by Chris Doyle | Apr 7, 2017
Greetings!
Palm Sunday is this weekend, so for this week’s DHD, I wanted to share six thoughts about what happened on the very first Palm Sunday. This breaks from my recent presentation of offering thoughts from one particular passage of Scripture. Discussing the historic event of Jesus’ ride in Jerusalem, I’ll consider commentary involving all four Gospel accounts (Matt. 21:1-11; Mark 11:1-11; Luke 19:28-44; John 12:12-19).
- Instructions to two disciples
Jesus is aware of the week that is ahead. My imagination causes me to want to know more about why Jesus went about doing certain things and why the Gospel writers chose to share what they shared.
For example, why did Jesus instruct two disciples to go get a donkey? And this is a loaded question because, depending on whose Gospel narrative you read, Matthew tells the two disciples to get a donkey and its colt; Mark and Luke say get a colt, and John doesn’t even give the details of how the donkey was obtained.
I’ll share more in next point about the animal used for riding, but back to the disciples, why were two chosen, and why are we not privy to who they were? This is just my silly curiosity.
And yes, Jesus is fully God and fully man, but I am fascinated with His detailed instructions. He said to go into a village where they will find a donkey that has never been ridden and bring it back. If anyone were to ask about the disciples taking the colt, they were to say the Lord needs it, and they will bring it back.
The supernatural knowledge of Jesus fascinates me, especially how He chose to communicate to His disciples about certain things. This is one of those fascinating scenarios.
- The chosen steed
Jesus chose to ride on an animal that has never been ridden. Did you get how scary of a situation that is? Watch one of those western movies like The Big Country that features a scene involving riding a wild horse, and you’d think twice about riding an animal that’s never been ridden.
I remember when I was much younger being at a church carnival that offered pony rides and witnessing a young child getting bucked off a pony. You talk about the horror everybody felt witnessing that ordeal.
But Jesus chose to ride an unridden donkey colt. Matthew reports this was done to fulfill prophecy in Zech. 9:9. Also, riding a donkey instead of a horse meant Jesus represented a peaceful entry instead of riding a horse which meant he would be preparing for battle.
- Coats and branches
In my younger years, I had a hard time understanding why people would lay coats on the ground as people and animals walked over the garments. Ancient customs say it represented honor to the one who would go over the coats. As valuable as coats can be, this is quite a sacrificial custom.
Waving and laying down palm branches also represented honor and celebration. This is what happened when Jesus made his entrance into Jerusalem. Many were still hearing about Jesus raising Lazarus from the dead (John 11), while others were just intrigued by his many miracles. Reacting to seeing Jesus on a donkey caused all the people to get excited.
- Praise from the fickle
Have you been to sporting event with tens of thousands of fans? Here in Oklahoma City, we are pretty excited about the Thunder. Russell Westbrook tied Oscar Robertson’s season record for most triple-double performances this week. It was a loud and exciting atmosphere in the arena when Westbrook made this achievement.
But just as sports fans enjoy the thrill of victory, they can also turn on a team in the agony of defeat.
Reading Matt. 21:9, I love picturing the crowd shouting “Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is He Who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest Heaven!” I naturally think of Michael W. Smith’s song “Hosanna” when I read this passage.
Regardless of who is shouting this praise to Jesus, it is an exciting image as this is one of the few places where the Gospels make known all the people recognized Jesus’ glory.
But oh how quickly the people’s praise will soon turn to hateful shouts.
- Sharing the news with others
The Palm Sunday experience was not without an evangelistic opportunity. Matt. 21:10-11 says the whole city wanted to know who Jesus was, and the people let those who inquired know it was Jesus, a prophet from Galilee.
This challenges me to make known to others who Jesus is, especially when they inquire about Him and His Gospel message.
I read an article this week that will be published in next week’s Baptist Messenger about the chaplain for the Texas Rangers during spring training in Arizona. The story tells about the chaplain leading a Bible study with many players and coaches attending. He was sharing John 3 and the meeting between Jesus and Nicodemus (which I shared in a DHD two weeks ago).
The chaplain spoke about Jesus telling Nicodemus that he must be born again. Someone in the study interrupted the chaplain and said, “Stop talking and tell us how we can be born again.” Six team members made professions of faith that night.
- Leading to a powerful week
The historic entrance into Jerusalem begins a heavy, passionate, powerful week for Jesus and His disciples. Some of the great occurrences of the Christian faith happen. Jesus’ second cleansing of the Temple, the Olivet Discourse, the Last Supper, His emotional prayer in the Garden, and His trials before the Sanhedrin, Pilate and Herod will occur in the days that follow.
These events lead to the most anguishing day in the history of mankind – The Crucifixion of Christ. But this leads to the most glorious day in the history of mankind – The Resurrection.
All this began with Jesus telling two disciples to get an unridden donkey for his entry into Jerusalem to be praised by fickle followers.
by Angela Sanders | Apr 4, 2017
Tip #2: Be realistic and fair in your expectations. As a princess, a daughter of the King of Kings, you deserve a grounded, dependable, strong husband who truly loves Jesus (see A Dating Guide for Godly Girls #1) and will make the meeting of your needs a priority, someone who will lead you gently, forgive you readily, and wash you with the Word of God as you become the woman God wants you to be, a Kingdom force to be reckoned with, unhindered by concern over a marriage that is less than God intended for you.
You’ve heard it all before, right?
Yeah, in Christian circles, we do a pretty good job of making sure women know this stuff, but I’m not sure we do an equally good job of telling them what their future husbands should expect in return.
As a prince, a son of the King of Kings, your future husband—if God plans for you to have one—deserves a grounded, dependable, strong woman who truly loves Jesus and will make the meeting of his needs a priority, someone who will submit to him as he submits to her (Eph. 5:21), forgive him readily, and speak the truth of God into his life at every turn so he doesn’t forget who he was created to be, a Kingdom force to be reckoned with, unhindered by concern over a marriage that is less than God intended for him.
It’s a tall order, isn’t it? A lot to expect from anyone this side of Heaven, the only place where perfection actually exists, but especially from someone who hasn’t lived a lot of life yet.
Achieved only through the intentional application of Scripture with the help of the Holy Spirit in response to circumstances that can’t possibly be conjured or rushed, spiritual maturity takes time. No one gets there overnight, ladies, which is why you must cut the guys a little slack, at least as much as you yourself require.
Look for progress, not perfection. Few men are the spiritual leaders they are meant to be when they first get married. I know mine wasn’t, but he sure is now.
Want to determine whether or not you should allow a relationship with the man you’ve noticed to develop? Pay close attention to what he says, what he does and his attitude when saying and doing those things, not just when he knows he’s being evaluated, but in moments when his words and actions don’t have anything to do with you or your relationship.
Do his words reflect a commitment to the truth of God’s Word? Such men are grounded.
Do his actions reflect a desire to be used by God? Such men are dependable.
Is he humble, open to correction by those qualified to give it, quick to apologize and eager to learn from his mistakes and grow? Such men are strong.
Is he more worried about preserving self or advancing the Kingdom? Those more concerned with the Kingdom understand sacrifice and commitment.
Plot your answers.
Draw an arrow through them.
Chart the trajectory your guy is on and see if it matches up with yours. If you love Jesus and it does, then you’ve found a relationship with potential. If he loves Jesus and it doesn’t, then you’re the one with work to do.
Read Tip #3 : Giving it Time
by Chris Doyle | Apr 1, 2017
Greetings!
I’m continuing my series of takeaways from favorite Bible passages. This week’s DHD focuses on John 4 and Jesus meeting the Samaritan woman at the well.
I’m not going to be elaborate in my takeaways, but I hope you would read and study for yourself, especially if you have never done a study on this passage. There’s a lot packed in this unique encounter.
- An unconventional meeting
Jesus and his disciples were traveling back from Judea to Galilee (vs. 3-4). The quickest route is to go through Samaria, but many Jews did everything they could to avoid traveling through Samaria because of the hatred formed over thousands of years. Samaritans were a mixed race of Jews and Assyrians who were living in this region.
Jesus rested at Jacob’s well after a long journey (vs. 6-9). A woman from the village came to get water, and Jesus asked her for a drink. All the years of hatred caused her to be shocked to receive a simple request of a drink of water. Jewish men did not EVER speak to women in public and ESPECIALLY Samaritan women.
But this modest inquiry led to an amazing encounter.
- A great blessing comes from an indirect answer
This is an interesting case study for Christians sharing the Gospel with an unbeliever. One thing about it, neither the Samaritan woman, as far as we know, nor Jesus directly answer each other’s questions. John never tells if she ever gave Jesus a drink of water, and Jesus never tells her why He, a Jew, is talking to her, a Samaritan (vs. 10).
He does, however, reveal a great description of God as living water, and through His intriguing response, she learns about satisfying a spiritual thirst.
- Being relational can cause inquiry
The Samaritan woman wanted to know more about this living water Jesus mentioned. Of course, she thought Jesus was talking about fulfilling a physical satisfaction. Many unbelievers know they have needs and would be willing to connect with Christians if they knew such needs could be met by doing so. This is why it’s important for Christians to be understanding of what it takes to connect with people, finding out what they seek and being able to help them in a time of crisis or needing answers, results or support.
Unbelievers won’t understand the Gospel. If they did, they wouldn’t be unbelievers. It takes a process through the Holy Spirit’s intercession to fully grasp the greatest message ever given to mankind. Being relational is part of the process.
- Sharing uncomfortable truth
I mentioned last week about Jesus’ discussion with Nicodemus in John 3. Jesus went straight to the point in telling Nicodemus his issue. Nicodemus needed to be born again, and Jesus boldly told him so.
With the Samaritan woman, Jesus wasn’t as direct, but He did point out a concern in her life. Though we don’t know all the details, Jesus does reveal that she has been previously married– five times as a matter of fact, and she was in a live-in relationship with a man who wasn’t her husband.
Jesus was subtle in how he brought this up. It appears He was able to comment about her personal life in such a way that didn’t cause her to shut down and leave or get defensive and tell Him off. We should pray for Jesus to give us this great discernment and communication skill that He demonstrated with the Samaritan woman.
- Sharing deep truth about worship
Instead of getting huffy and puffy with Jesus when He directly addressed her five marriages and her adultery, the woman keeps talking to Him and brings up a popular theological issue of the day – where to “correctly” worship God. Samaritans worshipped at Mount Gerizim, while Jews worshipped in Jerusalem. It was a hard segue, but Jesus plays along and gives a powerful explanation about genuine worship (vs. 21-24).
“For God is Spirit, so those who worship him must do so in spirit and in truth” (John 4:24, NLT). Jesus stressed the location of worship is not important, but how we worship is.
- Sharing Who He is
My favorite part of the conversation between Jesus and this woman is in vs. 25-26. First of all, though it may be easy to judge this woman as having a rather loose reputation, she presents herself as being knowledgeable of the Scriptures.
“The woman said, ‘I know the Messiah will come – the one who is called Christ. When he comes he will explain everything to us’” (John 4:25, NLT).
“’I am He,’ Jesus told her, ‘the One speaking to you’” (John 4:26, HCSB).
So the first person to hear Jesus reveal who He is, according to John’s Gospel account, is an unknown woman with a troubled past. Of course, she immediately becomes a changed woman after Jesus told her He is the Messiah. After living in such a way to avoid people in her community, she sprints back to town, leaving her water jar, a valuable resource, to declare to everyone she just met the Messiah.
People who meet Jesus are loved and accepted, no matter who they are. But after they meet Him and come to grips with Who he is, they are changed people who want to tell others about Jesus.
What a great story about meeting Jesus!
by Ginger Gann | Mar 29, 2017
As a rebellious teen, my ambitious tongue often times ran on ahead of my logic. Ranting and raving, while motivated by emotion, I’d hear myself say things like:
- “I wish I was 18 so I could do what I want!”
- “Eighteen year-olds don’t have to do the polite thing, responsible thing or the hard thing just ‘because I said so.’”
- “Sometimes I wish I had never been born!”
In August, 1988, I fell in love with Jesus, so to speak. I gave my heart away, vowing to live only for Him. HE listens to me. HE cares about my struggles. He calms my soul and eases my fear.
Soon, motivated by hard times and emotion, I hear myself say:
- “I wish I didn’t even know about Jesus.”
- “If I didn’t know Jesus, I wouldn’t have to do the responsible thing, the right thing, or the hard thing just ‘because HE said so.’”
Contrary to popular belief, life is hard – even when you love Jesus.
I hear myself say, “Sometimes I wish I had never been born–again!”
Maybe you can relate.
Maybe there are some things you’re wishing for too.
You may be right in the middle of a hard place right now. Disappointment, fueled by a hot temper, has you primed for a good little hissy-fit! Maybe you hear yourself saying things like:
- “This is not what I signed up for!”
- “Where are you God?”
- “Why is this happening?”
- “Sometimes I wish I …”
One evening, during a particular hard spell several years ago, I latched onto Isaiah 45. In these particular Bible verses, God (through Isaiah) introduces a man by the name of Cyrus, a man who wouldn’t even exist for another 200 years. God promises to go before Cyrus to break down gates of iron, level mountains and make the crooked places straight. He promises to give him hidden treasures, riches stored in secret places.
A promise God absolutely kept – Amazing!
This Scripture tells me there will be hard places, road blocks and disappointments in my life. However, if God would go to the trouble to do these things for Cyrus, a man who didn’t even acknowledge God, how much more will He do for me? And for you! Not because of who I am, or who you are, but because of “Whose” we are.
I am His child. You are His child. And for this reason, our ambitious Heavenly Father goes off ahead of emotions and waits to meet me, and you, right in the middle of all the crooked places. He is there, breaking down barriers and keeping promises –just like He said He would. Makes me wish I would have figured this out sooner. Makes me want to be careful what I wish for …how about you?
So today, I wish for a grateful heart to appreciate:
- A loving God who understands and forgives even the rantings of a rebellious child.
- Hidden treasures, and blessings beyond measure that I often fail to see on this side of my iron gates.
- The way he continues to love, guide, and mold me, while smoothing out all of my hard places until my “wish” is literally what he commands.
… “because HE says so.” Yes, Lord!
“I will give them a heart to know me, that I am the Lord. They will be my people, and I will be their God, for they will return to me with all their heart” (Jer. 24:7).
by Chris Doyle | Mar 24, 2017
Greetings!
I’m beginning a new series within my weekly Doyle’s Half Dozen. For the next few weeks (or longer, depending how many passages I want to analyze) I am going to offer six points about different Biblical texts.
Please know, I’m not a Bible scholar. I have about 12 hours of seminary work that have figuratively been placed on the shelf, plus two courses of Biblical Greek that were audited (I know just enough Greek vocabulary to maybe comprehend some words my pastor pronounces during his sermons).
I’m just a guy who fell in love with teaching Sunday School about 15 years ago, and mostly that was due to realizing that you actually do learn more about a subject when you teach it, and I’ve loved studying the Bible since I was a wee lad.
With that being said, these will be observations I offer about my favorite Bible passages. I start off with John 3, which features a fascinating conversation between Nicodemus and Jesus.
- A meeting between two community leaders
John 3 begins with a brief introduction of Nicodemus, who is identified as a religious leader. Today, nobody would consider Nicodemus as somebody significant, but at this time, he had much influence and was considered to be a very educated man. I picture Nicodemus to be somebody whom, if he walked into a place, everybody would stop what they were doing and give him their full attention. Whatever he said would be considered golden.
Jesus, of course, is considered an outsider at this time, but he was gaining influence. People were amazed at his teaching and watching him perform miracles. Nicodemus also was amazed by Jesus. Other Pharisees were jealous of Jesus because he challenged their views and would undermine their authority when it came to their ridiculous, unnecessary rules.
Nicodemus, however, had a curiosity about Jesus and wanted to find out more about him.
- A meeting after dark
I’m always fascinated by little “nugget” passages of Scripture, the kind that don’t tell everything but just enough to offer an intriguing description. In John 3:2, Nicodemus visits Jesus “at night,” and it’s mentioned in sort of a parenthetical fashion.
Why did John just throw in the timing of when Nicodemus chose to meet with Jesus? The most common conclusion would be to imply that Nicodemus did not want his peers to find out that the great Jewish leader was meeting with a rebel rouser.
I would agree with this conclusion, but I also believe Nicodemus wanted to have a setting where there would be no distractions. Obviously, nobody did business at night because it was hard to see. No electricity, just fire torches or oil lamps that didn’t give off much light, so people were more accustomed to be in their homes and would not venture out in public after dark. This offered a prime setting for Nicodemus to approach Jesus privately.
- Jesus got to the point
Nicodemus starts his conversation with Jesus in a respectful manner. He calls him “Rabbi,” a title of an educated teacher. Nicodemus seems to be establishing a rapport with Jesus, complimenting him as a teacher from God who performs miraculous signs.
When I read Jesus’ response in verse 3, I conclude He isn’t buying the “fluff” Nicodemus offers. He basically said, “Let me be honest with you, unless you are born again you will never see the Kingdom of God.”
Much could be discussed on what Jesus means when he talks about the Kingdom of God or Kingdom of Heaven. For the sake of this DHD, I’m not going to elaborate, but Jesus bluntly told Nicodemus if he wanted to be a part of God’s Kingdom, he must experience a spiritual rebirth. Specifically, Jesus told him, “You must be born again.”
What’s fascinating about all the recorded conversations Jesus had with different people is they all are so different. He didn’t follow a script. His overall message was the same, but He applied different approaches. For next week’s DHD, I’m planning to offer takeaways from John 4, which features Jesus’ conversation with the woman at the well, a total opposite method He uses from the way he deals with Nicodemus.
- Is Nicodemus being ‘sassy’?
One of the reasons I like Nicodemus is I can see a lot of myself in how he is presented in John’s narrative. A few of my co-workers have said I can be a little “sassy,” regarding some comments I make once in a while. It’s understood I’m being funny and making light of a situation (at least I hope so).
When Nicodemus responds to Jesus’ imperative of being born again (vs. 4), he asks how is it possible for someone to be born again and refers to the physical birth process? I love this response because Nicodemus gives a ridiculous notion that a grown man must get back into his mother’s womb.
Maybe there’s an element of disrespecting Jesus or maybe Nicodemus literally doesn’t understand what Jesus means when talking about being born again. If Nicodemus would have asked his question on social media, I wonder what kind of responses he would get. Sarcasm doesn’t always translate well on Facebook or in email or text messages.
Because of the setting at night, with no one else around, I conclude this is a light-hearted situation. I don’t believe Nicodemus is trying to make Jesus appear foolish. I believe he sincerely wants to understand but couldn’t fully grasp the terminology Jesus was using.
- Jesus stayed on point
Here is where Jesus overlooks the possible sassiness of Nicodemus’ question and gives him a complete explanation (vs. 5-7). He explains how there is a difference between physical birth (born of water) and spiritual birth (born of spirit), but both are needed to enter the Kingdom of God.
I like the New Living Translation of verse 6: “Humans can reproduce only human life, but the Holy Spirit gives new life from heaven.”
All humanity experiences physical birth, which is flawed because of sinful nature (Rom. 3:23), but only through the Holy Spirit providing a spiritual rebirth can someone experience new life. This is why everybody falls short, and nobody is able to “live a good life.” Also, this is why Jesus reiterated in verse 7 to Nicodemus that being born again is essential to experiencing eternal life in Heaven.
Jesus continues his teaching on rebirth, how it involves faith in believing in the Son of God, using the example of Moses in the wilderness lifting up a serpent on a pole for the Israelites to gaze upon to receive healing from snake bites. Salvation from a life of sin comes when we look upon Jesus who was lifted up on the cross.
- The greatest message is pronounced
The last takeaway from this conversation at night between two community leaders is this is where the most popular summation of the Gospel is first communicated. Otherwise known by its reference, John 3:16, Jesus shares for the first time with Nicodemus what many consider the most popular Bible verse:
“For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son that whosoever believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.”
This describes the pattern of true love, that it’s formatted sacrificially, and God lovingly sacrificed His own son Jesus as a demonstration of His true love for the world. And we who believe in Jesus will have eternal life that is possible through the penalty Jesus paid on the cross.
I conclude with a commentary on John 3:16 from the Life Application Bible:
“When we share the Good News with others, our love must be like Jesus’ – willingly giving up our own comfort and security so that others might join us in receiving God’s love.”
by Angela Sanders | Mar 22, 2017
I’m no dating expert. In fact, I feel certain that my own happy marriage is more the gracious answer of a generous God to the fervent—maybe frantic—prayers of family and friends than the result of any significant wisdom displayed on my part during the whole dating process, one that was, for me, a long and arduous journey fraught with confusion and heartache.
Then I met Todd.
I liked him.
He was funny. He was handsome. He was tall. And he wore the smile my heart needed, the one I’d always known deep down that my husband would have, genuine, involuntary, almost constant. We met at the OSU BSU and were friends for a long time before we ever dated. The more time I spent with him, the more I learned about him. The more I learned about him, the more I admired and trusted him, and somewhere along the way, without hesitation, trepidation, or exhaustive analysis, I gave him my heart, sure he would keep it safe.
Tired of having to go our separate ways at night, Todd and I eventually married, and I’ve never doubted or regretted that decision for even a fraction of a second. Only after our vows were exchanged did I discover the true value of the treasure God had laid in my lap. My husband’s not perfect, but he’s true and puts just as much effort into loving me as I put into loving him. What’s more, he’d choose Jesus over me in a second; that’s how I know we will last.
No, I’m not a dating expert, but I did learn a lot through trial and error. I have watched a lot of other happily married people handle the dating process with more intentionality, and although I didn’t take stock of my own full pantry until after vows had been exchanged, I do know what a thriving marriage requires and have put in the necessary work for almost 25 years now.
I know marriage isn’t for everyone, but drawing on my meager credentials, I’d like to offer girls and ladies who are open to the prospect a few dating tips from the flipside. May God lodge what He likes in your mind and mop the rest from your memory.
Tip #1: Pay attention to men who love Jesus. Notice I didn’t say, “Look for a man who loves Jesus,” the main objective being the finding of a man. That’s because your main objective in all things, dating and marriage included, must be Jesus. Always. Don’t search. Don’t hunt. Simply live your life in hot pursuit of the Savior and give special consideration to men who are doing the same whether or not you would have noticed them otherwise.
Why is it so important to marry a man who loves Jesus? Well, it’s a yoke issue (2 Cor 6:14). You see, to love Jesus is to obey Him (John 14:21). As you and your future husband will be making decisions together that will dramatically affect your availability for Kingdom work FOREVER, you simply must be on the same page as a couple to remain open and obedient to God’s leading as individuals.
Marry someone who doesn’t love Jesus like you do and you’ll likely spend the rest of your life feeling stifled, frustrated and regretful. That’s not to say that God can’t work in and through whatever situation you’ve put yourself in. He can, but no amount of hand-holding, wistful gazing and sweet nothings could ever make up for the disappointment of knowing you forfeited, for whatever reason that seemed important at the time, God’s plan A, the opportunity to live your life for God’s glory alone, something a husband who doesn’t love Jesus can’t possibly understand, much less facilitate, but a husband who truly loves Jesus frees, encourages, and even enables his wife to do.
How do you know if a man loves Jesus?
First, he spends time with Him, with or without you, but at least without you.
Second, he reads His Bible, not just for knowledge acquisition, but to discover God’s will for His life.
Third, he prays, not to say he did or to impress you, but to discern God’s will and participate in His plan.
Fourth, and most importantly, as it is the only observable proof in this list, he patterns His life after the truth of God’s Word, loving Jesus by serving others and demonstrating a consistent willingness to be molded, changed and corrected by the Holy Spirit.
Don’t be fooled by touching displays of emotion or big, impressive spiritual talk. Those things are easy to fake. Wait for follow-through. Look for supernatural growth and change over time.
Listen, affection is good. We all like it—some of us way more than others—but it’s reflexive. It costs little. As unsustainable as any other human emotion, attitude or response, it waxes and wanes to the pull of life’s rhythm, no matter how worthy its object may be. Plainly put, it comes and goes, and if that’s all a man is able to offer Jesus, it’s likely that’s all he’ll ever be able to offer you, too.
What you want and need is love, true love after Jesus’ example, and that takes effort. A commitment deeper than emotion, true love transcends circumstance and deserving. Selfless, it plays out in service and sacrifice and endures throughout all of life’s seasons. A proactive choice, it is constant.
So pay very close attention to men who love Jesus, ladies. Give them a second, third or even a fourth look. They’re equipped to love you, too!
Read Tip #2 : Realistic and Fair Expectations