THANKFUL

Chatting with Jesus

Tuesday, January 3, 2023

Lord, how many Christ followers make the same New Year’s resolutions every year? In all seriousness, we declare, “I will rid my life of everything that hinders me from becoming all You created me to be. This year is different.”

Yes, it is possible. With Your help and our willful surrender of ourselves to Your leading, many keep their resolutions, and their lives change for the better over the year. Unfortunately, for many, if not most, in their zeal to prove to You their sincerity to change, attempt these changes with their own efforts. Failure soon follows, accompanied by guilt for once again not keeping our vows.

As the year unfolds, life activities keep us hopping. The seemingly harmless activities, in and of themselves are not bad, but if we’re not careful, draw us away from You. Those harmful habits remain, if not worsen. The cheesecake continues to call our name. Choosing to retain that negative attitude still blocks Your blessings. Mayne that’s why we make the same New Year’s resolutions every year.

For Christ followers, making a vow to change puts us in the middle of a spiritual battle. Your Word tells us in Ephesians 6:17, that in everything we do, take up the “shield of faith,” not the shield of pride. We may change our outward behavior, but on the inside, we still cling to the old ways.

Thankfully, because of Your grace, our failures to keep our resolutions will not cancel our eternal life in Heaven.

You are the God of second chances. In 2023, with Your help, Lord, we will live Hebrews 12:1— “let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.”

May 2023 be our breakthrough year, Jesus. Amen.

Chatting with Jesus

Thursday, December 22, 2022

Lord, You came to us a babe, born into poverty with a smelly stable as Your nursery. Lord God, You became Mary’s boy-child, Jesus Christ. Such a humble entrance into our broken world, especially after God the Father gave You the titles of “Wonderful Counselor,” “Mighty God,” “Everlasting Father” and crowned you the “Prince of Peace,” (Isaiah 9:6).

The title Prince of Peace describes You perfectly. You came to save humanity from the penalties of sin and bring us peace with God. Because man’s rebellion in the Garden severed the harmony between God and man, You came to reverse this brokenness. Not only did You bring us peace with God, but You also gave us the Peace of God to reign within our hearts, (Colossians 3:15).

Mankind’s rejection of You, the One true God, and attempts to set himself up as his own god have proven to be the greatest mistake ever made. If man could save himself from his sins by his own efforts, he would have done so long before You came to us. Instead, man became more of a hopeless mess. Only You, Jesus, as the Lamb of God and the Prince of Peace could restore the peace between man and God the Father.

The shepherds who rushed to Bethlehem on that first Christmas night to worship their new King could not comprehend the impact You would make on the world. The magi who brought treasures to their new King could not conceive the Treasure You would be to bring peace between fallen humanity and God.

Lord, may we allow You, the Prince of Peace, to reign in our hearts not only at Christmas but all year through.

Happy Birthday, Jesus. Amen.

Chatting with Jesus

Monday, December 19, 2022

Lord, when You came to us, You didn’t identify with the elitists, or the “haves.” You had to identified with the common people, the “have nots.”

You weren’t born in a cosmopolitan city, in a hospital equipped with the finest staff. Far from it. You were born in a dirty, smelly stable in Bethlehem, a small village known for raising sheep for Temple sacrifice. Only a few barnyard animals witnessed Your arrival. And poor Joseph! A carpenter by trade, experienced on the job training in birthing the Son of God.

Kings and priests didn’t herald Your birth. Luke 2 describes the Christmas story of heavenly angels, singing praises to God, announcing to shepherds the Advent of the Messiah, the promised one—Immanuel— “God with us!”

Thousands didn’t gather outside Your house, hoping for a glimpse of their newborn king, but with inexpressible joy, the shepherds rushed to Bethlehem to worship their newborn king. That is so much like You, Lord. The first to worship You here were the common people, simple shepherds, but oh, they recognized the glory of Your arrival and worshiped with the angels. Two years later, wise men from the east who recognized You as the Messiah and travels for months to worship You, bringing You gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh.

You had to come to us as a commoner, otherwise, how could You identify with our plight? Because in Your humanity, You could identify how we broken people suffer, how we struggle with everyday life in this fallen world. You identified with our temptations, with our weaknesses, or joys and sorrows, our highs and lows, yet You remained sinless. You fought the same battles we fight daily and conquered every one. Therefore, only You could be the “Lamb of God,” the perfect sacrifice to take away our sins and give eternal life to all who believe in You. (John 1).

How fitting You were born in Bethlehem, the village known for raising lambs for sacrifices for sins. May we always worship You as such, Lord, our personal Lamb of God who took away our sins. Amen, Jesus.

Chatting with Jesus

Wednesday, December 14, 2022

Lord, it’s only by Your grace we are able to live a holy life. As we grow deeper into intimacy with Your heart, our worship cannot be restrained. Scripture instructs us to “Make a joyful noise unto the Lord, all the earth! Serve the Lord with gladness; come before His presence with singing,” (Psalm 100:1–2).

I wonder if the psalmist heard my singing, would he have erased that “come with singing” thing? Or did he add the ‘joyful noise’ clause because of my singing? It doesn’t matter. God desires our worship. Those around me may disagree, but to our heavenly Father, my singing pleases Him. It makes Him smile, since it’s coming from a grateful heart, (Psalm 138:1). And since You put Your songs of praise within our hearts, how can we be quiet?

Jesus instructed us to worship our heavenly Father in Spirit and in truth, (John 4:24). When our hearts are aligned with Your heart, Lord, we are one in Spirit with You. We worship You in truth because our heart knows Your heart. We know who You are and what You have done.

For the most part, the secular world wants to make You into the image it wants. The world’s description of You differs greatly than how You and Your holy precepts are described in Scripture. Worshiping You by the world’s standards is not worshiping in truth. That’s not worshiping You for who are, that’s worshiping You for who You aren’t.

As I grow deeper into Your heart, may my joyful noise not be silenced when I worship You in Spirit and in truth. Amen.

Chatting with Jesus

Tuesday, December 13, 2022

Lord, as Christ followers, when we determine to align our lives, our hearts, our souls with Your character, Scripture tells us our first goal is to live a ‘holy’ life. (1 Peter 1:16). We accomplish this mandate simply by ordering our life, our actions and words according to Your precepts found in the Scriptures. When we live accordingly, there is no need to walk around with a sign that reads, “Look how holy I am,” or dress a certain way or prohibit ourselves from activities deemed unholy. Holiness shows without advertising. But it’s impossible to live holy without divine help.

Skeptics, critics, and some religious folks who do not understand grace, point a finger at Christ followers for not always meeting these holy standards. I agree. Perfection is far from my zip code. Believers, and non-believers, can never keep these holy standards. We know it. God knows it. Maybe that’s why the Apostle Paul wrote this encouragement to the Roman believers, “because you belong to Him [Jesus] the power of the life-giving Spirit has freed you from the power of sin, [which is condemnation]” —Romans 8:2 (NLT).

Paul continued his message stating that except for Jesus, no one has, nor ever will, keep the Ten Commandments. However, because we belong to Jesus, His life-giving Spirit has freed us from the penalties of not keeping the commandments. And because we belong to Jesus, we understand His grace. And because we are covered by grace, we can live a holy life.

Jesus, thank You that Your grace makes me holy before You. Amen.

Chatting with Jesus

Monday, December 12, 2022

Lord, if I claim to be Your follower, I should desire to know Your heart. To be like You, I need to bring my character in line with Your character.

Secular folks, and some religious people too, have impressions of You that are nothing like You are described in Your Word. Usually, their views are not malicious. They may even contain half-truths. It’s they just don’t know who You are. Having a false impression of You could cause me to get completely off track, missing the joys of a relationship You.

When I say I commit myself to be more like You, what am I committing to? When I seek to align my character with Your character, am I opening myself up to drastic changes? You have a way of pulling us out of our comfort zones, sometimes with us kicking and screaming. You changed our hearts, making us new on the inside. Now, You are asking us to change our ways.

“Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will [heart] for you, which is good, pleasing, and perfect”—Romans 12:2 (NLT)

Lord, what is first in taking on Your character?

“You are holy—so we are to live holy” —1 Peter 1:16

Thankfully, I don’t have to shave a bald spot on my head, join a monastery, and hum hymns all day. To be holy, I just have to live by Your precepts.

Aligning my character with Your character, Jesus. Amen.

(continued)

Chatting with Jesus

Friday, December 9, 2022

Lord, for believers, how can the worst in any situation be what You would call a ‘good thing?’ In my humanity, that just doesn’t make sense. In my spiritual life, I’m still struggling to make sense of it. If I’m trying to do right and live as You command Your followers to live, yet my world is falling apart, I’d kinda like to know some answers. Am I to blindly accept this as part of Your will for me? Deep within my soul I’m pleading, “Lord, I don’t understand!”

Most likely this plea has been offered with tears by every believer. The Apostle Paul addressed this issue to the believers undergoing extreme hardships in Rome. His statement of faith amid uncertainty has proven true over the centuries.

“And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to His purpose,” — Romans 8:28 (NLT)

We’re quick to quote 8:28 and then move on. But verse 28 is only half the promise. Often overlooked when believers are struggling with the ‘I don’t understand’ question is the preceding verse. Jesus said He would ask the Father to send the Holy Spirit to come live within each believer who placed their trust in Him. For believers, we’re never on our own.

“And the Father, who knows all hearts, knows what the Spirit is saying, for the Spirit pleads for us believers [when we don’t know how to pray] in harmony with God’s own will” — Romans 8:27 (NLT)

So Lord, I might not understand now, but I accept what You say: “Surrender of your will to My will is really in your best interest.”

I’m sticking with You, Jesus. Amen.

Chatting with Jesus

Thursday, December 8, 2022

Lord, everyone needs a sense of belonging. Feeling left out can be devastating. Probably most folks want to belong to a group with whom they share common interests. Who doesn’t want to belong to a certain someone who makes your heart skip a beat. Some believe I belong in an institution, but that’s another prayer.

Here is good news that should make you wanna shout.

“There is now no condemnation for those who BELONG to Christ Jesus,” —Romans 8:1 (NLT).

Belonging involves responsibility. Just as my wife belongs to me, her well-being is my responsibility. I take care of her, meet her needs, provide and protect her in all circumstances, faithfully nourish her spiritually, and take the trash out on a regular basis.

Likewise, being a Christ follower and belonging to Jesus, He has promised to protect my spiritual well-being and to provide my needs. In Matthew 6:33, Jesus laid out in my responsibility as a Christ follower.

“Seek the Kingdom of God first above all else, and live righteously, and He will give you everything you need,”—Matthew 6:33 (NLT).

First and foremost, don’t think for a moment we can seek God’s Kingdom by our human strength alone. Because we belong to Christ Jesus, the moment we believed, He sent the Holy Spirit to come live inside us. God’s Spirit helps us ‘seek the Kingdom of God first above all else.’ The Holy Spirit’s responsibility is to lead us into all truth, (John 14:17). Our responsibility is to follow the Holy Spirit’s leading, because He will lead me to seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness.

Lord, I’m eternally thankful I belong to You and Your Kingdom. Amen.

Chatting with Jesus

Wednesday, December 7, 2022

Lord, is there anyone You cannot save? Are some people beyond redemption? Psalm 107 details how You send Your Spirit over all the Earth calling all people to salvation. The rich, the poor, the free or oppressed, the mighty, the meager, every ethnic background, good people, bad people, the religious, the non-religious—all walks of life—You reach out to all.

You save those searching for purpose in life. You renew those lives destroyed by addictions and destructive habits. You redeem those lives wasted by foolish life choices,who find at the end of their days it’s not too late to call upon Your grace. And even those annoying, arrogant “movers and shakers” who hog the headlines—even they are redeemable.

What does this collection of redeemed folks have in common? Realizing their plight, they didn’t hesitate to cry out to You. And You stepped in to erase their past and give them a new life. So Lord, is it true? You can save anyone, right?

It didn’t take long for Your Spirit to open my understanding. You cannot save everyone.

Ever since Adam and Eve tried that apple pie recipe, mankind gets overwhelmed when life’s stuff hits the fan. We were never meant to handle life on our own in this broken world. Thankfully, the needy souls in Psalm 107 had the good sense to acknowledge their helplessness. And You responded accordingly to Your character.

But sadly, throughout history, pride has blinded many a poor soul of Your grace and mercy. The apple pie recipe again proves the “I’m Superman! I-can-handle-life-my-way” syndrome doesn’t work. You save forever only those who ask You to save them.

Jesus, thank You that in Your love andcompassion, You rescued us in our troubled lives and gave us a fresh start when we asked You for mercy.

Lord, I’m speaking up about Your goodness and rejoicing with the redeemed, Lord, Amen.

Chatting with Jesus

Monday, December 5, 2022

Lord, what did the psalmist called them in his day? Arrogant fools? Godless big heads?

Today, we call them “Wheeler-Dealers,” or “Movers and Shakers.” Maybe “globalist” would be a better description. But all have the “elitest” attitude.

Since airplanes were not yet invented, the psalmist had only the analogy of merchant ships sailing the seas, plying their trade throughout the world, (Psalm 107:23–32). These people hobnobbed with kings and princes. Their wealth became their god. Perhaps the psalmist had King Solomon in mind, since his reputation for mega-wealth was known throughout the world,. But like all people, the elitist left everything when they stepped into eternity.

Today, globalist jet-set around the world, making deals, building empires, amassing wealth beyond an ordinary person’s imagination. “Who needs God?” they boast. “Look what I’ve made. Forget those religious fanatics.” With that kind of money, their business kingdoms could sustain them a thousand lifetimes.

Lord, did You add this declaration to remind the movers and shakers their kingdoms are resting on shifting sand, and that You are the One true Mover and Shaker?

“I change rivers into deserts, and springs of water into dry, thirsty land. I turn the fruitful land into salty wastelands, because of the wickedness of those who live there”—Psalm 107:33–34 (NLT).

Hopefully, the recent collapse of FTX will shake the elitist to their senses to recognize there is a higher and greater power than their wealth, which can instantly evaporate, leaving them holding nothing but the ashes of their false mammon god. But oh, what an opportunity for them to cry out to You, Lord. Only You can save them. They will be making the best deal of their life.

Change ‘em, Jesus. Amen.