I tell you the truth, the Son can do nothing by himself; he can do only what he sees his Father doing, because whatever the Father does the Son also does. (NIV)
It is natural for children to imitate their parents, and for this reason, there is a huge burden and responsibility on parents to live their lives in a worthy manner. Like it or not, our children will do what we do.
No matter the relationship you have with your earthly parents, as you grow and mature in the Christian faith, you come to see that there is only one Whom you must imitate, your heavenly Father. Jesus Himself claimed that He did only what He had seen His Father doing.
So what have you seen your Father in heaven doing? What things has He done in your life? If you are not sure, then look to the pages of the Bible. They are filled with stories of His guidance, provision, love, power, grace, mercy, forgiveness, creativity...the list goes on and on. How can you be like Him?
Father, I want to be like you, for You created me in Your image. What part of Your life, Your work have You called me to? Grant me the grace and strength to grow in You so that, just as it was with Jesus, others can see You when they see me. In the name of Jesus, Who reflected You perfectly, amen.
Copyright © 2012 by Steven R. Perkins
Sunday, June 17, 2012
Sunday, June 10, 2012
June 10 (Philippians 2:6-7)
Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. (NIV)
General relativity and quantum mechanics are two of the most successful theories in physics. Their accuracy for describing the created order is unparalleled. The bad news is that these two theories do not work well together. General relativity is great when it comes to describing the universe, but it falls apart at the subatomic level. If you want to understand atoms, you need quantum mechanics, which is utterly useless when looking at outer space.
As scientists continue to search for a theory that would unify the very large and the very small, we can note that this unification has in fact already happened. No one can conceive the true vastness of God. The far-flung galaxies and the broad sweep of the universe are smaller than He. Yet the immensity of God entered into creation, becoming human in Christ Jesus. He diminished Himself still further by becoming not a human king, but a human servant, and one who died the death of a criminal at that.
This grand unification of glory and obscurity served one purpose, to restore you to a loving relationship with God. Is there any reason this would not prompt your undying allegiance, faithfulness, and service to Him every single day of your life?
Father, I tremble at what You have done for me. I am not worthy in the least that even one iota of Your glory should have been diminished. That You would suffer for me is more than I can bear. May my life bear witness in all that I do, say, and think to the incomparable gift that is the life, death, and resurrection of my Lord, Jesus. In His name I pray, amen.
Copyright © 2012 by Steven R. Perkins
General relativity and quantum mechanics are two of the most successful theories in physics. Their accuracy for describing the created order is unparalleled. The bad news is that these two theories do not work well together. General relativity is great when it comes to describing the universe, but it falls apart at the subatomic level. If you want to understand atoms, you need quantum mechanics, which is utterly useless when looking at outer space.
As scientists continue to search for a theory that would unify the very large and the very small, we can note that this unification has in fact already happened. No one can conceive the true vastness of God. The far-flung galaxies and the broad sweep of the universe are smaller than He. Yet the immensity of God entered into creation, becoming human in Christ Jesus. He diminished Himself still further by becoming not a human king, but a human servant, and one who died the death of a criminal at that.
This grand unification of glory and obscurity served one purpose, to restore you to a loving relationship with God. Is there any reason this would not prompt your undying allegiance, faithfulness, and service to Him every single day of your life?
Father, I tremble at what You have done for me. I am not worthy in the least that even one iota of Your glory should have been diminished. That You would suffer for me is more than I can bear. May my life bear witness in all that I do, say, and think to the incomparable gift that is the life, death, and resurrection of my Lord, Jesus. In His name I pray, amen.
Copyright © 2012 by Steven R. Perkins
Sunday, June 3, 2012
June 3 (Titus 1:6)
An elder must be blameless.... (NIV)
In the first chapter of his letter to Titus, Paul gives instructions for the qualifications of church leaders and begins with being blameless. This might well be enough to cause many people to throw up their hands, stop reading, and move on. Surely Paul is asking a bit much by requiring that leaders be blameless!
Not only does Paul say they should be blameless, but this is the baseline qualification. He goes on from there! Is it possible that we have become a bit lax? We are right to acknowledge our failures and remind ourselves that the blood of Jesus is sufficient to cover all sins. The problem is that we too often stay just at that point. God's grace is also sufficient to transform us into what we were made to be. God is not content to leave us in our state of failure.
Read back through the passages of Scripture talking about the Christian life. They are challenging. They may be describing something far out of our reach. Do not give up. Pray to God for the strength of His grace to achieve what He desires you to be. Being blameless is not impossible for those whose lives are fully surrendered to Christ.
Lord, give me the courage and persistence to stay on the path, to reach the goal that You have set for me. Help me to root out the sin in my life while developing the spiritual gifts and disciplines that will make me a fit servant in Your kingdom. In the name of Jesus Christ, I pray. Amen.
Copyright © 2012 by Steven R. Perkins
In the first chapter of his letter to Titus, Paul gives instructions for the qualifications of church leaders and begins with being blameless. This might well be enough to cause many people to throw up their hands, stop reading, and move on. Surely Paul is asking a bit much by requiring that leaders be blameless!
Not only does Paul say they should be blameless, but this is the baseline qualification. He goes on from there! Is it possible that we have become a bit lax? We are right to acknowledge our failures and remind ourselves that the blood of Jesus is sufficient to cover all sins. The problem is that we too often stay just at that point. God's grace is also sufficient to transform us into what we were made to be. God is not content to leave us in our state of failure.
Read back through the passages of Scripture talking about the Christian life. They are challenging. They may be describing something far out of our reach. Do not give up. Pray to God for the strength of His grace to achieve what He desires you to be. Being blameless is not impossible for those whose lives are fully surrendered to Christ.
Lord, give me the courage and persistence to stay on the path, to reach the goal that You have set for me. Help me to root out the sin in my life while developing the spiritual gifts and disciplines that will make me a fit servant in Your kingdom. In the name of Jesus Christ, I pray. Amen.
Copyright © 2012 by Steven R. Perkins
Sunday, May 27, 2012
May 27 (Luke 22:19)
And he took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them,
saying, “This is my body given for you; do this in remembrance of me.”
(NIV)
This is a weekend of remembrance. Most people take time to remember
those who have died, whether in military service or in other
circumstances. Such remembrance is an important part of the heritage
we pass along to the next generation.
In the ancient world, this was the extent of what one could hope for.
Being remembered by the future generations was the only sort of eternal
life that anyone could imagine. After Jesus, we know there is much,
much more. We know this because the Lord we remember every day of our
lives and whenever we join for worship not only died, but rose again.
His resurrection guaranteed not only that we would remember Him for His
extraordinary work, but that He would remember us.
On top of that, He instituted a practice by which every assembly of His
followers could be a memorial day. By sanctifying the bread and wine
of His last supper, He provided us with the means for an ongoing
remembrance of what we have to look forward to and why it is a most
reasonable hope.
Lord Jesus, may we never forget the tremendous sacrifice of Your death
and the glorious miracle of Your resurrection. May You remember us
when we call upon Your name, that we may have true eternal life with
You. Amen.
saying, “This is my body given for you; do this in remembrance of me.”
(NIV)
This is a weekend of remembrance. Most people take time to remember
those who have died, whether in military service or in other
circumstances. Such remembrance is an important part of the heritage
we pass along to the next generation.
In the ancient world, this was the extent of what one could hope for.
Being remembered by the future generations was the only sort of eternal
life that anyone could imagine. After Jesus, we know there is much,
much more. We know this because the Lord we remember every day of our
lives and whenever we join for worship not only died, but rose again.
His resurrection guaranteed not only that we would remember Him for His
extraordinary work, but that He would remember us.
On top of that, He instituted a practice by which every assembly of His
followers could be a memorial day. By sanctifying the bread and wine
of His last supper, He provided us with the means for an ongoing
remembrance of what we have to look forward to and why it is a most
reasonable hope.
Lord Jesus, may we never forget the tremendous sacrifice of Your death
and the glorious miracle of Your resurrection. May You remember us
when we call upon Your name, that we may have true eternal life with
You. Amen.
Sunday, May 20, 2012
May 20 (Luke 9:2-3)
[H]e sent them out to preach the kingdom of God and to heal the sick. He told them: "Take nothing for the journey—no staff, no bag, no bread, no money, no extra tunic." (NIV)
What does it take for you to do anything? Most of us find it inconceivable to do our business without access to the Internet, usually via a smart phone and Wi-Fi. Increasingly it seems that getting the news requires a computer, a worship service requires a Broadway production, and going for a walk requires ear buds and an iPod.
What trivial, meaningless, worthless task could Jesus have given his disciples that would have required none of these things, not even a walking stick, suitcase, food, cash, or a change of clothes? It was nothing less than the greatest task anyone could ever have, to preach the kingdom of God and to heal the sick. Had He told any of us to go and do likewise, we first would have planned the trip to the last detail through Travelocity and taken along a tablet on which to blog the details.
Technology is not bad. You are reading this devotion as an email. Yet we have to pause and ask ourselves. How much do we think we need to do tasks of lesser importance? What is God willing to provide to do all that really matters?
Father, help me to clear out the noise that comes from the stuff of the world around me, that I may hear Your call more clearly. Help me to set aside my reliance on things and cling only to You. In the name of Your Son, Jesus, Who embraced the wood of the cross to set me free, amen.
Copyright © 2012 by Steven R. Perkins
What does it take for you to do anything? Most of us find it inconceivable to do our business without access to the Internet, usually via a smart phone and Wi-Fi. Increasingly it seems that getting the news requires a computer, a worship service requires a Broadway production, and going for a walk requires ear buds and an iPod.
What trivial, meaningless, worthless task could Jesus have given his disciples that would have required none of these things, not even a walking stick, suitcase, food, cash, or a change of clothes? It was nothing less than the greatest task anyone could ever have, to preach the kingdom of God and to heal the sick. Had He told any of us to go and do likewise, we first would have planned the trip to the last detail through Travelocity and taken along a tablet on which to blog the details.
Technology is not bad. You are reading this devotion as an email. Yet we have to pause and ask ourselves. How much do we think we need to do tasks of lesser importance? What is God willing to provide to do all that really matters?
Father, help me to clear out the noise that comes from the stuff of the world around me, that I may hear Your call more clearly. Help me to set aside my reliance on things and cling only to You. In the name of Your Son, Jesus, Who embraced the wood of the cross to set me free, amen.
Copyright © 2012 by Steven R. Perkins
Sunday, May 13, 2012
May 13 (John 19:26-27)
When Jesus saw his mother there, and the disciple whom he loved standing nearby, he said to his mother, “Dear woman, here is your son,” and to the disciple, “Here is your mother.” From that time on, this disciple took her into his home. (NIV)
An unmarried young woman agreed to the terrifying news that she has been chosen to be the mother of the Son of God, and thus began the most wonderful Mothers Day story ever told. Mary went through all the worries of any mother, including the time when Jesus seemed to be lost, only to be found in the temple doing His Father’s business. She was there when her Son performed His first miracle by turning water into wine. Naturally, she was there at the end, when Her Son died for you and me.
So beautiful, so wonderful, so sublime was the relationship between Jesus and Mary that it has been the subject of countless paintings, sculptures, and musical compositions. We are drawn to the exquisite Pieta by Michelangelo and the incomparable Stabat Mater by Jacopone da Todi. Apparently, Jesus thought His relationship with His mother was special, too. There, while hanging on a cross and struggling to breathe, He made sure she would be taken care of after He died.
What is Jesus saying to you through His relationship with Mary this Mothers Day?
O Lord, thank You for allowing us glimpses into the intimate bond You shared with Your mother on earth. Thank You, too, for our own mothers. May we honor them, according to the commandment, as You honored Yours. Amen.
Copyright © 2012 by Steven R. Perkins
An unmarried young woman agreed to the terrifying news that she has been chosen to be the mother of the Son of God, and thus began the most wonderful Mothers Day story ever told. Mary went through all the worries of any mother, including the time when Jesus seemed to be lost, only to be found in the temple doing His Father’s business. She was there when her Son performed His first miracle by turning water into wine. Naturally, she was there at the end, when Her Son died for you and me.
So beautiful, so wonderful, so sublime was the relationship between Jesus and Mary that it has been the subject of countless paintings, sculptures, and musical compositions. We are drawn to the exquisite Pieta by Michelangelo and the incomparable Stabat Mater by Jacopone da Todi. Apparently, Jesus thought His relationship with His mother was special, too. There, while hanging on a cross and struggling to breathe, He made sure she would be taken care of after He died.
What is Jesus saying to you through His relationship with Mary this Mothers Day?
O Lord, thank You for allowing us glimpses into the intimate bond You shared with Your mother on earth. Thank You, too, for our own mothers. May we honor them, according to the commandment, as You honored Yours. Amen.
Copyright © 2012 by Steven R. Perkins
Sunday, May 6, 2012
May 6 (Acts 1:4)
Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised, which you have heard me speak about. (NIV)
I never have to wait for anything. In any moment when I could be waiting, I have a world of other options in my pocket thanks to my smart phone. I can play games, check emails, update Facebook, send a tweet, see the latest headlines, get scores and updates for my favorite teams, or read just about any book ever published. Hey, it sure beats circling the parking lot while my wife grabs something at the grocery store!
Then again, what are we missing when we fill every seemingly empty moment with activity. I say that these moments are seemingly empty, for if we listened to the words of Jesus, they just might be filled with more than we can imagine. They might be filled with God Himself. Jesus promised the Holy Spirit to His disciples, but commanded them to wait for Him. How do you suppose they waited? Did they bury their noses in scrolls, checking the results of the latest chariot race?
Can you remember what it was like as a child to wait for your birthday or Christmas? You could think of nothing else. You counted the days and then the hours. It was all you talked about. Your eyes were firmly fixed on the anticipated event. This is the kind of waiting Jesus asks of His followers. It is why God promised in Jeremiah 29:13 that if we seek Him and search for Him with all our hearts, we will find Him.
Copyright © 2012 by Steven R. Perkins
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