Inspired by the Word of God

Following Jesus

By David Soper

“My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me.” John 10:27

Sheep don’t spend a lot of time analyzing the direction that the shepherd is leading.  They just follow.  The shepherd may be leading to a new pasture.  The shepherd may be leading to a safe shelter.  The shepherd may be leading to the shearing barn.  The sheep don’t know where he’s taking them, they just follow. The sheep rely on the shepherd because the shepherd knows things the sheep don’t!

The same is true in our spiritual life.  When we follow Jesus, we aren’t sure where he’s leading, but we still follow, because he is the good shepherd.  He knows us, and he’s leading us where we need to go.

Sometimes He leads us forward:  Everything is up and to the right.  Life is good. It's like living in Lake Wobegon, "where all the women are strong, all the men are good-looking, and all the children are above average." - (Garrison Keillor)  The pastures are lush and green.  When Jesus lead us forward, things are exciting!  (Matthew 4:19)  These are times when the energy just seems to flow and we feel a strong sense of accomplishment, favor, and blessing.

But sometimes He leads us sideways: Have you been through a lateral move?  It's definitely not a promotion – but it might be just what you need.  Going sideways is a time of waiting and development.  It can be a time of healing.  Lateral moves are times of obedience, nothing exciting, but character building.  Anyone can thrive on the mountain top, but what about the flat, boring, plains?

Sometimes He leads us backwards: This is a tough one because we don’t understand what He’s doing.  Why would Jesus lead us away from the place we thought we were going?  Going backwards is confusing and discouraging.  Going backwards is a test of our common sense.  We don’t want to follow.  We think –what is God asking of me?  I thought I did everything right!  Remember, Jesus is the GOOD shepherd, He never leads us backwards to jerk our chain.  There is always a reason, but we may not know it yet.  If we obey, we will find our answer.

I've heard it said that God gives us only enough light to see the very next step.  But most of us want to know what's coming up ahead.  We want to know where God is leading us, and we want to know right now!  Following the voice of Jesus takes faith in the wisdom and love of the Shepherd.  The truth is, if we knew the destination, we'd probably try to take shortcuts and just mess things up!  The journey is just as important as the destination.  And when we follow the voice of Jesus, not only will he lead us home, but we won't miss a thing that he has for us along the way.

Scripture Reading: John 10:22-30

© 2011 Inspired by the Word of God. Scriptures from New Living Translation

More Than Acts of Kindness

By David Soper

‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ Matthew 22:39

We can’t force ourselves to love anyone, but we can invite God’s love to transform our hearts so that we are able to show His love to anyone we encounter, whether a complete stranger or someone we see every day. 

God empowers us to love others by giving us the Holy Spirit ‘who fills our hearts with His love’. (Romans 5:5).  When Christ makes His home in our hearts we can truly love beyond ourselves.  (Ephesians 3:17)  What seems to be an impossible commandment (love your neighbor as yourself), becomes the genuine desire of our hearts and a fundamental part of who we are.

To love your neighbor as yourself does not mean to love them instead of yourself. That is unhealthy and disfunctional.  When we love our neighbor instead of ourselves, we end up spiritually and emotionally drained, with nothing left to give to anyone, including God. On the opposite end of the spectrum, some of us avoid getting involved in other’s lives because we fear we will have to give too much of ourselves, or get too emotionally invested.  Neither perspective is biblical or God-honoring.

Jesus said to love our neighbors as ourselves.  That means to love others with the same focus and energy that we lavish on ourselves!  To love our neighbor as our self means to care enough to notice when they have a need, and care enough to do something about it.

In the course of our normal lives there are opportunities every day to show the love of Christ.  But how many of them do we really see?  Or worse yet, how many do we see, but ignore?  To love our neighbor as our self involves intentionality.  We must actively look for the opportunities that God brings into our life.  If you want to see them, God will show you.

Jesus said that love is the mark of a disciple (John 13:34).  When you see someone in need, do you respond with compassion, or are you bothered by the inconvenience?   If you truly love God, does it show in your love for others?  I’m not just talking about acts of kindness.  We can do good deeds and acts of kindness all day and still not love anyone!  Helping others makes us feel good, and that’s great.  But love takes it to the next level.  In God’s eyes, to love means to deeply care about the person and serve them.

Sometime today, we will have the opportunity to love.  The question is, how will we respond?  Will we ignore it, or will we really love with the love of Christ?

Scripture Reading: Matthew 22:34-40

 © 2011 Inspired by the Word of God. Scriptures from New Living Translation

Knowing the Voice of Jesus

By David Soper

“My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me.” John 10:27

Every voice is unique.  Small differences in the size and shape of our vocal cavities give each of us a unique voice that is easily recognized by those who know us.  When my wife calls me she doesn’t need to say, “Hi David, this is Connie, your wife, speaking”.   She simple say’s hi! (Or where in the world are you, and what time will you be home?!)  When I hear her voice, I don’t have to wonder who it is!

The voice of Jesus is recognized by those who know him.  We naturally recognize the voices of people who we spend time with, and we recognize the voice of Jesus because we spend time with him. 

Saul didn’t know Jesus, so he didn't recognize his voice “Who are you, lord?” Saul asked. And the voice replied, “I am Jesus, the one you are persecuting! Acts 9:5  Mary Magdalene did know Jesus, and knew his voice -Teacher!  (John 20:16)

Jesus isn’t physically with us now – so how do we hear His voice?  Through God’s word and prayer!  When we become a Christian, the Holy Spirit dwells in us and He gives us discernment – like spiritual ears - to hear His voice through the Word, and apply the scriptures to our situation.  We know the voice of Jesus when he is speaking to us.  But you have to be in His Word.  Just like the human voice - If you don’t know the person, you won’t recognize their voice.  If you have to wonder if it’s Jesus speaking to you, it’s probably not!

His sheep recognize His voice, but are we actually listening to Him?  Jesus said, ‘my sheep listen to my voice’.   What is listening?  Listening is more than hearing, it is also focusing, paying attention, and understanding.  If someone say’s – ‘you’re not listening to me’, does that mean you didn’t hear them speaking?  (If the answer is yes, you are in big trouble already!)  Of course you heard them, but it was just noise, you didn’t focus enough to understand and absorb what they said.

Luke 8:18 “So pay attention to how you hear. To those who listen to my teaching, more understanding will be given. But for those who are not listening, even what they think they understand will be taken away from them.”

When Jesus speaks, we need to listen.  If we love him, we will listen to him.  But it's not always easy hear the voice of Jesus over the crowd.  There are so many voices competing for our attention. There is a lot of noise in our life - politics, media, TV, sports – even family. We can’t listen to everyone, so who are we listening to?

Scripture Reading: John 10:22-30

© 2011 Inspired by the Word of God. Scriptures from New Living Translation

God Wants Your Love

By David Soper

 Jesus replied, “‘You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment."  Matthew 22:37-38

The most essential, God-honoring thing that we can do as a disciple of Jesus Christ is to love God and love others with complete devotion.  It is more important than morality, more fundamental than doctrine, more valuable than personal sacrifice, more critical than knowledge, even more God-pleasing than faith!  Loving God is more important than all of our 'Christian' causes.

On the surface you may look like a super Christian, but without love, you are just posing.   (1 Corinthians 13:2)  Without love, our spiritual activities are nothing more than self gratifying exercises that will ultimately leave us empty and disillusioned.  We can do lots of good things without love, but being a disciple of Christ is not one of them.

For those who know God, our love for God is a natural response to His love for us.  We are like the woman who washed Jesus feet with her tears and expensive perfume.  When we experience the love and forgiveness of Christ, we can't help but loving God. (Luke 7:47)  (Do you remember that incredible feeling when you first believed?) But the love we have for God is more than an emotional feeling of gratitude.  It is evidence of our salvation, evidence that something has changed deep inside us.  The bible says if you know God, you will love him, for God is love. (1 John 4:8)

Before Christ, our allegiance was to ourselves.  Oswald Chambers said, “the nature of sin is the self-realization that leads me to say, ‘I am my own god’”.  When we begin to really love God, it comes from knowing and embracing the truth that He is God and we are not!  Our primary allegiance shifts from ourselves to God!

• To love the Lord God with all your HEART is to guard your heart from the passions trying to take over God's place in your life, and to find your treasure only in Him. (and HE will give you the desires of your heart - Psalm 37:4)
  
• To love the Lord God with all your SOUL is to stop striving for your significance through work and titles, and embrace that your purpose and meaning comes from God. 
• To love the Lord God with all your MIND is to filter out the noise that is competing for your attention, and allow yourself to be amazed and intellectually consumed by God’s infinitely complex creation and the depths of His Word.  That well will never run dry.
  

God wants to be the main thing in our life!  He wants our affections, our emotions, and our intellect.  That is why loving God with all our heart, soul, and mind is the first and greatest commandment!

 Scripture Reading: Matthew 22:34-40

 © 2011 Inspired by the Word of God. Scriptures from New Living Translation

Just Not Jesus Material

 by David Soper

Later, as Jesus left the town, he saw a tax collector named Levi sitting at his tax collector’s booth. “Follow me and be my disciple,” Jesus said to him. Luke 5:27

Levi knew what it would mean to follow Jesus.  He had been watching Jesus. He knew Jesus was a righteous man, admired by the people, a powerful rabbi who healed the sick and performed miracles.  He knew Jesus reputation and what Jesus stood for.  But how could Jesus have anything to do with him?  Levi was just not Jesus material.  He was a greedy, corrupt government official who got rich by extorting money from his own people!  He was so despised by his fellow Jews that he, and his kind, were not even allowed into the Synagogue (according to history).  There was no chance that Jesus would want someone like him.

But something shocking happened – Jesus called Levi to be His disciple.  The scripture says, “So Levi got up, left everything, and followed him”.  Wow!  What just happened here?  What happened is that the love of Christ invaded the heart of a broken and spiritually hungry man, and filled his soul in a way that nothing and no one else ever had. 

In our way of thinking, Jesus had it backwards.  Shouldn’t he be looking for a solid, upright, religious type to be his disciple?  But we’re the ones who have it backwards.  The call to follow Jesus is not for those who think they have their act together.  The call to follow Jesus is for those who know they are spiritually bankrupt, and recognize the real thing when they see it.

Spiritual pride will lead us to religion, but not to Jesus Christ.  No one can be a disciple of Jesus without genuine spiritual humility before God and man.  Jesus said, “I have come to call not those who think they are righteous, but those who know they are sinners and need to repent.” Luke 5:32  Jesus came down really hard on the religious leaders, but the truth is, it had nothing to do with their pious zeal.  They simply could not tolerate being called sinners.  There is no greater or more deceptive sin than spiritual pride and this is what Jesus condemned.  It is the sin that caused Satan to fall and the sin that separated us from God.

The call to follow Jesus is much more than an invitation to follow Jesus from a safe distance and casually observe him.  Jesus didn’t say to Levi, “Follow me and you might learn a few things”.  Jesus called Levi to follow him AND be his disciple.  To be his disciple is a radical, life-changing decision.  To be his disciple is to completely open your heart to His desires for your life.  To be his disciple is to walk with Jesus every day, listening, learning, and allowing the Holy Spirit to change you to into His likeness!

Discipleship demands that we grow spiritually - it does not allow us to stay in our sin.  Real disciples will grow and become more like Jesus.  Just look at Levi. He became Matthew, one of the twelve and a completely different man.  But I’ll bet that Mathew never forgot who he used to be.  Spiritual maturity produces an increased awareness of our own sinfulness.  To be fully aware of our own sinfulness is to be fully aware of the grace, love and mercy of God that calls us to follow him, and changes us to be more like him!

Scripture Reading: Luke 5:27-32

 © 2011 Inspired by the Word of God. Scriptures from New Living Translation

Corporate Prayer of Confession

Lord, If we say that we have no sin, then we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.

So we confess our sins!

Almighty God, We confess that we have sinned against you in our thoughts, in our words, and our actions.

We have not loved you with all of our heart, soul, mind, and strength.

We confess that we have sinned against you as a community and as a nation.

Lord, we have set up idols in our hearts and in the hearts of our families.

Lord, forgive us!

Deepen our sorrow for the wrong we have done, and the good that we have left undone.

God, break our hearts!

Lord, you are full of compassion and mercy, slow to anger, there is always forgiveness with you!

So forgive us merciful Father, and free us from our sin. 

We cry out to you!

Lord, we need you, we love you. 

Please restore to us the joy of your salvation;

bind up the things that are broken in our lives and in our land,

strengthen our hearts to follow you and serve you,

and show us your power once again!

In Jesus Name, Amen! 

DJS

Light at the End of the Tunnel

By David Soper

Jesus spoke to the people once more and said, "I am the light of the world. If you follow me, you won’t have to walk in darkness, because you will have the light that leads to life."  John 8:12

There are few things more frightening than total darkness.  In high school, my summer job was giving guided tours of an old copper mine.  Near the end of the tour, a half mile or so into the mine tunnel, I would stop and give a demonstration of total darkness.  The moment I turned off the lights you could feel the black darkness surround you.  It is an intense feeling that literally takes your breath away.  All of your senses are immediately on high alert, and even though we were not in any danger, the darkness itself was frightening.  Before people would begin to panic (usually), I would turn the light back on and instantly the mood would change.  Everyone was relieved to be back in the light.

The presence of light, no matter the source, is a comforting thing.  Light reveals our surroundings.  Light reveals beauty, light also reveals pitfalls and dangers.  Light, even a small amount, penetrates the darkness so that we can find our way to safety or feel the comfort of knowing what is around us.  It is no wonder that Jesus said, "I am the light of the world."  Just as light illuminates things in the natural realm, Jesus illuminates things in the spiritual realm.  He is the light that reveals the true nature of our spiritual surroundings.  He reveals things in us that are difficult to see, like the intentions of our heart.  Jesus is a light that cuts through spiritual darkness to expose things that could do us harm.  Jesus is a light that comforts us when we are afraid, and guides us when we are looking for direction.

We understand this, but do we believe it?  Are we really walking in His light?  Just because we know Jesus is the light, it doesn’t mean we have His light in our life. Verse 12 says "if we follow him", we will have the light. All Christians experience the darkness of discouragement at times.  You may be in a place so dark right now it seems there is no way out.  But you don’t need to walk in that darkness (v12).  There is a light at the end of the tunnel and it’s not a train, the light is Jesus Christ.

It seems insane, but sometimes we get comfortable with darkness.  We don’t want the light to expose our deep struggles or failings.  I’ll never forget the day Connie and I went to help a friend who was having some serious problems.  All of her windows were covered and she was sitting in darkness, physically and spiritually.  The darkness had become comfortable and familiar to her.  As we opened the curtains the atmosphere instantly changed.  The light flooded into the room and with it came a sense of hope that she had a way out of her situation.

The light of Jesus is a guide for our life, but we have to trust it.  There are times when something He clearly revealed to us starts to get cloudy and we question it.  We begin stumbling around in the dark wondering if God really showed us that.  Never doubt in the dark what God showed you in the light!  The light that leads to life will not lead you down the wrong path.  Trust His light and follow it for life.

Scripture Reading: John 8:12-20

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© 2010 David Soper, Inspired by the Word of God. All rights reserved. Scripture from New Living Translation

Going Forward in Forgiveness

By David Soper

Then Jesus stood up again and said to the woman, "Where are your accusers? Didn’t even one of them condemn you?"  11 "No, Lord," she said. And Jesus said, "Neither do I. Go and sin no more." John 8:10-11

With these tender words of divine forgiveness (v11), the woman who had been caught in the act of adultery experienced the incredible grace of God through Jesus Christ.  She was guilty, yet Jesus Christ declared her forgiven.  She was publicly humiliated, yet Jesus spoke to her respectfully.  She was used by men with impure motives, yet Jesus loved her with holy purity.  She didn’t know at the time, but Jesus loved her so much that he would pay the full penalty for her sin so that she wouldn’t have to! (1 John 2:1-2)   Jesus didn’t say to her, "Oh, it’s ok, nobody’s perfect, don’t worry about it".  He didn’t dismiss her actions as being insignificant, instead, he did for her what she couldn’t do for herself, wipe the slate clean and give her an opportunity for a completely new life.

Divine forgiveness is a powerful force in our lives.  Without it, we can’t move forward from sinful habits and destructive behavior.  It does more than absolve us of sin, it empowers us to change. The greatest motivator to turn our life around is not fear of punishment, but the love and acceptance of a God who is for us in every way.  Notice Jesus’ response to the woman.  First he forgave her, then he told her, "Go and sin no more" (v11).  What if Jesus had said, "If you go and sin no more, then I will accept you"?  None of us could do it!  We’d give up before we started.  Jesus first forgives and accepts those who believe in him (as she did).  Then he asks us to respond to that love by living a life that is pleasing to God (Romans 6:16).  Our heart changes first, then our behavior.

Divine forgiveness transforms us into forgiving people.  When we are forgiven by God, we are much quicker to forgive others. (Luke 7:47)  It’s as if the DNA of grace is genetically grafted into every true believer.  The spirit of Christ is not a spirit of judgment and legalism.  Grace does not ignore sin, but deals with it in a Christ-like way – compassionately, directly, and lovingly.  The religious leaders who caught the woman in adultery were not zealous for the things of God, nor did they have any compassion for the woman.  If they had either, they would have also brought forward the man involved in this tryst!  Religion, in and of itself, is not life transforming, but when Jesus speaks grace into our lives, we experience such a deep and radical transformation that we ourselves become a conduit for grace.

The woman was not the only person who changed that day.  The crowd, just there to hear Jesus teach, became immersed in this dramatic lesson on divine forgiveness.  Do you think those people would ever be the same?  Even the accusers, confronted with their own sinful motives, experienced the incredible love of Jesus Christ.  How could they go forward from that moment without seeing things completely different?  Everyone there was touched by God’s forgiveness and love.  Is His love and forgiveness fresh in your heart?  For us who believe, may we never forget the tender and healing words of Jesus, "neither do I condemn you, go and sin no more".

Scripture Reading: John 8:1-11

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© 2010 David Soper, Inspired by the Word of God. All rights reserved. Scripture from New Living Translation

So You Think You Know Him?

Scripture Reading: John 7:25-36

"But how could he be? For we know where this man comes from…"  John 7:27

I love to watch professional golf, either in person or on TV.  Just like any golf fan I have my favorite players and I tend to pay more attention to them during the tournaments and in the news.  In a lot of ways you could say that I know them.  I know their game and golf accomplishments, I know about their lives off the course and I could recognize them anywhere.  The truth is that I know quite a bit about them, but I don’t know them personally.  I don’t hang out with them, they don’t call me to talk, I don’t know the deep things in their heart. I guess when you think about it, I really don’t know them at all.

This same scenario happens in our relationship with Jesus Christ.  Just like with me and the pro golfers, the question is, do we really know Jesus or do we just know facts about him?  The people in Jerusalem thought they knew him.  They knew he was a carpenter’s son who was raised in Nazareth and they knew he was an engaging teacher who performed great miracles.  They knew quite a bit about him, but they really didn’t know Jesus.  There is so much more to Jesus than just what we see.  Jesus said, "Yes, you know me, and you know where I come from. But I’m not here on my own. The one who sent me is true, and you don’t know him" (v28).  It’s almost as if he said, "So you think you know me? You really have no idea."

For those of us who grew up in church or have been a Christian for a long time, it’s easy to get the false sense that we already know Jesus as well as we’re ever going to.  We still want to grow closer to Him, but honestly, we think we already know him.  But do we?  Here is short quiz.  Tell me if you know this man.  He is our Advocate, the Atoning Sacrifice for our Sins, the Author of Life, the Author of Salvation, the Beginning and End, the Bread of Life, the Capstone, the Chief Cornerstone, the Christ, our Creator, our Deliverer, Faithful and True, our God, the Good Shepherd, our Great High Priest, the Head of the Church, the Heir of all things, the Holy One, the Hope of Glory, the Judge of the living and the dead, the King Eternal, the King of Israel, the King of kings, the King of the Ages, the Lamb of God, the Life, the Light of the World, the Eternal Spring of Living Water, the Lord of All, the Lord of Glory, the Lord of lords, our Master, the Mighty God, the Morning Star, the Only Begotten Son of God, Our Great God and Savior, the Resurrection and Life, the Righteous One, our Rock, our Teacher, the True Light, the True Vine, the Truth, the Way, the Word.  So you think you know him?

If you want to get to know the real Jesus, then you must get to know Him personally, not just as someone you admire from a distance, but someone you really connect with and learn to love and trust.  Knowing Jesus is much more than knowing facts about Jesus, it’s having a relationship with Him.  It’s spending time with Him, listening to Him, sharing your heart with him, and getting to know his heart for you and others.  Has your Christian life become dry and lifeless?  Perhaps it’s because you think you already know him as well as you’re ever going to.  But there is so much more to Jesus, and you should really get to know Him!

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© 2010 David Soper, Inspired by the Word of God. All rights reserved. Scripture from New Living Translation

Judging by Appearances

Scripture Reading: John 7:14-24

“Look beneath the surface so you can judge correctly.” John 7:24

No one likes to be judged, but Jesus said that we are supposed to make a judgment about Him.  In fact, the single most important judgment that we will make in our lives is what we decide about Jesus Christ.  However, this judgment is not an easy one.  Judging by appearances, we could easily come to the conclusion that Jesus was an exceptional man, but not the Son of God.  These people in John 7 who were an eye witness to the teaching and ministry of Jesus did not see him as Messiah.  They were amazed that Jesus was such a great teacher (v15), but they got tripped up by his lack of formal rabbinical training.  They loved his insights, but couldn’t believe that His teaching was directly from God.  They were amazed that Jesus miraculously healed a paralytic, but because He did it on the Sabbath they thought his actions dishonored God, not flowed from God Himself.

How can we know if Jesus is really from God?  He gives us the answer in verse 17.  "Anyone who wants to do the will of God will know whether my teaching is from God or is merely my own." Simply stated, put His teachings into practice in your life and it will become obvious.  Spiritual obedience unlocks the door to spiritual insight.  No one can fully satisfy their spiritual hunger through just intellectual inquiries.  A serious spiritual seeker must take action before some things will make sense.  And when you take that step, God reveals himself to you, spiritual truths become clearer, and trust in Jesus begins to grow and take root in your heart.

Jesus challenged the people to judge Him correctly.  They had a wide range of opinions about Him, but He made a bold claim, "My message is not my own; it comes from God who sent me" (v16).  In other words, Jesus claimed to have the exclusive truth.  It was not a popular statement then, and it is even less popular now.  No one today dare claim that they have the truth about God.  Anyone who does is labeled intolerant and arrogant.  Sadly, tolerance no longer means to have respect for people who believe or think differently, it’s become a universal paradigm for the notion that there is no absolute truth.  Christians, more than anybody, should be gracious and respectful of others who are different (1 Peter 2:17).  But at the same time, when it comes to Jesus, we either believe or we don’t.

Have you judged Jesus without looking at the evidence?  Fueled by TV documentaries and movies intended to entertain, it’s easy to be swayed by alleged ‘contradictions’, but never look beneath the surface.  In order to really know, we must examine all the evidence, read the scriptures for ourselves and pray that God would help us to know the truth about Jesus.  This is what Jesus expects us to do!  No one should make a decision about Him lightly.  We should be people who are careful to discern, careful to pray, careful to think, and careful to judge. But at the end of the day, we still must make a judgment.  The popular sentiment in modern society says that as long as you believe in something - anything, you’re OK.  But it’s not OK.  The words of Jesus are the words of God himself.  There is a decision to make, and we must look beyond appearances to judge correctly.

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© 2010 David Soper, Inspired by the Word of God. All rights reserved. Scripture from New Living Translation