Tag Archives: Jesus

The Invitation

Posted on by

party invitation

The Invitation

“Come as you are”. That’s what the invitation said.

My junior high girlfriends and I thought that was rather funny. What if you were in your pajamas? What if you needed to wash your hair? What if you had a stain on your shirt?

The invitation told us to come as you are. But did the party host really want us to come as we were? We doubted it.

We decided to wear what we would for any party at that time, ages ago. A dress. Which of course meant narrowing that choice further to exactly what kind of dress.

The Parable

During Jesus’ time on earth he told many parables. One parable he told was about a great banquet.

The host of the banquet issued an invitation. He invited many guests, but when everything was ready and he sent his servants to tell those he invited to come to the party, the invited all made excuses for why they couldn’t attend.

This, of course, angered the host. He’d gone to an awful lot of trouble, and great personal cost, to prepare a magnificent banquet. He wanted his guests to share it with him. Yet, those he invited couldn’t trouble themselves to show up.

The host told his servants to go into the streets and gather up the poor, the crippled, the blind, and the lame. He invited the street people to come as well.

This later group of people were invited to come as they were. They didn’t need to worry about what they wore. The host would provide garments for them.

The Decision

God is preparing a great banquet in heaven. He has invited us to join him to celebrate his Son. Although the invitation is for all, some who receive the invitation make excuses for why they can’t come.

Too busy. Too weary. Too wretched. Too whatever.

But God tells us to come as we are. No need to look inside our closet for something decent to wear. The Father will provide the perfect garment. Robes of righteousness, courtesy of the blood of the Lamb of God. Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior.

The Cost

Christ paid the price for the invitation to the banquet. He is the reason we receive the invitation in the first place. He removes our filthy rags of unrighteousness and clothes us with his righteousness.

He washes away our stains and filth through his blood that was shed on Calvary.

If we’ve placed our trust in Jesus’ sacrificial death on the cross to save us from our sins, we’re on the guest list. Our invitation to the banquet is in the mail, so to speak.

Your Turn

This is a party invitation we don’t want to turn down. It is a party we don’t want to miss. So RSVP with a yes to accept Jesus as your Lord and Savior, and come as you are. Not as you were.

Leave a comment below to share your thoughts on the subject. If you think others would appreciate reading this, please share it through the social media buttons.

Jesus replied with this story: “A man prepared a great feast and sent out many invitations.  When the banquet was ready, he sent his servant to tell the guests, ‘Come, the banquet is ready.’ But they all began making excuses. One said, ‘I have just bought a field and must inspect it. Please excuse me.’ Another said, ‘I have just bought five pairs of oxen, and I want to try them out. Please excuse me.’ Another said, ‘I just got married, so I can’t come.’

 “The servant returned and told his master what they had said. His master was furious and said, ‘Go quickly into the streets and alleys of the town and invite the poor, the crippled, the blind, and the lame.’ Luke 14:16-21 (NLT)

You can find my November Inspire a Fire post here. Please stop by and read it.

I wish you well.

Sandy

Please enter your email address on the form located on the right sidebar to sign up to receive posts every Tuesday and Thursday. Thanks!

She Did What She Could

Posted on by

woman prayingShe did what she could.

Some, like Judas, criticized Mary of Bethany for what they called an extravagant waste. However, Jesus, the One whose opinion matters the most, praised her. Jesus told Mary’s critics what she did was a beautiful thing. He told them it was something which would be remembered wherever the Good News is told.

The account of a woman in Bethany anointing Christ with oil the week before his crucifixion is told in the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, and John. The John account identifies the woman as Mary of Bethany, the sister of Martha and Lazarus.

While it seemed the apostles and others did not understand what Jesus meant when he said he would suffer and die at the hands of men, Mary understood. In that understanding, she took something of great value and offered it as a sacrifice to her Lord. In breaking her alabaster jar of precious perfume, Mary did what she could ahead of time to anoint Christ for his coming burial.

The cost of her gift mattered little to Mary. What did matter to her was that she show her deep love for the man she called Savior and Lord ahead of his death. Compared to what Jesus would do for Mary, she realized her gift was lacking.

Something I find interesting is the fact that in breaking her approximately twelve ounce jar of perfume, pouring it on Jesus’ feet, and wiping his feet with her hair, the fragrance Mary anointed Christ with would have lingered on her long after he left. It would remain as a reminder of the sacrifice Christ was willing to pay for her.

If you’ve ever spilled a bottle of perfume or cologne, even just a little, perhaps you have a small sense of the intensity of the nard oil Mary used to anoint Christ.

Mary willingly offered something of great value in love and gratitude to Jesus. She understood what his sacrifice on her behalf would cost him, and she did what she could, without counting the cost.

Are we willing to do the same?

Leave a comment below to share your thoughts on the subject. If you think others would appreciate reading this, please share it through the social media buttons.

Six days before the Passover celebration began, Jesus arrived in Bethany, the home of Lazarus—the man he had raised from the dead. A dinner was prepared in Jesus’ honor. Martha served, and Lazarus was among those who ate with him. Then Mary took a twelve-ounce jar of expensive perfume made from essence of nard, and she anointed Jesus’ feet with it, wiping his feet with her hair. The house was filled with the fragrance.

But Judas Iscariot, the disciple who would soon betray him, said, “That perfume was worth a year’s wages. It should have been sold and the money given to the poor.” Not that he cared for the poor—he was a thief, and since he was in charge of the disciples’ money, he often stole some for himself.

Jesus replied, “Leave her alone. She did this in preparation for my burial.” John 12:1-8 (NLT)

You can find my April Inspire a Fire post here. Please stop by and read it.

I wish you well.

Sandy

Please enter your email address on the form located on the right sidebar to sign up to receive posts every Sunday, Tuesday and Thursday. Thanks!

The Baby In The Manger

Posted on by

manger sceneDuring this season of Christmas, it is easy for us to think only of Jesus as the babe in the manger, and not think of him as God the Son who stood beside God the Father, and God the Holy Spirit when the world was formed out of nothing.

In Genesis 1:26 when God said, “Let us … ” he included both Jesus and the Holy Spirit.

During this season of Christmas, it is easy for us to think only of Jesus as the babe in the manger, and not think of him as the Suffering Savior who took the penalty for our sins on his perfect sinless self so we wouldn’t have to pay the debt we owed.

In Psalm 22:1 David spoke of Christ’s suffering on the cross when he said, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” These were the very words Jesus spoke as he hung from the cross of Calvary.

During this season of Christmas, it is easy for us to think only of Jesus as the babe in the manger, and not think of him as the Victor who won the battle over hell, sin, Satan, and death. BOOM! Jesus is the Mighty Warrior who will return and establish his kingdom.

In Revelation 21:6 Jesus says he is “the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End.”

As we look at the babe in the manger, let’s remember he is also the one who was and is and is to come. He is Jesus Christ, Messiah, the King of kings and Lord of lords now and forever. Emanuel. The one who is here with us.

Amen?

In all of the festivities of Christmas, do you ever find it difficult to think of the babe in the manger as Jesus Christ the Savior who died for you?

Leave a comment below to share your thoughts on the subject. If you think others would appreciate reading this, please share it through the social media buttons.

Christ is the Word of Life. He was from the beginning. We have heard Him and have seen Him with our own eyes. We have looked at Him and put our hands on Him. Christ Who is Life was shown to us. We saw Him. We tell you and preach about the Life that lasts forever. He was with the Father and He has come down to us. 1 John 1:1-2 (NLV)

You can find my December Inspire a Fire post here. Please stop by and read it.

I wish you well.

Sandy

Please enter your email address on the form located on the right sidebar to sign up to receive posts every Sunday, Tuesday and Thursday. Thanks!

When You Turn Back

Posted on by

Did you ever notice when Jesus met the disciples on the seashore with a breakfast of grilled fish which he cooked for them after his resurrection, he called Peter Simon?

Jesus didn’t call the apostle Peter, the rock; the name Christ gave him. Instead, Jesus called the apostle by his birth name. I hadn’t paid much attention to that detail until I prepared this month’s Easter posts.

Also, I love the fact Jesus didn’t say if you turn back. No. Jesus said when you turn back.

Thank you, Jesus, he tells us the same.

It’s not one strike and we’re out. Not even three strikes and we’re out. Jesus tells us after we fail, after we fall, when we turn back to him his grace is sufficient. His sacrifice is sufficient. He is sufficient.

Do you think when Peter heard Jesus call him Simon, it was similar to the feeling we get when our parents call us by our first AND middle names? Maybe.

Jesus spoke Simon’s name twice. He needed Simon Peter’s full attention. The words Jesus spoke were extremely important. Especially given Peter’s previous denial as the Lamb of God awaited crucifixion.

Yes. Jesus named Simon the rock, however, Peter needed to understand in addition to his strong side, Peter also had a vulnerable side. Just like the rest of the disciples. Just like the rest of us. Every single one of our strengths can be turned into our weaknesses. Those are the areas where Satan shows up. He takes the good and twists it into something bad.

Peter felt confident he would never forsake Christ. Satan took that confidence and twisted it into self-pride. That prideful spirit allowed Peter to care more about protecting himself, and what others thought of him, than he cared about protecting Jesus.

Each of Christ’s disciples have a vulnerable side, a target Satan intends to penetrate to destroy our testimony about who Christ the Risen Savior is. It is a target Satan can only attack with God’s permission. A target of temptation Jesus prays we will withstand  through the power of the Holy Spirit in those who belong to him.

Peter’s story didn’t end when he denied Jesus around a fire the night Christ was betrayed. After he repented, turned back, and set out to proclaim Christ and him crucified, Simon Peter preached a sermon during Pentecost that saw thousands confess Jesus as Lord. And that was just the beginning.

Like Peter there are times we fail. We deny we ever knew Jesus through our careless words and actions. Jesus knows the outcome before Satan even draws back his bow and sends fiery darts our direction.

Like Peter, when we fall we have a choice.

Will we let our failure define us, give up, and walk away? Or will we acknowledge our fall, get back up, repent, and when we turn back, strengthen those around us?

Who knows? But one thing is sure. Whatever we do after we fall is just as important as what we did before we fell.

Grace. God’s grace. Grace that is greater than all our sins.

Leave a comment below to share your thoughts on the subject. If you think others would appreciate reading this, please share it through the social media buttons.

Simon, Simon! Listen! Satan has received permission to test all of you, to separate the good from the bad, as a farmer separates the wheat from the chaff. But I have prayed for you, Simon, that your faith will not fail. And when you turn back to me, you must strengthen your brothers. Luke 22:31-32 (GNT)

I wish you well.

Sandy

Please sign up to receive posts every Tuesday and Thursday. Thanks.

You can find my April Inspire a Fire post here. Please stop by and read it.

A Somber Celebration

Posted on by

When the hour for the Passover meal came, Jesus and his apostles reclined on cushions around a low table. Although usually a joyous occasion, this Passover meal would be a somber celebration. It would be a time of revelation, new covenant, and request for remembrance.

Jesus told the twelve he eagerly desired to eat this meal with them before he suffered. His statement held both an eagerness in eating the meal and a sense of finality. Once again he told the disciples, his closest companions, his time of suffering neared. Jesus told them there would be a time when he would eat with them again.

Later.

When the kingdom of God came.

While offering the final cup of the Passover meal, Christ told his followers the cup was a new covenant in his blood poured out for them. It was a new agreement between God and his people. This covenant was superior to the covenant under the law handed down to Moses.

As soon as Jesus offered the bread and cup to his disciples, he revealed a traitor was in their midst. He knew Satan would enter the one who walked with Jesus for the past three years. Jesus knew the plot would unfold quickly in the Garden of Gethsemane. He knew whose hand would receive blood-money from the high priest. Jesus knew who would betray him with a kiss.

While Jesus knew all this, the disciples wondered who the betrayer could be. Jesus prepared the disciples for what would soon take place that evening and the next day, yet they didn’t understand the gravity of his words. Instead, in their need to prove they weren’t the betrayer, they argued over who was the most loyal. Who was the greatest.

Jesus reminded his disciples they were not to be like those in the world who boast and try to outdo each other. He told them the greatest should be like the one who serves. He reminded them greatness in God’s kingdom is found in serving others instead of serving self. As an example, the Son of God stooped to wash the feet of men.

Jesus reminds us the same thing today. We are not to be like the world, boasting and trying to outdo each other. We are to be like Christ. Humbly serving others with a heart like his.

Leave a comment below to share your thoughts on the subject. If you think others would appreciate reading this, please share it through the social media buttons.

“But here at this table, sitting among us as a friend, is the man who will betray me. I must die. It is part of God’s plan. But, oh, the horror awaiting that man who betrays me.”

Then the disciples wondered among themselves which of them would ever do such a thing. Luke 22:21-23 (TLB)

I wish you well.

Sandy

Please sign up to receive posts every Tuesday and Thursday. Thanks.

You can find my March Inspire a Fire post here. Please stop by and read it.

Jesus is Our Living Hope

Posted on by

by Sandy Kirby Quandt

Hallelujah, Jesus Christ is our Living Hope.

The Lion of Judah roared mightily that Resurrection Day so long ago, and his victorious voice continues to speak to all with ears to hear.

He set us free. He broke every chain that bound us to the evil one.

Jesus is the Victor. The Mighty Warrior. The Conqueror. He defeated Satan, hell, sin, and death.

Jesus Christ is the One in whom our hope is found.

He sits at the right hand of his Father in heaven, waiting for the day he returns for his Bride, the Church. On that day, Christ will take those who confess their hope, trust, and allegiance to the King of kings and LORD of Lords with him to their eternal home in heaven.

Christ is risen. He is risen indeed.

Leave a comment below to share your thoughts on the subject. If you think others would appreciate reading this, please share it through the social media buttons.

Then the angel spoke to the women. “Don’t be afraid!” he said. “I know you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. He isn’t here! He is risen from the dead, just as he said would happen. Come, see where his body was lying. And now, go quickly and tell his disciples that he has risen from the dead, and he is going ahead of you to Galilee. You will see him there. Remember what I have told you.” Matthew 28:5-7 (NLT)

I wish you well.

Sandy

Please enter your email address on the form located on the right sidebar to sign up to receive posts every Tuesday and Thursday. Thanks!

Pause for Poetry — We Come Before You, Jesus

Posted on by

Welcome to Pause for Poetry, featuring a poem written by my writer-friend, Frances Gregory Pasch.

We Come Before You, Jesus

We come before you, Jesus,

In humble adoration.

We ask that You will lead us…

A complex, confused nation.

We pray that You’ll be at our side

As each new step we take.

If we’ll walk hand and hand with You…

We will make less mistakes.

You are our refuge and our strength,

Creator of all things.

We’re blessed to have You in our lives…

Our Savior—King of Kings.

Frances Gregory Pasch’s devotions and poems have been published hundreds of times in devotional booklets, magazines, and Sunday school papers since 1985. Her writing has also appeared in several dozen compilations. Her book, Double Vision: Seeing God in Everyday Life Through Devotions and Poetry is available on Amazon. Frances has been leading a women’s Christian writers group since 1991 and makes her own holiday greeting cards incorporating her poetry. She and her husband, Jim, have been married since 1958. They have five sons and nine grandchildren. Contact her at http://www.francesgregorypasch.com.

If you think others would appreciate reading this, please share it through the social media buttons.

I wish you well.

Sandy

Please enter your email address on the form located on the right sidebar to sign up to receive posts every Sunday, Tuesday and Thursday. Thanks!

[bctt tweet=”Welcome to Pause for Poetry, featuring a poem written by my writer-friend, Frances Gregory Pasch.” username=”SandyKQuandt”]

Sunday Scriptures — Gifts Fit For A King

Posted on by

Although many nativity scenes place the Wise Men and their gifts at the manger where Christ was born, Jesus was probably one or two years old when the Wise Men found him. Jesus, Mary, and Joseph were no longer in the manger. They were living in a house in Bethlehem.

The Bible doesn’t tell us much about these men, only that they knew the Old Testament prophesies and followed the heavenly star traveling from the east toward Bethlehem. We sing “We Three Kings”, but just because someone penned a song about three kings does not mean there were three wise men, or that they were kings.

We do know from the scriptures they presented Jesus with gifts fit for a king. Gold. Incense. Myrrh. These gifts were not second-hand leftovers. These gifts came at a cost to the giver. The journey to Bethlehem itself cost time, resources, and effort. These were all valuable commodities the men were willing to pay. Because, after all, their gifts were given in honor of the newly born King.

In the Wise Men’s story I find it interesting they did not go back to the earthly ruler, Herod, with news of Jesus’ location. After being warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they listened to the True Ruler of Heaven and Earth, and returned home a different way. They obeyed God instead of man. How refreshing.

What gifts fit for a King will we offer Jesus to honor him and show our gratitude for what he has done for us? Maybe the best gift we can give is our self.

Leave a comment below to share your thoughts on the subject. If you think others would appreciate reading this, please share it through the social media buttons.

Herod secretly called in the wise men and asked them when they had first seen the star. He told them, “Go to Bethlehem and search carefully for the child. As soon as you find him, let me know. I want to go and worship him too.”

The wise men listened to what the king said and then left. And the star they had seen in the east went on ahead of them until it stopped over the place where the child was. They were thrilled and excited to see the star.

 When the men went into the house and saw the child with Mary, his mother, they knelt down and worshiped him. They took out their gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh and gave them to him.  Later they were warned in a dream not to return to Herod, and they went back home by another road. Matthew 2:7-12 (CEV)

I wish you well.

Sandy

Please enter your email address on the form located on the right sidebar to sign up to receive posts every Sunday, Tuesday and Thursday. Thanks!

[bctt tweet=”Gifts Fit For A King” username=”SandyKQuandt”]

The Shadow of the Cross at Christmas

Posted on by

by Sandy Kirby Quandt

Christmastime makes it really difficult for me to keep secrets. And I’m not fond of secrets.

When I was a child, the suspense of not knowing what was in the packages with my name on them was torturous. Absolute torture. Because of that, more times than not I surreptitiously lifted the cellophane tape off one end of my brightly colored presents and peeked inside.

After years of practice, I became an expert at unwrapping the package without damaging the paper, sneaking a peek, replacing the tape, and acting surprised on Christmas morning.

When I clandestinely unwrapped my Christmas presents, if there was a toy inside, whoopee! If there was a necessary sweater, or more knee socks, well …

As an adult, I have the same problem. Only in reverse.

I get so excited about what I’ve bought Pilot, I can’t wait for him to open it. To help him figure out the gift I give him hints. Sometimes, he won’t play along.

When I think about it, I wonder if God felt the same excitement and anticipation I feel at Christmas when he prepared to send his Gift of Love to our broken world. All through the Bible God gives us hints as to what was to come. The shadow of the cross. Sometimes his clues were ignored, and the people and wouldn’t play along, but that didn’t take away the gift.

God’s prophets spoke of a Messiah. Shepherd. Cornerstone. One from the house of Jesse. One from the line of David whose kingdom would never end. A Savior. Immanuel. God with us. These words hold joy and excitement.

Unlike the words in Isaiah 53:5. Words like pierced, crushed, punishment, wounds.

That’s when I understand the shadow of the cross of Calvary hung over the joyful gift of a baby in a manger in Bethlehem.

And I cry.

When I set up our manger scene for Christmas, I place  a cross with a crown of thorns next to it.

Lest I get caught up in the presents, the baking, the decorations, and the carols, I need a reminder in front of me. Perhaps you do as well.

Christmas is about much more than a baby, gifts, and family. Christmas is about the cross. It’s about the sacrifice, the suffering, and the Savior who died and rose again so we might live.

Don’t get me wrong, I still get excited about the gifts under the tree. But it’s the gift that hung on a tree, that really matters.

What do you think?

Leave a comment below to share your thoughts on the subject. If you think others would appreciate reading this, please share it through the social media buttons.

But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed. Isaiah 53:5 (GNT)

I wish you well,

Sandy

Please enter your email address on the form located on the right sidebar to sign up to receive posts every Sunday, Tuesday and Thursday. Thanks!

 

Sunday Scriptures – Where Have You Put Him?

Posted on by

 

by Sandy Kirby Quandt

Where have you put him?

That’s the question Mary Magdalene asked when she saw the empty tomb where the body of her Lord was placed three short days earlier.

We can ask ourselves the same question Mary asked. Where have we put him?

Is Christ at the center of our life, or have we shuffled him off to a corner somewhere and forgotten him, until we need something?

Do we seek out Jesus first thing in the morning the way Mary did? Or do days, weeks, months pass before we even give him a second thought?

Do we long to see our Savior’s face and glorify him? Does he fill our days with the joy only he can give? Do we live to serve him and him alone?

When people look at us and ask, “Where have you put him?” can they see Jesus living in and through us?

Are our lives a testimony to the truth our Redeemer forever lives? And because our Redeemer lives, we can too.

Leave a comment below to share your thoughts on the subject. If you think others would appreciate reading this, please share it through the social media buttons.

Early on Sunday morning, while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene went to the tomb and saw that the stone had been taken away from the entrance. She went running to Simon Peter and the other disciple, whom Jesus loved, and told them, “They have taken the Lord from the tomb, and we don’t know where they have put him!”

Then Peter and the other disciple went to the tomb. The two of them were running, but the other disciple ran faster than Peter and reached the tomb first. He bent over and saw the linen cloths, but he did not go in. Behind him came Simon Peter, and he went straight into the tomb. He saw the linen cloths lying there and the cloth which had been around Jesus’ head. It was not lying with the linen cloths but was rolled up by itself. Then the other disciple, who had reached the tomb first, also went in; he saw and believed. (They still did not understand the scripture which said that he must rise from death.)

John 20:1-9 (NCV)

I wish you well.

Sandy

Please sign up to receive posts every Sunday, Tuesday and Thursday. Thanks.