Perfecter of Faith

Hebrews 12:1-2 (ESV)

1 Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, 2 looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.

Do you know what it means to "tartle"? It's a Scottish word used when, after being introduced to someone, you promptly forget that person's name. In embarrassment, Scottish people say, "Pardon my tartle!"

Some words are hard to translate from one language to another. We have a case of this with Jesus' title "pioneer and perfecter of faith." The author uses the Greek word archegos to describe Jesus's relation to our faith. The word originally meant "hero or founder of a city." Since the Greek word doesn't neatly translate into English, it is translated variously as "pioneer," "author," "originator," "guide," "initiator," or "source."

The same difficulty in translation is found with the Greek teleiotes, the second title for Jesus in relation to our faith. This word originally meant "to carry through or complete," and it is translated as "per­fecter," "completer," or "finisher."

Despite the complexity of translating this title of Jesus, the truth is simple and profound: Jesus, who initiated our faith through the power of the Holy Spirit, will remain with us until we see him face to face. He is the founder and finisher of our faith. So let's take comfort in this truth and run the good race of faith by following Jesus.

Dear Lord, we take great comfort and confidence in You as the pioneer and perfecter of our faith. Help us to follow You courageously today and every day in obedience and loving service. In the Name of Jesus, we pray, Amen.

Birthday thoughts

Isaiah 40:31 (ESV)

But those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary; they will walk and not be faint.

As I finish my 58th trip around the Sun and begin my 59th trip, I continue to be amazed how I am truly blessed to have wonderful people around me. Here are a few reflections from my birthday:

– I am grateful to God for his everlasting love upon me and his unending grace that has transformed my life and taken me on an exciting life journey

– I am grateful for my Amazing Wife, my best friend, girlfriend for life, prayer warrior, teacher and much more, who continues to love no matter what, and challenges me to be a better man and desires the very best for me

– I am grateful for my amazing sons who continue to bless me with their daily lives, I am a better man and dad because of them

– I am grateful for my parents; without them I would not be where I am today

– I am grateful for my brothers, their love for me is inexplainable and they continue to challenge me to be a living example

– I am grateful for my in-laws; I am eternally grateful for the day God made me a part of their family –blessing me with another mom and dad

– I am grateful for my mentors; I continue to strive to be a better version of myself because you set the mark higher each day and you continue to believe in me and encourage me even when I do not see much value in myself

– I am grateful for all those who allow me to mentor them, they give me the opportunity to pass on my knowledge to them and challenge me daily to live an intentional life

– I am grateful for my friends who continue to love me and bring out the best in me

– I am grateful for those who have impacted my life in one way or the other, my encounter with them have left an imprint in my life and have led me down the path of living an intentional life

– I am grateful for those who have been impacted by me, I desire to live an intentional life because of the blessing it will bring to you

– I am grateful for all the opportunities I have had; I have been amazed at fact that life brings a lot of them into our paths and every decision that we make has an opportunity with it

– I am grateful for all the challenges I have faced, they have humbled me and made me a better version of myself

– I am grateful though my body is weak at times God continues to give endurance and strength (as a side note I am grateful that I made it through a year with no surgery)

– I am grateful for blessings in my life and to have the opportunity every day to put a smile on people’s face and be a blessing

– I am grateful for my country, for giving me the good foundation that I have and continue to build on

– I am grateful for this life that I live, it is not my own and I give it all up to God for the higher calling for which I continue to answer to

– I am grateful for the growth I experience on a daily basis

– I am grateful for you all as you read this and commit to living an intentional life and being a better version of yourself

– I am grateful to God and his love for me

I have been blessed beyond measure by the people God has placed around me, the places I have been, the experiences I have had and the growth I continue to see in my life. I desire to make an impact in my world and even if it’s for one person, I will be eternally grateful.

Thank you for celebrating with me!

Dear Lord, we thank You for the life that You give to each of it. Helps us each day to remember the great blessings You give to each of us. Help us to always strive to become the person you have for us to be. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.

Keeping pearls away from pigs

Matthew 7:6 (ESV)

Do not give dogs what is holy, and do not throw your pearls before pigs, lest they trample them underfoot and turn to attack you.

I read a story about a family dog named Scooter. Scooter was a family dog, and during most of the dinner times, Scooter was confined to her doghouse. There was one exception each year. When it was dad’s birthday dinner the occasion deemed special enough that even Scooter was allowed to socialize with the family at the table. In fact, the dad even fed Scooter a piece of the prime-cut roast beef specially prepared for the occasion! Though she eagerly scarfed the roast, I’m sure Scooter failed to appreciate the fine delicacy she had been graciously given.

That is what it’s like when we offer godly counsel to people who are not ready or willing to hear it. Wisdom, correction, counsel, and rebuke are as precious as pearls. Proverbs 9 tells us that godly people welcome such input. But foolish people want nothing to do with wise correction. Instead, they will tear you to pieces with arguments, resistance, or mocking.

Even though we have a responsibility to humbly correct people who are struggling with sin, Jesus urges us to discern whether a person is open to correction or counsel. If the person who needs correction is resistant to you, it is often better to step back, prayerfully ask God to soften their hearts, and wait until they are open to listening to godly wisdom. We must handle the precious gospel of Jesus with care, both giving and receiving counsel with careful discernment.

Dear Lord, thank You for having entrusted us with the precious truth of Your Word. May we receive its guidance as precious treasure, and may we share your wisdom wisely. In the Name of Jesus we pray, Amen.

Who is in your boat?

Luke 8:22 (ESV)

22 One day he got into a boat with his disciples, and he said to them, “Let us go across to the other side of the lake.” So they set out.

Many of the disciples were ex­peri­enced fishermen on the Sea of Galilee. They had often weathered sudden squalls and treacherous waves. They knew that storms could come out of nowhere. So when Jesus suggested rowing to the other side of the lake, they knew they had to be ready for anything.

In the seas of life, we grow to learn that storms can sneak up on us. A bill out of nowhere can take a bite out of your pay­check. A parent suddenly be­comes ill, and you become a caregiver. A child’s bad decision can lead to a day in court and a prison sentence. Such storms cause our anxiety to rise to dangerous levels. We look for help from someone to calm us down, fix the problem, and restore life to the way it was.

The disciples never stopped to think what it meant to have Jesus in the boat with them. And, to them, He wasn’t doing anything! But, of course, He was sleeping—not worrying or getting frantic about the storm. The disciples spent so much energy trying to save themselves from the storm on their own power that they forgot to be still and recognize that Jesus is God, who had their lives in his hands. Jesus was in their boat. All they needed to do was trust in him.

You and I cannot control the sudden storms of life. That’s the way life is. But Jesus is with us. And that’s the best thing.

Dear Lord, thanks for being in our boat. Your resting does not mean inaction; it reminds us to place all our anxieties on You because You care for us. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.

A smile and outstretched hands

1 John 4:9 (ESV)

In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him.

John Calvin noted that we are moved to repentance not by the threat of God’s law but by the promise of his grace. The threat of the law will only make us run from God, unless we know that he will receive us when we turn back to him in repentance.

I read a story told by Dr. Robert Schuller. He was invited on a mission trip to the wilds of the Amazon. A missionary had been working with a tribe that had a great fear of white people, having had little positive contact with them. Schuller and the missionary trekked further and further into the jungle with no sighting of this reclusive tribe. “Where are they?” Schuller asked. The missionary replied, “They’re all around us, but they won’t come out until they know it’s safe.”

Finally, the travelers arrived at a clearing. The missionary said, “Here’s what you have to do. Sit on the ground, stretch out your hands, and smile.” So that’s what Schuller did. For what seemed hours, he sat and smiled with outstretched hands. At last, a single native crept silently out of the jungle and shyly touched Schuller’s hand.

On the cross, God, in effect, stretched out his hands and smiled, showing that he loves us. Only the cross has the power to draw sinners out of the darkness of sin into the light of life.

Dear Lord, thank You for the invitation, through Jesus, to come out of the darkness into the light of Your love. Help us to believe that Your love is completely trustworthy. In the Name of Jesus we pray, Amen.

Rejoice always

1 Thessalonians 5:16 (ESV)

Rejoice always.

Our verse for today is one of the shortest in the Bible. But what a big message these two words convey!

This verse is a command, which means joy is not optional for Christians. Joyless Christians are disobedient Christians. Not only that, this verse tells us to rejoice always. But how can we possibly do that?

The main thing to consider is the source of our joy. Sometimes we’re tempted to think that the level of our joy is directly related to the situation we are in. The more pleasant our environment, the greater our joy will be. The problem with that way of thinking is that we can’t always choose or control our circumstances. Our health may decline; we may lose our job; a loved one may pass away. What’s more, there’s no guarantee that a happy environment will always produce a happy heart. The playwright George Bernard Shaw once said there are two sources of unhappiness in life: the first is not getting what you want, and the second is getting it.

The only reliable source of joy is Jesus Christ. The external realities of our lives will change, but the internal reality of having Jesus dwell in our hearts never changes.

If we stay connected to Jesus, the command to be joyful takes care of itself.

Dear Lord, help us to see our relationship with You as the most important part of our lives, and to find joy in You despite difficult circumstances. Thank You for your faithful love. In the Name of Jesus we pray, Amen.

God's garden

Galatians 5:22-23 (ESV)

22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.

It’s interesting how often the Bible uses the imagery of gardening or fruitfulness to describe believers in Christ. The Old Testament prophets described God’s people as a garden or vineyard (Isaiah 5; Ezekiel 19). In the Psalms, the faithful believer is compared to a tree planted by water, yielding its fruit in season (Psalm 1).

Jesus himself spoke of the human heart being like hard soil, rocky soil, thorny soil, and good soil for the seed of God’s Word to grow in (Mark 4). He also talked about himself as a vine, and he said believers are like its branches that bear fruit (John 15).

Paul writes about spiritual fruit as well—“the fruit of the Spirit.” God chose these pictures of gardening and farming to describe the life of a believer because they help us see the style of the Holy Spirit’s work in our life. The Spirit’s work in us is a process—a budding, blossoming, ripening, growing, maturing process like that of a viny plant or fruit tree. Once we belong to Jesus by faith, the Spirit begins a lifelong process of spiritual growth within us!

Dear Lord, thank You for Your Son, Jesus, who gives us life in a way like a vine supplies life to its branches. Thank You for working in us by Your Holy Spirit for Jesus sake. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.