THANKFUL

Chatting with Jesus

Tuesday, August 22, 2023

Lord, you have trusted us with the power of words. We can use this great power to encourage those without hope, strengthen the brokenhearted, speak the truth to the spiritual darkness, comfort the afflicted. Importantly, our words point others to you, Jesus,

Often, someone has said the right words when I needed them most, and the words lifted my spirits. Likewise, my words can bring healing to a wounded soul or offer hope to the desperate. However, I must be careful with this power. Merely by speaking, I can destroy someone, socially, emotionally, and spiritually, without laying a hand on them. I read James’ timeless truth.

“No one can tame the tongue. It is restless and evil, full of deadly poison. Sometimes it praises our Lord and Father, and sometimes it curses those who have been made in the image of God. And so blessing and cursing come pouring out of the same mouth. Surely, my brothers and sisters, this is not right! (James 3:8–10 NLT).

Lord, forgive me. I’m guilty of violating this truth. I’ve spewed verbal venom not only at others, but also at myself. This is how I beat myself up, to pay penitence, after I’ve failed you. I call myself all sorts of nasty, ungodly names—things you do not see in me.

Just like clockwork, your grace comes through—again. You call me righteous, holy, redeemed among other grace-laced superlatives. Flawed? Much so. Forgiven? By your grace, yes. Yet, you call me your dearly loved child. Amazing!

Jesus, I will say I am who you say I am. Amen.

Monday, August 21, 2023

Lord, your earthly brother, James, wrote how testing our faith is vital if we are to live fully as a Christ follower. “For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow” (James 1:3).

James is speaking to me. To paraphrase, You’re a Christ follower. You should know that trials and problems will come to test your faith. So don’t gripe or complain.

How else will I develop endurance to continue following you, Jesus, and learn of your grace as a Christ follower if I’m spared difficulties in life? Doesn’t Christ develop his character in me through trials and problems?

The psalmist knew God’s dependability in all phases of life. “God is our [my] refuge and strength, always ready to help [me] in times of trouble” (Psalm 46:1).

How strong is our faith, or do we have faith at all if our dependency on God is never tested? How do we know God is who he says he is and will do what he says he will do unless we allow him to test our faith? How shallow is faith that is never tested?

James addressed our human tendency to complain when troubles come our way. “When troubles of any kind come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy” (James 1:2).

Lord, help me consider these troubles and trials as opportunities to see you working situations and circumstances for my good. Life presents issues that are greater than me, so I must trust you to do what I cannot do.

One day, when I reflect on this time of testing, I will see how your hand covered me all along. Amen, Jesus.

Chatting with Jesus

Friday, August 18, 2023

Lord, for a couple thousand years, people have had mixed beliefs answering who you are. Matthew 16:13–15 records the conversation when you asked your disciples, “Who do people say the ‘Son of Man’ is?”

They replied, “Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, Jeremiah or one of the prophets.”

“But what about you?” he asked. “Who do you say I am?”

The question is still asked today: who is the Son of Man? Your title ‘Son of Man’ is another way of saying “God as a human.” How we view you, Jesus, determines how we view everything in our life, our problems, our challenges, even our pains and losses. Are you divine or just a mortal?

The Old Testament points to your coming as the Messiah, who would rescue your people from their oppressors. The New Testament describe your life and purpose: to be the perfect sacrifice, the Lamb of God, to pay sin’s penalty for us, and to defeat the power of the enemy of your people, the devil.

For those who believe you Jesus were just a good moral teacher, but in no way was God, what good is following you if you were just a mere man like we are and unable to redeem us from our sins? They dismiss your miracles as nothing more than urban legends. They say you were unjustly murdered by crucifixion by the Romans. Your resurrection from the dead is only a myth.

For Christ followers, our answers should be you are the unique Son of God, fully God and fully human, the Savior of the world who came from Heaven to be the perfect sacrifice for our sins. You were buried, and God raised you to life again on Easter Sunday. Only you, Lord Jesus, could change our heart, rebirth us to new life on the inside, give our souls hope in this insane world.  

I’m saying you, Jesus. are the only Son of God, who can save us our oppressor, the devil. Amen.

Chatting with Jesus

Thursday August 17, 2023

Lord, you are aware I do not always live up to my end of our agreement. Here is the deal: you went to the cross to redeem me from the penalty of my sins. You give me a new life by changing me on the inside. No disputing that when you rose from the grave on Easter Sunday, you sealed the deal.

My part of our agreement: commit my life to follow you and share this Good News of redemption from sin by trusting what you did on the cross. In my humanity, in my too-often weaknesses, I fail to completely keep my end of the agreement.

When I do something foolish, and bring embarrassment to your values, the devil jumps all over this. “You are not a good Christian! You claim to be a Christ follower and act like that? Really?”
Regretably, there were times I agreed with him. “You’re right. I’m not a good Christ follower,” and just beat myself up for failing you—again.

You quietly roared to my inner man. “Stop this Nonsense!”

Lord, you strongly disagree I’m a bad Christ follower.

Without a doubt, for all Christ followers, you see our flaws, our struggles with sinful issues and addictions, our yielding to temptations. You see how our “flesh” fights to replace you as center of our lives and take our focus off you. We may hide our ugliness from others, but it is not hidden from you.

Heavenly Father, what do you see? To paraphrase Romans 3:22, by your grace, you see only Christ’s righteousness all over us, not the ugliness of our sins. Those failures and sins, along with our shame, have been erased from our record, paid in full by Jesus Christ Himself.

Another one of Satan’s lies is debunked. How can any believer be a “bad” Christian when all you see, Lord God, is Christ’s righteousness in us?

Big time AMEN!

Chatting with Jesus

Tuesday, August 15, 2023

Lord, after I fell off my carnal high horse, humbled myself in repentance and came to you, I realized I needed to make some serious lifestyles changes. I prayed, simply asking what you wanted me to change.  Your list was extensive. The more I reflected on the changes I needed to make, the more I realized how much I needed your help.

Was I really that selfish? How was I obnoxious correcting someone’s wrong political views? Lord, I was just acting naturally, since I am hard-wired that my ways are right and everyone should do what I say, for their own good, of course.

 Your Spirit pointed out flaws I considered strong points. What planet was I living on? The enemy of my soul wanted to keep me in this state of mind, so I’d be ineffective as a Christ follower. Then to my joy, your Spirit directed me to Romans 12:2, where the Apostle Paul addressed to the Roman believers the same issues I faced:

 “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind”—Romans 12:2

 Sadly, today’s culture treats your Word, the Bible, with disdain. “It’s old-fashioned! Out of date!”

 The internal human struggle to find fulfillment and meaning has remained the same since that ugly snake incident in the Garden of Eden. Choosing to embrace the world’s system of living, which promises acceptance and worth, leaves people unfulfilled because they have not touched the true source of life—you Jesus. You came to give life, and life abundantly.

 Lord, make us more like you. Renew our minds with your thoughts and make our ways, your ways. Amen, Jesus.

Chatting with Jesus

Monday, August 14, 2023

Lord, how often do you hear statements like, “I’m worthless!” “I’m not good enough.” Or “I’m a failure and disappointment.” Christ followers should have no reason to state such nonsense. Sadly, though, we who follow Christ echo these statements from time to time. This detour down Guild Street does not make us bad people. It just shows we are human.

These kinds of statements lead us to ask ourselves what or with whom are we finding our identity? Who labels us as such? Do we label ourselves?

Lord, our natural man is hard-wired to seek significance. Someone said man is the only creature who would rather die than be insignificant. Being irrelevant crushes the spirit, ushering in despair and low self-worth. It’s little wonder that those who believe this earthly life is all there is lose hope, and tragically too often end their lives. Lord, this must break your heart.

Those seeking relevance in this fickle world need to constantly refuel their sense of significance. Standards for significance constantly change. Social norms of acceptable behaviors this week may be canceled next week. People’s desperation for acceptance, approval, and most importantly—love—often lead to relationships based on one’s performance. That’s no way to live.

For Christ followers, we must find our identity and significance in you. How can we find our significance in anything or anyone else after what you have done for us, Jesus? You never change. You can never be canceled.

“We [also] rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation”—Romans 5:11 (NLT).

The significance of our salvation through Christ has reconciled us back to the Father. Christ has made us worthy, and acceptable in the eyes of God the Father. He sees us through his loving eyes as his dear children. And that is significant.

Lord, I identify with you. Amen, Jesus.

Chatting with Jesus

Friday, August 11, 2023

Lord, when you hear people boasting, bragging about their accomplishments, does that leave you shaking your head? Oh, my, how they love to brag about their wealth, exaggerating their entrepreneurial skills that created them fortunes that even Solomon would envy. I can’t forget Hollywood, which produces not only movies but turns out braggarts with industrial-strength egos as well. As a former “professional” drag racer, I’ve heard more exaggerations, where the boaster won every race, won the championship every year, set every speed record imaginable, all the while driving with one hand. Of course, at that time, I boasted with the best of them. As you know, Lord, some of it was true.

Your Word speaks about boasting but in a much different way. Your earthly brother James detailed who should boast and what to boast about, and it certainly wasn’t about anything they did.

“Believers who are poor have something to boast about, for God has honored them. And those who are rich should boast how God has humbled them,” — James 1:9, 10 (NLT).

What do the poor have to boast about that you would honor them, Lord? Their great faith. That’s all they have. The poor depend on you for all their needs, and you amply supply those needs. They don’t worry nor doubt when things look lean, or the cupboards bare. They just keep praising and thanking you that you will come through for them.

How should the rich boast since they have everything they could want. With humility. They acknowledge they are not self-made wealthy but confess all they have is a gift from you. Your Spirit reminds them when they examine their bank account that you have trusted them with wealth so they, in turn, can bless others and further your kingdom here.

If I’m gonna boast, help me boast as Paul taught the believers in Corinth, “If I want to boast, boast only about the Lord,” (2 Corinthians 10:17). Who else is worthy?

Amen, Jesus.

Chatting with Jesus

Wednesday, August 9, 2023

Lord Jesus, it’s not like you didn’t warn us. When people identify with you and tell others they believe you are God’s Son and you came to redeem us from the curse of sin, we can expect some pushback. Skeptics will see our imperfections, raise an eyebrow like “Say what?” and maybe write us off as a Looney Tune. That may be true for some, but not everybody. Hopefully, many will want to know how we stand out from the herd.

Do my friends and coworkers who know my flaws wonder how I maintain a sense of peace when around me chaos demands to be the center of attention? Lord, your Spirit must give me the words to explain, in layman’s terms for those who do not know you, how your presence in my inner man keeps me sane in this insane world. Help me explain the truths of 2 Corinthians 5:17. All I can say is you just made me different on the inside and I’m not who I used to be. And the good news is you, Lord, can do the same to anyone who calls on you for mercy.

Showing kindness isn’t common today. Since you extended grace and kindness toward me when I was such a mess, may I do the same and make kindness the rule in all my relationships. Because I belong to you, Lord, open my spiritual eyes for the people you send across my path who are looking for what you offer: forgiveness, grace, and a new life, both on the inside and outside.

Help us prove the skeptics wrong, Jesus. Amen!

Chatting with Jesus
Tuesday, August 8, 2023

Lord, you are our good Heavenly Father who bids all people everywhere to come to you. If you called only the ‘perfect,’ or those relentlessly trying to become ‘perfect’ before coming to you, everyone would be left out. You send your invitation, then stand waiting to wrap your arms around any who respond. Your invitation is simple: “Come to me. And bring all your flaws, imperfections, sins, shame, guilt, fears, everything that weighs you down and let me take care of them. Just come join the family of Christ followers.”

Like me, Lord, all who come to you must recognize their need of you. All other ‘religions’ require their followers to do good things to obtain your approval. They work themselves to the point of exhaustion, fearful they may overlook something that hinders them from being good enough for you. I lived like that for years. That’s no way to live.

With you, Lord God, there is no need to beg. As a Christ follower, Jesus revealed your perfection and our inability to be good enough. Jesus did for us what we are incapable of doing: he paid our sin debt when he willingly went to the cross on our behalf.
Our part in all this? Believe. Forgive ourselves and accept God’s grace.

“For it is my Father’s will that all who see his Son [Jesus] and believe in him [as Savior who took our sins] should have eternal life. I will raise them up at the last day.”— John 6:40 (NLT)

Jesus, your words, not mine. But I agree! You are who you say you are and did for me what you said you did for me.

From a former yet redeemed prodigal I gratefully say,”Thank you Jesus” Amen.

Chatting with Jesus

Friday, August 4, 2023

Lord, you are pleased to bless your people. But how do people get so off-track? How do the Scriptures get so twisted that their meaning becomes carnal? How disgusting that those with the it’s-“all-about-me” complex consider you just a genie in a bottle.

Yes, Lord, those who place their trust in you find hope in your promise to bless and prosper them (Jeremiah 29:11). But your promise doesn’t mean you will give believers wealth beyond imagination, or give us the lifestyles of the rich and famous … or government bureaucrats. You know, Lord, how people tend to trust their wealth. They may give you token acknowledgement every now and then but mostly leave you on the back burner of their life.

Sadly, we’re wired by our human nature to turn wealth into an idol. This displeases you. Some go too the extreme in the opposite direction and piously claim vows of poverty. This also displeases you. Who in their right mind would follow you if your required your followers to live in poverty or do without?

There is nothing wrong having wealth, or just being “well off.” This is a reward for hard work and trusting in you. But there is great spiritual danger when worshiping “mammon” replaces worshiping you. We lose affection for all you have done for us.

”No one can serve two masters. For you will hate one and love the other; you will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and be enslaved to money.” Matthew 6:24 NLT

You promised Christ followers peace and contentment. You promised you’d supply our needs, not our selfish desires. We have what wealth cannot buy. Without doubt, you want us to take care of our family and prepare for our later years. The books of Proverbs and Ecclesiastes speak volumes of the wisdom of having financial security. But we must never forget who supplies our blessings.

Amen, Jesus.