There are numerous reasons people resist or reject the message of Jesus Christ. One that has been common since the beginning of Christianity is the difficulty scientific and academically “smart” people have with not being able to figure things out. During early Christianity, the brilliant academics were the Greeks. Even today, we study writings of Plato, and Aristotle, and the creations of the ancient Greeks.

The apostle Paul recognized this challenge that the “intellectuals” had with Christianity and wrote about it in 1 Corinthians 1:21-25. He wrote, “Since God in his wisdom saw to it that the world would never know him through human wisdom, he has used our foolish preaching to save those who believe. It is foolish to the Jews, who ask for signs from heaven. And it is foolish to the Greeks, who seek human wisdom. So when we preach that Christ was crucified, the Jews are offended and the Greeks say it is all nonsense. But to those called by God to salvation, both Jews and Greeks, Christ is the power of God and the wisdom of God. This foolish plan of God is wiser than the wisest of human plans, and God’s weakness is stronger than the greatest of human strength.”

What if you needed to be smart enough to figure out how salvation worked in order to be saved. It would no longer be God saving, it would be the smart saving themselves; Which would essentially make them their own god. Ultimately, when people put their intelligence above their faith, they are making themselves or their intellect their own god.

Dear Lord, we all have our struggles to overcome in order to surrender ourselves to you. Help us all see and believe the power and peace of salvation, your gift to us, and accept it with humility. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

In modern times when we hear the word “peace” we tend to think of the absence of war or absence of conflict between people. Jesus is described in the Bible as the “Prince of Peace” and in John 14:27 He says, “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.”

Jesus’ peace is a peace for you personally. Closer to the dictionary definition of “quiet and tranquility: Mental calm; serenity.” We can have this peace through our faith in Jesus. He wants us to pass our troubles, sorrows, and concerns to Him and ask for His help. If we trust Him, we can be at peace.

The apostle Paul describes it in Philippians 4:7 “The peace of God which passes all understanding, will keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.” We may not understand it, but through faith in God we can have peace.

Dear Lord, Help us trust You and accept Your peace in our lives, knowing that You will guard and protect us. In Jesus’ name. Amen

I heard an interesting way to look at Christianity. “Christianity is not about making bad people good…its about making dead people alive.”

Paul wrote in Ephesians 2:5, “even though we were dead because of our sins, He [God] gave us life when He raised Christ from the dead.”—NLT

So if we are good, it is because we have been brought back to life, re-animated, and we can share God’s love.

Dear Lord, thank you for bringing us to life with your Spirit so we can live eternally with you. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen

One of the challenges some of us have, is thinking, though incorrectly, that it is our job to “convert” people into believers.

Fortunately, our job is not to “convert,” people, it is sharing the Word, the Good News of Salvation that comes to those who believe, and leaving the Holy spirit to work in their hearts.

Paul tells us in Romans 10:17, “So faith comes from hearing, that is, hearing the Good News about Christ.” and in Ephesians 2:8 he says, “by grace we are saved through faith,” and in 1 Corinthians 12:3, “…and no one can say Jesus is Lord, except by the Holy Spirit.”

We share the word. The Holy Spirit does the “converting.”

Dear Lord, Help us remember that you are the Savior, we are the witnesses. Give us the strength and wisdom to share your word so the Holy Spirit can bring your saving grace to those who hear. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

Do you know people who always have something positive to say about everyone. While they are bringing up the most favorable things about everyone, they are making themselves look good at the same time.

In Romans 14:19 Paul says, “So then, let us aim for harmony in the church and try to build each other up.”

Of course everyone has areas that can be improved, but why bring this up to others.

The 8th commandment says, “Thou shall not bear false witness (lie) about thy neighbor.” I like Martin Luther’s words in the Small Catechism explanation of this Commandment. Regarding our neighbor, we should, “defend him, speak well of him, and put the best construction on everything.”

Wouldn’t it be great if we treated each other in this manner regularly.

Dear Lord, you tell us that after loving you, the second greatest command is to love our neighbor. Help us remember that speaking well of others is part of this love for them. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.