Simple Thoughts

If you travel frequently by car, you probably have an “E” pass, which allows you to pass through toll lanes quickly, easily and without much hassle. We like shortcuts. We like easy. We don’t always want to slow down. We want to get to where we are going. But in life, we need to slow down. Take inventory of where we are heading: The path. The plan. The purpose.

As a Christian, the path is Jesus. When the path gets overgrown, full of weeds or blown out by trials and storms, pause on the path. Do you need to prune? Reroute? Weed out? Take stock of the path you are walking, beloved. Psalm 119:105 “Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path.”

The plan, of course, is ordained by God. In the gospel of John, Jesus said, ““I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. “(John 14:6) When we walk according to the plan of salvation spelled out in the bible, when we read how to live a godly life in this world and carry out God’s plan for our lives, we have a peace and fellowship with our Savior.

When we walk the path, follow the plan, we have our purpose in God, which is the Great Commission. Matthew 18:19-20a “…go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,  and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you.” As Christians, we find out purpose as we walk a life pleasing to God and pointing others to Christ by Christ-like living.

Which path are you following today? Do you consult God as you make plans for the day, the week, the year? Are you living your life with a God-filled purpose? Check your route. Consult the bible. Pray for wisdom. In all things, seek God. Proverbs 3:5-6 “Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take.”

Ah! A nice story. A nice sermon. Feeling good, sitting here in this church pew. Singing some songs, shaking some hands. Same Sunday, week after week. Everything as it should be. Steady on. Don’t rock the boat. Don’t challenge me. I like where I am.

Sound familiar? Do you find yourself in a place of spiritual complacency? Are you self-satisfied, sleepy even? How did this happen? When did I stop reading the bible? Attending Sunday school or bible study? Why do I no longer want to hang around that group of people?

When we become spiritually complacent, we stop being alert, watchful. We start listening to so and so, rather than God. We start following the world, rather than the bible. We listen to the devil as he fills our minds with thoughts that are contrary to God’s word. What happened to being faithful and obedient to God? Is this where you are? If so, beloved, it is not too late. Praise God, your heart is reminded. Your eyes opened. Wake up! Remember! Hold it fast and repent!

Revelation 3:1-3 “I know your deeds; you have a reputation of being alive, but you are dead.  Wake up! Strengthen what remains and is about to die, for I have found your deeds unfinished in the sight of my God.  Remember, therefore, what you have received and heard; hold it fast, and repent.

What is a rebel? Opposing or taking arms against a government or ruler. What does it mean to rebel? To oppose or disobey one in authority or control. (Merriam Webster)

Growing up, I thought of a rebel as one who wouldn’t conform to the rules of the school, a troublemaker. As I read and study scripture, I find that I should have been looking in at self. Separated from God, I was a rebel. I opposed His rule in my life. I was rebelling when I disobeyed God and His law. Isaiah 53:5-6 says, “But he was pierced for our rebellion,
crushed for our sins. He was beaten so we could be whole. He was whipped so we could be healed. All of us, like sheep, have strayed away. We have left God’s paths to follow our own.
Yet the Lord laid on him the sins of us all.”

Ever since the first rebellion in the garden, God had a plan. To redeem sinners through His Son. Today, let us examine our own hearts. Let us confess any action or attitude that is in direct opposition to God’s word. Let us come humbly to His throne of grace, asking for forgiveness. Healing our hearts. Conforming our hearts to be in tune with Him. That our words, thoughts and actions are under His sovereign rule in our lives. “We capture their rebellious thoughts and teach them to obey Christ.” (2 Corinthians 10:5b) So, take those rebellious thoughts, give them over to God. Turn to God’s word and ” set your hearts on things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above,” (Colossians 3:1-2)

Where are my glasses? Have you seen my phone? We all misplace things, search for items we know we have but seem to forget where we placed them. As humans, we are forgetters. Forgetting where we placed an important item, a scheduled appointment, a social engagement. And yes, we have paper calendars, digital calendars, apps, reminders- all helping us to not forget.

As a people, are we also forgetters of God? If we are forgetters of God, can we still call ourselves a Christian? Did we pray, make a profession of faith, attended church and have now walked away? Have we replaced God with other things? Are we trying to “gain the whole world yet forfeiting our soul?” (Mark 8:36) If we find ourselves away from God, repent, be restored to a right relationship with Him. Be a rememberer, a follower. “Give up your own way, take up your cross and follow Me.” (Mark 8:34)

Let us not live as forgetters of God but as those changed, transformed by the precious blood of Jesus. Then we can say, like David, in Psalm 9:1-2 “I will praise you, Lord, with all my heart; I will tell of all the marvelous things you have done. I will be filled with joy because of you. I will sing praises to your name, O Most High.” Be a rememberer!

Students graduating. Couples getting married. Babies being born. New beginnings. Exciting possibilities. Great expectations. What advice do we give them? Follow your heart. Pursue your dreams. Go for it. Nice words. Spoken from the heart. But let’s be real, too. Life is hard. Sometimes plans A,B, and C don’t work out. Work hard for a company and suddenly they let you go. We work hard, strive to do our best everyday. Toiling, raising a family, pursuing the American dream. It is hard. Exhausting.

What does King Solomon say in Ecclesiastes 1:2 ““Vanity of vanities,” says the Preacher;
“Vanity of vanities, all is vanity.” (NKJV) The NIV uses the word “meaningless” instead of vanity. ““Meaningless! Meaningless!” says the Teacher. “Utterly meaningless! Everything is meaningless.”

Life is meaningless, vanity, futile… unless you know Jesus as your Lord and Savior. Working for Him. Giving Him the glory. Thanking Him for all your blessings. Seeking His wisdom. Our life is but a vapor. Are we trying to collect the most material possessions, have the most followers on social media, be popular? Or, while we are here on earth, seek meaning beyond what we can see, feel, touch? As Psalm 119:37 says, let us “Turn my (our) eyes from worthless things, and give me(us) life through your word.”

And as King Solomon summed it up in Ecclesiastes 12:13 “Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man.”

For those of us old enough to remember pulling up to the gas station, being waited on by an attendant and saying, “Fill up, please.” Cars, people all need a fill up. Gas, water, food. Yes, physical needs. But ask yourself, ” How is your spiritual well being?” Are you in need of being filled? Yes please! Dig into God’s word. Be reminded of his promises. Be steadfast in your prayer life. Walk according to the Spirit’s leading. God dependance each and every day.

I used to find it hard to understand why Elijah was afraid, in fear of his life after God’s great demonstration and power the day before ( 1 Kings 18:20-40). I get it now. As a human, I am weak. If I walk under my own power, I tire. I worry. I fear. But when I am in the word, being filled, encouraged, reminded, it is God’s power working in me to face each new day. So, yes please! Fill me up, Lord. More of You and less of me!

“Each day I pray for God to fill me anew as I spend time with Him.” (Rebecca Manley Pippert)

Junior High. Going off to basketball camp. Goofing off, throwing rocks. Breaking a window. Terrified of disappointing my dad. I don’t say anything. Until… a repair bill arrives in the mail months later. Then I pour out the whole story. Pay my parents for the repair from my paper route money.

As adults, we too, face problems, trials, difficulties. How do we deal with the financial struggles, the health issues, relationship difficulties? Focusing on God, our Creator, is where I begin. Then, I open up His word and am reminded of His promises. Filling my mind, my heart, my lips with His truths. Singing praises to Him in my struggles. Not in my own strength or power. But His. “For when I am weak, then I am strong” (2 Corinthians 12:10). He already knows my struggles. God wants me to humbly submit to His authority, His will. To walk in faith and obedience according to His word.

“We are created to be God-dependent, not self-sufficient…But recognizing our inadequacy and dependence on God isn’t shameful, it is what sets us free… Being creatures who love, obey and depend upon God without shame is glorious.” (Rebecca Manley Pippert)

We have Palm Sunday, celebrating the triumphal entry of Jesus into Jerusalem. We have Easter Sunday, celebrating the resurrection of Jesus. And now, we have a new Sunday upon us. Are we back to an ordinary Sunday, back to our old routines? Or, did the last two Sundays change our view of Jesus?  Through our church attendance and scriptural readings, was our heart awakened to Jesus, our Savior? Over the course of the past two weeks did we question our faith? Did we look into God’s word to seek evidence of the events of the final days of Jesus’ life here on earth? Have we taken stock of our heart condition, examined closely to see that we belong to the faith? Or have we come to a brand new realization that what I once thought true I now see with eyes of faith? I believe Jesus is the son of God. I believe He lived a perfect life and died a sacrificial death for me. I believe He rose again on the third day and is seated at the right hand of God. I believe that I am a sinner and there is no good enough in me to warrant my entrance into heaven. I repent of my sins and confess Jesus as Savior and Lord of my life. This Sunday I want everyone to know of my change: change of heart, change of direction, change in my eternal destination. Praise God! This is no ordinary Sunday! It is a new beginning. A new walk of faith.

Acts 4:10-12 “ let it be known to you all, and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead, by Him this man stands here before you whole. ¹¹ This is the ‘stone which was rejected by you builders, which has become the chief cornerstone.’ ¹² Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.”

Who are you today on this Good Friday? Are you one of the women named Mary who stand at the cross of Jesus? Or are you a Peter that when asked if you are a follower of Jesus, you say no or give a non-answer? Maybe you are a bold follower like Joseph of Arimathea who asked for the body of Jesus from Pilate? Perhaps you are a nay-sayer?

On this Good Friday, as we re-read the gospel accounts of Jesus’ crucifixion, may we examine our own hearts, confess sin, and prayerfully come to Jesus. Maybe you need to recommit your life to Jesus after wandering astray. Or you are already a faithful follower and you desire to continue to grow and mature in your faith so you may encourage and teach others. If you have never known Jesus as Savior and Lord of your life, today may be the day.

Jesus’ death on the cross is not the end. Praise God Sunday, Resurrection Day, is coming!

Gospel accounts: Matthew 26-28; Mark 14-15; Luke 22-23; John 18-20

Why does it do that? Where does it go? What is that? Why? Where? How? When? What? The endless questions of a toddler. They are searching, questioning, discovering, learning. Curious of the world around them. Trying to make sense of it all.

As adults, aren’t we doing the same? Working, going to school, interning, reading, questioning, watching. What do I want to be? Can I turn my passion into a business venture? What is the purpose in my life? Of course, our questions are much deeper than that of a toddler. We are looking for meaning. Seeking truth. Pursuing.

King Solomon had it all. Wives. Children. Riches. Wisdom. Chariots. Horses. A large kingdom to rule over. To the average Joe, he had it all. What could possibly be missing from his life? God! In the beginning of his reign, he sought God. And “Solomon son of David took firm control of his kingdom, for the Lord his God was with him and made him very powerful.” (2 Chron 1:1) He was successful in all he did. But when it came right down to it, at the end of his life, King Solomon wrote these words, “Here is the conclusion of the matter: Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the duty of all mankind.” (Etc 12:13) The meaning of life was not in stuff. Not in accomplishments. The meaning of life was found in his relationship with God. Our meaning in life is found in a saving relationship with Jesus. Ask yourself, “Do I have a relationship with the Son of God?” “Do I pursue Jesus best, placing Him first in my life?”

“We will never spend our time more valuably than in the pursuit of knowing Jesus Christ.” (Beth Moore)