Category: Jesus Moments

Then he said, “Jesus, remember me when You come into Your kingdom!”  And Jesus said to him, “Truly I tell you, today you will be with Me in Paradise.” Luke 23:42-43

Spiritual blindness and spiritual sight are a supernatural phenomenon.   Whether or not Jesus is recognized is totally dependent on Holy Spirit enablement. Some traveled with Jesus for three years and failed to see who He was. Some brothers and sisters grew up with him and never understood who shared their home. But other times, in a mere instant, others knew. Simeon’s heart leapt at the mere presence of toddler Jesus. Elizabeth’s spirit leapt at the proximity of pre-natal Jesus. And the thief on the cross recognized Jesus as King when he saw a suffering Savior. He said to him, ‘Remember me when you come into your kingdom.’

There is a certain thing your heart does when you recognize Jesus in a person. There is an instant ache, then joy, and then wonder. At our last church conference gathering, that moment occurred for me. Our congregation had just taken a vote whether to build a new sanctuary. The vast majority voted for it and there were a handful that voted against it. When our pastor announced the results, he did not break into celebration. He withheld his excitement and addressed the few who had reservations. ‘I want to speak to any of you who weren’t able to give your support for our new building. I hear your voices. I would love to meet with each of you in person and learn from your wisdom. There may be blind spots you’re able to share with me. How you feel is important to me.’ When he transitioned to acknowledge the victory, he didn’t treat it as something that was won at others’ expense.

A Jesus-moment. The most important thing in the meeting was not the vote for a new building. It was shepherding the people. Our pastor, a humble-sensitive soul, put his people first. The reality that there would be a new sanctuary paled in importance.

Spiritual recognition happens more often when someone watches another suffer. When they sing through their tears, when they bear the hurt of mistreatment, when they praise God for the opportunity to share in Christ’s suffering, God’s glory is revealed. Someone watching will step back and realize that this is an otherworldly moment. For the thief on the cross, it was probably the moment Jesus prayed to forgive those who were causing his affliction and enjoying it as if it were a sporting event. It was not too late for this thief to see God’s Son revealed and to believe. If you are reading this, it’s not too late for you either. Now is the time for salvation. Only the Spirit of God can cause you to recognize Jesus. Ask him.

Shine through me, Jesus. When it’s hardest for me to trust you, those are probably the moments that hold the greatest evangelistic potential. Don’t let me despise what is painful. Amen

Again Jesus said to them, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent Me, so also I am sending you.” When He had said this, He breathed on them and said, “Receive the HolySpirit.  John 20:21-22

When the disciples were despondent after the crucifixion of Jesus, Jesus appeared, told them to be at peace, and then breathed on them.  “Receive the Holy Spirit.”   They went from there to burn brightly for the kingdom.

Christ, in God, breathed at creation too.  When He did, life erupted.

Adam was just a physical man, made of the dust of the ground.  He was not a spiritual being until God moved from on high.  Adam’s soul would not be made of earthly materials.  It would come to life only by a God-breath.

Job knew this too.  He said, “The Spirit of God has made me, and the breath of the Almighty gives me life.”  Job 33:4

Ezekiel knew it as God said, “Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe on these slain, that they may live.”  Ezekiel 37:9 In a vision, nearly dead bodies came to life, stood on their feet, and became a great army.

The world at the end of the tribulation will know it when the two witnesses, the prophets Satan kills, come back to life with a breath.  “But after three and a half days a breath of life from God entered them, and they stood up on their feet, and great fear fell on those who saw them.”  Revelation 11:11

And we knew it at the time of salvation.  God breathed over us and our spiritual blindness was cured.  We looked up and saw a Savior; we looked inside and saw our sin.  “Unless a man is born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot see the kingdom of God.”  John 3:5 

I think of the phrase ‘the living dead.’  It refers to the meaningless existence of a person who is technically alive but soulfully checked out.  That never need describe any child of God.  The Spirit of God, the breath of God, is within us.  He longs to rise up and infuse us with eternal life.  The outgrowths are security, calmness, spiritual power, and the feeling of being wonderfully alive.  Many are waiting for heaven to experience the abundant life but, right now, it’s a breath away.

I look to no one else for life.  I feast on Your Word.  I drink of You deeply.  I breathe of Your Spirit.  So breathe over me.  Amen

And he asked them, “But who do you say that I am?” Peter answered him, “You are the Christ.” Mark 8:29 

Scripture does not say whether Jesus was sad as He asked His disciples this question, “Who do you say that I am?” He was God and understood spiritual blindness. He knew that spiritual eyesight is never completely cured on this earth. Only in heaven will we exclaim, “I never knew you were this glorious.” Or, “I never knew you loved me like this!”

In my ignorance, I can wonder how the disciples could have been blind. They had the advantage of having Jesus with them. They saw him heal leprosy, drive out spiritual oppression, and calm the seas. Yet, Jesus knew that spiritual blindness takes time to clear. It would only be sometime later, after the resurrection, that they would finally grasp His deity and give their lives to tell others about Him.

Just as people can be blind to Jesus, they can also be blind to Jesus in me. Believer, or unbeliever. The ones who struggled the most to see Jesus’ divinity were his own family. Likewise, those who know me best, and the longest, are often blind to the presence of Jesus in me. It’s the nature of hometown dynamics.

There may come a day when family and friends see His Light and take a step back. Just about the time I believe must accept being misunderstood, God will begin to clear the fog. It was He who allowed me to be concealed for a time and it is He who facilitates the unveiling. It’s as if they’ve never seen me before. Comments are taken seriously. Insights are valued. Company is sought after. I shake my head and wonder how this could happen after so many years.

If I live near others who don’t really see me, it’s not necessarily permanent. While I languish under invisibility, God is near. I am in God’s schoolroom where lessons abound. I remember the Old Testament scripture that says, “It is the glory of God to conceal a matter.” Proverbs 25:2 The period of others’ blindness is under the sovereignty of my Heavenly Father. While I am hidden to them, He ‘searches me and knows me.’ Though often rejected by them, ‘He calls me His and has me engraved on the palm of His hands.’

You change the hearts of kings and turn on the lights when it’s time. While I wait, give me the grace You received from Your Father as you walked out Your faith before those who knew You and loved You – and yet didn’t see You. No matter how painful, You are with me and I am known completely. Amen

All who ever came before me were thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not listen to them.  John 10:8

The good person out of the good treasure of his heart produces good, and the evil person out of his evil treasure produces evil, for out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks.  Luke 6:45

I often wonder how people can do what they do.  (That includes me when I sin.)

Consider a rebellious child who acts out.  Others can give into him to stop the tantrums.  But without discipline, he will repeat the tantrums until they become a way of life.  The pleasure (Jesus calls it pleasure) he feels when he gets what he wants will become his drug of choice and he will cease to regret the acts he commits in favor of feeling good.  Without Jesus, there will be no remorse.

If you’ve suffered at the hands of one who never said “I’m sorry,” you may have asked the question, “How could this person do this to me and not even feel badly that they hurt me?”  Jesus answers the question.  The pleasure they got by sinning against you numbed their conscience. They may have seen your tears, heard your pain expressed, but shrugged their shoulders.  You just couldn’t understand such coldness of heart and the heart is where everything else emanated.

God is our instructor today.  An unfeeling heart develops over time, never overnight.  It belongs to the person who has been fattened by the pleasures of his choices, even choices that have caused pain to someone he claims to love.

Only God can transform the heart of a sinner.  Only God can comfort the victims.  The sinner must love Jesus more than the payoff of self-gratification and the victim must love Jesus more than taking revenge.

Jesus, you knew the hearts of men.  You were not deceived.  Teach me to look beyond their behavior to the spiritual cause.  I need to pray for others’ spiritual disease instead of just asking you to stop their behavior.  Spirit, show me how to pray.  Amen

If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and abide in his love. These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full. I John 15:10-11

Sometimes, it’s not what people want that gets them into trouble. It’s when their desires, even noble ones, become the center of their lives and the source of their joy. Their wellbeing becomes dependent on whether or not those things come to pass. If they do, they can be happy. If they don’t, there’s frustration and spiritual depression.

As people of God, we dream of everyone we love embracing Jesus the way we do. We desire every family member to abide in Christ. We want sons to follow Jesus. We want daughters to thrive under the righteous leadership of their husbands. We want grandchildren to see God in their parents so they will be naturally attracted to their faith. We want family members to be healthy. We want parents to live a long life and fulfill all their dreams. All of these are good things but it’s easy to take on these dreams as our mandate to make them happen. We are crusaders on a mission. We invest our prayers, our love, our mentoring skills, even our finances, to help loved ones thrive. But the clock ticks slowly. People don’t change overnight, and while in process, they don’t always choose well. That’s bad news if we are making their wellbeing our joy. As they continue to languish, we languish. If we see them make bad choices, our joy is deferred as we pray that tomorrow will be a better day. And quite frankly, it’s easy to pray for everyone else and forget to pray for myself.

If this is my way of life, my joy is only possible if I see things moving in the right direction. On a good day, I can relax and enjoy feelings of hope in the moment. But at the next crisis, my hope plummets. Joy dies another death. I’m on a perpetual roller coaster of waiting for things to change. I’m a captive, not a conqueror.

The epiphany for me lately has been this. Whether or not I have inexpressible joy cannot depend on the outcome of things going well. Joy is to be found in the enjoyment of God. I was created to enjoy Him forever. And here’s the thing. Enjoyment of God and spiritual depression are mutually exclusive. I cannot engage in both at the same time. So when I wake up in the morning and my stomach churns because I don’t know what the day is going to bring, I’ve already laid a foundation for spiritual depression. I’ve placed my hope in human outcome.

My mornings need to be focused on the praise and worship of a God whom I enjoy. He is my delight. With Him as my focus and with a holy calm that is mine as a result, good news will be the icing on the cake. And if there’s bad news? It cannot take me down because His joy is my strength and the grace of His presence makes me resilient.

My hope has been deferred for a better tomorrow. Joy has been elusive. Show me how to appropriate all of this into my daily life until there are spiritual endorphines. Amen

When he has brought out all his own, he goes on ahead of them and his sheep follow him because they know his voice. John 10:4

Have you ever worked under an umbrella of authority that was characterized by defective leadership? Orders were given without care for proper development. There was little instruction. There were high expectations but perhaps you were abandoned while you labored at the task.

When I was twenty-one, I was asked to orchestrate an entire musical road production. I expressed my concern that I wasn’t trained nor experienced. I was a pianist, flutist, and vocal arranger. But, having trouble saying no, I buckled under the pressure to just do it anyway. A deadline was given but no offers were made to network me with professionals who might help me through the process. I read some articles by Henry Mancini, saw a few of his scores, ordered orchestral score paper from a music house in New York City, and dove in the deep end of the pool. Six weeks later, I was standing in front of some Chicago symphony players at a studio in Chicago. Baton in hand, shaking, I heard the scores come to life. Regardless of whether or not it was successful, I was pretty traumatized by it all. The leadership style of the person who delegated the task to me was poor.

What kind of leader is Jesus? He describes himself as the shepherd who goes before his sheep. This was not the way shepherds usually did their job. They were known to drive out the sheep from the pen. They were sent out in front. Not Jesus. He goes before. He’s already checked the path for stones, tree roots, and wild beasts. He marks the way and is known to say, “Don’t step here or you’ll get hurt.” Or “Watch me; I’ll show you how to do it.” There’s security and safety for all who follow him. I have to remember that the disciples were discipled by Jesus the shepherd. They didn’t just follow, they learned. Everything he did, they did. So, when he left them, they knew what to do on their own.

You’ve shown me how to follow you, Lord. Make me a considerate leader like that. Amen

I no longer call you servants. Instead, I have called you friends. John 15:15

Many of the slaves freed after the Civil War returned to their former owners. Now knowing how to handle their freedom, they chose to continue living in slavery because the mindset of a slave was firmly embedded in their psyche. Though they had been offered a new life, fear of the unknown was too intimidating.

Through his death, Jesus made us free yet many of us have never left the familiarity of our old life to investigate the new one He offers in His far away kingdom. What could be more frightening for a poor maiden who thinks she’s deeply flawed than to look in the eyes of a prince and accept his love? Yet doing so is her ticket to the life she privately dreams of.

Jesus paid for my freedom with His life! Can you imagine his grief when I continue to think and act like one in captivity? He’s calling out, “Come out of the slave quarters. Move into the big house with me. Sit at my table. Let me serve you. Oh, by the way, I’ve put your name on the deed to my inheritance. Everything I have, I share with you.” It takes humility to accept such a gift if I know that I’m undeserving and can do nothing to earn it. I will initially squirm in my seat at the banquet table. It will take some time to dance in the reality that I’m rich. The only thing that melts my protests of worthiness and the pride of self-hatred is perfect Love.

But there is also a second deadly response. If I believe I am a pretty good person, I’ll feel entitled to the favor Jesus extends. At the announcement that I’m an heiress, I’ll flaunt my position and look down my nose at less fortunate sinners. You know the saying, “She’s a princess?” That means I’m self-centered, entitled, spoiled, and arrogant. My greatest need is to see my sinfulness first, be reminded of my need for a Savior, and then accept His love with abject humility.

If I’m afraid of intimacy, self-hatred or self-exaltation is usually the cause. Figuring out which one plagues me is the most important thing I could do on this calendar day ‘in the life’ . . .

At your loving gaze, will I be tempted to look away? Why? Show me. Amen

When He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on His own. John 16:13

Look, one person of the Trinity is teaching us about Himself. He says that the Trinity, though three distinct parts of God, acts in perfect unity. No one who experiences the Spirit will come away feeling differently than if he experienced Jesus or His Father. What one of them feels and what each of them believes are all consistent within the person of God.

Not so with us. The Fall in the Garden fractured the internal world of humanity and we’ve been divided ever since. Because we’re fractured, we’re inconsistent and unstable and we don’t always recognize it. Without the help of the Spirit, we will fail to really know ourselves. Who we think we are is often radically different from what we portray to others. They experience our inconsistencies and it’s usually painful for them. I can say one thing but convey another. My words don’t match my face. I have chuckled at family vignettes in which a parent says to a child, “I can see that you’re angry.” He replies, “I’m not angry!” but his yelling and his cherry red face betray him.

Growing into the image of Christ is all about allowing the Spirit of God to show me where I am sinfully divided. It is giving Him permission to bring every corner of my soul into the light of His grace and then asking Him to change each part so I may also live in unity. As I come to know firsthand the beautiful ways the Trinity works together, the ways they complement each other, and as I appreciate God for always being the same, for always being stable, I will covet that for myself. I will desire for others to experience me that way.

Self-disclosure empowered by the Spirit can be painful but the rugged introspection pays off. No longer will I say one thing but do another. I will live in peace and harmony within myself and with the God who lovingly created me to bear His image, the same yesterday, today, and forever.

Work in me, O Spirit, to make me unified with Your Spirit internally. Graft me into Your perfection through sanctification. Amen