THANKFUL

Chatting with Jesus

Monday, March 18, 2024

Lord, only you can do it.  Scripture records story after story about ordinary, usually overlooked, do extraordinary things for you.

David was the runt of the family. So what if he could hit an apple at thirty meters with a slingshot. David’s father sent him on a food run to his brothers, but during his Old Testament Door Dash, in your timing, Lord, you turned David into a giant killer.

Folks around town considered Gideon a coward. The name “Gideon” and the word “hero” were never used in the same sentence. No one except you, Lord, would have thought he would lead Israel to victory over the powerful Midianites.

Lord, the apostle Peter was an unknown, hot-tempered fisherman, impulsive and uncorked most of the time. You changed him into an evangelist who changed a nation forever. Scripture reveals the other eleven flawed apostles were not much different.

Time and space don’t allow listing all the common folks you made extraordinary. We have not enough space because you, Lord, have placed within every Christ follower the potential to be exceptional in the Kingdom of God.

Lord, does this include me? Does this include the seasoned saint who has served you for decades down to the newest believer who found you to be what he or she has been searching for all this time? Of course. You specialize in showing your power in our weaknesses. Flawed as we are, Lord, we are all you have to work with here.

Our names may not be listed in the Scriptures, but they are listed in your book.  You know our names and our potential for excellence in your Kingdom. May we expect extraordinary happenings, even if it appears we are only on a “Door Dash for Jesus” move. Turn it into a giant killer.

Amen, Jesus.

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Chatting with Jesus

Friday, March 15, 2024

Lord, we are witnessing what happens to a country that dishonors you in their ways. Corruption reigns unchecked in all levels of our government. Justice? Fairness?  Honesty? These are nice memories of what were once the conerstone of our society. They have disappeared from our culture, leaving us vulnerable to the evils of evil.

But then, Lord, all this is nothing new to mankind. A biblical definition of corruption might be described as “the state of moral contamination and spiritual decay through disobedience toward God.”  One corrupt generation tries to out-corrupt the previous generation. Noah warned people, “Turn around (repent) Don’t drown (flood is coming).” People didn’t listen. They aren’t listening today.

Substitute “America” for “Israel” in Isaiah’s commentary and it paints an accurate picture of us: “Oh, what a sinful nation they are— loaded down with a burden of guilt. They are evil people, corrupt children who have rejected the Lord. They have despised the Holy One of Israel [the God of our Founding Fathers] and turned their backs on him” (Isaiah 1:4).

King Solomon added his insight as well. “What has been will be again, and what has been done will be done again; there is nothing new under the sun” (Ecclesiastes 1:9 NLT). So why are people surprised at our current state of turmoil?

Forgive us, Lord. Like sheep, and a lot of old goats, we have wandered far from you. Send your Spirit to tear down the walls separating our hearts from you and may we as a nation and individuals, submit to following you and live by your precepts. Only you can save us from the destruction that’s surely awaiting us unless we turn back to you, Lord. Amen.

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Chatting with Jesus
Thursday, March 14, 2024

Lord, I listened. I really did. We attended the 9:00 Sunday morning service. I chuckled quietly while our pastor confessed he was a “recovering perfectionist.” I’ve known perfectionist. Worked with many. Oh! How they can be trying to ordinary folks just wanting to get through the day without any drama.

I serve as an usher during the 11:00 service and every week I reserve a row of chairs for a group of ladies. These “angels” live in an adult special needs home and love to come to church. Kudos to their director, Jenny, for faithfully bringing them every Sunday.

After placing the “Reserved” cards in the chairs, your Spirit spoke to my inner man. “Did you not pay attention to pastor’s message?”

“Of course, I did. He is a recovering perfectionist. Why do you ask, Lord?”

“Look at the row you just reserved. What do you see?”

I focused on the row, and after a few seconds, shrugged my shoulders. “I don’t see anything. Looks perfect to me.” Then the Holy Spirit turned on the light bulb in my head. How did I miss that? Each card lay in the center of the chair, squared to align with the chair’s edges to ensure the card was symmetrical with the seat. All were in perfect order. Trained technicians using a straightedge would certify their perfect alignment.

“Pastor might be a recovering perfectionist, but you aren’t.”

Sometimes God’s Spirit gets blunt with me.

“It’s good you have order in your life, but I want you to be perfect in your spirit, that your spirit is properly aligned with my Spirit. Ordering your life according to my Word will accomplish more than you can imagine for my Kingdom. Besides, the worshippers didn’t notice, nor do they care, about your card-squaring obsession.”

Lord, only you can make my perfection be your perfection (Matthew 5:48). Amen, Jesus.

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Chatting with Jesus

Wednesday, March 13, 2024

Lord, you knew they were coming, yet you didn’t stop them. Judas, your betrayer, led a group of armed Roman soldiers and Temple guards with intent to arrest you. But even in this chaos, you remained in control over this situation.

You stepped forward to meet them and asked, “Who are you looking for?”

“Jesus the Nazarene,” they angerly demanded.

Your simple answer, “I AM he,” packed such power the throng of soldiers fell backward to the ground. Man’s opposition, or all the powers of Hell, could not—and cannot—stand in your presence. You asked them again, “Who are you looking for?” The soldiers, who meant to bring you harm, could not rise in your presence, now reverently replied, “Jesus the Nazarene.” Finally, you allowed them to rise and take you away, all as part of your plan for redemption.

In like manner, Lord, you step forward and meet us where we are and ask: “Who are you looking for?” Or put another way, “What are you looking for?”

How much time have we wasted looking for relevance chasing temporary pleasures, fame, wealth, power, relationships, only to find these earthly pursuits fleeting, leaving us empty, and again, looking for something or someone.

Who are we looking for? We’re seeking the only one who can give us purpose, for the only one who changes our hearts. We’re reaching for the one who speaks peace amid the raging storms that batter our souls. We’re looking for the one who “came to bring life, and life to its fullest” (John 10:10).

That’s you, Jesus. Amen. Thank you for placing within us the desire to look for you. And thank you for coming to meet us where we were.

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Chatting with Jesus
Tuesday, March 12, 2024

Lord, can you believe the hubris? You’ve seen man’s self-elevation of himself, thinking himself above your holy standards. Surely man’s arrogance, thinking himself your equal, or even more foolish, greater than you, must anger you. It angers me.

This repulsive attitude against your holy standards angered the psalmist too. Meditating on the corruption saturating the society around him, his words reflect your faithfulness and his disgust for those who thumb their noses at you.

“The Lord’s promises are pure, like silver refined in a furnace, purified seven times over. Therefore, Lord, we know you will protect the oppressed, preserving them forever from this lying generation, even though the wicked strut about, and evil is praised throughout the land” (Psalm 12:6–8).

Lord, I just wanna hurl when I witness the ungodly publicly “strut” their wickedness for all to see. “Look at me,” they intimate. “See how none is higher than me! I set my own rules.” Oh, Lord, the great fall that awaits them.

Today, TMZ or People magazine, or other rags shadow celebrities, recording their every move, creating the impression their lifestyles everyone should envy. How have we allowed ourselves to place these wayward folks on pedestals?

The technological, intellectual, and scientific advances made since the psalmist’s time have failed to change the spirit of society. Our religious, yet godless, society is the same as the psalmist’s three thousand years ago.

But, Lord, you haven’t changed. You still save, forgive, heal, deliver, restore, protect, preserve— you remain the Great I AM. Since the downfall in the Garden, all who call on you fine you faithful. This great truth remains: “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble” (James 4:6).

Amen, Jesus.

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Chatting with Jesus

Thursday, March 7, 2024

Lord, your statement prompts me to ask two questions. Why? How?

The evening before your crucifixion, what we call the Last Supper, you revealed this truth to your disciples. This truth? “You didn’t choose me; I chose you. I appointed you to go and produce lasting fruit” (John 15:16). Today, your Spirit reveals this truth to Christ followers.

Why? Why, Lord, would you choose someone like me? Haven’t you noticed my bust displayed in the Flawed Believers Hall of Fame? By my life choices, haven’t I put the “stu” in stupid? Surely you could find someone more qualified, better educated to become your follower.

How? How am I to achieve your mandate to produce “fruit?” You know my personality. How do you expect me to live a lifestyle that produces Christlike character? That will be a miracle.

“I work miracles,” you whispered to my inner man. “Search the Scriptures.”  

Your Spirit directed me to Hebrews 11 to review your “Faith” Hall of Fame. Reading about the “saints” of old, I could only shake my head. “You sure chose some real losers,” I muttered.

Noah may have saved man and animal in the ark, nevertheless, his drunkenness brought him disgrace. Abraham lied about his wife Sarah being his sister. Moses murdered a man, then lived as a fugitive for forty years. And the list of sinners you used went on.

 Lord, did you see “world-changers” in your twelve rag-tag, uneducated, common men that society labeled as “nobodies?” Are everyone you call potential world-changers? Does that include me, too? You see our potential. We see our limits.

Lord, may I allow your Spirit to develop world-changing character traits that influence those in my world to seek you.

Amen, Jesus.

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Chatting with Jesus

Wednesday, March 6, 2024

Lord, how should we worship in ways that please you? Sadly, worship time can become predictable and boring. Over time, believers can develop a ho-hum attitude toward worship that leave their souls unfulfilled.

Religions differ in their patterns of worship. Some worshipers mindlessly repeat liturgy from a prepared book in response to a leader’s prompting. Others might participate in sacraments that they may not understand. They don’t know why, it’s just part of the service.

For some, they’re convinced their methods of worship are the only correct ways that please you. Everyone else misses the mark.

We can’t forget, proper worship includes no less than three hymns, then a leader repeats the same prayer he has said for the past thirty years. Afterward, worshipers shake hands to verify everyone is still alive.

Lord, as recorded in John 4, you encountered a lady confused about proper worship. This lady believed God could only be worshiped on Mount Gerizim, while the Jews insisted God must be worshiped in Jerusalem only.

You explained how God the Father desires worship that comes from our hearts and that we worship God in the truth of who he is. Like for many today, her worship had become “mechanical” doing the same mindless routines every service. She simply worshiped the way she was taught.

“Believe me, dear woman,” you tenderly corrected her. “The time is coming when it will no longer matter whether you worship God on this mountain or in Jerusalem … But God is spirit, and the time is coming—indeed it is here—when true worshipers will worship the Father in Spirit and in truth. The Father is looking for those who will worship him that way” (John 4:21–24 NLT).

We want our worship to be exciting, dynamic, and full of your life-giving Spirit. We want our worship to be so contagious it will jump from one person to another.

Lord, help us keep a pure heart. We’re thankful we can worship anywhere. From the magnificent cathedrals with inspiring pipe organs ringing the great anthems to listening to contemporary praise and worship music while stuck in rush hour traffic, may our worship please you. Continue to teach us how to worship you in joyful and exuberant ways from our grateful hearts and in the truth of who you are, our great God.

Amen, Jesus.

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Chatting with Jesus

Monday, March 4, 2024

Lord, despite persecution, the Thessalonians believers persevered in following you. To show their sincerity, and to stand apart from nonbelievers, most new believers went to the extreme to live by holy behaviors. Sadly, the greater their efforts to live holy, the greater the frustration they couldn’t do it. And their harsh persecution continued.

 The Apostle Paul outlined what God constituted as holy living. Did they object? “No way, Paul,” they may have argued. “Don’t you see the persecutions we’re enduring?”

Or, did they accept your guidelines and trust you?

“Encourage the timid. Care for the weak. Be patient—with everyone. Don’t repay evil for evil. Always do good to others, even those you don’t like. Be joyful, pray 24/7. Give thanks in bad circumstances, especially when persecuted for righteousness’ sake. Be joyful when you’re broken. Don’t get in the way when God is trying to do something you might not agree with.” And the list of character traits that are opposite our human nature extended (1 Thessalonians 5:12-22). The more they worked to be holy, the quicker they faced the fact they were far from holy.

You gave Paul this great truth: “You can’t be holy on your own, so quit trying. It’s not your responsibility to make yourself holy. It’s God’s Holy Spirit that makes you holy.”

“Now may [you allow] the God of peace [Holy Spirit] make you holy in every way and may [keep] your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless … “ (1 Thessalonians 5:23 NLT).

Lord, It is your Spirit living within believers that enables us to live holy lives. Help us cease our human efforts and rest in the truth your Spirit makes us holy.

Amen, Jesus.

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Chatting with Jesus

March 1, 2024

Lord, I was wrong.  For years, I thought 1 Corinthians 2:9, applied only after I passed from here and entered the splendors of Heaven:

“No eye has seen, no ear has heard, and no mind has imagined what God has prepared for those who love him.”

Certainly, we cannot comprehend the joys that await us upon entering the glories of Heaven. However, while reading Frank Ball’s “Random Thoughts,” I gained a new perspective of 1 Corinthians 2:9. Ball wrote: “To best please God, I have to be different than everybody else, because I am made to be different to fulfill a purpose unlike any other.”  

Lord, how many times have folks eyed us suspiciously, intimating we’re “not like everyone else”? I lost count years ago. Thank you, Lord, that personal criticisms no longer bother me.

Are most folks hardwired not to draw attention to themselves but just blend in with the crowd? Probably. After all, standing out from the herd creates vulnerabilities that most don’t want to risk. Some, however, live to be in the spotlight. I’m not one.

Lord, when your revealed my purpose for your Kingdom, how my assignment was unique for me only, I felt inadequate. “This is way beyond my paygrade,” I argued. “I can’t imagine how I will fulfill your purpose for me.”

But then I heard your tender voice speak to my inner man. “I’ll equip you. Your eyes have not seen, your ears have not heard, and your mind cannot imagine what I have prepared for you to fulfill my purpose. Hang on, it’s gonna be quite a ride.”

Lord, I’m trusting you. You’re full of surprises. Why should I ever doubt you won’t do what you say you will do?

Amen, Jesus

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Chatting with Jesus

Thursday, February 29, 2024

Lord, people are stressed to the point of breaking. Even for Christ followers, our world can be stressful as well. Failed government promises. Forecasts of economic doom. Unchecked political corruption. Ever since Eve needed another fruit for her fruit salad, human nature makes us see the worst in all situations, whether the situation is real or perceived.

People fret. “What should I do?” “Why did I act stupid?” “We’re gonna be destroyed!” When Satan senses fretting, he sees a green light to attack with more lies.

Man or woman. Young or old. Rich or poor. Elite or average. Stress is common to all people. Stress can lead to serious health problems, foolish life choices, or just giving up on life.

For Christ followers, the Israelites are a case study for stress. After fleeing Egypt, Lord, you led them to camp beside the Red Sea. Pharaoh’s army pursued them and trapped the Israelites between Egypt’s army and the ocean. Without a doubt, this scenario caused the Israelites stress—Industrial Strength stress.

Stress caused the Israelites to only see doom. Stress smothered faith. We know the outcome of the story today, but faced with that situation then, I can’t say I wouldn’t have felt the same.

The people immediately blamed you and Moses for their dire situation, but you had a plan all along. Your message to Moses has encouraged believers through the ages:

“Don’t be afraid. Just stand still and watch the Lord rescue you today. The Egyptians you see today will never be seen again. The Lord himself will fight for you. Just stay calm” (Exodus 14:13, 14 NLT).

Lord, what “Pharaoh’s army” is my stress-producing problem? What threatens to destroy my well-being and causes me to panic and not remain calm?  Even though I don’t know how you will do it, help me trust you are fighting for me, and will drown my “Pharaoh army” in the sea.

Amen, Jesus.

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