Honest Reflections

Five-minute read.

For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost. 

Luke 19:10 

Zaccheus, a short tax collector, climbs a tree so he can see the Savior. Jesus, passing through Jericho, looks up at the man sitting on a branch and tells Zaccheus to hurry down, “for I must stay at your house” (Luke 19:5). Now the crowd didn’t approve of Christ’s actions because of Zaccheus’s job. Tax collectors didn’t have a lot of accountability and would often charge more than required, keeping the excess for themselves, hence their reputation as sinners. As a chief tax collector, Zaccheus held a higher office and could extort more money from the people. Paying back fourfold for any wrongdoing would amount to a large sum. 

But even more interesting, Jesus wanted to see Zaccheus more than the tax collector wanted to see the Savior. Inviting Himself over for dinner, Christ sought out the sinner and ate with him, an intimate act of fellowship. When eating, the men would sit on cushions around a table, lounging and engaging in conversation. One can only imagine the full extent of their talk, but during it, Zacheus’s heart changes, and he repents. 

Salvation came to the tax collector’s house because of his faith, not because Zaccheus did a good deed. Repentance leads to different actions. Only with application can we find transformation. As Zaccheus applied Jesus’s teachings to his life, a transformation occurred, and he acted differently. The Savior seeks, saves, and transforms. Once people have an encounter with Jesus, their lives change forever. 

Our church has a family service at Thanksgiving with baby dedications, baptism, and communion. During baby dedications, the parents and church agree to help raise the children according to Jesus’s teachings, helping them develop a relationship with the Savior. In our last family service, parents of three adolescents dedicated their children because the parents had begun a relationship with Jesus. Right before the father walked off stage, he asked the pastor to tell the congregation he had become a follower of Christ that week. And within days, the dad dedicated his family to the Lord and began parenting according to the Gospel. When Jesus seeks and saves, it changes lives and generations. Those kids will never forget that moment. 

Zaccheus changed his life. I changed mine. Anyone who gives their life to the Savior will find transformation. And even more than we want to see Jesus, He wants to see us. The Lord wants to come to dinner, sit at the table, and share a meal. When we invite Him into our lives, Jesus changes our destiny and leads us on the path to eternal life with Him.  One day at a time, we become more like Christ, applying His teachings to our lives and letting Him transform us. 

Prayer: 

Lord, thank You for sending Jesus to seek and save us. Please help us give Him full access to our hearts and experience life change. Let our lives transform, and let His light shine through us as we apply Your teachings to our days. 

IJNIP. Amen 

Five-minute read.

And he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up. And as was his custom, he went to the synagogue on the Sabbath day, and he stood up to read. And the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was given to him. He unrolled the scroll and found the place where it was written, 

“The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, 
because he has anointed me 
to proclaim good news to the poor. 
He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives 
and recovering of sight to the blind, 
to set at liberty those who are oppressed, 
to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.” 

Luke 4:16-19 

Jesus reads from Isaiah 61:1-2, identifying Himself as the subject of the passage. Christ carries the Holy Spirit with Him, anointed by the Father to bring good news to the poor. Proclaiming freedom to the captives, giving sight to the blind, and freeing the oppressed to praise God for His favor, Jesus did it all. The Lord’s grace frees us from our sins and gives us a new life with a purpose that we live for Him. 

Invited to a friend’s house to meet a missionary, home from the battlefields of Africa, she exemplified living fully for Christ. The minutes slipped by unnoticed as she began her talk on prayer and spiritual warfare. In the evilest part of the country, her day-to-day life has little comparison to a day in America. Christians brutally murdered for their beliefs. Children taken captive, women raped, the atrocities faced break my heart. Scripture poured from her lips as she told her tales, murderers becoming missionaries because of their efforts. 

“Satan’s biggest victory in America is convincing people he doesn’t exist.” 

Her words struck a chord because I knew she spoke the truth. The darkness that blankets our nation goes unnoticed by most. Turning from God and following their fleshly desires, they don’t understand why they don’t experience the joy of the Lord. Deceived by the devil, they miss the light of Jesus. 

“If my people who are called by my name humble themselves, and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land.”  

2 Chronicles 7:14 

In Jesus, we find freedom from oppression, liberty from our bondage, and light that dispels the darkness. But until we turn to Him, we can’t find His favor or live in His peace. God doesn’t want us to live in bondage; He wants us to experience the freedom found only in Christ. As we turn our faces to Him, the Lord will heal our land, remove the strongholds, and give us victory in Jesus.   

Prayer: 

Lord, thank You for sending Jesus to proclaim the good news, give liberty to the captives, and recover sight to the blind. Let us live in Your favor as we commune with You, allowing Your Spirit to guide our lives. 

IJNIP. Amen 

Five-minute read.

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. 

John 3:16 

Believe or perish, the ultimate decision one must make about Jesus. Do you believe He died on the cross for your sins, then rose again, overcoming death? Or don’t you? Belief in Jesus begins with a choice only you can make. Only God knows your heart; we can make guesses, but none of us truly understand what someone else believes. However, the fruit of the Spirit gives us a clue to what someone worships.

“Always kind,” my friend’s son-in-law said to his young daughter, struggling with a friendship at school. Watching the family deal with the situation brought joy to my heart as I watched the father teach his daughter love. From his Spirit came love. The dad chose Jesus, the fruit evident in his actions.

Becoming Christ’s followers involves accepting something, not doing something. Nothing we do can earn our salvation. Believing in Jesus frees us from condemnation, gives us eternal life, and allows us to live honestly with the Lord. This means we admit we have faults, become self-aware of our shortcomings, and openly share them with God, asking Him to help us overcome them.

Because Jesus overcame sin on the cross, sinless, Christ bore the punishment we deserve, giving us His peace that surpasses all understanding as we submit our lives to Him. When we lay our struggles at the foot of the cross, we must leave them there. Moving forward requires letting go. A social media meme I saw recently had a stick figure holding onto a balloon in one hand and a weight in the other. Hanging in the air, the character couldn’t fly with the balloon because he wouldn’t let go of the heavy weight. We can’t embrace the future God has for us if we still hold onto our past sins. To fly with Jesus, we must accept His gift, let go of our guilt and shame, and trust Him.

God knows we struggle; He knows we need a Savior. And so, out of His unconditional love for us, the Lord sent His Son. Taking the place of Isaac, saving the Israelites from the Passover, and laying down His life for us, Jesus said, “It is finished” (John 19:30), then bowed His head and gave up His Spirit. Three days later, Mary found an empty tomb, and everything changed.

Choose Jesus today and every day. Believe in the Savior who died for your sins. Accept His grace and mercy, let go of the past, and fly high with the Lord, abundantly living in Him. 

Prayer: 

Praise God for Jesus! Thank You, Lord, for Your Son, who sets us free from our sins and gives us new life in Him. Please, Lord, help us share the good news of Christ’s resurrection with everyone. Let us love others well for You, giving all the glory to Jesus.

IJNIP. Amen 

Five-minute read.

Now when Jesus returned, the crowd welcomed him, for they were all waiting for him. And there came a man named Jairus, who was a ruler of the synagogue. And falling at Jesus’ feet, he implored him to come to his house, for he had an only daughter, about twelve years of age, and she was dying. 

As Jesus went, the people pressed around him. And there was a woman who had had a discharge of blood for twelve years, and though she had spent all her living on physicians, she could not be healed by anyone. She came up behind him and touched the fringe of his garment, and immediately her discharge of blood ceased. And Jesus said, “Who was it that touched me?” When all denied it, Peter said, “Master, the crowds surround you and are pressing in on you!” But Jesus said, “Someone touched me, for I perceive that power has gone out from me.” And when the woman saw that she was not hidden, she came trembling, and falling down before him declared in the presence of all the people why she had touched him, and how she had been immediately healed. And he said to her, “Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace.” 

While he was still speaking, someone from the ruler’s house came and said, “Your daughter is dead; do not trouble the Teacher any more.” But Jesus on hearing this answered him, “Do not fear; only believe, and she will be well.” And when he came to the house, he allowed no one to enter with him, except Peter and John and James, and the father and mother of the child. And all were weeping and mourning for her, but he said, “Do not weep, for she is not dead but sleeping.” And they laughed at him, knowing that she was dead. But taking her by the hand he called, saying, “Child, arise.” And her spirit returned, and she got up at once. And he directed that something should be given her to eat. And her parents were amazed, but he charged them to tell no one what had happened. 

Luke 8:40-56

Interruptible, Jesus didn’t get upset when the woman touched His cloak. While walking to Jarius’s home, the woman who suffered from a bleeding ailment for twelve years touched the hem of Christ’s garment, her faith trusting He could heal her. The Centurion’s daughter, dying from an unknown cause, had lived as long as the woman had bled, twelve years, with very different tales for the two females. The moment the woman touched the Savior, she experienced healing, and Jesus felt the power go from Him.  When He asks, “Who was it that touched me?” it implies the Lord didn’t know. But I think Jesus did know and wanted the woman to speak up and take responsibility for her actions. 

Following Jesus requires self-awareness and the ability to own our actions. If we can’t see our sin, we can’t confess it. Over the years, I’ve met many people blinded to their misdeeds, blaming everyone else for the troubles in their lives. And sometimes, we do experience difficulties through no fault of our own, as the bleeding woman did. But her faith led her to follow Jesus and seek healing from Him.  When Christ asked who touched Him, He did it for her sake, not His. When she responded, falling at Jesus’s feet, the healed woman declared her faith publicly and received God’s peace in return. 

The Savior gets interrupted again as someone informs Jarius and Jesus that the girl has died. Without flinching, the Lord tells them not to worry; she will “be well.” Arriving at the house, Jesus takes Peter, James, John, and the parents into the house to witness the miracle of her resurrection. After watching the miracle, Christ tells them to tell no one and get the girl some food. What a moment for the grieved parents to experience. 

When God works miracles in our lives, it can overwhelm us. Divine moments take time to process. As we reflect on the Lord’s work for us, our faith deepens, and we draw closer to the Savior. Jesus performed two miracles that changed both people’s lives forever. Each day we allow God to work in and through us, it changes us and impacts those around us. Expect miracles, and you will receive them in the Lord’s way and His timing. 

Prayer: 

Lord, thank You for making miracles happen in our lives. Please give us eyes to see and ears to hear Your workings. Show us how we can participate in Your will, growing and maturing as we do and impacting the world around us for Christ. 

IJNIP. Amen 

Five-minute read.

After this, Jesus went away to the other side of the Sea of Galilee, the Sea of Tiberias. A large crowd was following him because they saw the signs that he was doing on the sick. Jesus went up to the mountain and sat down with his disciples there.  

Now the Passover, the feast of the Jews, was at hand. Lifting up his eyes, then, and seeing that a large crowd was coming toward him, Jesus said to Philip, “Where are we to buy bread, so that these people may eat?”  He said this to test him, for he himself knew what he would do. Philip answered him, “Two hundred denarii worth of bread would not be enough for each of them to get a little.” 

 One of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, said to him, “There is a boy here who has five barley loaves and two fish, but what are they for so many?”  Jesus said, “Have the people sit down.”  

Now there was much grass in the place. So the men sat down, about five thousand in number. Jesus then took the loaves, and when he had given thanks, he distributed them to those who were seated. So also the fish, as much as they wanted. And when they had eaten their fill, he told his disciples, “Gather up the leftover fragments, that nothing may be lost.” So they gathered them up and filled twelve baskets with fragments from the five barley loaves left by those who had eaten. When the people saw the sign that he had done, they said, “This is indeed the Prophet who is to come into the world!” 

John 6:1-14 

Chapter six opens with a large crowd following closely on Jesus’s heels. After witnessing the miracles He performed, they wanted to know more about the Savior. Curiosity and eagerness motivated the people, wanting to experience the healing power Christ offered. As the day grew long and bellies started to rumble, Jesus knew the crowd needed to eat. When He asks Philip about buying bread, Jesus already knows the answer but wants to test His disciples. Immediately, the practical side of Philip calculates the cost to feed the 5000-plus people, realizing they didn’t have the eight months’ worth of wages to do it. 

What prompted Andrew to tell Jesus about the boy’s lunch, I don’t know. Maybe the disciple wanted to test the Savior and see what He would do. Or perhaps Andrew believed Jesus could work a miracle with the barley cakes and fish. Whatever the motivation, Andrew felt safe to offer the suggestion, knowing his Master would know what to do with them. And Christ did. Giving thanks for the bread and fish, Jesus had the disciples distribute to the 5000 men and their wives and children, making the total easily over 10,000. Miracles happen when the Lord gets involved. 

Picking up the leftovers, the disciples filled twelve baskets with bread. I wonder what they talked about while gathering the pieces of barley? Astonishment probably filled their conversation as they found yet another piece, then another and another. What started as a mere lunch multiplied divinely into an overflow of blessings. No one left hungry, all full, experiencing a miracle together as one body. Sharing moments bonds people. Everyone who broke bread and ate fish shared an experience they would never forget. Plain barley probably never tasted as good as it did that day. For the rest of their lives, the men, women, and children who enjoyed that meal would never forget it. Or would they? 

In just a few chapters, John records the crucifixion of Jesus and the crowd who wanted it done. Did the people shouting, ‘Crucify Him,” forget the lunch Jesus provided for them on this sunny day? Only Jesus knows for sure. Even if they did, Christ forgave them when He got on the cross and asked His Heavenly Father to show mercy. Just as the Savior does for us, taking our sins upon His back, He gives us grace. Today, we remember what Jesus did, thanking the Savior for His provision and the salvation He offers. 

Prayer: 

Lord, thank You for feeding us, forgiving us, and saving us. Please help us remember Your works in our lives, and as we face new challenges, give us the faith to move forward, knowing that what You did before, You can and will do again. We love You, Lord. 

IJNIP. Amen 

Five-minute read.

On the third day there was a wedding at Cana in Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was there. Jesus also was invited to the wedding with his disciples. When the wine ran out, the mother of Jesus said to him, “They have no wine.” And Jesus said to her, “Woman, what does this have to do with me? My hour has not yet come.” His mother said to the servants, “Do whatever he tells you.” 

Now there were six stone water jars there for the Jewish rites of purification, each holding twenty or thirty gallons. Jesus said to the servants, “Fill the jars with water.” And they filled them up to the brim. And he said to them, “Now draw some out and take it to the master of the feast.” So they took it. When the master of the feast tasted the water now become wine, and did not know where it came from (though the servants who had drawn the water knew), the master of the feast called the bridegroom and said to him, “Everyone serves the good wine first, and when people have drunk freely, then the poor wine. But you have kept the good wine until now.”  This, the first of his signs, Jesus did at Cana in Galilee, and manifested his glory. And his disciples believed in him. 

John 2:1-11 

Because of the small size of Cana, everyone in the community would have an invite to the wedding. Not providing for your guests would cause social disgrace, never forgotten; it would haunt the newlyweds for life. Mary, realizing the consequences to the couple if the wine ran out, turned to Jesus for help. As the Lord’s mother, she knew He possessed divine powers and could solve the problem. Thinking about Mary’s job, raising the Savior, I can’t imagine what she knew no one else did. Moms know their kids; no one knows a child better than the mother.   All the little quirks, the weaknesses and strengths, what helps them thrive. Moms know it all and use their knowledge to help their children grow and mature. 

Mary doesn’t take no for an answer from Jesus. Despite His words, Mary tells the servants to do whatever He says, and Jesus obeys His mother. The stone jars held approximately 120 gallons of water, equal to 2000 four-ounce glasses of wine; Jesus made enough wine to last several days. The first miracle foreshadowed the Lord’s ministry, conversion. Jesus turned water into wine and converted sinners into saints. Transformation occurs when Christ enters the story. 

Typically, the water held in the stone jars cleansed the hands of the guests before eating. Living in an agricultural world, dirt covered them from head to toe. When Jesus washed the disciples’ feet, He had work to do. Wearing only sandals, think about the last time you wore flip-flops while walking on dirt paths. Currently, my Oofos have glitter stuck to them from my crafting business. With no outer protection, feet get dirty quickly on dusty roads. And so do their hands. Metaphorically, the connection between turning water into wine and sinners into saints requires washing away the dirt and muck, giving new purpose to the water and our lives. 

Diluting the wine with water saved money. When the master, the head waiter for the event, tasted the high quality of the wine it shocked him. Customarily, after the guests drank enough of the good stuff, they overlooked the diluted wine. But the wine Jesus made tasted better than anything the master ever had. When Christ works, He doesn’t dilute, giving us His best. The more we allow the Lord to order our steps, the more we will experience the miraculous works of His hand. Every day, God performs miracles, ordinary things become extraordinary when Jesus gets involved. 

Prayer: 

Lord, thank You for Jesus’ work in our lives, converting us from sinners to saints. Please help us recognize the miracles You perform in our ordinary lives, making them extraordinary. Let us honor You in our words and deeds as we allow You to order our steps. 

IJNIP. Amen 

Five-minute read.

On one occasion, while the crowd was pressing in on him to hear the word of God, he was standing by the lake of Gennesaret, and he saw two boats by the lake, but the fishermen had gone out of them and were washing their nets. Getting into one of the boats, which was Simon’s, he asked him to put out a little from the land. And he sat down and taught the people from the boat.  

And when he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, “Put out into the deep and let down your nets for a catch.” And Simon answered, “Master, we toiled all night and took nothing! But at your word I will let down the nets.” And when they had done this, they enclosed a large number of fish, and their nets were breaking.  

They signaled to their partners in the other boat to come and help them. And they came and filled both the boats, so that they began to sink. But when Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus’ knees, saying, “Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord.” For he and all who were with him were astonished at the catch of fish that they had taken, and so also were James and John, sons of Zebedee, who were partners with Simon.  

And Jesus said to Simon, “Do not be afraid; from now on you will be catching men.” And when they had brought their boats to land, they left everything and followed him. 

Luke 5:1-11 

People adored Jesus and marveled at His teachings, in awe of His actions. They couldn’t get enough of Him. Luke describes the crowd pressing in on the Teacher to hear God’s word from His Son. Making room for Himself, Jesus boarded Peter’s fishing boat, moving offshore far enough to have space to teach the people. Divine magnification allowed everyone to hear the words from Christ’s mouth, planting seeds in their hearts that changed them forever. 

Finishing His talk, Jesus tells Peter to lower the fishing nets into the water. Hesitant, the disciple doubts the command, knowing their night-long efforts came to no avail. But Peter does what Jesus says, lowering the nets into the water. I can relate to the fisherman. I’ve often attempted things on my strength to no avail: repairing relationships, helping a friend, defeating a temptation.   When nothing happens, I feel like a hamster running on a wheel, working hard but getting nowhere. Then I decided to do what Jesus said: pray, forgive, wait, trust, and suddenly, miracles began to happen, all by divine effort, not mine.  

When Peter lowers the nets, fish flow into them, filling them and requiring assistance to keep them from sinking. Immediately, the tired fisherman fell to Jesus’s knees, confessing his sins. And with love, as Christ always does, He responds: 

“Do not be afraid; from now on you will be catching men.” (vs. 10) 

What a moment to watch. Peter, humbled before His Savior, received a new direction. The fisherman had a new fish to catch that didn’t have scales. Transformation happens when you give your life to Christ. With different priorities, we change our objectives, seek Jesus for direction, and become fishers of people. Everyone we meet becomes a person to love for the Lord. Rescuing of Image Bearers, Tim Tebow called it when I heard him speak at an event. God made humans in His image, and we have a responsibility to share that news with people, helping them understand their value. From the baby in the womb to the disabled person on the street and the prisoner in jail, the Lord loves them all, and through Him, we can as well. 

Let your nets down today, and see who the Lord brings into your life. Ask God for the divine tools you will need to love them for Him.  Tap into the Savior’s strength and become fishers of people. 

Prayer: 

Lord, thank You for divine guidance and for making us fishers of people. Let us fall humbly at Jesus’s feet, confessing our sins and experiencing His grace and mercy. Then, Lord, help us share what we receive with others. 

IJNIP. Amen 

Five-minute read.

Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. And after fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry. And the tempter came and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, command these stones to become loaves of bread.” But he answered, “It is written, “‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.’” 

Then the devil took him to the holy city and set him on the pinnacle of the temple and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down, for it is written, “‘He will command his angels concerning you,’ and “‘On their hands they will bear you up, lest you strike your foot against a stone.’” 

Jesus said to him, “Again it is written, ‘You shall not put the Lord your God to the test.’” Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory. And he said to him, “All these I will give you, if you will fall down and worship me.”  Then Jesus said to him, “Be gone, Satan! For it is written, “‘You shall worship the Lord your God and him only shall you serve.’” 

Then the devil left him, and behold, angels came and were ministering to him. 

Matthew 4:1-11 

Led by the Spirit, Jesus entered the wilderness and faced the devil’s temptations, the same we face in our lives. “To tempt” can also mean “to test,” which reveals or develops character. In Jesus’ situation, the temptations of the enemy revealed the Son’s character and His connection to God. The devil already knew Christ’s Sonship to the heavenly Father, tempting the power of His position. For every temptation, Jesus responded with scripture, defeating Satan’s ploys. Responding like the Savior to the enemies’ attacks will develop our character and help us become more like Jesus. 

Temptation one dealt with the lust of the flesh. Because of Jesus’ 40-day fast, He experienced hunger. Appealing to his need for food, Satan tries to entice Christ to use His divine powers to turn stones into bread. Responding with scripture, Jesus refuses to go against God’s will. Fleshly temptations come in various ways: food, drink, shelter, and comfort. Sin doesn’t come from desiring those things, but from putting them above God’s will for our lives. In other words, prioritizing the desires of the flesh becomes a sin when we let those wants rule over us. Hunger can become gluttony if we don’t keep it in check. 

The second temptation dealt with the lust of the eyes, wanting what we see and desiring to possess it. Again, Jesus responds with scripture. In our consumer world, marketing ploys constantly bombard us with the newest, latest thing we can’t live without. Online shopping does a fantastic job of using the lust of the eyes to make us crave things we don’t need; with a few clicks, we have them delivered to our doorstep. Identifying the temptation and using scripture to battle the desires will help us find victory as Jesus did. Awareness of the devil’s tricks helps us guard against his attacks. 

The last temptation Jesus faced in the wilderness pertained to the pride of life, our desire to control the world. “Island of self,” a friend recently called it; we must get off the island to realize that the world doesn’t revolve around us. Jesus gives us the answer: we must worship God and serve only Him. Our biggest battle lies in who we will serve: Jesus or self. Every day, we face this battle. Sometimes I win it, other times I don’t, but God always gives me another chance to try again. Keeping my eyes on the Son helps me find victory. 

Jesus knows the temptations we face because He faced them. Leaning into His teachings will help us find victory over our selfish desires. We can get off the island of self by walking on water with Jesus. 

Prayer: 

Lord, thank You for showing us how to defeat the temptations of this world. Please help us remember scripture and use it like Jesus did when faced with the devil’s ploys. Give us the tools we need to live victoriously in You.  

IJNIP. Amen 

Five-minute read.

Now his parents went to Jerusalem every year at the Feast of the Passover. And when he was twelve years old, they went up according to custom. And when the feast was ended, as they were returning, the boy Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem. His parents did not know it, but supposing him to be in the group they went a day’s journey, but then they began to search for him among their relatives and acquaintances, and when they did not find him, they returned to Jerusalem, searching for him.  

After three days they found him in the temple, sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions. And all who heard him were amazed at his understanding and his answers. And when his parents saw him, they were astonished. And his mother said to him, “Son, why have you treated us so? Behold, your father and I have been searching for you in great distress.” And he said to them, “Why were you looking for me? Did you not know that I must be in my Father’s house?” And they did not understand the saying that he spoke to them. And he went down with them and came to Nazareth and was submissive to them. And his mother treasured up all these things in her heart. 

Luke 2:41-51 

Luke tells the only story about Jesus’ boyhood found in scripture. When I read this section, my mind goes to the no longer existing Three Rivers Stadium in Pittsburgh. Leaving a Pirates baseball game, I separated from my family at the turnstile. Panic immediately overwhelmed me as the crowd swallowed me in its midst. Although my parents found me within minutes, those few traumatic moments and the intense feelings have stayed with me.

Families traveled together when attending the three major feasts each year: Passover, Pentecost, and Tabernacles. Children traveled with the women, and everyone looked out for each other, so Mary and Joseph didn’t notice Jesus’ absence because they assumed someone had their eye on Him. And someone did, His heavenly Father, as Jesus sat in the temple questioning the teachers, foreshadowing His ministry.

God brought a new friend into my life. Her passion and knowledge of Christ, as well as her ministry work, inspire and encourage me. When we get together, I sit and listen, in awe of her faith in action. Thinking about the teachers listening to the young boy, I wonder if they felt the same way. Without a doubt, Mary and Joseph felt amazed at Jesus’ understanding of the scriptures, their astonishment evident.

As you study Jesus’ life, it becomes evident that He mastered the art of questioning. Instead of trying to prove His points, the Savior asked the right questions, which caused people to think about their answers and to conclude independently. One can only imagine the questions the twelve-year-old asked the teachers, but I’m sure some of them ruffled a few feathers. Taking the plank out of our eye before addressing the speck in someone else’s requires self-examination, something many people don’t like doing. An article from Forbes magazine states that only 15% of people possess self-awareness. (i)

Jesus helps us become more self-aware with the questions He asks. As we realize our sins, we understand our need for a Savior. The closer we draw to Christ, the more fine-tuning He will do in our lives. With amazing understanding, Jesus leads us on our path to glory, one step at a time.

(i) https://www.forbes.com/sites/jeffkauflin/2017/05/10/only-15-of-people-are-self-aware-heres-how-to-change/

Prayer: 

Lord, thank You for Jesus’ ministry, which leads us to better self-awareness and an understanding of our need for Him. Please give us eyes to see and ears to hear Your promptings as we seek the Savior. Let us become more like Christ one day at a time. 

IJNIP. Amen 

Five-minute read.

“Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, for he has visited and redeemed his people and has raised up a horn of salvation for us in the house of his servant David, 

Luke 1:67-69 

God showered goodness upon us when Christ entered the world. Zechariah’s prophesy of the Messiah to come points people toward the Savior. At the time, people thought Jesus would redeem them from the political oppression they experienced. As Christ’s ministry unfolded, it became clear the redemption Jesus offered had much more eternal applications. The Messiah started a revolution with His revelation, sinners in need of salvation, Jesus fulfills our most dire need. 

Watching “Shrinking” the show revolves around a father and daughter in the aftermath of losing the heart of their family, mom, killed by a drunk driver. A recent episode united the driver with the daughter, and as it unfolded, she forgave him because “That’s what mom would do.”  The mixture of emotions that washed over the driver’s face reminded me of how I felt when I understood Jesus’ grace and mercy for the first time.   

Amazing grace! How sweet the sound 
That saved a wretch like me! 
I once was lost, but now am found; 
Was blind, but now I see. 

’Twas grace that taught my heart to fear, 
And grace my fears relieved; 
How precious did that grace appear 
The hour I first believed. 

Amazing Grace by John Newton 

John Newton, captain of slave ships turned pastor and slavery abolitionist, captures the essence of salvation in his song, Amazing Grace. Once wretches, the truth of Christ’s salvation gives us sight. For any new believer, when that moment of understanding dawns; they receive new life, relieving them of their past and giving them hope for the future, the horn of salvation. 

Used in the Old Testament as a metaphor for power, “horn” means great strength. Jesus gives us the power of salvation; we can choose to live differently through Him. When John Newton received a new life through Christ, everything changed. Giving up his ship, Newton picked up his cross and lived differently, no longer for himself but for Jesus. 

Ultimately, submitting our lives to Christ changes our course, causing us to make different decisions and live for the applause of nail-scarred hands. In Jesus, we find the strength of redemption. Tap into the Lord’s power, humble yourself before the cross, and receive forgiveness. Then stand up, renewed and redeemed, and fight the good fight for the Savior.   

If we choose to accept it, our mission contains only five words: love God and love others. Fulfill the Great Commandment, and you will fulfill God’s calling. In His strength, with His power, one person at a time, you will start a revolution of love. 

Prayer: 

Lord, thank You for giving us the Messiah and the strength of salvation we find in Him. Please help us to live well for Christ, leaving our old ways behind and discovering a new way to live. Let us become known for the divine love we share through Jesus. 

IJNIP. Amen