Seek More than Just a Little Jesus 

During a recent road trip to preach at a church in another state, I stopped to fill up my vehicle with gas. While I was pumping the fuel, a lady walked by me, then turned around and spoke. She asked if she could give me a little Jesus today. In her outstretched hand was a tiny figurine created with all those features we commonly associate with the physical appearance of Jesus. I remembered seeing those small depictions of the Savior being promoted as a way to either begin conversations with people about spiritual matters or simply to leave one setting somewhere as a reminder to people of the presence of Jesus. I appreciated this woman’s boldness and effort to reach out to a stranger. I thanked her for the offer, but told her that I already knew Jesus and had Him in my heart, so maybe she could pass it along to someone else.

As I thought about that encounter later, another aspect of it came to mind. It had to do with the question she asked concerning “a little Jesus”. I understand and appreciate what she meant by that, but it also reminded me of something we need to be careful of concerning our relationship with the Lord. We all need Jesus in our lives. However, some people only want a little bit of Jesus in their lives. They want only enough of Him to get them into heaven. They want only enough of Jesus to have a measure of peace with God, but not enough to significantly alter their lives. They want just enough of Jesus that they can claim to be a Christian yet continue to live the way they want to live. They want Jesus to be in their life to some extent, but not be the One in control of their lives. They still want to call the shots themselves.

Jesus doesn’t intend for us to have only a little of Him. We need to have Him in His fullness. He is not content to simply be a guest in the home of our heart. He calls us to yield ourselves to Him as the Master of the house. He is not satisfied with being one of the various parts of our life that we value – alongside of our families, our careers, our sports teams, and other significant interests. He rightfully demands to be our one and only God. He is to be our top priority. We are not just to make Him and His kingdom one of the things we seek after, but we are to seek Him first, above all else.

In Paul’s letter to the Ephesians, you get no sense of believers only possessing a small part of Jesus. Paul’s prayer was for Jesus’ followers to “be filled with all the fullness of God” (3:19). A little later he states that part of God’s purpose for us is to attain “to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ” (4:13). Paul also affirms that Jesus didn’t send His Holy Spirit into the world so that we could just get a taste of Him. No, we are told to “be filled with the Spirit” (5:18). 

If we are settling for having only a little of Jesus in our lives, we are missing out on the blessings of His fullness and we are failing to fulfill God’s purpose for us. It could even be an indication that we may not truly have Him in our lives at all. Some of us need to quit focusing on how little of Jesus we can possess while still being acceptable to God, and instead become intent on pursuing more of Him and everything He wants to do in our lives.

 

Truths in the Face of the Storm 

We were watching with great concern and interest as hurricane Melissa hit the island of Jamaica recently. One of our daughters, who is ironically named Melissa, and members of her family had gone on a couple of mission trips in recent years helping out at a Christian children’s home on the western side of the island. We were praying as that area seemed to take the brunt of the powerful storm. As word came out afterwards, we were grateful to hear that everyone at the children’s home survived. However, the property suffered extensive damage. From the appearance of the “before and after” pictures, it looks like it will be a long road to recovery and restoration.

As I was in my office thinking about the folks dealing with that hurricane, my attention was drawn to the two plaques my daughter had given me as souvenirs from their trips to Jamaica. They were each created on that island and contain Bible verses. One reads, “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble (Psalm 46:1). Those Christians in Jamaica, as well as those of us who were praying for them, were trusting the Lord to be their protector and help through that storm. And we will continue to look to Him to give them strength as they move forward in their recovery efforts and in continuing the ministry God has given them. The other plaque reads, “In everything give thanks” (I Thessalonians 5:18). Maybe this command seems a little tougher under the circumstances. However, keep in mind that it is not telling us to give thanks for everything. That hurricane was not something to be thankful for. Nevertheless, we can give thanks in everything – in whatever situation we find ourselves in. There was still reason for thankfulness in spite of the hurricane and its aftermath. We can give thanks for the lives that were spared. And as bad as the devastation is, we can be thankful that it wasn’t even worse.

 Maybe we aren’t having to face any hurricanes today, but many of us are facing “storms” of various kinds in our lives. If we are not dealing with one today, there will be one coming at some point in the future. It is part of life. As we do, let’s keep the truths in those two verses in mind. God is our refuge and strength. He is our help in time of trouble. He is right there with us to see us through those times. Sometimes He diverts the storms from our paths. Other times, we get hit with the full force of its power. However, our God is faithful to protect us. And even if our lives get turned upside-down from such an encounter, we can trust the Lord to help us rebuild and to keep going.

We should also seek to have a spirit of thankfulness as we deal with our storms and their aftermath. No matter how bad it is, there are reasons for gratitude. Let’s not just focus on the negative aspects of our situation. Let’s not allow ourselves to get bogged down in the mire of what we have lost and the difficulties in moving toward recovery. We may need to grieve. However, we then need to realize how the situation could have been worse. Instead of letting worry and fear over the uncertainties ahead envelope us, let’s cultivate a spirit of thankfulness and trust as we move forward. Additionally, let’s be thankful for the opportunities these difficult circumstances present to us to manifest the spirit of Jesus.

I hope the believers in Jamaica will hold onto these precious truths that those plaques represent. And let’s do the same as we deal with our storms today and in the days to come.

 

We Are Weak Yet Strong in Jesus 

Last weekend we attended a fall festival with one of our daughters and her three sons at a shopping mall. The event culminated with a costume contest. All three of our grandsons entered the competition. Each one of them looked great, with the older boys decked out as Spiderman and a pirate respectively. However, it was our one-year-old who won a prize. He was awarded third place in his age group as he was dressed up in a Superman outfit. He was dubbed “Superbaby” by the moderator of the contest.

The concept of a superhero being a baby is especially intriguing. We usually picture infants as being rather weak and helpless. So the contrast of an adorable, innocent baby having big muscles and superhuman strength especially gets our attention and can seem cute or humorous - at least the judges seemed to think so.

We find ourselves in a similar situation when we put our trust in Jesus as our Savior. We are mere mortals, yet the Spirit of Almighty God comes to live within us. We who are weak, frail, and susceptible to sin find ourselves possessed with a supernatural power. The Bible proclaims that such believers are “more than conquerors” through Christ (Romans 8:37). We may not be able to fly over tall buildings or deflect bullets, but we can soar to spiritual heights, resist the attacks of the devil, and generally experience victory over sin and temptation.

However, we have to be careful that we don’t fall into one of two traps in relation to this truth. First of all, let’s not focus so much on our frailties that we lose sight of the power we have been given to be conquerors. We are weak and helpless, as far as being able to overcome sin and to deliver ourselves from its bondage. We all have sinned. We are finite, limited human beings. We are no match in our own strength against the evil forces in this world or against the sin nature within us that pulls us away from God and toward wrongdoing. Nevertheless, that doesn’t mean that we have to go through our time on this earth living in spiritual defeat. Not only do we have the ultimate victory of heaven to look forward to, but because the Holy Spirit lives in us, we can overcome evil in our lives right now. “He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world” (I John 4:4). Jesus has won the victory and freed us from sin’s bondage. We have the Spirit of God to strengthen us and to help us not to continue to live in sin.

The other pitfall we have to guard against is attributing such strength and success to ourselves rather than to the Spirit of God dwelling in us. Let’s not get cocky about our spiritual superpower. Yes, we are more than conquerors…but only through Christ. It is not because of who we are. It is because His Spirit is within us and empowering us. He gets all the glory for it, not us. Let’s be careful that we don’t get to thinking more highly of ourselves than we should. We are conquerors, but only as we stay connected to the Lord and dependent on Him. Without Him we could do nothing.

So let’s try to maintain a balanced view of this great divine power that has been bestowed on us as followers of Jesus. In many ways we are like babies – frail, dependent, and helpless. However, we are also indwelt by the mighty Spirit of God. He can help us overcome our weaknesses and to live victoriously in this life, but it is all because of Him. We may be weak, but in Him we are strong.

 

Spiritual Practices: More than an Obligation 

Several times recently I have heard one of those advertisements on the radio that concludes with someone rapidly reciting some kind of legal statement or disclaimer. You have probably heard them at times on either TV or the radio. The spokesperson talks so fast that you can’t make out anything that is being said. The purpose of such a practice seems to be merely to fulfill a legal obligation or to guard against liability. The statement is included simply because it is required or necessary. Therefore it is done as rapidly as possible so as to take up the least amount of valuable time. It doesn’t matter to those producing the material if anyone understands it or not. The only concern is to meet a requirement. Television ads often accomplish the same thing with their extremely fine print at the bottom of the screen. No one can easily read it, but they fulfill their obligation by including it in the commercial.

 We need to be careful that we don’t fall into a similar mindset concerning the Lord, our acts of worship, and our service for Him. It probably didn’t start out that way. After putting our trust in Jesus for salvation, we likely were motivated to follow Him with hearts full of gratitude and love. It was a joy to get together with other believers to worship Him. It was an adventure to explore the truths of the Bible. It was exciting to come before an Almighty God with our prayers and to see how those prayers made a difference. It was a blessing to go out into the world to serve the Lord and be a witness for Him.

However, if we are not careful to cultivate that relationship, over time some of those practices can degenerate into little more than that hurried disclaimer at the end of a radio advertisement. We still perform the same actions, but for different reasons now. We go to church to worship not so much out of love for the Lord but because it is expected and we have responsibilities to fulfill there. We read our Bibles so that we can check it off our list that we have had our devotional time for the day. We say our prayers, maybe not reciting them as rapidly as those radio spokespersons, but hardly thinking about what we are saying as we try to get through it to move on to our other tasks for the day. We still are involved in some kind of ministry, but it seems like more of a burden to us than a privilege.

In one of his epistles, Paul confronted the Corinthian church about their practices regarding the observation of the Lord’s Supper. This meaningful ritual, along with the fellowship meal that often accompanied it, had been allowed to become no more than an occasion for people to overindulge. Instead of it being a reminder of the unity of the church, there was a spirit of selfishness prevalent that led to division within the church. They were still observing the practice, but not for the right reasons or with the proper motives.

Let’s take a look at our own hearts in connection with our spiritual practices. Are we simply going through the motions or is it a meaningful part of our life? Are we hurrying through our times of worship, Bible reading, and prayer just to meet God’s requirement? Are we watching the clock or thinking about what is next on our schedule instead of focusing on the Lord and our time with Him?

Maybe we need to reconnect with the Lord, renew our love for Him, and serve Him with gladness. Don’t just fulfill an obligation. Do what you do out of love for Him.

 

There Are Still Hostages to Be Freed 

As I write this, many of us are celebrating the release of Israeli hostages after a two-year ordeal. Over the course of that period of time, it may have been easy for some of us to go about our lives as usual with limited thought given to the situation of those people. We might have seen occasional reminders on news programs, but for the most part their predicament was not at the forefront of our minds. We were aware of what was going on in that part of the world, felt compassion for those involved, mentioned it in our prayers at times, but it probably wasn’t one of the greatest daily concerns on our hearts.

That wasn’t the case with others, especially the family and friends of those hostages. The status of the captives was something they were continually concerned about. It was a constant burden they carried with them. And many of them were actively interceding before government leaders, participating in rallies, publicly holding up signs or initiating interviews to remind the world of what was going on, and otherwise working to secure the release of their loved ones. It wasn’t just an unfortunate news story to them – it was personal. Even people who weren’t family took up the mantle and shared that deep concern. And now their tremendous sorrow has turned to great joy as they see these hostages released.

It reminds me of the fact that there are many others in our world being held in captivity today. I am not thinking about those who are physically imprisoned in some way, although we should not forget about them either. I am referring to many all around us who are suffering in captivity to sin, who have been taken hostage by Satan, and who may be so blinded that they aren’t even aware of their situation. We have all been there. Some of us have experienced being set free from our imprisonment through faith in Jesus. However, let’s not forget about those who are still being held hostage.

It can be easy to get so wrapped up in the busyness of our lives, even in doing good things and church activities, that we lose sight of the people around us who are still in bondage. We may know in our heads that they are there but do we carry their predicament in our hearts? Are we regularly intervening on their behalf before God? Are we doing whatever we can to seek their freedom?

Setting such captives free was a big part of Jesus’ mission. When He was beginning His public ministry, He applied a scripture from the book of Isaiah to Himself, saying, “The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, because He has anointed Me to preach the gospel to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed” (Luke 4:18). Jesus came to set the captives free, and that is also part of our mission as His followers.

Do we have the same mindset as the Apostle Paul had for his fellows Jews who were being held in spiritual captivity? He expressed his deep concern for them in these words: “I have great sorrow and continual grief in my heart…My heart’s desire and prayer to God for Israel is that they may be saved” (Romans 9:2; 10:1). Can we say something similar about our family, friends, and others who aren’t experiencing freedom in Christ? It shouldn’t just be an occasional thought that pops into our head, but rather a burden and prayer we continually are carrying with us.

Let’s not forget the spiritual hostages. Make it personal. Let’s be doing all we can to seek their release. 

 

Let God Do a Deeper Cleaning in You 

Last weekend one of my daughters had some workers coming over to her house to do what she described as a “deep cleaning”. They would be going beyond the regular housekeeping chores to perform a more extensive job of ridding the premises of any impurities, even in the hard-to-reach crevices or the oft-neglected recesses of the home. She was having it done at this particular time so as to get ready for the upcoming active holiday season with decorations being displayed and family gatherings taking place. As I spoke to her the day prior to their arrival, interestingly enough she was busy doing some of the more typical chores of tidying up in order to make preparation for the more thorough job this crew would be doing.

I like that idea of a “deep cleaning”, not just in reference to the extra cleansing our houses need at times, but also in connection with our spiritual wellbeing and our relationship with the Lord. Too many of us tend to be content with simply keeping the surface of our lives cleaned up. We focus only on our outward behavior or the blemishes that can be easily seen in our lives – losing our temper again, saying hurtful words, indulging in some activity we know is not pleasing to the Lord. We seek God’s forgiveness. We may even pray for His cleansing, but looking solely for Him to wipe away the stain and helping us not to make that same mess quite so often in the future. Unfortunately, that is as far as many of us go and that is where we choose to stop. 

We need to look beyond the superficial and trust the Lord to do a deeper cleaning in our lives. Yes, our behaviors need to change. However, the root of the problem goes beyond our actions and has to do with our hearts and minds. What we say and do rises up from what is found in our inner being – our thoughts, our attitude, our motives, our desires, our affections. We need to seek the deeper cleaning of a purified heart, a renewed mind, and a greater love for our God and for doing His will.

When King David repented over his sin of adultery, he went beyond merely asking forgiveness for his actions, as important as that was. In the psalm written on that occasion, he prayed for God to wash him thoroughly. Part of his prayer was, “Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me” (Psalm 51:10). He knew that he needed a deeper cleansing than simply wiping away the stain of his adulterous act and its murderous cover-up. He needed a work to be done in his heart and spirit.

The Apostle Paul urged the Roman believers, “Do not be conformed to this world” (Romans 12:2). In other words, “Don’t let the world shape you into its mold or appearance.” Nevertheless, Paul didn’t stop there. He continued, “But be transformed by the renewing of your mind.” They needed to do more than just not act like the unbelievers around them They needed to experience an inner change – that is where the most significant transformation occurs.

Maybe we have been dealing only with those superficial, daily stains that crop up in our lives. Let’s seek a deeper cleaning. Let’s yield ourselves to the Lord, let Him show us what is in our innermost being, and let Him do a work of transformation there.

“Lord, don’t just forgive me – cleanse me! Don’t just alter my behavior – change my heart! Renew my mind! Work on my attitude! Give me a greater love for You and a greater desire to do Your will! Lord, do a deep cleaning in me today!”

 

Let’s Be Honest with God   

In our small congregation, we often offer the opportunity at one point in the worship service for individuals to share a word of testimony, an answer to prayer, or a prayer request. On a recent Sunday one of our regular attendees had her grandsons with her, as she was taking care of them while their parents were out of town. After others had shared their praises and prayer requests, I was told that one of those young boys had a question. When I called on him, he inquired, “Could you try to keep it short today?” This unusual request resulted in all of us enjoying a good laugh. I responded that I couldn’t promise him that I would do what he asked, but that I would keep it in mind. Someone noted that at least this boy was being honest and sharing what was on his mind. There have probably been many people over the years who were sitting in church services with similar hopes to what this youngster voiced, but they just didn’t want to say it. It may have been an uncommon question to say out loud but not an uncommon thought in people’s minds.

Are we genuine with God about what is really on our hearts and minds? Do we share honestly with Him, or do we carefully edit our true thoughts and feelings into what we think would be more appropriate before voicing those concerns to Him? On the one hand, it is foolish of us to think that God doesn’t know everything already. Nothing is hidden from Him, including our deepest feelings and our innermost thoughts. But additionally, God wants us to experience such a close relationship with Him that we feel free to express our true feelings, desires, questions, and concerns with Him. Not only is it not possible for us to hide anything from Him, but we shouldn’t want to do so. Honesty and trust are foundational in any relationship, including ours with the Lord.

Think about how genuine those who penned the Psalms were as they communicated with God. Those writings express fear, anger, discouragement, hope, reverence, trust, and the whole gamut of human emotions. Those writers weren’t afraid to let God see them just as they were. They rightfully offered up their praise to God. However, they also brought their questions and doubts to Him. They were ready to shout “Bless the Lord, O my soul”, but also willing to cry out to God in anguish asking “Why?” They were genuine enough to confess their sin and their need for forgiveness, as well as to acknowledge the good work God had done in their lives.

Some of us need to quit trying to hide behind false fronts we have constructed and simply be real with God. We need to take off the righteous-looking masks and let God help us come to terms with our true selves. Let’s quit editing our thoughts and feelings, and instead bring them to God just as they are. If they are not appropriate, He will let us know. If they reveal our sin or faults, He can change us. If they show a wrong attitude, He can help us deal with it. If they come from a misunderstanding of scripture, He can teach us. If they reveal a lack of surrender to His lordship over our lives, He can help us take that step of total submission to Him. We just need to be honest with Him and with ourselves about what is going on in our hearts and minds.

What is in your heart today? What are your concerns? Maybe they don’t seem “spiritual” enough to bring to God, but talk to Him about them anyway. Don’t be afraid to be honest with God. He can handle it.