August 17 - Stay Awake

Matthew 24: 36-51

Therefore, stay awake, for you do not know on what day your Lord is coming. (Matthew 24:42 ESV)

We don't know the exact year, day, or hour that Jesus will return. I do believe that authentic believers will have an innate sense about his approach, but the details are beyond us. It is something we do not know, and cannot know until the moment in which we experience it.

Jesus compared it to being watchful over a house in danger of robbery. If you knew your house was going to be robbed you would take all kinds of extra precautions. And if you knew the exact moment in the night when the robber was going to approach you would be ready.

Christ will return, and when he does he wants to embrace a ready church. He is looking for a people that are awake, alert, and watching. So, stay awake.

August 16 - When You See

Matthew 24: 29-35

So also, when you see all these things, you know that he is near, at the very gates. (Matthew 24:33 ESV)

I love to travel. We used to drove across the country every summer to visit my brother in North Carolina. They were usually really fun trips to make, but I always like coming home. I love driving in on the interstate and keeping track of the signs that tell me how close I am to home.

During Jesus' teaching on the Last Days he told his followers that they would be able to determine the Last Days by looking at the signs. Will our generation be the ones to experience the Second Coming of Christ? What do the signs show us?

Some people get a little weird when it comes to this stuff. They start to make crazy predictions. I don't think that's what Jesus was shooting for. Jesus wasn't trying to teach his people how to calculate the moment of his return. He was stressing to them the importance of their continued watch. He wanted his followers to remain a perpetually ready people.

When I am driving home from a long trip I take note of the signs that point me to home. The reason why is because I am looking for them. I am seeking reassurance and direction. I believe that Christ demonstrates that for his people. When his return is imminent all of his followers will know it. They will be looking for him.

August 15 - Gathering Vultures

Matthew 24: 15-28

Wherever the corpse is, there the vultures will gather. (Matthew 24:28 ESV)

Have you ever stopped to watch the prime time news for five minutes? If you have ever engaged with mass media during a peak news cycle you have no doubt noted the overwhelming gloom that permeates all of the terrible news. The reason is that bad news draws the attention of people.

Jesus, delivered a stern word to his followers. He was warning them about the signs of the end times. And he cautioned them to remain optimistic. He didn't want his followers to proclaim a message that was inundated by the dark stigma of weighty world issues.

People today really are drawn to bad news. In school when I was learning to be a journalist, I remember hearing the phrase "if it bleeds it leads," regularly. Death, disaster, and decay draw people's attention.

The sad truth is that this kind of thinking makes its way into the church far too often. One bad little thing can happen, and we can focus so hard on it that we completely neglect the other thirty-five awesome things going on. We are not people who celebrate death and negativity. Jesus came to bring the dead to life.

August 14 - Astray

Matthew 24: 3-14

And Jesus answered them, “See that no one leads you astray." (Matthew 24:4 ESV)

When I travel I try to stay really focused. I like to know my destination, try to plan all major stops, and I attempt to avoid distractions. Unfortunately, that kind of focus is not always easy to maintain.

Jesus and his followers were certainly no strangers to traveling. They walked all over the countryside, and rode in ships fairly often as well. They knew what it meant to venture forth with purpose. And that is what Jesus had in mind when he warned his people not be lead astray.

It was a timely warning for the soon-to-be Church leaders. Soon they would be the ones guiding the movement, and Jesus wanted them to keep their heads. It is a timely warning for us as well.

The apostles and disciples had to worry about a lot of people seeking to exploit the burgeoning Christian movement. Today, we must be wary of those who continually attempt to hijack the world's largest religion. There are a myriad of reasons and devices used to misdirect people in pursuit of Spiritual truth. We need to be extra vigilant in discerning who we follow, and how we lead.

Jesus warned that we should be careful not to be lead astray. We want our generation to be good stewards of the Gospel. We do not want to be lead astray, but neither should we want to lead others astray. Lets keep Jesus at the center and love as our motive.

August 13 - All She Had

Luke 21:1-4

For they all contributed out of their abundance, but she out of her poverty put in all she had to live on.” (Luke 21:4 ESV)

Worship done in the form of giving is not always easy. I love to give. My wife and I make it a regular part of our life, but it can be a stretch sometimes. It is especially difficult during a tough financial season. That kind of giving takes a level of faith that really stretches me.

Jesus, observing the widow's offering, pointed out the enormity of her small gift. Financially speaking, it would not set any records, and it wouldn't bankroll the ministry for the foreseeable future. But in terms of faith, she gave an incredible sum. She gave her livelihood.

I wonder what passed through her mind as she released the small coins. Was she fearful? Was she confident? I don't know. Perhaps she was merely caught up in the sweet reality of her act of worship.

I want to be able to give God my best. I want to offer all I have, and all I am, to Him, to be used for His purpose. I really want to. But the truth is that sometimes I hold back. Sometimes I am reserved. All too often I simply miss the point. There are a lot of reasons this happens. None that I am proud of.

The widow's standard of giving is an incredibly faithful goal to shoot for. She offered all that she had. My prayer is that I would have the faithful courage to do the same.

August 12 - Until You Say

Matthew 23:37-39

"For I tell you, you will not see me again, until you say, ‘Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.’” (Matthew 23:39 ESV)

Jesus was saddened and upset with the rampant immorality and corruption of Jerusalem. He condemned the city for its history of killing the Old Testament prophets. He prophetically lamented their rejection of him. He also promised that he would not return again until the appointed time, a time when they would welcome him.

Words are powerful things. Many scriptures talk about their power and influence. Their carry confession, conviction, and compassion. They offer forgiveness, hope, and encouragement. Their carry truth, impart life, and unlock faith.

What if Jesus is waiting for you to say something in your life? What if something he has been wanting to do for you is hinging on your declaration? God is good, and loving, and all-knowing. He will not answer a prayer we are not ready for. What if our words were sometimes the act of faith that demonstrated our readiness for His blessings?

I'm not saying we stand up and declare our faithful words in a grab for material things. I don't think our faith equates to our control. However, I believe scripture is clear, as Jesus repeatedly pointed out, faith makes a difference. Sometimes you might think you believe something, but you won't really know how strongly you believe until you say it.

August 11 - Escaping Sentence

Matthew 23:29-36

You serpents, you brood of vipers, how are you to escape being sentenced to hell? (Matthew 23:33 ESV)

When a criminal is found guilty they are sentenced for their crime. The sentence comes as a punitive price to pay for the wrong done. It follows judgement.

One day each of us will face judgement. And while that may seem terrifying, it doesn't have to. Judgement comes when we stand before Jesus and he declares our eternal destination. Those who follow Jesus have nothing to fear from judgement—they need only anticipate the joy of eternity with Christ. However, anyone not found to be a faithful follower of Jesus will have much to regret at the judgement. For those people judgment will be immediately followed by sentencing. There is only one sentence for those not in Christ, hell.

Hell is a literal place. A lot of people assume they know all about it. I won't be quick to declare any detailed knowledge of it other than what I am sure the Bible s consistent about. Hell is miserable. Hell is final. Hell is real.

The religious scribes and Pharisees were in a lot of trouble from Jesus. He forewarned them concerning their impending unfavorable judgment. He told them what would happen. He called them serpents and vipers, directly tying them to Satan by using Old Testament language. How would they escape the sentence to come as a result of their evil acts?

Our answer is the same one that faced the scribes and Pharisees. How will we escape the reality of hell that we deserve? It is only by Jesus. His life. His blood. His sacrifice. He is the way to escape our eternal death sentence. What's more is that life with him is so much more than merely escaping punishment, it is life, it is full abundant life.

August 10 - Watermelons & Hypocrites

Matthew 23:23-28

So you also outwardly appear righteous to others, but within you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness. (Matthew 23:28 ESV)

Watermelons are really good when they are ripe. They are slightly crisp and super sweet. But if a watermelon sits for too long some really bad things start to happen inside. All of that crispy sweetness turns into a mushy muck. In spite of the seemingly normal outward appearance the inside is just all wrong.

People are like that too. Unfortunately, people claiming to follow Christ can be some of the worst. We often appear to have it all together on the outside while dying inside. Whether it is secret sin, unrepentant desires, or habitually inconsistent actions—our internal and external lives are so often mismatched, and that is a problem.

Jesus preached a very strong message targeted at this kind of living. Why? Because God wants a better existence for His people than the negligently oblivious life hypocrisy can lead to. We matter to Him, and so does everyone else, but sometimes our hypocrisy becomes a distraction to the unbeliever struggling to find faith.

Evaluation, honesty, and good friends can go a long way in disarming or overcoming hypocrisy. Take a good look at your life, ask an honest friend, and pray about the results. We will never achieve perfection in this life, but that doesn't mean we have to embrace a continual pattern of unrepentant sin. And we certainly need to stop pretending like we are perfect when we are so far from it.

August 9 - Blind Guides

Matthew 23:13-22

“Woe to you, blind guides, who say, ‘If anyone swears by the temple, it is nothing, but if anyone swears by the gold of the temple, he is bound by his oath.’ You blind fools! For which is greater, the gold or the temple that has made the gold sacred? (Matthew 23:16, 17 ESV)

Jesus let the scribes have it. He was tired of those guys. They had completely missed the point of their calling. In a lengthy speech he warned them using strongly condemning language. Pointing out their various grievous flaws he moved from area to area of their arrogant and corrupt practices. Their priorities were so out of balance and Jesus held nothing back.

Jesus had come to heal the blind and set the captive free, but many of the Pharisees had rejected Christ. They didn't realize that not all sight refers to eyes, not all vision is produced by eyes, and not all blindness is a physical ailment. The Pharisees and scribes were blind, their hearts were blind.

I can't really imagine trying to make it through this life without the ability to see. All I can imagine is darkness and uncertainty when I stop to consider blindness. And yet the Pharisees were willfully leading people into corruption. They were, as Jesus said, producing "sons of hell."

I am so glad that the love of Christ at work in my life brings with it a heathy perspective. But even so, I still find myself reeling from blind spots. That is why it is really important to surround yourself with really honest and aware people that will let you know when you stray off target.

August 8 - Serve

Matthew 23:1-12

The greatest among you shall be your servant. (Matthew 23:11 ESV)

Jesus was not a fan of the scribes, a sect of religious teachers that had become lost in corruption. They were overly harsh with the general population and used their position as a means to extort people for monetary gain. They were crooks and thieves mascara ding as clergy. They loved the honor of their position, but squandered their influence rather than leverage to help their people who were suffering under Roman rule.

Jesus teaching was very contrary to the scribes' example. He taught that position was not something to seek after or brandish as a badge, but rather it is the natural acquisition of someone in unselfish service to God. In God's kingdom you must serve to be great. The measure of human greatness is determined by the amount of love and service demonstrated in one's life. We like to be honored. Sometimes it can be completely natural to want recognition, but Jesus taught that true love, service, and greatness bypass those things.

It can be a simple thing. Serving doesn't have to be sacrificial or lengthy. Often the most monumental acts of service are done from a place of sacrifice, but we must not overlook the simplicity of demonstrating loving service daily. Opening the door for someone or helping them with a simple chore are two really easy ways to serve.

How will you serve someone today?

August 7 - Calls Him Lord

Mark 12:35-37

"David himself calls him Lord. So how is he his son?” And the great throng heard him gladly. (Mark 12:37 ESV)

Jesus was teaching about the Messiah to a group of Jews. While teaching he pointed out that David himself recorded a prayer to the Messiah, calling him Lord. This was all done as part of a teaching about the diving lineage and human royal heritage of the promised Messiah. But Jesus' recalling of David's words make an incredibly powerful point.

King David stands out in history as one of the most influential leaders the world has ever known. The leadership he characterized among his people changed the course of their nation so profoundly that even today the Jewish national emblem is called the "Star of David." Jesus' point in bringing up David, however, was that the Messiah would be even more important. While David was a very kingly kind of king, Jesus Christ is the King of kings.

Lordship is an interesting thing. Often it is a foreign concept in our modern western culture. We are far removed from the feudal days of lordly landowners and fealty. But e Lordship of Christ is larger than that anyways. Jesus, as Lord, is one who we can and should serve. And the real kicker is that he considered our service to himself important enough that he died for us. His death paved the way for our service. He served humanity so that humanity could serve him.

King David wrote about Messiah, calling him Lord. The disciples came to know Jesus as Lord and went on to change their whole world. One day every person that has ever lived will acknowledge him as Lord. He is Lord.

That all sounds very theologically astute, but what does it mean for us today? It means that there is value in service to God. It means that a life lived in pursuit of God is not a wasted life. Living the God-life, calling Jesus Lord, there is great fulfillment in that.

August 6 - You Shall Love

Matthew 22:34-40

And he said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind." (Matthew 22:37 ESV)

Jesus was asked about the greatest commandment in Scripture and his answer was incredibly simple. The beauty f the simplicity is found in his charge that God's people are to be people who love. In fact, one translation has his answer start with the words, "You shall love."

So, when the Son of God was asked for the greatest directive in all of scripture his answer was that we should love. Christianity is exactly that, a call to love. We are to love God and love people.

The love Jesus compels us toward is not one of hyper emotion and shallow substance either. He said that we were to love with all of our being. We should love with our heart, the seat of our emotions and feelings. We should our soul, the very fabric of our identity in Christ. We are to love with our mind. Our thought life should be uplifting.

It is not always easy to love with everything that we have. But I believe it is sometimes less about achievement and more about intentional persistence. God wants to see us want Him. He wants us to desire a closer relationship and an authentic commitment, and like any good parent offers correctional I understanding when we fail. In fact, in the shadow of such a loving and compassionate Father "you shall love" doesn't seem like such a difficult thing.

August 5 - Wrong

Matthew 22:23-33

But Jesus answered them, "You are wrong, because you know neither the Scriptures nor the power of God." (Matthew 22:29 ESV)

"You are wrong," is not a phrase that I have heard many times in my life. I was that kid in school that usually seemed to know the answers. Today, I still get looked to for answers. And a lot of the time I either know the answer, or know how to go about finding it. But the reason why that is important is because all of the answers that matter are the ones that come from my knowledge of God.

Jesus hit that nail on the head repeatedly. To the point that the religious leaders did not know how to deal with him. He was always right. He always had the answer. And when they concocted their crazy tests to trip him up he turned it around on them as a way to point out their shortcomings.

Intellectually I am right a lot of the time. Spiritually I am definitely a work-in-progress. I am hoping that one day my family and friends will be able to look back over the course of my life and say that I was right. Not about intellectual facts or acquired knowledge, but about the things in life that truly matter.

I don't always succeed, but my hope as my feet hit the floor every morning is that I will grow in my knowledge of the Scriptures, I would serve God diligently, and love people genuinely. Because a person can life their whole life and seldom be wrong only to stand before Christ one day and find out that without him they were always wrong.

August 4 - God of Life

Luke 20:27-40

Now he is not God of the dead, but of the living, for all live to him. (Luke 20:38 ESV)

The Sadducees were a group of religious leaders that did not believe in the after life. One day in a bid to discount and humiliate Christ they put him to question. Like their contemporaries, the Pharisees, they concocted a strange rhetorical situation as an attempt to determine Jesus' traditional affiliation and political leaning. Par for the course he proved that the people did not have their mind or hearts set on the things of God.

Those who belief on Jesus for their salvation are brought into a new life. They have rejected death. They have left behind sin. Not because they are perfect but because Jesus has taken sin from them based on their faith in his sacrificial power and blameless life.

God created men for life, love, and relationship with Him. To be in union with Him is to enjoy eternal life. God is the God of life. That all sounds perfectly strange and seemingly beyond comprehension, but in a way that is what makes the majesty of it that much more wonderful.

August 3 - Testing Jesus

Matthew 22:15-22

But Jesus, aware of their malice, said, “Why put me to the test, you hypocrites? (Matthew 22:18 ESV)

Once again the misguided Pharisees sought to entrap Jesus with their petty questions and clumsy tests. Jesus always saw straight through their tests. They weren't really interested in getting answers, they were looking for reasons to blame, doubt, of entrap him. People still do the same thing today.

It is true that many atheists and various other skeptics chalk their doubts up to the ideas of proof, but so do believers. I have been a Christian for over twenty years and there a days when I have doubts. There are moments, when like the Pharisees, I look up and cast my test before the King of kings.

I believe that doubt can be a healthy thing when it pushes us toward honest evaluation and careful contemplation. But it can also be arrogant folly when we take our stance, presume ourselves to be the standard for truth, and call all others to verify truth through our personal view of the world.

The Pharisees were testing Jesus because he was undermining their religious hold on their personal world. He was stirring things up. They didn't test him because they wanted truth. They tested him because they were looking for leverage. That can be easy to forget. I would do better to remember just that the next time that I feel like testing Jesus.

August 2 - Jesus Stumps the Elite

Luke 20:9-26

And they were not able in the presence of the people to catch him in what he said, but marveling at his answer they became silent. (Luke 20:26 ESV)

Have you ever tried to argue a point only to have someone say something so incredibly superior to your view that you have to shut up and remain silent in deference to their superior rhetoric? That is exactly what happened to the Jewish religious elite one day when they tried to argue with Jesus. The simple truth is that lost people don't think like Jesus.

It takes a work of God for the human mind to begin to think in a different way. It takes the infusing of a new perspective, and a life-giving transformation. Many of the Pharisees wethe incapable of this, and so they thought their petty squabbles over inconsequential religious triflings would stump Jesus. No, he always had a superior stance.

When I think about this story it gives me pause to stop and look and my own ridiculously religious nature. It is something I have to fight against. It is a challenge.

God is taking me in new directions in my pursuit of Him. Christ has called me to abandon the petty arrogance and wayward assumptions of things that don't matter. And the Holy Spirit is leading me into a place of a reinvigorated emphasis on what is important—namely loving people and exalting Jesus.

Does that mean I won't feel elite or superior? Of course not, I know my ridiculous inclinations. But I pray that he will help. And on those days that I feel truly stumped I will have to stop and acknowledge that Christ is at work in me to change or teach me.

August 1 - Answering Jesus

Matthew 21:23-27

But if we say, ‘From man,’ we are afraid of the crowd, for they all hold that John was a prophet.” (Matthew 21:26 ESV)

From the moment he arrived in Jerusalem Jesus was challenged by the uppity Pharisees and scribes. During his triumphant entree, while he performed miracles, and even while he tried to teach his followers—the religious leaders followed him, nagging him at every turn.

During one such encounter Jesus turned the attention around on them. They asked him a question that they assumed would stump him, and in turn he asked them a question they were too cowardly to answer. If you, like me, have ever found yourself afraid to fess up and acknowledge your own shortcomings you may be a little like those guys.

Whether it was simple fear of men, an obstinate refusal to acknowledge Jesus authority, or some combination of the two, the Pharisees and scribes dodged Jesus' pointed question. We too do this all the time. The truth is that God often speaks directly into our discomfort to bring us into correction.

The places in our soul we're most willing to avoid are generally the places where Jesus most wants to engage us. When I feel the most insecure he points me to a place where I can rediscover my strength in him. When I feel haughty he usually points out my deep need for his ability. But to get there I must acknowledge where, how, and when he calling out to me. I must answer him.

July 31 - For This Purpose

John 12:27-36

“Now is my soul troubled. And what shall I say? ‘Father, save me from this hour’? But for this purpose I have come to this hour. (John 12:27 ESV)

Jesus could have saved himself. He didn't have to suffer for us. He had a choice. However, as the Son of God he chose to bridge the gap between Heaven and Earth. He chose to become the mediator. The Way.

As he told his followers, it was "for this purpose" that he has come. Not to be a good moral teacher. Not merely to perform miraculous healings. And not to stir up the religious elite. He came for the express purpose of restoring humanity to the relationship God intended.

Have you ever set out to do something with a purpose? Have you ever let something interfere? I know I have, and often do. The truth is that we're not quite on par with Jesus. We're pretty far off the mark.

But he maintained. He persisted. To the point of death. He knew his purpose, he embraced his purpose, and he fulfilled his purpose.

We can find our own purpose in this life. Chances our that the seeds for God's great purpose for your life have long since been planted in your soul. Look for your purpose, embrace your purpose, fulfill your purpose.

July 30 - Whoever Hates Life

John 12:20-33

Whoever loves his life loses it, and whoever hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life. (John 12:25 ESV)

We hoard. We gather. We save. We are trained, and intrinsically inclined, to get as much as we can of something we deem valuable and keep it close to us. So, when we fall into that age old pit of aggressively embellishing our own self-worth it becomes second nature to want to maintain our comfortable status quo, reduce any risk, and seek after people and pleasures that reinforce our false self-opinion.

Jesus set a different standard and humanity has spent the last two-thousand years missing the mark. I constantly miss it. It is hard for someone like me. The problem? I like myself too much. Because a lot of the time I think I am much more awesome than I actually am.

Don't get me wrong, I definitely believe that we all have value, we all have worth, and we are all of us deeply loved by God. But the problem is that sometimes we love ourselves in all of the wrong ways. We love ourselves, but not enough to embrace truth. We love ourselves, but not enough to put God first. We love ourselves, but not enough to make the hard choices, even when they will be the better choices.

I am not one that thinks Jesus is looking to martyr every believer, but I do believe that every believer has to be willing to measure the potential cost of following Jesus. You can not live the fully devoted Christian life and love yourself more than you love your Savior. If and when you find yourself in that dangerous place you have become your own savior, and a poor one at that. Love life. Love it enough to hate it.

July 29 - To Be Loved

Matthew 3:13-17

...and behold, a voice from heaven said, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.” (Matthew 3:17 ESV)

Experiencing the love of another is a special thing. Something that nearly everyone longs for. However, the sad reality of our world is that not everyone goes through life feeling the love of another person. Human families are sometimes fragile, relationships are often messy, and the profound difficulty of tragic circumstances can make for some lonely situations.

The story of Jesus' baptism is one of my favorite moments in the Gospels. It is packed with insight into the nature of Christ. And the closing verse is one of the only moments in the Bible that records a direct interaction between God and Christ that other people were able to witness.

God declared that Jesus was His beloved Son. The truth of Jesus as the Son of God is an essential element of Christianity. But something that can sometimes be easily forgotten is that we are also sons and daughters of God.

Jesus' sacrifice made it so that we can be restored to our place in the family of God. We are indeed coheirs with Christ when we experience the power of transformational salvation. Jesus is the beloved Son, and in him each of us can know what it is like to be loved by God.