Looking for the Messiah (part 1)

by Max Lucado

SUPPOSE JESUS CAME to your church. I don’t mean symbolically. I mean visibly. Physically. Actually. Suppose he came to your church.

Would you recognize him? It might be difficult. Jesus didn’t wear religious clothes in his day. Doubtful that he would wear them in ours. If he came today to your church, he’d wear regular clothes. Nothing fancy, just a jacket and shoes and a tie. Maybe a tie … maybe not.

He would have a common name. “Jesus” was common. I suppose he might go by Joe or Bob or Terry or Elliot.

Elliot … I like that. Suppose Elliot, the Son of God, came to your church.Of course, he wouldn’t be from Nazareth or Israel. He’d hail from some small spot down the road like Hollow Point or Chester City or Mt. Pleasant.

And he’d be a laborer. He was a carpenter in his day. No reason to think he’d change, but let’s say he did. Let’s say that this time around he was a plumber. Elliot, the plumber from Mt. Pleasant.

God, a plumber?

Rumor has it that he fed a football field full of people near the lake. Others say he healed a senator’s son from Biloxi. Some say he’s the Son of God. Others say he’s the joke of the year. You don’t know what to think.

And then, one Sunday, he shows up.

About midway through the service he appears in the back of the auditorium and takes a seat. After a few songs he moves closer to the front. After yet another song he steps up on the platform and announces, “You are singing about me. I am the Son of God.” He holds a Communion tray. “This bread is my body. This wine is my blood. When you celebrate this, you celebrate me!”

What would you think?

Would you be offended? The audacity of it all. How irreverent, a guy named Elliot as the Son of God!

Would you be interested? Wait a minute, how could he be the Son of God? He never went to seminary, never studied at a college. But there is something about him …

Would you believe? I can’t deny it’s crazy. But I can’t deny what he has done.

It’s easy to criticize contemporaries of Jesus for not believing in him. But when you realize how he came, you can understand their skepticism.

Jesus didn’t fit their concept of a Messiah. Wrong background. Wrong pedigree. Wrong hometown. No Messiah would come from Nazareth. Small, hick, one-stoplight town. He didn’t fit the Jews’ notion of a Messiah, and so, rather than change their notion, they dismissed him.
He came as one of them. He was Jesus from Nazareth. Elliot from Mt. Pleasant. He fed the masses with calloused hands. He raised the dead wearing bib overalls and a John Deere Tractor cap.

They expected lights and kings and chariots from heaven. What they got was sandals and sermons and a Galilean accent.

And so, some missed him.

And so, some miss him still.

From A Gentle Thunder Copyright (Thomas Nelson, 1987) Max Lucado

A Renewed Mind

by Charles R. Swindoll

Those people should realize that our actions when we arrive in person will be as forceful as what we say in our letters from far away. Oh, don’t worry; we wouldn’t dare say that we are as wonderful as these other men who tell you how important they are! But they are only comparing themselves with each other, using themselves as the standard of measurement. How ignorant!
2 Corinthians 10:11-12

No hypocrisy, no competition. Wouldn't that be refreshing to live such a life? It all comes to those with a "renewed mind" . . . those who determine they are going to allow the Spirit of God to invade all those walls and towers, capturing the guards that have kept Him at arm's length all these years.

I can't recall the precise date when these truths began to fall into place, but I distinctly remember how I began to change deep within. My fierce tendency to compete with others started to diminish. My insecure need to win—always win—also started to fade. Less and less was I interested in comparing myself with other speakers and pastors. This growing, healthy independence freed me to be me, not a mixture of what I thought others expected me to be.

And now my heart really goes out to others when I see in them that misery-making "comparison syndrome" that held me in its grip for so many years. Not until you start thinking biblically will this independent identity begin to take shape.

It is when God is in control of the servant mind that we can realize as never before that life's greatest joy is to give His love away to those poor souls who are still stuck in the rut of comparative living.

The more you give, the more you'll get!

Excerpted from Day by Day with Charles Swindoll, Copyright © 2000 by Charles R. Swindoll, Inc. (Thomas Nelson Publishers). All rights reserved worldwide. Used by permission.

God Gives Us a Desire for Our Work

You shall call, and I will answer You; You shall desire the work of Your hands Job 14:15 (NKJV)

Did you know that God has already pre-wired you for the work He created you to do? We all have things inside of us that excite us when we think about it. God is the source of this passion. However, our career path may require many stepping stones before we reach the work that we were ultimately created for. The psalmist says "All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be" (Ps 139:16).

When the ark of the covenant was to be designed to contain the sacred ten commandments, God prepared a man to perform the important work. "Then the LORD said to Moses, 'See, I have chosen Bezalel son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah, and I have filled him with the Spirit of God, with skill, ability and knowledge in all kinds of crafts -- to make artistic designs for work in gold, silver and bronze, to cut and set stones, to work in wood, and to engage in all kinds of craftsmanship'" (Ex 31:1-6).

We do not know much about Bezalel, but you can be sure he had many jobs leading up to this most important assignment. He was also the first man mentioned in all of scripture to be "filled with the spirit of God."

When your work is empowered by the Spirit of God you will be hand-picked for some of the most important assignments. He says the skilled worker will even serve before kings (Prov. 22:9). God will see to it that your skills will be used for His ultimate purposes. This is the call of God for each of us -- to be fulfilled in our work and to use our work to fulfill His purposes on the earth.

He seals the hand of every man, that all men may know His work Job 37:7 (NKJV).

by Os Hillman at www.marketplaceleaders.org.

The End of Every Man

Ecclesiastes 7:2 It is better to go to a house of mourning than to go to a house of feasting, because that is the end of every man, and the living takes it to heart.

As this verse in Ecclesiastes reminds us, knowing that we will die someday should affect how we live today.

Unfortunately, many people never seem to understand what's important in life until they are faced with the end of it. A few years ago I received a letter illustrating this truth:

Frank was a wonderful man, but he was also stern and stoic; he taught his three boys to be strong, tough, no more tears, no more hugs and only manly handshakes at bedtimes. He liked things done his way. He was not a good listener.

Frank [developed] an incurable form of cancer that spread from his legs to his lungs, spleen and various parts of his body. He was 43 years old. Within days of learning he had cancer, he gave his life to Jesus. Frank began to trust in Jesus Christ and go to Him for strength and courage.

Hugging and loving his sons became a daily absolute in their lives. He shared from his heart with the boys, cried with them, told them how proud he was of them and how very much he loved them. He became the listening, loving husband every wife dreams of.

His last four months here on earth were filled with laughter and good times with his family. Even though the cancer was taking over his body, God gave him a quality life to the end. Frank prepared his family for his death and for the task ahead of them, so that they, too, would one day reach the goal and stand before the Throne.

Frank was fortunate to learn his true priorities while he still had a chance. I can't help but think of Senator Paul Tsongas, who said after his third bout with cancer: "I think of all the fathers who have young children and play golf all day Saturday and Sunday. They've never had cancer. I think of the husbands who never voice their affections for their wives. They've never had cancer."

Prayer: That God would give you the ability to live by those priorities.

Discuss: What would you do if you learned you had only one year to live?

Proof

2 Thes. 2:13: But we ought always to thank God for you, brothers loved by the Lord, because from the beginning God chose you to be saved through the sanctifying work of the Spirit and through belief in the truth (NIV).

We do not always know how faithful we are until we are tested. Trials have a way of exposing those areas where we are trusting in ourselves instead of relying on God. Paul encouraged these believers by showing them the value of God's sanctifying work in their lives.

The purpose in sanctification isn't to reveal a person's heart to God. He already knows! Rather, it is to reveal the heart to the person himself. This can be painful at times as we are confronted with the depths of our sin and challenged to mature spiritually

Pray for God to expose the "logs" in your eyes and the strength to embrace the sanctification process. Difficult times provide an opportunity to become more Christ-like and to be a humble example for our family.

Trials expose our weaknesses and challenge us to grow spiritually.

Pursue the Virtue of Contentment

by Max Lucado

A businessman bought popcorn from an old street vendor each day after lunch. He once arrived to find the peddler closing up his stand at noon. "Is something wrong?" he asked.

A smile wrinkled the seller's leathery face. "By no means. All is well."

"Then why are you closing your popcorn stand?"

"So I can go to my house, sit on my porch, and sip tea with my wife."

The man of commerce objected. "But the day is still young. You can still sell."

"No need to," the stand owner replied. "I've made enough money for today."

"Enough? Absurd. You should keep working."

The spry old man stopped and stared at his well-dressed visitor. "And why should I keep working?"

"To sell more popcorn."

"And why sell more popcorn?"

"Because the more popcorn you sell, the more money you make. The more money you make, the richer you are. The richer you are, the more popcorn stands you can buy. The more popcorn stands you buy, the more peddlers sell your product, and the richer you become. And when you have enough, you can stop working, sell your popcorn stands, stay home, and sit on the porch with your wife and drink tea."

The popcorn man smiled. "I can do that today. I guess I have enough."

Wise was the one who wrote, "Whoever loves money never has money enough; whoever loves wealth is never satisfied with his income" (Eccles. 5:10 NIV).

Don't heed greed.

Greed makes a poor job counselor.

Greed has a growling stomach. Feed it, and you risk more than budget-busting debt. You risk losing purpose. Greed can seduce you out of your sweet spot.

Before you change your job title, examine your perspective toward life. Success is not defined by position or pay scale but by this: doing the most what you do the best.

Parents, give that counsel to your kids. Tell them to do what they love to do so well that someone pays them to do it.

Spouses, urge your mate to choose satisfaction over salary. Better to be married to a happy person who has a thin wallet than a miserable person with a thick one. Besides, "a pretentious, showy life is an empty life; a plain and simple life is a full life" (Prov. 13:7 MSG).

Pursue the virtue of contentment. "Godliness with contentment is great gain" (1 Tim. 6:6 NIV). When choosing or changing jobs, be careful. Consult your design. Consult your Designer. But never consult your greed.

From Cure for the Common Life Copyright (Thomas Nelson, 2006) Max Lucado

Psalm 139

For the choir director: A psalm of David.

1 O Lord, you have examined my heart and know everything about me.
2 You know when I sit down or stand up. You know my thoughts even when I’m far away.
3 You see me when I travel and when I rest at home. You know everything I do.
4 You know what I am going to say even before I say it, Lord.
5 You go before me and follow me. You place your hand of blessing on my head.
6 Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, too great for me to understand!

7 I can never escape from your Spirit! I can never get away from your presence! 8
If I go up to heaven, you are there; if I go down to the grave,[a] you are there.
9 If I ride the wings of the morning, if I dwell by the farthest oceans,
10 even there your hand will guide me, and your strength will support me.
11 I could ask the darkness to hide me and the light around me to become night—
12 but even in darkness I cannot hide from you. To you the night shines as bright as day. Darkness and light are the same to you.

13 You made all the delicate, inner parts of my body and knit me together in my mother’s womb.
14 Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex! Your workmanship is marvelous—how well I know it.
15 You watched me as I was being formed in utter seclusion, as I was woven together in the dark of the womb.
16 You saw me before I was born. Every day of my life was recorded in your book. Every moment was laid out before a single day had passed.

17 How precious are your thoughts about me,[b] O God. They cannot be numbered!
18 I can’t even count them; they outnumber the grains of sand! And when I wake up, you are still with me!

19 O God, if only you would destroy the wicked! Get out of my life, you murderers!
20 They blaspheme you; your enemies misuse your name.
21 O Lord, shouldn’t I hate those who hate you?Shouldn’t I despise those who oppose you?
22 Yes, I hate them with total hatred, for your enemies are my enemies.

23 Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts.
24 Point out anything in me that offends you, and lead me along the path of everlasting life.

Footnotes:
a. Psalm 139:8 Hebrew to Sheol.
b. Psalm 139:17 Or How precious to me are your thoughts.

The Difference

by Charles R. Swindoll

Teaching about Salt and Light - “You are the salt of the earth. But what good is salt if it has lost its flavor? Can you make it salty again? It will be thrown out and trampled underfoot as worthless. “You are the light of the world—like a city on a hilltop that cannot be hidden. No one lights a lamp and then puts it under a basket. Instead, a lamp is placed on a stand, where it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your good deeds shine out for all to see, so that everyone will praise your heavenly Father.
Matthew 5:13-16

Ours is a hell-bound, degenerate world, and you know it. Political corruption abounds. International peace, a splendid ideal, continues to blow up in our faces. The crime rate escalates as domestic violence and gang wars and drug traffic and overcrowded jails continue to plague society. Pending legal cases choke the courts of our land with an endless litany of litigation. And even when cases are finally brought to trial, no courtroom or prison cell can remove madness from minds or hatred from hearts.

Satan, our relentless enemy, has a game plan, and it's on the board. Knowing that his days are numbered, knowing that he has an appointed amount of time before the scoreboard counts him out, he holds the world in his lap and gives it directions, implementing his strategy day after day.

If our Christian message is a mirror image of the message of the world, the world yawns and goes on its way saying, "What else is new? I've heard all that since I was born." But if the Christian lifestyle and motivation and answers are different, the world cannot help but sit up and take notice, thinking: How come they live in the same place I live, but they are able to live a different kind of life? Why is their love so deep and lasting and ours so shallow and fickle? How is it that she can forgive and never hold a grudge? Why do these people have so much more compassion, kindness, integrity, and patience than anyone else I know?

Do you get the message? It's the difference that makes the difference!

Think about it: Do people feel more alive when they're around you? Do you create within them a thirst for God? Does anyone ever wonder why you are so unselfish, so thoughtful, so caring? Do the neighborhood children want to be in your home because of the way you treat your children?

What do people see when they look at you? Do they see your good works? Do they hear your courtesy? Do they detect your smile? Do they notice that you stop to thank them? Do they hear you apologize when you are wrong? Do they see every visible manifestation of Christ's life being normally lived out through you? When they see all that, Jesus said, they "will glorify your Father who is in heaven" (Matt. 5:16).

Isn't it a pleasure when someone says to you, "Why are you like that?" And isn't it a natural thing to respond, "I'm glad you asked. Let me tell you what's happened"?

"When the Church is absolutely different from the world, she invariably attracts it. It is then that the world is made to listen to her message, though it may hate it at first" (D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones).

Excerpted from Day by Day with Charles Swindoll, Copyright © 2000 by Charles R. Swindoll, Inc. (Thomas Nelson Publishers). All rights reserved worldwide. Used by permission.

Transformed by the Power of God

Do you truly believe that God can and will transform you? Are you willing to allow God to mold you as He desires?

Romans 8:29 “For God knew his people in advance, and he chose them to become like his Son, so that his Son would be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters.”

We all know that one day when Christ returns for us, we will be transformed into our heavenly bodies. But in the mean time, He is shaping us day by day on this earth, so that we can mirror his image to a lost and dying world. “Who, by the power that enables him to bring everything under his control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body.” Philippians 3:21

God is the Potter and we are His clay. He shapes us as He wishes for His glory and we have no reason to ever question Him. “But who are you, O man, to talk back to God?”Shall what is formed say to him who formed it, 'Why did you make me like this?” Romans 9:20. The sooner we decide to trust Him to finish the work he began in us from salvation, the sooner we become more supple in His hands, and glorify Him more with our actions. The world begins to see a willing servant whose only desire is to obey their master.

“Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect” Romans 12:2. By trusting and allowing the Potter (God) to willingly mold and shape us, we actually please Him. And while God tolerates us questioning and wrestle with God at times, nothing pleases God more than a willing and trusting heart that seeks to serve others in a Christ-like manner Romans 14:18. God simply wants us to have faith in His love for us and His faithfulness to finish the work He began in each of us at our birth. “And it is impossible to please God without faith. Anyone who wants to come to him must believe that God exists and that he rewards those who sincerely seek him.” Hebrews 11:6

We all make mistakes and fall short of God’s glory, “For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard”. Romans 3:23 We must learn that we can always count on God to turn our mistakes into miracles for His glory, when we humble ourselves, pray and turn to Him from our wicked ways. “If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land”. 2 Chronicles 7:14.

Lord, please draw us into more of Your love today. Lets us feel Your presence, Your forgiveness, Your love and Your Hope. Keep us from evil discouragement, depression and our pride. Keep us humble and close to You. Thank You for our faithfulness and how much You love and care for us.

In Jesus name we pray, Amen

Have another powerful and prosperous day of trusting God’s faithfulness to transform us in the workplace and at home!

The Easiest Thing To Do Is Nothing

"Let us not lose heart in doing good."

Galatians 6:9

It's no secret that America is in the midst of a spiritual and moral crisis. Polls today indicate that most Americans are deeply concerned about the direction our nation is heading. The real problem is a critical shortage of people who care enough to get off the sidelines and are determined to make a difference. Sometimes it only takes one person to turn the flow from negative to positive.

Take, for instance, Babe Ruth, the most famous baseball player of all time. The Babe finished his career in a slump, and according to one legendary story, he was jeered mercilessly one day in Cincinnati. As he made his customary trot off the field to the dugout, the fans began to yell obscenities at him. The booing intensified until a little boy jumped a fence and ran to his hero's side.

The child threw his arms around Babe's legs, crying as he fiercely hugged him. Moved by the young lad's display of affection and emotion, Ruth gently swept the boy upwards and into his arms. As they walked off the field, the man and boy cried together.

Suddenly, the hoots, howls and curses ceased. And the eerie silence was replaced by a thunderous ovation. Fans of all ages now began to weep. One small boy's courageous actions had changed the behavior of thousands of people.

I can't help but wonder how long the boy sat there listening to the cursing, angry crowd before he did something. Probably not very long.

And today, how much worse must our nation become before individuals are moved by compassion and conviction to get out of their seats and decide to make a difference?

As I pray for our nation and its families, I continue to sense that the battle will be won by laymen and women like you. As Paul says in Galatians 6:9, "Let us not lose heart in doing good."

Prayer: That God would burden your heart with the need to be involved in the battle.

Discuss: In what ways are you concerned about the direction our country is headed?

Freedom From Sin's Grasp

11 So you also should consider yourselves to be dead to the power of sin and alive to God through Christ Jesus. 12 Do not let sin control the way you live; do not give in to sinful desires. 13 Do not let any part of your body become an instrument of evil to serve sin. Instead, give yourselves completely to God, for you were dead, but now you have new life. So use your whole body as an instrument to do what is right for the glory of God. 14 Sin is no longer your master, for you no longer live under the requirements of the law. Instead, you live under the freedom of God’s grace.

Romans 6:11-14

Years ago, I found myself taking on too much responsibility. At first, I thought that revealed motivation and obedience. As weariness set in, however, I realized that I was actually adding my own tasks to what God was truly asking of me. In searching my heart, I recognized my true motive behind the excess work: an attempt to prove that I was adequate.

Insecurity, a sense of inadequacy, and lack of self-worth often lead to transgression. And the Bible tells us that a recurring pattern of wrongdoing indicates captivity to sin. So how can we break free from its hold?

Of course, freedom is impossible without Jesus. His death and resurrection bridged the gap that sin caused between us and God. With the Lord's help, we take these steps and walk on the road of restoration:

• First, recognize enslavement to sin. This can be difficult, as we may have a blind spot to things that are obvious to others.
  
• Second, trace sin to its root. Many times a lack of intimacy, identity, or self-worth will work its way to the surface, and we try to satisfy or escape those feelings.
  
• Third, choose to be free. This involves believing God's promise that He can liberate us. It also means becoming familiar with the truth of who Christ is—and who we are in Him.
  

Some people find freedom quickly, while others must embark on a journey toward liberty. But one thing is clear in both situations: The Lord will follow through on His promise. Do you believe He can break the enslavement of sin in your life? Choose freedom by faith in almighty God.

For more biblical teaching and resources from Dr. Charles Stanley, please visit www.intouch.org.

Whom Do You Trust?

In Psalm 118:8-9, we are told this,

It is better to trust in the LORD than to put confidence in man. It is better to trust in the LORD than to put confidence in princes.

There are a lot of applications to this passage, but let me talk to you about just one. And that is this: You do not want to trust the state of your eternal soul to any man.

Ma’am, maybe your husband prays. Maybe he has a “real deal” relationship with God. Do not expect that to gain you any merit or to somehow get you to heaven. You have to have a relationship with the Lord yourself.

Sir, perhaps you have a praying wife. She is on fire for God. Do not expect that to get you a seat at the marriage supper of the Lamb. You must be born again. You have to be trusting in the Lord yourself. You have to have your own living, breathing, walking, talking, relationship with the Savior, or you will not get in!

When I was in my early twenties, there was a plethora of gurus and eastern mystics people were following. Some of my friends gave up all of their earthly possessions and became disciples of certain “holy” men.

But you know what? If you follow a man, when he perishes, you will perish just like him. Psalm 146:3-4 says,

Do not put your trust in princes, nor in a son of man, in whom there is no help. His spirit departs, he returns to his earth; in that very day his plans perish.

If you put your trust in men, you will perish just like they do. But if you put your trust in God through His Son, Jesus Christ, you will gain eternal life.

Put your trust in God alone!

Act Medium

by Charles R. Swindoll

Matthew 20

The children worked long and hard on their little cardboard shack. It was to be a special spot—a clubhouse, where they could meet together, play, and have fun. Since a clubhouse has to have rules, they came up with three:

• Nobody act big.
• Nobody act small.
• Everybody act medium.

Not bad theology! In different words, God says the very same thing: "Let each of you regard one another as more important than himself" (Phil. 2:3). "Through love serve one another" (Gal. 5:13).

Just "act medium." Believable. Honest, human, thoughtful, and down to earth. Regardless of your elevated position or high pile of honors or row of degrees or endless list of achievements, just stay real.

What is it Solomon said? "Let another praise you . . . a stranger, and not your own lips" (Prov. 27:2).

Meaning what? Meaning no self-reference to some enviable accomplishment. Meaning refusal to scratch a back when yours itches. Meaning no desire to manipulate and manufacture praise. Meaning authentic surprise when applauded.

Like the inimitable Principal Cairns, headmaster of an English school, who was walking onto the platform along with other dignitaries. As he stepped up, a burst of spontaneous applause arose from the audience. In characteristic modesty, Cairns stepped back to let the man behind pass by . . . as he began to applaud his colleague. He genuinely assumed the applause was for another.
But one final warning: Don't try to fake it. False humility stinks worse than raw conceit.

The answer is not in trying to appear worthless or "wormy." The answer lies in consistently taking notice of others' achievements, recognizing others' skills and contributions . . . and saying so. That's called serving others in love. And that's what Christ did.

"Nobody act big. Nobody act small. Everybody act medium."

Such good advice from a clubhouse full of kids who, by the way, are pretty good at practicing what they preach.

Make yourself a little plaque with this rule on it and put it in a place where you will see it every day.

Excerpted from Day by Day with Charles Swindoll, Copyright © 2000 by Charles R. Swindoll, Inc. (Thomas Nelson Publishers). All rights reserved worldwide. Used by permission.