The Humanity of Jesus

Scripture Reading: Philippians 2: 1-11

Focus Verses:  Philippians 2: 6-7  “Though He was God He did not think of equality with God as something to cling to.  Instead, He gave up His divine privileges, He took the humble position of a slave and was born as a human being.”

As Christmas will soon be here there are some things about the life of Jesus that we should consider.  When Jesus was born into this world He was both God and human.  Jesus was God before He came to earth and He was God after He came to earth.  Verse 7 says Jesus became a slave or a servant, but He was still God.

Jesus also had experiences like you and I have.  He got hungry, He got tired, He felt sadness, He was tempted to do wrong, (but never sinned).   Hebrews 4:15 tells us that Jesus understands our weaknesses because He faced the same things.

At the same time, we should consider Jesus' Lordship. You may see Jesus as a helpless baby laying in a manger.  But as our passage says, one day every knee will bow, and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord.  For those of us that confess Him as Lord now will enjoy Heaven for all eternity.  But for those who confess Him as Lord much later will be separated from Him for all eternity.  It’s our prayer that you would confess Him now to be your Lord.  

 

We understand that the humanity of Jesus changes everything.  Jesus is God and man as he hung on that cross and paid for your sins and my sins.

Bobby Johnson

Interlocking Ministries

My Determined Purpose

Scripture Reading: Romans 12

Focus Verses: Romans 12: 1-2 "And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all he has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice—the kind he will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship him. ² Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect."

This past March we saw more than 800 people proclaim their new faith in Christ during a trip to Kenya.  We praise the Lord for touching their hearts.  News like this is a light in a very dark world.  I think Satan knows that his days are numbered, and he is doing everything he can to keep God's Kingdom from growing.  I believe there is only one way to live the Christian life during these times, and that is to be 100% sold out for Jesus, no turning back.  There are too many people living a half-way Christian life.  I was that way for 11 years after I got saved.  I took my faith for granted.  Then God showed me what I had been doing.  I committed my life to Him 100%.

If you continue living the Christian life half-way, please don't tell anyone that you are a Christian.  You heard me right, "please don't tell anyone you're a Christian".  Because if you call yourself a Christian and live like the world, then unsaved people will look at you and wonder why they would need Salvation.  There is no difference between you and the world.

The apostle Paul said that his determined purpose is to know Christ (see Philippians 3:10-14).  What is your determined purpose in life?  When you get up in the morning, what do you live for?  I know you may have your job to provide for your family, you may go to school, or you may take care of your children all day.  But you can do all those things with a Christ-like attitude, and live in such a way that people will see Christ in you.  The only Jesus that most people in this world will ever see is the Jesus that is lived out in our lives.  Can you say with Paul, "My determined purpose in life is to know Him"?  I hope so.  Think of how God used Paul: many people were saved, many churches were started, he wrote a lot of the New Testament that we hold as the very inspired Word of God.  Yet Paul realized he had so much more to learn.  It's hard to believe that Paul had the same struggles and temptations that we face, but he did.  Therefore, how much more should we be saying  "I want to be more like Christ this year."  Read Romans 12 again.  Paul gives us some good advice on how to be more like Christ.  As we seek to know Him, we will be transformed. (changed)

Let it be our goal to have someone look at our life and say "if that's a Christian, then I want to follow Christ too."

~Bobby Johnson

Walking With God, Not Sprinting

Scripture Reading: Genesis 5

Focus Verses: Genesis 5: 21-22  "Enoch lived sixty-five years, and begot Methuselah. After he begot Methuselah, Enoch walked with God three hundred years, and had sons and daughters.” 

The Bible says “Enoch walked with God”.  That would tell me that Enoch had a relationship with God, and liked to talk with God.  Have you ever tried to talk with someone when you are running very fast?  It’s not easy to do.  I’ve seen some people try to have a relationship with God when their lives are running very fast.  They go for a while then collapse, go for a while then collapse again.  When we walk with God it’s a continuous relationship.

How did Enoch choose to walk with God?  Enoch had a child named Methuselah when he was 65 years old. Then it says Enoch walked with God for three hundred years.  Could it be that having this child caused Enoch to walk with God?  I have seen this happen with people I know. They don’t really care about going to church or having a serious relationship with God until they start having children.  Suddenly they see the importance of their children having a relationship with God and therefore they themselves begin a relationship with God.  Maybe having a child helps them understand how to approach God in a humble way, like a child approaches a father.

God wants to have a relationship with you everyday and He proved it through Jesus (John 3:16).  God doesn’t want to see you sprinting and then collapsing on the sidelines for half your life, but walking with Him, allowing the Holy Spirit and His Word to guide your life. So let’s make a commitment to walk consistently with God everyday by reading His Word and praying.

Bobby Johnson

Interlocking Ministries

Government Can't Save You

 Government Can't Save You
Bible Reading: Matthew 8:5-13
Focus Verse:   Matthew 28: 19-20 "Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

What is the role of the believer in the politics of our world?  What is the role of the pastor?

Jesus, the Messiah, came at a time when the area was under Roman Rule and the people thought that He came to save them by overthrowing the government.  Those obsessed with that idea got frustrated and left Jesus because Jesus didn't speak to incite the people against Rome.  Those who understood heavenly eternity stayed by Jesus' side.  The reason He acted this way has to do with the nature of His kingdom - it was not of this world system. Jesus said that he was to be about his Father's business.  There were more important battles for Jesus and those were to heal our wicked hearts. 

Jesus did not come offering judgement on the rulers of the world, but mercy.  When the Roman soldier came to Jesus, there was no debate on the government, fair treatment, corruption, brutal slavery, but there was heavenly mercy.  In that mercy, the Roman had faith.  Can pursuing discipleship topple a corrupt government?  Some historians cite that the spread of Christianity contributed to the fall of the Roman Empire.

We should never look to the Government to save us, but maybe we can lead someone in government to the Savior.
What is the role of the believer in the politics of our world? To be a good citizen, vote if you can vote, obey the laws of the land, and submit to the earthly authority obeying the laws of the land. Romans 13   1 Peter 2:13-17  We are to be about our command: Matthew 28: 19-20  and focus on making disciples.  We can effect change in our communities through reaching the hearts.  It is not good to turn your mission field into your enemy.
What is the role of the pastor?  To be the shepherd of the believers, know Jesus, to whom you belong, follow Him and proclaim Him and the truth of the Word of God.  Boldness in love bring forth the light for the world that is lost in darkness.  Strengthen the church and the community will strengthen.  If all pastors do this, then the country will strengthen.  May God be glorified.

Page Johnson
Interlocking Ministries

Keeping our Eyes Fixed on Jesus

Bible reading Matthew 14:22-34 

Focus Verse: "Then Peter called to him, “Lord, if it’s really you, tell me to come to you, walking on the water. “Yes, come,” Jesus said.  So Peter went over the side of the boat and walked on the water toward Jesus.” Matthew 14: 28-29

We all fall short of the Glory of God… and that’s expected.  (Rom 3:23) And and are justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus (v 24)  This is the BEST NEWS EVER!  In our shortcomings, we look to the Lord.  David kept putting his face toward God in his pain, suffering and sin and God’s mercy and grace flowed freely.  Peter put his eyes on Jesus and walked on water, not because of who Peter was, but who our LORD is!  Mary Magdalene put her eyes on her savior and the past shame was in the depths of the ocean, never to be found.  She also put her perfume on his feet and with her face to his feet, wiped it with her hair in love, devotion and thanksgiving.  Lord, let me love you like this.  Let me keep my eyes on the Lord and my thoughts in line with His thoughts.

Helen Lemmel wrote this hymn in 1918 after reading a missionary tract from Lilias Trotter that included these words:   "Never has it been so easy to live in half a dozen harmless worlds at once – art, music, social science, games, motoring, the following of some profession, and so on. And between them we run the risk of drifting about, the good hiding the best. It is easy to find out whether our lives are focused, and if so, where the focus lies. Where do our thoughts settle when consciousness comes back in the morning? Where do they swing back when the pressure is off during the day? Dare to have it out with God, and ask Him to show you whether or not all is focused on Christ and His Glory. Turn your soul’s vision to Jesus, and look at Him, and a strange dimness will come over all that is apart from Him.”

"Turn your eyes upon Jesus

O soul, are you weary and troubled?

No light in the darkness you see?

There’s light for a look at the Savior,

And life more abundant and free!

Refrain:

Turn your eyes upon Jesus,

Look full in His wonderful face,

And the things of earth will grow strangely dim,

In the light of His glory and grace.

Thro' death into life everlasting,

He passed, and we follow Him there;

O’er us sin no more hath dominion--

For more than conqu’rors we are!

His Word shall not fail you--He promised;

Believe Him, and all will be well:

Then go to a world that is dying,

His perfect salvation to tell!"

 

~Page Johnson

God's Concern for Detail

Scripture Reading: Psalm 139:1-18

Focus Verse: Psalm 139:3  "You chart the path ahead of me and tell me where to stop and rest.  Every moment you know where I am."

Any great accomplishment must have attention to detail.  Every artist knows that the masterpiece they complete is made up of thousands of details.  God, as well, has given a lot of attention to the details of His creation.  Let's not forget that God knows how many hairs are on our heads as stated in Luke 12:7.

In our scripture reading today David recognizes that God knows where we are at every moment.  Sometimes we may feel stressed with so many details in our lives.  But you can rest easy knowing that God never gets anxious about details.  He holds the whole galaxy of stars in his hand and controls every detail.  Yet he is concerned with every detail of your life and is there to help you.

For every problem we have, God has a solution.  Our biggest problem is sin but God has a solution for that, and His name is Jesus.  You can trust Him with whatever you are facing today.  Remember He loves you and wants to help you.

Bobby Johnson
Interlocking Ministries

Jesus said, "You Will Have Troubles."

Scripture Reading: Job1:1-22   

Focus Verse: Job 2:10 Should we accept only good things from the hand of God and never adversity?  So in all this Job said nothing wrong.

Sometimes in our lives we tend to remember all the bad things that have happened to us and forget the good things.  We remember Job for all the bad that happened to him.  But we should remember how Job had victory in spite of his adversity.  There were four things that were important to Job: his faith, family, friends and his fortune.  Satan tried to take all of them from Job hoping he would curse God.  Instead we see Job thinking on the goodness of God and worshiping His greatness.  Satan was probably the one cursing and not Job.  At no time do we see Job blaming God for these things.  God was enough for Job, with or without the other things Job had.  Job said in 13:15 "Though he slay me, yet will I trust in him: but I will maintain mine own ways before him."

Do you bless God and praise Him even when you don't understand what is going on in your life?  Job's faith is a great lesson to us on how we can trust in God even though we may be going through unexplained trials.  Job did express his grief to God, and God wants us to cry out to Him also.  Remember Job for his victory during the trials and we can do the same with God's help.  Almighty God is enough.  We need nothing else.

"He who has God and everything else has no more than he who has God only".
C.S. Lewis

Bobby Johnson
Interlocking Ministries