Author: pastorjonathan

Christian,Husband, Dad, Pastor, Mentor, Volunteer.

“Blessed Rather are Those Who Hear the Word of God and Keep It (Lk. 11:28)

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Have you ever wondered that hearing might not be enough?  Hearing doesn’t really do anyone any good.  To hear the Word of God is only part of the matter.  To keep the Word of God… now that is something other than hearing.

What does it mean to keep the word of God? Do we hold on to a Bible somewhere for safe “keeping” or do we keep it like we “keep” our wedding vows?  The one who hears and keeps is blessed, more blessed than Mary, the mother of Jesus.

Does all this Word of God “keeping” sound like good works to you?  Maybe it’s just a good relationship.  Those who know God will relate to Him like He is God. It’s a far greater blessing to know Jesus as the Messiah than to know Him like a mother knows her son.  Isn’t that the point.

Keep the Word of God, not because it’s a work by which one merits eternal life… no rather, keep the word of God because one has stood in your place and kept the law for you.  One has made you holy.  One has made you perfect.  One has made you acceptable before God.

Isn’t that the “word of God” we are supposed to hear… the gospel?  And doesn’t the gospel require faith from us? And in that faith we respond to what Christ has done by trusting him to do what He said He would do.  Keeping the Word of God then is to keep Christ as our righteousness.  To keep trusting Him, to keep a hold of Him, to allow him to transform us… change us… make us into his image.  It’s better to know Jesus as a Savior than a son indeed.

Father,

Thank you for working our my salvation.  Thank you that I come to you, not in my own merit and strength, but through the power of the Holy Spirit by faith in Christ.  I pray that I will not just hear your word today, but that I will keep it.  I pray that I will be the blessed man in Proverbs 1.

“I Have Given You Authority (Lk.10:19)

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“I have given you authority” those were the words.  Authority to tread on serpents, to suffer no harm.  This is a phrase that cuts both ways for those who follow Christ.

The first way it cuts is that it reminds us that we have no authority over evil other than that which has been given us by Jesus Christ.  It’s His authority, we just represent Him.  Our Church growth strategies, our evangelism programs and our best efforts to win our neighbors to Christ are just that… ours. Sometimes we forget that we are aliens in this world.  The power to save, the power to go and make disciples, the power to shine light into darkness doesn’t come from us… it comes from Him.  We go under His authority, “All authority has been given unto me” (Mt. 28:18).

second.  We have authority from Him!  Don’t let anyone tell you that you have no right to speak the truth, comfort the afflicted, and bring healing to those who are hurting. We are doing only what Jesus has told us to do.  It’s His authority.  Who trumps His authority?  No one!

Father,

Today I am both humbled and encouraged.  One the one hand I am humbled to remember that I can do nothing on my own.  I can only do what I see you doing.  I can only act out of the authority that you give.  I am also encouraged.  I am encouraged because I am your man.  You have called me.  You have set me apart and you have commissioned me to share your gospel.  Father, I ask that I would go boldly today in the authority that you have provided.  I ask that I would not act out of insecurity or self-preservation, but that I would be jealous for your glory today.

“You Give Them Something To Eat” (Lk. 9:13)

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There they were on the side of the mountain and late into the day.  The people were listening to Jesus preach, but it became apparent that they needed a break to get something to eat.  Eating is necessary after all.  Eating is what sustains us, it keeps up alive. Necessities of life were encroaching upon meeting.  They could go on meeting, but they could not go on without food.

The plan was to dismiss the crowd.  The disciples had determined that.  We don’t have enough, let them go into the villages and purchase food.  Who knows perhaps this would have been an economic stimulus for the area they were in.  But Jesus had other plans.  He looks at his disciples and says, “You give them something to eat.”

I’m sure they looked around at each other at this point.  They thought, “We don’t have anything, well not much anyway… maybe one man’s lunch, but not enough for the crowd.”  But he takes it, he takes those small rations.  He holds them out and blesses them and begins to pass out food to feed the multitude.

But, wait, there is more to this story that just plain old white bread.  Jesus was meeting a physical need.  He was feeding the hungry.  Just like Moses called on God and God provided the manna.  Jesus was saying here that he would provide for all that we needed.  Not just physically, but spiritually as well.  He is the Bread of Life!

So then I remember, this is how ministry works.  I truly have nothing to offer, nothing much anyhow. Nothing apart from His blessing.  Nothing apart from His hands. He is the one that takes my weakness and exploits it for kingdom gain.  He is the one ultimately opens his word before me to feed me and a whole multitude beside.

Father,

I remember today how little I have to offer you and how gracious you are to multiply your grace to me and many more besides.  Use me today to open your word before your people.  I am nothing if I am not in your hands.

5 Things I Would Tell My Teenage Friends Who Are Dealing With Divorce

On By pastorjonathanIn discipleship, FamilyLeave a comment

I have been working with teenagers ever since I was one.  Though I am aging out I still get to hang out with teenagers on a pretty consistent basis and on occasion I get asked for advice. Sometimes the advice flows out of my experience, sometimes it flows out of maturity (just being able to look back from around the bend with a clear perspective), but most often the advice I like to give comes from the Bible because I have found it to be a reliable and authoritative guide to knowing God and figuring life out.

However, before I dig into what I would say to my teenage friends who are dealing with their parents’ divorce I want to say this: My goal is to help you in your situation.  To that end I won’t be writing about what all the Bible says about divorce.  Rather, I’ll be writing mostly about what the Bible says about you or about parents.

Here is what I would say to my teenage friends who are dealing with their parents’ divorce.

1. You Are Not Alone. Sometimes you may feel like you don’t have anyone to turn to or that anyone gets what you are going through.  I want to encourage you that even in our darkest hour that God is still with us.  Turn to Him, even when you do not know what to say and he will hear the cry of your heart.  Check out Romans 8:35-39.

2. Your Parents Are Still Your Parents. You may see one more than the other, but both are still your parents and you need to honor them both.  Refuse to choose sides and engage in gossip or negative talk.  This means that when you are with your mom, you do not need to gossip about your dad or when you are with your dad you do not need to talk bad about your mom. Check out Exodus 20:12 and Ephesians 4:29.

3. Pray for Your Parents Every Day. God can create human life and change the hearts of kings, He is most certainly able to change the hearts of your parents.  However, your parents may never change how they interact with one another.  Pray everyday for God to comfort you and to give you wisdom in how to interact with your parents.  Check out 2 Corinthians 1:3-4.

4. Forgive Your Parents. You may be holding on to a grudge against your mom or dad or both.  Forgiveness can be tough, but it is necessary.  Forgiving your parents if you hold a grudge allows you to process what has happened and begin to move on with your life.  If you are a believer, then remember how God in Christ forgave you.  While a divorce is certainly a big deal and issues may be compounded by the way one or both of your parents are treating you, you need to start down the path of forgiveness. Check out Matthew 18:21-35.

5. Lean on friends that you can trust. It will be helpful for you to talk about how you feel about your parent’s divorce.  You may need to find a trusted adult or counselor that you can talk to on a regular basis and will encourage you and help you process everything that is going on.  Check out Proverbs 18:24, Proverbs 19:4, and Proverbs 27:9.

To those of you I know Personally: I don’t know what having divorced parents feels like, but I know that things will be different for you and I want to be here for you as a friend while you go through this. My parents were never divorced and so I can’t pretend to know what you are going through.  Though I don’t know how you hurt, I know that you hurt and so I’m here for you.

You may also want to check out what Christian recording artist Britt Nicole has to say about dealing with divorce (her parents are divorced). I linked to an interview with her on this topic that I found on the Lifeway Girls Ministry blog here:  Britt Nicole on Divorce

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Twelve Years (Lk. 8:42-43)

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Twelve years.  Twelve years before, the events of this day were put into motion. Twelve years ago a woman began to have an issue with bleeding that would eventually drain her life savings and leave her feeling broken and without hope.  Without hope, that is until Jesus came on the scene.  She saw Him passing by and reached out to touch His garment… she hoped beyond all hope and she was healed!  For twelve years she had walked with this disease.  For twelve years she had prayed that she would find healing and on this day she was healed!

Twelve years.  Twelve years before the events of this day a little girl was born. She was the pride and joy of her family.  The years passed quickly and she grew by leaps and bounds.  Then on this day, this day, she was sick.  It wasn’t a passing sickness.  It wasn’t one that she could shake.  Her mother was worried.  Her father heard that Jesus was in town healing people.  So he went to fetch the one who could save his little girl.  On the way there he couldn’t help but remember the joy he had seen in his daughter’s face for the last twelve years.  Joy that was being taken away with sickness.  Would Jesus come heal his girl?  He didn’t know, but he had to try…

Then it happened, she was dead.  Dead before Jesus could even come and see her.  Was Jesus too late? Or perhaps he was right on time.  He didn’t heal her, he raised her from the dead!

Twelve years.  Twelve years before, the events of this day were being put into motion.  What is taking place today that was set in motion a long time ago?

Father,

There is nothing that escapes your notice and your timing is perfect.  Guide me today.  I want to walk according to the path that you have laid out for me.

 

 

For She is a Sinner (Lk. 7:39)

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Sinner.  The word sounds so distant when I use it to refer to someone else. Yet, when I turn my gaze inward and let the word be applied to me, it no longer seems so harmless.   Now it reminds me of my condition before a Holy and Righteous God.  Then and only then do I realize that I have come up short.

You see it’s easy to compare my sin to the sins of others.  But the life of a follower isn’t tied up in coming in ahead of someone else, it’s tied up in following. Yet how often do we default to comparing ourselves to others?  And in the process we judge them thinking that if we can prove their darkness, somehow we will look like we are in the light.

How foolish we are to defame others in the presence of Christ. How foolish is the pastor or layman who thinks that His church is in competition with the other churches in the area.  Should we wish the demise of others for our own benefit?  Should we want to see others fail?  When they do fail, is that something to rejoice about or mourn over?

The job of a follower isn’t to be so insecure that you have to build a case for your righteousness on the wickedness of others, but rather to follow. Followers follow.  Followers obey.  Followers trust. Followers are faithful. Followers seek to hear their master say, “well done, my good and faithful servant.” Somehow the sins of others never factor into that evaluation.

Father,

I am often guilty of looking to others to prove my righteousness rather than turning to follow you.  I ask for your forgiveness for not looking to you for my righteousness in those moment and trying to build a righteousness of my own.  Today my eyes are on you.  No one has the right to judge sinners but you.

Why do you call me “Lord, Lord” and not do what I tell you (Lk. 6:46)

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Following isn’t a matter of intention.  It isn’t even a matter of recognizing legitimate authority.  Following involves… well, actually following. Following requires action. Following requires obedience.

Some were calling Jesus, “Lord” with their mouths, but they were not following Him with their lives. They were not true followers.  The real followers were the one’s who took His word, even when it required a little effort, and made it the foundation of their lives (Lk. 6:48).  Jesus promised that those who would take him at His word and walk in humble obedience would not be disappointed.

But those whose commitment was merely superficial would come to ruin when the foundation of their life was tested.  The message was clear… lip service is not the same as following.  To call Jesus Lord with your lips is not the same thing as calling him Lord with your life.

I wonder how many today are playing the dangerous charade of lip service.  They want to appear to be holy.  They want others to see them as great men or women of faith… yet they really have very little faith if any at all, because they have never really come to a place of obedience in Jesus Christ.

Father,

Thank you for your grace.  I desperately want to be one who is obedient to you today.  I don’t want to offer just lip-service.  You are my LORD and you have control over my whole life.  Use me today as you would see fit.  I am yours.

They Left Everything and Followed Him (Lk. 5:11)

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Peter, James and John had just caught what was most likely the biggest catch of fish in their life and they left it behind.  Not just that, they left off the fishing business all together to follow Jesus.  The call to follow Him was that important!  Forget the boats, the long and tired nights of fishing, put away the nets, forget the fish market…. “come and follow Me,” He said, “I will make you fishers of men.”

Catch the language…they left off the fishing business… “to follow.”  Before they became fishers of men, they were followers of Jesus.  Sometimes in our hype to share the gospel, we forget that following Jesus is the most important part of fishing for men.  You can’t fish, if you don’t follow. It’s really that simple.

The transformation takes place along the way as we follow. We are made into His image.  We are made into fishers of men, but it doesn’t happen until we submit our lives to the Lord Jesus Christ.  Yet, following is costly.  Following Jesus challenges every idol that you are tempted to hold in your heart instead of Him. Do you love money?  Follow Jesus and you will be forced to let go of money.  Do you love security? Follow Jesus and he will bid you to follow him into the deep to depend on Him alone.  Do you picture yourself as better than others?  Follow Jesus and He will lead you to a place where the standard becomes the holiness of God.

The disciples followed Jesus all the way to Jerusalem where He was crucified. After the resurrection, many of the disciples would meet persecution as they went about sharing the message.  There came a point where the disciples had to intentionally choose to follow Jesus no matter what the cost.

Father,

Thank you for calling me to follow you.  I confirm in my heart again that I am completely yours.  I give up every claim I ever had on anything else.  I give you my family.  They are yours.  I give you my job.  It is yours.  I am following you today.  Please see fit to transform me to be more like you… whatever the cost.

He Departed and Went into a Desolate Place (Lk. 4:42)

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In the middle of all the excitement, He was finding a place to be still. While people were desperately searching for Him, asking, begging Him to lay his ministering hands on the injured and bring healing, He was looking for a place to be alone with the Father.  It was that important.

The day before had been busy.  Maybe He should have slept in, but instead He is out in a desolate place seeking an opportunity to speak the Father.  People were looking for Him.  Didn’t He know that they were lining up at the door?  His ministry was taking off!  He could be doing ministry at that moment, but instead we find Him with the Father.

It’s just then that I’m reminded.  Ministry isn’t His objective.  It’s not the end.  It’s the means to the end.  Worship is the end.  Bringing people to worship is the end.  And you can’t bring people to a place where you haven’t been.  You can’t lead people to do something in public that you haven’t at least done in private.

He wasn’t on His own in the mission.  He had constant contact with the Father.  He got up and spent time in prayer.  He could have stayed, but He left, the mission required it (Lk. 4:43). He had every reason to stay and be “successful” where He was, but that wasn’t the mission.  He had spoken to the Father and obedience to the Father is more important than a seemingly “successful” ministry now.

Healing, calling people to repentance, declaring the work of the Lord were all secondary to worship!  Real and authentic worship!  Worship not by song or way of lip service, but worship wrought out by obedience! Obedience wrought out by a time of solitude in prayer.

Father,

Today I hear you calling.  You call just like every day.  You say, “Come now and drink deeply from the fountain… come now and drink!”  You say, “Jonathan, you drink now from the fountain… before you call others to drink and immerse themselves in Me, you be immersed!  Don’t preach with a parched mouth!  Don’t attempt to do ministry for Me without seeing Me first.”

I admit O’ God that I am tempted some days to run into the day without seeking You first.  Thank You Father for drawing me close to You.  I almost mistook the ministry for You and that is a dangerous place to be (Mt. 7:21-23).  You have my obedience today and I pray you have it for the rest of the life You have given me.  I am yours.

Careful Little Mouth What You Say: Cussing and the Good News of Jesus

On By pastorjonathanIn Devotional8 Comments

Your words matter. Cussing is a disgusting habit and one that can be hard to break.  I used to cuss and to be honest it’s a category that I am still a weaker brother in. Not so much with what I say, but when I hear people say other words or stop just short of saying ‘dirty’ words.  My mind still goes to the ‘dirty’ word and I can not help but feel dirty for thinking it.  Not that these words have magical powers, but because they remind me of how I used to speak. I even have Christian brothers who all but say the bad words and then they get a twisted smile on their face as if to say “get my drift… I could have said a cuss word?” I don’t smile back because they aren’t helping anybody when they do that.

I guess, truth be told, I am bothered more when “Christians” cuss than when people who aren’t Christians cuss.  The reason is that “Christians” are supposed to know better. There are a million and one reasons not to cuss, but the best ones I have found are in the scripture (check the list below).

But now you must put them all away: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and obscene talk from your mouth. (Colossians 3:8)

Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear. (Ephesians 4:29)

talking about the tongue James writes:

With it we bless our Lord and Father, and with it we curse people who are made in the likeness of God. From the same mouth come blessing and cursing. My brothers, these things ought not to be so. Does a spring pour forth from the same opening both fresh and salt water? Can a fig tree, my brothers, bear olives, or a grapevine produce figs? Neither can a salt pond yield fresh water. (James 3:9-12)

The third commandment also reminds us not to take the name of the Lord in vain (Ex. 20:7).  While this does have implications for how we use the name of God, the larger context dictates that those who are called by His name (in other words … Christians) are not supposed to act in a way that would bring shame to God’s name.

At best, cussing is just crude language.  But even if cussing is just crude language… does anything good come from it? Is there a way to cuss to the glory of God?

That being said.  If you struggle with trying to stop cussing.  I know what you are going through.  Don’t look for a way to continue in your unhealthy speech patterns.  1 John 1:9 reminds us that if we confess our sin He is faithful and just to forgive us of our sins and purify us.  Ask God to help you get rid of your cursing habit and to replace your speech with edifying words. At the same time be reading God’s word.

If someone who isn’t a Christian cusses around you, show some grace.  You don’t have to be the cussing police (especially if they don’t claim to know God).  Your friends who don’t know God, need God more than they need to stop cussing. At the same time if it really bothers you that they cuss, try politely asking them not to cuss around you.  When they ask why, in a non-judgmental way let them know that you are a Christian, and you would appreciate not hearing cuss words.  You might be surprised at how many conversations about Jesus that this opens up.  At the same time be ready for some people to cuss more around you because they now know it bothers you.

Some Christians have said that they cuss so that other people will know that they are like them and that they don’t judge people for cussing or anything.  I really don’t think you have to cuss for people to hear you when you talk about Jesus.  That kind of behavior is driven more out of a desire to be accepted by people than a desire to please God.  God doesn’t need you to cuss to show that He loves people. I’ve had more gospel oriented discussions when someone asks why I don’t cuss than I ever had when I slipped up and let a word out.