Less is More - 30 Days with Jesus - Day 5

John 3:1-36

There are a ton of lessons to learn from today's text. John is my favorite book of the Bible (I actually memorized John 3 when I was in elementary school), so of course I couldn't pick just one to highlight. I'm just going to go through it from the beginning. This might be a little long, but hang with me... :)

I was flipping through my old sermon notebooks and found notes from a sermon that Bro. Rick preached in May 2008 titled "When Good Is Not Good Enough" about Nicodemus.

1. Nicodemus was a good man: He was a Pharisee and a leader among the Jews.

2. Nicodemus believed that Jesus was a good man: He had heard Jesus preach and had seen the miracles that Jesus had done. And, he was moved to find out more, which is why he came to see Jesus.

3. Nicodemus was not good enough: Even though he was a good man, he still had to be born of the Spirit. The great thing is that we don't have to understand all the ways of God, we just have to believe!

"For God so loved the world that he gace his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life." John 3:16

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Less Is More

"He must increase, but I must decrease." John 3:30

I think one of the hardest things about being a Christian is that daily battle between your flesh and Spirit. We will never be perfect or sinless like Jesus was. Each day is a battle between our sinful human nature and the Holy Spirit that lives within us. And it is up to us who wins that battle.

"Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me." Matthew 16:24

We are supposed to deny our fleshly desires and pursue Jesus. We are to chase after Him and seek Him. We are to be more like Him.

I think John the Baptist said it best: "He must increase, but I must decrease."

Less of me and more of Him is always best.

Using Your Sword - 30 Days with Jesus - Day 4

Luke 4:1-44

Do you know the Word of God?

I mean really know it.

Do you memorize scriptures? Do you study them and apply them to your life?

In Luke 4, we see Jesus being tempted by the devil. He was tempted for 40 days, and during those 40 days He did not eat. The devil tempted Jesus the same way he tempts us today. He knows our weaknesses, and he uses them to try to drag us into sin and pull us away from God.

In this passage, we see Satan use Jesus's human weaknesses against Him. Satan tempted Jesus in three ways in this passage: he exploited Jesus's hunger (verses 2-4), he tried to to conquer Jesus with greed (verses 5-8), and he tried to make Jesus sin using pride (verses 9-12).

Now, unlike us, Jesus was fully God and fully man. He was perfect and without sin. He was able to withstand the temptations of Satan.

What I find really interesting is that Jesus used scripture to drive Satan away. Each time that He was tempted, Jesus quoted scripture.

Scripture is powerful. In Ephesians 6:17, Paul refers to the Word of God as the "Sword of the Spirit". Hebrews 4:12 says "For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart."

The Word of God is our sword that we can use to defend ourselves against temptation and sin. But it does us no good if we don't use it.

Every week, I give my Wednesday night kids a memory verse to memorize. My older class (4th-6th grade) said last week that they were too old to have to learn memory verses. I lectured them about the value of knowing God's Word for so long that I didn't even get to teach them their Bible story about Joseph before it was time for them to rotate to their next class.

You're never too old, or too young, to learn and apply the Word of God to your life. God gave us His Word as a guide book and a weapon against false teachings, temptation and sin.

Do you know God's Word? Do you use your Sword?

Jesus did, and I think we should too.

Pleasing God - 30 Days with Jesus - Day 3

Mark 1:1-11

Today's scripture talks about Jesus being baptized. After He was baptized, "...there came a voice from heaven saying, Thou art my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased." (verse 11)

That got me thinking...how often is God "well pleased" with me? It seems like I'm always messing up and having to be forgiven over and over again. I'm afraid that I spend a lot more time disappointing God instead of pleasing Him.

So how do we please God?

The answer is actually pretty simple. All we have to do to please Him is love Him and His Son. Jesus tells us this in Matthew 22:37-39, "Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all they mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself."

Don't you want to hear God say that He is pleased with you? I know that I do.

What WAC Means to Me

Last month, I asked the ladies in my WAC group to write down what WAC meant to them. Crystal Traweek, our District Secretary/Treasurer and Local Bible Study Chairperson was excited to share what WAC has meant to her:

"What does WAC mean to me?

Women Active for Christ would typically be classified as a noun. But to me, we are not just a group of women who meet once a month for fellowship and Bible study. We are ACTION VERBS! WE DO!

Now, any of you who are a part of our group know that fellowship and Bible study are both important parts, but each month we gather together to pray for people in our church, community, and missionaries around the world and try to see what we can do to help. And on December 15, 2008, those prayers were for me.

As many of you know, a simple trip to K-mart to buy a new Christmas tree to replace our old Charlie Brown tree quickly turned into much more. Before leaving, I laid out my cream cheese to make a chicken cheese ball for the WAC Christmas party that night. Shelby and I returned home with a new "disco ball" Christmas tree, but minus the presents, computer, cameras, guns, jewelry box, and much more! I wanted to run away for Christmas. I didn't want to celebrate, but Adam insisted that the tree had cost us much more than the sale price and he wanted us to put it up that night after all the chaos settled down some. I know while we were putting up the tree, my WAC group was praying for me. I felt it! Who in their right mind could have sat there, laughing and assembling a tree, if there were not prayer warriors praying for her?

Not long after the tree was complete, Amanda called and said she had us a plate of food and wanted to drop it off. She walked in the door with a gift bag as well. When I opened it, I instantly felt tears coming back. It was a makeup bag! Now, someone that had just been robbed usually wouldn't cry or be as excited over a makeup bag as I was. To me, it was so much more. It was God smiling down on me and telling me that He was there, and that He was going to use the people around us to bless us in our time of trouble. You see, during the Christmas party, I had gone into my bathroom, looked around and noticed that the counter was much cleaner than I remembered when I was getting ready that morning. Then I realized they had stolen my makeup!

I can't remember how many WAC meetings I have been a part of where we hear of a need of a woman in our church or community and spring into action! The next Wednesday night at church, I had a huge gift basket FILLED with makeup, jewelry, and a ton of other spirit lifting gifts! I just stood there and cried! Through the bad choices of other people, God was showing us how blessed we are! Our WAC group has always had a special place in my heart. I am so blessed to have a group of women who are willing to literally stop everything else and pray for my needs! I am so thankful for our ladies in WAC and for their commitment to serving others. Stay strong in your faithfulness, ladies, because one day you may be on the receiving end just as I was, and what a blessing it was!"

Thanks to Crystal for sharing her story!

If you would like to share what WAC has meant to you, email me your story at cmhopper.warrior@gmail.com.

The Holy of Holies - 30 Days with Jesus - Day 2

Luke 2:1-52

These verses are pretty familiar to us. We read the Christmas story every year, and most of us have heard of the time when Mary and Joseph left Jesus at the temple when He was 12. But have you met Anna?

She is only mentioned in a few verses, and I've never paid much attention to her story before. But she is a woman of faithfulness. She is the definition of a Woman Active for Christ, and her story needs to be shared.

Anna was married once, for seven years. After her husband died, she spent her time at the temple, fasting and praying. She was never allowed inside the temple. Because she was a woman, she had to stay in the outer courts.

Anna didn't let her husband's death or the Jewish rules and traditions keep her from worshipping God. No matter her circumstance, status or location, she remained faithful.

And eighty four years after her husband died, Anna finally got to stand in the Holy of Holies...Anna, a widow from the tribe of Asher, was one of the first people to see the Messiah. She saw the Promised One that she had so faithfully prayed for. Because of her faithfulness, God rewarded her. He showed her His glory - not in the inner courts of the temple, but right where she stood in the outer courts.

And after she saw the Messiah, she began to share her joy with everyone that passed by.

Anna desperately wanted to feel God's presence. She didn't let circumstance or location hinder her worship.

The Holy of Holies is wherever you feel God's presence. It can be a church, it can be your car, it can be your bedroom, or it can be your favorite chair where you read your Bible. It can be anywhere, as long as you allow Him to meet you there.

Take me past the outer courts

Into the Holy Place

Past the brazen altar

Lord, I want to see Your face

Pass me by the crowds of people

And the Priests who sing Your praise

I hunger and thirst for Your righteousness

But it's only found in one place

Take me into the Holy of Holies

Take me in by the blood of the Lamb

Take me into the Holy of Holies

Take the coal, touch my lips, here I am.

"Take Me In" by Kutless

*"Take Me In" is on the album Strong Tower by Kutless

Come and See - 30 Days with Jesus - Day 1

"Come and See"
John 1:1-51

When Philip met Jesus, the first thing he did was go find his friend Nathanael and tell him that he'd found the Messiah. Nathanael wasn't sure if anything good could come out of Nazareth, but Philip insisted "Come and see." Nathanael did come, and he saw that Philip was right. He had found the Messiah.

The Messiah is still the same today. Come and see...

The Life

1. He gave us earthly life - "All things were made by him..." John 1:3 We learn in Genesis that God created the Heaven and the earth. He is the Master Painter that colored the sky blue. He created the seas, the moon and the stars (which He calls by name). And we are His masterpieces. He created each of us and breathed life into our bodies. (See Psalm 139:13-14) He gave us life.
2. He gives us eternal life - "In him was life..." John 1:4a "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life." John 3:16 "Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live: And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die..." John 11:25-26a "I am the living bread which came down from heaven: if any man eat of this bread, he shall live for ever: and the bread that I will give is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world." John 6:51 Through His death, Jesus gave us life eternal, IF we accept Him.

The Light

1. See the Light - "...and the life was the light of men. And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not...That was the true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world." John 1:5-9 Jesus is the Light of the world, sent to condemn our sins and destroy the darkness in our lives. "For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, for their deeds were evil." John 3:17-19 "But he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God." John 3:21
2. Be the Light - We are to be witnesses for God. "Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hid." Matthew 5:14 "Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven." Matthew 5:16 "Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the earth. Amen." Matthew 28:19-20

The Lamb of God

1. Worship the Messiah - Jesus is the promised Messiah and is worthy of our worship. "Nathanael answered and saith unto him, Rabbi, thou art the Son of God; thou art the King of Israel." John 1:49 "Exalt ye the Lord our God, and worship at his footstool; for he is holy." Psalm 99:5
2. Witness the Miracles - "Jesus answered and said unto him, Because I said unto thee, I saw thee under the fig tree, believest thou? thou shalt see greater things than these. And he saith unto him, Verily, Verily, I say unto you, Hereafter ye shall see heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of man." John 1:50-51 "This beginning of miracles did Jesus in Cana of Galilee, and manifested forth his glory, and his disciples believed on him." John 2:11

The Messiah is "the way, the truth and the life" (John 14:6). He is our Life, He is our Light, and He is the Lamb of God.

Come and see the Man from Nazareth called Christ. He is waiting for you...

30 Days with Jesus - A Reading Plan for June

It's summertime! I love the summer - it's so laid back and carefree, but at the same time, I can let a couple of months go by without much to show for it.

This summer, I have one main goal - to spend my extra time getting closer to God.

I just bought a new Bible and it has a 30 day reading plan called "30 Days with Jesus." This plan is designed to focus on the teachings of Jesus so that we can get to know Him!

Here's the plan - I would love for you to post your comments or email me and let me know how God speaks to you through these scriptures this month! (cmhopper.warrior@gmail.com)

Day 1 - John 1:1-51

Day 2 - Luke 2:1-51

Day 3 - Mark 1:1-11

Day 4 - Luke 4:1-44

Day 5 - John 3:1-36

Day 6 - Luke 5:1-39

Day 7 - John 4:1-54

Day 8 - Luke 6:1-49

Day 9 - Luke 7:1-50

Day 10 - Luke 8:1-56

Day 11 - Mark 8:1-38

Day 12 - Luke 10:1-42

Day 13 - Matthew 5:1-48

Day 14 - Matthew 6:1-34

Day 15 - Matthew 7:1-29

Day 16 - Luke 14:1-35

Day 17 - Luke 15:1-32

Day 18 - Luke 16:1-31

Day 19 - John 8:1-59

Day 20 - Luke 17:1-37

Day 21 - Luke 18:1-43

Day 22 - John 9:1-41

Day 23 - Luke 19:1-48

Day 24 - Luke 20:1-47

Day 25 - John 10:1-42

Day 26 - John 11:1-57

Day 27 - Mark 13:1-37

Day 28 - Luke 22:1-71

Day 29 - Matthew 27:1-66

Day 30 - Luke 24:1-53