by praising His name.
Psalm 138:2
I will bow down toward your holy temple and will praise Your name for Your unfailing love and Your faithfulness, for You have so exalted Your solemn decree that it surpasses Your fame.
I praise God’s name. That means I praise God for who He is, not just for what He has done for me.
We really worship God by acting justly, by loving mercy, and by walking humbly.
Micah 6:6-8
With what shall I come before the Lord and bow down before the exalted God? Shall I come before Him with burnt offerings, with calves a year old? Will the Lord be pleased with thousands of rams, with ten thousands rivers of oil? Shall I offer my firstborn for my transgression, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul? He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.
I act with justice and honesty in my dealings with others. That is true worship.
I show mercy to others, because God shows me mercy. That is true worship.
I walk humbly before others and with God. That is true worship.
We really worship God by acknowledging God as who He is - God.
Romans 14:11
It is written: “As surely as I live“, says the Lord, “every knee will bow before me; every tongue will acknowledge God.”
Referring to God as:
- The Man Upstairs
- The Big Guy
- The Good Lord Up Above
- The One Who Snatches My Butt Out of Trouble
- The Religious Santa Claus
- The Provider of All My Desires and Wishes
- The One I Blame When I Don’t Get What I Want
That Is Not Acknowledging God!
Because that is NOT who He is.
When we acknowledge God, we recognize Him for who He is:
- Lord
- Savior
- Father
- Creator
- The Only Ruler of All Creation
Why do I really worship God?
I really worship God because of His awesome power.
2 Kings 17:36
But the Lord, who brought you up out of Egypt with mighty power and outstretched arm, is the one you must worship. To Him you shall bow down and to Him offer sacrifices.
I really worship God because of His great unconditional love.
Psalm 5:7
But I, by Your great love, can come into Your house; in reverence I bow down toward Your holy temple.
I really worship God because He is my Creator.
Psalm 95:6
Come, let us bow down in worship, let us kneel before the Lord our Maker.
I really worship God because He cares about me.
Exodus 4:31
And they believed. And when they heard that the Lord was concerned about them and had seen their misery, they bowed down and worshiped.
I really worship God because He saved me.
Exodus 12:27
Then tell them, “It is the Passover sacrifice to the Lord, who passed over the houses of the Israelites in Egypt and spared our homes when He struck down the Egyptians.” Then the people bowed down and worshiped.
God emphasizes that we are to worship, bow down and kiss the hand out of reverence. He tells us to do that only to Him.
Exodus 23:24
Do not bow down before their gods or worship them
or follow their practices. You must demolish them and break their sacred stones to pieces.
Matthew 4:10
Jesus said to him, “Away from me Satan! For it is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God, and serve Him only.’”
We are not to bow down and kiss the hand out of reverence to anyone but God.
An awesome picture of not bowing down and kissing the hand out of reverence is found in the lives of three Jewish young men. These three young men, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah are told along with thousands of other officials of the Babylonian Empire to bow down and worship a ninety foot tall gold statue that King Nebuchadnezzar had set up.
Their answer to the king is found in Daniel 3:16-18, “Your Majesty, we will not try to defend ourselves. If the God whom we serve is able to save us from the blazing furnace and from your power, then He will. But even He doesn’t, Your Majesty may be sure that we will not worship your god, and we will not bow down to the gold statue that you have set up.”
They said, “NOT GOING TO BOW!”
If we are children of God, servants of God, disciples of God and followers of God, then we are to humbly submit ourselves to God. We are to worship, bow down and kiss the hand out of reverence. We are to do that to God and no one else.
If we really want God to Raise the Roof and Remove the Walls, then we will humbly submit ourselves under God’s authority. We will do that by worshiping and serving God, and God only.
Humbly Submitting to God Raising the Roof and Removing the Walls
Joe
Sunday, November 10, 2013
I'm Not a Good Person
I am not a good person.
I share this with a lot of people.
These are some of the responses I get:
Oh, now don’t say that you aren’t a good person.
Why, look at all the things you’re doing for God.
I know you don’t think you’re good but we do.
Oh, you are really deep down a good guy.
So let me repeat: I am not a good person!
When Jesus is called good, listen to how He responded in Matthew 19:17, “Why ask me about what is good? There is only One who is good.”
The One Jesus is referring to is God. Jesus is saying that only God is good.
What does God say about our human goodness? What does He say about the human’s natural state of goodness and righteousness?
Isaiah 64:6
We are unfit to worship you; each of our deeds is merely a filthy rag.
Our natural human goodness is like a dirty rag.
Matthew 5:20
But I warn you - unless your righteousness is better than the righteousness of the teachers of the law and the Pharisees, you will never enter the Kingdom of Heaven!
We have to have a goodness or righteousness at the very center of who were are, not just doing “good things” when people are watching.
Romans 3:10-12
As the Scriptures say, “No one is righteous - not even one. No one is truly wise; no one is seeking God. All have turned away; all have become useless. No one does good, not one single one.”
I believe that God in His Word makes it very clear that the natural condition of people is NOT good.
So at the core of who were are, we are dirty rotten sinners.
How can a Holy God accept dirty rotten sinners?
How can a Perfectly Good God accept people who are not good?
He does it through grace.
Even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ - by grace you have been saved. Ephesians 2:5
God extends grace.
God saves us by grace.
God relates to us by grace.
So a holy God can accepts dirty rotten sinners like us because:
#1: Because It is Not Based on Our Works
But now God’s way of putting people right with Himself has been revealed. It has nothing to do with law, even though the Law of Moses and the prophets gave their witness to it. Romans 3:21
Our human effort in keeping the law was never intended to be what made us righteousness. The law was given to show us what God wants and that in our own ability we can’t do it. The law was given to show us our sin and draw us to God.
#2: Because God Makes Righteousness Available to All
This righteousness is given through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference between Jew and Gentile, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. Romans 3:22-23
Since every one is a sinner we are all in the same situation. We all need righteousness, and to receive this righteousness we have to put our faith in Jesus. Jesus is not just for the bad guys: He is for all guys (cause we are all bad without Jesus).
#3: Because Jesus is the Source of Forgiveness and Healing
And all are justified freely by His grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. God presented Christ as a sacrifice of atonement, through the shedding of His blood - to be received by faith. Romans 3:24-25a
God justified us (releases us from the penalty of sin) freely.
God redeemed us (bought us back).
God provided a sacrifice for us.
God did all that through the blood of Jesus.
Jesus’ blood justifies us.
Jesus’ blood redeems us.
Jesus’ blood is the sacrifice for our sins.
#4: Because the Cross is the Place of Our Salvation
He did this to demonstrate His righteousness in passing over sins that happened before, during the time of God’s patient tolerance. He also did this to demonstrate that He is righteousness in the present time, and to treat the one who has faith in Jesus as righteous,.
Romans 3:25b-26
God demonstrates His love.
God demonstrates His justice.
The cross shows both God’s love and justice, His love for us and His judgment of sin.
Through God’s grace we can have God’s righteousness.
We do this not by:
Inviting Jesus into our lives
Accepting Jesus as Lord
Making a commitment to God
But by:
Surrendering our lives completely to Jesus and submitting to His authority to direct and control our lives.
Raising the Roof and Removing the Walls is not about:
Being Good (we can’t without Jesus)
Being Nice (nice is overrated)
Being Religious (lot of religions)
Being Spiritual (many different spirits)
Raising the Roof and Removing the Walls is about surrendering all that you are, all that you will ever be, all that you have and all that you will ever have to Jesus.
Revival will come to America when we stop making following Jesus about:
Rules
Rituals
Regulations.
And
Make following Jesus about relationships.
Relationship with Jesus as our Savior, Lord and Friend.
Relationship with each other as God’s Family.
I am not good.
Jesus is perfectly good.
I am made good by Jesus through grace by placing my faith in Him. Then Jesus can Raise the Roof and Remove the Walls of my life.
Through Grace and By Faith Raising the Roof and Removing the Walls
Joe
I share this with a lot of people.
These are some of the responses I get:
Oh, now don’t say that you aren’t a good person.
Why, look at all the things you’re doing for God.
I know you don’t think you’re good but we do.
Oh, you are really deep down a good guy.
So let me repeat: I am not a good person!
When Jesus is called good, listen to how He responded in Matthew 19:17, “Why ask me about what is good? There is only One who is good.”
The One Jesus is referring to is God. Jesus is saying that only God is good.
What does God say about our human goodness? What does He say about the human’s natural state of goodness and righteousness?
Isaiah 64:6
We are unfit to worship you; each of our deeds is merely a filthy rag.
Our natural human goodness is like a dirty rag.
Matthew 5:20
But I warn you - unless your righteousness is better than the righteousness of the teachers of the law and the Pharisees, you will never enter the Kingdom of Heaven!
We have to have a goodness or righteousness at the very center of who were are, not just doing “good things” when people are watching.
Romans 3:10-12
As the Scriptures say, “No one is righteous - not even one. No one is truly wise; no one is seeking God. All have turned away; all have become useless. No one does good, not one single one.”
I believe that God in His Word makes it very clear that the natural condition of people is NOT good.
So at the core of who were are, we are dirty rotten sinners.
How can a Holy God accept dirty rotten sinners?
How can a Perfectly Good God accept people who are not good?
He does it through grace.
Even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ - by grace you have been saved. Ephesians 2:5
God extends grace.
God saves us by grace.
God relates to us by grace.
So a holy God can accepts dirty rotten sinners like us because:
#1: Because It is Not Based on Our Works
But now God’s way of putting people right with Himself has been revealed. It has nothing to do with law, even though the Law of Moses and the prophets gave their witness to it. Romans 3:21
Our human effort in keeping the law was never intended to be what made us righteousness. The law was given to show us what God wants and that in our own ability we can’t do it. The law was given to show us our sin and draw us to God.
#2: Because God Makes Righteousness Available to All
This righteousness is given through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference between Jew and Gentile, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. Romans 3:22-23
Since every one is a sinner we are all in the same situation. We all need righteousness, and to receive this righteousness we have to put our faith in Jesus. Jesus is not just for the bad guys: He is for all guys (cause we are all bad without Jesus).
#3: Because Jesus is the Source of Forgiveness and Healing
And all are justified freely by His grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. God presented Christ as a sacrifice of atonement, through the shedding of His blood - to be received by faith. Romans 3:24-25a
God justified us (releases us from the penalty of sin) freely.
God redeemed us (bought us back).
God provided a sacrifice for us.
God did all that through the blood of Jesus.
Jesus’ blood justifies us.
Jesus’ blood redeems us.
Jesus’ blood is the sacrifice for our sins.
#4: Because the Cross is the Place of Our Salvation
He did this to demonstrate His righteousness in passing over sins that happened before, during the time of God’s patient tolerance. He also did this to demonstrate that He is righteousness in the present time, and to treat the one who has faith in Jesus as righteous,.
Romans 3:25b-26
God demonstrates His love.
God demonstrates His justice.
The cross shows both God’s love and justice, His love for us and His judgment of sin.
Through God’s grace we can have God’s righteousness.
We do this not by:
Inviting Jesus into our lives
Accepting Jesus as Lord
Making a commitment to God
But by:
Surrendering our lives completely to Jesus and submitting to His authority to direct and control our lives.
Raising the Roof and Removing the Walls is not about:
Being Good (we can’t without Jesus)
Being Nice (nice is overrated)
Being Religious (lot of religions)
Being Spiritual (many different spirits)
Raising the Roof and Removing the Walls is about surrendering all that you are, all that you will ever be, all that you have and all that you will ever have to Jesus.
Revival will come to America when we stop making following Jesus about:
Rules
Rituals
Regulations.
And
Make following Jesus about relationships.
Relationship with Jesus as our Savior, Lord and Friend.
Relationship with each other as God’s Family.
I am not good.
Jesus is perfectly good.
I am made good by Jesus through grace by placing my faith in Him. Then Jesus can Raise the Roof and Remove the Walls of my life.
Through Grace and By Faith Raising the Roof and Removing the Walls
Joe
Sunday, June 2, 2013
Following Jesus is Not for Wimps
Following Jesus is not for wimps.
Eleven of the twelve apostles died as martyrs. The twelfth, John lived out the last years of his life in exile on the island of Patmos.
James Jesus' half brother was beheaded.
In 2 Corinthians 11 Paul gives a long list of things he endured because of his faith in Jesus and his service to Jesus Nothing of them are anything I would want to experience.
We have a theology in the church today that says if:
- your not healthy
- you not wealthy
- your church is not growing
- your church has issues or struggles
- you have issues or struggles
then you are not following Jesus like you should. You are not spiritual and you don't have enough faith.
There is a Greek word for this kind of theology - Baloney!
The time to stop being "plastic Christians" is now.
The time to stop playing religious games is now.
The time to be honest is now.
Jesus wants honest, transparent, real followers. Followers that are like the father of the boy Jesus encountered when He came down from the mountain after He was transfigured. The boy had a demon and the disciples couldn't do anything so the man ask Jesus, "But if you can do anything, take pity on us and help us." Jesus then says, "If you can? Everything is possible for one who believes." Then the man cried out, "I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!"
I want to see Jesus work in my life.
I want to see Jesus work in my family.
I want to see Jesus work in my faith family.
I want to see Jesus work in my community.
I want to see Jesus work in my nation.
I want to see Jesus work in the world.
I want to believe. But at times I doubt. I struggle with trusting Jesus and really believing that He will work in and through me. I want to be real, but I also want to be transformed and made to be like Jesus.
Raising the Roof and Removing the Walls
Joe
Eleven of the twelve apostles died as martyrs. The twelfth, John lived out the last years of his life in exile on the island of Patmos.
James Jesus' half brother was beheaded.
In 2 Corinthians 11 Paul gives a long list of things he endured because of his faith in Jesus and his service to Jesus Nothing of them are anything I would want to experience.
We have a theology in the church today that says if:
- your not healthy
- you not wealthy
- your church is not growing
- your church has issues or struggles
- you have issues or struggles
then you are not following Jesus like you should. You are not spiritual and you don't have enough faith.
There is a Greek word for this kind of theology - Baloney!
The time to stop being "plastic Christians" is now.
The time to stop playing religious games is now.
The time to be honest is now.
Jesus wants honest, transparent, real followers. Followers that are like the father of the boy Jesus encountered when He came down from the mountain after He was transfigured. The boy had a demon and the disciples couldn't do anything so the man ask Jesus, "But if you can do anything, take pity on us and help us." Jesus then says, "If you can? Everything is possible for one who believes." Then the man cried out, "I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!"
I want to see Jesus work in my life.
I want to see Jesus work in my family.
I want to see Jesus work in my faith family.
I want to see Jesus work in my community.
I want to see Jesus work in my nation.
I want to see Jesus work in the world.
I want to believe. But at times I doubt. I struggle with trusting Jesus and really believing that He will work in and through me. I want to be real, but I also want to be transformed and made to be like Jesus.
Raising the Roof and Removing the Walls
Joe
Friday, May 31, 2013
Following Jesus Needs to Be Epic
I have ask my son many times over the last few years what his mother and I did that helped him to establish his relationship with God. I know that we took him to church. We read the Bible at home. We prayed together as a family. The answer that he keeps giving me had nothing to do with any of those things not that those things were ineffective. The answer he keeps giving us is that we made Jesus real. I was not sure for the longest time what he meant until recently. I am reading a book called The Way of the Wild Heart by John Eldridge. It is a book about the masculine journey. In the book he talks about that boys need to see something as epic to really get excited about it and committed to it. When I looked up epic it means bigger than life. Boys, actually people need something bigger than life, bigger than their lives to give themselves to. I realize that by surrendering my life to Jesus and living out that surrender with passion I without knowing it showed my son that Jesus was real. He was epic. I know that I will never be famous. They will never make a movie of my life or write a book about my life. I will never have a street or school named after me. I will never pastor a "mega" church. But by surrendering me life to Jesus as my King and attempting to live that surrender out wih passion I have touched the life of my son. He in turn is touching the lives of young men and women as a student pastor and with his own kids.
The word most used in the New Testament for life is zoe. It means a life that is full, abundat. A life full of real living not just existing. That life comes through and in Jesus. That is the kind of life God created us for. That is the kind of life that Jesus showed us in His earthly life. That is the kind of life Jesus died to give us. That is the kind of life I want to past on to my son and my grandchildren.
Life doesn't have to be full of material wealth, high human position, or great popularity to be epic. Life has to be filled with Jesus to be epic.
Raising the Roof and Removing the Walls
Joe
The word most used in the New Testament for life is zoe. It means a life that is full, abundat. A life full of real living not just existing. That life comes through and in Jesus. That is the kind of life God created us for. That is the kind of life that Jesus showed us in His earthly life. That is the kind of life Jesus died to give us. That is the kind of life I want to past on to my son and my grandchildren.
Life doesn't have to be full of material wealth, high human position, or great popularity to be epic. Life has to be filled with Jesus to be epic.
Raising the Roof and Removing the Walls
Joe
Sunday, May 26, 2013
Jesus Loves Sinners
Jesus loves sinners. That is the basic message of the Bible.
John 3:16: For God loved the world so much that he gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.
Romans 5:8: But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners.
Jesus loves sinners. Jesus lived showing His love for sinners. Jesus died for sinners. Jesus rose from the dead to win the victory for sinners.
Matthew 11:19: The Son of Man, on the other hand, feasts and drinks, and you say, "He's a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and other sinners!" But wisdom is shown to be right by its results.
Jesus is a friend of sinners.
Why is Jesus a friend of sinners? Because if Jesus had not befriended sinners He would have no friends. This is not because that good people would not be His friend, but because there are no "good" people. We are all sinners. Romans 3:23 says, "For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God's glorious standard." If Jesus would not have reached out in friendship to sinners He would have had no friends. Sinners are not immoral people, not mean people, not unloving people. Sinners are rebels. People who have rebelled against the authority of God in their lives. All of us have at one time told God that we not He is in control of how we live.
What motivated Jesus to be a friend to sinners? He chose to be a friend because Jesus loves sinners. He loved:
Tax collector
Lepers
Sick People
Prostitutes
Religious People
Nonreligious People
Outwardly Good People
Immoral People
All People.
He loves us not because of who were are, but because what He has done; not because of what we have done, but because of Who He is.
How did Jesus show He is a friend of sinners? He became one of us. He gave up all the glory of heaven to take on all our limitations , all our temptations, and all our struggles. He lived to show us how to live and be victorious over all our struggles and temptations. He then died for our sins and rose again to share His victory over dead, sin, and Satan with us.
God is not some super critical fault find God. He is Jesus friend of sinners!
John 3:16: For God loved the world so much that he gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.
Romans 5:8: But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners.
Jesus loves sinners. Jesus lived showing His love for sinners. Jesus died for sinners. Jesus rose from the dead to win the victory for sinners.
Matthew 11:19: The Son of Man, on the other hand, feasts and drinks, and you say, "He's a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and other sinners!" But wisdom is shown to be right by its results.
Jesus is a friend of sinners.
Why is Jesus a friend of sinners? Because if Jesus had not befriended sinners He would have no friends. This is not because that good people would not be His friend, but because there are no "good" people. We are all sinners. Romans 3:23 says, "For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God's glorious standard." If Jesus would not have reached out in friendship to sinners He would have had no friends. Sinners are not immoral people, not mean people, not unloving people. Sinners are rebels. People who have rebelled against the authority of God in their lives. All of us have at one time told God that we not He is in control of how we live.
What motivated Jesus to be a friend to sinners? He chose to be a friend because Jesus loves sinners. He loved:
Tax collector
Lepers
Sick People
Prostitutes
Religious People
Nonreligious People
Outwardly Good People
Immoral People
All People.
He loves us not because of who were are, but because what He has done; not because of what we have done, but because of Who He is.
How did Jesus show He is a friend of sinners? He became one of us. He gave up all the glory of heaven to take on all our limitations , all our temptations, and all our struggles. He lived to show us how to live and be victorious over all our struggles and temptations. He then died for our sins and rose again to share His victory over dead, sin, and Satan with us.
God is not some super critical fault find God. He is Jesus friend of sinners!
Wednesday, May 1, 2013
Prayer and Celebration
I want us as followers of Jesus to do two things:
- Pray
- Celebrate
In 1 Thessalonians 5:17 Paul tells us to pray continually. I truly believe that without prayer nothing works. Prayer however, is not about rolling out our wish list and asking God to make it all happen. Prayer is about seeking God, seeking God's will, allowing God to speak truth to us, and letting God transform us into the image of Jesus.
I hear followers of Jesus complaining more than praying. I don't find anywhere in God's Word where we are told to complain. I do find hundreds of times where God's people are command to pray.
In Ephesians 6:18 Paul says, "And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord's people." We are to pray about everything, all the time, with all kinds of prayers. That seems very inclusive to me. Bottom line: We as God's people need to pray!
If any people in the world have reason to celebrate it is us as followers of Jesus. We have the Creator of the whole earth on our side. God became flesh and lived and died for our sins and then rose from the dead. And as His followers who have surrender our lives to Him, we have eternal life. That is reason to celebrate.
We as followers of Jesus are more angry than joyful.
We as followers of Jesus are more negative than positive.
We as followers of Jesus are more discouraged than hopeful.
We as followers of Jesus are in mourning more than in celebration.
I get that the world is fallen, perverted and broken.
However, Jesus is perfect, holy, and whole.
I don't celebrate the fallen, perverted, or broken. I celebrate the perfect, holy, whole Jesus.
I invite you to pray and than celebrate the One you pray to.
Raising the Roof and Removing the Walls
Joe
- Pray
- Celebrate
In 1 Thessalonians 5:17 Paul tells us to pray continually. I truly believe that without prayer nothing works. Prayer however, is not about rolling out our wish list and asking God to make it all happen. Prayer is about seeking God, seeking God's will, allowing God to speak truth to us, and letting God transform us into the image of Jesus.
I hear followers of Jesus complaining more than praying. I don't find anywhere in God's Word where we are told to complain. I do find hundreds of times where God's people are command to pray.
In Ephesians 6:18 Paul says, "And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord's people." We are to pray about everything, all the time, with all kinds of prayers. That seems very inclusive to me. Bottom line: We as God's people need to pray!
If any people in the world have reason to celebrate it is us as followers of Jesus. We have the Creator of the whole earth on our side. God became flesh and lived and died for our sins and then rose from the dead. And as His followers who have surrender our lives to Him, we have eternal life. That is reason to celebrate.
We as followers of Jesus are more angry than joyful.
We as followers of Jesus are more negative than positive.
We as followers of Jesus are more discouraged than hopeful.
We as followers of Jesus are in mourning more than in celebration.
I get that the world is fallen, perverted and broken.
However, Jesus is perfect, holy, and whole.
I don't celebrate the fallen, perverted, or broken. I celebrate the perfect, holy, whole Jesus.
I invite you to pray and than celebrate the One you pray to.
Raising the Roof and Removing the Walls
Joe
Monday, April 22, 2013
Happy Creator Day
As a follower of Jesus I need to take care of the earth. God commands us as humans to take care of the earth as caretakers of His creation. Today is earth day. I will not celebrate earth day. I chose to celebrate Creator Day.
I don't want ot be guilty of as Paul says in Romans 1:25 exchanged the truth of God for a lie and worshiping and serving created things rather than the Creator.
I will worship today not the earth but the Maker of Heaven and Earth - JESUS!
I will as a follower of Jesus take care of His creation. I will begin by taking care of the most important part of creation - People. I will also take care of the rest of creation because it glories the Creator.
I wish you a Happy Creator Day.
Raising the Roof and Removing the Walls
Joe
I don't want ot be guilty of as Paul says in Romans 1:25 exchanged the truth of God for a lie and worshiping and serving created things rather than the Creator.
I will worship today not the earth but the Maker of Heaven and Earth - JESUS!
I will as a follower of Jesus take care of His creation. I will begin by taking care of the most important part of creation - People. I will also take care of the rest of creation because it glories the Creator.
I wish you a Happy Creator Day.
Raising the Roof and Removing the Walls
Joe
Sunday, April 14, 2013
Washing Feet
I was reading John 13 about Jesus washing the feet of His disciples. I was feeling pretty good about what I was leading our faith family do it. We were reaching out to the homeless, the hungry, and hurting. We were sharing Jesus' story (the gospel) with people in very creative ways. But God gave me a wake up call in what really washing people feet meant.
You see when Jesus washed the disciples feet they were dirty, I mean really dirty. They were feet of men who walked dusty and dirty roads wearing at the most sandals. Their dirty feet had dirt and other interesting things on them. The act of washing other people's feet was a very unpleasant thing to do. So as I patted myself on the back for all my faith family was doing God showed me what really washing feet was all about.
Sunday, April 7 we had a lady in our worship, Sylvia, who is homeless. She lives on the street and sleeps behind where my wife works. I spoted her at the beggining of our worship time and instead of rejoicing that God had brought her there I just prayed that God would help just behave. When I offered the invitation at the end of the service who came forward - Sylvia. She came up to me and I thought I'll deal with her quickly and she can go back and sit down. I ask her what she wanted and she said with tears in her eyes she wanted me to pray for her. I ask what she wanted me to pray for and she pointed to her head and then her heart and said they don't work right. As I began to pray she grabbed my arm and held on tight. When I had finsihed she looked at me and said thank you and gave me a hug and held on. I found myself hugging her back. As I hugged this homeless, smelly, dirty, street person God very directly said that now had a small interesting of what it meant to wash someone's feet.
Following Jesus means washing people's feet and feet are dirty.
Raising the Roof and Removing the Walls
Joe
You see when Jesus washed the disciples feet they were dirty, I mean really dirty. They were feet of men who walked dusty and dirty roads wearing at the most sandals. Their dirty feet had dirt and other interesting things on them. The act of washing other people's feet was a very unpleasant thing to do. So as I patted myself on the back for all my faith family was doing God showed me what really washing feet was all about.
Sunday, April 7 we had a lady in our worship, Sylvia, who is homeless. She lives on the street and sleeps behind where my wife works. I spoted her at the beggining of our worship time and instead of rejoicing that God had brought her there I just prayed that God would help just behave. When I offered the invitation at the end of the service who came forward - Sylvia. She came up to me and I thought I'll deal with her quickly and she can go back and sit down. I ask her what she wanted and she said with tears in her eyes she wanted me to pray for her. I ask what she wanted me to pray for and she pointed to her head and then her heart and said they don't work right. As I began to pray she grabbed my arm and held on tight. When I had finsihed she looked at me and said thank you and gave me a hug and held on. I found myself hugging her back. As I hugged this homeless, smelly, dirty, street person God very directly said that now had a small interesting of what it meant to wash someone's feet.
Following Jesus means washing people's feet and feet are dirty.
Raising the Roof and Removing the Walls
Joe
Monday, February 4, 2013
People of a Second Chance
I wear a shirt that says People of a Second Chance. I love the reaction I get when I wear it. I have many people ask me what it means. I tell them that I believe in grace. I believe that becasue Jesus has shown me grace by not only not giving me what I deserve, but giving me much, much more then I dserve or could ever deserve. He died for my sin, He loves me, He accepts me, and He gives me awesome grace gifts.
The problem is I don't always show grace to others. I many times judge others and that is the very opposite of grace. God is teaching me that I don't have to judge others. I don't have to label others. I don't have to be fearful of others. I don't have mold others into who I want them or think they should be.
God is showing me that I can love others even if I don't approve of their actions. I can accept others even if they don't like me or accept me. I am not bound by others actions or reactions, I can be transformed by God's grace so that I treat others and react to others as Jesus does. I can be controlled by His Spirit and not my own natural spirit.
The key for that happening in my life is to allow God to constantly remind me that I am a work in progress. You see, some sins are more visible than others, but we all do it. We all sin. In Romans 3:23 Paul says, "For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God." We all "miss the mark". That is what the word sin means. And we all truly miss the mark. I have no right to judge anyone, because I am just like them!
God has called me to keep an open heart and an open mind. And to extend grace to others just as Jesus extends grace to me.
Raise the Roof and Remove the Walls
Joe
The problem is I don't always show grace to others. I many times judge others and that is the very opposite of grace. God is teaching me that I don't have to judge others. I don't have to label others. I don't have to be fearful of others. I don't have mold others into who I want them or think they should be.
God is showing me that I can love others even if I don't approve of their actions. I can accept others even if they don't like me or accept me. I am not bound by others actions or reactions, I can be transformed by God's grace so that I treat others and react to others as Jesus does. I can be controlled by His Spirit and not my own natural spirit.
The key for that happening in my life is to allow God to constantly remind me that I am a work in progress. You see, some sins are more visible than others, but we all do it. We all sin. In Romans 3:23 Paul says, "For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God." We all "miss the mark". That is what the word sin means. And we all truly miss the mark. I have no right to judge anyone, because I am just like them!
God has called me to keep an open heart and an open mind. And to extend grace to others just as Jesus extends grace to me.
Raise the Roof and Remove the Walls
Joe
Sunday, February 3, 2013
Following Jesus
What does it mean follow Jesus? Well, I think that Jesus that tells us in Luke 18:31-34. It says, "Jesus took the Twelve aside and told them, 'We are going up to Jerusalem, and everything that is written by the prophets about the Son of Man will be fulfilled. He will be handed over to the Gentiles. They will mock him, insult him, spit on him, flog him, and kill him. On the third day he will raise again.'" The disciples did not understand any of this. Its meaning was hidden from them, and they did not know what he was talking about.
Following Jesus is not about getting all the stuff we want. It is not just "naming and claiming it."
Following Jesus is not about following religious rituals and traditions.
Following Jesus is not about a list of rules.
Following Jesus is about following a person - Jesus.
Following Jesus is about relaating to a perosn - Jesus.
Following Jesus is about going where Jesus goes.
Following Jesus is about doing what Jesus does.
In the Luke 18 passage Jesus tells that following Him could mean being:
- Mocked
- Insulted
- Spit On
- Flogged
- Killed
Following Jesus is risky.
Following Jesus is getting out of your comfort zone.
Following Jesus is exciting.
Following Jesus is scary.
Following Jesus is surrendering to the will of God.
Following Jesus is not religion it is relationship.
Following Jesus is not about getting all the stuff we want. It is not just "naming and claiming it."
Following Jesus is not about following religious rituals and traditions.
Following Jesus is not about a list of rules.
Following Jesus is about following a person - Jesus.
Following Jesus is about relaating to a perosn - Jesus.
Following Jesus is about going where Jesus goes.
Following Jesus is about doing what Jesus does.
In the Luke 18 passage Jesus tells that following Him could mean being:
- Mocked
- Insulted
- Spit On
- Flogged
- Killed
Following Jesus is risky.
Following Jesus is getting out of your comfort zone.
Following Jesus is exciting.
Following Jesus is scary.
Following Jesus is surrendering to the will of God.
Following Jesus is not religion it is relationship.
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