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"What is Jesus Looking For?"
What does God want from me? What does Jesus want for His Church? Those sound like key questions that anybody who is a Believer or has been in Church for a long time would want to know! Right? I hope that you would want to know. The answers that we find from Jesus Himself might surprise you. 1. He wants Disciples Absolutely — but I am the disciple of a Servant. Jesus said to the Disciples: "I am among you as one who Serves." Among the disciples who should have been servants and should have been serving Jesus, Jesus was serving them! He also said: "If I, being your Lord and Master, have washed your feet; you are to wash one another's feet." To call yourself a Disciple is to become a Servant -- just like the Master who calls us is the Servant and LORD. 2. He wants Leaders in His Church Of course — but notice the Qualifications as described by Jesus. "The leaders of the Gentiles lord it over them and their great ones exercise authority." The World values titles and power. "But it will not be so among you." "Whoever would be great must be your servant and whoever would be first will be servant of all." The only title is Servant and the place of prominence and power is Last. "And to give His life as a ransom for many." I do not truly follow in Jesus' steps until serving has become a Sacrifice. 3. He wants me to do something great for His Name and for His Glory. In our media-conscious and branding culture this is where the photo op or vlog would capitalize. But listen to Jesus: "When you give Alms, don't let your right hand know what your left hand is doing. Give your Alms in secret." The Glory truly goes to Him when we do it anonymously and the picture is empty of my "photo-bombing" on God's Glory. Also hear Jesus in Matthew 25: "Whatever you have done for the least of these my Brothers, you have done it unto me." If I had KNOWN that it was being done for JESUS — of course I would have done it or done it better! Exactly why Jesus honors service done to the Humble is because that’s where He dwells and calls us to be. 4. He wants me to do Something for my Neighbor. Absolutely. BUT the whole point of the story of the Good Samaritan was to redefine what doing “Something Good” was and redefining who is “my Neighbor.” Ultimately Jesus is the Good Samaritan who sacrifices All for us who are His enemies fallen into the ditch of sin and despair. Luke 10:37 “... And Jesus said to him, ‘You go and do likewise.’” I thought a lot about these things in North Carolina. I wasn’t there as “Pastor Steve” or even as a pastor from a church. I was there swinging a hammer (imperfectly) in the name and love of Jesus. People didn’t need to see some kind of name tag or air of respectability. They needed to see Love — and they needed to see JESUS. But it is not about being on a Missions Trip or serving with a group called Samaritan’s Purse; it’s about Loving God and Loving People -- and getting out of the way so that they can meet Jesus.
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"Tell me More Pleeeeease !"
1 Peter 1:8 "Though you have not seen Him, you love Him. Though you do not now see Him, you believe in Him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory." Abby's Dad was in the Army and had been on a long Deployment for the last 3 years. She had only been 6 months old when he had left while her older brother Sam was 8 years old. She was now almost 4 ; and Sam was 9. Their Dad was coming Home in the next month and the whole family was sooo excited waiting for The Day! They were planning some very special dad's favorite outings and Dad's favorite foods.Abby would listen as her mom talked about the places to go and the foods to eat. She couldn't remember very much about her Dad ; she had been just a Baby; but now she would pump her Mom with questions: "Does Dad like baseball?" "Will we go on a picnic? Does he want to see my gymnastics?" Will he remember me- sometimes I can't remember much about him?" Her Mom would give her exciting examples of what Dad loved to do and even some of those they had done while Abby was a Baby. Tell me More Pleeease! She could never hear enough and wanted to be "up on everything" by the time Dad got Home! When she had exhausted Mom, she would start on Sam. Since he was older, he knew more stories. She made Sam take her out to "play catch" when she found out Dad liked baseball. She made Sam tell her about some overnight camping that he had with Dad before he left. Abby was slightly jealous of her brother but was glad he knew so much about Dad. Abby got Sam to teach her how to ride without training wheels so that the whole family could take bike rides together. Tell me more Pleeease! Is this not what we Do?! Tell others about our Dad who is on His Way. We do not know everything about Him But we know enough to excitedly tell them how much that He loves us and we love Him. The better we know and have known Him, the better we can describe Him and get others ready for Him to come back!! We're not talking about some historical figure - as important as they may be. We are talking about our Father and our Savior who is coming to actually take us Home with Him! Excitement should creep into our voice as we talk and help others to know Him. Pleeease tell me More! John 3:8
In the 1780's the first steamboats were first being tested - even long before Robert Fulton. How wonderful this was because Man could now be free of the Wind. Up to this point man had been dependent on the Wind for his power and movements. Sails were unfurled to catch the power of the Wind. In fact if the winds did not blow, the boat went Nowhere and the captain would be forced to ask the crew to Pray for Power of the Wind to return. There were even sections of the Ocean where there were extended time periods without the Wind; these were called the Doldrums. But Not Anymore: Man could NOW manufacture his own power! Sails were now only for those purist, for pleasure or for those visionless who failed to see that the grasp of power was there for the taking - without the former dependence on the Wind. In fact the combustion engine would soon overtake steam - and nuclear power would overtake the combustion engine. Sails and the Wind had practically become irrelevant. Could this be the State of the Believers and Churches of today? Has dependence on THE WIND been replaced by our well-oiled strategies and methodology? Do we no longer need to cry out to Heaven for the Return of the Wind because now we have formulas and publications that have made the Doldrums avoidable? Were not even the Doldrums the very mercy of God to remind us just how reliant we were on the Wind? Instead today the Doldrums actually follow us as we steam around "making Progress" but going nowhere. We were Reborn with the Wind of the SPIRIT and the Church was born with the Mighty Rushing Wind of the Holy Spirit; do we somehow think that now we can make it under our own "steam" and power?! The Steam of our own designs and ingenuity will never, ever replace the Wind. Books and conferences may point out helpful viewpoints but they will never replace Prayer and the Crying out to Heaven. Could "Fulton's Folly" have backfired on the Church by believing that man's power could be substituted for the Power of the Wind? Raise a Sail. Drop to your knees. And Cry out to Heaven for Return of God's Wind - the Holy Spirit! The People who Know their God
Daniel 11:32 “The people who know their God shall stand firm and take action!” Daniel is recording this prophecy in Daniel 11, which refers to a Tyrant from his history: Antiochus Epiphanes. This same man is a historical pointer to the Antichrist. Most people could not stand up to or withstand Antiochus Epiphanes; he was just that evil and ruthless, so it will also be in the End Times. Check out Matthew 24. Who can stand up? Who can withstand? The people who know God. Their knowledge of God eclipses their knowledge and fears of Antiochus Epiphanes or of the coming Antichrist. In fact, that verse says they will stand firm: no cowering; no shaking, no retreating. They are a bronze wall (Jeremiah 1:18 ,19) like God tells Jeremiah. Whatever is thrown at them has no effect! Then it says: they take action: they go on the offense against evil. Why? - Because they really know God. They know Him so well that knowledge of everything and everyone else is minimized. They know Him because they want to know Him and seek Him out. They know Him because their experiences in life are lived in the truth of who God Is! Here’s some really good news: Daniel not only wrote these words, but he also lived them. Daniel had faced down tyrants and their rantings. Do you know God? Do your choices confirm that you really know God? How can I know Him better? We too can Stand Firm and Take Action! Do you Believe in the resurrection?!
Well of course I do; I was in church this Sunday and agreed with everything we sang and heard. However, if we look at the lives and initial disbelief of the Disciples, we see a progression in their belief. We must have the same. Incredulity: Too good to be true; can’t risk any further disappointment or loss. The first reports that came back from the women did not convince the Disciples. They dismissed it as some kind of emotionalism. Perhaps the overwrought sorrow was giving them delusional visions of Jesus. Jesus says to them, “how foolish you are and slow to believe” (Luke 24). Even with Thomas, Jesus demands that Thomas carry through by putting his fingers in the nail prints and his hands into Jesus’ side (John 20). Jesus could not only keep His own word to rise from the grave, but could prove His Resurrection from Old Testament prophecies and provide them physical proofs of His Resurrection: “Do not disbelieve but believe!” Wonder: Amazement and joy – but the meaning not sinking in. Mary Magdalene – and He said to her, “Mary.” Was it that this “stranger” already knew her name, or more probably the way in which Jesus spoke her name brought Mary right back to the pre-Cross conversations: “Rabboni” – my Teacher! Mary, you have to turn me loose; I am still accomplishing my Father’s will of Exaltation. “Children, have you caught anything?” Talk about snapping the rubber band of memory! Cast your nets on the other side. “It must be the Lord!” Wonder is a very important response. We don’t have enough of wonder. But wonder must move us onto worship and then obedience. After all, He is the Lord—the Lord who is still commanding and directing. Recognition: He is the Risen Lord and Savior who is still teaching and commanding. “Peter, do you love me?” Feed my lambs. Peter, follow me – without turning to look back. I am not done with you, and you will serve me until you die in my Name. Jesus, will you at this time restore the Kingdom? No, I want you to be witnesses to my Resurrection and Salvation. The urgency of the Gospel eclipses all other agendas! Assimilation: The Resurrection was not for my benefit and agenda but the Resurrection draws me into the New Creation of Salvation and now purposes my very life to the preaching of the Gospel – the Good News of the Resurrection. We especially hear these responses in the testimony of the Disciples in Acts:
Until we hear these words in Acts 8 in response to severe persecution: “They who were scattered went about preaching the Word.” The Resurrection not only gave us Life; the Resurrection is the reason I now live. The Resurrection is my Life. The Holy Spirit brings the Resurrection to life inside me. The Resurrection is my message, and my life is the Testimony to its reality. The Life of the Resurrection fills His Church as we live out His Life together. The Resurrection reminds me that my true Home is in Heaven and this life is just temporary. Jesus is Life; and His Resurrection is His Life in me – until the very day that He Returns! "You know nothing at all, nor do you take into account that it is expedient for you that one man die for the people, and that the whole nation not perish." “HEY, if you don’t keep up, you’re going to be the one who gets caught!” Everybody remembers when we were Kids running away from a broken window or a fight. Once the parents or police were on the way, you did not want to be the slow one. Sad to say, some of us were devious enough to actually include in our group someone we knew to be slower to be the designated “fall guy.” Unwittingly they were so happy to be included only to figure out that they were chosen to purposely be left behind. Sad that sometimes that person did not figure this out- which only magnifies the guilt of you who rooked us into this designated “lamb for the slaughter.” (I hope I am tugging at all the consciences of you older brother and sisters who let us younger ones tag along only to be left to pay.)
NOBODY would rightly volunteer for this role. Sometimes it was who didn’t make it back to the car before the engine roared to life. Sometimes it was who had on darker clothes which could blend into the night. Sometimes it was who knew the territory and hiding places better than the rest. Sometimes it just boiled down to Speed! The guilt of the act, the guilt of the group was piled on this one who might even be innocent except that they were now “the Caught”! Jesus filled this Role Caiaphas volunteered Jesus for this Role in the verses quoted above. The Sanhedrin wanted the Romans to see Him as the upstart rather than see the whole nation as rebels. How telling it is that Pilate sees through their jealousy to know that Jesu is not a rebel while indeed He is a King. Pilate had to wash his hands of Innocent blood. Jesus shared that Role Two thieves hung on either side of Jesus. He was dying the death of a criminal- crucifixion- in the company of criminals. Who could doubt His guilt having been condemned by “just Roman” and dying with “unjust thugs”?? But one thief stated it best: “we are dying justly for what we deserve, but this Man is innocent- LORD remember me when You come into your Kingdom.” A Roman centurion saw through it all when He said, “surely this man was the Son of God.” Jesus was predicted for this Role “Surely He has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows yet we did think him to be smitten by God and afflicted.” “Strike the Shepherd and sheep will be scattered.” … the sheep who were already going astray. But Jesus VOLUNTEERED He was not taken because He was last in line; He cut the line right to the front and said: “Take me but let these others go.” He did it in the Garden and He does it at the Cross. -He was not taken because He was unwitting; He told the disciples, “You do not understand what I do now, but the day is coming when you will.”- He was not taken because He shared in the Guilt; He was taken because His Innocence made Him the only One who could die for the guilt of All. -He was not the one who was left behind; He was the one who stayed behind so that you and I would not be left behind in our Sin and Guilt! The Silence is Broken
For hundreds of years there had not been a word from God through a prophet. Man really was walking in Darkness and the shadow of Death ruled without challenge- Silence and Darkness joined to equal dark despair! But suddenly that Silence was broken in the Holy Place of the Temple as Zechariah, a priest, ministered before the LORD. “Zechariah, your wife Elizabeth is about to have a baby in yours and her old age,” an angel spoke to him. What?! The silent womb was about to be silent no more but was about to give birth to “the Voice Crying in the Wilderness”! Zechariah’s son John the Baptist would break that silence with his announcing the soon appearing Messiah. How ironic that Zechariah himself spent the next 9 months in silence. His own struggle with doubt meant God said he was to live in silence until he would break out in Testimony upon the birth of his son John (Luke 1:57-80). A song full of faith and trust in the Sovereign God who was giving birth to Hope for His downtrodden People by the birth of John to him and Elizabeth. Once God broke the Silence, there was no holding back from that point on. Angels were sent to Mary and Joseph and eventually to the shepherds. God was sending His streaming message of salvation through His Son Jesus who is indeed is the WORD-of-God-made-flesh. John would cry: “Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.” The Father would testify: “This is my Beloved Son in whom I am well-pleased” Pilate would cry: “Behold the Man” – as they took Him away to be “silenced”. But the Angels would announce, “Come, see where He lay for He is not here but is risen from the dead just as he had said” – Death and the Tomb could not silence the Word-made-Flesh now declared the LORD of Life! God still cries out to us: “Come to me all who are weary and heavy-laden and I will give you rest.” “Come, all of you who are thirsty and I will give you to drink from the streams of the water of life.” “Come let us reason together, says the Lord. Though your sins be as scarlet they will be made as white as snow.” God Broke the Silence; now you need to open a Conversation with Him!! Most of us have had a conversation where the conversation suddenly ended because we or the other person Hung Up. One party or the other raised the level of hostility and “poof”: the call is terminated. Maybe it’s a friend or family member. We stopped talking to each other and now we were just talking past each other. Suddenly the line goes totally quiet and it is not because we hit a “bad zone”. How do you come back from that?? How do you open a Conversation when communication was cut off? Oftentimes when people have hung-up once, they just continue to hang-up by using their caller-ID. How sad; and the Time flies bye -bye…
Have any of you ever Hung-Up on God? How do you come back from that? That Line should be buzzing all the time: Request and Praises making their way to the Throne room while the Holy Spirit translates for us the treasured message of God’s Word. But “No”, God seriously “disappointed” us; God seemed to go silent, so we “hung up”- on God. How do you come back from THAT? It makes about as much sense as Blocking both incoming and outgoing 911 calls on a phone. When I read the life of David in 1 and 2 Samuel/1 Chronicles and then read the prayers of David as recorded in the Psalms, I am reminded of a guy who kept an “open-line” conversation with God going all the time. David sees miraculous victories like the one over Goliath- he writes God a Psalm of praise. He is betrayed by Saul or Doeg – he writes a prayer for deliverance plus praise that God is his Refuge. He suffers the consequences of his adultery with Bathsheba- he writes a Psalm of repentance and restoration. He is left alone even by his own army- he writes a psalm about leaning on God alone. In fact, the only time he “hung up” was while he was trying to live in the denial of his sin and guilt. Listen to what he says in Psalm32:3, “When I kept silent about my sin, my body wasted away through my groaning all day long.” David could not stand the silence that existed between him and God. How about you? Have we actually gotten used to the silence? Or just learned to drown it out with the rest of the noise of life? When David’s young new born had died, David got up from the ground, washed his face, ate some food, and worshipped the Lord (2 Samuel 12). When David’s sinful counting and trusting in his army caused God to send a plague on Israel, David cried out to God and made a special sacrifice to God that stopped the plague (1 Chronicles 21). Where many of us would have “hung up” on God, David hung-in because he knew that God alone could uphold him. Where many of us would hang-up in fear, David called out. Where others would conclude that the subject was closed, David would bring it up again because God is always the One who gets Final Word. The only way to come back from a “hang-up” is to make a Call. Same with God! The amazing thing is that He Keeps the Line Open! In fact, if you are a Believer, you have a direct line from the Holy Spirit in your heart that runs straight into the Throne Room of Heaven and is answered by our Intercessor Jesus Christ! PICK UP THE PHONE!! Matthew 4:1-11; James 4:1-10; 1 Peter 5:6-8
The Bible clearly says: “Resist the Devil and he will flee from you.” I certainly would welcome the sight of putting Satan on the run! Too often I believe that we are ignorant of the devil’s schemes and thus become a victim of the roaring lion. Then we slink away in shame and defeat. To me, what is set forth in by both James and Peter is best seen in Jesus when He was tempted in the Wilderness. In both passages we are told that Humbling ourselves to God gives us the strength to Stand against the devil. Our posture of humility with God gives us the posture of confidence with satan. Jesus sets this supreme example in His handling of satan in the wilderness. Jesus was submitted to His Father’s will and timing the entire ordeal. In fact, the very first verse says that He was led by the Holy Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted. His Tempting was the Father’s will so that Jesus would be “… able to save to the uttermost those who are now tempted” (Hebrews 2:17-18). Jesus commands satan at the end of His tempting, “Go, Satan! …then the devil left Him and behold angels came and ministered to Him.” I want that too! SO how did Jesus do it? What is necessary to RESIST the devil?
Jesus resisted the devil so that then He said, “Go, devil” and the devil left…until a more opportune time (Luke4:13). We can resist the devil when we are submitted to God. We can stand against the ruler of this world when we have bowed to our Sovereign. We can dialogue with the devil when we know what God really says! And then we too can command him to leave. Last night I got home from a week’s vacation. As I walked in the kitchen, I noticed a stale, sour odor but did not really think too much of it because I figured it was a week’s worth of pent-up Summer air. I could just air out the house plus spray my Febreze Unstoppables that lasts up to six hours (really quite some amazing stuff).
BUT this morning I was putting a few things away and opened the cabinet under the kitchen sink — rotten potatoes! Rotten potatoes have the worst smell; they actually smell like something died. I gingerly picked up the bag, sealed it in another trash bag and put it in the Trash. BUT not the inside trash, the trash that immediately goes to the Outside trash! I then sprayed chlorox on the spot, aired out the cabinet and kitchen, and sprayed my Febreze Unstoppable six-hour spray. It was NOT enough to air it out—it would only linger and get stronger. It was NOT enough to spray Febreze—that would only mask the source that was going to outlast the six-hours. It was NOT enough to put it in the Trash—it needed to be in the outside trash. You have to be rid of the Source of the Stink! I am struck with the thought that Jesus takes out the Trash of my life. I take inadequate measures hoping nobody will notice the stink:
Jesus takes out My Trash. If you read the passages, Jesus became the Scapegoat of our Sin and suffered outside the City because He not only took out the Trash—He BECAME Trash (Sin) in my place and then took it out-- Outside. I am humbled by the realization that my best efforts can only mask the Source while it gets steadily worse and ripens to the point of an overpowering stink in my life and character. Jesus is the One who became a stench in my place so that the pleasing Aroma of His Sacrifice would make me a pleasing Aroma as well. So why you still wrestling the “garbage man” to hold onto your Stink?? Thank you, Jesus, for taking out my Trash. |
Pastor Stephen WilloughbyPastor Steve grew up in Columbia,South America, where his parents served as missionaries for 25 years. After graduating from Capital Bible Seminary, he was invited to serve as Assistant Pastor at FBCP. He has served in that capacity for twenty years before taking on the position of Senior Pastor. Archives
October 2025
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