Author: Brian Burdett

“When he had said these things, he cried out with a loud voice, ‘Lazarus, come out.’” – John 11:43

Can you imagine being in the crowd that day? Standing amidst a crowd still grieving the loss of their beloved brother, neighbor, and friend Lazarus. A crowd that knew he was four days dead and his body was already decaying in the cave in which it had been laid. Then Jesus ordered the tomb to be opened and He thundered, “Lazarus, come out.” The words of that simple, powerful order must have echoed through whole area. And Lazarus came out!

Still wrapped in linen strips, looking like a mummy from a horror movie. But completely alive, fully restored, and ready to be unwrapped. What a moment! What power! Jesus truly IS the Resurrection and the Life. It’s been fairly said that if Jesus hadn’t called Lazarus by name, then His powerful command might have brought everyone walking out of their tombs!

One day, that’s exactly what will happen. One day, Jesus will return and will command everyone to come out of their graves. Those who have trusted their lives to Him in faith will rise in bodies made perfect and reunited with their souls. Those risen in Christ will enjoy eternity with their Savior, body and soul. That day is coming! Do not fear and do not doubt. The day when Jesus will give His command and no matter whether we’re still alive or long passed away, we will come and stand before the throne of our Lord to hear His just and gracious judgment. What a day of rejoicing that will be for those who have trusted in Christ! #FollowJesus

“And I have other sheep that are not of this fold. I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice. So there will be one flock, one shepherd.” – John 10:16

When Jesus said these words, they must have stunned His original audience. For centuries, the people of Israel had considered themselves to be God’s exclusive flock. As His chosen people, surely there was no place in His flock for people from other countries and ethnicities. They believed this self-serving lie despite the clear and consistent promises throughout the entire Old Testament that salvation was coming to the entire world.

Then Jesus made it clear. He is the Good Shepherd for EVERYONE who believes in Him. Jew and Gentile. African, European, Asian, American (North and South), and Australian. In Christ, all those distinctions lose their dividing significance. They’re simply part of the beautiful multi-ethnic flock God is assembling from every tribe, language, and ethnic group. Not many different flocks divided by skin color, birth place, language, or accent. One flock with exactly one, and only one, Shepherd – Jesus the Christ.

Meditate on this truth of Jesus. Marinate in it. Rejoice in the glorious truth that you’ve been welcomed into His flock. Embrace the vital truth that there are many other sheep being called into this same flock. Work to make that happen. Welcome new sheep as they hear and respond to the voice of Jesus. Devote your life to helping still more of them hear His voice. #FollowJesus

“And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.” – Galatians 5:24

Have YOU??? Have you crucified the flesh with its passions and desires? What does that mean? It means fighting the fight, in the resources of the Holy Spirit, to not only resist but try to kill off every sinful desire that tempts you. It means recognizing when you’ve been holding onto a favorite sin and actively working to nail it to the cross of Christ. To kill it. It means taking “small sins” that “don’t hurt anyone” seriously, recognizing them for what they are – rebellion against God – and trying to kill their presence and influence in their life.

As Christians, we aren’t called to explain or excuse our sins like uncontrolled anger, unconstrained lust, idolatrous love for money and stuff, self-centered ambitions, envy of others, or the tendency to spread gossip and stoke conflict in the church. We’re called to to kill those sins in our life. Forever. To fight back or flee every time they start to tempt us. To fight them to the death.

Those sins may well be “how you were made”, but in Christ, they aren’t how you should continue to be. Not as an adopted child of the Living God! Not as a blood-bought new creation in Christ! Your favorite sins block your enjoyment and growth in the Holy Spirit. They undermine your witness and render you ineffective for the Lord. They hinder your prayers. They keep you from experiencing the Fruit of the Spirit (love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control). They aren’t a sweet souvenir from your past, they’re a tool of the Enemy! Crucify your sinful desires and #FollowJesus

“And as they continued to ask him, he stood up and said to them, ‘Let him who is without sin among you be the first to throw a stone at her.’” – John 8:7

When confronted with a hard choice between enforcing the Law or ignoring it, Jesus took a third path… the way of grace. Jesus didn’t deny her sin, ignore her sin, or excuse her sin. But He recognized that killing a woman for her sin would leave no opportunity for her to repent and live a transformed life. There’s no glory in that. God takes no pleasure in the death of a sinner. He is most glorified by transformed lives and that’s what grace makes possible – transformation.

Jesus challenged everyone present to slow down their blood lust and consider the past sins for which they’d been forgiven. Were they so different from this woman? All sin rebels against God. All sin deserves death. Jesus reminded them that God had been gracious toward them. Shouldn’t they be gracious toward this woman found in sin? Why was her sin so different from theirs?

After her accusers all walked away, Jesus was very direct with the woman. She was to go and sin no more. She was to live a life changed by unexpected grace. But changed it must be! Let us be slow to pick up the rock of condemnation and quick to point sinful people like ourselves toward holy lives transformed by grace. Let us share the Gospel as we actually live the Gospel. #FollowJesus

“Prize her highly, and she will exalt you;
she will honor you if you embrace her.”
– Proverbs 4:8

Wisdom. That’s the “her” in this proverb. If you place great value in developing and living by wisdom, you’ll be blessed. Treasure wisdom and you’ll be honored and exalted. Why? Because wisdom is unimaginably rare in our world that’s overflowing with information, misinformation, and disinformation. Because even those with access to wisdom seldom live by it. Therefore, those who are truly wise stand out. Draw admiration. Surprise people. Make a difference.

But what IS wisdom??? All true wisdom flows from God and genuine wisdom isn’t about clever sayings from fortune cookies. True wisdom is knowing how to skillfully live life in a fallen world governed by an all-good, all-wise, all-powerful God. It’s a pattern of life that applies God’s truths to the everyday situations we encounter throughout life. Wisdom is rooted in God’s Word and His nature but it should be applied to everything we do.

Wisdom addresses how we talk to other people. How we work. How we relax. How we manage money. How we manage time. How we respond to misfortune and evil. How we respond to blessing and goodness. How we raise children. How we devote ourselves to spouses and family. Wisdom isn’t about accumulating more and more knowledge. It’s about applying the knowledge we’ve received, particularly from God’s Word, to every moment of every day.

Do you treasure wisdom? Do you seek to embrace it? You really should because wisdom won’t disappoint you! #FollowJesus