Seek God Not Fame

In today’s “I want to go viral” world, it is easy to get lost in the pursuit of fame or recognition. As you read this passage, you will learn that Jesus sought neither fame nor recognition. He only wanted to do the will of the Father. 

At the height of His ministry, instead of seeking more platforms from which to teach, Luke writes that He “often withdrew to lonely places and prayed.”

If Jesus never sought fame or recognition, why do we? Take time out of your day to have a talk with God. Ask Him to show you the desire of your heart. If He reveals that your desire is to be well known, ask Him to help you cast that desire away. Here’s today’s Bible verse. Enjoy. 

Luke 5:12-16

12 While Jesus was in one of the towns, a man came along who was covered with leprosy. When he saw Jesus, he fell with his face to the ground and begged him, “Lord, if you are willing, you can make me clean.”
13 Jesus reached out his hand and touched the man. “I am willing,” he said. “Be clean!” And immediately the leprosy left him.

14 Then Jesus ordered him, “Don’t tell anyone,but go, show yourself to the priest and offer the sacrifices that Moses commanded for your cleansing, as a testimony to them.”

15 Yet the news about him spread all the more,so that crowds of people came to hear him and to be healed of their sicknesses. 16 But Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed.

Today’s Readings:

Luke 5:12-28; Proverbs 11:23Seek God Not Fame

In today’s “I want to go viral” world, it is easy to get lost in the pursuit of fame or recognition. As you read this passage, you will learn that Jesus sought neither fame nor recognition. He only wanted to do the will of the Father. 

At the height of His ministry, instead of seeking more platforms from which to teach, Luke writes that He “often withdrew to lonely places and prayed.”

If Jesus never sought fame or recognition, why do we? Take time out of your day to have a talk with God. Ask Him to show you the desire of your heart. If He reveals that your desire is to be well known, ask Him to help you cast that desire away. Here’s today’s Bible verse. Enjoy. 

Luke 5:12-16

12 While Jesus was in one of the towns, a man came along who was covered with leprosy. When he saw Jesus, he fell with his face to the ground and begged him, “Lord, if you are willing, you can make me clean.”
13 Jesus reached out his hand and touched the man. “I am willing,” he said. “Be clean!” And immediately the leprosy left him.

14 Then Jesus ordered him, “Don’t tell anyone,but go, show yourself to the priest and offer the sacrifices that Moses commanded for your cleansing, as a testimony to them.”

15 Yet the news about him spread all the more,so that crowds of people came to hear him and to be healed of their sicknesses. 16 But Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed.

Today’s Readings:

Luke 5:12-28; Proverbs 11:23

Demons Know Him

These two passages beg one question, if demons know who Jesus is, why do we struggle knowing the fullness of who He is.

Many people know “of” Jesus, but not many know Him the way these demons know Him. And that’s a problem. Knowing Jesus is critical to knowing God. 

You may “think” you know God, but if you don’t know Jesus, you cannot know God. 

Take time out of your busy schedule today and spend time alone with God. Allow Him to reveal Himself to you in a fresh, clear way that will enable you to know Him and His Son. Begin to have a relationship with Him that will enable you to share the gospel and make disciples. That’s what He has called all of us to do! Here’s today’s Bible verse. Enjoy. 

Luke 4:33-35; 40-41

33 In the synagogue there was a man possessed by a demon, an impure spirit. He cried out at the top of his voice, 34 “Go away! What do you want with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are—the Holy One of God!”
35 “Be quiet!” Jesus said sternly. “Come out of him!” Then the demon threw the man down before them all and came out without injuring him.

40 At sunset, the people brought to Jesus all who had various kinds of sickness, and laying his hands on each one, he healed them. 41 Moreover, demons came out of many people, shouting, “You are the Son of God!” But he rebuked them and would not allow them to speak, because they knew he was the Messiah.

Today’s Readings:

Luke 4:31-5:11; Proverbs 11:22

He Was Hungry

As I reread verse two of this passage, I changed the word hungry to “human.” Jesus was no different then we are when it came to hunger, thirst, pain, and any other physical feeling or emotion. His body had the same limitations as our bodies do. 

So, why was He able to remain sinless, while we struggle so much and sometimes go from sin to sin without a break? The simple answer is found in verse one and verse fourteen of today’s reading. He was led by the Holy Spirit. 

He yielded to every urging of the Holy Spirit. Whatever the Spirit said to do, Jesus did. That’s the difference. We don’t do that. We have to put our opinion in things. We “know” what’s best. We are not “weak,” we can make our own decisions. I mean, “God wants us to be happy, right?”

What a joke we are sometimes. God NEVER wants us to be happy when it negates us being obedient. (read that twice).

Yes, Jesus was hungry. Also yes, Jesus never sinned. If He did it, we can do it. How? By the power of the Holy Spirit. The One He sent. 

If you doubt that the Holy Spirit can keep you from sinning, then you’re guilty of putting your opinion before God’s truth! Why would the Holy Spirit guide you into sin? Think about that. Here’s today’s Bible verse. Enjoy. 

Luke 4:1-2

4 Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, left the Jordan and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness, 2 where for forty days he was tempted by the devil. He ate nothing during those days, and at the end of them he was hungry.

Today’s Readings:

Luke 4:1-30; Proverbs 11:20-21

His Biological Lineage

If you’re anything like me, you enjoy learning about genealogies. Today’s reading from Luke is the genealogy of Jesus through His mother Mary, or the biological lineage. 

It’s a fascinating genealogy because at one point both have the same line, up to David. 

I always enjoy reading about Jesus lineage because there are people in His direct line that remind us of the grace of God. The one I would encourage you to study today is Perez. Read Genesis 38 to learn how he was conceived. Then consider the fact that he is a direct descendent of King David and Jesus, both through the royal lineage and the biological lineage. 

Now think about your life. What have you done that you believe God will not forgive? What holds you back from complete surrender? As you consider Perez’s conception and place in the line of Jesus, please know that He is a forgiving God. Here’s today’s Bible verse. Enjoy. 

Luke 3:23

23 Now Jesus himself was about thirty years old when he began his ministry. He was the son, so it was thought, of Joseph,
the son of Heli.

Today’s Readings:

Luke 3:23-38; Proverbs 11:18-19

Produce Fruit

I have not heard many messages on the teachings of John the Baptist. In fact, I have never taught on the teachings of John the Baptist. That will change in the coming week as I will teach about his teachings on the March 23 episode of the Agape Leaders podcast. I hope you listen to the podcast twice weekly. The lessons  will help you grow in your faith. 

In this passage John shares a lesson that Jesus will teach during His time on earth. We need to produce fruit. But there’s a tag on his lesson to produce fruit. He adds, “in keeping with your repentance.”

That jumped off the page for me. We say we have repented. We say we have given our lives to Christ, yet there is no fruit in our lives. We think that we get to say, “my relationship with God is between Him and me, alone” and that absolves us from having to share our gifts and be fruit bearers. That is not so. 

If you are walking with Christ, you MUST bear fruit. It’s non-negotiable. What fruit are you bearing? Here’s today’s Bible verse. Enjoy. 

Luke 3:7-9

7 John said to the crowds coming out to be baptized by him, “You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath?8 Produce fruit in keeping with repentance. And do not begin to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father.’ For I tell you that out of these stones God can raise up children for Abraham. 9 The ax is already at the root of the trees, and every tree that does not produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire.”

Today’s Readings:

Luke 3:1-22; Proverbs 11:16-17

Smart Strong Honorable 

Luke 2:52 is one of my favorite verses. While I was earning a master’s degree in ministerial leadership I had a class in which we had to break that passage down into our lives. 

We had to develop a plan to grow wiser through learning, stronger through a physical health plan, and honorable by living for Christ intentionally. I loved doing this. I still have the plan. 

Jesus lived a perfect example for us. If Jesus did it, we must seek to do it. But here’s the beautiful thing. Based on the gift of the Holy Spirit, if Jesus did it, so can we. 

What are you waiting for? Live a life for Christ that leads you to be smart, strong, honorable! Here’s today’s Bible verse. Enjoy. 

Luke 2:51-52

51 Then he went down to Nazareth with themand was obedient to them. But his mother treasured all these things in her heart. 52 And Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and man.

Today’s Readings:

Luke 2:36-52; Proverbs 11:15

When We Started

This passage in Proverbs brought back so many memories. This seemingly benign proverb was the original foundation scripture for Agape Leaders. 

Through the years, it found its way into the background as the Lord molded this organization into a ministry that makes disciples, feeds & clothes people, and prays for people. 

Our current foundation scripture is Matthew 28:18-20. We are “Living the Great Commission.” However, I will always remember how we started. It’s important to not despise small beginnings. Here’s today’s Bible verse. Enjoy. 

Proverbs 11:14

14 For lack of guidance a nation falls, but victory is won through many advisers.

Today’s Readings:

Luke 2:1-35; Proverbs 11:14

Stop Gossip

If you’ve ever been the topic of gossip, then you know how destructive it can be. Most people know this, yet they continue to participate in it. That is, until it comes to their front door. 

The writer of this proverb shares a truth about gossip that we would do well to internalize. It ends in betrayal. 

Remember, if a person gossips to you about others, it’s fair to assume that they gossip to others about you.

However, notice the flip side of gossip. A person who is trustworthy is one on whom we can rely to maintain our trust. Be that person. Here’s today’s Bible verse. Enjoy. 

Proverbs 11:13

13 A gossip betrays a confidence, but a trustworthy person keeps a secret.

Today’s Readings:

Luke 1:57-80; Proverbs 11:12-13

God’s Word

“God told me…” I have said this and heard people say it to me. There was a time in my life in which I didn’t fully understand what I was saying. I believed God was speaking to me, but truthfully, I was wrong sometimes. 

Through Spiritual maturity and daily interaction with God through Bible reading and prayer, I am much better at discerning the voice of God from the voice of Gregg or, worse, the voice of the enemy. This has been critical in my walk with Christ. 

We read in Luke that God’s word never fails. When we misrepresent God and that “word” from God fails, we are telling people that God’s word can fail. This can pull people away from Christ. That’s never a good thing, especially for the person who has misrepresented Christ. 

As you share Christ with others, take care to learn the  voice of God by spending much time with Him. You will share Him better. Here’s today’s Bible verse. Enjoy. 

Luke 1:37:8

37 “For no word from God will ever fail.”

Today’s Readings:

Luke 1:26-56; Proverbs 11:9-11

Y’all Ain’t Ready

Something I say from time to time is the phrase, “y’all ain’t ready.” I got it from a song. It’s a fun way I use to introduce something special or unique. 

As I read this passage, I thought about my funny quip. The world appears to not be ready for Jesus Christ, yet God sent the Preparer to get everyone ready. 

Notice the lineage of John. Notice the faithfulness of his parents. As you study about John the Baptist, you will learn that he was a righteous man. Jesus said of him that there is no person born of a woman who is greater than John. He lived well. 

But his life is not the one we must follow. That example is reserved for Jesus. 

Over the next few weeks we will read through the book of Luke. Purpose in your heart to use this time to draw closer to Christ. Luke’s gospel is a little more detailed in the teachings of Jesus. It holds numerous parables. 

I encourage you to journal through this book. Ask questions, then allow the Holy Spirit to speak to you and give you the answers you seek. 

We are called to go and make disciples. But we can’t do that if we ain’t ready. Here’s today’s Bible verse. Enjoy. 

Luke 1:14-17

14 He will be a joy and delight to you, and many will rejoice because of his birth, 15 for he will be great in the sight of the Lord. He is never to take wine or other fermented drink, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit even before he is born.16 He will bring back many of the people of Israel to the Lord their God. 17 And he will go on before the Lord, in the spirit and power of Elijah,to turn the hearts of the parents to their children and the disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous—to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.”

Today’s Readings: Luke 1:1-25; Proverbs 11:8

Do It Afraid

I have heard people say that if you are afraid to do something, do it afraid. This passage is a reminder of the importance of persevering through fear to do the work of the Father. 

Weekly our ministry goes on prayer walks. We go into the community and ask people if we can pray for them. When we first started doing this, it was fear inspiring to say the least. However, as we have done more prayer walks, the fear has subsided. 

In a recent prayer walk, the person with me prayed for a couple of ladies. Her prayer was bold and powerful. The first time she came on a prayer walk she told us she was not going to pray. Now she’s ready, willing, and able by the power of the Holy Spirit. 

Why?

Because she did it afraid until she could do it comfortably. 

Be mindful of this: you may never find comfort in what God has you doing. So what, do it afraid! Here’s today’s Bible verse. Enjoy. 

Mark 16:8

8 Trembling and bewildered, the women went out and fled from the tomb. They said nothing to anyone, because they were afraid.

Today’s Readings:

Mark 16:1-20; Proverbs 11:7

The Cost Of Your Salvation

As you read this passage, be mindful that it describes the cost of your salvation. What Jesus endured prior to going to the cross and on the cross is the price paid for your salvation. 

As you willfully sin, think about to mocking, the blows to the head, the spitting, and the possible humiliation Jesus endured so that you might be forgiven of your willful sin. 

That’s a pricey cost. We should behave in a way that honors what He did. Here’s today’s Bible verse. Enjoy. 

Mark 15:16-20

16 The soldiers led Jesus away into the palace(that is, the Praetorium) and called together the whole company of soldiers. 17 They put a purple robe on him, then twisted together a crown of thorns and set it on him. 18 And they began to call out to him, “Hail, king of the Jews!” 19 Again and again they struck him on the head with a staff and spit on him. Falling on their knees, they paid homage to him. 20 And when they had mocked him, they took off the purple robe and put his own clothes on him. Then they led him out to crucify him.

Today’s Readings:

Mark 15:1-47; Proverbs 11:5-6

I AM On The Clouds

This passage is full of Christ’s true identity. The Chief Priest and the Sanhedrin would know exactly what Jesus meant when He responded to the question of His true identity. 

In this response, Jesus called Himself “I Am,” the name God told Moses to use when the Israelites asked who sent him. In a real sense, Jesus was telling the listeners that He is God. 

He followed up calling Himself I Am by saying they would see Him on the clouds of Heaven. Be reminded that God covered His glory with a cloud as He guided the Israelites to the Promise Land. 

In this moment, Jesus said, I am God and I will be your judge when I decide the time is right. That’s why the Chief Priest “lost his mind” so to speak. Because he didn’t believe Jesus was God in the flesh, in his mind, the only possibility was blasphemy.  

What about you? Who do you believe Jesus is? If you believe He is the Messiah, does the life you live corroborate your answer? Here’s today’s Bible verse. Enjoy. 

Mark 14:62

62 “I am,” said Jesus. “And you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Mighty One and coming on the clouds of heaven.”

Today’s Readings:

Mark 14:53-72; Proverbs 11:4

Our Weak Flesh

This passage is a good reminder that proximity with Jesus does not equal good works. Peter, James, and John were close with Jesus. They have been called His inner circle, yet when His hour of greatest need came, they slept. 

This comes down to our weak flesh. Indeed the Holy Spirit in us is capable of accomplishing all God calls us to do. However, our flesh hinders our progress. 

What areas of your life have you yet to surrender to God to the point that your flesh keeps you from doing good works by the power of the Holy Spirit? Spend time with God today. Ask Him to give you the strength to overcome. When He gives it to you, use it well! Here’s today’s Bible verse. Enjoy. 

Mark 14:33-38

33 He took Peter, James and John along with him, and he began to be deeply distressed and troubled. 34 “My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death,” he said to them. “Stay here and keep watch.”

35 Going a little farther, he fell to the ground and prayed that if possible the hour might pass from him. 36 “Abba, Father,” he said, “everything is possible for you. Take this cup from me. Yet not what I will, but what you will.”

37 Then he returned to his disciples and found them sleeping. “Simon,” he said to Peter, “are you asleep? Couldn’t you keep watch for one hour? 38 Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.”

Today’s Readings:

Mark 14:22-52; Proverbs 11:1-3

An Alabaster Jar

This passage reminds me of a song by CeCe Winans titled Alabaster Box. A line in the song is, “you don’t know the cost of the oil in my alabaster box.”

The breaking of the alabaster jar in this passage symbolizes the brokenness of the woman who is anointing Jesus. She is surrendering her life to Him by giving Him her all. It can be assumed that she has had a difficult life, yet, for her, finding Jesus changed her circumstances. 

One’s life is the highest price they can pay. Jesus did that for us. The woman in this story understood something we all would do well to learn; she knew that without Jesus, her life was nothing.

Do you have that attitude? Are you a person who understands that without Jesus you’re nothing? Spend time with God today. Ask Him to reveal areas in your life that you have not surrendered to Him. When He shows you, don’t quibble, surrender! Here’s today’s Bible verse. Enjoy. 

Mark 14:3

3 While he was in Bethany, reclining at the table in the home of Simon the Leper, a woman came with an alabaster jar of very expensive perfume, made of pure nard. She broke the jar and poured the perfume on his head.

Today’s Readings:

Mark 14:1-21; Proverbs 10:31-32

Who Is Blameless

This proverb is interesting. It has me thinking; who is blameless. 

One person we know God called blameless is Job. He describes Job to Satan as “blameless and upright.” How did Job become blameless? Let’s look at the conversation he had with his wife in Job 2.

She asks him, “are you still holding on to your integrity? Curse God and die.” Job’s response showed he understood the “ups and downs” of following God. He tells her that it’s not right to only accept the good and not the bad. 

Tough times are going to come. When they do, how will you respond to God. Will you “curse Him and die,” or will you hold on to your integrity. The latter way is the blameless way. Here’s today’s Bible verse. Enjoy. 

Proverbs 10:29-30

29 The way of the Lord is a refuge for the blameless, but it is the ruin of those who do evil. 30 The righteous will never be uprooted, but the wicked will not remain in the land.

Today’s Readings:

Mark 13:14-37; Proverbs 10:29-30

Seek The Lord Only

I’ve heard it said, “be careful what you look for you might find it.” The implication is that what you find may turn out to be bad for you. As Christians, we need to heed these words. 

As we seek the Lord, we must seek Him only. When we seek to have Him packaged in a certain way, we can easily find ourselves walking down a path that we are certain leads to Christ, but in the end, it leads us away from Him. 

Believer beware, there’s an adversary who is prowling around like a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour. If you are not grounded in your faith in Jesus, he will devour you. Here’s today’s Bible verse. Enjoy. 

Isaiah 55:6; Proverbs 14:12

6 Seek the Lord while he may be found; call on him while he is near.

12 There is a way that appears to be right, but in the end it leads to death.

Today’s Readings:

Mark 12:38-13:13; Proverbs 10:27-28

Why These Two

In this passage, Jesus is asked which is the most important commandment. In true Jesus fashion, He gives a complete answer to an incomplete question. He tells the asker which TWO are the most important commandments. This begs the question:

Why these two?

Simply put, you cannot love God and people, then turn around and break God’s moral laws. Love is the key. Read 1 Corinthians 13:4-8a to get a good definition of love God’s way. Here’s today’s Bible verse. Enjoy. 

Mark 12:29-31

29 “The most important one,” answered Jesus, “is this: ‘Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. 30 Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ 31 The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no commandment greater than these.”

Today’s Readings:

Mark 12:18-37; Proverbs 10:26

Righteous Living

The pursuit of righteousness should be at the root of every believers life. Jesus said to seek (God’s) kingdom and His righteousness.

As we read this proverb, we see that a righteous person will stand firm in the storm.  Can we be righteous? The simple answer is, apart from Christ, no.

If we want to live righteously, then Jesus Christ must be the root, trunk, branches, leaves, and fruit of our life. We can withhold no part of our lives from Jesus if we want to pursue righteous living. Here’s today’s Bible verse. Enjoy. 

Proverbs 10:25

25 When the storm has swept by, the wicked are gone, but the righteous stand firm forever.

Today’s Readings:

Mark 11:27-12:17; Proverbs 10:24-25

Just Like He Said

I love when I read passages like this one. It’s a reminder that God is always working always everywhere. 

Jesus told His disciples to go untie the colt and bring it to them. He said, “If someone asks…” tell them this. Sure enough, someone asked and the disciples said what Jesus told them to say, and they got the colt. It happened just like He said it would. 

Be mindful that God is at work in your life in this same manner. As you seek Him with all your heart, He is preparing the way, touching hearts, and setting up divine appointments. Your primary part is to walk faithfully with Him. Here’s today’s Bible verse. Enjoy. 

Mark 11:2-6

2 saying to them, “Go to the village ahead of you, and just as you enter it, you will find a colt tied there, which no one has ever ridden. Untie it and bring it here. 3 If anyone asks you, ‘Why are you doing this?’ say, ‘The Lord needs it and will send it back here shortly.’”

4 They went and found a colt outside in the street, tied at a doorway. As they untied it, 5 some people standing there asked, “What are you doing, untying that colt?” 6 They answered as Jesus had told them to, and the people let them go.

Today’s Readings:

Mark 11:1-26; Proverbs 10:23