This Is Crazy Love

"This Is Crazy Love"
By Zach Wood
1 John 4:9-10
This is how God showed his love among us:  He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him.  This is love:  not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.

 

Usually when you hear of people doing crazy things, it involves jaw-dropping and eye-opening actions that bring high risk and some type of endangerment to their lives.  I have seen many crazy things in life and have heard people say some crazy things.  This world is full of surprises when it comes to crazy acts and crazy things that are said.  

I have honestly never though about God when I hear the word "crazy".  I have never really associated that word with anything God has done.  It just has never come to mind.  However, after recently having picked up the book "Crazy Love" by Francis Chan, I have thought about that word in a whole different way.  And since I have been reading the above passage, God's Love has a new perspective in my mind and heart now.  

How do you feel that God, the Creator of the Heavens and the Universe, came to this earth as a human being and gave His life on a Cross for you?  Do you really take the time to stop and just ponder this act of Love?  The more I ponder it, the more it does not make sense to me now.  This is an act of Love I cannot wrap my mind around.  I cannot comprehend its full meaning.  I cannot make sense of it at all.  I cannot analyze it.  It it not logical.  It is unexplainable.

Can you make sense of it?  Can you fully comprehend what He did for you?  If not, then good!  This is all a part of His Crazy Love!  This is an insane act of Love that the Creator of this world did for you and for me.  We are so imperfect and so selfish.  However, God loved us so very much that He paved a way for us to come back to Him through Jesus Christ.  That is Crazy Love alright!  He chose to die for us, even though many refuse to follow Him.  

Love is not about us loving Him, it is truly about what He did for us.  Read the passage again.  Love is not that we loved Him, but that He came here to earth and gave up His life so that you and I would not have to pay the punishment for our sins.  For the first time in a long time, it blows me away that my Lord and Savior did that for me?  

I pray that this devotional makes you just stop and think about His awesome sacrifice.  I hope that you will see His Love in a whole new way.  I encourage you to read the book I suggested.  It will show you just how crazy God's Love is for us.  With a love this crazy being given to us, wouldn't we want to give that kind of love back to Him?  Shouldn't we be totally sold out for Him no matter what comes our way?  I think so.  God stopped at nothing to give us life through Christ.  We should stop at nothing to love Him and serve Him in return.  

This is Crazy Love.  Not that we loved Him, but that He loved us enough to come and die for us. 

We Must Love With Our Actions

"We Must Love With Our Actions"
By Zach Wood
1 John 3:16-18
This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us.  And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers.  If anyone has material possessions and sees his brother in need but has no pity on him, how can the love of God be in him?  Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth.


Each day I live, I try to fulfill several constant roles.  I strive to be a devoted servant, husband, and father.  I try hard to be a devoted servant in the areas of ministry service I am committed to.  I strive to be a devoted husband to my beautiful wife to show her I love and appreciate her.  I strive to be a devoted father to my two girls and show them I love them and want to spend time with them.

However, what if.......I never showed up to any ministry activities?  What if.....I never gave my wife a hug or kiss or spent any time with her and expected her to feel appreciated and loved?  What if......I never told my girls I am proud of them, love them or spent any time with them?  If I failed to do any of these things, I would not be thought of very highly by others, my wife or my kids.  I need to tell and show those around me that they are important and prove that to them by doing things that would show my devotion.  I cannot just say that I am devoted without following through with actions.

As I have pondered this thought the past few days, I am constantly thinking of my relationship with God and whether or not I truly show the gratitude and appreciation back to Him that He deserves.  I can say that I love Him and tell others I am devoted to Him, but if my actions do not back those words up, those words are useless and worthless.  If I love those around me and am devoted, I will do my best to show actions that prove my love.  Without these actions, I am showing nothing. 

Am I devoted to sharing what I have and helping those around me who are in need?  Am I showing the Love of Christ by meeting the needs of those who are in need?  Am I loving others the way God has commanded me to?  Am I sacrificing what I have in order to bless someone whose need is greater than mine? 

Verse 16 is powerful.  We know what love is when we look at Jesus Christ.  That is a Love that is beyond comprehension.  We can never fully understand His Love.  We can never wrap our minds around His Love.  That is truly Love: Jesus Christ laying down His life for us.  Wow!  That is powerful!  How can we possibly look at the sacrificial Love Jesus Christ had and has for us and not have the desire to love and meet the needs of others? 

If we are to truly show God's Love, we must have actions that prove and show our love.  Whether that is love shown to our friends, love shown to our spouses, love shown to our kids, love shown to our parents, love shown to our church family or love shown to those who do not know Christ. 

When loving with your actions seems too difficult, just remember the sacrifice Jesus Christ made for you and for me. 

I Wanna Be In The Light

"I Wanna Be In The Light"
By Zach Wood
1 John 2:3-6
We know that we have come to know him if we obey his commands.  The man who says, "I know him," but does not do what he commands is a liar, and the truth is not in him.  But if anyone obeys his word, God's love is truly made complete in him.  This is how we known we are in him:  Whoever claims to live in him must walk as Jesus did.


Many of you probably remember when DC Talk's "Jesus Freak" album came out in 1995.  They had a song called "In The Light".  In that song, they sang about wanting to be in the light of Christ and shine for Him.  This past week, as I have been reading this passage about walking in the light of God, I could not help but think of that song.  They sing about how they want to be in the light as Christ is in the light.  Jesus Christ is the Light of the world. 

Now, who of us would even consider saying that we do not want to be living in the light of Christ?  None of us would, of course!  However, if you are anything like me, you find yourself failing every single day in some way or ways in trying to shine the light of Christ to others.  We desire to obey Him.  We want to live like Him.  We want to say things to glorify Him.  We want to do things for others that show His Love.  Every one of us wants and desires these things if we are in Christ.  We have a desire to shine His Light. 

Look at that passage and see where it talks about the man who says that he knows Christ but then does not do what Christ commands.  How can we possibly expect to shine the Light of Christ if we do not even do what He commands?  If we are not obeying His commands, we are not walking in the Truth.  Plain and simple.  If we are living the way we want to live in our own little world, people will not see the Truth through us.  It is just that simple. 

When we turn from our wicked ways and follow Him, His Love is made complete in us and our witness grows stronger.  If we claim to live in Him, we absolutely must walk as He did.  We cannot claim to live in Him and live our own way.  The world will look at us and want nothing to do with what we say we offer.  It just drives people further and further away from desiring to know more about Him. 

If we love Him, we will obey Him.  If we want to be in the Light as He is in the Light, we must choose to walk with Him and live for Him.  Otherwise, we will not be in the Light.  I want to encourage each of us to consider seriously whether we are really, truly living in the Light of Christ.  We may say we do, but we must really examine our lives to see if we are truly living. 

If we wanna be in the Light as He is in the Light, we must walk in the Light.

Speak Wisely

"Speak Wisely"
By Zach Wood
1 Peter 3:15-16
But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord.  Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have.  But do this with gentleness and respect, keeping a clear conscience, so that those who speak maliciously against your good behavior in Christ may be ashamed of their slander. 

For the past six years, I have been working in a secular work environment.  I went from working in a full-time vocational ministry setting to working around people who are, obviously, not dedicated to ministry.  This is the "real world" as some may call it.  I think no matter where you are, you are in the real world.  Being in the secular work environment has taught me so many things.  God has allowed me to see so much more, honestly, than I ever saw working in a church position.  This is not saying that people who work in a church position do not see what is going on in the world.  Please do not get me wrong here.  I am saying that having the experience of being around ordinary work force people has been a different world for me and has taught me what is it like beyond the church ministry walls. 

From this experience, God has taught me that speaking wisely around these workers is so vital to my witness.  Each day I wake up, I pray that God will give me a heart that is pure and holy.  I ask Him to guide my words and actions to glorify Him.  Do I mess up at my job and do things I should not and not glorify Him?  Absolutely.  I am not perfect by any means.  I realize how very human I really am and what things really push my buttons.  People who work with me know I am a Christian, but they also know I am human.  I do dumb things and say dumb things.  In a way, it is really nice to be able to be "real" with people and not try like I have everything together all the time. 

Through these years, I have asked God to give me witnessing opportunities.  Does this mean I have time each day to sit down with people and talk about Jesus Christ?  Not in the way I thought at first.  What God does through me is He uses my reactions and responses to show others who I am.  I am a Child of God, but I am also a sinner who falls and stumbles.  He picks me up and I go back at it again.  It has been amazing to see how God has used my witness at this job.  Not in ways I would have thought.  Honestly, almost every day I do not know how God uses a person like me to be His witness.  I mess up so many ways and say so many things that do not glorify Him.  But.....He still uses me in spite of my weaknesses.  It shows people how human I really am. 

I use this personal account in this devotional to share with you that it is so vital to speak wisely and carefully when others around are listening closely.  There is a very, very lost world out there.  They need God more than ever.  I really believe all God asks of us is to be REAL.  He does not want His children acting like they have it all together.  He wants His children to just be real and honest.  However, this is where the caution comes in.  When we share Christ with others in a conversation somehow, we need to remember to do this with gentleness and respect.  Does this mean we "water down" our message?  Absolutely not!  What it means is that we treat the situation with the person with respect.  We give the reason for the hope we have, but we do it with a gentleness that does not sound like we are trying to be holy or better than them.  Nor does it mean we shove it down their throat.

God wants to use each opportunity that we have to each others as well as teach ourselves.  We can share with others the love of God, but we can also learn each time how we approach people and conversations.  It does not mean you have to sit down somewhere and talk for a long time.  Each situation is different.  Just take advantage of each opportunity God gives.  Pray about it.  Think about it.  Led Him lead. 

Speak wisely, for they are all watching.....and listening. 

Praise Him For Living Hope

"Praise Him For Living Hope"
By Zach Wood
1 Peter 1:3-5
Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ!  In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade.  This inheritance is kept in heaven for you.

For the past couple of weeks, I have been reading through this passage.  Peter is talking about the praise we should have to God for the living hope He offers.  Each time I read through, God shows me something new and challenges my faith.  What concerns me most about this passage is how far it seems to be from the life I find myself living.  We have a living hope in God, but I find myself not truly living out the appreciation and excitement in that God has given me hope.  

How about you?  Do you find yourself just going through each day trying to just get through the day and move on?  Are you appreciative of the hope God has given to you?  Do you even really stop to think about this hope He gives?  Many of us would probably have to admit that we do not.  This is not saying we never have appreciation, but we do tend to let our excitement for the hope He gives be lessened.  We do not necessarily mean to live this way, but it becomes a slow fade and we become distracted and forget just how awesome of a God we truly serve.

He gives great mercy!  He has given us new birth!  This new birth is in a living hope, not a dead hope.  We receive an inheritance that can never ever perish, spoil or fade!  Now that is exciting, is it not?!  We have this inheritance waiting for us for when we go Home to see Him!  That is really exciting!

So, how are you truly living your life each day?  Are you excited for the hope He has given you?  Are you truly thankful and giving Him praise for the living hope that is found only in Him?  

This inheritance we have in Him will never rot away.  It will never get mold or rust out on us.  It will be better than anything we can ever make on this earth!  Now that is an inheritance I would like to have!  

I pray, that as each of us end this year, we would stop to reflect on the awesome things God has done through us and in our lives.  Take time to reflect on the hope He has given to you.  

Have a Happy New Year!

Strive To Be Holy

"Strive To Be Holy"
By Zach Wood
1 Peter 1:14-16
As obedient children, do not comform to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance.  But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; for it is written: "Be holy, because I am holy."


I have been stuck on the this passage of Scripture for a week or two now.  Not because I do not understand it, but because I have been drawn into what Peter the Apostle is saying about following Jesus Christ and being holy.  Peter is strongly encouraging us to remember that we have been made alive with Christ and that our life is now in Him, not the past we used to have.  We all have a past and it is not now to go back to the way we used to live and model that life anymore.  It is done.  It is gone.  We are a new creature in Jesus Christ.  We are called to be holy and to live in away that brings glory to Him. 

Now, living holy is just not easy.  No matter how hard we try, we simply fail.  We are human and we fall short.  If we are to be obedient children of God, we must make the decision to live a holy life.  It requires much action on our part.  Yes, God gives us strength and the ability, but we must first make the decision to step forward and make the effort to move forward in walking with God to be holy.  He calls us to be obedient.  He does not want to see us going back and forth on our decision.  However, that is what being human is about.  We make bad choices and we end up going back to old ways and old habits that we do not mean to revisit. 

I look back on my own life and I see so many of the bad choices I made.  Some of those choices I still continue to drift back and do again and again.  Some I have learned to not redo and revisit.  Little by little, I can feel myself learning and trying to be holy and keep my focus on God so I will not keep going back to my old ways.  I must completely set my sight on God and focus completely upon Him so that I can be strong and continue my walk with Him.  We must all continue this walk and ask Him for strength. 

I would encourage you to read through this passage where Peter talks about being holy.  Take the time to read, re-read and let the Word soak into your heart and mind. 

I want to be holy in all I do.  I pray every day that God would give me the strength to be holy and be an example for Jesus Christ.  I find myself failing each day, but I get back up on my feet and ask for forgiveness and strength to try again.  I am so glad God gives us more chances in life to do things right. 

Remember, being holy and living a holy life is a choice we must all make each day.  It requires great effort and sacrifice.  We must all make choices to do away with whatever holds us back from walking more Christ and becoming stronger in our faith.  It is a daily battle.  It is a battle we cannot take on ourselves.  We have to rely on God's strength.  Alone, we will fail.  Together with Him, we can and will succeed if we strive to live a holy life and focus on Him.

Submit And Proceed

"Submit And Proceed"
By Zach Wood
James 4:7-8
Submit yourselves, then, to God.  Resist the devil and he will flee from you.  Come near to God and he will come near to you.  Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded.


We have been studying through the book of James for our weekly small group bible study.  I have kept coming back to this passage of Scripture dealing with submitting to God.  It's the section talking about how we need to be submitting ourselves to God.  As I read through this passage over and over again, I cannot help but ask myself, "What is my problem?" 

This question challenges me to think of why I continue to desire to submit to God's direction, but fail to proceed with action.  I do truly desire to submit myself to God, but following through is so much harder than I realize.  I have good intentions, I really do.  However, my flesh is weaker than the spirit inside that desires.  I find myself not wanting to give up certain habits that inhibit my growth.  I am so human and desire to do things my own way instead of letting God take control. 

James is very clear in saying that if we submit ourselves to God, He will come near to us.  If we keep choosing the path of sin and following evil ways, we will not grow closer to Him.  He wants us to not only submit to Him, but proceed with living a life that is glorifying to Him and turning away from sin.  If we want the devil to flee from us, we must take action to do things that will bring glory to Him and that will direct our path away from the path of sin.

Choosing to submit to God requires action to be taken further on.  We cannot submit to God and then live a life we desire on our own.  He just will not work that way with us.  Either we submit and proceed, or we do not submit at all.  We cannot be in between.  I know for myself, I struggle daily in this area of submission.  I fight the daily battle of temptation that wants to take me away from my walk with Christ.  This is the struggle each of us face daily.  However, we must make the choice that we are going to submit and proceed with the way He wants us to.  We must submit all we are and allow Him to lead.  Period. 

Have you submitted to Him today?  Shall we all submit and proceed?