What is Your Name?

In the beginning of Luke chapter ten, Jesus is sending out disciples ahead of Him to help prepare the way. He gives them instructions through about verse sixteen, and then in verse seventeen, we see them return. They are joyous because even the demons are subject to them in the name of Christ. On a side note, this is a good reminder to us that we need to do all in the name of the Lord. Jesus had truly given them some awesome powers to do some incredible things. Even with those abilities, Jesus says they should not rejoice in these powers but in that their names were recorded in heaven.

I get the disciples. It is pretty cool to think that with the Lord’s power I could cast out demons or not be harmed by poisonous creatures. In other places we would see them heal the sick or raise the dead. I think that could be a rewarding work. You see a change, and people pat you on the back. Good times. I think that might be part of the problem Jesus is dealing with. I do not think Jesus is condemning their joy but challenging them to find their joy in things that are eternal or lasting. It can be easy to get distracted by the here and now and miss the eternal. It is rewarding to see change in the here and now, but what happened to those cured of sickness or death? They got sick again or died. The change we see is only temporary. The here and now or temporary has an allurement, but it cannot take the place of the eternal. That is a daily struggle for me and probably for you.

How do we overcome this? Enjoy the temporary. God has blessed us with some wonderful things on this earth like friends and family, food to eat, and beauty to see. Always remember that these earthly things do not last. Do not put your hope, trust, or dreams in them but in God. Value the things of God the most. Do you rejoice because your name is written down here somewhere or in heaven?

Trailblazers

When I was in school, history was probably one of my favorite subjects (besides p.e., lunch, and recess). I love the story of history, not necessarily remembering all the dates and names but the telling of the story. We have been blessed with some great men and women who helped shape our country, and some of them were men like Davey Crockett and Daniel Boone. They helped blaze a trail through the Appalachian Mountains so that our country could move west. I thought about them as I read about John the Baptist in Luke 1:76.

John came to prepare the way for Jesus. Think about those that might be preparing a way for others today. A road crew that came in to a new area to build a road for those who were coming later might have to use survey equipment to survey the best path. They might have to bring in big machinery to remove obstacles and smooth the land out. Finally, they might bring in some paving equipment to put a road down. What did John use? He also used some “heavy machinery,” as in the word of God. John preached the Word. No fancy clothes or church building. No light shows or video screens. Just the Word of God. Which makes sense when you read Romans 10:17. We have to believe the word of God can do more than we could ever imagine.

That message that he preached was clear. Repent. People have obstacles in their lives that keep them from Jesus. We call that sin. John called those people to repent or remove those obstacles that kept them from Jesus. A message that continues through the New Testament and should be proclaimed today. Some of those people decided to listen to God through the preaching of John. They repented of their sins and were immersed for the forgiveness of sins. Once they had the obstacles of sin removed and the path prepared, they were ready for Jesus. Two thoughts for you. What are you doing to prepare the path for others to know Jesus, and are you ready for Jesus?

What Do You Want Me To Do for You?

In Bereans class we have been studying Mark. We were in chapter ten the other night, and Kirsten pointed out that Jesus says the same thing to James and John and to Bartimaeus. He asked them, “What do you want me to do for you?” We see the first encounter with James and John in verse thirty-six. In a chapter that has dealt with humble service, these two are asking for the places of prominence in Jesus’ kingdom. The next time Jesus asked this question was to Bartimaeus in verse fifty-one. He asked for his sight to be restored. We get to witness a beautiful miracle showing the power of God over our physical bodies.

When Kirsten asked the question, it made me ponder; if Jesus were to ask me, “What do you want me to do for you?” what would I say? I am not trying to suggest that Jesus is some type of genie in a bottle where your three wishes are His command, even though I believe many in the religious world believe that and serve for that very reason. (Have you ever heard about someone leaving God because He did not do what they wanted or answer their prayer?) What would I ask for? I do not believe He will do anything sinful, but other than that, the sky is the limit as they say. Hopefully it would not be something silly like for my favorite team to win the championship. Maybe lots of money. I would be set. My family would be set, and listen, I would be generous to others. Maybe it would be something more noble like having cancer to be erased because I know the impact it has had on my life or the lives of those I love.

I think the question is important because it reveals my heart or what I value. Even better than having all the blessings of this world is to have God. Even worse than the worst of this world is being separated from God. I have to ask myself, what is most important to me?