Luke 9:26, “Are you Ashamed of God?” Read at your own risk.

Luke 9:26, “Are you Ashamed of God?” Read at your own risk.

Today during my reading time I came to this verse in Luke, “If anyone is ashamed of me and my words, the Son of Man will be ashamed of him when he comes in his glory and in the glory of the Father and of the holy angels.” If you are a believer and you read that verse, it is hard to just pass by. Maybe you have passed and ignored it before, but I bet it is still in your head rattling around somewhere. If you say, I am not ashamed of God…” Are you sure? Have you ever been in a conversation with someone and you were about to say “Jesus” and quickly changed it to “God?” It is easier to say “God” to a non-believer isn’t it? It is not as dividing. You can say “God” and it can mean a lot of stuff to a lot of people, but say “Jesus…” But who is speaking this verse in the Bible? Jesus. Are you ashamed? No you say? Do you really mean to say, “I am not ashamed as long as the person who asks me is also a believer that I have known for a long time and I’m in my home or at our church and there is nobody new standing too close by.”? Well I might not be perfect, but ashamed to too strong of a word. Ok.

What about this verse from Revelation 3:15-16, “I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other! So, because you are lukewarm-neither hot nor cold-I am about to spit you out of my mouth.”

Are you ashamed? No? How about lukewarm? How do you know if you are lukewarm? This is not the perfect answer, but ask yourself this: Do people around me know that I am a Christian? Not that I believe in God, but that I believe that Jesus is the way the truth and the life and nobody comes to the father but through him… John 14:6. There is a huge difference. You don’t want to be lukewarm but you are scared? I understand. Start slow. First, pray. Ask God for courage, words, and opportunity. Next, have faith and see what God does through you.

• Don’t know what to say? Have faith, God is bigger than your ability.
• Don’t know who to talk to? Have faith, God will send them to you.
• Don’t want to get in trouble at work? Have faith, God is bigger than your work.

In my title I said, read at your own risk. That was for two reasons: One, because these verses from Luke and Revelation are convicting and they are going to ask that you crawl out of your comfort zone. Two, because I have a challenge for you…

Look around your circles, your buddy, your office cube, the dude standing next to you, etc. Ask them, “What do you think happens to you when you die?” See where the conversation heads. Keep the faith. God is in control of the situation. Then, send me the results. I will compile them into another blog and share them with everyone. This can be a great source of encouragement to everyone.

If you need some help you can send them to this link. You can also print it for them and hand it out:

http://goodfaithblog.blogspot.com/p/do-you-want-to-become-follower-of-jesus.html

Written by Chris Vasecka

To join a group of Christian business professionals who want to guide the next generation of Christian small business owners and professionals go to www.goodfaithpeople.ning.com.

Luke 8:40-48, “A Touch of Desperation" A Bible Study Devotion.

Luke 8:40-48, “A Touch of Desperation" A Bible Study Devotion.

Read Luke 8:40-48

In this story we see two people who ask Jesus for help. For this study, we will concentrate on the woman who had been bleeding for 12 years. It says that this woman was like this for 12 years and nobody could heal her. It says in Mark that she tried for many years, many different ointments, potions, doctors, etc and none of them helped her. In fact, they made her worse. In this culture, this woman would have been considered unceremoniously "unclean." She would have to do some ritual to cleanse herself after she stopped bleeding in order to be acceptable to society. After 10 days, she could be considered "clean." Nobody could speak to her, touch her, be with her, acknowledge her, etc until she was "clean." Of course in her case, the bleeding did not stop for 12 years, so she could not get "clean." She was a social outcast who desperately wanted back into society. We know this because she tried many things to get clean. It says in Mark that it took all her money and she was at the end of the rope. Not only that, in this culture, it was not just her who was "unclean." Anyone who touched her became "unclean." Anything that she touched became "unclean." For instance, if she sat down on a chair, the chair was unclean. If someone else then sat on that chair, they would be unclean and shunned from society for at least 10 days while they did the ritual to get clean. You can imagine how lonely she was and desperate for acceptance. Ok, so what are we talking about here? One woman with her "unclean" problem? Yes. ...but we are also talking about me and you and everyone else that has a "sin" problem...

Notice all the ways that her story is our story:

Being "unclean" affected every part of her life. This followed her around where ever she went, who ever she talked to, whatever she did, the uncleanliness was there. It infected every aspect of her life. Just like sin in your life.

This ailment of hers was degenerative. It progressively got worse and worse. Just like sin will do. At first the sin is so small you might not even notice it. Then, after you give in a few times, it gets easier and easier to justify your actions until finally you become hardened to it.

This uncleanliness was costly for her. It cost her all her money, all her relationships, everything she touched. Just like sin in your life will eventually do. If you do nothing about your sin, in the end, it will destroy you.

This uncleanliness was embarrassing for her. Just like sin in your life. Many times our sin is something that only we and God know about. If other people found out, it would be very embarrassing for us.

There was nothing she or anyone that she sought could do to cure her. There is no good deed you can do. There is absolutely nothing that you can do to make up for your sin and heal yourself.

And most important of all, this uncleanliness separated her from her friends, family, and all of society. Sin separates us from God. God is Holy Holy Holy and cannot be with sin. They are oil and water. So if you carry sin, you are separated from God. You will eventually be separated from everyone and God's society (Heaven.)

So that is the problem, now back the story... This part is amazing... Put yourself in this scene. When you see what happens here, you will see an "Oh Wow!" moment. Understanding this scene is what makes Bible study so incredible. There is a huge crowd. People are everywhere. There are no body guards. There is no stage with a partition. There is just Jesus and tons of people all pressing together to get to him. It is a big mosh pit. Jesus is being touched and shoved and squished from all directions. There would be no way for any of us to discern one shove from another. Jesus is not saying, "back off. Give me some room. I can't breathe here!" He is just letting it all happen. Then somehow this girl crawls through the bustling crowd and manages to touch the very end of his "clothing." It is not even him that she touches, just the end of his robe. Instantly Jesus stops and turns around, and says, "Who just touched me?" Imagine being there. Everyone looks around with a dumbfounded look on their face. They look from one another as if to say, "duh." Finally one of them has the gumption to add, "...ah, Jesus, people are touching you all over..."

However, this touch was different and of course Jesus knew that. This girl, after all else had failed, finally decided to turn to God for healing. She thought, "If I can just touch him, I will be healed." (Mark) She tried to fix her problem for 12 years and had just made it worse. She did all she could and it was not enough. She finally realized that what could heal her was to fall on her knees and find healing with Jesus. Instantly her bleeding stopped. This is the only way to heal the sin in your life. There is nothing else that can be done. It is only through God's grace that you can be made "clean." You can either learn the hard way and try yourself for 12-20-50 years, or you can learn the easy way from the example God gives us in this Bible story.

That alone is a good lesson, but there is one more thing and it is my favorite part of the story. Remember that she is "unclean." Anything she touches is "unclean." Nobody will talk to her, be with her, even acknowledge her, because in this society, they would then be shunned too. But what does Jesus do? This is the order in the Bible: She touched him. She was healed. ...Then Jesus asked, "who touched me." He could have let her go and be healed in quiet. Undoubtedly she would not want to draw attention to herself because she was "unclean." She would have certainly touched many people on her way to Jesus through the crowd. But Jesus did not do that. He publically calls her out. He says, “Who just touched me?” She says, “I did Lord.” Then he calls her "daughter." As if to say, "Hey crowd, this woman whom you think is unclean, just touched me, and I'm proud of her. She has faith, and she is my daughter." He not only acknowledged that she had touched him, but he builds her up in front of the crowd. He says, "I got your back." ...Ain't he great?

Written by Chris Vasecka

To join a group of Christian business professionals who want to guide the next generation of Christian small business owners and professionals go to www.goodfaithpeople.ning.com.

Luke 7:36-50, “Don’t Call Jesus a Chump,” A Bible Study Devotion.

Luke 7:36-50, “Don’t Call Jesus a Chump,” A Bible Study Devotion.

Read Luke 7:36-50

When I first read this passage I assumed I would write a typical devotion about the situation and the lesson it is teaching. However, something else just jumped off the page. I tried to put myself in the place of the Pharisee to gauge his motivations. He has invited Jesus to his home for a meal. Why? Is it because he wants to spend time with him? Is it because he respects him and wants to learn from him? I'm not sure, it does not say. But look at the chain of events:

The pharisee invites Jesus to his home.
There is a woman at Jesus feet.
The pharisee has negative thoughts about Jesus.
The pharisee has negative thoughts about the woman.
Jesus calls his name.
The pharisee responds with the respectful term "teacher."
Jesus tells him a parable.

Let's break this down. We will have to jump back and forth between the chain of events to make some sense out of this scene. Look at how the pharisee responds to Jesus and the woman at Jesus' feet. He says in verse 39, "If this man were a profit, he would know who is touching him and what kind of woman she is - that she is a sinner." In that one sentence he is saying: Jesus is a liar, Jesus is only a man, the pharisee is a judge and judges that Jesus should not allow a sinner to touch him, the woman is beneath the pharisee because she is a sinner, and the pharisee is not a sinner by comparison. Wow, pretty arrogant, huh? Notice that it also says that the pharisee said this under his breath. Not only is the pharisee making all these judgments, but he is also not man enough to say them out loud, which shows contempt. So a few questions are: Why did he invite Jesus at all? This is in his house right? So why is the "sinner" in there at all? Is this some kind of set up?




Jesus then says to the pharisee, "Simon, I have something to tell you." The pharisee then says, "Tell me, teacher." Tell me teacher? So is this guy two faced? He is thinking all these rotten things about Jesus and the woman, then snaps to attention, puts on a fake smile, and calls Jesus "Teacher?"

Jesus then goes on to tell him a parable about sin and forgiveness. Imagine sitting in the room. There is a woman weeping, running her hair all over Jesus' feet, and pouring perfume on them. You would think that the conversation with the pharisee would halt and attention would turn to the woman. The awful sinner. However, Jesus goes on to tell a parable, directed to the pharisee that is speaking to the condition of the pharisee, even though he does not understand.

When you read this now and you can see the whole situation, and it is about someone else, it seems crazy that the pharisee cannot see the irony in Jesus' words. However, has this happened to you too? Have you ever looked at the sin of someone else and not been able to see your own? And don't miss this one... Have you ever had Jesus speaking to you in a story that is surrounding you and missed the whole message because you were too important to "listen?" What if the Holy Spirit is speaking to you at this time in your life in a parable?

To miss what God is trying to teach you is one thing, but to have you ever been two faced to God? What the pharisee did, mumble disdain under his breath, and then paste an "Eddie Haskell" type persona smile on and pay Jesus respectful lip service is obvious. But do we do the same thing; only it's not so obvious? Have you ever shaken your head in disgust and asked God why he made someone the way he did? Have you ever prayed or left church and within minutes willfully walked right out of God's path? If you have done these, you are basically calling God a chump... If you really expect to try and get one past God, you are saying he is a chump. Would you call God a chump to his face? Would you call him one under your breath with prettier words? I bet the answer to the first one is "NO!" I bet the answer to the second one is "maybe???"

Written by Chris Vasecka

To join a group of Christian business professionals who want to guide the next generation of Christian small business owners and professionals go to www.goodfaithpeople.ning.com.

John 3:3, “You Must be Born Again” (Part 3, Student’s Testimony) A Bible Study Devotion.

As promised, a student’s testimony, share with all the teenagers in your life…

My names Dalton, I am a 2009 graduate from Blaine High School. Now what I wanna recall is a time in my life, let’s rephrase that, the worst time in my life. I was your typical 16 year old junior with a lot going for him. Tons of friends, minimal responsibility, and a car. Now high school is a fun place, for the most part. You go and goof around for 4 years, make new friends, date tons of girls, and make the best of it. Well for me, I was doing all of those things, without a single care in the world. Coasting through life, really not caring about much, or for anyone else. My life was mine and I was gonna live it "without regret" (which was my motto at the time...) Well as if this carefree life couldn't get any better, I had a girlfriend, which I thought was good. Yeah... it wasn't.

Here, let me give you a background of my faith, since this is a testimony and it's important to explain every detail of it. Well... there wasn't one. Which in my opinion was why everything in my life came crashing down on me. Now in the bible it says something along the lines of, a wise man builds his house on the rock while Dalton Larson builds his on sand. (Matthew 7:24-27) My name obviously isn't in the bible but the point is, my foundation, my life, was not built on the rock which is God. And through the storms, troubles, and everything in my life, eventually soiled the sand until the house collapsed. So that was my life, and of course I didn't know it was heading in that direction until God finally slapped me across the face and woke me up.

Now the story goes; at the end of my junior year, I was finally devastated by that gloomy realization that I had put all my eggs into one basket; the wrong basket. As most high school relationships end, mine did with about a week left of school. My girlfriend at the time had been lying to me and after about a year of dating had finally confessed to cheating on me...great. Everything I had put my hope in was now crushed. One thing that initially happened when I was reflecting/venting anger on my past year of wasted life was the fact that I needed God. I honestly have no idea why that thought popped up in my head. I knew that God existed I believed that there was a God; I just didn't really know him yet. Since there was now a desire in my heart to seek after God I was also faced with the grim realization that I didn't even deserve God. Through the past year, I had been overwhelmed by sin, and by sin I mean everything, anger, greed, lust, etc etc etc... "Why should God even accept me, I’m a worthless person, I have completely betrayed Him, why...?" The verse that I felt was Romans 3:23 "23for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God". That was the guilt I was completely consumed with for most of the weeks following the break up. I was completely lost and a completely broken human being... It took one car ride for my heart to completely break; it was as if God was trying to show me how He felt from what I had done with my life. A song came on in the car, a song from one of my favorite bands, the lyrics went something like "And on my knees, I wept at Your feet and finally believed that You still love me." I immediately broke down crying... those words were straight from God. Because this whole time I was so lost and confused and didn't even believe that God could still love a person like me. A couple days after that I went to the Wednesday night youth group at Horizon's Community Church and that night completely changed my life. We worshipped and for me it was the most intense worship I had ever experienced, I was seeking after God so hard and I finally felt His love for me. The rest of Romans 3 was revealed to me that night, not literally but I had finally understood what God was all about, "24 Yet God, with undeserved kindness, declares that we are righteous. He did this through Christ Jesus when he freed us from the penalty for our sins. 25 For God presented Jesus as the sacrifice for sin." And that night I learned what it meant to be "Born-Again". My youth group challenged me with the question "Are you Born Again? Do you know what it means?" And of course I had never even heard of the term and I thought that you can get to heaven if you are baptized or whatever... well I was wrong. John 3:3 stated that "unless you are born again, you cannot see the Kingdom of God.”

So of course I wanted to be Born-Again because I learned that Christ is the only way to salvation and everlasting life. (John 3:16) A huge part of my testimony comes from that small group on Wednesday nights, (SGROUP!) God led me to that place; He helped me get up off the couch that night instead of just skipping it and playing video games instead. God does exist, God loves me for who I am, I don't need to feel guilty for the sins I have committed in my life (Romans 8). Because God with his unconditional and everlasting love has set me free from the selfish life I no longer live. No one could ever write me a big enough check to return to my former life...not even all the money in the world because chances are that check would probably bounce anyways. Thanks for reading and God Bless.



Guest written by Dalton Larson

To join a group of Christian business professionals who want to guide the next generation of Christian small business owners and professionals go to www.goodfaithpeople.ning.com.

Luke 7:1-10, “How should powerful people approach Jesus?” A Bible Study Devotion.

Luke 7:1-10, “How should powerful people approach Jesus?” A Bible Study Devotion.

Read Luke 7:1-10

The Bible is filled with examples of poor people, sick people, and lower people on the totem of society approaching Jesus in humility and begging for his grace. They come with a humble heart, acknowledging Jesus’ greatness and their un-greatness. There are examples of them coming for the sake of others. This is how the poor and lowly approach Jesus, but how should the healthy, wealthy, and powerful people approach Jesus? Let’s look to scripture.

Jump all the way to verse 9 to see what Jesus says about this man, “I tell you, I have not found such great faith even in Israel.” Wow! That’s pretty high praise. What did the man do to deserve such and accolade from the creator of the world? He showed three things that we can learn from; reverence, humility, and compassion.

• Reverence: In verse 8 the centurion says, “for I myself am a man under authority, with soldiers under me. I tell this on ‘Go’ and he goes; and that on ‘Come,’ and he comes. I say to my servant, ‘do this,’ and he does it.” At the end of verse 7 he says, “…But say the word and my servant will be healed.” Here the man is comparing his authority over his soldiers to Jesus’ authority over all the Earth. Remember that he is asking Jesus to heal a man who is going to die. He calls Jesus “Lord.” He knows that God spoke the world into existence, and he can speak a man to be healed. He is saying, you are God and you have authority over all things, even eminent death.

• Humility: In verse 6 and 7 the centurion says, “…Lord, don’t trouble yourself, for I do not deserve to have you come under my roof. That is why I did not even consider myself worthy to come to you…” This is a powerful man in society. He has many people who listen to his orders. He has workers, soldiers, servants, and as we see in verse 3; Jewish elders follow his orders. Even the Jewish elders, (who hated the Roman intrusion over their county) stepped up to speak for the centurion. They said, “He deserves this, he loves our nation and built our synagogue.” Even though he has friendlies and hostiles who speak highly of him and listen to his authority, the centurion knows that he is not worthy of Jesus.

• Compassion: Remember the power and position that this man has on Earth. He has many people under his command. Yet in verse 2 we see that the centurion’s servant was “valued highly” by his master. This does not mean that he valued the servant’s work highly. If the man dies, the centurion can certainly go to the market place and get another servant. He is valued because he is a person that God created. The centurion knows that even though the servant works for him, they are both just people under God’s authority. If you are a boss, or business owner, or in some position of authority, learn a lesson from this man…

This is a great way to approach God with your issues: “You are God, I am not, please help my friend…” Do you have a friend who does not know Jesus? …I know the answer to that… This would be a good approach, “You are God, I am not, please help my friend…” This man told Jesus that he knew all he had to do was speak it and the servant would be healed; the servant who was dying. You have friends that are dying too. Dying a spiritual death without the saving grace of Jesus. Pray that God would speak the word and show them their sin, so they can repent…

Written by Chris Vasecka

To join a group of Christian business professionals who want to guide the next generation of Christian small business owners and professionals go to www.goodfaithpeople.ning.com.

Luke 6:46-49, “Why does God have so many rules?” A Bible Study Devotion.

Luke 6:46-49, “Why does God have so many rules?” A Bible Study Devotion.

Read Luke 6:46-49

The story of the two builders has a lot of different lessons. There are many observations that come from the story; here is one of my favorite: Verse 46 says, “Why do you call me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and do not do what I say?” In other words, both of these home builders consider themselves Christians. Both of them believe they have a saving relationship with Jesus. Both call him “Lord,” yet they both don’t do what he says to do. Guess what. Jesus tells you what to do for your own benefit. I’ll repeat that, Jesus tells you what to do for your own benefit. If you can learn this one lesson, it can change your life. You will no longer see God as a tyrant who makes rules to make your life miserable. You will see him as a loving parent who guides your path because he wants what is best for you.

What do the houses have in common?

• They were both built by house builders. The story does not say that one was built by a carpenter and the other by a bread maker. It is assumed that both builders knew how to build their house, but one cut corners. It says that both builders “heard” Jesus’ word, but one chose to ignore them.

• Both houses were going to see a storm. Jesus never says, “Follow me, and all your troubles will be gone….” it is not a question of “if” you will see storms in your life. It is only a question of “when.” In each case, the houses were hit with a storm. One was able to stand firm, and one was destroyed.

• Both houses look the same on the outside. This is a great nugget…. You cannot see the foundation of a house. If you drive down the street and look at the homes, you have no idea if they have solid foundations. The same is true with the people next to you in church. You don’t know if they have built their “homes” on the foundation of Christ’s teaching.

What is different about these houses?

• The material that is under the surface. One of these houses is built on the ground. One of them is built on a solid foundation of bedrock (Jesus’ teaching.) Remember that Jesus is not limited by time. (See my post, “God’s Helicopter view times two.” While it may seem like it goes against everything that you have learned so far in life, you must have faith that God knows what is best for you and can see the “whole” picture.

• The time that it took to build these houses. What is faster, doing the quick job, or doing the job the right way? What is better? This is obvious on paper, but do you practice it too? Imagine the one builder sitting in a lawn chair in front of his finished house sipping a cool drink while the other builder is still in the hole in the ground working on the foundation. Building on Jesus’ teaching takes more time; it’s harder work. However, Jesus says it will be worth it when it matters? Do you trust him?

Learn this lesson…

Jesus tells you what to do for your own benefit.

Why does God tell people not to have sex before marriage? Is it because he is mean? Is it because he does not understand relationships in the year 2010? Or… Is it because he wants you to know if you have a relationship without sex? Which one takes more time? Which one is harder to do? Which one is built on a solid foundation? Which one is more likely to survive a storm?

Why does God tell people not to lie? Is it because he wants to give your competition a leg up? Is it because he does not understand life or business in the year 2010? Or… is it because he understands that a lie is a prison that needs more and more lies to keep up. Do you want to be slave to a lie? Are you smart enough to remember what you said to every person? Can telling the truth be harder? Which one is built on a solid foundation? Which one is more likely to survive a storm?

Why does God want you to give the first 10% of your income to the local church? Is it because God “needs” your money? Is it because God does not understand finances in the year 2010? Or… is it because this is the way that God can teach you to not worship money. What does God say about the love of money? Does it seem logical to give away money? Which one is built on a solid foundation? Which one is more likely to survive a storm?

How am I saved? I repent and put my trust in Jesus… what does that mean, to trust in Jesus? Does it mean to do what he says even if it does not make sense according to what you have learned in this world? Which one takes more time? Which one is harder to do? Which one is built on a solid foundation? Which one is more likely to survive a storm?

Written by Chris Vasecka

To join a group of Christian business professionals who want to guide the next generation of Christian small business owners and professionals go to www.goodfaithpeople.ning.com.

Luke 6:37-42, “I hate those judgmental Christians!” A Bible Study Devotion.

Luke 6:37-42, “I hate those judgmental Christians!” A Bible Study Devotion.

Read Luke 6:37-42

Are you a person who does not believe in Jesus? Do you just want those Christians to leave you alone? Do you say, “Great; it’s fine for you, but I’m not interested?” Are they just a bunch of hypocrites? “Why do they have to be so judgmental?” If this is you, read this post…

Are you a Christian who does not want to be judgmental? Do you not tell people about Jesus because you don’t want to appear “better” than others? Do you read these verses and feel you have no right to point out another’s sin? If this is you, read this post…

To the non-believer: Nobody likes it when sin is pointed out to them. Nobody likes it when someone else gets into their business. Some of those Christians can seem a bit self righteous. You have your belief, they can have theirs. However, I have one question for you: Why does it make you mad? Think about it… If a person tells me that I should start knitting, I don’t get mad at them. I have no interest, so I just “walk” on by. So when someone tells you about Jesus, why don’t you just walk on by? Why not give it as much thought as you would knitting and just say, “Thanks, but no thanks...” The reason is that, although there is a person in front of you telling you about Jesus, it is not them who is speaking, but rather God through them. Ecclesiastes 3:11 …He has also set eternity in the hearts of men… What does that verse mean? It means that God placed a knowledge and longing for him in every persons heart. You get mad because you know deep down, in your soul, heart, somewhere, that what they are saying is true. You don’t need to be standing in a church. You don’t need to be holding a Bible. You don’t need to be talking to a preacher. God wrote eternity on your heart. He gave you a conscience. Only something that appeals to your conscience makes you mad… I’m not going to give you a full sermon on sin, repentance, and restoration. I will leave you with just two questions: Why would these people tell you about Jesus when they know that it will make you mad? They don’t want money. They don’t want you to join a cult. They don’t want anything from you. And, why does it make you so mad? If you really didn’t care what they had to say, you would just shrug it off and go about your business. I know you may not believe this, but they are doing it because they love you… (I’ll bet if someone has approached you and asked for money or something else of you while throwing the name Jesus around, it did not make you mad. There are false teachers in the world who work for their own gain, but they are not speaking for God. And because they are not speaking for God, they do not appeal to your conscience; there for do not make you mad…) Think about these two questions; it could really make you think. If you are really daring, pray about these two questions. If you honestly seek the truth, you will find it…

To the believer: Jesus is saying in these verses, don’t judge other people’s sin without examining your own. But he is NOT saying; don’t spread the Gospel because you have sin in your life. Judging is for God. Giving mercy is for God…and you. God did not give you what you deserve; Hell. He gave you mercy and commands that you give others mercy too. He also commanded you to spread the good news to the ends of the Earth. The famous verse about a plank in your eye is not an excuse to ignore Jesus’ command about sharing the Gospel. From this point on, consider it an honor if people get mad at you for sharing the Gospel. It is God working on their conscience. Remember, you did not go down without a fight either… Also, remember their fight is not with you. Their fight is a power struggle over control. Don’t try to make people mad; that is not how you spread the news. Don’t be pushy, just appeal to their conscience. Jesus used the law to show people sin. Let God’s word do the work and stay out of the way. If they happen to get mad at you in the process, take the beating. That is nothing compared to the beating He took for you…

Written by Chris Vasecka

To join a group of Christian business professionals who want to guide the next generation of Christian small business owners and professionals go to www.goodfaithpeople.ning.com.

John 3:3, “You MUST be born again…” A Bible Study Devotion.

John 3:3, “You MUST be born again…” A Bible Study Devotion.

Read John 3:3. In reply Jesus declared, “I tell you the truth, no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again.”

I remember hearing the term “born again” here and there throughout my life. I remember that it always had a negative connotation, but I’m not sure where that came from. I heard comments like this, “He used to be a great guy, but he became a born again Christian.” I remember that Gary Gaetti, my favorite player on the Twins, (I’m from MN) became a born again Christian. I remember telling my friend, “Gaetti just ruined the Twins. He ruined the great chemistry they had in the club.” I said that with authority like someone who knows, but I didn’t know one actual thing about being “born again,” yet I had very strong opinions on the matter. Why?

Jump ahead 15 or so years. A lot has happened. Now I know what it means to be born again. Now I am born again. I’m even a youth group teacher. One night the Holy Spirit took control of our typically chaotic group. We were sitting in a circle and this is what happened: I was a new teacher. I had been there 2-3 times but always with the normal leader. I typically just sat and listened throwing in a small comment here and there. This time though, when I got to group I was told the normal leader couldn’t make it. The class was all mine, yikes… I decided to scrap the lesson plan and get to know my guys. I went around the circle and asked them a few questions each. Right around the circle, in order, the exact same questions. I first asked them where they went to school, what city they lived in, etc; warm up questions. Most of these kids were from families in our church. They certainly had heard the Christian “language” before. Then I asked them, again right around the circle, “Are you a Christian?” Every boy said yes. Then I asked them, “Are you a born again Christian?” Every boy said no. Fascinating! Then I asked them what it means to be a born again Christian. None of them knew. None of them knew, but they all knew that they weren’t one. How does that happen?

So there we were sitting in a circle, everyone a Christian, nobody a born again Christian, and I read them this verse: In reply Jesus declared, “I tell you the truth, no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again.” …It was silent… So I asked them, “What does that verse mean?” …more silence… I just had a group of guys tell me they were not born again. I just showed them that Jesus said they must be born again if they want to go to Heaven. This is where I know the Holy Spirit had a hand in our group. Typically if you tell a teenage boy something along these lines, they say “whatever,” (or some other derivative of that word which is currently in their vernacular) however this time there was not one boy who didn’t have their head bowed running this stream of logic through their soul. I could imagine one boy, maybe two, who would consider what was just taught, but the whole room? Only God himself could arrange the scene…

This was part one of “You must be born again.” I’ll tell you what happened to those boys sometime in the future. It has been five years since that night. However, I want to leave you with a few questions: Are you a Christian? Are you a born again Christian? Jesus said you must be if you want to go to Heaven; are you?

Written by Chris Vasecka

If you have not accepted the free gift of salvation that only Jesus can offer, but you want to, talk to a pastor, read the Bible and pray that God will show you how, or send me an email…

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Dessert in the Desert?

Dessert in the Desert?

Read Luke 4:1-13

The first observation we can make is the timing and style of the questions/temptations by satan. When did this happen? Immediately after Jesus was baptized and the Holy Spirit came upon him. Jesus had just made the public proclamation that he was "open for business." He was led by the Spirit into the desert, presumably to pray and get closer to God before he started his public ministry. And who was right there with him? Who was watching him and making note of what he was doing? Jesus was not eating, he would use that... Jesus was praying; he would use that... Jesus was led by the Spirit; he would use that too... How long was Jesus tempted? 40 days straight! Satan is relentless...

How does he start his temptation? (vs. 3, 9) “If you are the Son of God…” He is doing one or both of two things. First he is introducing doubt. He did this with Eve too; see Genesis 3:1. “Did God really say you could not eat...?” To us, today it can sound like this, “Do you really think God cares about that?” “You’ve worked hard, you deserve this.” And so on… The second thing satan is trying to attempt in his question is an appeal to your ego. He is daring Jesus. “If you are really the Son of God, then do this…” What is the root of all sin? Ego, pride, you wanting to be God, just like satan. I know you don’t say before you sin, “I want to be God, so I will do this sin.” But guess what? You are saying that. By choosing to sin, you are saying to God, “In this case, I know better than you.”

How does satan try to appeal to Jesus? He uses three different temptations, in this order. First he tries to appeal to a physical need/want. Jesus was hungry; he hadn’t eaten for 40 days. Satan observed this, so tried to temp him where he knew he could be weak. This should not be glossed over. Imagine how hungry He would be? Have you ever said this to yourself? “I haven’t had this in a long time, I deserve it…” In this case satan tells Jesus to “tell” the stone to become bread.

He couldn’t get Jesus to fall by appealing to his physical want, so he steps it up. Next he tries to temp him by appealing to his long term vision or dream. (At least what he assumes is his long term vision or dream) Are you doing all things according to the Bible at work? Have you ever cut corners, cheated, fudged a little to help along in your long term dream? In this case satan tells Jesus to “worship.”

The last appeal satan makes to Jesus is to throw himself off of the Temple and have God save him. Basically he is telling Jesus to challenge God. If Jesus can throw himself off of the Temple and God will save him, then Jesus is Lord over God. In this case satan tells Jesus to “throw, or (challenge).”

So what are we supposed to do when tempted? You know the saying, “What would Jesus do…WWJD.” Well what did Jesus do? He quoted scripture. By doing this, He acknowledged that he followed God. How was he able to quote scripture? He knew scripture. What must we do to know scripture? Read the Bible. We all know we should not steal, but what about a little tougher dilemma? Example: my niece is almost done with college. She needs to borrow $2500 to finish this semester. Her parents are in tough financial shape. She is a good kid. You have the money. What do you do? What does the Bible say you should do? There is only one way to know, and that is to know what the Bible says. Jesus quoted a different part of scripture to counter any temptation satan had.

But here is where it really gets tricky… look at satan’s progression. First he tempted with the simplest form. he went after the physical need/want to be satisfied. Next he progressed to the dream or grander form. And lastly, he went for a direct challenge to be God. But how did he do it? He quoted scripture too! His scripture seemed to fit. It appeared to be relevant. In other words, satan knows how to use the scripture, so you had better know it too. This is scary. How can you defeat satan? I will alleviate you from that worry right now. You can’t! However, if you go back to verse 1, it says that Jesus was full of the Spirit; he was being led by the Spirit. You can’t defeat satan, but the Spirit can. And he will help you if you appeal to him.

So after all of this, after satan had failed to temp Jesus for 40 days is a stronger and stronger progression, he quit. It say’s he left…

…until an opportune time. Be on the watch. Live in the Spirit.

Chris Vasecka

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John the B did not scream “Jesus loves you...”

John the B did not scream “Jesus loves you...”

Read Luke 3:1-22

The question: What, according to the preaching of John, are the cause, nature, and outcome of repentance? (Repentance is the turning away from sin)

The cause, from these verses, first of all is sin. Without sin, there is no need for repentance. Don’t get excited though, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. In other words, if you are a person, you must repent. Yes, that is you… The other cause for repentance is the wrath of God. (Vs. 7-9) Verse 9 says, “The ax is already at the root of the tree.” So all you have to do is nothing and you will be chopped down and thrown in to the fire.

The nature of repentance is to produce fruit. (vs. 8) If sinning is producing bad fruit and repentance is turning from sin, then repentance is producing good fruit. Don’t like to have the ax ready at your tree trunk? Repent and produce fruit… Verses 10-14 are a short list of types of sin (not all inclusive) that must be repented. To the man with two, he says give one. To the tax collector, he says don’t cheat. To the soldier he says don’t take bribes. In other words, be generous, honest, and content. So how do I know if I’m repenting? Are you generous? Are you honest? Are you content? (That last one is extremely counter-cultural, so be careful.)

The outcome of repentance is the forgiveness of sins. (V 3) In verse 15-17 two very important things are explained. First, God is the one who forgives, not John (not people.) He will separate the wheat from the chaff. The chaff will be thrown into the fire, but the wheat will be gathered into his barn.

What is the pattern here? Don’t miss this…


You did not see this: All the people showed up and sat in the pews. John the preacher said, “Jesus loves you and you are all going to Heaven!”

What he did say was “You brood of vipers!” (vs.7) …”the ax is at your feet…you will be thrown into the fire…”

The pattern is this: Sin, Repentance, and Restoration. First you must know that you are a sinner. You must have your sin pointed out to you, if you cannot see it. I dare you to pray, and mean it...”God please show me my sin.” Next is repentance, or the turning from your sin. Then and only then is there restoration. …and God will take you into his barn, or Heaven. This pattern is consistent throughout the Bible. The woman at the well… Jesus pointed out her sin. The woman who was about to be stoned… He pointed out her sin,etc. Does this mean it takes a long time to gain God’s forgiveness? No, look at the thief on the cross. Jesus told him he would be with him in paradise that very day. …but first he acknowledged his sin…

So it is your choice. Do you want the ax at your feet? To be chopped down and thrown into the fire? Or do you want to be forgiven and gathered into God’s barn? If you pray to God, “please show me my sin,” and if you mean it, He will show you. Get ready though, once he does, you’ll certainly see the need for a savior. Your list of sins that come to mind will not look like this: I lied, I stole when I was a kid, I cheated on my taxes a little, etc…

It will sound more like this: I spat in the face of God, I told God, “NO!” “I am smarter than you.” “I know what is best for me, not you.” “I think you are a chump.” “I think I’m so smart and you are a simpleton.”

Pretty scary stuff…


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