Tag Archives: Belief

Trying to Stay on the Fence

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They loved the glory that comes from man more than the glory that comes from God. John 12:43 ESV1

Read John 12:42-50

Sitting on the fence is a common English idiom to describe the actions or thoughts of one who is indecisive or refuses to choose between two opposing sides. This inability to decide is usually due to a lack of courage. When one weighs the options and the potential losses involved in making a firm commitment to either side, sitting on the fence often seems like the safest place. However, assumptions often do not agree with reality.

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Cheering You Down the Narrow Way

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Isaiah said these things because he saw His glory and spoke of Him. John 12:41 ESV1

Read John 12:37-41

I stole the title for this article from the line my friend, Nathan,2 uses to end many of his correspondences. This message is reminiscent of Jesus’ direction:

“‘Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few’” (Matthew 7:13-14).

My friend’s often-used closing remark is a reminder but it is also a reassurance. Anyone who enters the Narrow Gate onto the Road to Jesus’ Kingdom will find that the Way contains some significantly challenging sections. Therefore, those who travel this Road need some cheering on along the way. May this article encourage you to continue on the Hard Way, particularly if you find yourself on an incredibly difficult section of the Road.

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The Answer is Always “Yes!”

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“Therefore, I tell you, whatever you ask in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.” Mark 11:24 ESV1

Read Matthew 21:18-22 & Mark 11:12-14, 20-24

I have been praying since I was a wee, little girl. My relationship with God began with prayer. And over the years, my relationship with God has been sustained by prayer. In my five decades of almost constant prayer, I have had thousands, maybe hundreds of thousands, of prayers answered. But that doesn’t mean I have never been disappointed in my prayer life. What often baffles me is God’s almost immediate answers to many of my little, insignificant prayers, like helping me find my lost car keys, but in other bigger, more important pleas, like healing my loved one from cancer, He doesn’t seem to hear. This is frustrating especially when God promises over and over in His word that if we will but ask, His answer will be, “Yes.”2 Following is a passage where Jesus made such a claim.

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Revolting

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When the tenants saw him, they said to themselves, “This is the heir. Let us kill him, so that the inheritance may be ours.” Matthew 21:15 ESV1

Read Matthew 21:33-46, Mark 12:1-12 & Luke 20:9-19

Revolutions are as old as history itself but no two such revolts are exactly the same. Some rebellions throughout human existence have brought about small changes; others have caused a complete overhaul of the previous administration. There is no set length of time it takes to complete a social revolution, nor is there a determiner of any one’s lasting influence. Though revolts often occur due to a perceived inadequacy or abuse of power, they actually happen for a variety of reasons. Many uprisings are violent, while other spirited protests are largely peaceful. But what all revolutions have in common is that they create some kind of change. A story, told by Jesus, illustrates the significant change which occurred as a result of the most fundamental revolt of all time.

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Fully Emancipated

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Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless you eat the Flesh of the Son of Man and drink His Blood, you have no life in you.” John 6:53 ESV1

Read John 6:29-67

As recorded in the latter half of John 6, Jesus, in some manner, repeatedly referred to Himself as the Bread of Life. He claimed to be “‘the Living Bread that came down from Heaven [and explained that] if anyone [ate] of this Bread, he [would] live forever … [He clarified] the Bread that [He gave] for the life of the World [was His] Flesh’” (John 6:51). Jesus insisted, “‘Whoever feeds on My Flesh and drinks My Blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day’” (John 6:54). Why did Jesus push the issue of consuming both His Body and His Blood though it offended the religious and secular, the seeker and the devoted alike?

If Jesus’ Blood was shed for our sins, why did Jesus say we must partake of both His Blood and His Flesh? And why did “Jesus on the night when He was betrayed [take] bread, and when He had given thanks, … [break] it, and [say], ‘This is My Body, which is for you. Do this in remembrance of Me.’ [And] in the same way, also … [take] the cup, after supper, [and say], ‘This cup is the new covenant in My Blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me’” (1 Corinthians 11:23-25)? Why the emphasis on remembering both His sacrificed Body and His spilled Blood? Are they not for the same thing?

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Who Told You That?

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He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” Simon Peter replied, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” And Jesus answered him, “Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but My Father, who is in Heaven.”  Matthew 16:15-17 ESV1

Read Matthew 16:13-23, Mark 8:27-33 & Luke 9:18-22

What do you believe about yourself? Who told you that? What do you feel about others? Why do you feel that? What do you think about right and wrong? How did you come to that conclusion? What do you believe about God? Why do you believe that? Who do you say Jesus is? Why do you say that?

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The Work of God

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Then they said to Him, “What must we do, to be doing the works of God?” John 6:28 ESV1

Read Matthew 14:22-36, Mark 6:45-56 & John 6:16-29

Jesus always had compassion on the masses, He always rejected the self-sufficient, and He always expected much of His disciples. These facts are illustrated in this familiar account. Here Jesus encountered humble people who needed His help, selfish people who wanted to use Him for their own gain, and earnest people who were ready to accept valuable teaching on what pleases God.

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According to Your Faith

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When He entered the house, the blind men came to Him, and Jesus said to them, “Do you believe that I am able to do this?” They said to Him, “Yes, Lord.” Then He touched their eyes, saying, “According to your faith be it done to you.”      Matthew 9:28-29 ESV1

Read Matthew 9: 9-13 & 27-31; Mark 2:13-17; and Luke 5:27-32 

Matthew, also known by his Hebrew name, Levi the son of Alphaeus, is the writer of the Gospel of Matthew. Matthew wrote his Gospel with a Jewish audience in mind. Matthew knew the Jewish Scriptures “very well. His Gospel quotes the Old Testament ninety-nine times. That is more times than Mark, Luke, and John combined.”2 Matthew was also a man of great faith. “When Jesus showed up and called him to follow Him, [Matthew] had enough faith to drop everything and follow; [he] instantly and without hesitation ‘arose and followed Him’ … He left … his … profession forever. The decision was irreversible as soon as he made it”2 Matthew was also concerned about others. “Matthew’s first impulse after following Jesus was to bring his closest friends and introduce them to the Savior.”2 One would think Matthew was always a righteous and well-liked guy, but that is not his story.

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The Great Exchange

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“Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the Kingdom of God…whoever believes in [the Son of God] may have Eternal Life.” John 3:5 & 15 ESV1

Read John 3:1-21

Nicodemus, a Pharisee, a ruler of the Jews, and a teacher of Israel, came to Jesus under the cover of night. Was he trying to hide, and if so, from whom? The other Jewish religious leaders? the Jewish people? Was he concerned about his reputation, or was he just a very busy man trying to seek an uninterrupted audience with another very busy Man, and late one evening, the opportunity provided itself? We don’t know why Nicodemus came to Jesus because before he even got through his introduction, Jesus cut him off.

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