The Word became flesh

John 1:14 The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, glory of the one and only son, who came from the father, full of grace and truth.

People enter & exit our lives at random times. We are often left wondering what happened to them after they have departed. In some cases we know that they have passed on to their great reward. For us who are left behind, survivors so-to-speak, life goes on.

It's Thursday of Holy Week, we call it Maundy Thursday. Traditionally we celebrate the Last Supper on Thursday of Holy Week. On this day, Jesus gathered His disciples to share the Passover meal and some final thoughts before His Passion began to unfold. Matthew 26: 36-39 give us the details of this difficult time for our Savior after the meal. Then Jesus went with his disciples to a place called Gethsemane. And he said to them sit here while I go over there and pray. He took Peter and the two sons of Zebedee along with him, and he began to be sorrowful and troubled. Then he said to them "my soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death. Stay here and watch with me." Going a little farther, he fell with his face to the ground and prayed, "My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will."

In the Bible passages from John Chapter 1 and Matthew Chapter 26, we know that Christ was God made flesh. Jesus suffered the same temptations, fears and pain as you and I. This poignant glimpse into the humanity if Jesus, in His hour of need reveals two very important lessons for us to hold onto. First, when in a time of deep turmoil or struggle, we should gather friends to pray with us. Jesus’ selected friends at Gethsemane were Peter, James, and John. Not too many, and not too few. He needed help praying in this desperate hour. And still, he felt a need to continue to teach those who would carry on when He was gone. The second lesson is that Jesus surrendered His will and desires to the will of God the Father. The words "yet not as I will, but as you will" are profound. Jesus acknowledged the humanity within Himself, and acknowledged the supremacy of His Father. Those final words embody trust in His Father that we too need to embody in our own lives.

PRAYER: God of all mercy we look to you in our times of hardship and struggle. We reach out to You when we are hurting and in need of comfort. We desperately seek Your peace that surpasses all understanding. Strengthen us Father. Fill us with the faith we need to carry on. Help us to overcome our own desires O Lord. Let Your will reign in our lives, just as in the life of our Savior Jesus Christ. It is in His Holy name that we pray, Amen.

The right to become children of God

John 1:12&13Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God - children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband's will, but born of God.

Are you like me in that you had a hobby which you no longer pursue? Most of us have hobbies that we move on from. I enjoyed being an amateur radio operator (HAM) for a few years. It was fun to try to pick out distant radio stations through the static and them talk to those far away operators.

Our lives are somewhat like a HAM radio operator trying to pick out Jesus amidst all the static that surrounds our lives. In the days before Pandora, iTunes, Stitcher, Media player, and the like our music was delivered over the radio. Okay I know I may be dating myself here but in the part of Michigan that I grew up in we had one FM radio station and three AM stations to listen to. The local stations played easy listening music. The rock station was just within receiving distances most, but not all, the time. At night the big AM stations came booming in very clear. These stations were broadcasting all day long, but the atmospheric conditions were just not conducive to their signal getting through until after sunset. Try this experiment out for yourself. Pick a distant AM station that comes in clear at night. And try to listen to that station in the daytime. It's not easy to listen to. Reception is difficult at best. There is a lot of static. And that is how things are for us as believers. Jesus is out there, and we are trying to keep locked onto His signal in our lives. But we have all this static surrounding us. The static comes in the form of distractions in our lives from work, family, hobbies, friends, etc. We are also surrounded by influences that tell us being a Christian is not cool. Peer pressure to step away from our faith is a constant. It is a struggle, and one that we do not endure alone.

We are reminded in Hebrews 12:1-2 Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. 

As we try to stay locked on to Jesus, we need help receiving His signal. Do not by shy about asking for help it is only a prayer away.

PRAYER: Father in Heaven we ask that you surround us with Your love. We ask that as we go about our lives we are surrounded by good friends who help us to stay locked onto Jesus. We ask that our prayers for help are heard. We ask that your Holy Spirit fill us with the faith to endure the difficult times that come from living in a broken world. We ask these things in then name of Jesus, Amen.

His own did not receive him

John 1:11 He came to that which was His own, but His own did not receive him.

With a show of hands, how many actually like receiving lines? I have to confess that standing in the receiving line is one of my least favorites activities. I understand the purpose of the lines. It just seems so artificial.

Making a drastic change in your life may not sit well with some of the family or friends that you currently have. As the old saying goes, "it may not be well received." Making a positive change in your life may be understood by some, but others may not accept the change. They may feel as if they have been left behind, or even abandoned. In my experience, some may just not ever accept the profound change. Similarly, if you are talking with a friend or family member about a problem in their life, it may not be well received. Especially if just a short while ago you had the same problem in your life. How was that experience for you? Would you call it a positive experience, or a negative experience.

Change is seldom easy to accept. The status quo is comfortable. And that is the problem Jesus encountered with the Jewish leaders His time. What he was sharing with many was not what the leaders wanted to be shared. Jesus threatened the well being and prosperity of the leaders. Inspire of all the evidence to the contrary, their wicked ways were what they were comfortable with. They had a system and the last thing the leaders wanted was for someone to upset the apple cart. The words of Psalm 31:12&13 were  uncomfortably close to his experience during the latter days of His time on earth. I am forgotten as though I were dead, I have become like broken pottery. For I hear many whispering, "Terror on every side!" They conspire against me and plot to tale my life."  When we encounter false teachings about Christ, or the Bible, we too need to be bold. We need to confront those responsible for perpetuating the false teachings and seek to be the instrument of change. We do this out of love, not hatred. We seek the will of the Lord in prayer and then with compassion for all, seek to make the change needed. We have comfort in the words from Psalm 31:14 but I trust in you, Lord; I say "You are my God." for if we are truly seeking and following the will of God then we have the confidence that goes with serving the Lord.

PRAYER: Most merciful God, on occasion we encounter situations where false teachings have crept into our lives, the lives of our friends and family, or our church. Help us Father to discern Your will and Your truth. Guide is in our efforts to bring about the change You would have occur. Show us the path of love and compassion in being the instrument of change where change is needed. Guide us in the steps of Jesus in this walk. We as this in the name of Your Son, our Savior Jesus Christ, Amen.