Monthly Archives: March 2023

How The Bible Comes Alive

Paul Luckett | Brainflurry.com - How The Bible Comes Alive

Reading the Bible is good (Romans 10:17).

But, reading the Bible won’t unlock it (Deuteronomy 29:29, John 5:39-40, 1 Corinthians 2:14).

I must acknowledge my dire need (Luke 18:9-14, Matthew 5:3-8, James 4:6).

And, I must be open to Jesus’s ability to meet that need (Mark 9:24, Hebrews 11:6).

Then, when I seek Jesus through reading the Bible, He will give Himself because that’s what He’s eager to do (Luke 12:32).

And, if I accept what He gives, He will give more (Luke 8:18, 2 Corinthians 3:18).

He will give more and more until my cup runs over (Luke 6:38),
and from my belly begins to flow rivers of living water (John 4:13-14, 7:37-39).

Come to Jesus and be healed (Matthew 11:28, John 7:37).

But, He is of no help to us if we’re well (Matthew 9:13, Mark 2:17, Luke 18:9-14).

Pray to experience the conviction of the Holy Spirit, to be given ears to hear and eyes to see your desperate need for God (Deuteronomy 29:4, Matthew 16:17, John 16:8).

And then, the Bible will come alive (Hebrews 4:12).

Jesus’s Proposal

Paul Luckett | Brainflurry.com - Jesus's Proposal
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So, I say I’m Christian, but have I actually accepted Jesus’s proposal?

Jesus is making this proposal to you, to accept that:

the life you’re living is really death (Ephesians 2:1),

the world you live in is ruled by darkness because we chose to obey Satan (Genesis 3:1-7, Romans 6:16, Luke 4:5-6, 1 John 5:19),

your whole life is harming and being harmed because of your separation from God (Matthew 18:7-9, Luke 17:1),

there is nothing good apart from God (James 1:17),

God loves us (John 3:16, 1 John 3:1),

God is so loving, all-knowing, powerful and wise, that before the foundation of the world He provided us a way of escape (Ephesians 1:4, 1 Peter 1:20, Revelation 13:8),

God’s Kingdom is on the move, His Kingdom is at hand to save us from the death we’re dying now, the coming death of God’s wrath against sin and to save us from Hell (John 3:36, Romans 1:18-19, Revelation 20:6, Revelation 20:11-15) ,

God does what is impossible for us to do: God provided The Way to save us from destruction AND restore us to fellowship with Him, reestablishing the perfection required to dwell in His presence (John 1:12-13, Ephesians 2:13, 1 John 3:1),

Jesus is The Way (John 14:6),

Jesus is God, begotten of the Father by the Spirit through a woman (Galatians 4:4),

Jesus came in the flesh, indwelt by the fullness of God, died as the atonement for our sins and rose from the dead with new life that He makes available to us (John 1:14, Romans 8:11, 1 John 4:2),

Jesus is sent by God to be King, to deliver us from the power of darkness and convey us into the kingdom of the Son of His love, that we may have life through the knowledge of God (Isaiah 9:6, John 18:37, Colossians 1:13),

Jesus offers new life (John 3:3, 10:10, 2 Corinthians 5:17),

Jesus requires that we give up our old life: our identity, our possessions and our pursuits (Luke 14:33),

Jesus requires that we give up our right to rule our own life, to accept Him for who He is –our Master and God, and to submit to Him with total obedience (Luke 6:46, Matthew 7:21, John 14:15, John 15:10),

Jesus requires that we denounce the world and abandon any affections for anything in it. You must give up your previous lover (James 4:4, 1 John 2:15),

Jesus requires that we use everything we have and everything we are to advance His cause, to further His interests and not our own (Luke 14:25-33, Luke 16:10-13),

Jesus offers God (John 17:1-4).

Do you accept His proposal?

When we marry, we don’t know all there is to know about the person we’re marrying or what that person will become, but we see enough worth and believe we know enough about them to navigate the unknown.

I have seen enough of Jesus to trust Him (or at least try). He has proven to me to be exceedingly worthy. I know enough to trust Him to navigate the unknown.

I have not attained, but I press and make it my aim to say “I do” to the Lord, every day.

I commend Jesus to you.

Repent (be convicted of sin –admit falling short of the standard of His love and change direction in pursuit of it), hear Jesus (if you don’t hear, humble yourself, pray and ask God to give you hearing and get in His Word), believe Him and be saved.

Beware taking Jesus’s name (Christian) without taking Jesus. We will not have Jesus until we accept His actual proposal and begin to give Him everything. We will not experience Jesus until we obey Him (John 14:21).

A Love So Different It’s Like Night And Day

Paul Luckett | Brainflurry.com - A Love So Different It's Like Night And Day

A concept that has alluded me and that was so distant and alien to me, seems so plain and elementary to me now:

We believe that Jesus came down from heaven not only to save us but humbled Himself to serve those who should be serving Him to the extent that He gave His very life on the cross all because of His great love for us (Philippians 2:5-11).

But, that is not true.

Jesus did not do it because of His great love for us.

Jesus did it because of His great love for the Father (John 6:38, 14:31, Philippians 2:8).

Jesus was so faithful to His love for the Father that He was willing to give everything for it (John 8:29, 12:27-28, Philippians 2:8).

He loved God with all His heart, all His soul, with all His mind and with all His strength (John 4:34, Luke 22:41-44, Philippians 2:8).

True love has to start there.

That’s why it’s the first and greatest commandment (Deuteronomy 6:4-5, Mark 12:28-30).

“Then one of the scribes came, and having heard them reasoning together, perceiving that He had answered them well, asked Him, ‘Which is the first commandment of all?” Jesus answered him, ‘The first of all the commandments is: “Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one. And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.” This is the first commandment. ‘ – Mark 12:28-30

The love of the world is like living our whole life under moonlight. It can be beautiful but that light is merely a reflection of the true source of light and it cannot give life.

While love that begins with God is like walking in the light of the sun which gives life. Moonlight is nothing in comparison.

What I thought love was and what Jesus is showing me Love is, is like night and day.

True love has to start with loving God.

Because Jesus’s love for us started there, He could not be moved.

He was not moved by temptation.

“‘Again, the devil took Him up on an exceedingly high mountain, and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory. And he said to Him, “All these things I will give You if You will fall down and worship me.” Then Jesus said to him, “Away with you, Satan! For it is written, ‘You shall worship the Lord your God, and Him only you shall serve.’ ” – Matthew 4:8-10

He was not moved by promises of power.

‘Then those men, when they had seen the sign that Jesus did, said, “This is truly the Prophet who is to come into the world.” Therefore when Jesus perceived that they were about to come and take Him by force to make Him king, He departed again to the mountain by Himself alone.’ – John 6:14-15

He was not moved by friends and people He loved.

‘From that time Jesus began to show to His disciples that He must go to Jerusalem, and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised the third day. Then Peter took Him aside and began to rebuke Him, saying, “Far be it from You, Lord; this shall not happen to You!” But He turned and said to Peter, “Get behind Me, Satan! You are an offense to Me, for you are not mindful of the things of God, but the things of men.”’ – Matthew 16:21-23

He was not moved by pain.

‘There were also two others, criminals, led with Him to be put to death. And when they had come to the place called Calvary, there they crucified Him, and the criminals, one on the right hand and the other on the left. Then Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they do.” And they divided His garments and cast lots. ‘ – Luke 23:32-34

Even as He hung, bled and was dying on a heavy, crude, splinter-ridden cross, stripped naked, exposed, mocked –humiliated, He did not revile in return, He did not speak curses but blessings (1 Peter 2:21-23), crying out “Father forgive them, for they know not what they do.”

Jesus was on that cross because “for God so loved the world that GOD gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life” (John 3:16). And Jesus wanted for them what the Father wanted for them (John 10:15-18,15:9).

“Ok,” I ask, “I get that You didn’t want those who believed in Your Son not to perish, but what’s that got to do with the people hurting and crucifying Him?!” Jesus answers, “I’m using everything, My suffering and even My death to draw all men to Myself for the glory of the Father. Remember the centurion.”

‘So when the centurion, who stood opposite Him, saw that He cried out like this and breathed His last, he said, “Truly this Man was the Son of God!”’ – Mark 15:39

It occurs to me, that if Jesus allowed the destruction of those who were hurting Him, we’d all be destroyed because we’re all hurting Him (Romans 3:10). But even though we’re enemies, rather than destroying us, He continually offers us the opportunity to be friends, offering us everything we need, beginning with a new heart (being born again), and patiently teaching us how to be His friend. His goal is to draw us near to Himself where He is with God, in order to reconcile us to the Father (1 Colossians 1:19-23).

Jesus love for the Father kept Him on that cross, more securely than the nails driven through His body ever could (Mark 15:29-32).

Jesus was never moved from the Father’s love for us.

And that’s the way we are called to love one another (John 13:34, John 15:12, 1 John 3:16).

True love begins with loving God with all my heart, all my soul, with all my mind and with all my strength.

There is a reason this is the first and greatest commandment.

The second greatest is love your neighbor as yourself (Mark 12:31).

“And the second, like it, is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.” – Mark 12:31

I can’t do the second without the first.

If God is love, how can I love without love? (1 John 4:7-8)

I rejoice and thank God for this revelation of the Holy Spirit, but upon seeing it, I realize “Woe is me!” It is too wonderful for me.

Frankly, I cannot do any of it unless God does it in me (Philippian 2:13).

I want to love God with everything I have. I want to have His heart so that I can love those around me with His amazing love. I want to love like Jesus, with a love that desires for people what the Father desires for them, a love that no matter what people do or no matter what comes, I am immovable (1 Corinthians 15:58).

I confess I don’t love like this and I don’t know how (1 John 1:9).

Dear Father, help me! In Jesus name I ask this. Amen (1 John 5:14-15, John 16:24).

#perfectourlove

52 Weeks of Gratefulness #9 – A Birthday

Paul Luckett | Brainflurry.com - 52 Weeks Of Gratefulness #9 - A Birthday

In Week 9 of 52 Weeks of Gratefulness I give thanks for the ability to celebrate another birthday with the most important man in my life, Reverend Paul Luckett.

Happy birthday, Pop. Your example as a man and a father both guides and challenges me everyday.

I thank God for your life.

I thank Him more that I am able to share it with you.

I love you.

I’m thankful.

#52WoG

Note: He’s a leap year baby (Feb. 29) so in a normal year, he has the special ability to choose which day he wants to celebrate his birthday on: Feb. 28 or March 1. This year he chose to celebrate it today.