In death, will someone know you even lived?

^44 “Woe to you, because you are like unmarked graves, which men walk over without knowing it.”

(Lk 11:44, NIV)

Jesus here at the end of Chapter 11 is really getting on the Pharisees (the religious leaders of the time) about what they where doing.  He was telling them about how all that they where doing was hindering and not helping the people.  He really deflates them in vs. 44 when Jesus essentially tells them "you know when your gone, it will be like you never existed"; humbling thought if you think about it for a few.  Poses the question, when I'm gone will anyone know i was even here?

The example of Jesus throughout His ministry was being a servant and pouring His life into others.  It is the example we are to follow.  We should be on a daily basis pouring our lives into other, or sometimes we call it investing in the lives of others.  I want the kingdom to know I was here, I want people's lives to be impacted and made better because Chris Reese was created by God for that purpose, and so where you!

Go and make a difference, invest in the lives of others.

Blessings have a great weekend, Chris

Did I miss something?

^27 As Jesus was saying these things, a woman in the crowd called out, “Blessed is the mother who gave you birth and nursed you.”

^28 He replied, “Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and obey it.” (Lk 11:27-28, NIV)

 

I have a friend of mine that was going to a church in Morganton, NC, he has been a believer for a long, long time.  Every week the pastor gave an "evangelistic message", which is fine, but the problem my friend was having was thinking, "hey I'm a believer, I'm here too, what about me, what am i supposed to learn this week, I know I'm saved, but what am I supposed to do with it?  What am i supposed to do with Jesus everyday?  Needless to say, my friend in frustration, left his church, and went to another one where he as able to "hear the word of God and obey it".

Unfortunately I'm afraid that some go to church and walk away week after week, hearing sermon after sermon, but do mostly nothing with it.  So my question is: what's the point?  The point is that each sermon every week has been carefully prayed over, thought through, and delivered by divine appointment (or is supposed to be); so therefore each week the sermons are equally inspired, however they are not always relevant to everyone.  Yes, there are some weeks you can walk away from church where you know what was taught and you may not need to make adjustments (yes it is possible); however on the flip side there are probably numerous weeks where adjustments in life need to be made, where you need to go home and discuss the sermon again with your family.

There is a wonderful thing at home, it's called the dinner table, it doesn't always have to be used for food.  It's a wonderful place for the family to come together and discuss what they learned in church today.  For us this conversation usually begins on the way home in the car, and continues when we get home. 

Do you know what would make your pastor smile and most importantly your God smile.  To hear a conversation happening where you are discussing what the sermon was about.  Now this is not to make us as pastor's big headed because your talking about "our" sermon, because we as pastor's know it's not our sermon, but God's.  It blesses us to know that God spoke to you and that you know you need to do something about it.

So if you are leaving church week after week, and not getting anything from sermons or not finding that you are making any adjustments spiritually then you do probably find yourself asking:  Did I miss something?  Yes, you did....you missed the whole point of being there:  To hear the word and apply it!

 

Have a blessed day, Chris

Don't throw in the the towel (yet)

^9 “So I say to you: Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. ^10 For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened. (Lk 11:9-10, NIV)

Today I am struggling with a prayer that i have been praying for a year now, and am glad this verse was part of my reading.  For a year i have been pleading and praying to the Lord for help with something, and there has been no answer.  WEll, let me restate, I have not gotten the answer I am looking for.  Three times over the last year I felt like the Lord was about to answer, and then the answer seems so far away again.  I know I am not the only one out there who feels this way.  Today's reading has been very good for me spiritually, when I read these verses.

The disciples had come to Jesus and asked Him exactly how to pray.  Jesus gives them the model prayer (Lk. 11:2-4), gives a parable (11:5-9), and really challenges them to trust after they pray (11:9-13).  We know the model prayer, so I wish to move on to the parable.  The parable is awesome in itself, if we can grasp the concept of persistency in prayer.  He speaks of a friend that shows up at another friends door in the middle of the night.  The friend knocks on the door because he is hungry, and the homeowner tells him to go away, it's late, and the kids are in bed.  Jesus then states that if the friend at the door keeps knocking eventually the homeowner will get up and open the door.  I really identified with this, can you?  Prayer is knocking at the door, and I have been knocking at the door for a year.  However, if i quit knocking on the door then it will never get opened.  Makes sense.

Jesus told them and is telling us keep praying, keep praying, keep praying, keep praying, and keep praying. 

Because:

^13 If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!” (Lk 11:13, NIV)

 

Chris

Please don't hit the "STOP" button

^49 “Master,” said John, “we saw a man driving out demons in your name and we tried to stop him, because he is not one of us.”

^50 “Do not stop him,” Jesus said, “for whoever is not against you is for you.” (Lk 9:49-50, NIV)

 

Two simple verses jumped out at me today, but there is a wonderful truth that is found in them.  The disciples where out ministering & doing what Jesus wanted them to, ran across some others who where doing THE SAME THING, and yet they wanted to stop them...why?  The truth is found at the end of verse 49: because they were not one of them.  My how quickly we can move from being kingdom focused to center focused.  Because they didn't look, act, or do something for the kingdom like they where doing they tried to stop them.  This has always been, and I'm afraid it will always be.  Just because someone does something differently from us, and has the same end result, does not make them wrong.  Someone may do different music than me, may teach differently than me, may be a different denomination than me, and may even use a different translation than me.  What does Jesus say to that?  "Don't stop them, they are not against you they are for you".....

As long as they are teaching Christ the Son of God, who was crucified for my sins and yours, and people are being transformed, why does it matter?

Please don't hit the "STOP" button, it affects the kingdom, and Jesus says that they may be different from you but their not your enemy.

 

have a blessed day, Chris

The World Does not revolve around you

^46 An argument started among the disciples as to which of them would be the greatest. ^47 Jesus, knowing their thoughts, took a little child and had him stand beside him. ^48 Then he said to them, “Whoever welcomes this little child in my name welcomes me; and whoever welcomes me welcomes the one who sent me. For he who is least among you all—he is the greatest.” (Lk 9:46-48, NIV)

In my devotion today i was reminded of this fact that alot of us either fail to realize, or don't want to realize.  That is there is a whole great big world out there that goes way beyond me, the humbling fact is that if i died today guess what, the world would keep spinning, life would go on.  Now don't get me wrong, my family, wife, kids, church, and youth would miss me (i hope anyway) :), but the fact is the world would go on.  Sometimes our focus is way too small.  Having four kids it is really easy to get wrapped up in our own little world, cause let's face it when you have kids, there world revolves around them (or it should anyway).  But what would life be like if we stepped back and allowed the world to revolve around God.  Amazing concept, and guess what?  It's the way it is supposed to be.

This marks the second time in Luke that someone is arguing over who is the greatest, can you imagine being in the presence of Jesus, and arguing with the disciples over which of YOU are the greatest.  I love Jesus' response, he sees a child puts the child next to him, a child that none of them probably knew.  Then proceeds to tell them that there is more people out and around than just them.  Jesus essentially tells them they need to get a change in perspective, from the view they had of themselves (I'm the greatest) to a view of the kingdom (the children of God).

I challenge you to get a broader view of the world out there, see that there is much more going on in this world that just what is immediately in front of you, and try to see the world as God sees it.

have a wonderful weekend, go to worship somewhere this weekend, take some Sabbath time, and let someone close to you know you love them, Chris :)

stop playing games

^23 Then he said to them all: “If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. ^24 For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will save it. ^25 What good is it for a man to gain the whole world, and yet lose or forfeit his very self? ^26 If anyone is ashamed of me and my words, the Son of Man will be ashamed of him when he comes in his glory and in the glory of the Father and of the holy angels. ^27 I tell you the truth, some who are standing here will not taste death before they see the kingdom of God.” (Lk 9:23-27, NIV)

We are in a world with serious problems, serious dangers, and a serious God.  So the question is are we serious people, that is serious people that are serious about there relationship with God.  It's so easy to say I believe in God, the hard part is living that out.

Things where about to get really tough for the disciples, Jesus is sitting them down here, and giving them that "halftime talk".  He is essentially telling them, "Guys, it's gut check time, and I need you to check where you are right now?".  He is trying to find out if they are willing to give it all, if they are all in.

It's time to be all in, let's stop just saying we believe in God, let's start living it.

Have a great day, Chris

I'll have a fish sandwich please

^12 Late in the afternoon the Twelve came to him and said, “Send the crowd away so they can go to the surrounding villages and countryside and find food and lodging, because we are in a remote place here.”

^13 He replied, “You give them something to eat.”

They answered, “We have only five loaves of bread and two fish—unless we go and buy food for all this crowd.” ^14 (About five thousand men were there.)

But he said to his disciples, “Have them sit down in groups of about fifty each.” ^15 The disciples did so, and everybody sat down. ^16 Taking the five loaves and the two fish and looking up to heaven, he gave thanks and broke them. Then he gave them to the disciples to set before the people. ^17 They all ate and were satisfied, and the disciples picked up twelve basketful's of broken pieces that were left over. (Lk 9:12-17, NIV)

 

If i where to ask which miracle you would want to see of Jesus which would it be?  Some would want to be there when Lazarus was raised from the dead, how bout when Jarius' child was healed, or maybe when the blind man could see?  It's hard to pick isn't it?  Yeah, i agree it is.  This miracle would be in the top three of the my list. 

Setting the scene, had been a long day and the crowd had gotten larger and larger.  vs. 14 tells us that there is about 5000 men, which of course doesn't include the women and children (mt. 14:21).  It has been estimated that close to 10,000 where actually there.  Jesus being such a great person of wisdom, knew that this many people getting very hungry could be extremely dangerous, you know most people get grumpy when they hungry.  He tells the disciples to sit them and feed them.  The only thing they said they had was five loaves of bread and two fishes (which of course we know came from a little boy who offered what he had (John 6:8-9).  Jesus blessed it and 10,000 people had fish sandwiches and there was 12 baskets left over.

Simple truth to this is, you give what little you and I have to give, Jesus blesses it, people get filled and God's kingdom is built.  Chew on that fish sandwich for a little while :)

 

have a great day, and go to a midweek service tonight, you won't regret it, Chris

shake it off, SHAKE IT OFF

When Jesus had called the Twelve together, he gave them power and authority to drive out all demons and to cure diseases, ^2 and he sent them out to preach the kingdom of God and to heal the sick. ^3 He told them: “Take nothing for the journey—no staff, no bag, no bread, no money, no extra tunic. ^4 Whatever house you enter, stay there until you leave that town. ^5 If people do not welcome you, shake the dust off your feet when you leave their town, as a testimony against them.” ^6 So they set out and went from village to village, preaching the gospel and healing people everywhere. (Lk 9:1-6, NIV)

First time i ever did door to door visits was at WABC (West Asheville Baptist Church), we had gone out a week or two after Christmas play following up on people who visited, knocked on a door with Dr. Gray Little (Adminstrative Pastor) and a man who was obviously intoxicated answered the door.  He had no idea his wife and family had even visited us, and consequently was quite angry.  Gray taught me a quick lesson on one of the ideas behind these verses of scripture.  We did manage to give them a visitor packet (which included a New Testament).  Gray could tell i was a little rattled by the whole experience, so when we returned to the car, we talked about it.  Bright spot was that we got a Bible into the home; he also taught me (and experience has proved this to be true) that you will have far more good experiences than bad when doing visits, and that they are rejecting Christ and not us.

A forgone lost art found in churches today: visitation.  There are relevant reasons why some dont visit anymore.  Society really doesn't (for the most part) like it anymore.  I had a former church member once tell me that if someone knocks on his door at night, he finds it an "inconvenience" to him because he is trying to spend time with his family.  Quite honestly, when visiting we get a lot more no answers than anything else anymore.  However, it is a lost art.  I have had some very good visits sometimes; you never know what is going on behind the door your knocking on.  Some are very receptive, most are friendly, and periodically you will find the mean and rude.

My lesson learned was as Jesus had told His disciples, "shake it off".  Earliest lesson i remember is to "shake off the bad visits", and remember they are rejecting Christ and not Chris.  It's not personal agains you or I; it's personal against Christ.

When you invite people to church, or talk to them about your faith and they respond in negative way, remember that they are not rejecting you, they are rejecting Him.  Also, remember the good visits and talks because they far outweigh the negative.

Have a blessed day, Chris.