What you need!

Acts 10:31 
and said, ‘Cornelius, your prayer has been heard, and your alms are remembered in the sight of God.

Have you ever wondered what Cornelius was praying and petitioning God for? The Bible tells us that this man, Cornelius, was a devout man of God; he feared God. He knew who God was, the creator, and he served him faithfully. Cornelius gave to the poor; he helped the needy. And, at the end of the day, Cornelius was found praying to God. But what for?

Maybe he was in need of a breakthrough with the Roman governor. Perhaps Cornelius wasn’t in the position he desired at “work” and was asking God to help him with his future. Haven’t we all been in that situation before? I’m sure, if we’re honest, we’d all confess that we’ve asked God to help us out with our career or school situation.

Maybe that wasn’t it, though. What if Cornelius was praying for healing? That could certainly have been the case. There were many people sick and dying around this time in history. I guess it looked a lot like today. Cornelius could have been praying for a healing in his body for a sickness not mentioned in the Bible. He could have been praying for the healing of a loved one or a neighbor. These sound just like the things that we pray for today!

I guess it doesn’t really matter what it was that Cornelius was praying for since the Bible doesn’t tell us. Maybe it’s not so much that it doesn’t matter, but that it could be anything. I think God wanted us to wonder about what Cornelius was praying for. I think God wanted us to know this fact: Cornelius was a devout man who prayed. But even in all of his praying and doing and service, Cornelius was missing something.

You see, the answer to Cornelius’ prayer, whatever he was praying for, was found in the message that was coming from Peter! While the Bible doesn’t tell us what Cornelius prayed for, the answer to whatever he was praying for was made crystal clear in the message that Peter brought.

Peter never asked Cornelius what he was seeking God for; Peter delivered a message. Peter came into the house of Cornelius, who had invited many friends and relatives over, and began to preach. He didn’t preach a list of things to do; he didn’t preach a way to act. He didn’t preach about sin’s grip on Cornelius’ life. And He didn’t tell Cornelius what he had to do to change. Peter preached on one topic: Jesus Christ.

Here’s the truth hidden in this story: no matter what you’re seeking God for, the answer is Jesus Christ! As simple as that may seem, it’s all too often forgotten. We get tangled up in thinking and worrying about our problem and forget that God has given us The Solution!

Whether it’s a job, a house, a child, or a healing, the answer is Jesus Christ. It’s really quite simple; you’d think we could remember that One thing! Christ tells us to seek His kingdom and His righteousness first, then all the other things will be added (Matthew 6:33). This is the message God wanted to get to Cornelius and it’s the message for you today: whatever your problem or concern may be, Jesus Christ is the answer. The more you know about Jesus, the more you seek just Jesus, the more and more your problems will graciously fade away.

Cornelius needed something from God. God knew Cornelius. He knew he was a worker, a prayer, and a giver, but Cornelius was missing the One Good Thing (Luke 10:42) that was the answer to his problems. In His grace, God sent Peter to deliver Jesus to a needy man!

Well done.

Genesis 9:4 But you shall not eat flesh with its life, that is, its blood.

Eating undercooked or raw meat, poultry, or seafood can cause sickness. This is a statement that we can read on the bottom of most menus in most restaurants in the United States. Did you ever think that this statement was Biblical?

If you’re reading the Bible to find the “practical life application of scripture” then you have to ask questions like, “Why?” Why did God say don’t eat meat with the blood in it? Well, I’m not God so I don’t know for sure, but I have some ideas.

When God gave this rule to Noah (and again to the Israelites in Leviticus 19) there was no USDA approval on the meat. There were no health inspectors checking to make sure everything was kept in a sanitary environment. The people were basically living a kill-cook-eat lifestyle. God, in His infinite grace and wisdom, knew that there were certain negative consequences to eating undercooked meat products.

There are diseases, bacteria, and sicknesses that breed and thrive in the flesh of animals. If the meat is not cooked fully, that is, well done, then there is a chance that those harmful things can end up in the consumer. So God made this rule: cook it thoroughly! In a practical sense, this is what this rule was for. Of course, in today’s day and age, what with flash-freezing and countless safety precautions in the food industry, there is less of a risk when eating undercooked meat. So I guess this law doesn’t apply anymore. WRONG!

The purpose for all of God’s laws is this: to lead us to Jesus (Galatians 3:24). Even this simple cooking law points back to Jesus Christ, specifically to His scourging and crucifixion.

The Bible tells us that Christ was beaten and scourged, not for the penalty of our sins, but to bear our sicknesses and diseases in His own body (Isaiah 53:5). He suffered these things so that we could be healed. Then He went to the cross where He became God’s perfect sacrifice to atone for our sins.

While hanging on the cross Christ cried out, “I thirst.” (John 19:28) While Jesus was dying He was becoming our burnt offering to God. The fullness of God’s anger toward sin, disease, and sickness was burning on Christ. When all of the imperfections, our imperfections that He bore, were fully cooked, Christ cried out, “It is finished” (John 19:30). He bowed His head, gave up His spirit, and saved all of humanity!

God didn’t want His people eating undercooked meat because it would still have some imperfections left in it. When Christ went to the cross He even fulfilled the rule that meat must be fully cooked. When you partake of Christ know that there is not one bit of your imperfections, your sins, your sicknesses left in Him. He is perfect. He is Well Done!

Barabbas

Matthew 27:21 Again the governor said to them, “Which of the two do you wish me to release for you? And they said, Barabbas!”

Have you ever asked for something, received it, and realized it was much more than you ever thought it could be? That’s what happened in Jerusalem the day Jesus was crucified.

Imagine being in the crowd that day and shouting, “Release Barabbas!” This man was a known criminal. All four of the Gospel accounts state this fact. He was a murderer, robber, and an insurrectionist; he wasn’t a good person. But the crowd would rather have this man released than Jesus. Jesus, mind you, who had healed their sick, raised their dead, and fed their hungry.

Why in the world would this happen? Can you imagine it happening in today’s world, in our courts? I can’t begin to fathom the riots that would follow the release of a guilty criminal and the substitutionary execution of an innocent man instead. We would call it an injustice. Isn’t it funny how what we call injustice, God calls perfect justice?

There was a purpose for everything that happened leading up to the crucifixion of Jesus. The release of Barabbas is not an insignificant event. It was very important for a couple of reasons. 

One, the obvious, is this: the saving grace of Jesus Christ frees even the worst of society. This is something that we should remember in our daily walk with Christ. His sacrifice wasn’t only for the “casual” sinner, but for the worst society has to offer. Even though we like to pay lip service to the adage “sin is sin”, we still give certain sins more weight in our minds. God, however, does not. The release of Barabbas shows that God considers all sins equal and that His grace covers them all.

The second, not so obvious, reason for Barabbas’ release is found in his name. Barabbas means “son of the father”. It’s a pretty simple name. Imagine if your dad named you “son of me”. It’s almost like Barabbas’ father wanted people saying to him, “Duh! We know he’s your son.” But that’s not the point.

The angry mob was shouting to Pilate, “Release Barabbas!” but to God they were shouting, “Release the son of the father!” They got what they asked for both physically and spiritually that day. Pilate gave them Barabbas; God gave them Jesus.

It was their cries for the crucifixion of Christ and the release of Barabbas that put Jesus on the cross. It was their request, “Release the son of the father!” that God heeded. He, Father God, released His Son to them for crucifixion.

It was God’s releasing of His own Son to bear the full burden of sin in His own body that gave Barabbas his freedom that day. It is that same release of Jesus that gives us our freedom today. Barabbas was a man, guilty and sentenced to death, under the law. We, too, are men (and women) guilty and sentenced to death under the law. But God has released to us His Son, the Son whom He loves, so that we can have freedom (John 3:16).

The crowd shouted for the release of a man; God heard their petition and released The Man: Jesus. God is awesome in this: He answers the prayers of His people and always super exceeds their expectations in His provision. .

Reversal

Genesis 8:4 Then the ark rested in the seventh month, the seventeenth day of the month, on the mountains of Ararat. 

I absolutely love it when I can find the Gospel hidden in one verse of the Bible. When I do, it reminds me how simple the truth of Jesus’ finished work is. It’s not that what Jesus did for us was simple, but that understanding it is. When I find the Gospel in a single verse I’m reminded of how much has been added to it over the years and how important it has become to strip it back down to the only Truth: Jesus.

Christian culture has turned reading the Bible into a “challenge” for every day, for every occasion. Struggle with your marriage? I “challenge” you to read such and such book of the Bible and find out what God is telling you to do in order to fix your marriage. Problems with your kids? Oh, I “challenge” you to read X book of the Bible and see what God is telling you to do in order to be a better parent. Et cetera, et cetera.

Reading the Bible has become more about our “to-do’s” and less about Jesus’ “been-done’s”. It’s become a self-help guide to living a good life. Oh, I know the mindset: “We search the Bible for answers and ways that God will help us through our struggles.” Yes, that’s exactly why our method of reading the Bible is flawed. We shouldn’t be looking for ways that God can help us. Instead we should be looking for the Way that God has helped us and already solved our problems. That Way is Jesus. We don’t need to be reading for helpful tips; we need to be reading for Jesus.

Back to Genesis 8:4. The verse begins, “Then the Ark rested.” The Ark has been used as a symbol of Jesus in teachings, but have you ever considered where the Ark rested? It rested on top of the mountains of Ararat. There is an awesome picture of Calvary in this.

Christ finished His work on the top of Mount Calvary. But what does that really mean to us?

The name of the mountains that Noah’s Ark rested on is not just there for historical purposes. Found in the meaning of the name of the mountain range is a secret about Jesus. In Hebrew, Ararat means “the curse is reversed”. God cursed the world with a great flood. He brought destruction and death on the sinful people. But He spared Noah and his family in the Ark. He protected them during the storm, kept them from the rain, and shielded them from seeing the destruction outside. When all was said and done, God brought the Ark to its resting place on the top of the mountains called “the curse is reversed”.

If Jesus is our Ark today, if we find our shelter and salvation from the storms of life in Him, then we have to know where the Ark rested! Just like Noah’s Ark, our Ark, Christ, found His rest on a mountain. He bowed His head and gave up His spirit, finishing the work He was sent to do (John 19:30). And what was that work? Redemption from the curse!

If you haven’t seen it yet, let me spell it out for you. When Jesus died for the sins of all mankind on the cross, when He rested from His labor of bearing the fulness of God’s wrath, the curse was reversed! In Christ’s rest we have peace with God. In Him we are forgiven and free. In Him we are blessed because He became our curse.

Noah’s Ark rested on the mountains called “The curse is reversed”. Jesus, our Ark, rested His head dying for our sins and restoring our relationship with God. Jesus is resting; He’s seated at the right hand of God. The work is done; the price is paid. The curse is reversed! That’s my God!

Step four

Matthew 18:17 And if he refuses to hear them, tell it to the church. But if he refuses even to hear the church, let him be to you like a heathen and a tax collector.

Has anyone ever told you what you’re doing wrong? It doesn’t make you feel good, does it? I’m sure it didn’t make you want to listen to them more. It probably made you want to listen to them less. 

We, Christians, though made new in Christ, are still subject to fall into sin from time to time. As brethren, we’re called to love one another. In some cases this love may involve telling someone that they’ve done something wrong against us. Christ spoke of this very thing and He gave very specific instructions for us to follow.

Step one: the fellow Christian must have sinned against you personally (Matthew 18:15). Jesus wasn’t giving blanket authority to believers to go around pointing out each other’s faults. He was making a statement that people are people and they’re going to hurt each other. When someone specifically hurts you or directly wrongs you, it’s okay to go and tell them.

Step two: if he or she won’t listen, get a friend or two to go with you and talk it out. This isn’t so that you can attack the person from all sides, but so that you can have witnesses to the encounter. If step one didn’t work, move to step two. To dispel rumors or gossip, bring a witness so that no false accusations can be made.

Step three: tell the church. If step one and two fail, tell the church. I don’t think Jesus meant the whole church body, but rather the governing body of the church. Remember, He was talking to the Jewish people at this time, and the elders of the church had a council of judges. I think Jesus was saying, “Bring it before the elder board.”

In each case, Jesus provides yet another step to resolve the conflict in a human manner. Finally, however, if the person simply will not listen, Jesus gives the final step.

Step four: let him be to you like a heathen and a tax collector. In our language today: a non-Christian. This, I think, is the most important step of all. In fact, I would say, you may want to skip steps one through three and go immediately to step four when someone sins against you!

We most often take this to mean we should disassociate with the person. We infer from Jesus’ words that we should no longer have a friendship or relationship with this person. But I read it differently. How do we treat non-Christians? With grace and forgiveness, right?

Perhaps what Jesus was saying was this: “When a brother or sister sins against you, there’s a good chance that they’re not going to want to hear what they’ve done wrong. Oh, you can try to tell them if you feel compelled, but they’re probably not going to listen to you. So, here’s an option; treat them like they weren’t a brother or sister. Treat them as though they’d never met Me. Begin, again, to extend to them the grace that I have so freely offered to you. Forgive them as I have forgiven you: freely.”

Jesus gave us four steps to deal with a fellow believer who has sinned against us, but we really only need the last one. Christ made it personal because He is a personal Savior. The end motive to all that Christ said is this: point them back to Me!

Good tree

Ezekiel 47:12 
Fruit trees of all kinds will grow on both banks of the river. Their leaves will not wither, nor will their fruit fail. Every month they will bear fruit, because the water from the sanctuary flows to them. Their fruit will serve for food and their leaves for healing.

Imagine a river that flows continuously with fresh, nutrient-rich, life-giving water. Imagine a climate where the weather is always just right, perfect for planting and growing. Imagine trees that are always bearing ripe fruit, every month of the year. Imagine trees whose leaves contain healing power. Sounds like a great place to me.

Well, this was Ezekiel’s vision of the area surrounding God’s temple. Out of the temple, flowing toward the east, was a deep river. Its water caused the trees on both sides to flourish in every season. The river flowed all the way to the sea, bringing its healing power and strength along with it. Even the sea was healed by the water that flowed from God’s temple (Ezekiel 47:8). The trees grew strong and produced good fruit and provided healing with their leaves.

This is an incredible picture of the Christian life. We have become the Temple of God wherein the Holy Spirit resides (1 Corinthians 16:19). Out of us should flow a river of Living Water: the grace that’s offered through the finished work of Christ (John 4:14). Not only are we the Temple from which the Living Water flows, but we are also the trees that line its banks.

We are Christians who, in all seasons, produce good fruit! We don’t produce rotten fruit; we produce the Fruit of the Spirit because Jesus lives within us. We should be bearing the fruits of love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control (Galatians 22:23). There is no law against these things! Moreover, our hands, symbolized by the leaves of the trees, are for bringing the healing and restorative power of Jesus Christ to others.

This River that flows is a never ending supply of grace. It is His grace that caused us to take root. It is His grace that grew us into strong trees. It is His grace that supplies us with the nutrition to produce good fruit. It is His grace that works in our hands to bring healing to those around us. And, in the end, it will be His grace that reaches the sea, and it too will be healed.

Know that you are a tree planted by the River. You are a good tree because the source of your growth is good, not because you work hard to be good. Because you have a perfect Source you have been given the gracious power to produce good and nourishing fruit, food for the masses. Because you have a perfect Source, you have been given the power to heal and restore.

The more Jesus you drink up, the stronger you become. The more Jesus you consume, the healthier your fruit is and the greener your leaves become. Choose today to drink from the River and then let the River flow to those around you. Allow it to run its course all the way to the sea!

Communion

Matthew 21:46
But when they sought to lay hands on Him, they feared the multitudes, because they took Him for a prophet. 

Communion, that is, the traditional ceremony in the church that involves eating bread and drinking wine (in most Protestant churches grape juice is substituted for wine), has to be the most misunderstood practice in Christianity. It’s meant to be a great blessing and yet it’s been simplified down to a ritual event that usually takes place on the first Sunday of the month. Communion is so much more than a ritual.

On the night that Jesus was betrayed, when His atonement for our sins began, He had supper with His disciples. He spoke about what was going to happen to Him. Jesus used the bread as a symbol of His body that would be broken for them (us), and He used the wine as a symbol of His blood which would be shed for them (us). And Jesus gave instructions: do this in remembrance of Me. 

Now, it’s two thousand years later and we do just that: we get together and we eat some crackers and drink a swig of grape juice and sit, quietly remembering Jesus. Thoughts flood our minds, “Oh, how He suffered. Oh, the humanity.” But we really don’t REMEMBER what He did that day, on our behalf. We’ve made it more of a “Remember when Timmy learned to walk...that was cute” occasion instead of the healing, life-giving moment that it should be!

This brings me to the point: how do you take Jesus? Some take Him for a prophet. Others, a good man. Some take Him as their all access key to heaven. Some take Him for a lunatic! But more importantly than how you take Jesus in your mind’s eye, is how you take Him in your body! It’s how you take Jesus that makes communion important.

We’ve lost touch with the significance of the bread and the wine. We pay it lip service, but we don’t take it to heart. To paraphrase Dr. Phil, “We’ve got to own it!” Like grace, communion has been oversimplified and overlooked. It’s been made a ritual event instead of a crucial part of our spiritual health.

The bread isn’t just a cracker that helps you make it to lunch and gives you an opportunity to “reflect”. It’s the body of Christ. It was beaten, bruised, crushed, spit on, mocked, mutilated, pulverised, and pierced for you! All of these things, the stripes on His back, the nails in His hands and feet, the thorns in His brow, were done so that you could be made whole. There is healing in His body. Your sickness, your disease, your anxiety, depression, frustration, and aggravation were put on Him at the cross! When you eat the bread, know what it is: healing and renewed strength for your body!

The wine or juice isn’t just for washing the cracker out of your mouth and rewetting your lips. It is the precious blood of the spotless Lamb of God shed for the forgiveness of sin. Know that! Embrace what the cup represents: your righteousness, through grace, by the blood of Christ. The shedding of blood gives us the remission of sin (Hebrews 9:22). When you drink the cup, renew your mind with praises to Jesus for making you righteous by His blood. Clear your spirit of the guilt and condemnation laid on you by society in the knowledge that Jesus has made you righteous by taking your sin (2 Corinthians 5:21).

They took Him for a prophet. What are you going to take Him for? Healing, peace, strength, and life are all things you can take Jesus for. He is the Savior; He is Salvation!

House keeping.

Matthew 21:13 
“It is written,” he said to them, “‘My house will be called a house of prayer,’ but you are making it ‘a den of robbers.’”

So often Jesus is painted as the casual guy who isn’t confrontational and just “turns the other cheek”. But Jesus wasn’t always so nonconfrontational. There were times, mostly when dealing with the religious rulers of the day, that He became quite angry. In this case, where He “cleansed” the temple, Jesus actually appeared to be violent.

The Bible uses terms like “cast out” and “drive out” in this story. The meaning of these words comes from the Greek word “ekballo” which means to drive out with a notion of violence. To put it plainly, Jesus was mad and He was violently removing things that shouldn’t be in His temple.

Why do you suppose He acted with such force and aggression? This isn’t the Jesus we commonly see; this isn’t the Jesus who preached “...love your enemy...”. This is a different Jesus. He’s mad about one thing: the robbery that’s happening in His Father’s house!

I’ll tell you what I think. I think Jesus was showing us what was going to happen in our lives both spiritually and physically. The Bible tells us that the body is a temple (1 Corinthians 6:19). When we accept the forgiveness of Christ and make Him Lord of our hearts, we physically and spiritually become the Temple of God. The Holy Spirit resides within us. That being the case, Jesus has some “house keeping” to do.

That’s right, Jesus has some “house keeping” to do. If we were capable of cleaning the temple, we wouldn’t need Christ. The truth is that only Christ is worthy of cleaning the temple of God. Why was Jesus so mad; why did He call it a den of robbers? Because the Devil is the ultimate thief (John 10:10).

Since the beginning the Devil has been stealing and robbing God’s children. He robbed us of our righteousness in the Garden through deception. He still uses this tool today by manipulating people to feel guilty about their past, robbing them of the security and blessings offered through the finished, restorative work of Jesus Christ’s sacrifice on the cross.

Part of salvation in Christ is this: He’s going to clean the temple. This is part of His saving grace. Yes, He’s mad about it. Yes, He’s going to do it violently. But who was the violence directed toward? The robbers, not the temple itself.

You see, Jesus, right now, is tipping over tables in the temple. He’s casting out, violently, the robbers in your life. Whether they are feelings of fear, depression, or anxiety, if they are addictions: He’s kicking them to the curb! Sickness and disease are also in and among these robbers. They try to take your life. They want to rob you of time with your family and friends. They want to rob you of your spiritual security. They want to rob you of your finances. Don’t be alarmed; Jesus is cleaning house.

Victorious prayer

Matthew 14:14 
And when Jesus went out He saw a great multitude; and He was moved with compassion for them, and healed their sick. 

At the risk of sounding slightly less than gracious, why are there so many, “If it’s Your will, God, heal my sickness” prayers going on out there? In all honesty, I have yet to find a place in the Bible where Jesus didn’t heal someone and or everyone who was sick with whom He came in contact. There are instances where the healing power of Christ was limited in who it touched. These limitations, however, are not due to Christ’s lack of desire or will to heal, but instead they are the result of restrictions set forth on the part of the petitioner.

And when the men of that place recognized Him, they sent out into all that surrounding region, brought to Him all who were sick, and begged Him that they might only touch the hem of His garment. And as many as touched it were made perfectly well. (Matthew 14:35-36) 

This passage, incidentally from the same chapter, illustrates the point. The question has to be asked: what if they hadn’t set the restriction that the sick had to touch His garment? Imagine if they had come and begged Christ that whoever was on the planet be healed. I think He would have responded appropriately. In fact, I think He was intending to respond that way all along. But, being a God who answers the prayers of His people, He did what they asked.

We know that all the while Christ knew He was going to the Roman scourging post to make available the healing for all. We furthermore know that Jesus knew He would be crucified for the forgiveness of sin. The question today is this: are we acknowledging what Christ has done?

Back to the beginning point, prayers that seem to be “on the fence”. You know these prayers, the ones that go something like this, “Dear God, I’m sick and suffering. If it’s Your will I’ll be healed. But, if it’s Your will for me to be sick and suffering, I’ll accept that. Either way, my faith is based on my unsure understanding of what you want for my life. In Jesus’ name...Amen.”

Where is the confidence? Where is the hope? Where is the groundedness in the goodness of God and the finished work of Christ in a prayer that is “on the fence”? It’s nonexistent! We need to be praying prayers of victory, prayers with the confident expectation of eternal salvation. Not prayers of maybe.

Pray in the knowledge that the work is finished.  Pray from a place of victory; don’t simply pray for victory. Christ defeated the Devil at the cross. Christ bore your sickness, forgave your sin, and has made you righteous in Him. Pray with the confidence that Jesus, when He went out, saw a great multitude, had compassion, and healed their sick!

Friends, when Christ left His place in heaven to come to earth and be our substitution, to be our Savior, He saw a great multitude. He saw generations of sick and hurting people. He had so much compassion that He chose to take all of our hurt, our suffering, our uncleanness, and our punishment in His body. He did that so that He could impart to us all of His righteousness, His perfection, and His health for our bodies.

Let’s not limit the effect of Christ’s finished work in our lives with prayers that lack confidence. Let’s pray boldly, from our victory in Christ, “Dear Father in heaven, I thank you that Jesus bore my (insert sickness or problem) in His body. I thank you that I am already made whole because of His finished work at the cross. I thank you for the victory and the health in my body that is growing stronger day by day! In Jesus’ name...Amen!”

Approved

2 Timothy 2:15 Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.

Let me ask you this: when you read your Bible are you looking for ways to be approved or proof that you are approved? I ask that because there are answers to both questions found within its pages.

If you’re reading and studying in order to find a way to make yourself approved, you’re going to be disappointed. There is nothing that you can do to win God’s approval. I’m not saying you won’t find ways to work at gaining God’s approval; I’m saying you won’t be able to gain God’s approval through your works. The Bible is, to quote an old friend, “chock-a-block full” of rules and regulations. And, if you’re able to fully follow all of those rules and regulations, you’ll be approved by God. The flip side of this, however, is if you fail in one of those rules or regulations, you’re guilty of them all (James 2:10).

It’s in this time of failure that the Devil can creep in and make his move. It’s inevitable, if you’re working to show yourself approved to God, you’re going to fail. Failure leads to guilt. Guilt is the festering wound that the Devil can infect and poison the rest of your body through. Guilt brings about shame, fear, and regret. Guilt brings about anxiety, depression, and anger. Guilt brings about physical sicknesses and weakens the body’s immune system.

This is why it is so important to read the Bible and show yourself: approved. How are you, who is incapable of keeping the rules, approved? There is no other way except by the precious blood of Jesus Christ.

Christians, we don’t need to look for ways to live right; we know the rules! We need to look for a solution to our inability to follow the rules perfectly; we need to look for our Savior, Jesus. If you look, you’ll find that He is found written in all of the pages of the Bible. Both the Old and the New Testament are filled with stories that show us how perfect Jesus is. The Bible is filled with His perfection and reminds us that, because of Him, we are approved.

Knowing your approval is found in Christ is just the beginning of the blessing. It is this knowledge that will make you a workman who is not ashamed. Knowing your status, approved by the finished work of Christ, will empower you to do the good works that God has prepared for you (Ephesians 2:10). You’ll be able to boldly proclaim the truth of God’s word, Jesus Christ (John 14:6). You’ll be able to serve in church with unceasing energy. You’ll be able to love your spouse and parent your children with grace.

This is rightly dividing the word of truth: being able to separate the law from the Giver of the law. When the Word is fleshed out (John 1:14), and His grace and truth revealed, we’re able to find our approval. Our approval isn’t found in our unending works, but in the finished work of Jesus Christ.

What are you looking at?

Matthew 17:8 When they had lifted up their eyes, they saw no one but Jesus only.

Initially, upon their arrival at the top of the Mount of Transfiguration, Peter, James, and John saw three people. They saw Jesus, Moses, and Elijah. They were exposed, physically, to what we are all exposed to spiritually on a daily basis: Jesus, the Law, and the Prophets.

As Peter, James, and John observed them talking, Peter spoke up. It was not out of the ordinary for Peter to speak his mind. Peter made the suggestion: “Hey, let’s build three churches up here. We’ll make one for Jesus, one for Elijah, and one for Moses!” (Matthew 17:4 paraphrased). But, the Bible says, even while Peter was speaking these words, a voice came from Heaven proclaiming Jesus as the beloved Son of God. This voice, the voice of God the Father, had one message for the disciples: hear Him (Matthew 17:5)!

The disciples were frightened when they heard the voice of God come booming out of heaven. They fell to the ground, lying on their faces. As they lay there, frightened by the presence of God, Jesus came to them and He touched them. As He touched them He spoke these very, very, very important words, “Arise, and do not be afraid.” (Matthew 17:7)

The awesomeness of God’s voice is frightening. This is the very same voice that spoke galaxies into existence. This is the very same voice that spoke this world into existence. This was not God’s still, small voice! But the true nature of God’s love and grace is found in the person of Jesus Christ. He reached out and touched the frightened. He put them back on their feet (giving them “right standing” with God--save that for later), and He told them not to be afraid.

As soon as Jesus did this for them, they looked up. They saw only Jesus! I find it interesting that the Bible makes no mention of Moses and Elijah leaving or disappearing. We assume, through interpretation, that they were gone, but we can’t be sure. Perhaps they were still there. We know they are still prevalent in the Christian world today. Each and every week the Law and the Prophets are taught. They are taught, mixed with, and on the same level as Jesus Christ. The point is this: the disciples saw only Jesus.

This is what we need to see today as well: only Jesus. All too often we put Moses (the Law) and Elijah (the Prophets) on the same level in our spiritual walk as Jesus. We give them equal standing, and this is not God’s desire for us. This is why God said Jesus is His beloved Son, not the Law or the Prophets. God wants us to hear Jesus.

When we hear Jesus we’re given the grace to stand, righteously, before God. When we hear Jesus, we’re given the confidence to not fear about this life. God wants us to know Jesus, the beloved Son in whom He is well pleased!

Feed them.

Matthew 14:16 But Jesus said to them, “They do not need to go away. You give them something to eat.” 

Why do you suppose Jesus told His disciples this? Why did He tell them, “You give them something to eat”? He was Jesus; certainly He knew how much food they actually had. What was He teaching them? What was He teaching us?

The commonly taught interpretation of this story is that Jesus was teaching the disciples to give to Him so that He could bless their gift and multiply it back to them. Then, in turn, they could use the blessing that they received to bless others. This is a great interpretation, especially when you’re teaching about tithing or giving to the church. It breaks down something like this: “You give to God out of your lack and God will supernaturally bless you with some multiple of what you gave to Him. As a result, you’ll be able to give more to others.”

I think Jesus may have been coming at this from a different angle, however. I think Jesus was trying to teach His disciples to believe they already had an abundance. I think Jesus was trying to show them that with Him, they could feed a multitude of over five thousand people with just five loaves of bread and two fish. It’s a subtle difference in interpretation. One says, “Give to God; receive a blessing.” the other says, “Receive the blessing; give from God.”

Jesus knew that He was going to multiply the loaves and fish in a supernatural way so that there would be plenty to go around. Furthermore, He knew there would be enough left over for each disciple to have a basketful for himself! I think Jesus was telling them, “See what you have? With Me, it’s always an abundance, even when it looks like a lack!”

So where’s the lesson in this for us? Well, today Jesus is giving us the same command: you give them something to eat. Christ wants you to realize that He is with you and when He is with you there is more than enough supply. You may not be on a mountainside with five thousand people, but you have Bread to feed the hungry souls with: Jesus Christ.

You may think, “I only know a little bit about Jesus. How will I feed so many?” Jesus knows how little you know of Him; let Him multiply your knowledge. He’ll increase your knowledge of who He is, what He’s done, and what He’s doing so that you can feed the multitudes. And when all is said and done, there will be plenty of Jesus left over to feed your soul as well!

The Devil wants you to look at your lack. He wants you to focus on the little bit of Jesus knowledge that you have, and he wants you to be discouraged by it. But Christ looks at the little that you have and sees the abundance He’s ready to supply. You may see your inadequacies, but Jesus sees you on a mountain feeding thousands from the supply He provides.

Whatever ministry work you’re doing, whether it’s preaching sermons, playing music, mopping floors, or changing diapers, don’t focus on your perceived lack. Instead focus on the source, Christ. Know that with Him there is always more than enough to go around!

Holy lump

Romans 11:16 For if the firstfruit is holy, the lump is also holy; and if the root is holy, so are the branches.

 Sometimes, in our walk with Christ, we are attacked by thoughts that tell us we’re no good. This is the Devil’s favorite tactic. He enjoys watching Christians question their status with God. He enjoys watching guilt bring about stress and anxiety in our lives. He enjoys watching us turn away from Jesus because we see ourselves as unclean. He enjoys when we become self-reflective.

One of the best weapons the Devil uses is God’s own perfect law. The Devil knows that we are incapable of maintaining the standards set forth by God’s holy commandments, so he uses them against us. It is the Devil’s inappropriate use of the law (that is, using it to accuse) that makes him able to bring guilt and condemnation into the hearts and minds of Christians. God did not give His law to help man become righteous by maintaining its standards. God gave the law to reveal to humankind their need for a savior and to show us the perfection of Jesus Christ (Galatians 3:24). 

The Devil brings his accusations and whispers them in our ears: “You’ve failed to maintain God’s standards; you are a failure!” He is making an attempt to draw our attentions off of the finished work of Christ. This is why God’s word is full of positive, reinforcing scripture that proclaims who we are in Christ: holy.

Our faith doesn’t rest in or rely on our works; it’s based on grace (Romans 11:6). Our faith isn’t based on our abilities to do good deeds, to fulfill God’s laws, or to be perfect. Our faith is based on the grace that is found in Christ and rests, secured, in His finished work. At the cross, Jesus became sin; Jesus substituted His holiness for our sinfulness. At the cross, Jesus overpaid our sin debt. At the cross, Jesus satisfied the wrath of a just and holy God. At the cross, Jesus saved us!

We know that Christ is holy; He’s the Son of God! The Bible is clear that He is the firstfruits (1 Corinthians 15:20-23). Christ Himself said that He is the Vine and we are the branches (John 15:5). Christ is the Vine, the Source, the Root. Rest assured in knowing that because the Firstfruit is holy the whole lump (that’s us Christians) is holy! Because the Root is holy, so are the branches!

When the Devil comes and whispers in your ear that you’re a failure, a sinner, and a bad person, remind yourself, not him, who you really are. You are holy because Christ has made you holy. You are righteous because Christ has made you righteous. You are forgiven, sanctified, purified, and made alive because Christ has made you that way!