Meet Jesus: Cleary Eyed …GSJ10

December 13, 2013 by Phil Larson

He wants us to have the dust out of our eyes so we can see clearly.

Matthew 7:5: Thou hypocrite, first cast out the beam out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother’s eye.

Home Front: Mind the home front first. Jesus is repetitive on this point. Taking care of ourselves is His focus for us.

Windy: This area I live in has a constant wind blowing. Sometimes the wind is 5 miles an hour. Sometimes the wind is 25 miles an hour. Always it is blowing dust and particles up into the air and eyes. That can leave you bleary-eyed. I keep a bottle of saline solution in my desk against those days when I catch something in the walk from the parking lot to the office. It helps clear out any particle that blew in. Even the smallest particle of dust can cause my vision to be clouded.

Clear: How can you focus when you are bleary-eyed? Jesus wants us to be cleary-eyed. He wants us to have the dust out of our eyes so we can see clearly.

Greg’s Hobnob: Greg’s feelings of joy were not echoed by Jake. Greg was happy to see an old friend coming to his church. Jake was not happy. He and Greg had been friend’s years before. Then Greg started hobnobbing with some do-gooders and would have nothing to do with him. Those were painful memories for Jake. Those emotions washed up on the shore of his mind as he walked. Funny, how something from that long ago still affected him. He was getting angry. His wife was looking at him oddly wondering what was going on and what was getting ready to happen. This is how he looked when he came home drinking.

This devotion is #10 of a bigger storyline… Watch the category GSJ Story for miniseries.

ACT! Get some particle out. Want is going on in your life that needs washed out? Is someone else’s particle in your eye and you just need to be looking elsewhere?

PRAY! Father, help me be cleary-eyed. Help me to tend to my business with You instead of worrying about others. Surely, they have enough dust of their own. Surely I need to keep my eyes clear. Help me stay out of other’s activities in judgement. Sufficient for me are the issues to which I need to tend.

Meet Jesus: Transcendent …GSJ1

December 9, 2013 by Phil Larson

While His Father is in heaven, He talks to Him in familiar terms as if He were standing beside Him, and asks us to do the same.

Matthew 6: 7 And when you pray, do not use vain repetitions as the heathen do. For they think that they will be heard for their many words. 8 “Therefore do not be like them. For your Father knows the things you have need of before you ask Him. 9 In this manner, therefore, pray: Our Father in heaven, hallowed be Your name. 10 Your kingdom come. Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.

Building Transcendence: Jesus is at once at home in heaven and on earth. He is transcendent. He easily moves back and forth in His thought and access. While His Father is in heaven, He talks to Him in familiar terms as if He were standing beside Him, and asks us to do the same. While there is a will of God declared in heaven, He expects it to be walked out fully here on earth. He is transcendent. He refuses to be held away from the best His Father has for Him.

Greg’s Transcendent Moment: The decision for the new team member was looming. As the team succeeded, it became evident they would need an added member. Who would join? Would they fit the group? How could they find the right person? Greg moved to prayer. He needed divine wisdom. Surely God was aware this need would arise before this day. Surely God would provide. As Greg quieted himself in his office in prayer, his phone rang. Sally was calling. She had a friend looking for a position similar to what the team needed.

This devotion is #1 of a bigger storyline… Watch the category GSJ Story for miniseries.

ACT! What is it you need to transcend? To get over and above? To do it like it is done in heaven not as it is on earth? Start acting the part.

PRAY! Father, I need You to transcend my life. So often, I am tied to my earthly expectations, joys, and achievements. It is hard for me to transcend with Jesus and see what You see and do what You do and fulfill Your will spoken in heaven here on earth. Help me to transcend with Jesus and live to the fulness of Your will and presence here on earth. I commit, Father, to see Your will done on earth in my life as it is in heaven

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Meet Jesus: Secretly Open

November 7, 2013 by Phil Larson

Matthew 6: 1 “Take heed that you do not do your charitable deeds before men, to be seen by them. Otherwise you have no reward from your Father in heaven. 2 Therefore, when you do a charitable deed, do not sound a trumpet before you as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may have glory from men. Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward. 3 But when you do a charitable deed, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, 4 that your charitable deed may be in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will Himself reward you openly

5 “And when you pray, you shall not be like the hypocrites. For they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the corners of the streets, that they may be seen by men. Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward. 6 But you, when you pray, go into your room, and when you have shut your door, pray to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly

Jesus is secretly open. What He does in secret, He does not to hide, but not to bring attention. It isn’t that He is trying to be secret. He just is not interested in men’s approvals and accolades. He is interested in His Father’s approval and His Father’s will being done in secret. It is for our example not our preoccupation.

Self Promotion? The right thing just seemed so obvious to Greg. Why did others not see what needed to be done? Over and over he worked to convince other managers of the prudence of his actions on the project. They just kept acting like he was promoting himself and his team. That was not the point at all. He just wanted to see the company advanced and his team had the best opportunity to take it on this project. Greg mulled over his options with the team. Finally, they concluded they just needed to act and not talk about it anymore. Just get the job done, they decided.

ACT! Take inventory of your “good works.” Are they done for the Father and for example to provoke others? Are they done to be noticed?

PRAY! Father, increase in me attention to Your will and ways. Let me concentrate on the private days of my life and the private moments of my days. Let me excell in secret that exposure of my life would only reveal Your activity.

Meet Jesus: Even Ground

November 7, 2013 by Phil Larson

Matthew 5: 43″You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ 44But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, 45: That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust.

The Father is consistent in His world creation. The environment, the rules, the principles, the laws, and whatever else happens is the same for good and evil, just and unjust. What goes up comes down (gravity). What goes down comes up (seed time and harvest). The wages of sin is death. When it rains, everybody gets wet. There are certain principles that affect us all. Acting like Him means being the same with those around us whether we like them and their lifestyle or not. Sin does not invalidate principles; it invokes them. Think about it.

ACT! Is there someone you are treating rudely because they have a lifestyle different than yours? Do you hold at arms length someone in a homosexual lifestyle but not a gossiper? Think about it, and make sure you are like your Father.

PRAY! Consistent Father, You treat us all the same. You are the same yesterday, today, and forever. The principles of life and death rule over me as much as anyone who hates you. Thank you for offering that to me when I was outside of Your family. Help me offer even ground to others that they might see Your goodness and enter also alongside me and Jesus.

Meet Jesus : The Extra Mile

November 7, 2013 by Phil Larson

Matthew 5: 39: But I say unto you, That ye resist not evil: but whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also. 40: And if any man will sue thee at the law, and take away thy coat, let him have thy cloke also. 41: And whosoever shall compel thee to go a mile, go with him twain. 42: Give to him that asketh thee, and from him that would borrow of thee turn not thou away.

Going the extra mile for others is the essence of long suffering. Suffering is quiet. To suffer means to allow. Long suffering means to allow for a long time. Jesus defines it even further. He looks for opportunity to suffer, to allow others to use Him and His resources. Jesus is absolutely bent on being used by others. The quest for Him is not about what others ask of Him, but about how He can offer beyond the asking.

Jack’s Pain: Working with a team that was split on commitment was tough. Each had valid points. Each was entrenched in opposite directions. Long suffering was tested. The division had been ongoing in the company for six years and then some. Jack decided to be the walking mat. Someone had to let others “take advantage” to gain some trust and ground. It was tough, but over time some of the animosities began to turn into friendships. He was hopeful to really seem some team progress. This last meeting had been half the team directing criticisms at his area. Not much was founded in present reality, but at least they were venting openly instead of behind his back. There was hope.

ACT! Who is asking for a piece of you or your time? What can you do that goes beyond the asking? Do it.

PRAY! Holy, Gracious Father, the light and love of Jesus are beyond me. When I ask, He does more. When I impose, He expands the request to more. It seems I cannot put more demand than He can answer. Help me to suffer-long with others, Father. Help me to be like Jesus and go the extra mile with a smile.

Meet Jesus: Dignity Matthew 5:21

July 10, 2013 by Phil Larson

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Matthew 5: 21″You have heard that it was said to the people long ago, ‘Do not murder, and anyone who murders will be subject to judgment.’ 22But I tell you that anyone who is angry with his brother will be subject to judgment. Again, anyone who says to his brother, ‘Raca,’ is answerable to the Sanhedrin. But anyone who says, ‘You fool!’ will be in danger of the fire of hell.

Dignity is a key concept in Christ. Jesus did not assault the dignity of any human. There were times He directly challenged people to righteousness. He had no problem calling people to account for hidden agendas and false fronts. He did not attack the person as a person. He never called anyone a fool or an idiot or stupid or any such attack. That standard stands for us.

Interesting is the way Jesus looks at one of the ‘ten commandments’. There is a level beyond the surface to which He takes us. It is the heart intent that is most important. It is the beginning of the action in the depth of the heart that Jesus looks to identify. Lusting leads to adultery. Anger and contempt leads to murder. Stop the action at the point of the seed in the heart. That’s His message.

ACT! Look for any bad seeds in your heart. Take a few moments to sift through your thoughts over the last few days. If you have a mate, is there another besides your mate that has taken time in your thoughts in the wrong direction? Have you been unduly angered and contemptuous with someone? Are you miffed at God over something You think He should have done for you? Have you railed at a government official? Now is the time to uproot the seed before it germinates.

PRAY! Father, I’ve got to admit. There are times I am really upset with people acting out of my pattern. Yes, Father, I have my ways. Help me to not be so quick to call them right and others wrong. Help me to see the person separately from the action. Help me to protect the dignity of each human as precious. Help me to look at others as Your creation with an intention for good. Though they may be demonstrating wrongly, help me to look beyond at potential and design. Let me call out goodness for the lives of others in the midst of pain and problems. Help me to be like You.

Meet Jesus In The Morning On The Mountain Matthew 5

April 15, 2013 by Phil Larson

Matthew 5:1-2 And seeing the multitudes, he went up into a mountain: and when he was set, his disciples came unto him: And he opened his mouth, and taught them, saying, Blessed….

Life has had some tough turns in the journey of the last 13 months. They are violent. They are hard. They are just not nice. Life can be like that.

Life has had some great moments in the journey of the last 13 months. They are beautiful. They are fulfilling. They are comforting. Life can be like that.

In the hardness and in the beauty, life is meant to be lived. Life is not a spectator sport. Engage.

This morning is a calm spot. Not that there is not an hundred items and more waiting to be tended. Water seeped up into the vents of the house the other day in a downpour. It is gone, but repairs need completed and insurance company contacted. A major weekend seminar went well and now I need to write many thank you notes and get ready for the next thrust into another community. Business contracts are calling for attention for project plans and content curation. But it is the morning and I refuse to address any of this right now.

With all of the multitude of people, Jesus took the time to “set” himself. The transcription of Matthew tells us “when he was set his disciples came to him”. Then and only then did he “open his mouth and begin to teach them.”

Imagine this moment. Thousands of people are crying out for prayer, food, and healing. Emotions are high as the more pushy folks demand front row seats. The politicians are getting their entourage in position for high crowd visibility. Jesus is moving and hasn’t settled into a spot. The dignitaries are miffed because they don’t know where to sit or who to push out of position. Some are purposefully hanging to the rear not wanting to be seen but wanting to be close enough to hear. They are hopeful and fearful. On any Sunday morning in a large group this is repeated. In those cases, everyone knows where the speaker will be and just moves to their moment and place of prominence or hiding. Jesus is in motion. He is unpredictable.

Sometimes in my prayer in the morning I feel like one or all of these people. There are days I am positioning myself to be seen and heard by the Father. Other days I am quiet and contemplative and want to lurk unseen in prayer. Always I want to be close enough to hear some message of hope from my Dad that will give me a boost for this day. I want to meet Jesus on the mountain in the morning. I want to be blessed. I want to be close when He opens His mouth to pour out blessing.

Prayer: Father of Jesus, You are also Father of me. This morning, I really want to meet with You. Life is tough and life is secure and life is frightening and life is momentary and life is stable. It is a mishmash of emotions that bring me to Your mountainside. Out here where life is lived, please meet me. Meet me on my mountain. It is a tough climb this morning. Bring me to a settled spot to listen. Meet me on the mountain this morning and speak blessing over my angst and anger and hopes and dreams and goodness and evils. Meet me on the mountain in the morning.

Meet Jesus: Sorting Matthew 4:12

March 29, 2013 by Phil Larson

Matthew 4: 12 When Jesus heard that John had been put in prison, he returned to Galilee. 13 Leaving Nazareth, he went and lived in Capernaum, which was by the lake in the area of Zebulun and Naphtali

Bad news can put a hard spin on life. Each of us has places to go and things to do. Jesus is no different.

John was Jesus’ cousin. He was the first recorded to rejoice at the coming King. He leapt in his mother’s womb when Mary approached for a visit. No one knew Jesus was coming. John knew. That is an early praise.

John prepared people for the coming of Jesus. He was ahead of Him getting the people ready.

News about John in prison was not good for Jesus. Scripture doesn’t say why he went to Galilee. Knowing the affinity Jesus had for John and the respect He had for him, it seems he needed time away to sort it out. He went where it was quiet and familiar. He went away. He did not despair. He did not become discouraged. He met the news with an action plan. He kept His confidence and went to people He knew.

This scripture coming up today is interesting. All week I have been taking in good news in multiple areas. Sometimes much good news can be as stressful as bad news. Family, friends, work, community, and other areas have been full of blessed news. The consulting business is prospering. The work on fathering is prospering. Many people want to meet and talk. At the same time, this coming week, I have some time away to write and reflect. I’ll be in my quiet spot at the lake. It is timely to go sort out the news and make plans. God is faithful. He gives us space.

ACT! Bad news? Much good news? How did you respond? Did you respond with faith and joy in Christ? Do you need time to sort out the next steps? Let Him give you a respite. He is faithful. It may only be a few minutes or a few hours, but He is faithful. He will not push you beyond His ability in you.

PRAY! Father, it is comforting to know You care so much for me. In the middle of the tempest, You cover. In the face of bad news, You allow a breath to come to take it in. How can I thank You enough? Help me to face every bad news with joy and confidence in Your provision. Help me to absorb the punches of life with joy and family and friends.

Meet Jesus: Served Matthew 4:9

March 29, 2013 by Phil Larson

Matthew 4:9: And saith unto him, All these things will I give thee, if thou wilt fall down and worship me. 10: Then saith Jesus unto him, Get thee hence, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve. 11: Then the devil leaveth him, and, behold, angels came and ministered unto him.

Angels minister to Jesus, and so should we minister to Jesus with our worship. In Paul’s letter to the Romans he talks of a reasonable or rational service and worship done with presenting our bodies as living sacrifices. This is our pleasure and our part. Our worship of Jesus is to serve Him, to present ourselves totally to His selection for our life. Satan had it backwards. He forgot who was to serve whom.

Josue was determined to follow God this day. Lately, he had been wandering from his relationship with Christ. Over and over events just did not seem to go his way. Something he had read before was now stirring in him. There was something about praising God in everything. He was ready to try it. He was ready to try anything that would restore the warmth of the love of Jesus back in him. As he lifted his voice in the quiet of his room late that night, something broke. He began to weep. He began to praise God out loud. He began to know again the reassurance of the presence of the Holy Spirit.

ACT! Where does Jesus need your active worship? Take action this week on worshipping with real action where He needs you to serve another in the kingdom.

PRAY! Father, Jesus is the center of my worshipful services. Help me connect with the right actions for which You created me. I was created in Jesus for good works of worship done unto You. Enable me, Father, to find those works for which You created me and act on them.

Meet Jesus: Taken Matthew 4:5

March 26, 2013 by Phil Larson

Matthew 4:5 Then the devil taketh him up into the holy city, and setteth him on a pinnacle of the temple,

The fact that Jesus would allow himself to be taken anywhere by the devil astounds me. What was going through His mind at those moments? Here he was, led by His own Holy Spirit, to spend time with evil. Here he was entering the beginning of His public ministry dealing with a defeatist devil. Our present thinkers tell us to feel good and be happy and then minister. Our present ideologies point to pleasure as the entry to ministry. Jesus allowed himself to be taken into the presence of evil itself. This was His entry point into public ministry. He allowed testing. He presented himself for inspection. He was taken.

Pushed to the max, Jim was about to pop. This was supposed to be his year to get the big promotion. It began with pain. Employees were livid with some decisions he had made. Every emotion in him was twisted. He had worked night and day and given himself totally on behalf of these. They turned on him. The year before, he had handled the torrents of accusations from a disturbed man. The threats had been against these very employees that now turned on him. For defending them, he now stood their accusations of being unfair and inequitable. Was this how to start his big year?

He resigned himself to stand through the accusations. He remembered that the name, Satan, really meant Accuser. He remembered, Jesus had stood testing before His big year. Surely, he could allow the Healer to live in and through him in this critical time. “Father, forgive them”, he whispered, “They don’t know what they are doing.”

ACT! Testing is never fun. When God has something big, He can allow life and, yes, even the devil a place to sort out our intentions and grace living. Is there a place of testing in your life? Is God preparing you, stabilizing you for the next big thing? Submit to the test. Let it prove you out. Don’t fight. Let God fight for you. Take time to pray Psalm 35 and see what happens.

PRAY! Father, I am not my own defense. When life and the enemy rise against me as a flood, You be the boat of my salvation. Carry me away from that which is too strong for me. Deliver me from the hand of my enemies. Cause in me conviction to repent of those weaknesses in me that could have led to this situation. Cause holiness to well up in me. Cause me to crucify any flesh that needs changed. Let these troubles be a directional that causes me to become closer to You in thought and word and deed. Cause me to be more like You than ever before. Then, in the next big thing, I will be able. I will be founded. I will be strengthened to do that to which You have called me. I surrender myself to be taken.