We no longer believe just because of what you said; now we have heard for ourselves, and we know that this man really is the Savior of the world  John 4:42

When we hear stories of how other people’s relationship with God helped them overcome adversity, it empowers us to persevere through our difficulties. And when God personally helps us to overcome our struggles, it causes our faith in him to be even stronger.  There is nothing like experiencing God first-hand in our lives. It is in those times when God speaks clearly and directly to us that we truly understand his love and faithfulness.  Maybe you know someone who has yet to discover the great benefits of a life yielded to the Savior. Or, you may have heard others talk about the awesome, life-changing power of Jesus Christ but have never experienced it for yourself. Take some time right now to invite him into your life.  Knowing Christ personally will literally transform you from the inside out. If you have a personal relationship with him, share your story with someone who doesn’t yet know the Savior, and encourage them to experience God first-hand. Let your life serve as a bold reminder that Christ really is the Light of the world so that others can be brought out of the darkness and have a new, brighter life with Jesus.

Dear Lord, Thank you so much for coming into my life. Please help me to share my experiences with others so that they can experience your Light in their own lives. Use my life as an illustration of your awesome power at work so that others can experience your love. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.

“Worthy is the lamb who was slain to receive power and riches and wisdom, and strength and honor and glory and blessing!” (Revelation 5:12)

A number of words in the Bible are translated “worship.” The one used the most often means “to bow down and do homage.” Another biblical word for worship means “to kiss toward.” Put the two words together, and you will have a good idea of what real worship is. We worship God because He is worthy. In doing so, we bow down and pay homage to Him. That speaks of reverence and respect for God. But we also “kiss toward” Him, which speaks of tenderness and intimacy.  We ought to be learning all we can about worship, because it will be one of the primary activities of heaven. And Jesus made it clear that there is a right and a wrong way to worship. There is true and false worship.   The Pharisees, who considered themselves the worship experts of their day, missed the target by a mile. Jesus said of them, “ ‘These people draw near to Me with their mouth, and honor Me with their lips, but their heart is far from Me. And in vain they worship Me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men’” (Matthew 15:8-9).

Some people are too flippant and casual with God. They seem to think of Him as their celestial Big Buddy and approach Him that way in prayer: “Hey, Lord, how are You doing?” Others recognize God as holy and all powerful and may even tremble before Him, but they don’t realize that God wants to be known in an intimate and personal way.

We are to revere and honor God. But we’re also to embrace Him in closeness. We are to engage our hearts, with no hypocrisy. And that’s where true worship begins.

It was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed … but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect.  1 Peter 1:18-19

I was thinking about a time that I donated blood two days before Good Friday, I learned that one donation can help three people and even save their lives. Premature babies, burn victims, leukemia sufferers, and people being treated for many other cancers are among those who can benefit from this gift. How thankful these people and their families must be for this one small donation!  As the technician drew my blood, my thoughts shifted to Good Friday and Jesus’ death on the cross. If people are grateful when we donate blood for them, how much more grateful should we be that Jesus shed his blood for us to save us from the consequences of our sins? By this sacrifice, we can all be saved and enter God’s presence freely.  I donated blood sitting comfortably in an armchair for an hour. Jesus’ blood was shed as he died an excruciating death – nailed to a cross.

Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.”  Matthew 28:18

“You can’t tell me what to do!” It’s the cry of our culture that is so bent on flying solo. The last thing we want is to be held accountable to someone else or have to report to someone in a position above us. Submission and subordination are two things we avoid rather than accept. To put it simply, we all have issues with authority.  But in our quest to call the shots, we forget that God is the one who created authority. And it is His authority that ultimately gives us the freedom we so desperately seek.  Despite our issues, God has designed authority for our good. It provides protection, maturity and uniqueness in every area of our lives. But without a true understanding of the authority structures in our lives, we fail to realize all that God has in store for us.  As we come to a basic understanding of God’s authority, we will learn what it means to get under what God has put over us. And we will discover the great things that happen when we get over what God has put under us.

Dear God, I understand that You have the ultimate authority over my life, but I need help in understanding exactly what that means. I also need help with identifying the other positions of authority that You have placed in my life. Please open my heart to be receptive to the instruction and direction of others, and help me identify and correct my authority issues. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.

The Sovereign LORD has given me an instructed tongue, to know the word that sustains the weary. He wakens me morning by morning, wakens my ear to listen like one being taught.   Isaiah 50:4

AS a pastor, I look forward each year to time for personal renewal following the busy Lent and Easter season. That year on Easter Monday, I was on vacation when I heard that one of our members had taken his life. I was devastated.

I began to think about the Lenten story we had just lived through, especially the time between Palm Sunday and Easter. Jesus heard the hosannas but knew something very different was in store for him. In our lives, however, we never know what is around the next corner. We only know that we can trust God to help us cope with the unexpected, the shattering times in our lives.  The day of the funeral was very difficult. I prayed that the grieving people sitting in the congregation, would hear God’s word along with me, listening “like one being taught.” For even in the face of death, in God we can find help and comfort.

What I say to you in the dark, tell in the light; and what you hear whispered, proclaim from the housetops.  Matthew 10:27

On Easter, many churches hold sunrise celebrations. As the first glimmers of sun peek over the horizon, we sing, “He is Risen! Alleluia!” But John 20:1 says that Mary Magdolene went to the tomb “while it was still dark” and found it already empty.

 I did not appreciate that difference until that Easter morning years past. During the day I could reassure myself with scriptures like “All things work together for good for those who love God,” (Rom. 8:28) and “I am with you always,” (Matt. 28:20). But at around four AM, I would wake up in sheer terror.  That was the hour when I needed to be reassured that Jesus Christ lives and reigns. That was when I needed to be certain that he knew exactly what we were going through and was going through it with us. That was when I needed to know that no matter how bad things get, the risen Christ is Lord!

Sunrise Easter services are lovely, but we might do well to hold middle-of-the-night celebrations of the resurrection instead. We most need to be reminded of the power of God not when things are looking rosy but when our lives seem most frightening.

Dear Lord, when I wake in terror in the night, remind me of your continuing care for me. Amen.

Before I was afflicted I went astray, but now I keep Your word. (Psalm 119:67)

In the much-loved Psalm 23, David wrote: “Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.” The rod and the staff were shepherd’s tools. The staff was a long, crooked instrument the shepherd would use when a sheep was going astray. But the rod was simply a club, which was used when the staff wasn’t working anymore.  We may think that a club is extremely cruel to use on a poor sheep. But better to get whacked with a club than to be eaten by a wolf. Sheep are incredibly dumb. They will actually line up to die. If one sheep goes over a cliff, the other sheep will say, “Get in line. We’re all going to die today. Let’s go. Single file.” The shepherd sometimes has to use extra corrective measures on a wayward sheep that could lead others astray.

I have seen the Lord use the rod of suffering or sickness to get someone’s attention. He will say, “You really shouldn’t do that,” and then convicts them by His Spirit. But they might ignore Him. So He tells them, “Don’t do that. I don’t want you to do that.” If they continue to ignore Him, BAM! God will use His rod: “I told you…don’t do that.” I have met a lot of people in hospitals who have come to Christ. Unfortunately, a lot of them don’t stay with Christ. But others continue to walk with the Lord.

Maybe God has recently whacked you with His rod to get your attention. Maybe He has given you a wake-up call in the form of suffering or sickness, and you’ve been wondering why.

Don’t ever doubt it: It is because He loves you.

He has made everything beautiful in its time. Also He has put eternity in their hearts, except that no one can find out the work that God does from beginning to end. (Ecclesiastes 3:11)

Jairus was a well-known, powerful, wealthy individual who was the head of the local synagogue. When his twelve-year-old daughter, his only child, was in great need, he sought out Jesus to heal her.

We don’t know whether Jairus was a believer in Jesus. As the head of the synagogue, he would certainly have been a religious man. He’d probably heard about Jesus. Maybe he had already put his faith in Him. The Scripture doesn’t say. Nevertheless, Jairus believed that Jesus could save his daughter’s life. So he went and found the Lord and begged Him to heal his daughter. He placed his complete trust in Jesus.

But as they were on the way to his house, the news came that his daughter had died. The reason they hadn’t arrived at his daughter’s side more quickly was because a woman in need of healing came along and touched Jesus, and He stopped and demanded to know who it was that touched Him.

Jairus, however, didn’t complain. He had committed himself and his situation to Jesus, believing that God knew what He was doing. His faith was dramatic, especially because at this particular time in Jesus’ ministry, He had not raised anyone from the dead. Granted, He had healed people. But there had been no resurrections.

Jairus had to wait, and sometimes we have to wait. A lot of us grow impatient with God, and in our impatience, we may foolishly take things into our own hands and make them far worse. Know this: God’s delays are not necessarily His denials. We need to wait on the Lord. He’s worth waiting for! God’s timing is just as important as His will. He doesn’t ask for us to understand, He just asks us to trust.