"A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell among robbers, and they stripped him and beat him, and went away leaving him half dead. "And by chance a priest was going down on that road, and when he saw him, he passed by on the other side. "Likewise a Levite also, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side." Luke 10:30-32
It would be a great speculative exercise to wonder where the priest and the Levite where going as they passed someone in such distress. One should have no trouble determining what a priest is. For those who do not know, however, a Levite was one whose tribe members were responsible for attending to things associated with the temple, the worship that took place there and the needs of the priests. Where could they both be going?
Before that is further pursued, the fact that they "passed by on the other side," away from someone who had been injured is of particular note. Certainly tradition holds that this took place on a road that was frequented by robbers. Perhaps they were both concerned about their own safety and decided to give the situation a wide berth.
Suppose they were just in a hurry. Suppose they were in a hurry because they were late. Suppose they were in a hurry because they were late for a temple worship or class. Suppose they were in a hurry because they were late for a temple worship or class where they were scheduled to discuss how to treat one's fellow man. Just suppose.
Beloved, Christianity is not a claim, it is a calling. It is not for show but for shouldering. It is not just for hearing but for helping. It is not just for believing but being. I wonder how often we pass up the opportunity to do good on the way to "church"...where we are told to do good.
Faith without works is dead.
In Revival,
Lee
Friday, October 29, 2010
Thursday, October 28, 2010
Establishing Your Priorities-DD 10/28/2010
"Master, which is the great commandment in the law? Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself." Matt 22:36-39
Any questions?
In Revival,
Lee
Wednesday, October 27, 2010
Seeing Is Believing-DD 10/27/2010
"Therefore many of the Jews who came to Mary, and saw what He had done, believed in Him. But some of them went to the Pharisees and told them the things which Jesus had done." John 11:45-46
Jesus had just accomplished what arguably was his greatest miracle; he brought a dead man back to life. There are three other instances of bringing a person back to life in the bible. Elisha was the first to do it in the case of the widow's son. Jesus brought back to life a young girl and Paul a young man who fell out of a window. What distinguishes the case of Lazarus is the length of time he was dead. Popular Jewish belief stated that the life force lingered near the body for 3 days. Jesus waited four days to resurrect him despite having had the ability to prevent his death. Further, the scripture says that the body had begun to stink from decomposition at this point. This is what makes it such a tremendous miracle.
This, however, is not the focus of the message. The focus is about the effect all of this had on the people that witnessed it. There were those who "believed in him" on the strength of seeing him do the absolute impossible. They were also fully aware that he attributed the ability to do this to God. Jesus once told Thomas, who doubted, that he was blessed because he had seen and believed. There is nothing wrong with this. In fact, many believe that the reason Jesus did so many miracles was to prove who he is. When John asked if he was the Messiah or whether they should wait for another, Jesus instructed John's disciples to report back to him with what they had seen him do.
The other effect was that there were those who saw the same thing that immediately fled and reported the events to the ruling council. One must question the motive for doing such a thing after witnessing something never before or since seen. It was no secret that these men were the enemies of Christ. Were the tattlers advising the that their end was near because of the great power seen in Jesus, or were they merely gossipping and in so doing, warning the council that it was "their move?" Who can say? But the telling thing about all of this is that belief in him was not attributed to them. We know that without faith, it is impossible to please Him.
Beloved, miracles are done in our lives every day. Let us allow them to build our faith and strengthen our belief. That is what they are for.
In Revival,
Lee
Jesus had just accomplished what arguably was his greatest miracle; he brought a dead man back to life. There are three other instances of bringing a person back to life in the bible. Elisha was the first to do it in the case of the widow's son. Jesus brought back to life a young girl and Paul a young man who fell out of a window. What distinguishes the case of Lazarus is the length of time he was dead. Popular Jewish belief stated that the life force lingered near the body for 3 days. Jesus waited four days to resurrect him despite having had the ability to prevent his death. Further, the scripture says that the body had begun to stink from decomposition at this point. This is what makes it such a tremendous miracle.
This, however, is not the focus of the message. The focus is about the effect all of this had on the people that witnessed it. There were those who "believed in him" on the strength of seeing him do the absolute impossible. They were also fully aware that he attributed the ability to do this to God. Jesus once told Thomas, who doubted, that he was blessed because he had seen and believed. There is nothing wrong with this. In fact, many believe that the reason Jesus did so many miracles was to prove who he is. When John asked if he was the Messiah or whether they should wait for another, Jesus instructed John's disciples to report back to him with what they had seen him do.
The other effect was that there were those who saw the same thing that immediately fled and reported the events to the ruling council. One must question the motive for doing such a thing after witnessing something never before or since seen. It was no secret that these men were the enemies of Christ. Were the tattlers advising the that their end was near because of the great power seen in Jesus, or were they merely gossipping and in so doing, warning the council that it was "their move?" Who can say? But the telling thing about all of this is that belief in him was not attributed to them. We know that without faith, it is impossible to please Him.
Beloved, miracles are done in our lives every day. Let us allow them to build our faith and strengthen our belief. That is what they are for.
In Revival,
Lee
Tuesday, October 26, 2010
Hold On-DD 10/26/2010
"Nevertheless what you have, hold fast until I come." Rev 2:25
Jesus is addressing some issues in Thyatira, one of the seven churches in Asia discussed in the book of Revelation. It seems that they had some problems with immorality of both a spiritual and physical nature. Far too often we who know better because we have been taught better, fail to do better. This is particularly true as it relates to things that become popular in society. It has become unpopular and politically incorrect to criticize homosexuality in our country for example. As a result, their are some religious organizations, claiming the knowledge and love of Christ that give their consent to that lifestyle and even have gay clergy. Clearly they have not read the first chapter of the book of Romans.
Ahead of Christ's admonition, however, he says, "I know your deeds, and your love and faith and service and perseverance, and that your deeds of late are greater than at first." Rev 2:19. This demonstrates two things. One is that they knew better and the other is that they were doing better and better. It is clear that under the best of circumstances, sin still has the ability to creep in. It is also worthy of note that the effect was not limited to individuals, but can be attributed to the congregation.
Fortunately beloved, there is always a remnant. God ensures that there are a precious few who will maintain the cause of Christ. To these, the encouragement is to hold on to their deeds, love, faith, service and perseverance. It is these things that are pleasing to God and that distinguish us from those to whom stern warnings and grave prophecies are given.
In Revival,
Lee
Jesus is addressing some issues in Thyatira, one of the seven churches in Asia discussed in the book of Revelation. It seems that they had some problems with immorality of both a spiritual and physical nature. Far too often we who know better because we have been taught better, fail to do better. This is particularly true as it relates to things that become popular in society. It has become unpopular and politically incorrect to criticize homosexuality in our country for example. As a result, their are some religious organizations, claiming the knowledge and love of Christ that give their consent to that lifestyle and even have gay clergy. Clearly they have not read the first chapter of the book of Romans.
Ahead of Christ's admonition, however, he says, "I know your deeds, and your love and faith and service and perseverance, and that your deeds of late are greater than at first." Rev 2:19. This demonstrates two things. One is that they knew better and the other is that they were doing better and better. It is clear that under the best of circumstances, sin still has the ability to creep in. It is also worthy of note that the effect was not limited to individuals, but can be attributed to the congregation.
Fortunately beloved, there is always a remnant. God ensures that there are a precious few who will maintain the cause of Christ. To these, the encouragement is to hold on to their deeds, love, faith, service and perseverance. It is these things that are pleasing to God and that distinguish us from those to whom stern warnings and grave prophecies are given.
In Revival,
Lee
Monday, October 25, 2010
Hearing God-DD 10/25/2010
"A woman named Lydia, from the city of Thyatira, a seller of purple fabrics, a worshiper of God, was listening; and the Lord opened her heart to respond to the things spoken by Paul." Acts 16:14
It is not important where we are from or what we do for a living. It is important that we worship our God. We must always worship Him in spirit and in truth for He desires such. It is our faith that separates us from those that do not believe. There is a difference between being a child of God and those who are not.
In our worship, we must be attentive to that which God has to say to us. He has many ways of communicating with us. We must attend to His word, be it preached, taught or read. We must also pursue active prayer lives, for truly the Spirit conveys His will to us. He will send the spirit of discernment by which we can learn to hear God above the noise of life's many distractions.
When we accomplish these things we will find that our hearts will be opened. And what is it to have our hearts opened but to have our minds opened? The scripture does not refer to that which pumps blood to the body, but to our intellect, our understanding and our emotion. Once we have an understanding of who God is, limited though it may be, and what His purpose is for our lives, we will have no choice but to respond.
Beloved, we were made through love, of love, by Love. By the grace of Almighty God, through His son and our Savior, we respond to Love.
In Revival,
Lee
It is not important where we are from or what we do for a living. It is important that we worship our God. We must always worship Him in spirit and in truth for He desires such. It is our faith that separates us from those that do not believe. There is a difference between being a child of God and those who are not.
In our worship, we must be attentive to that which God has to say to us. He has many ways of communicating with us. We must attend to His word, be it preached, taught or read. We must also pursue active prayer lives, for truly the Spirit conveys His will to us. He will send the spirit of discernment by which we can learn to hear God above the noise of life's many distractions.
When we accomplish these things we will find that our hearts will be opened. And what is it to have our hearts opened but to have our minds opened? The scripture does not refer to that which pumps blood to the body, but to our intellect, our understanding and our emotion. Once we have an understanding of who God is, limited though it may be, and what His purpose is for our lives, we will have no choice but to respond.
Beloved, we were made through love, of love, by Love. By the grace of Almighty God, through His son and our Savior, we respond to Love.
In Revival,
Lee
Friday, October 22, 2010
Let Your Light Shine-DD 10/22/2010
"Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven." Matt 5:16
Beloved, we are called to be examples. Through his sacrifice and our faith in him, Christ rescued us from the darkness and filled us with his holy light. As the ultimate source of fire, he lit each of us as candles to, in turn, light others. As those filled with light, we are to push back the darkness and rescue others from it by pointing them to Jesus.
By letting our light shine, others will be able to see. They will be able to see past their circumstances and witness the joy that can be seen in us. They will be able to see that we have been equipped to accomplish the will of God. They will see eternity through the things that we do. It is not, however, about us. It is about glorifying God.
When others ask who we are and why we do the good and beneficial things we do, the answer is both simple and profound: because of Him that made us and because of Cavalry. All we do and all we are is purposed and designed to glorify God. So be sure to let your light shine!
In Revival,
Lee
Beloved, we are called to be examples. Through his sacrifice and our faith in him, Christ rescued us from the darkness and filled us with his holy light. As the ultimate source of fire, he lit each of us as candles to, in turn, light others. As those filled with light, we are to push back the darkness and rescue others from it by pointing them to Jesus.
By letting our light shine, others will be able to see. They will be able to see past their circumstances and witness the joy that can be seen in us. They will be able to see that we have been equipped to accomplish the will of God. They will see eternity through the things that we do. It is not, however, about us. It is about glorifying God.
When others ask who we are and why we do the good and beneficial things we do, the answer is both simple and profound: because of Him that made us and because of Cavalry. All we do and all we are is purposed and designed to glorify God. So be sure to let your light shine!
In Revival,
Lee
Thursday, October 21, 2010
The Most Difficult Command-DD 10/21/10
"Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials," James 1:2
Last night, a dear friend shared with me that he considered today's scripture to be one of the most difficult things to carry out in all of scripture.
It did not take long to agree. As people of God, we are called upon to be optimistic. In reality, we have so much about which to be positive. Among the countless blessings, God has assured us that all things work together for good for those of us who love Him and are called according to His purpose. This means that even when we look at our various situations which would seem to be less than positive, knowing that we will overcome them should bring us joy. Knowing that we are being shaped and molded by our Father through life circumstances should make us happy that He knows us and cares for us.
Beloved, it can certainly be hard to smile sometimes. Rising above our circumstances can be challenging to say the least, however, if we would just have faith, we would find that we can move mountains. Even in the midst of walking in the valley of the shadow of death, know that He is with you and will never forsake you. Allow His love to fill you, His goodness to comfort you and His provision to satisfy you. Keeping this top of mind will keep you joyful, come what may.
In Revival,
Lee
Last night, a dear friend shared with me that he considered today's scripture to be one of the most difficult things to carry out in all of scripture.
It did not take long to agree. As people of God, we are called upon to be optimistic. In reality, we have so much about which to be positive. Among the countless blessings, God has assured us that all things work together for good for those of us who love Him and are called according to His purpose. This means that even when we look at our various situations which would seem to be less than positive, knowing that we will overcome them should bring us joy. Knowing that we are being shaped and molded by our Father through life circumstances should make us happy that He knows us and cares for us.
Beloved, it can certainly be hard to smile sometimes. Rising above our circumstances can be challenging to say the least, however, if we would just have faith, we would find that we can move mountains. Even in the midst of walking in the valley of the shadow of death, know that He is with you and will never forsake you. Allow His love to fill you, His goodness to comfort you and His provision to satisfy you. Keeping this top of mind will keep you joyful, come what may.
In Revival,
Lee
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)