Timing

Timing

As he approached Jerusalem and saw the city, he wept over it and said, “If you, even you, had only known on this day what would bring you peace—but now it is hidden from your eyes. . . . [Y]ou did not recognize the time of God's coming to you.” Luke 19:41-42, 44b

Jerusalem represented the heart and soul of the people that God had chosen as His own, and Jesus was overcome with emotion at the sight of this city. Even as the people welcomed Christ upon his entry to the city, he was grieved by the knowledge that they did not understand the complete nature of His mission. They did not “recognize the time of God’s coming” to them.

Today, most of the people of Copperas Cove do not understand who Jesus is and what God has done for them. Will you join me in praying that, this Easter, they will “recognize the time of God’s coming” and respond to Christ? Will you pray for your neighbors and seek opportunities to introduce them to Jesus?

Father, there are people around me who need You desperately, but they don’t recognize it. I pray for my neighbors and ask that you would use me to reach them for Christ. Please give me an opportunity today to represent You.

Praying with you,
Jim

"But the tax collector stood at a distance. He would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, 'God, have mercy on me, a sinner.' [Jesus commented], 'I tell you that this man, rather than the other [the Pharisee] went home justified before God.'" Luke 18:13-14

We all need God's mercy but sometimes we become so proud of our spirituality that we become self-confident rather than God-dependent. It is the humble, God-dependent people who find their life filled with God's mercy. The proud, self-confident people find their life filled with distorted, sinful self-centeredness. Whether we are a "notorious sinner" or a "self-righteous Pharisee" we stand in equal need of God's mercy. Either way we can receive such mercy and the joy of a right relationship with God if we will simply pray, "God, have mercy on me, a sinner."

Father God, have mercy on me, a sinner.

I'm praying for you.
Pastor Mark

Limitless Love

If he (your brother) sins against you seven times in a day, and seven times comes back to you and says, 'I repent,' forgive him. - Luke 17:4

This goes beyond turning the other cheek. Jesus is demanding that we forgive the offenses of our brothers without hesitation, reservation or qualification. My reaction to this instruction from Jesus was similar to the disciples’. I’m incapable of that Lord, give me more faith!

This kind of radical forgiveness cannot be manufactured in the heart of sinful man. God is both the author and source of this kind of love. I only know of this unconditional kind of love because God has extended it to me. Moreover, I am only capable of forgiving this freely because of His work in my heart.

Father, thank you! I am so very grateful for the love that you have shown me; forgiving me over and over again. I need your help. I want to follow your example and obey your command but I am powerless without you. Give me the faith to walk in the freedom of forgiving those who have wronged me.

Your Servant,

Matt

Mixed Up Price Tags

The Pharisees, who loved money, heard all this and were sneering at Jesus. He said to them, "You are the ones who justify yourselves in the eyes of men, but God knows your hearts. What is highly valued among men is detestable in God's sight." Luke 16:14-15

Who switched the price tags? How did we get caught up in this materialistic rat race of desiring and pursuing the wrong things? Our world teaches us to value the things that satisfy our personal lusts. But God looks at these things as cheap and unimpressive. He really doesn't care about the square footage of our houses, the style of our clothing, the model and year of the car in our driveway, the size of our television, or the other toys that we possess. The values of God are eloquently stated in Micah 6:8, "O people, the Lord has told you what is good, and this is what he requires of you: to do what is right, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God" (NLT). These are things that God values and delights to find in our lives. What do you value?

Father, I confess that I often get the price tags mixed up and place high value on cheap things. As I walk through this mixed up world help me to keep focused on the things in which you delight.

I'm praying for you.
Pastor Mark

Does Your God Celebrate?

"'Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let's have a feast and celebrate. For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.' So they began to celebrate." Luke 15:23-24

By the three parables in Luke 15, Jesus answered the Pharisees' complaint about His welcoming sinners by painting a picture of God as One who celebrates. Religious people tend to picture God as stern and demanding both toward themselves and others. Therefore they have little tolerance of sinners. But Jesus ate and drank with sinners and rejoiced in their coming to Him because Jesus' God celebrates when a sinner repents and comes to new life. How do I view God and how does that affect my attitude toward others? If I see God as one who celebrates the repentance of a sinner then I will welcome sinners and seek their repentance along with Him.

Father, I thank You that You celebrate and rejoice! Grow your heart for sinners in me that I may welcome them, seek their repentance, and rejoice with You.

I'm praying for you.
Pastor Mark

Casual Discipleship

Luke 14:25-33
33In the same way, any of you who does not give up everything he has cannot be my disciple.

As I was reading this particular chapter this afternoon, these set of passages stuck out to me. I wonder in my life what I have put in place of my relationship with Christ. In these few verses Christ lays out for us the cost of being a true disciple. Have you ever thought about what it means to truly follow Christ? He wants everything. I must confess there have been times in my life when I have hesitated and been skeptical to give everything over to God. I have been a casual disciple. What I mean by that is that my priorities have become out of line. The world has got the best of me and Christ has moved down on the list. These verses convict me and remind me that nothing, not even my family, needs to come before my relationship with Christ. Wow, that is hard to swallow!!!

Father, help me because I am weak. I know that I cannot let everything go on my own. Teach me to value my relationship with You as the most important part in my life.

Your Servant
Chris

Taking Up Space or Bearing Fruit?

"Then he told this parable: 'A man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard, and he went to look for fruit on it, but did not find any. So he said to the man who took care of the vineyard. "for three years now I've been coming to look for fruit on this fig tree and haven't found any. Cut it down! Why should it use up this soil?' 'Sir,'the man replied, 'leave it alone for one more year, and I'll dig around it and fertilize it. If it bears fruit next year, fine! If not, then cut it down.'" Luke 13:6-9

As the vineyard owner looked for fruit on his fig tree so God seeks fruit in our lives. A fig tree that bears no figs takes up valuable space in the vineyard. It requires extra cultivation and care to become fruitful or else it is to be cut down to make room for another tree. Our purpose as Christ followers is to bear kingdom fruit that glorifies the Father. To become more fruitful we need to submit to the hand of the Gardner (the Father, see John 15:1) in order to allow Him to prune, cultivate, and fertilize our life for fruitfulness. May it never be said of us that we are only taking up valuable space but rather that through God's grace we are bearing the fruit He desires.

Father, I submit to your hand. Cultivate my life so that I may bear the fruit that You desire in the place where you have planted me.

I'm praying for you.
Pastor Mark

"From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked." Luke 12:48

We are blessed by God so that we may be a blessing to others. We are stewards, not owners, of all that God has entrusted to us. This includes our days, opportunities, abilities, gifts, and resources. We are accountable to God for the use we make of these entrusted blessings and should therefore seek to make the most of them for His glory and kingdom.

Father, when I consider how greatly you have blessed me I realize that you must therefore desire much from me. Help me to grow into faithful stewardship of all that you have entrusted to me so that you will receive much glory in return.

I'm praying for you.
Pastor Mark

Bold Prayer

"I tell you, though he will not get up and give him the bread because he is his friend, yet because of the man's boldness he will get up and give him as much as he needs. 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." Luke 11:8-9

Jesus encouraged his disciples to pray with boldness for those things they needed to live and do God's will. God is neither deaf nor uninterested so that we have to work hard to gain his hearing and attention. But He does delight in and respond to boldness that conveys our dependence on Him and our confidence in Him.

God is able and willing to meet our needs so that we may live and do His will each day. Let our praying then be more than a quiet, feeble tap on heaven's door that betrays a lack of confidence in the One whom we seek. With boldness ask for what you need. With boldness seek the wisdom and guidance you lack. With boldness knock confident that He will open and answer.

Father, forgive my feeble prayers that betray lack of confidence in your wisdom and generosity. Teach me to pray with boldness that is founded on confidence in your willingness to answer.

I'm praying for you.
Pastor Mark

The Harvest

He told them, "The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field." Luke 10:2

Jesus had a great vision and burden for the harvest of souls that he sought to pass on to His disciples. In this case it was not only the twelve but seventy-two (v.1) disciples. The call to the harvest is not for a few select disciples but for every disciple of Jesus. Do we share His vision for the harvest? We'll we join Him in His prayer for harvest workers? Will we answer His call to go as workers (v.3)? There is no lack of harvest only lack of workers. Let's close the gap and stand in the gap by praying for workers, the unsaved, and making ourselves available to God to reach out to the lost around us.

Father, help me to see the harvest as you see it and join with Christ in working the harvest today.

I'm praying for you.
Pastor Mark

Transfigured Thinking

[Jesus] took Peter, John and James with him and went up onto a mountain to pray. As he was praying, the appearance of his face changed, and his clothes became as bright as a flash of lightning. Two men, Moses and Elijah, appeared in glorious splendor, talking with Jesus. They spoke about his departure, which he was about to bring to fulfillment at Jerusalem.

As the time approached for him to be taken up to heaven, Jesus resolutely set out for Jerusalem. Luke 9:28b-31, 51

It is a real feast for the imagination, attempting to picture Jesus—transfigured in all His glory before the three disciples—talking with Moses and Elijah. And while Luke did give us a brief description of the visual scene, he evidently also thought it important for us to know the topic of the discussion: namely, Jesus’ departure from earth.

Now, while I would have thought that this conversation would focus on the cross, Luke sets up the idea (in verse 51) that Jesus was looking beyond the cross—even beyond His resurrection—to His return to the glories of heaven.

Perhaps Elijah asks, “When are you coming home, Jesus?” “Yeah, it’s not the same without You,” Moses adds. (Please forgive me, I just couldn’t resist some imaginary dialogue!)

Thankfully, there is nothing imaginary about following Jesus. Let’s approach life in the same way that Christ did, faithfully trusting God to lead us through the challenges of life and to our home with Him in heaven.

Father, You have the complete perspective on today (and everything else). Help me to trust You through the ups and downs of life and to remember that my eternal home is with You in heaven.

Praying for you,
Jim Barker

Consider Carefully How You Listen

“He who has ears to hear, let him hear.” Luke 8:8

Luke 8:5-15 is often referred to as the “Parable of the Sower” just as it is in the subheadings of our First Light New Testaments, but this is a misleading description because the primarily emphasis of this parable is not the sower but the soils. This teaching is about the different responses people have to hearing the word of God. In his explanation (v.11-15) Jesus describes the responses of each of the hearers of the word.

What we must understand is that there are two types of hearing: the kind we do with our physical ears and the kind we do with the spiritual ears of our hearts.

What is your heart’s response to hearing the word of God?

What kind of soil are you?

Father give me the spiritual ears I need to understand your word. My prayer is the same as that of the Psamlist, "Teach me, O Lord, to follow your decrees; then I will keep them to the end. Give me understanding, then I will keep your law and obey it with all my heart. Direct me in the path of your commands, for there I find delight. Turn my heart toward your statutes and not toward selfish gain. Turn my eyes away from worthless things; preserve my life according to your word." 119:33-37

How Great is Your Love

"Therefore, I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven--for she loved much. But he who has been forgiven little loves little." Luke 7:47

This woman "who had lived a sinful life" (v. 37) showed her love and gratitude to Jesus through washing and kissing his feet. But Simon the Pharisee showed little love or gratitude toward Jesus. Simon was forgiven little not because his sin was little but because he did not realize his great need for Jesus. This self-righteous man did not humble himself before Christ in order to receive the forgiveness that he needed just as much as the woman. The humble experience great forgiveness and thus feel great love. The proud experience little forgiveness and thus feel little love.

Father, help me to fully realize the depth of my need for you, to humble myself before you that I might experience your grace, and then to love you greatly like this woman.

I'm praying for you.
Pastor Mark

What's your Temperature?

"The good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For out of the overflow of his heart the mouth speaks." Luke 6:45

Beside this verse in the margin of my First Light New Testament I wrote "Spiritual Thermometer." We can gauge our spiritual temperature by taking an inventory of the words that are coming out of our mouth. If we find discouraging, critical, unkind, impure words and the like frequently coloring our conversation then we need to seek the healing of our heart from the evil that is plaguing it. If we find encouraging, helpful, kind, pure words and so on coming out of our mouth then we can give thanks for God's active grace that is producing His goodness in our heart.

Father, help me to hear my own words so that I can rightly gauge my heart condition. Heal me from all evil and produce your goodness in the depth of my being.

I'm praying for you.
Pastor Mark

"But Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed." Luke 5:16

Again we see Luke's emphasis on Jesus' prayer life. Jesus' life and work flowed out from His fellowship with the Father. He was always in step with the Father's will because He lived in the Father's presence through continual prayer. Is our life and work also flowing out of our relationship with God? Or is it more shaped by fleshly desires, human wisdom, or other worldly influences? To be in step with the Father's will we must be willing to pay the price of prayer. But when you think of it, is prayer really a price to be paid or is it rather a prize to be enjoyed?

Father, may all I do today in my life and work flow not from the flesh but from fellowship with You. Draw me nearer to Your side and teach me to walk in Your steps.

I'm praying for you.
Pastor Mark

Time Alone

42At daybreak Jesus went out to a solitary place. The people were looking for him and when they came to where he was, they tried to keep him from leaving them. 43But he said, "I must preach the good news of the kingdom of God to the other towns also, because that is why I was sent." 44And he kept on preaching in the synagogues of Judea.
Luke 4:42-44

Have you ever wondered where Christ found the power to continue His ministry? In the previous set of verses (28-30) you read about Christ being led to the side of a hill where he was about to be pushed off. In His hometown He was disliked, people were ready to take His life, they were angry. He left his hometown and went on preaching the message of Good News, healing people and casting out demons. Then He goes to a quiet place to rest? No, I don’t think so. He went to a quiet place to spend time alone with the Father. Where did He find the time? He didn’t, He made the time. When is the last time you set aside time, away from everything, to just talk to your heavenly Father? Christ, being the Son of God, found this time to be more important than anything else. How healthy is your prayer life?

Father, help me to be passionately in touch with you. I want to be so connected with you that my only desire is to “preach the good news of the Kingdom of God.”

Your Servant in Christ
Chris

Generous Living

"What should we do then?" the crowd asked. John answered, "The man with two tunics should share with him who has none, and the one who has food should do the same."
Luke 3:10-11

Repentance is a change of thinking and acting. True repentance from sin and faith in Christ leads to a radically new life. When John the Baptist was asked to explain what repentance would look like in action he gave as one example a generous life-style. Sin is self-centered--more for me. Repentance leads us to a generosity--what can I do for others. It seems this call to a generous lifestyle is especially appropriate during these tough financial times. When we see the need of another is our first impulse to hold tight to what's ours or to release it in service to the one in need?

Father, I repent of my self-centeredness and pray that you will fill me with Your own generosity as demonstrated in Christ.

I'm praying for you.
Pastor Mark

In Tune with God

"Now there was a man in Jerusalem called Simeon, who was righteous and devout. He was waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him. It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that would not die before he had seen the Lord's Christ. Moved by the Spirit, he went into the temple courts. When the parents brought in the child Jesus to do for him what the custom of the Law required..." Luke 2:25-27

Simeon received the remarkable blessing of seeing and holding the Christ child. So many others in Israel had hoped to see the Christ but did not recognize Him when He stood in their midst. Simeon was in tune with God because He was full of and yielded to the Holy Spirit.

Christians who seek and yield daily to the Holy Spirit's filling experience Christ's presence, leadership, and work in ways that others miss. Begin each day by giving thanks for the Spirit's presence in your life as a believer and then offer your life to His control. This requires constant prayer, faith in God's promise, and confession of sin which hinders the Spirit. Practiced daily it will lead to awesome experiences of the Christ.

Father, fill me with Your Holy Spirit today so that I might "see" Christ in me and His work around me.

I'm praying for you.
Pastor Mark

Counting the Cost

"I am the Lord's servant," Mary answered. "May it be to me as you have said." Luke 1:38

When Gabriel approached Mary and told her that she would conceive and birth the "Son of the Most High" she didn't take the time to consider the price of obedience. She immediately submitted herself to God's will. Her response was one of complete surrender. Despite facing (humanly) impossible circumstances and risking complete social condemnation Mary embraced what God had for her.

For us today, surrendering our lives isn't simply something that we do when we accept Jesus as our Savior. Surrender requires that we approach each day with the faith and confidence that God's plans are better than our own, and embracing them no matter how costly or impossible they may seem.

Father help me to follow you with the same courage and faith that Mary had. I surrender my life to you today and resolve to follow you wherever you are lead me.

I'm praying for you.
Matt

An Abrupt Ending?

"Trembling and bewildered, the women went out and fled from the tomb. They said nothing to anyone, because they were afraid." Mark 16:8

There is some debate over the ending of Mark. The best available ancient copies of the Gospel end at verse 8. Verses 9-20 seem to have been written by someone other than Mark at a much later date to try to "smooth out" the seemingly awkward ending that verse 8 leaves us with. The other Gospel writers give us resurrection appearances and post-resurrection teachings of Jesus to His disciples. But Mark just leaves us with the angel's announcement, an empty tomb, and bewildered women. It's like Mark is saying, "Instead of me telling you the rest of the story just stop and think about!" Sometimes we need to be jolted into deeper thought so that God can speak the truth deeply into our life. Think about it!

Father, help me to ponder the meaning of an empty tomb under the guidance of Your Spirit so that it's truth may be more deeply embedded in my life.

I'm praying for you.
Pastor Mark

Out of the Mouths of Soldiers

The soldiers led Jesus away into the palace (that is, the Praetorium) and called together the whole company of soldiers. They put a purple robe on him, then twisted together a crown of thorns and set it on him. And they began to call out to him, "Hail, king of the Jews!" Again and again they struck him on the head with a staff and spit on him. Falling on their knees, they paid homage to him.

And when the centurion, who stood there in front of Jesus, heard his cry and saw how he died, he said, "Surely this man was the Son of God!" Mark 15:16-19, 39

Even if the centurion did not join the other soldiers in mocking Jesus, he at least condoned their behavior in not stopping them. However, within a few hours time, he came full circle when he expressed his belief or incredulity by stating, "Surely this man was the Son of God!" If the centurion recognized this truth, certainly the rest of the soldiers present at Jesus' crucifixion must have at least entertained the idea.

I think that God loves irony; the soldiers actually spoke truth when they made fun of Christ by calling out, "Hail, king of the Jews!" God allowed pagan gentiles the honor of acknowledging His Son (even if they did not mean to), when God's own chosen people had rejected Him.

Father, if people who don't believe in You can recognize when You are present, help me to see when You are at work around me and give me the grace to join You in what You are doing.

Also praying for you,

Jim

Whose Will?

"'Abba, Father,' he said, 'everything is possible for you. Take this cup from me. Yet not what I will, but what you will.'" Mark 14:36

Jesus was totally driven by the Father's will. Even though His flesh desired deliverance from the cross' He was ready to trust the Father's will because He knew the Father's heart through intimate fellowship. Whose will drives our life? Have we learned to pray "your will be done on earth (in my life) as it is in heaven" with full sincerity and surrender? The more that we learn the Father's heart through intimate fellowship with Him in prayer the more readily we will submit to His will. In submitting to His will we will find true joy.

Father, I confess that my life is too often driven by my own will but I desire to be fully surrendered to Your will like Jesus. Help me to learn to pray "you will be done" with full sincerity and surrender.

I'm praying for you.
Pastor Mark

Last Days Agenda

"And the gospel must first be preached to all nations." Mark 13:10

In Mark 13 Jesus discussed two cataclysmic events with His disciples--the destruction of Jerusalem (occurred in 70 A.D.) and His second coming (yet to occur). In the context of this discussion Jesus made His "last days" agenda clear--the gospel must be preached to all nations. Christ followers are to be about the business of spreading the good news to the nations. Such a great and certain event as the coming of Christ calls forth not only our personal readiness ("Watch!" v.37) but also our committed effort to lead others to readiness through the spread of the gospel.

Father, may the agenda of my Lord truly become my own agenda. Where my personal agenda diverts from His let mine perish and His prevail. Grant to me a true missionary heart that desires and seeks the spread of the gospel and the salvation of souls.

I'm praying for you.
Pastor Mark