Weekly Devotions
Welcome to our Devotions page! Here you'll find thoughts on various Scripture passages. I invite you to read the passages and reflect on them and Lou's commentary, and discover what God's Word has to offer.“Saturday’s Best” for
the week of Sunday, January 4, 2009
1 Cor 1:5-7
"For in him you have been enriched in every way-- in all your speaking and in all your knowledge--because our testimony about Christ was confirmed in you. Therefore you do not lack any spiritual gift as you eagerly wait for our Lord Jesus Christ to be revealed.” (NIV)
All our Lord’s promises will come to pass, even as we wait for Him to return to earth in all His majesty.
In the interim, we witness to the reality of Jesus Christ by the spiritual gifts we have received which corroborate the truth: Jesus living in us, changing us, sustaining us.
Love in Christ
Lou Lamothe
“Saturday’s Best”
for the week of Sunday, December 28, 2008
1 Cor 1:20
Where is the wise man? Where is the scholar? Where is the philosopher of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? (NIV)
The best minds of previous generations have brought us to our present condition. And what have we achieved down through the ages?
Our collective intellectual genius has improved our standard of living, but education is not the key to resolving this world’s messy state of affairs.
Truth is, we have always been smart enough: We just aren’t good enough to solve our biggest problem: “Our sinful human nature.”
As foolish as it may sound, Jesus Christ is the only hope we have of turning this crazy world around because He alone can make us Holy.
How does He do this?
By renewing our minds.
Love in Christ
Lou Lamothe
“Saturday’s Best”
for the week of Sunday, December 21, 2008
1 Cor 7
I wish that all men were as I am. But each man has his own gift from God; one has this gift, another has that. (NIV)
If the desire of our hearts is fulfilling and not consuming, our offerings to the Lord will be satisfying, rewarding and pleasing to Him and to us.
The challenges of today may again have to be wrestled with tomorrow; but that fact should not keep us from sleeping through the night.
What we do in the name of Jesus should, at the end of the day, bring peace within.
Merry Christmas!
Love in Christ
Lou Lamothe
“Saturday’s Best”
for the week of Sunday, December 14, 2008
1 Cor 2:12-13
“We have not received the spirit of the world but the Spirit who is from God, that we may understand what God has freely given us. This is what we speak, not in words taught us by human wisdom but in words taught by the Spirit, expressing spiritual truths in spiritual words.” (NIV)
Our Father in heaven unreservedly gives the Spirit of God to everyone claiming Jesus as their Savior. He is not hiding; He wants to be known, to be intimate with us: He desires our love.
The birth of Jesus Christ is a divine fact, linking us to another world, a Glorious Realm, an Everlasting Kingdom.
Spiritual, yes; but not mystical.
The truth is waiting to be discovered. And the key to understanding is to receive the gift of Jesus Christ into our hearts.
Love in Christ
Lou Lamothe
“Saturday’s Best”
for the week of Sunday, December 7, 2008
1 Cor 1:21-25
For since in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom did not know him, God was pleased through the foolishness of what was preached to save those who believe.
Jews demand miraculous signs and Greeks look for wisdom,but we preach Christ crucified: a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles,but to those whom God has called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God.
For the foolishness of God is wiser than man's wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than man's strength.(NIV)
God is not weak and He certainly is no fool.
It’s not like He is up there in heaven wondering why He sent His Son to die for us.
It’s not like He is frustrated by all the people in this world that just don’t understand His plan for redemption.
It’s not like He ever says to Himself, “Now, what was I thinking when I sent my Son into the world to save all those foolish sinners?”
Unlike you and me, God has no regrets. Christ crucified canceled the penalty of sin and death and guaranteed the promise of life eternal for those who love Him.
And it is comforting to know that God knows who we are.
Love in Christ
Lou Lamothe
“Saturday’s Best”
for the week of Sunday, November 30, 2008
John 19:38-42
Later, Joseph of Arimathea asked Pilate for the body of Jesus. Now Joseph was a disciple of Jesus, but secretly because he feared the Jews. With Pilate's permission, he came and took the body away.
He was accompanied by Nicodemus, the man who earlier had visited Jesus at night. Nicodemus brought a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about seventy-five pounds.
Taking Jesus' body, the two of them wrapped it, with the spices, in strips of linen. This was in accordance with Jewish burial customs.
At the place where Jesus was crucified, there was a garden, and in the garden a new tomb, in which no one had ever been aid.
Because it was the Jewish day of Preparation and since the tomb was nearby, they laid Jesus there. (NIV)
It was not the ordained followers of Jesus who handle the lifeless body of our Savior. Rather, it was secret admirer’s who laid Him in the tomb.
These limited partners had good hearts and an acute understanding of the teachings of our Lord but they were unwilling to be counted as being one of His disciples.
In what ways are we like Joseph and Nicodemus, private agents, discrete disciples of Jesus Christ? In what ways do we, despite our services and good intentions, hide Jesus away, keep Him in a place where no one can see Him, place Him n our hearts only as a matter of convenience?
In what ways is our witness like that of a lifeless body in a cold, dark tomb?
Love in Christ
Lou Lamothe
“Saturday’s Best”
for the Week of Sunday, November 23, 2008
John 20:20-23
After he said this, he showed them his hands and side. The disciples were overjoyed when they saw the Lord.
Again Jesus said, "Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you." And with that he breathed on them and said, "Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive anyone his sins, they are forgiven; if you do not forgive them, they are not forgiven." (NIV)
We have the ability to forgive the sins of those who sin against us. Question is, are we willing to act “Second” or are we going to hold on to our grudges until we receive an apology? After all, it was their fault, wasn’t it?
Jesus willingly hand His hands nailed to a tree and His side pierced with a sword to make us righteous, Holy and Pleasing to our God. He acted “First”, now what are we suppose to do?
By the power of the Holy Spirit we discover the answer to these questions, even as we hope the people we have harmed will find it in the hearts to forgive us of our transgressions, with or without apologies.
Love in Christ
Lou Lamothe
“Saturday’s Best”
for The Week of Sunday, November 16, 2008
John 19:6
As soon as the chief priests and their officials saw him, they shouted, "Crucify! Crucify!" But Pilate answered, "You take him and crucify him. As for me, I find no basis for a charge against him."(NIV)
Jesus said He is the Son of God and we are either with Him or against Him: pure or unclean, alive in grace or dead in our sins, saved or unsaved – there is no neutral ground between heaven and earth.
Believing in Jesus Christ is a matter of life or death: our own!
Love in Christ
Lou Lamothe
“Saturday’s Best”
for The Week of Sunday, November 9, 2008
Ps 42:9-10
I say to God my Rock,
"Why have you forgotten me?
Why must I go about mourning,
oppressed by the enemy?"
My bones suffer mortal agony
as my foes taunt me,
saying to me all day long,
"Where is your God?" NIV
Our Savior is the only Rock we can stand on that will never move, that will always be there for us, that will remain our Pinnacle of Refuge throughout all our days.
There is no summit above Him, no higher seat of knowledge, no clearer peak from which to see how all the pieces of creation are knit together to make perfect sense.
Jesus Christ is the Apex of our understanding about God’s love for us. And all the troubles of this world are beneath our feet when we are standing upon the Rock of Our Salvation.
Love in Christ
Lou Lamothe
“Saturday’s Best”
for the Week of Sunday, November 2, 2008
Ps 42:8
By day the LORD directs his love,
at night his song is with me —
a prayer to the God of my life. (NIV)
Where is our sense of direction coming from? From whom are we taking our cues? Have we a passion for living or are we just going through the motions, satisfied to play the same bit parts over and over again?
The Lord has chosen us to be His lovers. Jesus has put us on the world stage. Are we up for the roles of faithful disciples?
The curtain is opening on a new day and the whole world is watching us.
Now, is the God of our lives the Love of our lives, or are we just acting?
Love in Christ
Lou Lamothe
“Saturday’s Best”
for the Week of Sunday, October 26, 2008
John 19:14-15
"Here is your king," Pilate said to the Jews.
But they shouted, "Take him away! Take him away! Crucify him!" "Shall I crucify your king?" Pilate asked. "We have no king but Caesar," the chief priests answered. (NIV)
In what ways are we guilty of wanting a king just like ourselves? A king like Caesar, cut from the same cloth as us. A fallible, imperfect, corruptible king whose edits we can choose to ignore.
In what ways are we guilty of wanting a worldly king? A king we can manipulate, influence and make to change his mind simply by gathering a crowd together and stirring up emotions.
In what ways are we guilty of wanting to be a king? A king free to exercise our own will, do our own thing, answer to no one but our self.
“Here is your King,” Pilate said to the crowd. And the question for us to answer today is whether or not we are going to accept Jesus Christ as our Holy, Righteous and Redeeming King or shout with the mob “Take Him away!”
Jesus came to free us from the worst kind of despotism: Self Rule.
Love in Christ
Lou Lamothe
"Saturday's Best"
For the Week of Sunday, October 12, 2008: John 19:10-11
"Do you refuse to speak to me?" Pilate said. "Don't you realize I have power either to free you or to crucify you?"
Jesus answered, "You would have no power over me if it were not given to you from above. Therefore the one who handed me over to you is guilty of a greater sin." (NIV)
We live in a world in which it has become the fashion to judge our behavior by the actions of lesser evils. As long as we are not quite as bad as that terrible person we read about in the morning paper, we feel pretty good about ourselves.
Some of our offenses seem superficial to us, but the truth is none of our transgressions is without immortal consequences.
The fact of the matter is this: sin, in all its forms, is nothing less than the act of handing Jesus over to be crucified. And there is no greater sin than that.
Love in Christ,
Lou Lamothe
The Week of Sunday, September 28, 2008
John 18:35-36
"Am I a Jew?" Pilate replied. "It was your people and your chief priests who handed you over to me. What is it you have done?"
Jesus said, "My kingdom is not of this world. If it were, my servants would fight to prevent my arrest by the Jews. But now my kingdom is from another place." (NIV)
We like to thing we are the supreme authority in this world, mainly because of our ability to create things from and change things in our natural environment. But all the elements of the universe were here long before we had any influence upon them.
We did not create heaven and earth, God did.
And our Father, through the life, death and resurrection of His Son, made it plain for all to see the mighty work He has done to save us.
The cross is Jesus' answer to all our questions about His Kingdom from another place.
Love in Christ
Lou Lamothe
"Saturday's Best"
The Week of Sunday, September 21, 2008: John 18:31-34
Pilate said, "Take him yourselves and judge him by your own law." "But we have no right to execute anyone," the Jews objected. This happened so that the words Jesus had spoken indicating the kind of death he was going to die would be fulfilled.
Pilate then went back inside the palace, summoned Jesus and asked him, "Are you the king of the Jews?"
"Is that your own idea," Jesus asked, "or did others talk to you about me?"(NIV)
Jesus fulfilled the law of God.
This is not a novel idea but actual fact and we do not comprehend this reality by our own intuition or through conversations with other people.
To say that Jesus is King is to accept the truth. And that conviction comes only by faith through Divine Inspiration.
Love in Christ,
Lou Lamothe
"Saturday's Best"
The Week of Sunday, September 14, 2008: John 18:28-30
Then the Jews led Jesus from Caiaphas to the palace of the Roman governor. By now it was early morning, and to avoid ceremonial uncleanness the Jews did not enter the palace; they wanted to be able to eat the Passover.
So Pilate came out to them and asked, "What charges are you bringing against this man?"
"If he were not a criminal," they replied, "we would not have handed him over to you." (NIV)
We want Jesus to be our Savior, but not if it means changing all of our evil ways. So we seek out human council to help justify our questionable behavior.
Even the most criminal of offenses, the disparagement of the innocent, can be rationalized in this way.
In what ways are we guilty of falsely accusing Jesus of being a reprobate by associating with people who tell us what we want to hear instead of admonishing us for what we ought to change?
Love in Christ,
Lou Lamothe
"Saturday's Best"
The Week of Sunday, September 7, 2008: John 18:25-27 (NIV)
As Simon Peter stood warming himself, he was asked, "You are not one of his disciples, are you?"
He denied it, saying, "I am not."
One of the high priest's servants, a relative of the man whose ear Peter had cut off, challenged him, "Didn't I see you with him in the olive grove?"
Again Peter denied it, and at that moment a rooster began to crow. (NIV)
The Light of our Redeemer is not dim, faint or poorly lit. It is Bright, Clear and Vivid. And we are the lamps He has chosen to illuminate the shadows.
So, how are we doing?
Are we proclaiming Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior, sharing His love, peace and forgiveness with others in this dark world or denying Him, as Peter did, because we are afraid to tell the truth?
Are we allowing the Word of God to shine in us, through us and around us? If so, we will never be without The One Person in our lives worth crowing about.
Love in Christ,
Lou Lamothe
"Saturday's Best"
The Week of Sunday, August 31, 2008: Matthew 26:39
Going a little farther, he fell with his face to the ground and prayed, "My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will." (NIV)
Following Jesus will always be a matter of will:
Will we change or will we remain the same?
Will we pray or will we stray?
Will we glorify Him or will we sin?
Will we drink the cup or will we give everything up?
Will we obey Him or will we betray Him?
Will our lives bring Him glory or will they tell another story?
Dear Jesus, will that we always be true willing followers of You.
Love in Christ,
Lou Lamothe
"Saturday's Best"
The Week of Sunday, August 24, 2008: John 18:19-22
"I have spoken openly to the world," Jesus replied. "I always taught in synagogues or at the temple, where all the Jews come together. I said nothing in secret.
Why question me? Ask those who heard me. Surely they know what I said."
When Jesus said this, one of the officials nearby struck him in the face. "Is this the way you answer the high priest?" he demanded. (NIV)
One does not have to strike Jesus in the face to be guilty of causing Him injury.
In what ways have we become complacent in our faith and witness and, by pursuing our self interests, actually harmed the reputation of our Lord and Savior?
The people who most often hurt Jesus, I'm afraid to say, are people just like you and me, people involved in administering and protecting the status quo.
Love in Christ,
Lou Lamothe
"Saturday's Best"
For the Week of Sunday, August 17, 2008: Matt 26:6-7
While Jesus was in Bethany in the home of a man known as Simon the Leper, a woman came to him with an alabaster jar of very expensive perfume, which she poured on his head as he was reclining at the table. (NIV)
This extravagant display of affection doesn't happen in a health spa, some fancy resort far away from the concerns and realities of daily living. No, this demonstration of love for Jesus transpires in the home of a leper, right in the middle of the very place best avoided if you are the least concerned about becoming contaminated with the disease.
Adoring Jesus is the most productive use of all our time and resources, especially in the presence of sickness and death.
Why?
Because no condition of sinful man can infect Jesus and every malady man suffers can benefit from His presence.
Love in Christ,
Lou Lamothe
"Saturday's Best"
For the Week of Sunday, August 10, 2008: John 18:15-16
Simon Peter and another disciple were following Jesus. Because this disciple was known to the high priest, he went with Jesus into the high priest's courtyard, but Peter had to wait outside at the door. The other disciple, who was known to the high priest, came back, spoke to the girl on duty there and brought Peter in. (NIV)
People of influence can make us feel very special. They can get us past the security guards to the good seats, to the chairs up front, close to the action. They can get us back stage, introduce us to the stars where we can become part of the spectacle. They can get us up close and personal where we can get an autograph, a picture and maybe even a hug.
Who we know will count even more when this world passes away. Jesus Christ holds the keys to heaven and that is why our relationship with the Living Son of God is so important.
Are you, am I, one of His disciples?
Love in Christ,
Lou Lamothe
"Saturday's Best"
For the Week of Sunday, August 3, 2008: Matt 25:18
But the man who had received the one talent went off, dug a hole in the ground and hid his master's money. (NIV)
What are we doing with our talents? Are we developing them into their full potential or hiding them away, so as not to be bothered with the time and energy needed to produce a profit?
The benefit of doing something for Jesus is that we risk nothing because He did everything to gain our immortal souls.
We can't lose what our Savior has won;
So let us labor in His favor until our work is done.
Love in Christ,
Lou Lamothe
"Saturday's Best"
For the Week of Sunday, July 27, 2008: John 18:7
Again he asked them, "Who is it you want?" And they said, "Jesus of Nazareth." (NIV)
Who are we looking for and what do we want?
Remember, Jesus knows everything: He sees our purpose, understands our motives and perceives our thoughts.
And still He begs the question "Who is it that you want?"
Regardless of our sinful condition, Jesus will continue beseeching us to answer this question until He hears each of us say: "I want You, Jesus, my Lord and my Savior."
Love in Christ,
Lou Lamothe
"Saturday's Best"
For the Week of Sunday, July 20, 2008: John 18:10-11
Then Simon Peter, who had a sword, drew it and struck the high priest's servant, cutting off his right ear.
Jesus commanded Peter, "Put your sword away! Shall I not drink the cup the Father has given me?" (NIV)
We have a tendency to think we are fighting the Lord's battles when, in fact, the war is over. Jesus has no need of our protection. We are not His bodyguards; rather, we are His servants and as such we must put away our bravado and fall upon our knees in submission to His plan for our lives.
Do we have the courage to proclaim the victory Jesus Christ has won for us over sin and death? Are we prepared to completely surrender to His will? Are we willing to forsake all self reliance and depend totally on our Lord and Savior to redeem us in every circumstance?
Dear Lord, give us the grace to answer yes.
Love in Christ,
Lou Lamothe
"Saturday's Best"
For the Week of Sunday, July 13, 2008: John 18:1-2
When he had finished praying, Jesus left with his disciples and crossed the Kidron Valley. On the other side
there was an olive grove, and he and his disciples went into it. Now Judas, who betrayed him, knew the place,
because Jesus had often met there with his disciples. (NIV)
We know the places of our inequity: they are familiar to us. And whenever we choose to act against what the
Spirit reveals as being contrary to God's will, we betray Jesus.
We are prone to making mistakes, but there is a big difference between unintentional errors and willful sin.
Willful sin is when we, like Judas, intentionally disregard the companionship of Jesus Christ.
Love in Christ,
Lou Lamothe
"Saturday's Best"
For the Week of Sunday, July 6, 2008: Matthew 23:16-17
"Woe to you, blind guides! You say, 'If anyone swears by the temple, it means nothing; but if anyone swears by the gold of the temple, he is bound by his oath.' You blind fools! Which is greater: the gold, or the temple that makes the gold sacred?" (NIV)
The secular view is that nothing is sacred, though life is of premium value.
The Christian view is that we have been sanctified by the blood of Jesus Christ upon the cross. Purified, we are blessed to know the Living Son of God by the grace and power of the Holy Spirit dwelling in us.
The body temple houses our immortal souls: consecrated by "The One" we love.
Love in Christ,
Lou Lamothe
"Saturday's Best"
For the Week of Sunday, June 29, 2008: Matthew 21:23
Jesus entered the temple courts, and, while he was teaching, the chief priests and the elders of the people came to him. "By what authority are you doing these things?" they asked. "And who gave you this authority?" (NIV)
By the authority of Jesus Christ we walk with the conviction of knowing our Lord is the Higher Power in our lives. Our Savior is the Source, the Sustainer and the Keeper of our faith. He is The Word on the subject of redemption.
Love in Christ,
Lou Lamothe
"Saturday's Best"
For the Week of Sunday, June 22, 2008: John 17:26
"I have made you known to them, and will continue to make you known in order that the love you have for me may be in them and that I myself may be in them." (NIV)
By the love of God, revelation becomes assimilation: Jesus living in us.
How wonderful!
Love in Christ,
Lou Lamothe
"Saturday's Best"
For the Week of Sunday, June 15, 2008: Matthew 21:38-41
"But when the tenants saw the son, they said to each other, 'This is the heir. Come, let's kill him and take his inheritance.' So they took him and threw him out of the vineyard and killed him.
"Therefore, when the owner of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those tenants?"
"He will bring those wretches to a wretched end," they replied, "and he will rent the vineyard to other tenants, who will give him his share of the crop at harvest time." (NIV)
Life matters!
The point is not that we are miserable, pitiful, shameful beings; rather, the essential truth is that Jesus died on the cross knowing what wretched creatures we are.
Whenever we feel worthless, it is important to look upon the cross and appraise our situation: there is nothing more valuable than the life Jesus surrendered that we might experience victory over our despicable thoughts and deeds.
Today is a new day. Jesus wants to pick us up, dust us off and walk with us a while.
The Son of God never gives up on anyone that does not give up on Him.
Love in Christ,
Lou Lamothe
"Saturday's Best"
For the Week of Sunday, June 8, 2008: John 17:3-5
Now this is eternal life: that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent. I have brought you glory on earth by completing the work you gave me to do. And now, Father, glorify me in your presence with the glory I had with you before the world began. (NIV)
There are many false deities out there but only one true God: Our Father, the Creator of Heaven and Earth.
And isn't it wonderful that Jesus demonstrated for us, above all our Father's qualities, His unfailing love.
A mighty work has been done. It is finished. We are safe in the arms of the One we love.
Love in Christ,
Lou Lamothe
"Saturday's Best"
For the Week of Sunday, June 1, 2008: John 1:41-42
The first thing Andrew did was to find his brother Simon and tell him, "We have found the Messiah" (that is, the Christ). And he brought him to Jesus. (NIV)
When we first begin our journey with Christ, we are eager to change the world in His name; however, it is only after we have been on the road with our Lord and Savior for a very long time that we fully appreciate how much Jesus has changed us.
Love in Christ,
Lou Lamothe
"Saturday's Best"
For the Week of Sunday, May 25, 2008: Matt 19:20-22
"All these I have kept," the young man said. "What do I still lack?"
Jesus answered, "If you want to be perfect, go, sell your possessions and give to the poor,
and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me."
When the young man heard this, he went away sad, because he had great wealth. (NIV)
Seeking to be perfect is a futile endeavor; it will only drive us away from Jesus.
We can't be flawless and we are not faultless and every attempt to prove otherwise only makes our condition worse.
We can't improve upon what Jesus has already done for us: washed all our sins away.
When we understand this fact, our joy becomes complete in the day to day business of following in the footsteps of the One we love.
Love in Christ,
Lou Lamothe
"Saturday's Best"
For the Week of Sunday, May 18, 2008: John 16:31-33
"You believe at last!" Jesus answered. "But a time is coming, and has come, when you will be scattered, each to his own home. You will leave me all alone. Yet I am not alone, for my Father is with me."
"I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world." (NIV)
As long as we breathe, we can expect to face challenges in our daily lives. But no matter the situation,
we can experience inner peace if we keep in fellowship with the One who has overcome the troubles in this world.
Feeling tense, stretched to the limit, overwhelmed by circumstances? Perhaps you have left Jesus alone.
Love in Christ,
Lou Lamothe
"Saturday's Best"
For the Week of Sunday, May 11, 2008: Matthew 19:7-9
"Why then," they asked, "did Moses command that a man give his wife a certificate of divorce and send her away?"
Jesus replied, "Moses permitted you to divorce your wives because your hearts were hard. But it was not this way from the beginning. I tell you that anyone who divorces his wife, except for marital unfaithfulness, and marries another woman commits adultery." (NIV)
Everything we do contrary to the will of God hardens our hearts. And sin is the agent that deadens our spiritual feelings: it sets us in the wrong place; it immobilizes us; it makes us cold to the touch.
Fortunately, Jesus offers us a way back to the beginning; back to the moment when our hearts were soft and pliable; back to the days of our carefree youth; back to a time of innocence.
Going back to the cross brings us into a future full of hope, peace and eternal love.
Love in Christ,
Lou Lamothe
"Saturday's Best"
For the Week of Sunday, May 4, 2008: Matthew 17:19-20
Then the disciples came to Jesus in private and asked, "Why couldn't we drive it out?"
He replied, "Because you have so little faith. I tell you the truth, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there' and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you." (NIV)
Most of us have so little confidence in Jesus that our belief in what He can do for us amounts to less than what we know we can do for our self.
Fortunately, there is a way for us to build up our expectations. By working out with Jesus, by listening to His advice and following His examples, we can increase the amount of our spiritual mass to a size and weight equal to that of a mustard seed.
We enter a world of endless possibilities when we regularly exercise our faith in Jesus Christ, even to the prospect of moving mountains.
Love in Christ,
Lou Lamothe
"Saturday's Best"
For the Week of Sunday, April 27, 2008: John 16:16-18
"In a little while you will see me no more, and then after a little while you will see me."
Some of his disciples said to one another, "What does he mean by saying, `In a little while you will see me no more, and then after a little while you will see me,' and `Because I am going to the Father'?"
They kept asking, "What does he mean by 'a little while'? We don't understand what he is saying." (NIV)
In a little while we will see Jesus face to face and that is why it is so important for us, on this side of heaven, to spend as much time with our Savior as possible.
Eternity draws nearer by the second. Now is the time to train our senses to recognize our Lord's Holiness, Majesty and awesome Glory.
Love in Christ,
Lou Lamothe
"Saturday's Best"
For the Week of Sunday, April 20, 2008: John 16:8-13
When he comes, he will convict the world of guilt in regard to sin and righteousness and judgment: in regard to sin, because men do not believe in me; in regard to righteousness, because I am going to the Father, where you can see me no longer;and in regard to judgment, because the prince of this world now stands condemned. (NIV)
The Spirit helps us to accept the verdict: Guilty as charged!
He then reveals to us the cross of Jesus Christ where we receive absolution for our otherwise hopeless condition.
The redeeming blood of our Lord and Savior gives us victory over sin, clothes us in righteousness and frees us from the penality of judgment.
Alleluia! The prince of this world now stands condemned, not us!
Love in Christ,
Lou Lamothe
"Saturday's Best"
For the Week of Sunday, April 13, 2008: Matt 15:29-31
Jesus left there and went along the Sea of Galilee. Then he went up on a mountainside and sat down. Great crowds came to him, bringing the lame, the blind, the crippled, the mute and many others, and laid them at his feet; and he healed them. The people were amazed when they saw the mute speaking, the crippled made well, the lame walking and the blind seeing. And they praised the God of Israel. (NIV)
Miracles generally follow a certain pattern of belief.
First: we must have a Living Faith! We must worship Jesus. We must magnify His holy name. Lifting Him on high shrinks our problems down to size.
Second: we have to trust that our Redeemer is approachable, the He understands our needs and is willing and able to help us.
Third: we must bring the lame in spirit, the blind to injustice, the crippled in love and lay them at the feet of our Savior. We must keep them there, in prayer, until they feel the touch of our Lord upon their hearts and all are amazed to see them walking, talking and praising Jesus.
Love in Christ,
Lou Lamothe
"Saturday's Best"
For the Week of Sunday, April 6, 2008: Matt 14:25-32
During the fourth watch of the night Jesus went out to them, walking on the lake. When the disciples saw him walking on the lake, they were terrified. "It's a ghost," they said, and cried out in fear.
But Jesus immediately said to them: "Take courage! It is I. Don't be afraid."
"Lord, if it's you," Peter replied, "tell me to come to you on the water."
"Come," he said.
Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus. But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, "Lord, save me!"
Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. "You of little faith," he said, "why did you doubt?"
And when they climbed into the boat, the wind died down. Then those who were in the boat worshiped him, saying, "Truly you are the Son of God." (NIV)
"S.O.S."
Not the walking on the water,
Not the calming of the sea,
Not the wind that listened to Him,
No- the miracle for me
Is the Lord of all creation
Keeping sinful men afloat
By boarding the leaking vessel
And bailing out the sinking boat.
Love in Christ,
Lou Lamothe
"Saturday's Best"
For the Week of Sunday, March 30, 2008: John 16:2-3
"They will put you out of the synagogue; in fact, a time is coming when anyone who kills you will think he is offering a service to God.
They will do such things because they have not known the Father or me." (NIV)
Faith is more than a matter of getting along. It is standing up for what is right and standing against what is wrong.
It is recognizing we don't belong in those places where conviction has no meaning.
Love in Christ,
Lou Lamothe
"Saturday's Best"
For the Week of Sunday, March 23, 2008: John 16:11
"All this I have told you so that you will not go astray." (NIV)
We may not be able to resist some of our impulses, but many of the decisions we make to sin are within our span of control.
Prayer is of little consequence after willingly determining to pursue what the Spirit has revealed to us as being contrary to the will of God.
The time to remember the words of our Savior and His sacrifice for us is before succumbing to temptation.
Love in Christ,
Lou Lamothe
"Saturday's Best"
For the Week of Sunday, March 16, 2008: John 15:26-27
"When the Counselor comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who goes out from the Father, he will testify about me.
And you also must testify, for you have been with me from the beginning." (NIV)
There is no separation from our Savior. We belong to Jesus and, from beginning to end, our witness is all about the Living Spirit living in us.
Love in Christ,
Lou Lamothe
"Saturday's Best"
For the Week of Sunday, March 9, 2008: John 15:23-25
"He who hates me hates my Father as well.
If I had not done among them what no one else did, they would not be guilty of sin. But now they have seen these miracles, and yet they have hated both me and my Father.
But this is to fulfill what is written in their Law: 'They hated me without reason.'" (NIV)
There are our laws, the ones we fashion to keep God at a distance and then there is God's law, the truth He made known through the personal testimony, miracles, crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus Christ, His Son.
Our God is a personal Savior. He willingly died upon the cross for the sake of all mankind.
Jesus did for us what no one else can do: remove the guilt of our sins.
Sadly, men of reason still choose to deny this fact.
Love in Christ,
Lou Lamothe
"Saturday's Best"
For the Week of Sunday, March 2, 2008: John 15:22
"If I had not come and spoken to them, they would not be guilty of sin. Now, however, they have no excuse for their sin." (NIV)
If we hear the word of God and do not obey the word of God we probably have a good reason in mind for rationalizing our behavior. For instance, it might be that we physically and emotionally abuse others because we were victims of abuse while growing up. It is quite possible that we are miserly because the only pennies we have ever had in our pockets are the ones we have had to earn. And the fact that we have always had to depend on ourselves is as good an excuse as any for always keeping to ourselves. But none of these justifications absolve us from our own cruel, uncharitable, selfish behavior.
Truth is, there is no excuse for disobeying the Word of God that He hasn't heard before. And the only plea that has any merit before our Father's throne of grace is the voice of Jesus Christ interceding on our behalf.
Jesus has spoken to us and we risk the welfare of our immortal souls if we do not listen to Him calling us to repentance, forgiveness and the experience of His redeeming love.
Love in Christ,
Lou Lamothe
"Saturday's Best"
For the Week of Sunday, February 24, 2008: John 15:17-21
"This is my command: Love each other." (NIV)
Love is not an emotion that can be coerced, compelled or imposed upon. It is the quintessential exercise of free will and the one command that Jesus gave us that is without option.
"Love each other:" If is not part of the equation.
Love in Christ,
Lou Lamothe
"Saturday's Best"
For the Week of Sunday, February 17, 2008: John 15:16
"You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit-- fruit that will last. Then the Father will give you whatever you ask in my name." (NIV)
Proof positive that Jesus has chosen us to be His ambassadors can be found in the gifts we receive as we apply our time, talents and resources to the business of being His agents in this world.
Confirmation of our appointment as official emissary of Jesus Christ comes with victory over sin in our lives, the power of forgiveness and opportunities to profess the Son of God as our Lord and Savior.
It is only because Jesus chose to transform our lives that we are enabled to represent the possibility of change to others.
Love in Christ,
Lou Lamothe
"Saturday's Best"
For the Week of Sunday, February 10, 2008: John 15:15
"I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master's business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you." (NIV)
Friends of Jesus Christ are not servants in His household but members of His eternal dynasty with intimate knowledge of Revelation, Justification and Sanctification.
We know our Father's business because Jesus Christ has made us part of His family unit.
Love in Christ,
Lou Lamothe
"Saturday's Best"
For the Week of Sunday, February 3, 2008: John 15:12-14
"My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you.
Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends.
You are my friends if you do what I command." (NIV)
The Savior of this world doesn't make us do anything. We can laugh at Him if we choose to.
"If"- probably the most important word in the entire Bible. The choice is ours to make.
We are friends of Christ if we do what He commands.
Love in Christ,
Lou Lamothe
"Saturday's Best"
For the Week of Sunday, January 27, 2008: John 15:9-11
"As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love.
If you obey my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have obeyed my Father's commands and remain in his love.
I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete." (NIV)
Obedience to the commands of Jesus Christ is the secret to experiencing complete joy in our lives and the only way to prove that this is true is to realize our calling to follow Him.
We will never stop feeling that something is missing until we start obeying the Lord of the living.
Love in Christ,
Lou Lamothe
"Saturday's Best"
For the Week of Sunday, January 20, 2008: John 15:6
"If anyone does not remain in me, he is like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned." (NIV)
If we are not in the Vine and receiving nourishment from Jesus Christ, whatever we produce is wasted in the end.
Lord, set our hearts ablaze with a passion to light up this world with the message of the gospel. Fan the flames that we may be totally consumed by Your love for us.
Love in Christ,
Lou Lamothe
"Saturday's Best"
For the Week of Sunday, January 13, 2008: John 15:5
"I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing." (NIV)
We don't have to believe in Jesus Christ to realize the power of love transcends both time and space. There are many poignant stories about prisoners of war returning home and testifying to the fact that the thought of a loved one kept them alive throughout their ordeal, proof that we can be worlds apart and still be in touch with people on the opposite side of the planet.
Jesus wants us to do more with our lives than merely battle for survival. He wants us to flourish. And the best way to do that is by keeping the lines of communication open between God and man, heaven and earth.
Bearing in mind the sacrificial love that Jesus demonstrated for us upon the cross is the most reliable means of staying connected with the Almighty.
No more dropped calls. Imagine that!
Love in Christ,
Lou Lamothe
"Saturday's Best"
For the Week of Sunday, January 6, 2008: John 15:4
"Remain in me, and I will remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself, it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me." (NIV)
We should expect a certain amount of pain and discomfort while remaining in the Vine. There will be the dry spells with little water for the roots; the hot spells with no shade to cool the branches; the cold spells with no warmth for the leaves and, of course, the pruning itself-- Ouch!
The challenges of life are no different for us just because we believe in Jesus Christ. People of faith know both good times and bad times; we know both happiness and sadness; we know both complete success and utter failure.
Truth is, the only difference between a fruitful life and a barren one is the experience of knowing that Jesus is with us, come what may. And that makes all the difference in this world.
Love in Christ,
Lou Lamothe
"Saturday's Best"
For the Week of Sunday, December 30, 2007: John 15:1-2
"I am the vine, and my Father is the gardener. He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful." (NIV)
My summer isn't complete until Lin cooks up a batch of home made blueberry pancakes made with sour cream and blueberries picked fresh off the bushes in the back yard.
The blueberry bushes grow every which way with the birds doing most of the cropping, topping and gleaning. They yield about three quarts of fruit each year and as long as there has been enough berries for me to enjoy my pancakes, I have not seen the need to learn the art of pruning. Still, I wonder how much more bountiful would be the harvest if I new exactly where to apply the shears?
Thank goodness our Father in heaven know precisely what He is doing as He cuts into the secrets in our hearts and removes the obstacles to increasing our faith in Jesus Christ: All to enjoy the fruit of His labor.
Love in Christ,
Lou Lamothe
"Saturday's Best"
For the Week of Sunday, December 23, 2007: John 14:28-29
"You heard me say, 'I am going away and I am coming back to you.' If you loved me, you would be glad that I am going to the Father, for the Father is greater than I.
I have told you now before it happens, so that when it does happen you will believe." (NIV)
Someday we will be forevermore in the presence of our Lord and Savior. Now, however, we must hold on to the promises of Jesus in all kinds of difficult circumstances. And the fact that some of our struggles are long suffering can be very discouraging.
Nevertheless, Jesus meets us at our point of need. He shares in our tribulations through intercessory prayer to our Father in heaven. And then, all of a sudden, it happens-- the hand of God reaches down and touches us and we realize the answer to our prayer for what it is: another miracle of faith.
Love in Christ,
Lou Lamothe
"Saturday's Best"
The Week of Sunday, December 16, 2007: John 14:26-27
"But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and remind you of everything I have said to you."
"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." (NIV)
The history of mankind is a record of broken promises, none more ephemeral than peace.
The reason peace is so fleeting is because we are looking to find it in all the wrong places. We think it can be found in the persuasion of our particular causes, the strength of our intellectual reasoning or the power of our industrial might, but we are wrong.
We cannot will peace to reign; we can only accept it as a gift this world cannot afford.
How do we know when we have received it?
We know by the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. We know because the Counselor comes and reminds us of our salvation through the atoning sacrifice of Jesus Christ for all our sins upon the cross. We know because our hearts are at peace and we are no longer afraid to tell the rest of the world that Jesus Christ is our Lord and Savior.
Love in Christ,
Lou Lamothe
"Saturday's Best"For the Week of Sunday, December 9, 2007:1 John 14:23
Jesus replied, "If anyone loves me, he will obey my teaching. My Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him." (NIV)
We are most ourselves in our homes, in the comfort of familiar surroundings without any outside interferences.
In your house, in the very room you are now sitting in, close the door and draw the blinds. Open the Bible and dwell upon the Word of God within your heart. Now close your eyes. What image appears before you?
If we love God and obey His teachings, we should be able to see Jesus.
Love in Christ,
Lou Lamothe
"Saturday's Best"
For the Week of Sunday, December 2, 2007:1 John 4:7-12
"I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you.
Before long, the world will not see me anymore, but you will see me. Because I live, you also will live.
On that day you will realize that I am in my Father, and you are in me, and I am in you.
Whoever has my commands and obeys them, he is the one who loves me. He who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love him and show myself to him." (NIV)
Whether we believe in Jesus or we don't, there is no guarantee that before this day is over we will not suffer some debilitating psychological, physical or emotional trauma.
We are all vulnerable, children and adults alike. Truth is, grown-up waifs and strays are everywhere. That neighbor who just lost his job is one. That lonely person hanging around in a crowd is another. No one is safe. Anyone can become a victim of a senseless act of cruelty, including Christians.
Faithful obedience to the commands of Jesus Christ does not exempt us from experiencing human tragedy. What it does do, however, is give us the assurance that we are never on our own. Whatever our situation, Jesus is there with us sharing His strength, truth, power and love.
Jesus knows that we don't have to lose our parents to feel like orphans in this world.
Love in Christ,
Lou Lamothe
"Saturday's Best"
For the Week of Sunday, November 25, 2007: John 14:15-17
"If you love me, you will obey what I command. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor to be with you forever- the Spirit of truth.
The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you." (NIV)
What is not possible for human eyes to see is not impossible for human beings to know: the Truth is in us.
Obedience is evidence of the Spirit of Jesus Christ living in us.
Love in Christ,
Lou Lamothe
"Saturday's Best"
For the Week of Sunday, November 18, 2007: John 14:12-14
"I tell you the truth, anyone who has faith in me will do what I have been doing. He will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father.
And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Son may bring glory to the Father.
You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it." (NIV)
The power to feed the hungry, to provide water to the thirsty, to give strength to the weak and hope to the down trodden, to reach out to the forgotten and lift up the oppressed, to heal the sick and care for the lonely, to open the eyes of the blind and close the wounds of the injured, to fight against injustice and surrender to righteousness, to love our enemies and forgive our friends is available to every Christian.
Jesus Christ glorifies the Father for every person of faith who asks Him to do, in His name, what He said He will do: ANYTHING!
Lord, give us the faith to take You at Your word.
Love in Christ,
Lou Lamothe
"Saturday's Best"
For the Week of Sunday, November 11, 2007: John 14:11
"Believe me when I say that I am in the Father and the Father is in me; or at least believe on the evidence of the miracles themselves." (NIV)
What miracles?
How about starting with the miracle of life and watching the day unfold, sunrise to sunset and everything in between.
Love in Christ,
Lou Lamothe
"Saturday's Best"
For the Week of Sunday, November 4, 2007: John 14:8-9
Philip said, "Lord, show us the Father and that will be enough for us."
Jesus answered: "Don't you know me, Philip, even after I have been among you such a long time? Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father." (NIV)
We have a habit of complicating things, of missing the truth before our eyes.
The simple fact of the matter is that Jesus Christ is with us in all the familiar, common, trivial things we do. When we say good morning to our spouses, He is there; when we interact with friends and work associates throughout the hours of our busy day, He is there; when we fall asleep at night while watching television before we go to bed, He is there.
Many of us, just like Philip, overlook the obvious. We take a very long time to realize that every second, every minute, every hour of every day, Jesus is among us.
Love in Christ,
Lou Lamothe
"Saturday's Best"
For the Week of Sunday, October 28, 2007: John 14:2
"In my Father's house are many rooms, if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you." (NIV)
What does our Father's house look like? Is it a sprawling mansion or a towering condo? Maybe His palace, like the universe, is without limits and boundaries. Perhaps heaven is without structure, more like pure thoughts and feeling than anything else.
I think God has a heart for us and it works much like our own: He considers His love for us; He reflects upon the sacrifice Jesus made for our sins upon the cross; He contemplates the gift of our salvation through the atoning blood of His Son, Jesus Christ. By doing so, He keeps us in mind and forever in the presence of the Ultimate Reality.
The table is set, our place is waiting and whatever we can imagine our Father's house looks like, this is for certain: Heaven is His idea and a wonderful thought it is.
Love in Christ,
Lou Lamothe
"Saturday's Best"
For the Week of Sunday, October 21, 2007: John 14:1
"Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me." (NIV)
How does that nursery rhyme go? "...toil and trouble." We learn from a very early age that this world is a dangerous place. No one has to teach us the effects of gravity: we all fall down. Nevertheless, our pain and sorrow is not meaningless.
Jesus is worthy of our trust. He is capable and willing to address all our injuries, including those that are beyond the healing power of Mercurochrome and Band-Aids.
Jesus is the Great Physician. He can take care of our scrapped knees and bee stings as well as perform the most radical of surgery: a complete change of heart.
The only trouble is that we have to trust Him.
Love in Christ,
Lou Lamothe
"Saturday's Best"For the Week of Sunday, October 14, 2007: John 13:34-35
"A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another." (NIV)
Out with the old stuff, all those personal prejudices: the obvious snubs and hidden vengeances, the simmering jealousies and covert envies, the judgments when misfortune appears and resentments when success abounds, the dividing differences and competing preferences, the quiet gossip and vociferous condemnations, the front door snickering and back door bickering, the spiteful actions and ungodly reactions between all other men and women- Christian family members in particular.
Friends, by this New Commandment, all men will know that we are disciples of Jesus Christ "if we love one another."
Love in Christ,
Lou Lamothe
"Saturday's Best"
For the Week of Sunday, October 7, 2007: John 13:21-22
Jesus said, "I tell you the truth, one of you is going to betray me." His disciples stared at one another, at a loss to know which of them he meant. (NIV)
Finger pointing is useless. What should come as no surprise to anyone is the fact that not one of us is perfect. We are all incapable of justifying ourselves. We have all betrayed the Lord. Even the holiest of human holies is full of holes.
That said, we should never be at a loss to testify about the meaning of the sustaining, healing and transforming properties of the Living Water that fills these leaking vessels.
Love in Christ,
Lou Lamothe
"Saturday's Best"
For the Week of Sunday, September 30, 2007: John 13:6-7
He came to Simon Peter, who said to him, "Lord, are you going to wash my feet?" Jesus replied, "You do not realize now what I am doing, but later you will understand." (NIV)
It is not the most grandiose thing, the most spectacular thing or the most elaborate thing that Jesus would have us do for one another. Rather, it is the most immediate thing. And whatever that thing is, it usually isn't a very big deal except for the person acted upon.
Lord, help us to fully realize the importance of all the little things we can do for one another to glorify You.
Love in Christ,
Lou Lamothe
"Saturday's Best"
For the Week of Sunday, September 23, 2007: John 12:47
As for the person who hears my words but does not keep them, I do not judge him. For I did not come
to judge the world, but to save it. (NIV)
It is our nature to carry around missed opportunities: the what ifs, the should have been's, the
second chances.
Truth is, we tend to waste a lot of time and energy carrying around all kinds of baggage, judgments that
we place upon ourselves. We think Jesus can't love us because of our past failings, but that kind of
thinking simply isn't so.
Jesus did not come into the world to judge us, but to love us. Living in the present is what matters.
What we do today is what counts.
This very moment will not be beyond redemption come tomorrow, as long as we rely on Jesus
to help get us through today.
Friends, anytime is a good time to stop wasting time on foolish regrets.
Love in Christ,
Lou Lamothe
"Saturday's Best"
The Week of Sunday, September 16, 2007: John 12:46
I have come into this world as a light, so that no one who believes in me should stay in darkness. (NIV)
Jesus is the Light that shines everywhere, on everything and from every angle.
His resplendent radiance displaces every shadow of sin.
There is no dark silhouette following behind anyone standing before the throne of our Lord and Savior.
Love in Christ,
Lou Lamothe
"Saturday's Best"
The Week of Sunday, September 9, 2007: John 12:9
Meanwhile a large crowd of Jews found out that Jesus was there and came, not only because of him but
also to see Lazarus, whom he had raised from the dead. (NIV)
As imperfect as we are, we still may become the attraction to Jesus for others.
Once the Lord has acted upon us, our lives change and people are drawn to ask how and why.
The answers to these questions are found in the ways we go about our daily business. People can't help but notice that we are different.
Once Jesus captivates us, we begin to fascinate others.
Love in Christ,
Lou Lamothe
"Saturday's Best"
For the Week of Sunday, September 2, 2007: John 11:47-48
Then the chief priests and the Pharisees called a meeting of the Sanhedrin. "What are we accomplishing?" they asked. "Here is this man performing many miraculous signs. If we let him go on like this, everyone will believe in him, and then the Romans will come and take away both our place and our nation." (NIV)
The powers of this world are formidable and apposed to what Jesus has accomplished. The reasons are many, but the root cause is the same. When we get right down to the nitty-gritty, we discover the one thing holding us back is the desire to cling to our possessions.
Lord, help us to live this day with a faith complete in the understanding that no one can take away from us what we have
already surrendered to You.
Love in Christ,
Lou Lamothe
"Saturday's Best"
The Week of Sunday, August 26, 2007: John 11:40
These Jesus said, "Did I not tell you that if you believed, you would see the glory of God?" (NIV)
We will only see the full glory of Jesus Christ on the day of resurrection, but that does not mean we can't behold a glimpse of His magnificent splendor here and now.
What was true for Mary, Martha and the raising of Lazarus remains true for us today:
If we believe Jesus is our Lord and Savior, we will see Jesus as our Lord and Savior.
Love in Christ,
Lou Lamothe
"Saturday's Best"
For the Week of Sunday, August 19, 2007: John 11:3-5
So the sisters sent word to Jesus, "Lord the one you love is sick." When he heard this, Jesus said, "This sickness will not end in death. No, it is for God's glory so that God's Son may be glorified through it." Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. (NIV)
We are all ill. Each and every one of us, to a greater or lesser extent, is infected with sin. The only cure for this earthly disease is to receive a transfusion of the redeeming blood of Jesus Christ.
The diagnosis if fatal except for this: "Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus."
And Jesus loves you and me.
Love in Christ,
Lou Lamothe
"Saturday's Best"
For the Week of Sunday, August 12, 2007: John 10:37-38
"Do not believe me unless I do what my Father does. But if I do it, even though you do not believe me, believe the miracles, that you may know and understand that the Father is in me, and I in the Father." (NIV)
Our God is not far off and distant. The only space between Him and us is our willful disobedience, a gap bridged by our Lord and Savior upon the cross.
Jesus desires an intimate relationship with us and one of the ways He uses to get up close and personal is by directly changing our lives in miraculous ways.
Seeing is believing!
Love in Christ,
Lou Lamothe
"Saturday's Best"
For the Week of Sunday, August 5, 2007: John 9:41
Jesus said, "If you were blind, you would not be guilty of sin; but now that you claim you can see, your guilt remains." (NIV)
Our vision may be blurred in some spots but that does not excuse us from not acting upon those areas in our lives where Jesus shines His light.
If we claim to see Jesus are our Lord and Savior, to understand His teachings, to appreciate His sacrifice for us but remain unchanged in our sinful ways, our guilt remains.
Love in Christ,
Lou Lamothe
"Saturday's Best"
For the Week of Sunday, July 29, 2007: John 9:8-9
His neighbors and those who had formerly seen him begging asked, "Isn't this the same man who used
to sit and beg?" Some claimed that he was. Others said, "No, he only looks like him." But he himself
insisted, "I am the man." (NIV)
No matter what other people may think, we must testify to the change Jesus has made in us. Our hearts
are not the same. We are the people Jesus has saved!
Love in Christ,
Lou Lamothe
"Saturday's Best"
For the Week of Sunday, July 22, 2007: John 8:46
"Can any of you prove me guilty of sin? If I am telling the truth, why don't you believe me?" (NIV)
Jesus is the only man ever to live His life in complete submission and obedience to the will of our Father in heaven. The Ten Commandments could not convict Him of ever thinking an evil thought, saying and evil word or doing an evil deed. He was completely blameless and that is why His sacrifice upon the cross has the power to pardon us.
The blood of Jesus Christ will wash all our guilt away come Judgment Day because we believe in His innocence, His grace and His redeeming love.
Love in Christ,
Lou Lamothe
"Saturday's Best"
For the Week of Sunday, July 15, 2007: John 9:4
"As long as it is day, we must do the work of him who sent me. Night is coming, when no one can work." (NIV)
Jesus and You; Jesus and Me; Jesus and Us; "...we must do the work."
Ministry is a partnership.
Love in Christ,
Lou Lamothe
"Saturday's Best"
For the Week of Sunday, July 8, 2007: John 8:51
"I tell you the truth, if anyone keeps my word, he will never see death." (NIV)
When we accept Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior, our eyes are opened and we discover a new way of looking at ourselves in relation to Perfection: we don't have to be flawless to receive the promise of eternal life.
All we have to do to gain entry into the Kingdom of Heaven is love Jesus.
Love Jesus, how hard is that?
Love in Christ,
Lou Lamothe
"Saturday's Best"
For the Week of Sunday, July 1, 2007: John 8:31-32
To the Jews who had believed him, Jesus said, "If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth and the truth will set you free." (NIV)
The truth will set us free but only if we ask our Lord to help us practice what we know He wants us to do.
Obedience and freedom go hand-in-hand.
Love in Christ,
Lou Lamothe
"Saturday's Best"
For the Week of Sunday, June 24, 2007: John 8:29
"The one who sent me is with me; he has not left me alone, for I always do what pleases him." (NIV)
We can accomplish nothing on our own. Whatever we have received is ours to share by the grace of God and naturally flows from the Source of our love for others: Jesus Christ.
The easiest way to keep Jesus first in thought, word and deed; to experience His presence in our lives moment by moment; to demonstrate to others in ordinary ways the extraordinary love of our Lord and Savior is to simply go about our business with the desire in our hearts to always do what pleases Him.
We are not alone. Jesus is with us.
Love in Christ,
Lou Lamothe
"Saturday's Best"
For the Week of Sunday, June 17, 2007: John 8: 10-11
Jesus straightened up and asked her, "Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?"
"No one, sir," she said.
"Then neither do I condemn you," Jesus declared. "Go now and leave your life of sin." (NIV)
One on one with Jesus: no one has to witness the encounter, document the moment, verify the occasion.
Jesus and you. Jesus and me. Alone, with no distractions.
And so the journey begins: One on one with Jesus.
Love in Christ,
Lou Lamothe
"Saturday's Best"
For the Week of Sunday, June 10, 2007: John 7: 50-51
Nicodemus, who had gone to Jesus earlier and who was one of their own number, asked, "Does our law condemn anyone without first hearing him to find out what he is doing?" (NIV)
We can become so rigid, so set in our ways and entrenched in our traditions that we become like marker stones: immovable objects, cemented in place.
Are we open to supporting new ministries or just the ones we are familiar with?
Are we willing to consider serving the Lord in different ways or are we afraid to step out of our comfort zone?
Are we taking advantage of various opportunities to practice sharing the "Good News" throughout the week or are we satisfied to let our witness be only among those we have fellowship with on Sunday mornings?
The sad fact about being a signpost is this: We miss out on all the wonderful things Jesus is doing with the people passing us by.
Love in Christ,
Lou Lamothe
"Saturday's Best"
For the Week of Sunday, June 3, 2007: John 7: 15-17
The Jews were amazed and asked, "How did this man get such learning without having studied?"
Jesus answered, "My teaching is not my own. It comes from him who sent me. If anyone chooses to do God's will, he will find out whether my teaching comes from God or whether I speak on my own." (NIV)
Friends, the path to higher understanding about God's Word begins with choosing to do God's will.
Love in Christ,
Lou Lamothe
"Saturday's Best"
For the Week of Sunday, May 27, 2007: John 6: 56 & 60-61 & 66
Jesus said, "Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me, and I in him."
On hearing it, many of his disciples said, "This is a hard teaching. Who can accept it?"
Aware that his disciples were grumbling about this, Jesus said to them, "Does this offend you?"
From this time many of his disciples turned back and not longer followed him. (NIV)
Nuts!
Let us not beat around the bush. Jesus was a certifiable crackpot if He is not who He claimed to be: the Living Son of God.
Does this offend you?
Not His teachings, but the fact that He claims to be One with the Father, the Living Son of God?
Friends, it is a packaged deal. If we only regard Jesus as one of so many other great philosophers, we cannot accept the words He said as being profound insights into the nature of man without first qualifying them by saying, "But you know, of course, he was nuts!"
If we do not believe Jesus is who He claims to be, than the only honest thing to do is to turn back and no longer follow Him.
Love in Christ,
Lou Lamothe
"Saturday's Best"
For the Week of Sunday, May 20, 2007: John 6: 54-55
"Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life and I will raise him up at the last day." (NIV)
Are we hungry for the "Living Bread" or are we feeding on junk food gospels: the "Feel Good Gospel" that comes with all the highs found in processed sugars; the "Prosperity Gospel" that comes with fancy guarantees of unlimited wealth and fortune; the "Miracle Gospel" that offers relief from pain and suffering but only as long as the show lasts.
The Gospel of Jesus Christ is not fancy, clever or easy to digest but it is the only one of any nutritional value.
Jesus said, "For my flesh is real food and my blood is real drink."
There is no baby food here: No Sanctification without cost; No Redemption without sacrifice; No Salvation without the cross. And no one is going to spoon feed us.
When it comes to our Spiritual Health, we truly are what we eat.
Love in Christ,
Lou Lamothe
"Saturday's Best"
For the Week of Sunday, May 13, 2007: John 6: 27-29
"Do not work for food that spoils, but for food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you. On him God the Father has placed his seal of approval."
Then they asked him, "What must we do to do the works God requires?"
Jesus answered, "The work of God is this: to believe in the one he has sent." (NIV)
Spiritually speaking, it is possible to starve ourselves to death. If we don't go to church, if we are not involved in outside ministries, if we are not growing in our understanding and wisdom in Jesus Christ, then we may not be getting the food our spirits need to endure unto heaven.
While we labor to pay all our bills here on earth, we work for nothing is we do not sustain our souls by feeding on "The Bread of Life."
Only Jesus Christ can give us the right work ethic because only Jesus Christ has paid all of our debts.
Love in Christ,
Lou Lamothe
"Saturday's Best"
For the Week of Sunday, May 6, 2007: John 6: 16-20
"When evening came, his disciples went down to the lake, where they got into a boat and set off across the lake for Capernaum. By now it was dark, and Jesus had not yet joined them."
"A strong wind was blowing and the waters grew rough."
"When they had rowed three or three and a half miles, they saw Jesus approaching the boat, walking on the water, and they were terrified."
"But he said to them, 'It is I; don't be afraid.'" (NIV)
Our Savior has promised to meet us on the other side, to welcome us home when this journey is over and to greet us at the gates of heaven-- but not as a stranger.
When dark clouds threaten, when the winds stir up the tempest and our hearts grow weary in the face of the gathering storm-- that is the time Jesus reveals His glory to us.
It is on this side of heaven that Jesus calms the waters and relieves our fears.
Is there a storm brewing? If so, look for Jesus and do not be afraid.
Love in Christ,
Lou Lamothe
"Saturday's Best"
For the Week of Sunday, April 29, 2007: John 6: 11-13 (NIV)
"Jesus then took the loves, gave thanks, and distributed to those who were seated as much as they wanted. He did the same with the fish."
"When they had all had enough to eat, he said to his disciples, 'Gather the pieces that are left over. Let nothing be wasted.'"
"So they gathered them and filled twelve baskets with the pieces of the five barley loaves left over by those who had eaten."
There are people in this world in need of as much as we have to give.
It may not seem like much to us, our gift, but it is amazing what Jesus can do with the simplest of offerings. What we think is insignificant will become a bountiful blessing to others and ourselves, if only we gather the courage to let Jesus use us in ministry until nothing is wasted.
Lord, take what we have and distribute it among everyone we meet today for Your Purpose, Your Glory and Your Honor.
Love in Christ,
Lou Lamothe
"Saturday's Best"
For the Week of Sunday, April 22, 2007: John 5:39-42 (NIV)
"You diligently study the Scriptures because you think by them you possess eternal life. These are the Scriptures that testify about me, yet you refuse to come to me to have life. I do not accept praise from men, but I know you. I know you do not have the love of God in your hearts."
Do we have more than an intellectual understanding of Jesus? Does our experience extend beyond Bible studies and choir practice? Is our testimony about a personal encounter with the Living Son of God or is it all hearsay: secondhand he said, she said stuff?
Jesus really isn't impressed with how much we know about Him. The heart of the matter is this: do we Love Him?
Love in Christ,
Lou Lamothe
"Saturday's Best"
For the Week of Sunday, April 15, 2007: John 5:6 (NIV)
"When Jesus saw him lying there and learned that he had been in this condition for a long time, he asked him, 'Do you want to get well?'"
The answer to what troubles us is never a problem for Jesus. He is always capable and willing to assist us. No matter what the situation, no matter what the circumstances Jesus is willing to help. The question is this: Do we want Him to?
Answer this question honestly and one of two things will happen: either everything will change or nothing will change. The remedy really is a matter of faith in Jesus Christ.
Love in Christ,
Lou Lamothe
"Saturday's Best"
For the Week of Sunday, April 8, 2007: John 6:39 (NIV)
"And this is the will of him who sent me, that I shall lose none of all that he has given me, but raise them up at the last day."
It sounds incredulous, but it is true: despite our sinful human natures, we are saved. Not because of anything we can do, but because of what Jesus has done for us. Our Redeemer went to the cross to fulfill the will of His Father in heaven.
Jesus will raise us up on the last day: "I shall lose none of all that he has given me."
None! Including you! Including me! What a wonderful promise.
Love in Christ,
Lou Lamothe
"Saturday's Best"
For the Week of Sunday, April 1, 2007: John 3:12 (NIV)
"I have spoken to you of earthly things and you do not believe; how then will you believe if I speak of heavenly things?"
The Scriptures contain an abundance of wisdom concerning immediate, practical matters. Many of the problems we find ourselves dealing with would not be issues to begin with if only we practiced the guidelines for decent living found in the Bible.
Lord, teach us how to live our lives the proper way in the "Real World" that we may have a better understanding of heavenly things.
Love in Christ,
Lou Lamothe
"Saturday's Best"
For the Week of Sunday, March 25, 2007: John 2:23-25
"Now while he was in Jerusalem at the Passover Feast, many people saw the miraculous signs he was doing and believed in his name. But Jesus would not entrust himself to them, for he knew all men. He did not need man's testimony about man, for he knew what was in a man."
Jesus knew that all men were sinners and that is why He entrusted Himself to no one except His Father in heaven. He knew the power of sin was death, but He also knew that death had no power over the Son of Eternal Life. And so He did for man what man could not do for himself. He took our sins to the cross and washed them all away. He surrendered His life to take it up again. He redeemed us.
By faith, this is our testimony: Jesus is the Living Son of God. He is the only one who really knows all that is in our hearts and loves us anyway.
Love in Christ,
Lou Lamothe
"Saturday's Best"
The Week of Sunday, March 18, 2007: John 2:11
"This, the first of his miraculous signs, Jesus performed at Cana in Galilee. He thus revealed his glory,
and his disciples put their faith in Him."
Strange, but it is possible to be called a disciple of Jesus Christ and not believe in Him as Lord and Savior.
If we are eager to follow but reluctant to act, prepared to be challenged but not ready to change, willing to receive
but disinclined to give than the Glory of the Living Son of God may not have been fully revealed to us.
What to do? Pray for the first of His miraculous signs: the miracle of faith.
Love in Christ,
Lou Lamothe
"Saturday's Best"
The Week of Sunday, March 11, 2007: John 1:13
"Children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband's will, but born of God."
Faith, initially, is in all ways entirely outside the realm of human endeavor. That is why prayer is so important in our Christian walk. God answers prayers. When we intercede on behalf of loved ones, He acts.
By grace, our Father reveals Himself. He hears our petitions and draws near to the lost, the lonely, to strangers, friends and our dearest family members. In His own good time, He gets up close and personal. He inhabits the heart and turns on "The Light."
And then we discover how wonderful, beautiful, powerful, life saving, life changing and life sustaining is
the Living Son of God, Jesus Christ. Eureka!
Love in Christ,
Lou Lamothe
"Saturday's Best"
The Week of Sunday, March 4, 2007: John 4: 38
"I sent you to reap what you have not worked for. Others have done the hard work, and you have reaped the benefits of their labor."
What is the hard work?
The most difficult thing is the interaction we have with people at home, work and play. Keeping the faith, while living among those who know us best, is not easy. Nevertheless, this is where souls for the Kingdom grow.
Relationships are seeds spread upon the fields in which roots of faith sink deep and stalks for the harvest of heaven reach to the sky.
And then, all of a sudden, God sends someone else to reap the bounty.
Love in Christ,
Lou Lamothe
"Saturday's Best"
For the Week of Sunday, February 25, 2007: John 3: 7-8
"You should not be surprised at my saying, 'You must be born again.' The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit." (NIV)
We must be born again and again and again-- daily, every hour, every minute-- in every situation, in every circumstance, in every which way the Spirit takes us.
And then we begin, in the end, by being born again.
Love in Christ,
Lou Lamothe
"Saturday's Best"
for the Week of Sunday, February 11, 2007
John 1: 16-17
"From the fullness of his grace we have all received one blessing after another. For the law was given through Moses, grace and truth came through Jesus Christ." (NIV)
The law of God was never given to us to fulfill. We cannot be perfect. And that is why indoctrinations, rituals, habits, observances of all manner and extremes will never satisfy our yearning to be whole, to be complete. Every attempt to keep the law so as to justify ourselves will only leave us feeling empty inside.
Only God is perfect which is why only Jesus Christ can fill the void within our hearts. He is our hope, our strength, our joy and our salvation.
Jesus kept the law; we need only keep the faith.
Love in Christ,
Lou Lamothe