Wednesday Wake Up #40

Just Ask God

Just ask God for what you need and what you want in life. There is nothing wrong with asking God. The worst He will answer is no. He may say yes...or he may say wait. Either way, you can ask God for your needs and wants. God wants to hear from you. Just like a parent that says call all the time to their children it is a way to stay connected. It is also a way to prioritize what you want to ask God, not that He can't take all of your requests on (God is all powerful), but when you are requesting something from God it may spark some "would God want me to have this" thinking. Sometimes we want things just because we want them. Like "God please get me approved for this loan so I can get this sports car cuz I look so cool in it and I know that will attract women." Or "God please help me get this job so I can get discounts on their clothes." Whatever you take to God, needs or wants, asking Him will allow you to double check your intentions before you ask. This is what we learn in 1 John 5:14. The name of Jesus is strong as Jesus is the son of God, so whether we ask Jesus or the Holy Spirit or God himself for what it is we want or need, let it be in God's will. Check yourself. You may see that your intentions are not God honoring and it may allow you to reset your aims.

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Luke 19:8- Jesus and Zacchaeus

Jesus and Zacchaeus

Zacchaeus may not be a name that you have heard of before. He isn't Moses, Abraham or John the Baptist, but we can definitely learn from him in verses 1-10. 

Zacchaeus was the chief tax collector and was rich. In verse 3 it states, "And he was seeking to see who Jesus was." That statement alone shows how Zacchaeus' desire was to seek Jesus. Seeking takes effort on your own. In verse 4 he ran up in a tree so he could see Jesus since Zacchaeus was too short to see him as he passed. That verse also shows Zacchaeus'desire to seek and then to go above and beyond to ensure that he could see Jesus.

Jesus saw Zacchaeus in the tree and said that he must stay at Zacchaeus' home. Jesus saw Zacchaeus' effort and knew who Zacchaeus was. He was humbled by this and seeing how Jesus accepted him he said "Behold, Lord, the half of my goods I give to the poor. And if I have defrauded anyone of anything, I restore it fourfold."

He could have just accepted Jesus and not wanted to repay for the wrongs he had done as tax collectors were known to cheat people. Zacchaeus turned his life around and did not hang on to the selfishness that separated him from Jesus. We can do the same. We can be freed from who we were and seek Jesus and receive his salvation.

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Luke 11:9- Ask, Seek, Knock

Ask, Seek, Knock

Jesus has just finished praying and then the disciples asked him to show them how to pray. decisions. He teaches them a prayer that we refer to today as the Lord's prayer. But the Jesus goes further on how to pray. 

He gives an example of going to a friend late at night in need of some bread for an overnight guest. The one in need could ask just one time and once denied could turn around and walk away empty handed. But when the one in need continues to ask for what he needs (bread in this context) then other friend is more likely to give in to the friend due to the persistence.

Jesus says that is how we should pray. We should pray consistently and persistently. Jesus tells us in Luke 11:9 to Ask....Seek....Knock." When we ask from God it will be given. When we seek from God we will find what we need. When we knock on God's door, the door will be opened. But remember this is about consistency and persistence. Not just a one time thing.

God wants to give you what you need, but if we do not seek these things from Him then how will we get it. God wants us to seek His spirit and be one in His will. So, that checks our motives. Is what we are asking for united with God's will or is it just for us?How do you find out? You ask, you seek and you knock. And if you don't get the answer, you keep doing it.


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Luke 9:9- From Disbelief to Research

Herod's Disbelief

Remember Herod from Matthew 2 when Jesus was born? He was in power when Jesus was born. He was the one that sought to kill Jesus after he was born but was tricked by the wise men who originally had been instructed to bring baby Jesus to Herod. His son, Herod the tetrarch (the Herod from this chapter) is the one that had John the Baptist beheaded (click here for more details).

John the Baptist was someone who foretold of the coming of Jesus in Luke 3. Herod the tetrarch had heard about all of the healing and miracles Jesus was doing and was perplexed (puzzled). Rumors were going around that a dead prophet (Elijah or John the baptist) had risen from the dead and was the one really doing the miracles through Jesus. Even though Herod the tetrarch was puzzled, in Luke 9:9 is says "And he sought to see him." 

You know what you don't see much is the disbelief in Jesus that leads to an individual doing their own research. Herod the tetracrh went to go see for himself. I see alot of disblief in Christ today that leads to belief in emotion and feelings. People feel it must not be true (Jesus's miracles and life and resurrection) and then they believe it. They do not try to find out how something done is so amazing that it must not be true.

My point is that if you do not believe, do your own research. There are plenty of resources out there online that give you the information you need in order to understand the existence of Christ. Many say Christians have blind faith because you cannot prove this (the ark of the covenant or that Noah's ark) so things must not be true. People provide no evidence to counter, just an emotion.

We have to be careful not to let our emotions dictate what we do and do not do. Reactions from our feeling such as anger and lust can lead to sinful ways that draw us further from God. No matter what you feel, seek. Seek Jesus. Seek God's will. Seek the evidence. Go and see for yourself. Jesus wasn't made up.

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Matthew 10:39

Matthew 10:39 "Whoever finds his life will lose it, & whoever  loses his life for my sake will find it." commentary- The words of Jesus are strong here. He is not saying  'just do what makes you happy.' He is not saying 'there are many ways to heaven & I am  just one.' What is Jesus saying? He is saying that those who live their lives & are not seeking Christ have missed the  point. Many would rather do what they want for their own comfort but that is not what God wants from you. What is blocking you  from seeking & following Christ?