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"Where is he who has been born king of the Jews? For we saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him" (Matthew 2:2).
Don't forget who you've come to worship and serve. The Lord's humbled . . . John A. Reeves
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"The kingdom of Heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went to meet the bridegroom" (Matthew 25:1).
Today, an extremely powerful and destructive earthquake happened in the country of Chili. As a result, it created a monstrous and potentially destructive tsunami that is heading toward the Hawaiian Islands and beyond. Why did the earthquake happen? Well, it comes from the earth crust shifting - igniting a tremendous force through earth and water. The force is transfered to the water; thereby, as in this case, creating around 500 mph waves through the ocean. It's not something that mankind has the ability to stop but it is something that can be prepared for ahead of time. In fact, the State of Hawaii has been preparing for such an event for years now. The People know where to go for shelter. And they know how to physically prepare themselves. Unfortunely, knowing and doing are two different things. In fact, some Hawaiians may not be wise in thier preparations. Jesus taught about the "Kingdom of Heaven". People must be ready and prepared ahead of time. For, when the "day" comes - if you're not ready it will be too late. Follow the example of Jesus teachings and be prepared, with excitement and joy, for the Bridegroom. The Lord's humbled . . . John A. Reeves "Jesus said to him [Peter], 'Feed my sheep. Truly, truly, I say to you, when you were young, you used to dress yourself and walk wherever you wanted, but when you are old, you will stretch out your hands, and another will dress you and carry you where you do not want to go'" (John 21:17b-18).
How will you carry your walk with God? Where will it lead you? If you knew the persecution that was to be yours would you walk the path? Peter found out because this passage was Jesus explaining to Peter about his future death. "This he [Jesus] said to show what kind of death he [Peter] was to glorify God" (John 21:19). Can you hear Jesus talking to you? Jesus says the same thing to you as He did Peter, "Follow me" (John 21:19b). May the Lord bless you and keep you. May He shine His light upon you and give you peace. The Lord's humbled . . . John A. Reeves "I (Jesus) am the living bread that came down from Heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever. And the bread that I will give for the life of the world is my flesh" (John 6:51).
Looking at the context of this passage, it becomes obvious that the people understood what Jesus was teaching. It wasn't a passage that referred to the Lord's Supper/Eucharist; rather, it was the process of absorbing the teaching, lifestyle, attitude of Jesus as Master, Lord, teacher, and friend. Jesus is saying to all people, who are confronted with the choice of following Him, that He needs to be their EVERYTHING. Jesus is not saying that His teachings are to be one of many that people pick and choose from. Jesus is saying that it is either all of Me or none of Me. A story is told of a man who was in the process of buying a house. The house had many rooms with keys for each room. When asked about they keys, the current owner said, "You can by the house but there are two rooms that I won't give you the keys for." The buyer said, "I want access to all the rooms or I won't buy the house." Likewise, God wants all the keys to our "house": our thoughts, desires, and complete dedication. With God, He wants all of us or none of us. Jesus wants to have our complete focus on Him. In so doing, who we are becomes who Jesus is. We absorb Jesus. We live for Jesus. We die for Jesus. And in turn, Jesus embraces us and becomes the main subject of our lives. "After this many of His disciples turned back and no longer walked with Him" (John 6:66). Humble yourself and follow Jesus and He will take care of you. The Lord's humbled . . . John A. Reeves "Truly, Truly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep. All who came before me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not listen to them. I am the door. If anyone enters by me, he will be saved and will go in and out and will find pasture. The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly" (John 10:7-10).
It is frustrating to work with people who would rather choose an influence that MAKES NO GODLY SENSE. Why would someone decide to jump off a cliff when the bottom is only filled with death. Why would someone choose to claim "independence" when all they need is healthy, caring, and godly love. The thief corrupts because he steals peace, true love, safety, and everlasting life. Jesus is the opposite of the thief. He is the protector. He is the way that leads to eternal life. This is what Jesus does for people who listen, believe, and obey Him. He protects "His sheep" from the eternal effects of the evil one. Be the sheep who listens to Jesus not the "other" who eats rocks at the bottom of a cliff. The Lord's humbled . . . John A. Reeves "For the love of Christ controls us, because we have concluded this: that one has died for all therefore all have died; and he died for all, that those who live might no longer live for themeslves but for him who for their sake died and was raised" (2 Corinthians 5:14-15).
This morning I was visually reminded about being out-of-control. It has snowed here and there is ice all over the place. As I was driving my kids to school a car in front of me lost control and went off the road. There was nothing the driver could do but allow the car to spin wildly until it finally stopped. Fortunately, no one was hurt. I was frightened because I was heading directly where the out-of-control car went. I felt hopeless knowing that a "big crash" was on the way. Fortunately, I was able to stay on course and keep the car in control. Now the apostle Paul said this, "For the love of Christ controls us . . ." (2 Corinthians 5:14). You see, Christians no longer live wildly and without direction or purpose. We are in control because Christ controls us; that is, His love. We no longer live for our own purpose; rather, for Him (Jesus) who died and was raised. His power, kingdom reign, and love keeps us in the direction He choses for us. We have allowed him control. Therefore, Christians no longer live for themselves but for Christ in Heaven. Does the "love of Christ" control you - if not it ought too. The Lord's humbled . . . John A. Reeves "What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound? By no means! How can we who died to sin still live in it? Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life. For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his" (Romans 6:1-5).
If Jesus didn't die for our sins it would then be impossible for us to die to our sins. So, where do you want to be in relation to sin? Do you want to die in sin where there is no hope, no forgiveness, and no safety? Or, do you want to die to sin where believers are promised forgiveness, the Holy Spirit, and a relationship with God, by faith, through Christ's blood. You can die to sin because Jesus died for our sinsand God recognizes that sacrifice. Please, check out the complete article on SIN and have peace in Christ. The Lord's humbled . . . John A. Reeves May you reflect on the kindness of the Heavenly Father and, His Son, Jesus for what they did. May your singing be praise worthy and your worship be honorable. Enjoy the day and remember how good God is.
May you always make God the center of your life. The Lord's humbled . . . John A. Reeves "But we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about those who are asleep, that you may not grieve as others do who have no hope" (1 Thessalonians 4:13).
Grieving is a natural part of loss but not an easy one. The loss can be anything from a job loss to the loss of a loved one. (Please, see my article on God, Do You Love Me?) But those who are in Christ have hope - Heaven. Heaven is a place where God is and He promises to wiped away all our tears. How glorious that will be. There are a couple of books on loss and grieving in my reference section. It is hard to know what to say or how to act when someone is tramatized by loss and in the process of grieving. My advice, as one who has experience the loss of a spouse, is not to give advice unless asked. Be a good listener and offer a hug in quietness. Yet, the best thing that can be done for someone in any loss situation is being proactive with the teachings of Christ. The greatest gift you can give any person is the knowledge that the Lord is on thier side regardless of life's experiences. Don't wait to teach them, and all people you come in contact with, the true Gospel of Christ and then "brothers . . . you may not grieve as others do who have no hope (I Thessalonians 4:13). I encourage you to teach others, daily, about the hope in Christ. The Lord's humbled . . . John A. Reeves "And going a little farther, He fell on His face and prayed, saying 'My Father, if it is possible let this cup pass from Me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as You will'" (Matthew 26:39).
A few years ago when I was in school, I had an assignment to go to a secluded place for quiet time between God and myself. It was a practical assignment that was supposed to last between 6 and 8 hours. I was to take my Bible, journal, and food. I decided to go to a local lake area finding a nice place that was rugged and secluded. The spot had a view of the lake and climbing areas behind me. I started off the day excited about the chance to "get away" from the day-to-day grind but was unfamilier with spending a whole day in meditation and prayer. By the end of the day I found myself at peace even desiring not to end the experience. I spoke freely with the God about His greatness, power, wonder, and glory. I acknowledge my love and desired dedication to the Godhead. I also faced my many failures in my walk with Christ. I cried, laughed, yelled, and stood around with bewildered awe by the glory of His creation. (How nice it is to look at God's creation without all the impact of civilization around to distract me.) There were times, though, when I shared my frustration and anger/misunderstandings for the experiences in life. And I read from the Psalms and Proverbs. By the end of the day I didn't want to leave. It was as if I had found a close friend who I wanted to always hang around. I would encourage a lifestyle of prayer and meditation with God. It is a time of peace and encouragement. The Lord's humbled . . . John A. Reeves |
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