Category: Journey Devotional

The default landing for all general posts.

Question #2 (Pilate’s Plight)

Question #2 (Pilate’s Plight)

Last week we took a look at Pilate’s first question to Jesus, “Are You the King of the Jews?” So rich in its context and with Pilate’s next question we find that Pilate was a man of deep thought and subtle conviction. In response to Pilate’s first question Jesus replied, “Are you speaking for yourself about this or did others tell you this concerning Me?” A question answered by a question answered by a question….

Pilate, in response to Jesus asks, “Am I a Jew?” The idea of the “KING OF THE JEWS” and His love for all humanity has been around for 2000 years. Can the King of the Jews mean anything to anyone other than a Jew? Can the long awaited Jewish Messiah have any meaning for a gentile? The questions just seem to continue from here over the generations since the first recorded question from a gentile to Jesus, “Am I a Jew?” i don’t know but perhaps Pilate’s heart was trying to grasp something greater and even completely unaware begin to bring the message of Hope to all humanity.

Jesus, rises above the question. He presents a new reality to the religious that later is addressed in the letter to the Church in Rome this way, “Did God’s people stumble and fall beyond recovery? Of course not! They were disobedient, so God made salvation available to the Gentiles. But he wanted his own people to become jealous and claim it for themselves. Now if the Gentiles were enriched because the people of Israel turned down God’s offer of salvation, think how much greater a blessing the world will share when they finally accept it.” a few verses down Paul continues, “But some of these branches from Abraham’s tree-some of the people of Israel-have been broken off. And you Gentiles, who were branches from a  wild olive tree, have been grafted in. So now you also received the blessing God has promised Abraham and his children, sharing in the rich nourishment form the root of God’s special olive tree.” (Romans 11:11-12,17)

Jesus, in His response to Pilate laid the foundation for what Paul writes here to Rome when He said, “My Kingdom is not of this world. If My Kingdom were of this world, My servants would fight, so that I should not be delivered to the Jews; but now My Kingdom is not from here.” In other words, Jesus was simply stating that there is something greater going on here and that redemption is available for all of humanity…God’s love is greater than boarders. Not to say that Israel doesn’t have a sweet spot in God’s heart, we read that in the letter to the Romans but God’s love transcends boarders and is extended to all that believe!

Pilate’s inner turmoil played out for us here delivers a message of eternal hope that regardless of our nationality God is the redeemer of all. And that if Jesus’ Kingdom is not of this world neither is ours

You are Loved,

cj

Question 1 (Pilate’s Plight

Question 1 (Pilate’s Plight

We are in the middle of Lent, Passover is just a couple of weeks away. It was during this Feast time that Jesus was arrested and put on trial. He found Himself before Pilate. Pilate was the Governor of the region, he was a Roman, and he represented the interests of the Emperor of Rome.  For the next few weeks we will be looking at this portion of the trial of Jesus, Pilate, asking Jesus 4 questions. You can read them in context in John 18:33-38. Lets examine the first question here:

1. Are You the King of the Jews?
~This question has always interested me. Pilate was aware of Jesus, he may not have been spending much time thinking about him to this point but he definitely had knowledge and knew the name Jesus.  He was a Roman and at the time the Roman Empire was strong. He had no reason to fear an overthrow least of all from the Jews; civil unrest maybe but not a coup d’etat. In the scene right before this one Pilate is talking with the Jewish leaders about the arrest and what exactly they wanted done.

He wasn’t keen on the idea of putting to death an innocent man. However, he was keen on securing his strength as Governor. Therefore he proceeded with the questioning and he started by determining the threat, “Are you the King of the Jews?” Every generation since has asked that same question, is Jesus the King? Is He the Messiah that the Nation of Israel was waiting for? This one question is where we, the disciples of Jesus, start our journey.

Is Jesus who He says He is or is He a lunatic? C.S. Lewis the author of “The Chronicles of Narnia” said, “A man who was merely a man and said the sort of things Jesus said would not be a great moral teacher. He would either be a lunatic — on the level with the man who says he is a poached egg — or else he would be the Devil of Hell. You must make your choice. Either this man was, and is, the Son of God, or else a madman or something worse.” He went on to say, “Now it seems to me obvious that He was neither a lunatic nor a fiend: and consequently, however strange or terrifying or unlikely it may seem, I have to accept the view that He was and is God.”

As we progress towards the cross, as we dig deeper into the person of Jesus we find not only a King, but a Friend and in the end discover our Savior.

You are Loved,

cj

Faith, at times is all i feel i have had.

Faith, at times is all i feel i have had.

“Faith, at times is all i feel i have had.” This statement from last week has been on my mind all week. As i have been pondering the word that i believe to be my focus for the year, “Foundation”. Our Faith in Jesus is primary, its essential, it is the foundation. Each time i have faced a mountain in my life, my faith that Jesus would see me through is at times the only hope i had.

Each new battle has always brought me to this passage in Romans:

Romans 5:1-5 (NKJV)
“Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. And not only that, but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance; and perseverance, character; and character, hope. Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us.”

Tribulations in life, mountains if you will, lead us to perseverance, when our faith is in Jesus. Perseverance, builds godly character, when our faith is in Jesus. Godly character, results in hope and hope does not disappoint when Jesus is the foundation of that Hope for God’s love is poured out on those that put their faith in Him by way of the Holy Spirit.

May your foundation always be Jesus.

You are Loved,

cj

A bit of advice

A bit of advice

i have spent the better part of my life seeking Jesus. Raised in a Church going home, spent a lot of time traveling to Churches to sing with the family. Went to summer camps, retreats, youth events. Although i gave my “heart” to Jesus at a young age; i didn’t truly understand what that meant until i was 19 when i rededicated my life to Him and was baptized. From that moment on i have continued to serve Him, prior like i stated i served with my family singing, after as a pastor in various roles. Jesus is all i know. i have dedicated my life to Him.

It hasn’t always been easy, i haven’t always given my best, i haven’t always felt as though i had the greatest relationship with Him. In fact i have found in my estimated 34 years of service that high’s and lows, ebbs and flows, strength and weakness, are a normal part of life. Faith is at times all i feel i have had, routine saw me through, going through the motions kept me afloat. When i have found myself just bobbing up and down in stormy seas its been the name of Jesus that has saved me.

Here are just a few bits of advice, things i have found that have helped me weather the storms. When i found myself in ruts, apathy, or sin.

< Do justly, love mercy, walk humbly with God ~ Micah 6:8
< Then the Lord God called to the man, “Where are you?” ~ Genesis 3:9
< But when he saw the strong wind and the waves, he was terrified and began to sink. “Save me, Lord!” he shouted.
< Love the Lord…Love your neighbor ~ Mark 12:30-31
< Pure and genuine religion in the sight of God the Father means caring for orphans and widows in their distress and refusing to let the world corrupt you. ~ James 1:27
< Repent of your sin ~ Revelation 2:5, 16, 22; 3:3, 20
< I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting the past…I press on… ~ Philippians 3:12-14
< For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God ~ Ephesians 2:8

> Sometimes Faith is all you have
> Routine isn’t always bad but if you find yourself in a rut its time to change the routine
> Going through the motions isn’t always bad either, it can be a squeaky wheel, it will eventually draw attention to the needs, its when you give up the motions you dull the voice of God.
> Don’t put your faith in any “person” except the “Person of Jesus, God in flesh”
> Always choose Jesus, only always Jesus
> When all else fails, Jesus Jesus Jesus is all you need to remember

 

You are Loved,

cj

Meditate on God

Meditate on God

Matthew 6:33,34 MSG
“…Steep your life in God-Reality, God-Initiative, God-Provisions. Don’t worry about missing out. You’ll find all your everyday human concerns will be met. Give your entire attention to what God is doing right now, and don’t don’t get worked up about what may or many not happen…”

To steep, to soak in, to meditate on God and His reality, His plan, and His provision. Society would have you focus on what you don’t have, but can have for the right price. A newer shinier expensive thing that everyone else wants and no one really needs. If you don’t you are missing out! Here is the reality, the God-Realtiy, He is all we ever need and if we steep ourselves in Him, He is all we will ever truly want because He will give us the desires of our heart.

“Give your entire attention to what God is doing right now…..”

You are Loved,

cj

Lent

Lent

The season of Lent is upon us but the question i often hear is, what is Lent? Here are a few basic thoughts on Lent that might answer enough questions to peak your interest. Perhaps you will do some of your own research. With more information, you might reconsider celebrating Lent this year.

Lent, is a period of 40 days beginning with Ash Wednesday and ending on Easter or Resurrection Sunday. Ashes are used as a symbol of remorse and repentance for sin. It is placed on ones forehead in the form of a Cross to remind us of Jesus’ love and forgiveness. It marks the start of the 40 days of Fasting, Service, Prayer,  and Seeking God in deeper ways. This culminates with the victory celebration of Resurrection Sunday.

The 40 days are meant to be a period of seeking Jesus for a refreshing. It is based on Jesus. Following His baptism, in He was led into the desert by the Holy Spirit for 40 days. He fasted and prayed and sought the mental and physical preparedness necessary for His earthly ministry. Focused, He was ready for His earthly ministry resulting in the cross, death and of course resurrection.

All of this revealing to us that we need to spend time alone with God for the same thing. We are called to die to ourselves and live for Christ. We are called to be light in a dark world. We are called to love the loveless. We are called to love mercy, do justly and walk humbly with our God.

Fasting doesn’t have to be food but it can be, it can also just be a meal a day. It could be fasting from meat, or soda, or coffee. It can also be refraining from electronics, TV, video games etc. Traditionally fasts can be broken on Sunday’s during the 40 day period. The point of the Fast is to focus our minds and hearts on Jesus. To draw near to Him knowing that He will draw near to us.

All of this sounds harmless enough doesn’t it? I mean after all it is centered around Jesus and His ministry. However, the idea and season of Lent is mans tradition. It is based on Easter and not Passover of which Yahoshua is the Lamb of God. He was and is our Passover Lamb. Am I discouraging you from seeking God? By NO means. The scripture is true, draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Just don’t do it in man’s tradition for He has shown us what is acceptable worship.

He told the Israelites, “You shall tear down their altars and smash their sacred pillars and burn their Asherim with fire. You shall cut down the engraved images of their gods and obliterate their name from that place. You shall not act like this toward the Lord your God. But you shall seek Adonai at the place which Adonai your God will choose from all your tribes, to establish His name there for His dwelling, and there you shall come.”

For years I mixed my worship of God with Greek tradition. I was in fact a Hellenized christian. After being a true Berean I have found that we are to love God the way He instructed us. And not the way of mans traditions. This is the Way of the Rabbi.

You are Loved,

cj

Forgiveness

Forgiveness

We are wrapping up the awesome book of Philippians during Coffee with Jesus. It is such a good book, full of great things. This morning as we met we had a great discussion about life, and forgiveness. The difficulties of forgiving others and the parallel that we can draw from the life of Jesus. The discussion happened prior to our reading of the text. Which in and of itself did not reference forgiveness directly however we definitely were able to draw from it.

Philippians 4:6-7 NLT
“Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank Him for all He has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.” 

It is said, that we forgive not for the other person but for ourselves. There is Scripture to back that up but let me say this, scientifically it has been proven beneficial as well. The stress release that comes when we let go of bitterness, anger, hate, malice, strife, jealousy etc. is unmeasurably hhuuuugge. When we pray to forgive someone, or maybe the first step, for the strength or the resolve to do so…we can rest assured that that prayer will be answered.

When we begin to pray a prayer of thanksgiving for all God has done as the passage declares, peace comes. Additionally, that peace will surpass anything we could ever understand. It will also guard our hearts and minds. It is finding the essence of the heart of God. It will set our minds at ease and prepare our hearts for praise. Let me conclude with this from Philippians 4:8-9. NLT

“And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think aboutthings that are excellent and worthy of praise. Keep putting into practice all you learned and received from me-everything you heard from me and saw me doing. Then the God of peace will be with you.” 

You are Loved,

cj

Finding Jesus

Finding Jesus

i have walked past many red kettle pots, gave to some, felt guilty at others. i have waited in lines at the post office, the grocery store, and while shopping for gifts. i have heard sermons, read blogs, listened to music that reflect the season of Christmas.

Our house is decorated, complete with tree lit up in the corner of the living room and stockings all hung by the fireplace with care. The gifts wrapped and placed under the tree stir the anticipation of Christmas morning.

As i look at all the “Christmas” around me and as i am reminded constantly by meme’s on Social Networks, to keep Christ in Christmas. i can’t help but remember the question asked by the wisemen from the east when they stood before Herod, “Where is the newborn King of the Jews? We saw his star as it rose, and we have come to worship him.”  Matthew 2:2

Let me encourage you today to ask that question now through Christmas. As you ponder the question, “Where is the newborn King of the Jews?” Look for Him, in the red kettle pots, in the lines you stand in, the sermons you hear, blogs you read and songs you hear. Look for Him in your home among the many decorations. And, each time as you find Him as the wisemen did may you be filled with joy.

You are Loved,

cj

Do Justly, Love Mercy, Walked Humbly

Do Justly, Love Mercy, Walked Humbly

There is a line in a song by Mumford & Sons called “The Cave”.

“Cause I need freedom now, and I need to know how, to live my life as it’s meant to be…”

The song as a whole seems to teeter on this message of struggle. Something anyone who is alive can relate to…for the most part. During Coffee with Jesus we have been in the book of Philippians and before that Ephesians, both these books written by Paul. Paul isn’t afraid to share about his life of struggle and difficulty. Yet through it he reminds us that often the struggles we face help bare witness to the hope that we have in Jesus.

His rally cry for us is in Philippians 3:12-14
“It’s not that I have already reached this goal or have already been perfected, but I pursue it, so that I may grab hold of it because Christ grabbed hold of me for just this purpose. Brothers and sisters, I myself don’t think I’ve reached it, but I do this one thing: I forget about the things behind me and reach out for the things ahead of me. The goal I pursue is the prize of God’s upward call in Christ Jesus.”

Let me remind us yet one more time of my life verse, my motto, my heart beat: Micah 6:8
“He has shown you oh man what is good and what does the Lord require of you? To do justly, to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.”

The purpose of life isn’t to be chained down by the pursuit of worldly happiness but to be free in Christ to live in the present joy of knowing Him.

You are Loved,

cj

Frustration

Frustration

Frustration, we all deal with it. It is mostly those moments that we allow things outside of our control affect our emotions. For example, one Sunday i walked into the Church Youth Room (we call it “Not the Choir Room) and found the corner over taken by Christmas decorations, a broken pew (previously repaired) and the chairs i had previously set up, back in stacks. Frustrating? Yes. i muscled through. Fast forward to Thursday night…i walked into “not the choir room”, still Christmas, still a broken pew, chairs again stacked…frustrating? You bet!

Thursday night i was less able to muscle through and found myself struggling through the entire evening as my thoughts just went back to my frustration. i allowed, absolutely those outside influences to affect my emotional being and in turn it had an effect on the entire evening. i had to remind myself of the actions being taken by others to move and change…the processes are in motion to make the “Not the Choir Room” into the “Journey Student Ministry Room” for lack of a better name. We will have our stamp on it as the children’s ministry has done with theirs. Yet…

You know when you know something and yet it doesn’t matter how many times you remind yourself of the facts you still are frustrated? This was my state of mind, frustrated. That night i went home frustrated, sat frustratingly on the couch, and stewed frustratingly until…

We all have choices to make. Choices that will have influence on our lives emotionally and physically. i sat at a moment of choice. i could continue to sit in a frustrated sense of “woe is me” OR rise above the frustration, see the big picture and find a solution. i chose the solution.

Read Philippians 1:12-26 (below) This passage, i believe, is Paul choosing to not sit in a state of “woe is me” but rather find the good, find the solution and choosing to see the bigger picture. May we all in our moments of frustration, stop and look at the big picture and choose solution over frustration.

Philippians 1:12-26

12 And I want you to know, my dear brothers and sisters,[a] that everything that has happened to me here has helped to spread the Good News. 13 For everyone here, including the whole palace guard,[b] knows that I am in chains because of Christ. 14 And because of my imprisonment, most of the believers[c] here have gained confidence and boldly speak God’s message[d] without fear.

15 It’s true that some are preaching out of jealousy and rivalry. But others preach about Christ with pure motives. 16 They preach because they love me, for they know I have been appointed to defend the Good News. 17 Those others do not have pure motives as they preach about Christ. They preach with selfish ambition, not sincerely, intending to make my chains more painful to me. 18 But that doesn’t matter. Whether their motives are false or genuine, the message about Christ is being preached either way, so I rejoice. And I will continue to rejoice. 19 For I know that as you pray for me and the Spirit of Jesus Christ helps me, this will lead to my deliverance.

20 For I fully expect and hope that I will never be ashamed, but that I will continue to be bold for Christ, as I have been in the past. And I trust that my life will bring honor to Christ, whether I live or die. 21 For to me, living means living for Christ, and dying is even better.22 But if I live, I can do more fruitful work for Christ. So I really don’t know which is better.23 I’m torn between two desires: I long to go and be with Christ, which would be far better for me. 24 But for your sakes, it is better that I continue to live.

25 Knowing this, I am convinced that I will remain alive so I can continue to help all of you grow and experience the joy of your faith. 26 And when I come to you again, you will have even more reason to take pride in Christ Jesus because of what he is doing through me.

You are Loved,

cj