February 19 - Save the World

Read: John 3:16-21

For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. (John 3:17 ESV)

Most of us have seen them, read them, or played them. So many works of fiction revolve around the idea of saving, either our world or one imagined, from some cataclysmic force. There is something somewhere inside us that deeply connects with the idea of this world needing to be saved.

In truth, that is exactly what Jesus came to do. Humankind had derailed this creation from the perfection of God's course for the world. Jesus came to fix it. By our inherited sense of wickedness we had fallen out of right standing with our Heavenly Father and joined a rebellion. The sentence was death as a wage for our sin, but God enacted another plan. A plan set in motion before its necessity ever became a reality.

Jesus stepped out of the eternal into finite history as a man. The Light, Word, and Son of God made flesh. While he had every right, and all authority, to pronounce incredible judgement upon humanity, he instead worked, lived, and was persecuted under amazing grace. He who knew no sin, took our sin. He who knew no death, took our death. He returned to us forgiveness, mercy, and life. In short, Jesus saved the world.

February 18 - Rebirth

Read: John 3:1-15

Do not marvel that I said to you, "You must be born again." (John 3:7 ESV)

Nicodemus, himself a religious leader of the Jews, came in secret to Jesus to confess his acknowledgement of Jesus as a messenger and teacher sent from God. He didn't acknowledge Jesus as the Christ, only as a miracle worker who clearly had the blessing of God upon his ministry. Jesus responded with a teaching that has become a permanent part of traditional Christian vernacular. He told the Pharisee that he could not be part of God's kingdom unless he was "born again."

This was a new idea to Nicodemus and he confused Christ's meaning with one of earthy implications. Jesus' frustration with Nicodemus' lack of understanding was apparent. How could someone who professed to be a follower of God and a teacher of the Law so easily confuse or misunderstand the path to God?

I don't know what you're background is. I don't know your religious history. All I know is that like the Pharisee did we need to humbly approach Jesus and seek answers. In terms of rebirth we need to submit ourselves to the kind of spiritual rebirth that can only be experienced through the supernatural miracle of salvation. We all must be born again.

February 17 - Shine

Read: Isaiah 9:1-7 & Matthew 4:12-17

The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who dwelt in a land of deep darkness, on them has light shined. (Isaiah 9:2 ESV)

Early in his ministry Jesus's cousin John was arrested for boldly declaring King Herod as a sinful ruler. Shortly after Jesus left his hometown of Nazareth and made his way to Capernaum, a place which would become his headquarters for much of his ministry. It had been prophesied hundreds of years prior by Isaiah. The messiah would be for all people. He would shine as a light into darkness.

For the Christian, Christ has exposed our inner darkness and returned us to a place of restoration and salvation in him. For the unbeliever that has yet to happen, but Jesus still illuminates. He still points us to our need for him. Because in truth we do all need him.

As a believer what do you do with the light of Christ? Do you allow Jesus to shine through you? Do you allow him to work in and through you in a way that illuminates our deep need for him?

It's not always easy. The darkness is no fan of the light. But it is necessary. We are all people who walk in darkness without Christ. In Christ, we are to shine a light which is the hope for the world.

February 16 - Angry Jesus

Read: John 2:13-25

And making a whip of cords, he drove them all out of the temple, with the sheep and oxen. And he poured out the coins of the money-changers and overturned their tables. (John 2:15 ESV)

The system was completely ridiculous. The religious elite had turned the Temple, meant to be a connecting point between God and man, into a religious market. It came complete with a pyramid scheme and fraudulent money conversion system. Herod and the Chief Priests were making an exorbitant fortune.

Jesus got mad. He didn't go sit in his room and think about it. He didn't blog. He didn't write a sad song or rebel against his family. He made a weapon. He crafted a whip out of chords. He took time to fashion the instrument he would use to deliver justice. He thought about his course. He acted upon his anger.

The difference between Jesus' anger and mine is not only how he did what he did, or what he actually did, but why he did it. Usually if I get mad it is rooted in some kind of pride. Jesus' anger derived from his understanding of the terrible corruption taking place in God's house. My anger usually erupts when something that I would typically just tolerate somehow begins to affect me. Jesus' anger boiled over at the injustice being done to the hundreds and thousands of people coming to the Temple. Jesus anger was righteous. Mine rarely is.

Jesus' active anger resulted in the righting of grievous wrongs. It's ok to get mad. It is even ok to act on your anger. It's not ok to act out of selfishness, pain, or pride.

February 15 - Believe

Read: John 2:1-11

This, the first of his signs, Jesus did at Cana in Galilee, and manifested his glory. And his disciples believed in him. (John 2:11 ESV)

Jesus' first miracle was turning water into wine at a wedding feast. He used containers typically reserved for a separate Jewish religious observance, the rites of purification, had them filled with water, and changed the water into wine. It was a sign to his disciples that Jesus was more than just another teacher.

It took the miraculous to convince the disciples present with Jesus at the wedding in Cana of who he actually was. Are we guilty of that same kind of doubtful default position? Is the miraculous something that should be a regular occurrence among God's people?

There are almost as many varying opinions about the subject of miracles as there are people who talk about miracles. One thing is pretty clear. Across history Orthodox Christianity has held that the miracles Jesus performed were true historical events.

In an age of automatic skepticism that is of key importance. But even during Jesus' days with his disciples there was a tendency to sometimes lean away from belief in the supernatural. Jesus changed water into wine. In doing so he made a wedding feast a little more festive, but he made his disciples a lot more attentive.

What will it take for you and I to believe in Jesus like that? Or if you already do, what are you doing with your belief? How does it shape the decisions you make or your interactions with others? Or does it?

February 14 - Among Us

Read: John 1:14-18

And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth. (John 1:14 ESV)

Both the power and mystery of the truth of Christianity rests in the idea of God becoming a man as Jesus. He is often called Immanuel which means God with us. The way John worded it was equally powerful. That Jesus was with God from the beginning of beginnings is a central idea to historical Christianity. He is often referenced prior to the incarnation as the Word.

The word of God, the bible, is God's written account to us. It is inspired, supernatural, and active in its communication of God's voice to mankind. Jesus is the Word of God. More than written account, theological facts, or revelatory teachings, Jesus is the Living Word. He is the ongoing Truth of God's love for mankind.

The bible is important, and it is the word, but Jesus is the divine inspiration behind the bible. He is the Word. In truth he left infinitude and became flesh to display and reveal the glory of God to all people. Our only path to the absolute truth is through the Word, through Jesus. Ultimately he is God's final, future, and ongoing message of grace and truth.

If you find yourself alone, miserable, and wayward, Jesus is the way back. If you find yourself confused, condemned, and corrupt, Jesus is the way back. He came lived, died, and lived again to go on living in us so that in him we might be free. In him we might the Truth of the Glory of God.

February 13 - The Light

Read: John 1:6-13

The true light, which enlightens everyone, was coming into the world. (John 1:9 ESV)

Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John were all inspired by the Holy Spirit to record the events of Christ's life, and each account bears its own uniqueness. However, John's gospel stands among them as being distinct in content, not because it is contradictory, but because its author had a special perspective about Christ.

When John wrote about Jesus he regularly used the word Light. It is a fantastic use of scriptural imagery. Jesus came to illuminate sin, to expose evil, and to dispel darkness. He is the Light. John's knowledge of this light was not merely academic or theological, it was personal.

What about you? What is your knowledge of the Light? Has Jesus worked in your life to illuminate the things that don't belong. Has he exposed the secret hurts that maybe you suppressed, ignored, or forgot about? He can. He does. He will. It's what he came to do.

February 12 - The Test

Read: Matthew 4:1-11

Jesus said to him, "Again it is written, "You shall not put the Lord your God to the test." (Matthew 4:7 ESV)

Testing day was always a day that I dreaded in school. It wasn't because I didn't do well, it was because of the underlying question that always accompanied those tests...Are you good enough? I always wrestled with that question growing up and for an insecure kid academic testing always seemed to throw it in my face in the bluntest of ways.

During Jesus' confrontation with Satan in the wilderness he came face to face to with those same questions of worth, identity, and purpose. Not only did the devil seek to undermine who he was, but he threw out the possibility that God might not actually be powerful or good enough to come to the aid of His son.

I've met many people during my years in ministry that often ask the same questions about God and in turn themselves. When faced with difficulty and adversity they begin to wonder if God really is powerful or good enough. I've also met those who outright doubt and in turn strive to willfully countermand God's will for their life in a way to gauge whether or not He might intervene with their free will.

God's sovereignty and man's will are not mutually exclusive things. In fact, we have our free will precisely because of His sovereignty. When the test comes its not because God is not good, or God is not powerful. It's not even because He is trying to determine if we are good enough for Him. God made that decision when He sent His son to die in our place. No, when the test comes it is so that we will do just what Jesus did in the wilderness. We must lean into God, His truth, His Word, His sovereignty, His love, and His will. That is home. That is where we belong.

February 11 - Bread and Stones

Read: Luke 4:1-13

The devil said to him, "If you are the Son of God, command this stone to become bread." (Luke 4:3 ESV)

Jesus was tired and hungry when Satan came to tempt him. He had been fasting for forty days after being led into the wilderness by the Holy Spirit. Physically he was probably weakened. But Jesus showed us through his actions that physical strength can never account for spiritual strength.

It really is just like the enemy of our souls to come at us when we're already weak. He is sneaky like that. However, like Jesus we can stand on the reality of whose we are. Jesus is the Son of God, and the devil was trying to cast doubt on that. You are a son or daughter of God too, and the devil will no doubt attempt to cast doubt on that. Still, it is the truth of God's Word and our identity in Him that thwarts the enemy's plans for our lives.

Sometimes he sneaks in and tries to make something that's really bad for us look good. Kind of like trying to turn a stone into bread. Jesus could have done that, but he didn't need to. We probably couldn't turn a stone into bread, but if we're not careful in guarding our hearts we may let the devil trick us into thinking we need to.

The simple truth is that we don't need stones to become bread. We don't need whatever distraction the enemy offers us, now matter how enticing. All we need is to know who's son we are.

February 10 - Well Pleased

Read: Mark 1:9-11 & John 1:32-34

And a voice came from heaven, "You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased." (Mark 1:11 ESV)

Growing up one of my favorite feelings was always that experience of knowing that my parents were pleased with me for something. Sometimes it accompanied a task or an accomplishment, but often it was just there. It was a sense of cherished love and value that came simply as a result of being their child.

I really believe we can experience that same kind of affection from God. Yes, it comes in ways that are similar to those of my own childhood experience. Sometimes God is pleased with us and our actions, but usually the feeling of acceptance, love, and appointment is derived simply from belonging to Him.

Both parenthood and childhood are pleasurable experiences when enjoyed through a righteous and wholesome relationship. God is the Father. All who come back into the Father's family can and will experience the Father's good pleasure. I hope that the thought of God being pleased with you, His child, will put a smile in your heart and joy in your steps today.

February 9 - Needing Jesus

Read: Matthew 3:13-17

John would have prevented him, saying, "I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?" (Matthew 3:14 ESV)

John is called The Baptist for a reason, and its not because he was a member of a specific denomination. He baptized people as a sign of repentance and righteousness. It was their way of showing the people around them that they were making an effort to change their lives. So when Jesus showed up to be baptized by John it naturally caused him some inner confusion. John recognized the superiority, and divinity, of Christ. As such, it seemed strange to him that Jesus would seek to be baptized by John. In other words, John saw his need for Jesus.

The first step for us toward a right relationship with God is always the recognition of our need for God. We aren't big enough, good enough, smart enough, rich enough, or powerful enough to mend the rift between God and man on our own. Mankind created this spiritual disparity, but it is God that fixes it. It is God that wrapped his infinitude with finitude and stepped into history as Jesus.

Our need for Jesus is clear, it is real, and it is fulfillable, but only by Christ, through Christ, and in Christ. Jesus allowed John to baptize him as a testimony to John's authority and mission, but it was Jesus himself that became John's way to God. He is also our way to God. The only way to God.

February 8 - Good News

Read: Luke 3:15-22

So with many other exhortations he preached good news to the people. (Luke 3:18 ESV)

John preached to large crowds. He baptized a lot of people. He made a difference where he was through his courageous commitment to God's plan for mankind. And the message that he delivered was one full of good news.

We all like good news, and lets face it, that's not always the kind of news we get to hear on a regular basis. If you tune into any kind of prominent media network you are almost instantly confronted by the seemingly harsh nature of a world gone terribly awry. I once even heard a practicing journalist say, "If it bleeds it leads." For some reason people are entertained and captivated by the macabre, sensational, and despairing events of our world. In stark reality the good news of the day, those feel good stories about the better side of life, rarely seem to carry as much impact.

John's message of good news was the ultimate message. His message literally was the Good News. It was the message of the Gospel. He was declaring to the PreChristian world the reality of the impending arrival of the Messiah. The one that would save the people from their sins.

Jesus is still the Good News. He still saves people from their sins. He is hope for the hopeless. He is the best news.

February 7 - Who Are You?

Read: John 1:19-28

He confessed, and did not deny, but confessed, "I am not the Christ." (John 1:20 ESV)

The misunderstanding surrounding John the Baptizer's identity and authority was an epic concern for the chief religious rulers of his day. As a people they were watching and waiting for the Christ, hoping he would come to cleanse their nation of the Imperial Roman presence. But that was not his mission, or his identity.

Much of John's success in his short lived public ministry came from his understanding of his identity. He knew who he was, what his purpose was, and why he wasn't the most important part in God's plan for mankind.

When we take our identity from God the Father and Jesus Christ these paramount questions become important in brand new ways. They often change to include a part of life that we never knew we wanted or needed, and certainly have never thought of in a Christ-centered context. John thought about all of that. He was not Elijah or any other Old Testament prophet, instead he was the one foretold to be a forerunner for Jesus. He was not the Christ, but he knew who was.

So it begs the question. Do you know who you are? Not just your name, or what you do. Do you know your mission? Do know both your identity and the one from whom your identity springs forth.

February 6 - Stuff

Read: Luke 3:4-14

And the crowds asked him, "What then shall we do?" (Luke 3:10 ESV)

John and Jesus preached to anyone and everyone. Their message and motives were the same. They longed to see God's chosen people returned to a special relationship with God. Hundreds and sometimes thousands followed their uniquely demonstrative ministries. John at one point, after admonishing some of the religious elite for their spiritual malpractice, had soldiers and tax collectors seeking his counsel. John told them to share out of their abundance, and to be content with their possessions.

Today that teaching pretty much flies in the face of what many of us do. We hoard stuff, get stuff, and want stuff. Take Thanksgiving for example, some of us can barely even spend one day offering a token "Thanks!" for the stuff we already have before rushing out the next day to get more.

What if we gave away all that we could to those who are in need? What if we were content with our pay? What if we demonstrated joy that said, "I don't need more?"

The truth is, we should want to help those who need help even when we don't have the means to help them, and when we do have the means we should go the extra step and help them every way we can. Also, we should be content with the stuff we have, not in a way that limits our dreams or holds us back from promotion or advancement, but in a way that puts that kind of pursuit in a proper place among our priorities.

February 5 - The Fruit

Read: Matthew 3:1-10

Bear fruit in keeping with repentance. (Matthew 3:8 ESV)

When I was a kid growing up on the family farm we raised watermelons by the thousands in the summers. We poured our lives into producing that fruit. It took work, but there were always a lot of fruit to show for it. Why? Because under the right conditions fruit doesn't have to even try to be produced. It just does what it was made to do.

John, and Jesus after him, preached a message of repentance and life-change through forgiveness of sins. The message went off like a bomb in the vicinity of his ministry. It connected with people. It drove people to seek, find, and be found by God. It produced repentance and life change. John charged those under his ministry to demonstrate that life change to others through the fruit their life produced.

Our lives are supposed to show fruit. They are supposed to demonstrate to others the miraculous nature of the change that has been (and is being) made in us. Sometimes we try really hard to work at showing everyone the kind of fruit we think we should be displaying, and there is something to be said about being intentional; but in reality things that bear fruit don't have to try to bear it.

God made the plan. God made the conditions. God made the changes in us. He did all of the work, and we are receiving the benefits of his holy effort. We shouldn't even have to try to display or bear fruit in keeping with repentance. Actually, if we are having to strive to put some kind of great laborious effort into demonstrating Christian fruit, we may need to go back and reexamine our relationship with Jesus. If we have submitted to him, and we are following his plan for our lives, with his help, fruit in keeping with repentance should be a clear result.

February 4 - Forgiveness is Free

Read: Luke 1:80, 3:1-2

And he went into all the region around the Jordan, proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. (Luke 3:3 ESV)

John came from humble beginnings. He was raised in the wilderness where he matured into a powerful man of God. He wore camel hair clothing, he ate locusts, and he preached with conviction. His message was powerful and effective; and many, many, people turned out to hear him and be baptized.

Repentance was definitely not a new concept in John's day, but the practical application of turning away from sin was lost amongst the rampant religious corruption of the day. John bypassed all of the corruption and financial perversion that had infiltrated the religious bureaucracy in order to deliver a free message of forgiveness and repentance to anyone who would listen, and hundreds did.

Ultimately we have to remember that forgiveness is free to us. It doesn't cost us anything at all. We can not earn, trade, or buy it. Jesus gives forgiveness freely to all who ask. It is free to us, although it cost him a great deal of pain and sorrow. Choose repentance, choose forgiveness, and choose to share it with those within your circle of influence.

February 3 - A Voice in the Desert

Read: Isaiah 40 & Mark 1:1-8

A voice cries: "In the wilderness prepare the way of the Lord ; make straight in the desert a highway for our God. (Isaiah 40:3 ESV)

In those days John the Baptist came preaching in the wilderness of Judea, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand." For this is he who was spoken of by the prophet Isaiah when he said, "The voice of one crying in the wilderness: "Prepare the way of the Lord; make his paths straight." (Matthew 3:1-3 ESV)

An angel promised the birth of John to his elderly parents, but several hundred years earlier the prophet Isaiah wrote of John's coming. John the Baptizer was a transitional figure in the history of God's journey with his people. It had been over 400 years since the Old Testament prophet Micah recorded his final words. The Jews had seen a dramatic change in the political landscape of their world, having been subjugated by the Romans.

John the Baptizer began his public ministry in the midst of a time of heightened political tension, religious stagnation, and economic struggle. Both figuratively and literally John arose as a voice coming from the desert. God's people needed a voice of courage and correction, and John was just that. He came out of obscurity to proclaim the people's need for repentance for their sins, and they responded in thousands. John was an incredible man, Jesus even called him the greatest man to ever live, but he was just a precursor to the greatness of Jesus Christ.

There are lost people in all of our lives. There are people who desperately need, to not only hear, but be shown through intentional-loving-demonstration, the unfettered and unconditional love of God. In what ways can you be a voice in the desert? Maybe it's by calling a friend or family member to repentance through loving correction. Maybe it's by helping a neighbor across the street. Maybe it's simply by being the best employee you know how to be. We all have a voice. We all have people we can reach out. Isn't it time we let God use our voice to reach His people?

February 2 - An Obvious Place

Read: Luke 2:41-50

And he said to them, "Why were you looking for me? Did you not know that I must be in my Father's house?" (Luke 2:49 ESV)

Every year to celebrate the Passover Jesus travelled with his family to Jerusalem, a journey of roughly 140 miles over rough and rugged terrain. When he was twelve he went missing for a couple of days which of course upset Mary and Joseph quite a lot. Any good parent has a strong reaction to the news that their child is missing. They returned and were looking for him. Only to discover him listening and teaching in the Temple.

Have you ever lost something really important only to turn around and find it in the most obvious of places? In this story we begin to see the future of Jesus who is all about His Father's business. We also get to witness his understanding of his unique identity as both God and man. Jesus showed his divine nature in his actions at the Temple, but he also showed his human nature in his submission to Mary and Joseph.

Sometimes we spend a lot of time looking for things, whether answers or objects, and they are in the most obvious of places. Many people spend insane amounts of time, effort, and resources to achieve a peace that is offered in the most obvious of places, Jesus.

February 1 - Grow

Read: Luke 2:39-40

And the child grew and became strong, filled with wisdom. And the favor of God was upon him. (Luke 2:40 ESV)

When Herod the Great died Joseph returned to Nazareth with his young family. It was in Nazareth that the young boy Jesus grew into the mighty God-man we read of in the Gospels. Jesus became strong as he grew. He was filled with wisdom. But it was a process as relates to his human nature.

Growing is an essential part of all life. We start small and young and progress in age, size, and capability, or at least we should. Growing up on a farm I got to be pretty familiar with growing things. Whether it was an animal or plant, the phrase if its not growing its dying held pretty true. We should have a desire to continually grow in our relationship with God.

When we begin our personal journey with God we are like children. We may have great passion, enthusiasm, and faith, but we often lack the kind of maturity that fills us with strength and wisdom. Spending time with the Father gives us both strength and wisdom. Not so we can better manage things on our own, but so that we will trust God even more.

Jesus enjoyed the favor of God because of his growth. Yes, he was the Son of God, but he was also a man. And as he grew from boy to man he followed the Law of God, sought after the heart of God, and it produced in his human nature the strength, wisdom, and favor of God.

January 31 - Out of Egypt

Read: Hosea 11 & Matthew 2:13-25

When Israel was a child, I loved him, and out of Egypt I called my son. (Hosea 11:1 ESV)

In 700 B.C. the prophet Hosea wrote that Jesus' family would flee to Egypt as refugees. It was a courageous and faithful act on the part of Jesus' adopted father Joseph that saved the young Messiah's life. But to further fulfill prophecy, and ultimately the mission of God for mankind, Jesus had to leave Egypt.

I really believe that along the way God sometimes directs us to places that are more like pit stops than they are destinations. We can, and should, do whatever good we can at these stops, but ultimately they are small parts of our journey. Whatever reason God has for sending us to those places, it is usually more about protecting us, helping us learn and grow, or helping someone there, than anything else. Sometimes you have to flee to your own personal Egypt to become who you are supposed to be, but you almost always have to leave it behind to step into your destiny.

Jesus didn't spend an incredibly long time in Egypt. Joseph only kept him there until the danger had passed and it was time to return to Nazareth. It would still be many years before Jesus would begin his public ministry. Sometimes God takes us from one season of preparation to another. These seasons look different, are often at different locations, and come with a plethora of diverse learning experiences. Don't be in a hurry to speed through these times. God can still use us in times of growth and learning. He will call us out of it when we're ready for the fullness of His plan.