NLT

Day 107 – Mark 12:41-44; Luke 21:1-4

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The True Heart of Sacrifice.

Mark 12:41-44; Luke 21:1-4

“I tell you the truth,” Jesus said, “this poor widow has given more than all the rest of them. For they have given a tiny part of their surplus, but she, poor as she is, hsa given everything she has.” – Mark 21:3 NLT

Jesus and His disciples are standing in the Temple grounds. He has just had a discussion with the religious leaders regarding His authority. Three separate times they have approached Him, asking questions designed to trap and expose Him. But Jesus has graciously and effectively handled all their inquiries, even taking the opportunity to ask a question of His own. There in the Temple courtyard, He is on enemy territory. This is the domain of the priests and religious leaders. He is on their turf. And yet Jesus has just warned the crowd to “Beware of these teachers of religious law! For they love to parade around in flowing robes and love to receive respectful greetings as they walk in the marketplaces. And how they love the seats of honor in the synagogues and the head table at banquets. Yet they shamelessly cheat widows out of their property and then pretend to be pious by making long prayers in public. Because of this, they will be severely punished” (Luke 20:46-47 NLT).

These were not exactly kind and gracious words. I can’t help but imagine that as Jesus spoke these words, He was able to look at the various priests, religious leaders, Pharisees and Sadducees walking around the courtyard in their flowing robes, trailing a retinue of dedicated disciples. But it is within this same environment, that Jesus points out the poor widow. While His disciples were probably enamored by the beauty of the Temple buildings and impressed by the pomp and circumstance of the religious elite, Jesus takes notice of the obscure and overlooked widow. Mark and Luke tell us that “he watched the rich people dropping their gifts in the collection box” (Luke 21:1 NLT). Jesus was people watching, but with a purpose. He was going to teach a lesson on giving for the benefit of His disciples. The process of giving in this context was a very visible one. The people lined up and one-by-one deposited their gift in the box. This would have been one of 13 different trumpet-shaped receptacles located around the Temple grounds. They were made of metal and the “dropping” of each person’s gift would have made a distinctive sound. And of course, the more you gave, the louder the noise. So it would have been noticeable when the rich deposited their gifts. Those waiting in line or standing nearby would have heard the clanking of the metal coins as they were dropped into the container. To the untrained eye, it would have appeared that the wealthy were giving more than anyone else. But Jesus points out a very important point when it comes to giving. It is not so much the size of the gift, as it is the degree of sacrifice required of the one giving. Jesus points out that this poor widow, who only put in two measly coins, had actually given MORE than anyone else that day. Why? Because Jesus somehow knew that her gift represented the greatest degree of sacrifice. In spite of her poverty, she had given everything she had. Her gift was truly sacrificial and not superficial.

Jesus is not so much denigrating the gifts of the others as much as He is pointing out the true motive behind giving. Our giving is not to be for show. It should not be done to impress. But it should also not be done in such a way that it requires little or no sacrifice on our part. If you think about it, God does not need our money. He doesn’t require our talents. When we give, whether it is our time, talents or treasures, we should do so as an expression of gratitude to Him for all He has done for us. He gave His Son so that we might have eternal life. But when we give to Him and we do it like the rich people Jesus saw – giving just a small portion out of their surplus – what does that communicate to God? We are giving Him something that costs us nothing. It is almost meaningless and of little value to us. But this widow gave all she had. She gave sacrificially and willingly. At the heart of true giving is sacrifice. It expresses to God that He has more value to us than whatever it is we are giving to Him. He is worthy of all that we have. He does not require that we give Him all, but He is not honored when we give what costs us nothing.

Father, too often I give to You out of my reserves or surplus. Or I give to you out of the dregs and leftovers of my time and energy. I give You those moments at the end of the day when I am exhausted and drained. I try to pray as I fall asleep, hoping that in some way that will honor You. I can so easily spend my money on my own needs and desires, giving to You something out of what I have leftover at the end of the month. Jesus pointed out this widow for a reason. It was not the size of the gift, but the heart of the one giving. May my giving, whether of my time, treasures or talents, be a holy sacrifice to You for all that You have done and continue to do for me. Amen.

Ken Miller
Grow Pastor & Minister to Men
kenm@christchapelbc.org

Day 99 – John 12:20-50

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From Darkness to Light.

John 12:20-50

“I have come as a light to shine in this dark world, so that all who put their trust in me will no longer remain in the dark.” – John 12:46 NLT

When referring to Jesus, John used the metaphor of light throughout his gospel. He opened his account of the life of Jesus with these words, “… his life brought light to everyone.The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness can never extinguish it” (John 1:4-5 NLT). He went on to tell how John the Baptist, sent by God, told “about the light so that everyone might believe because of his testimony” (John 1:7 NLT). John the Baptist was to be a witness to the fact that “the one who is the true light, who gives light to everyone, was coming into the world” (John 1:9 NLT). It’s interesting how John used this word picture of light penetrating the darkness when referring to Jesus. It paints a vivid image of the state of the world from God’s perspective. Mankind was immersed in a suffocating darkness, caused by the presence of sin and the absence of truth. For more than 400 years, God had remained silent, no longer sending any prophets with any messages of either warning or hope. During the period of the kings and all the way up until the exile of Judah to Babylon, God had spoken regularly and relentlessly, calling His people to return to Him. He had given them warnings of what was to come, but also assurances that He would be faithful to them. He promised to return them to the Promised Land from their 70 years in exile, and He kept His word. But then the prophets ceased and God fell silent. For more than 400 years the world suffered without a word from God. Darkness reigned. The light of God’s truth dimmed. Even God’s chosen people became a shadow of what He had intended them to be. Their priesthood had become more political than spiritual. Their land was under constant attack and they suffered defeat at the hands of the Syrians, Egyptians and Romans during that time. They practiced their religion, but they did so, as it were, in darkness. They no longer heard from God. And over time, they became accustomed to the darkness. The became acclimated to their surroundings and learned to live without the light. Like Gollum in J. R. Tolkien’s The Hobbit, they grew comfortable living in an environment lacking in light.

But God was not going to remain silent forever. He was not going to allow the darkness to continue. As He did at the creation of the world, God would penetrate the darkness with light. “Then God said, ‘Let there be light,’ and there was light. And God saw that the light was good. Then he separated the light from the darkness” (Genesis 1:3-4 NLT). At just the right time, God caused His light to shine into the world again. The classic Christmas carol, O Holy Night, describes the scene quite beautifully.

Long lay the world in sin and error pining,
‘Til He appear’d and the soul felt its worth.
A thrill of hope the weary world rejoices,
For yonder breaks a new and glorious morn.

The prophet Isaiah predicted that this time would come. Under the inspiration of the Spirit of God, he wrote hundreds of years earlier, “The people who walk in darkness will see a great light. For those who live in a land of deep darkness,a light will shine” (Isaiah 9:2 NLT). He went on to describe the source of this light: “For a child is born to us, a son is given to us. The government will rest on his shoulders. And he will be called: Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace” (Isaiah 9:6 NLT). Jesus Christ was the light of God penetrating the darkness that had engulfed the world and left men stumbling about blindly, attempting to grope their way toward a solution to their problem of sin, pain, and suffering.

Jesus made it perfectly clear why He had come and what was expected of those who heard His message. “I have come as a light to shine in this dark world, so that all who put their trust in men will no longer remain in darkness” (John 12:46 NLT). But John tells us the sad reality: “But despite all the miraculous signs Jesus had done, most of the people still did not believe in him” (John 12:37 NLT). Jesus had come offering them hope. He had come providing them with a way to reestablish their relationship with God the Father. He offered them light to help them navigate the darkness of this world, but they refused it. Jesus did not come to eliminate the darkness, but to illuminate it. Darkness is simply an absence of light. He came to provide light where there had been none. But this Light would not be with them forever. In just a few short days, His life and the Light would be extinguished. Jesus told them so. “My light will shine for you just a little longer. Walk in the light while you can, so the darkness will not overtake you. Those who walk in darkness cannot see where they are going. Put your trust in the light while there is still time; then you will become children of the light” (John 12:35-36 NLT).

But by the end of that week, the Light of the world would be snuffed out. His life would be taken. Better yet, His life would be given, because He died willingly and gladly so that men might have eternal life and a permanent source of Light for their lives. Jesus had promised, “I am the light of the world. If you follow me, you won’t have to walk in darkness, because you will have the light that leads to life” (John 8:12 NLT). His death made it possible for men to live in His light permanently – even while surrounded by the darkness of this world. Jesus came into the world as the Light of the world. He died so that His light might shine in the lives of men, making them sources of light that might illuminate the darkness. One Light became many lights. Paul made this clear when he wrote, “For once you were full of darkness, but now you have light from the Lord. So live as people of light!” (Ephesians 5:8 NLT). We have the Light of the world within us, not just with us. He indwells us and illuminates our lives, not just our surroundings. And we have the capacity and responsibility to shine into the darkness of this world, making a difference, exposing sin, illuminating the way to the One who can make a difference in the lives of men. Paul went on to say, “For this light within you produces only what is good and right and true.Carefully determine what pleases the Lord. Take no part in the worthless deeds of evil and darkness; instead, expose them. It is shameful even to talk about the things that ungodly people do in secret. But their evil intentions will be exposed when the light shines on them, for the light makes everything visible” (Ephesians 5:9-14 NLT).

Those of us who are in Christ, have Christ in us. We have His light shining in and through us. We are lamps in the darkness, providing hope by revealing the truth of God’s transforming power in our lives. We are to shine as Jesus did. We are to expose darkness as He did. We are to illuminate the darkness, not attempt to eliminate it. When we live as children of the light, the darkness naturally recedes before us. Darkness cannot dwell in the presence of light. It diminishes as the light grows stronger. May we become increasingly bright lights in this sin-darkened world, “for light makes everything visible.”

Father, thank You for illuminating the darkness of my world with the Light of Your Son. Now help me to live as a child of the Light in the world in which You’ve placed me. Help me to shine brightly. Help me to clearly point the way to You for those who still live in darkness and cannot see for themselves. May my life by a light on a hill, clear for all to see, and a magnet to those who desire to escape the darkness of sin in their lives. Amen.

Ken Miller
Grow Pastor & Minister to Men
kenm@christchapelbc.org

Day 90 – Luke 17:17-38

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It’s Here, But It’s Coming.

Luke 17:17-38

One day the Pharisees asked Jesus, “When will the Kingdom of God come?” Jesus replied, “The Kingdom of God can’t be detected by visible signs. You won’t be able to say, ‘Here it is!’ or ‘It’s over there!’ For the Kingdom of God is already among you.” – Luke 17:20-21 NLT

The Kingdom of God was a popular topic among the people of Israel. They wanted to see His Kingdom reestablished just like it had been under David and Solomon – with a powerful king sitting on a throne in Jerusalem and no more foreign armies occupying their land. So when a group of Pharisees ask Jesus when He thinks the Kingdom of God will come, they are trying to get Him to reveal the plans for setting up His earthly reign as Messiah. They don’t believe He is the Messiah, but they simply want ammunition to use against Him with the Roman government. If they can show Jesus to be an insurrectionist, then they can have Him arrested and get Him out of their hair once and for all. But as usual, Jesus gives them an answer they weren’t expecting. He tells them that the Kingdom of God is already here. It can’t be judged or predicted by signs or visible clues. The fact was that the King of kings and Lord of lords was standing right in front of them, but they didn’t recognize Him as such. Their understanding of the Kingdom was completely different than that of Jesus. He didn’t come to sit on a throne. He came to die on a cross and then to reign in the hearts of men. His Kingdom was a spiritual one, not marked by palaces, scepters, crowns and royal robes, but by humility, servanthood, sacrifice, grace, and mercy. There would be a military aspect to this kingdom, but the battles would all be spiritual, not physical. Jesus came to conquer sin and death, not the Romans. He came to wage war with Satan, not Caesar. They had placed their hopes on a physical kingdom. Just like their ancestors had done so many centuries before, they were demanding of God, “Give us a king just like all the other nations.” They wanted an earthly king ruling in an earthly kingdom located in the city of Jerusalem. They were suffering from good-old-day syndrome, recalling the days of David with a mix of nostalgia and longing. They forgot that those days were also filled with trouble. David, while a good king and a man after God’s own heart, was not a perfect king. Those were not completely peace-filled days. There were still enemies to fight. There was still the problem of sin and rebellion.

Jesus came to establish a different kind of kingdom. And His first coming, when He took on human flesh and was born as a child, was to establish His Kingdom in the hearts of men. The first thing He had to do was to establish His message. He spent time teaching the truths of His Kingdom. He gave them insights into the values of His Kingdom in His great Sermon on the Mount recorded in Matthew 5-7. Righteousness would be measured by a different standard in His Kingdom. The requirements for right standing with God would be more intense than ever before. Good behavior and good deeds would not be enough to earn favor with God. It would require a changed heart. Jesus had told the people that “unless your righteousness is better than the righteousness of the teachers of religious law and the Pharisees, you will never enter the Kingdom of Heaven!” (Matthew 5:20 NLT). Jesus was going to require a different degree of love, a higher requirement of sacrifice, a more intense measure of humility, and a non-negotiable mandate that all citizens of His Kingdom die to themselves. For all of this to be possible, Jesus told them that the true King, the one they were rejecting, would have to suffer before His Kingdom was established completely. He would have to die. He would have to conquer sin and death, and make possible a new way for men to be made right with God. He would pay the penalty for the sins of men and satisfy the just and righteous wrath of God. Those who accepted the generous offer of His life for theirs, would become citizens in His new Kingdom. Those who refused to accept His payment for their sins, would be left to bear the penalty for their sin on their own. And that is what Jesus deals with in His answer when He refers to “on that day.” He lets these religious leaders know that there is a day coming when He will return again, and it is on that day that He will establish His physical Kingdom on earth. He WILL rule and reign from Jerusalem. He WILL sit on a throne and wear a crown just as David did. But He will be a perfect, sinless, completely righteous ruler. And when He comes to set up His kingdom, it will be too late to get ready for it. It will come with surprising swiftness and when no one expects it. People will be busy living their lives as usual, doing the things they always did. Then, suddenly, Jesus will show up in all His glory. And when He does, there will be a dividing between those who belong to His Kingdom and those who don’t. Citizenship will be based on faith in Christ alone, not heritage, ethnicity, religious affiliation, or even external signs of righteousness.

Over in Matthew’s account of this story, He records Jesus as warning His listeners to “keep watch! For you don’t know what day your Lord is coming” (Matthew 24:42 NLT). We are to live in constant preparation for His return – a constant state of readiness and eager anticipation. Jesus shared this word of warning to His disciples, none of whom lived to see the day of His return. But He still wanted them to live as if it might happen in their lifetime. And the same holds true for us. When Jesus came, He made His Kingdom known to man. He provided a way for men to become citizens in His Kingdom through His death, burial and resurrection. But He is not done yet. There is a day coming when He will return to complete His Kingdom and reestablish the rule of righteousness on earth. We are to live with that time in mind. He is coming back. He is has one more thing to do. This world is not our home. This is not all there is. We still live in the now, but not yet. The best is yet to come. So we are to live with our eyes on the goal.

Father, keep us focused. Don’t let us get distracted by all the things this world tries to offer as poor substitutes for Your Kingdom. Don’t allow us to buy into the lies of the enemy and settle for less than the best. While You rule and reign in our hearts, there is a day coming when Your righteous Son will rule and reign on earth – literally, not figuratively. And at that time, He will make all things right. Sin will be done. Death will be defeated. Sorrow will be no more. The world will be returned to its pre-fallen state and we will live in perfect harmony with You.  Amen.

Ken Miller
Grow Pastor & Minister to Men
kenm@christchapelbc.org

Day 77 – John 8:31-59

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True Belief = True Freedom.

John 8:31-59

“But we are descendants of Abraham,” they said. “We have never been slaves to anyone. What do you mean, ‘You will be set free?’” – John 8:33 NLT

It would appear that there were those in the crowd that day who believed in Jesus. John records, “Then many who heard him say these things believed in him” (John 8:30 NLT). Jesus turned His attention to those very people, saying, “You are truly my disciples if you remain faithful to my teachings. And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free” (John 8:31-32 NLT). That is when their belief began to be tested. Jesus’ reference to freedom struck a nerve with them. As proud descendants of Abraham, they viewed themselves as free men, not slaves. While they may have been under Roman rule and subject to their heavy taxations and constant military presence, they saw themselves as free. But Jesus shattered their outlook by breaking the news to them that they were slaves to sin. Anyone and everyone who sins is a slave to sin. The fact that they were descendants of Abraham didn’t change that fact. The very fact that their own religious leadership were trying to kill Jesus was proof of their sinful natures. There were those in the crowd that day who were plotting and planning His death, in spite of the fact that Jesus had come from God and was speaking the words of God. Jesus was offering them release from slavery to sin, but they couldn’t believe it. Jesus knew that their real problem was that they were children of Satan himself. They were listening to his lies and believing his propaganda against Jesus. As the “father of lies,” Satan despised the truth and did everything in his power to stifle it and replace it with his own version of the truth. Jesus came speaking the truth of God. But the people couldn’t and wouldn’t believe Him. They tried, but Jesus told them, “You don’t listen because you don’t belong to God” (John 8:47 NLT).

Angered by His words, the people showed their true colors, saying, “You Samaritan devil! Didn’t we say all along that you were possessed by a demon?” (John 8:48 NLT). One of the signs of true belief is confession of sin. Jesus offered freedom, but in order to enjoy the benefits of that freedom, you had to first understand and acknowledge that you were enslaved to sin with no hope of escape. But that acknowledgement came hard to these people. They were prideful and arrogant, seeing themselves as the chosen people of God. They understood themselves to be the apple of God’s eye. They had the Temple, the sacrificial system, the Law of Moses, the covenant promises made to Abraham and David, the hope of a future Messiah – and yet, here stood that very Messiah right in front of them, but they would refuse to listen to Him, believe in Him, and obey His words. Jesus made it clear to them that He was greater than Abraham. “I tell you the truth, before Abraham was even born, I AM” (John 8:58 NLT). By referring to Himself as the great I AM, a name used by God Himself when He met with Moses at the burning bush, Jesus is claiming His divinity. He is declaring Himself to be God. And the people react accordingly. Not in belief, but in anger and rage. They pick up stones to kill Him. Their true natures were revealed. Their true condition was made evident. They were still slaves to sin. They were still operating under the influence of Satan. They were rejecting the Way, the Truth, and the Life. And they would never experience the freedom Jesus came to provide.

Father, there are those who claim to believe in Your Son, but they refuse to acknowledge their own sinfulness. Somehow they believe that they deserve to be saved. They have somehow earned the right to spend eternity with You based on their good behavior, godly heritage, or status in life. They are good people and they count on their goodness to save them. But to be set free, we must first recognize our slavery to sin. We have to understand that we can’t earn our way into heaven. None of us deserves to stand in Your presence. But Jesus, Your Son, offers us freedom from sin by exchanging our sinfulness with His own righteousness. It is His goodness, not our own, that grants us entrance into Your presence. Yet the enemy continues to try and get us to accept another version of the truth. He offers up logical-sounding lies that allow us to rationalize our sinfulness, but that leave millions enslaved and hopeless. Open their eyes so that they might see the truth, recognize their sin, and accept Your Son’s offer of freedom. Amen.

Ken Miller

Grow Pastor & Minister to Men
kenm@christchapelbc.org

Day 72 – Matthew 18:1-35

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Forgiveness Should Be Contagious.

Matthew 18:1-35

“Then his master was filled with pity for him, and he released him and forgave his debt.” – Matthew 18:27 NLT

Leave it to Peter to ask the question that everyone else is probably thinking, but no one is brave enough to ask. “Lord, how often should I forgive someone who sins against me? Seven times?” (Matthew 18:21 NLT). Now we have whether this was just a hypothetical question or if Peter had someone in mind. Chances are, as much as he and the other disciples argued about who was the greatest, there could have been more than a few of them he felt like he needed to forgive. But regardless of his motivation, Peter pops the question to Jesus, and I feel pretty certain that he thought he was going to get an affirmative response from Jesus, along with a commendation for his forgiving spirit. After all, Peter probably thought seven times was way more than enough times to forgive anybody.

But Jesus surprised Peter by saying, “No, not seven times, but seventy times seven” (Matthew 18:22 NLT). By my math, that is 490 times and that’s an awful lot of forgiving! And before Peter can recover from his shock and ask another question, Jesus launches into a parable about the Kingdom. He tells the story of a king who had a servant who owed him a great deal of money. So much so that the servant was totally incapable of paying back the debt. The king, operating fully within his rights as king, ordered that the servant be sold into slavery in order to satisfy at least a part of what he owed. On top of that, the king ordered that his wife and kids be sold as well, and everything he owned be liquidated to pay against his debt. Of course, the man was beside himself and begged the the king for time. He vowed that he would somehow pay back the debt, in spite of its insurmountable size. Jesus says that the king was “filled with pity for him.” The word he uses literally means “to be moved as to one’s bowels, hence to be moved with compassion, have compassion.” The king looked at the man’s hopeless situation and his complete incapacity to do anything about it, and instead of doing what He was totally justified in doing, he ordered the man’s debt completely paid. He forgave him of his entire debt. He walked away a free man. What a relief. What a burden lifted. What an incredible, gracious, unmerited gift. This guy should have been on cloud nine. He should have run home and grabbed his wife and kids and shouted for joy.

Instead, Jesus said, “he went to a fellow servant who owed him a few thousand dollars. He basically owed him the equivalent of about three months wages. About this time in the story, you would expect that this servant is going to excitedly and eagerly offer this man the same treatment he had received from the king. But no. He “grabbed him by the throat and demanded instant payment” (Matthew 18:28 NLT). Shocked and surprised, the fellow servant begged for more time. He vowed to pay the debt in full. But the first servant refused to listen (and forgive), having him arrested and thrown in prison until the debt could be paid in full. At this point, Jesus has the disciples hooked. They are totally engaged with the story and enraged with the actions of the ungrateful servant. So when Jesus continues the story and says that a group of fellow servants witnessed all that had happened and reported it to the king, the disciples were probably nodding their heads in agreement. And then the king called the servant back into his presence, they were probably beside themselves with joy. He was going to get exactly what he deserved! But Jesus was reserving the real message of this story for the end. The king addresses the man and says, “You evil servant! I forgave you that tremendous debt because you pleaded with me. Should you have mercy on your fellow servant, just as I had mercy on you?” (Matthew 18:32-33 NLT). Then the king had the man thrown into prison where he would be tortured until the day his debt was paid in full. And the inference is that, because of the size of his debt, that day never came.

Jesus concludes his story with the following statement: “That’s what my heavenly Father will do to you if you refuse to forgive your brothers and sisters from your heart” (Matthew 18:35 NLT). Like Jesus had done so many times with the Pharisees, He had used a simple story to point out a major truth to the disciples. He was exposing a principle of the Kingdom. We are all debtors to God, owing Him a debt we could never pay. We owe Him righteousness and complete holiness, and it is beyond our ability to come up with. And the penalty is death. But when we come to Him, acknowledging our debt, confessing our sin, and accepting the payment of His Son’s life in place of ours, we receive complete forgiveness. Our debt is wiped clean. He showers us with undeserved mercy and grace. And as a result, we should be willing to do the same to those whose debts to us are miniscule in comparison. This passage is not teaching that we can lose our salvation if we refuse to forgive others. It is simply stating that those who have been forgiven much and recognize the magnitude of the gift, will automatically be willing to forgive others. Their hearts, transformed by the presence of the Spirit of God, will want to extend to others the very grace, mercy and forgiveness they have received.

Father, we can be so unforgiving at times. We act as if what others do to us is of earth-shattering consequences. And as a result, we withhold forgiveness from them. We seem to want to make others suffer for what they have done to us, when we have received nothing but forgiveness from You. Never let us lose sight of the sheer size of the debt we owed. It was insurmountable and we were totally incapable of ever paying it back. But You forgave us. Not only that, You paid it in full by offering the life of Your Son in place our place. May we learn to forgive as we have been forgiven. Amen.

Ken Miller

Grow Pastor & Minister to Men
kenm@christchapelbc.org

Day 71 – Luke 9:46-62; John 7:2-9

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Wrong Priorities.

Luke 9:46-62; John 7:2-9

“And Jesus’ brothers said to him, ‘Leave here and to to Judea, where your followers can see your miracles! You  can’t become famous if you hide like this! If you can do such wonderful things, show yourself to the world!’” – John 7:3-4 NLT

Jesus had all kinds of followers – from faithful to flaky. There were the curious and the committed, the miracle seekers and the down-and-outers. He had those who wanted Him to start a rebellion, others who were looking for a free meal, and some who were like rubber-neckers at a car wreck, just attracted by the excitement of it all. But as Jesus’ time on earth began to draw to a close, the call to commitment for His followers was going to increase dramatically. Things would begin to heat up and, as a result, many of His followers would choose to drop out. Even the twelve who Jesus chose could prove to be a challenge and a disappointment at times. One minute they’re healing the sick and casting out demons in the power and authority of Jesus, then they suddenly find themselves unable to do so, and instead of turning to God in prayer, they simply turn the person away. When they see someone who isn’t part of their entourage casting out demons in Jesus’ name, instead of rejoicing, they get jealous and demand that he stop. When they are passing through a Samaritan village with Jesus and the citizens refuse to welcome them, they ask Jesus for permission to call down fire from heaven to destroy them. These men could be exasperating at times. They spent more time worrying and arguing about who was the greatest than listening to what Jesus was saying about His upcoming death, burial and resurrection.

Jesus’ own family members offer us another insight into the kinds of “followers” He had. John makes it clear that Jesus’ brothers didn’t believe in Him, but they were all for Him becoming famous. They simply saw Jesus as their ticket out of the obscurity of Nazareth. So they pushed Him to take His miracle show on the road and head to the big time in Judea. They wanted Him to go where the crowds were. “Leave here and go to Judea, where your followers can see your miracles!” (John 7:3 NLT). These guys were more like PR consultants than true followers. They didn’t actually believe Jesus was the Messiah, but they couldn’t deny that He could do miracles. They had known it since the day He turned water into wine at the wedding in Cana, an event they probably attended. For them, it was all about the miracles and making a name for Himself. In essence, they told Jesus, “if you’re going to perform signs to authenticate yourself as Messiah, you should do them at Jerusalem” (NET Bible notes). The Greek word they used actually means: the deportment by which one becomes conspicuous or secures publicity. They wanted Jesus to make a name for Himself and as far as they were concerned, the best way to do that was to head for Jerusalem. “You can’t become famous if you hide like this! If you can do such wonderful things, show yourself to the world!” (John 7:4 NLT). And Jesus’ family members were not alone. There were others, including the disciples themselves, who wanted Jesus to become famous. They wanted Him to set up His kingdom and establish His authority, with them serving alongside Him, sharing in His power and prominence.

There was hardly a day that someone didn’t come up to Jesus and offer to follow Him. That was a common occurrence for all rabbis. Luke records three such incidents. As Jesus and the disciples were walking along one day, an individual approached Jesus and said, “I will follow you wherever you go” (Luke 7:57 NLT). But Jesus made it clear that following Him would be costly. The life of a disciple would not be easy. Jesus then invites another person to follow Him. This man initially agreed, but then said, “Lord, first let me return home and bury my father” (Luke 7:59 NLT). That sounds like a valid and reasonable excuse, but it would appear that the man’s dad was not dead, but that the man was asking for a leave of absence from following Jesus until some time in the future when his dad actually would die. Jesus tells him his priorities are out of whack. He says, “Let the spiritually dead bury their own dead” (Luke 7:60 NLT). This man’s father was not physically dead, but he WAS spiritually dead. The greater priority was telling him and everyone else about the Kingdom of God. Finally, a third individual approached Jesus and said, “Yes, Lord, I will follow you, but first let me say good-bye to my family” (Luke 7:61 NLT). Again, sounds like a reasonable request, but Jesus knew that this man would never come back if he went home. The pull of family, the pressure of other commitments, and the distractions of every day life would keep him from following Jesus. Following Him required all-out commitment. You couldn’t be half-hearted and there was nothing part-time about it.

The day was coming when all of His followers, including His own disciples would flake out on Him. He would later tell them, “All of you will desert me, For the Scriptures say, ‘God will strike the Shepherd, and the sheep will be scattered.’” (Mark 14:27 NLT). Peter would vehemently deny it, claiming, “Even if everyone else deserts you, I never will!” (Mark 14:29 NLT). When Jesus would break the news to Peter that he would not only desert Him, but deny Him three times, Peter would angrily respond, “No! Even if I have to die with you, I will never deny you!” (Mark 14:31 NLT). And Peter was not alone. Mark tells us that all the others agreed with him. And we all know how that story worked out. Following Jesus is costly. And the closer Jesus got to the cross, the more costly it would become. He would become famous, but not in the way His brothers were thinking. He would provide one last miraculous sign, but it would be His own death and resurrection. He would bring judgment on all those who rejected Him, but that is reserved for a future time, yet to come. Following Jesus requires that we set our priorities aside and embrace His instead. He was and still is focused on the spread of the message concerning His Kingdom. “Your duty is to go and preach about the Kingdom of God” (Luke 9:60 NLT). That task takes precedence over all else. It will require commitment, dedication, determination, perseverance, focus, faith, and the indwelling presence and power of the Holy Spirit. He alone can help us put our hands on the plow and not look back.

Father, there are so many things that distract us from following Your Son. The cares of this world can overwhelm us and pull us away from the task at hand. We can get so busy building our own little kingdoms that we lose sight of the fact that we are to be spreading the news regarding the Kingdom of Your Son. Help us remain faithful. Keep us from looking back or longing for something other than Him. Make us faithful, persevering followers of Jesus. Amen.

Ken Miller

Grow Pastor & Minister to Men
kenm@christchapelbc.org

Day 63 – Matthew 16:1-4; Mark 8:10-13

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How Much More Proof Do You Need?

Matthew 16:1-4; Mark 8:10-13

“When he heard this, he sighed deeply in his spirit and said, ‘Why do these people keep demanding a miraculous sign? I tell you the truth, I will not give this generation any such sign.’” – Mark 8:12 NLT

Rarely did the Pharisees and Sadducees ever agree on anything. They were both religious parties of the Jews, but they disagreed about a number of things and disliked one another very much. But they shared a common enemy: Jesus. And on this occasion they joined forces in order to trick and trap Jesus. Their life ambition was to eliminate Jesus as a threat to their way of doing things. His arrival on the scene had disrupted their way of life. He had stirred things up with His message about the kingdom and his constant use of miracles. The people were flocking to Him in droves and they didn’t like sharing the spotlight with anyone. And Jesus hadn’t done Himself any favors with the way in which He talked about these men. He was unrelenting in His criticism of them, exposing them as hypocrites, charlatans, and unworthy of trust or admiration.

But the one thing that meant more to these men than anything else was the concept of authority. In their religious world, you had to have authority to say or do anything. And authority was passed down from one influential rabbi to another. They put high stock in tradition and deemed it necessary for anyone who wanted to make a statement about anything, to have received authority to do so from someone other than themselves. As far as they were concerned, Jesus had no authority. He had sat under no one’s leadership or tutelage. He had not apprenticed with any known rabbi or religious expert. Much of what He was saying and teaching was heresy to them because it was new information. He was teaching things they had never heard before. And He had no authority to do so. That’s why you see them constantly confronting Jesus about where He got His authority to do what He did. And that’s what was driving them on this day. Mark tells us that when they arrived, they “started to argue with him. Testing him, they demanded that he show them a miraculous sign from heaven to prove his authority” (Mark 8:11 NLT).

It is interesting to note that Jesus had already claimed to be the Messiah. He also claimed to have been sent by God, His own Father. He had healed the sick, cast out demons and raised the dead. But that was not enough proof for these men. They had already attributed Jesus’ powers to Satan, not God. They considered Him a blasphemer for claiming to be the Son of God. The healings he performed were not enough for them. They wanted more. They wanted a sign from heaven. More than likely, they were looking for signs like Moses had given the Israelites in Egypt. They probably wanted to see Jesus bring down fire and brimstone on the Romans. They would have loved to have seen Him strike dead all the firstborn males in all the Roman households. They wanted a sign from heaven – from God Himself. Then that would prove Jesus’ authority. But they really never expected Him to be able to pull off such a feat. Because they didn’t believe He was who He said He was. Honestly, Jesus had already done more than enough to prove who He was and to demonstrate His authority. And He wasn’t going to do anything more. He would not give them the kind of sign they were looking for because that is not why He came. He did not come to set them free from Roman rule. He came to set men free from slavery to sin. And for that to happen, Jesus had to die. And the amazing thing is that even after Jesus had died and was miraculously raised back to life by the power of God, these very same men would deny the veracity of the disciples’ claim that Jesus was alive. They would go out of their way to disprove it and discredit the disciples.

Jesus refused to give them the kind of sign they were looking for. And the one sign that should have proven to them once and for all that He was the Son of God – His resurrection – they would eventually choose to ignore and deny. To their own detriment. Refusing to recognize Jesus’ authority is a dangerous thing. Denying His God-given right to rule and reign in the lives of men is an unhealthy game to play. But like the Pharisees and Sadducees of Jesus’ day, there are thousands upon thousands of people doing just that today. They refuse to acknowledge Jesus’ authority over their lives. They can’t bring themselves to believe that Jesus has authority over sin and death. They struggle believing that Jesus alone has the authority to set them free slavery to sin. “So he got back into the boat and left them, and he crossed to the other side of the lake” (Mark 8:13 NLT).

Father, it is so hard to understand why so many still reject Jesus’ authority over their lives today. But I know it happens. Their hardened hearts blind them to the reality of who He is. They stubbornly refuse to acknowledge His God-given authority and His power over sin and death. And as a result, they remain in their sins, unforgiven and unrepentant. Open their eyes Father. Help them to see. Give those of us who know Your Son the courage to speak openly and honestly about what we know and what we have seen. But only You can open the eyes of men and soften their hearts to see the truth. Amen.

Ken Miller

Grow Pastor & Minister to Men
kenm@christchapelbc.org

Day 59 – Matthew 15:1-20; Mark 7:1-23

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Silly Rituals. Serious Business.

Matthew 15:1-20; Mark 7:1-23

“These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. Their worship is a farce, for they teach man-made ideas as commands from God.” – Mark 7:6-7 NLT

The Pharisees took themselves way too seriously. But in reality, they were silly. They had become so wrapped up in their “age-old traditions” that they lost sight of just how ridiculous it all appeared. They had all kinds of cleansing ceremonies they went through before they could eat. Mark tells his primarily Gentile audience just how silly it all was. “The Jews, especially the Pharisees, do not eat until they have poured water over their cupped hands, as required by their ancient traditions” (Mark 7:3 NLT). Notice he makes a point of saying that this was required by their ancient traditions, not God. He goes on to say that “Similarly, they don’t eat anything from the market until they immerse their hands in water. This is but one of the many traditions they have clung to – such as their ceremonial washing of cups, pitchers and kettles” (Mark 7:4 NLT). They had convinced themselves that all this madness somehow made them clean and acceptable before God. They lives in fear that they could have somehow become defiled by coming into contact with something unclean of unholy. But they gave no thought to what was going on in their own hearts. Jesus makes this distinction quite clear. When they confront Jesus and demand to know why His disciples don’t follow their traditions, Jesus pulls no punches. He quotes the prophet Isaiah who was quoting God Himself. “These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. Their worship is a farce, for they teach man-made ideas as commands from God” (Mark 7:6-7 NLT). This was God speaking against the city of of Jerusalem and the people of Judah. Their religion had become routine. They were going through the motions. They thought that offering sacrifices was enough. But God was more concerned about their hearts than their offerings. And Jesus was more concerned about the hardened hearts of the Pharisees than He was their silly ceremonies for staying clean.

Their real problem was that they gave more credence to their own rules than God’s commands. They came up with all kinds of convenient work-arounds and loop holes that allowed them to ignore God’s commands and do what they wanted to do. And Jesus made it clear what they were doing. “And so you cancel the word of God in order to hand down your own tradition” (Mark 7:13 NLT). Their rules trumped God’s laws. Their silly rituals held more sway in their lives than the righteous demands of a holy God. And not only that, their rituals were worthless. They didn’t even accomplish what they hoped they would. Because the only impurity God is concerned about is that which is on the inside. God is obsessed with clean hearts, not clean hands. Jesus tells the crowd, “It is what comes from inside that defiles you” (Mark 7:20 NLT), not what comes from the outside. It is that which comes from a person’s heart that defiles him, and no amount of ceremonial hand washing is going to fix that problem.

These men had focused on the wrong thing. They were wasting their time obsessing over the externals, when inside they were corrupt, selfish, self-centered, egotistical, and in direct opposition to the will of God. They refused to acknowledge Jesus as the Messiah. They credited His power as having come from Satan. They called Him a drunk. They ridiculed Him and tried everything in their power to discredit Him and, ultimately, would go out of their way to see that He was put to death. Their example of ceremonial hand washing and ritualistic cleansing was sending a wrong message to the people, and Jesus cleared it up. He made it painfully obvious that these men were far from pure and anything but holy. And the list He gave was more than likely one that applied to these sanctimonious religious leaders. “For from within, out of a person’s heart, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, greed, wickedness, deceit, lustful desires, envy, slander, pride and foolishness. All these vile things come from within; they are what defile you” (Mark 7:21-23 NLT). Interestingly enough, there is no recorded response from the Pharisees. No rebuttal. No defense. No denial. The conversation simply ends. Which speaks volumes. Jesus knew their hearts better than they did. And while they were content to play their silly games and pretend that they were holy, Jesus was letting them know that God takes holiness seriously and saw the true condition of their hearts.

Father, You can see into our hearts and You know things about us that we don’t even know ourselves. Forgive us thinking that the silly religious rituals we go through somehow make us right with You. Keep us focused on our own hearts and never let us forget that only You can cleanse the heart. We simply need to confess our sin and allow You to forgive and cleanse. You are in the heart transformation business. Don’t let us settle for the anything less. Amen.

Ken Miller

Grow Pastor & Minister to Men
kenm@christchapelbc.org

Day 49 – Matthew 9:18-26; Mark 5:21-43; Luke 8:40-56

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A Transforming Touch.

Matthew 9:18-26; Mark 5:21-43; Luke 8:40-56

“But Jesus said, ‘Someone deliberately touched me, for I felt healing power go out from me.'” – Luke 8:46 NLT

Jesus and His disciples had just sailed back across the Sea of Galilee to the village of Capernaum. Before they could get out of the boat they were surrounded by a crowd of people who had been waiting for Jesus to return. Among them was Jairus, a leader in the local synagogue. He made his way through the throng of people surrounding Jesus and fell at His feet, begging Him to come and heal his 12-year old daughter, who was near death. As they made their way to the man’s home, the crowd followed, pressing in on Jesus. They were all there for a variety of reasons. Some were simply curious. Others hoped to receive healing. Still others, influenced by the rhetoric of the religious leaders, were there because they hated Jesus. But one woman in the crowd was desperate and determined to see if this man called Jesus could help her with a very serious problem. Imagine the scene, as hundreds of people crowded around Jesus, jostling Him, bumping up against Him. Everyone wanted to get a close look at Him. And somehow this very ill woman was able to make her way to His side, close enough to touch the hem of His robe. That was all she dared do. She didn’t dare do what the leader of the synagogue had done. She probably did not feel worthy. But she was driven by hope. She had heard about Jesus. And Mark tells us, “she thought to herself, ‘If I can just touch his robe, I will be healed'” (Mark 5:28 NLT). Driven by need, motivated by desperation, and encouraged by hope, she touched the robe of Jesus and was immediately healed. After 12 long years of suffering and countless trips to doctors that had left her financially destitute and worse off than when she started, she was healed. With just a touch of the robe of Jesus, she had received the miracle of healing. And Jesus knew exactly what had happened. He had felt healing power go out from Him. So Jesus asked, “Who touched me?” (Luke 8:45 NLT). Interestingly, the word Jesus used for touched is one that can be translated, “to fasten oneself to.” It carries a sense of intimacy and closeness. Her touch was different than all the others who were bumping up against Jesus, even reaching out to touch Him just to say they had. Some in the crowd had viewed Jesus as a celebrity. This woman saw Him as a source of hope, help and healing. And when she touched Him, she did so fully intending for something unbelievable to happen. And it did.

There are so many times that each of us come into touch with Jesus. We read about Him in the Word. We hear about Him through a sermon, Bible study lesson or small group study. We spend a great deal of our lives “bumping” into Jesus, but never expecting anything to happen as a result. We are part of the crowd that follows Him and even says we believe in Him, but we rarely receive anything from Him. Maybe it is our seeming lack of need or our failure to believe that He can do anything to help us. We come into contact with Jesus, but walk away unchanged. And the problem lies not with Jesus, but with us. We don’t reach out to Him expectantly, because we fail to believe He has the power to heal us or help us. The woman in the story had spent twelve years of her life reaching out to everyone but Jesus, and now she was desperate enough to try Him instead. Jesus told her that it was her faith that made her well. Yes, it was His power that healed her, but it began with her belief that simply reaching out to Jesus would make a different in her life. Her touch became the conduit of healing. Her faith as expressed through her intentional touch of Jesus changed her life forever. She chose to “fasten herself” to Jesus. So should we.

In the time it took for this miracle to happen, a tragedy occured. Jairus’ daughter died. A servant arrived with the news, but Jesus was not deterred or downcast. He simply said, “Don’t be afraid. Just have faith, and she will be healed” (Luke 8:50 NLT). Like the woman in the crowd, Jairus had a choice to make. He could have doubted Jesus’ words and given up all hope. But he chose to believe and then put that belief into action by walking alongside Jesus to his home. Matthew records that Jairus, upon hearing of his daughter’s death, told Jesus, “you can bring her back to life again if you just come and lay your hand on her” (Matthew 9:18 NLT). Which is exactly what Jesus did. He took the little girl by the hand, commanded her to get up, and she did – fully alive and fully restored. Jairus had chosen to believe. He ignored the circumstances and “fastened himself” to Jesus. He counted on Him to solve his pressing need. And Jesus did. He always does. He longs to feel healing power go from Himself in response to the faith of His followers. He longs to respond to the faith of His disciples when they choose to fasten themselves to Him even in the face of insurmountable odds. Are you willing to reach out and touch Jesus today? He is waiting.

Father, the power of Your Son has not diminished. He is just as powerful as He has always been. He still longs to transform our lives. But we must be intentional about fastening ourselves to Him. Give me the faith to believe like these two people did. Help me to see my need and to reach out to Jesus in desperation, but also expectation. He still helps and heals today. Amen.

Ken Miller

Grow Pastor & Minister to Men
kenm@christchapelbc.org

Day 48 – Luke 8:26-39

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Go and Tell.

Luke 8:26-39

“The man who had been freed from the demons begged to go with him. But Jesus sent him home, saying, ‘No, go back to your family, and tell them everything God has done for you.’ So he went all through the town proclaiming the great things Jesus had done for him.” – Luke 8:38-39 NLT

After the demons left the two demon-possessed men and fled into the herd of pigs, sending them running wildly off the edge of a nearby cliff, that’s when the real action began. The disciples stood amazed and afraid. The herdsmen, who just watched their livelihood get wiped out, took off at a run for town in order to tell everyone what had happened. In no time, Jesus was surrounded by villagers eager to see for themselves what had happened. They wanted to verify that what they had heard was true – the two men (at least according to Matthew’s account) were no longer demon-possessed. These two men had been a fixture in the lives of these people for years. They feared them and stayed as far away from them as possible. Both of the men were more than likely from the nearby village and their neighbors had seen them make the transition from normal, healthy boys to crazed, demon-possessed lunatics living in a graveyard and terrorizing the community.

When the villagers arrived, they found the man who had the many demons and was known as Legion, “sitting at Jesus’ feet, fully clothed and perfectly sane, and they were all afraid” (Luke 8:35 NLT). Not amazed, but afraid. A similar response to that of the disciples when Jesus calmed the sea just a few hours earlier. Luke records that when the disciples had seen Jesus calm the waves and the wind, they “were terrified and amazed” (Luke 8:25 NLT). At the witness of the power of Jesus, the villagers and the disciples reacted in fear and terror. They didn’t know what to do with what they had seen. In this case, the villagers wanted Jesus to leave, “for a great wave of fear swept over them” (Luke 8:37 NLT). Rather than worship, they wanted Him to leave. They wanted life to go back to the way it was before. It didn’t matter that there was a miracle sitting in their midst in the form of two totally healed, demon-free men. They wanted Jesus gone.

But there was at least one individual who reacted in faith and not fear. One of the men who had been healed asked Jesus if he could go with Him. His life had been radically, unalterably changed by an encounter with Jesus, and he wanted to spend the rest of his life serving and following Him. But Jesus denied his request. Instead, He told the man to “go back to your family, and tell them everything God has done for you” (Luke 8:39 NLT). Jesus made him a missionary to his own people. The area in which this all took place was on the eastern side of the Sea of Galilee, in a region that was primarily Gentile. So Jesus commissions this man (and more than likely, his companion) to return home and spread the news of what God had done for him. This man had had an encounter with God Himself – in the form of Jesus, the Son of God. Now he was to go and tell what had happened. And he did. Mark tells us, “the man started off to visit the Ten Town of that region and began to proclaim the great things Jesus had done for him, and everyone was amazed at what he told them” (Mark 8:20 NLT). There is no greater tool for proclaiming the power of God than the lips of the one who has experienced that power first-hand. Our testimony of transformation at the hands of God is undeniable and irrefutable. Yes, people can doubt it, but they can’t disprove it. There were probably those who would deny that this man had ever been demon-possessed, but he would always know the truth. His zeal and unwavering knowledge of what had happened to his life would always be there. And the same should be true of us. Our greatest witness of the power of God is what He has done in our own lives. Jesus is telling us to do exactly what He told this man to do: “Go back to your family, and tell them everything God has done for you.” Go and tell. Just share what Jesus has done. Give testimony to the fact that you have been and are being transformed by the power of God. And this testimony should be an ongoing and a growing one. Each day, we should have new news to share regarding God’s power in our lives. It is not just about a point in time when we accepted Christ as our Savior. That is just the beginning. Our testimony is a work in progress. God is always doing something in our lives. His power is always available and at work behind the scenes. Sometimes we just don’t see or recognize it. But we must look for it and then tell everyone we meet about it. Go and tell – spread the news of “everything the Lord has done for you and how merciful he has been” (Mark 8:19 NLT).

Father, too often I fail to recognize Your power in my life. And as a result, I fail to tell anyone else about it. First of all, help me to see it. Secondly, help me have the boldness to talk about it to others, regardless of how they might receive it. I want to go and tell more regularly and faithfully. You have done so much for me and shown me so much mercy over the years. I have a story to tell that is growing with each passing day. May I begin to tell it to all with whom I come into contact. Amen.

Ken Miller

Grow Pastor & Minister to Men
kenm@christchapelbc.org