Month: November 2013

God Trumps Tradition

On By Judy GlasserIn NovemberLeave a comment

Traditions.  We can have a lot of them – especially in church.

They can bring comfort and familiarity.  They can provide structure and bring back great memories.

Nov 1 2013They can also bring rigidity that refuses to change and grow.  They can create an attitude of mindless observation and boredom because we’ve done this a million times before.

Jesus confronts the teachers of the Law in Mark 7 with the fact that they had started making their own rules and traditions more important than God’s command.

Do we ever do that?

One of the most important messages to us in the New Testament is that Jesus changed EVERYTHING!

He turned the religious traditions of his day inside out and upside down.

Why?

Because doing God’s will was more important to him than observing the religious traditions of his time.

Jesus started a revolution over 2000 years ago by being radically sold out to God.  In his life, obedience to God  was more important than following traditions and the current acceptable cultural norms.

THIS should be our tradition.

Thank you, dear Jesus, for coming to earth to save us and to show us how to live.

A Call to Action

On By Judy GlasserIn November1 Comment

Jesus is travelling through towns and villages in Matthew 9 teaching in the synagogues and healing the sick.   He has compassion on the people because they are so harassed and helpless.

He tells his disciples that the harvest is plentiful but the workers are few.

And he tells his disciples what he wants them to do about this issue.October 31 2013

What would you expect him to say?  He has just pointed out a huge opportunity to bring needy people into the Kingdom of God.

The next step is to ?

I would have expected Jesus to say Go!  Go do something about this. But that’s not what he said. 

He told his disciples to pray. 

Pray to the Lord of Harvest to send out workers.

Pray!  Not Go.

Pray.

That’s his direction to us today – about the harvest, about everything.  Pray.  Ask our Father God to prepare things in advance for us. 

Then we go.

In your name, Dear Father.

 

Please Leave

On By Judy GlasserIn NovemberLeave a comment

It can be scary when God starts doing something new.

It’s strange.  It’s different.October 30 2013

It takes us out of our comfort zone.

We have a choice – we can embrace it and move deeper into God’s will for us.

Or we can be afraid of this new thing and miss the opportunity to know God better.

In Matthew 8, Jesus releases a man from possession by a legion (a lot) of demons.  People from all over the countryside come to see what happened.  When they see this man who was a lunatic for so many years dressed and acting normal, they were afraid.

So they asked Jesus to leave.

They missed it!  They were in the presence of the King of the Universe and they asked him to go away.

This was too different.

It was too new.

It made them uncomfortable.

So Jesus left.

Of course he did.  He wants to be wanted.  When we choose him, he will come into our hearts and minds to help free us from our own demons.  And, if we give him more and more room in our lives every day, his influence on our life grows and it all starts making sense.  The journey begins to have an eternal purpose that makes it all worth it.

If we’re too afraid, we’ll miss the ‘more’ that God has for us.

Dear Father, please chase away our fears.

When…..

On By Judy GlasserIn NovemberLeave a comment

is God going to tell me what to do? 

How often do we hear this question coming out of the mouths of Christ-followers?

The fact is – God has already told us what to do.   In his word.  And its specific.

The Sermon on the Mount in Matthew is full of directions for everything.  Jesus tells us how to handle eating, what we wear, giving, praying, our treasures, our worries, our relationships, lies, grace, our enemies and our faith.

What else do we need to know?

At the end of the sermon, Jesus says, ” Why do you call me ‘Lord, Lord’ but do not do as I say?”

Jesus is asking us that same question today.  He has told us what he wants us to know and do – are we doing it?  He’s not our Lord is we’re aren’t growing in our obedience to him.  We’ll never be 100% obedient this side of heaven BUT – do we have a daily desire to become more Christ-like?  Do we have daily disciplines in our lives that open up our minds and hearts to God’s transforming power? 

If our answer is yes, then we can call Jesus ‘Lord’.

You are the Light….

On By Judy GlasserIn NovemberLeave a comment

of the world, ” Jesus tells us in Matthew 5.

Our light should give light to everyone in our house.  It should shine out to the point that those who see it are impressed with our God.

So how bright is our light shining today?October 26 2013

It’s good to take an objective look at our faith journey at least once a year to make sure we’re still growing.  God has called us to shine His light right where we live so that others may be drawn to him.  And our goal should be to shine brighter and brighter every year until God brings us home to heaven.

To grow, we need to find more time and more ways to place our mind, body and spirit into God’s presence so he can transform us.  Worship, serving, prayer and Bible study with others and by ourselves are great ways for us to continue to grow into the people God created us to be.

Too often I see older Christians who have become discontent and crabby.  They don’t like what the pastor says or does.  They are extremely quick to point out anything and everything that’s wrong with their church and with their family.

I think God calls us to grow more Christ-like as we grow older, not more crabby.   As we walk this path of faith, we are supposed to be learning more patience and more compassion and more contentment and more wisdom so we can become an increasing blessing to the people around us and our church family.

That’s my goal – to become more Christ-like, not more crabby.

What’s yours?