December 6 - Gaze Into Heaven

Read: Acts 7:51-60

But he, full of the Holy Spirit, gazed into heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God. And he said, “Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God.” (Acts 7:55, 56 ESV)

Stephen preached the truth of Christ in Jerusalem and was shaking up the status quo. Grace and power followed his message. Lives were being changed. The religious elite were not happy—Jesus was gone but his followers continued to proclaim his life and message. They drug Stephen to court, trumped up false charges, and asked him to defend himself.

Instead of defending himself Stephen preached his final sermon. It was an exegetical masterpiece as he wound his way through the Torah, Prophets, and Psalms to declare Jesus as the promised Messiah. He delivered solid truth, unflinchingly, to a mob eager for blood. And it was more than they could handle.

As he drew near to the end of his message he looked up, perhaps for a measure of reassurance and comfort. The power of the Holy Spirit came upon him and he had a supernatural vision of God and Christ there with him. The declaration of Jesus' position was more than the ruling authorities could handle.

Not only was Stephen obviously not going to be shut up, but here he was publicly declaring Jesus alive and well. He was stating outright their powerlessness. They were enraged. They attacked and killed him, stoning him to death.

The truth so offended these leaders that they were willing to forsake everything they pretended to serve in order to justify themselves. The truth of Jesus forces a reckoning. Some will accept it, many will reject it. Stephen gazed into Heaven and saw with supernatural eyes the wonders of God. I pray that the truth of Christ would prompt us all to do a little Heaven-gazing.

December 5 - Full of Grace & Power

Read: Acts 6:8-15

And Stephen, full of grace and power, was doing great wonders and signs among the people. (Acts 6:8 ESV)

Jesus' followers are supposed to be like Stephen. We are supposed to be people who are full of grace and power. People who do great wonders and signs.

Stephen was so impactful as he ministered in the name of Jesus that it bewildered the extremely religious Jewish leadership. So much so that, just as they had done to Jesus, they decided to have Stephen killed. They concocted a phony trial with false witnesses, and they besmeared his reputation through villainous slander.

Stephen remained full of grace throughout. And it was only by the power of God that he withstood their torments. In fact, the whole ordeal only served to better illuminate the power of God at work in Stephen's life.

Today when Christians talk about God's power they are often looking for something supernatural or miraculous. I believe those things can and do happen, but perhaps more often the power of God works in His followers to sustain them through difficulty. Grace and power are fully at work when a lost sinner is made to shine like a saved saint.

November 15 - After Three Days

Read: Matthew 27:62-66

and said, “Sir, we remember how that impostor said, while he was still alive, ‘After three days I will rise.’ (Matthew 27:63 ESV)

Once Jesus' body had been entombed a group of religious zealots gathered before Pilate. This was the same group that had had Jesus murdered. The same group that had regularly pitched a fit over Jesus performing miracles on the Sabbath were gathering with Pilate on the Sabbath to get someone to seal the tomb.

They remembered Jesus' own words. They remembered his promise to rise again. And they were so blinded by their religious idiocy that they thought to thwart it, proof that they never actually comprehended what was about to happen.

Pilate granted their wish. The tomb was sealed. Guards were posted. The religious goons were satisfied. No one was going to steal he body of Jesus. No one would make false claims about his resurrection.

October 5 - Envy Jesus

Matthew 27: 15-23

For he knew that it was out of envy that they had delivered him up. (Matthew 27:18 ESV) </blockquote>

Pilate was not a believer. By all accounts he was a stern and sometimes ruthless governor. Yet even he could see that the mob which had handed Jesus over to be killed was pushing for something unjust. And his observations led him to declare that envy was the underlying cause.

Just exactly what were the religious people envious of? Jesus had no money. He had no prestigious titles. He was not a man of remarkable appearance. He had nothing at all by which men so often measure worth and value.

What Jesus had was kindness. He had the Spirit of God. He had unwavering commitment to his cause. He had the power of God working through him. He also had the ear of the people.

His miraculous deeds had granted him a special place on the public eye. His selflessness had promoted him to a level of notoriety that set the religious cadre in a big fuss. They didn't like it. They did like him. And they didn't like the way he messed with their stuff. And for all that disliking they still couldn't help but envy Jesus.

July 19 - Blind Guides

Matthew 15:10-20

Let them alone; they are blind guides. And if the blind lead the blind, both will fall into a pit.” (Matthew 15:14 ESV)

Leading people is not an easy task. It involves great risk, responsibility, and repercussions. To lead well requires incredible selflessness and dedication to those in your charge. It also requires understanding, an open mind, and vision. The Pharisees in Jesus' time were struggling with their leadership roles.

By the time Jesus was born the Jewish religious system had become so corrupt that for many it was a stumbling block. Those charged with escorting the people to the Father were failing in their mission. They were blinded by their assumptions and arrogance. Their willfulness to embrace arrogant ignorance kept them from enjoying the reality of God incarnate, Jesus. In fact, it lead to great animosity and even murder.

If you want to lead people, you need to be able to see. You need to see with clarity, compassion, and character. Have the faith seek the truth about your leadership successes and failures. Find people that will tell you e loving and honest truth, so that you will have clarity. See people compassionately, as Jesus saw them. People are problems to fix, or riddles to solve. They are lives. They are souls. They are precious. Learn to lead with compassionate vision that cares more about the person than the plan. Learn to live and lead with character. That means a consistency of action and desire that is the same every day.

Seeing with clarity, compassion, and character will help, but its not a guarantee. Pray for help. Lead selflessly. And try to avoid blind spots. This world doesn't need anymore blind guides.

July 18 - Tradition's Sake

Matthew 15: 1-9

He answered them, “And why do you break the commandment of God for the sake of your tradition? (Matthew 15:3 ESV)

Traditions can be both beautiful and dangerous. I enjoy some wonderful family traditions, especially around the holidays. And for years I took part in many rich religious traditions. But for me there came a day when I began to understand the inevitable shortcomings of religious tradition.

Jesus was very clear about tradition. He rejected any that compromised truth. He systematically addressed those that enforced the corrupt religious hierarchy. Man's rules can never trump God's commandments. That was Jesus' point.

I know how easy it can be to do something because that is how you have always done it. But that is a trap that leads to idolatry. At some point the comfortable nature of a familiar practice, even one that starts out as a good thing, can become a dangerous snare.

Bad tradition becomes a self serving sickness. It is toxic. It thwarts spiritual growth, encourages ignorance, and focuses inward. At some point where bad tradition is involved you stop doing the right thing and start doing the wrong thing, all for tradition's sake.

July 16 - A Beautiful Thing

Matthew 26:6-13

But Jesus, aware of this, said to them, “Why do you trouble the woman? For she has done a beautiful thing to me. (Matthew 26:10 ESV)

Shortly before his murder Jesus was traveling through Bethany, the home of his friends Mary, Martha, and Lazarus, while on his way to Jerusalem. As he enjoyed their hospitality his friend Mary anointed him with a very costly perfume. It was a beautiful, and incredibly selfless, act of worship.

I remember hearing missionaries speak on occasion as I grew up. They would often tell amazing stories of sacrifice and service. The mission field seemed a place ripe with opportunities for selfless acts of worship. In my own life it always seemed to be an incredibly easy thing to love Jesus. It wasn't until early adulthood that I was faced with a situation where worshipping and serving Christ actually cost me something.

Many people the world over are faced with great difficulty in serving Jesus. Their culture, political environment, or familial situation may make it dangerous to openly worship Christ. Still, millions around the world offer their worship to him. Like Mary at Bethany, they understand he is worth all of their sacrifice.

Jesus is worthy of all that we can give him. Our worship, our adoration, our service—all of these things bring us near to him. Extravagant worship is a beautiful thing in the eyes of God.

July 15 - Why Was?

John 12:1-8

“Why was this ointment not sold for three hundred denarii and given to the poor?” (John 12:5 ESV)

Why did you this? Why did you do that? Why did you buy whole milk? Ever had someone question your every action, motive, and method? Jesus did. He was under consistently uncommon scrutiny of a kind we would be hard pressed to fathom.

Jesus' doubters questioned him and challenged him on a regular basis. His followers questioned him. His haters demonized and bemoaned him. In large part everyone in Jesus' life had some kind of opinion they were hoping to push on him.

Judas, the disciple who betrayed Jesus, was already up to his untruthful duplicitous tricks by the time the ministry team passed back through Bethany. He was overseer of the ministry's limited and meager money supply. So when Mary lavished such a wonderful and extravagant gift on Jesus it did not set well with him. He took an opportunity to chastise Mary under pretenses of charity. Actually it was selfishness at work.

Some days I feel a little like Judas, I find myself defaulting to selfish arrogance. I wrestle with thoughts of perceived supremacy. I question God, his methods, his means, and his motives. The silly thing about all of that is that the responsibility for any problem, whether actual or conjured, lies solely with me.

It's not my right, it is not your right, to question the way that God chooses to work. "Why was it done this way?" Is really just another way of telling God, "I think Im smarter than you."

July 14 - He Received Jesus

Luke 19:1-10

So he hurried and came down and received him joyfully. (Luke 19:6 ESV)

Zacchaeus was a tax collector, a man of small size, and disliked by his countrymen. He was a swindler. However, when he heard that Jesus was to be coming through Jericho he very much longed to see him, and positioned himself in a tree. He probably never thought, as he climbed the tree, that he was positioning himself for total life transformation.

Jesus called to the short tax man to come down from the tree and be his host. And Zacchaeus was thrilled to do it. It brought him joy.

The story of Zacchaeus paints a great picture of significance in our own lives. He was a sinner. It was publicly known. He willfully and joyfully received Jesus—first into his home, and then into his life. It brought about a drastic change in Zacchaeus' life. He gave back the stuff he stole and extorted. He became an honest man. He became a follower of Christ.

There are three things Zacchaeus did that we should take note of; he sought the truth about Jesus, he welcomed an experience with Jesus, and he followed the truth of the experience through to a different life. He didn't climb up in a tree because he was found of branches. No, he wanted to see the truth about Jesus for himself. When he encountered Christ he didn't recoil in either fear or religious disdain, he wanted to experience the nature of The Lord. When the divinity of Christ became apparent he allowed that revelation to initiate total life transformation. Zacchaeus saw, experienced, and transformed but it was all because he was willing to receive Jesus. Are you?

July 10 - I Have Kept

Matthew 19:16-22

Jesus said to him, "If you would be perfect, go, sell what you possess and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me." (Matthew 19:21 ESV)

I am pretty convinced that most of us have a fairly selfish streak that runs right through the middle of who we are. It affects our thoughts, behaviors, and attitudes. It often keeps us from stepping fully into the kind of richly selfless life that Jesus is calling us to live.

That was the experience that the man often called the Rich Young Ruler had with Christ. He was devout. He was dutiful. He was prosperous. But when Christ called him to enter into a new kind of selfless living and thinking, the young man balked at the prospect of losing all that he had. In his words he had kept all of the laws and rules of God, but in his failing to obediently give all that he had away he missed the point of following Jesus.

Today, just like during Jesus' days of public ministry, it is really easy to allow dogmatic religious observance to cloud authentic Christian caring. Jesus didn't want the young man to give all of his stuff away because he wanted the guy to be poor. He wanted the rich young guy to extravagantly give away his many possessions because they had become more important to him than obedience to God.

There are still days, even after all my years in ministry, when I need to take a good look at my self. I have to ask myself if I have done more than keep the moralistic rules that I know to follow. Yes, Jesus sets out a guideline for behavior through his teachings, but often it is all about giving it all away.

July 4 - The Lazarus Problem

John 12:9-11

When the large crowd of the Jews learned that Jesus was there, they came, not only on account of him but also to see Lazarus, whom he had raised from the dead. So the chief priests made plans to put Lazarus to death as well, because on account of him many of the Jews were going away and believing in Jesus. (John 12:9-11 ESV)

Jesus raised his friend Lazarus from the dead and the religious people went nuts. They started making plans to kill Jesus. But that wasn't enough. Even had they killed Jesus, which they did, there was still the Lazarus problem for them.

Had they actually been able to remove Jesus there was still the fact that he raised Lazarus to life. A dead man living again is powerful evidence in favor for the reality of Jesus' supernatural power and divine origin. So they went beyond the plan to kill Jesus and started making plans to kill Lazarus as well.

The resurrection of Lazarus is a historical fact, even as much so as the resurrection of Jesus. People wanted to refute Lazarus' miraculous reviving. The power players wanted to remove him as evidence in the situation.

Today Christianity is often under assault. Historical revisionists try to blot out the truth of the resurrection and downplay the influence of Christianity on our culture. Typically their first line of attack is to undermine, rewrite, or ignore, the overwhelming historical evidence in favor of the orthodox view of Christ, his miracles, nature, and resurrection.

To make this even more personal—we have an instinct to act the same way sometimes. When we do something that makes us feel a tinge of guilt we try to erase the evidence. However small that might be. I'm sure you could think of your own personal example.

The Lazarus problem faces all of us. Lazarus was brought back by Jesus. Jesus was brought back by himself. We face the eventuality of life beyond death. None of us have experienced it as of yet, but there is coming a day when it will be irrefutable. And not only do we face the awesomely confounding prospect of resurrected eternity with Christ, we also may embrace the spiritual reality of a resurrected soul in this life.

Our choices have led us to death, destruction, and disaster. Jesus raises us up out of that. Lazarus wasn't a problem for Jesus. And neither are you.

July 3 - Follow With Us

Luke 9:49-50

John answered, "Master, we saw someone casting out demons in your name, and we tried to stop him, because he does not follow with us." (Luke 9:49 ESV)

Sometimes it is all too easy to make assumptions. John and company made assumptions about the person casting out demons in Jesus' name. They assumed he was not to be performing miracles of that nature without being a part of their little band. They assumed he was not like them. They assumed he did not believe like them. They assumed God wasn't using him to do incredible things.

Isn't that just like us? Especially where certain doctrinal things can confuse and confound things. We often assume that people, even fellow believers in Christ, aren't getting the job done unless they do it like we do. We assume we are doing it right.

The truth is that we're all in this together. It will take all of us living as shining examples of Christ's love and deliverance in order to reach our respective communities. Everyone doesn't have to follow with us. They just have to follow Jesus.

July 2 - The Most Pointless Argument In History

Mark 9:33-37

But they kept silent, for on the way they had argued with one another about who was the greatest. (Mark 9:34 ESV)

The disciples had just witnessed the miraculous transfiguration of Christ on top of the mountain. They had participated and witnessed many of his miracles. They had heard him teach with an authority that baffled lifelong scholars and students of the Law. Still, they struck up what might have been the most pointless argument in history. They were arguing about which of them was the greatest.

Isn't that just like us sometimes? We are privileged to get to be a part of something pretty awesome and our ego rises up and tricks us into thinking that the cool thing we were part of was great because of us. That's just silly.

The disciples argument was pointless on an epic level. Jesus was doing amazing things, saying amazing things, and being amazing—and they were following him around arguing over which one of them was the best. Dumb.

I find that most arguments that happen between religious people are a result of this kind of stupid thinking. The moment we stop thinking about Jesus, stop acknowledging him as the greatest, and stop putting all of our effort into giving him glory—we are in trouble. The moment we turn our attention to our personal agendas or our pet theologies we have become like the disciples in their silly argument.

Jesus is the greatest. Jesus is the one we must always point to, draw from, and lift up. Nothing and no one else compares.

June 20 - Do You Believe

Read: John 9:35-41

Jesus heard that they had cast him out, and having found him he said, "Do you believe in the Son of Man?" (John 9:35 ESV)

Jesus healed a man that been blind his entire life. It caused such a ruckus that the religious leaders began questioning the man. His parents were brought in. He was questioned multiple times. Threats were made. Eventually, he was rejected and tossed away by the religious people because his story did line up with their arrogantly blind version of truth.

After being rejected by the synagogue leaders the former blind man was found again by Jesus. He asked him a simple question, "Do you believe in the Son of Man?" He was asking him if he believed in the promised messiah the Old Testament prophets and leaders often wrote about. The man did believe. He declared his belief in the Christ, and made Jesus the center of his affectionate worship.

Do you believe in the Son of Man? Do you believe in Jesus? If so, you will face some kind of persecution from someone. You will face some kind of rejection. Especially if you choose to freely embrace a life that seeks to extend grace toward those others have written off.

June 19 - Better Than

Read: John 9: 28-34

They answered him, "You were born in utter sin, and would you teach us?" And they cast him out. (John 9:34 ESV)

Have you ever thought that you were better than someone? What did you base that idea on? What was your standard of measurement that incorrectly lead you to assume that you held some kind of superior position over others.

The Pharisees held prestigious religious positions within their corrupted bureaucracy. This, coupled with their lust for money and notoriety, caused them to look down on pretty much everyone—including Jesus. They were so blinded by their inflated opinion of themselves that they completely rejected the notion that someone might have gained a revelation about God that was greater than their own.

In their eyes the blind man was blind all of his life because of a sin issue. Grace, mercy, and redemption were lost to them within a religious framework of merit, knowledge, and works. They were unable to see Jesus in truth. Thus they were unable to see the beauty of his many miracles in truth. This was caused by a considerable hardening of their hearts, which itself resulted from pride and greed.

As followers of Jesus we would do well to remember that we are not better than anyone. We are to put others first. We are to serve. My prayer today is that we would see no standard by which we would ascertain any kind of superiority. All people have an inherent dignity, value, and worth.

June 18 - I Do Know

Read: John 9: 24-27

He answered, "Whether he is a sinner I do not know. One thing I do know, that though I was blind, now I see." (John 9:25 ESV)

The Pharisees were constantly questioning the integrity of Jesus because of the company he kept. In their inflated opinions he was a sinner because he didn't follow all of their silly rules. As they grilled the former blind man about his miraculous healing they approached the questioning with a different tactic surrounding his holiness.

The once blind guy's response is great. He stated flat out that he didn't know the spiritual condition of Christ, but that he did know for certain that he used to be blind and was now able to see. For too long I feel Christians have made bold claims about things we don't really know much (or anything) about. The testimony of Jesus is firmly rooted in the truth of what we do know.

Where do we find ourselves in this story? If it were a reselling of our experience with Jesus who would we be? Are we the blind man who's life was irrevocably altered for the good? Or, are we the Pharisees staring at an obvious work of God, but not seeing it for the truth because it didn't happen according to our religious superstitions?

There are a lot of things that I don't know about Jesus. I do know that since I pledged my life to serve him in active vocational ministry it has been an awesome experience.

June 17 - Fear No Man

Read: John 9: 18-23

(His parents said these things because they feared the Jews, for the Jews had already agreed that if anyone should confess Jesus to be Christ, he was to be put out of the synagogue.) (John 9:22 ESV)

When Jesus healed the blind man it caused quite the uproar. Religious elitists felt threatened. Someone had come along that demonstrated real authority. Jesus was able to do things they couldn't do. He was able to bring about the miraculous. And he did it all without cowing to their ridiculous rules, politics, or bureaucracy.

In an attempt to reassert control, the established religious leaders defaulted to fear and intimidation. Intimidation and fear are cowardly ploys, but when people's comfort, power, and security are threatened they will do nearly anything to keep it within their grasp. So the threat was voiced that should anyone declare Jesus to be the Messiah they would be barred from the Jewish Synagogues.

At some point in your walk with Christ you will face an unavoidable moment when you must choose. You will face the encumbering ridiculousness of religiosity, with its many rules and politics. You must choose either to be a part of it, or to not be a part of it.

Jesus is the Christ. He is the One and Only Son of God. To embrace the fullness of that truth. To live life on those terms. Loving your neighbor, loving God, serving others before yourself. That is a life that throws off religious manipulation. It is a life that avoids the stifling busyness of religious distraction. Fear no one. Love Christ. Serve him.

June 16 - It Was a Sabbath

Read: John 9: 13-17

Now it was a Sabbath day when Jesus made the mud and opened his eyes. (John 9:14 ESV)

Jesus had healed the man born blind. It caused an uproar in his community because everyone knew him to be the man who used to be a blind beggar. Some wanted to know if the man had actually been healed. Others just wanted to know if the Sabbath Day had been violated.

Jesus is The Lord of the Sabbath. Men had corrupted it, but Christ restored it to meaning. For the blind man the Sabbath took on an incredibly special significance. It was the day that he saw the world for the first time. It was the day that darkness became light. Blackness became color. Hopelessness found hope.

We are all born into darkness. We enter this world blind. Only Christ can open our eyes. Only Christ can restore our world to light. Only in Jesus can we rise above the silly inconsistencies of bad religion.

That day was a good day. It was a day of hope. It was a Sabbath.

May 14 - Rest in Jesus

Read: Matthew 11:28-30

Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. (Matthew 11:28 ESV)

Rural farm life is a very laborious lifestyle. There are tons of things that must consistently and regularly be done to keep the various animals and plants. It is taxing over time. It is hard but honest work.

Jesus was familiar with hard work. He grew up in the home of a carpenter. In all likelihood he was trained as a carpenter. What kind of labor was he talking about resting from?

Jesus was speaking to a people group who were being taxed, both literally and figuratively, at every angle. The Romans taxed them, their own king taxed them, and even the religious system, the Temple priests, taxed them. He was speaking to a group of people who were intimately familiar with the notion of working in vain.

The Jews strained under the yoke of an oppressively cruel occupying military force. They struggled beneath the inexhaustible appetite of a wicked royal dynasty. The one place that should have been their champion, the one place that should have offered answers, and a respite for their souls, was the Temple; but it was perhaps the heaviest yoke of all. The Temple had become such a horribly corrupt system of extortion and entrapment that the devout were enslaved to empty promises that brandished a ludicrous price tag. All of that sounds eerily familiar.

Jesus offered an alternative. He announced that he was the way to God. He demonstrated power and authority in keeping with that claim. And then he offered it free of charge. He offered rest. He offered change.

That sounds pretty good to me. I could use a rest like that. What about you?

April 21 - Fast Face

Read: Matthew 6:16-18

"And when you fast, do not look gloomy like the hypocrites, for they disfigure their faces that their fasting may be seen by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. (Matthew 6:16 ESV)

One of the repeating themes in Jesus' Sermon on the Mount is the notion of prideful religious display. Jesus did not like the way the Pharisees regularly paraded their superficial religiosity around for everyone to see. He cautioned his followers against that kind of conduct.

I do not like to fast. It's one of the spiritual disciplines that I am really just not a big fan of. But I do it. I don't make a habit of it. I reserve it for significant moments of decision or when I feel like God has specifically asked me to do it. I also try really hard to make it a private matter between me, my family, and God.

That is my personal conviction about fasting. I truly, deeply, believe it is a biblically sound approach. I think God blesses our efforts to please Him in a special way when we make it a secret action between Father and child. I wonder, what other spiritual disciples can we practice in our lives more authentically by making them less public?