Tag Archives: Max Lucado

Max Lucado – King of the Mountain

January 27, 2014 broboinhawaii Leave a comment

King of the Mountain! Remember playing that game as a kid? The object is to push, claw, and climb until you get to the top. Once there, you fight to hold your position. Don’t even think about sitting down. Forget enjoying the view. Slack up and you’ll be slapped down. And then you’ll have to start all over again.

As grown-ups we still play King of the Mountain, but now the stakes are higher. The push for power has come to shove. And most of us are either pushing or being pushed.

I might point out the difference between a passion for excellence and a passion for power. The desire for excellence is a gift of God. It’s characterized by respect for quality, a yearning to use God’s gifts in a way that pleases him. The quest for excellence is a mark of maturity. But the quest for power— it’s childish!

By the way, you don’t have to play King of the Mountain.

From The Applause of Heaven

Max Lucado – The Power of a Seed

January 24, 2014 broboinhawaii Leave a comment

Want to see a miracle? Take a small seed, put it under several inches of dirt. Give it light, water, and fertilizer. It doesn’t matter that the ground is a zillion times the weight of the seed. The seed will push it back! Never underestimate the power of a seed.

James, the epistle writer, wasn’t a farmer. But he knew the power of a seed sown in fertile soil. “Those who are peacemakers,” he said, “will plant seeds of peace and reap a harvest of goodness” (James 3:18).

How good are you at sowing seeds of peace? Jesus modeled peace through acts of love, washing the feet of men he knew would betray him, and honoring the sinful woman whom society had scorned.

Want to see a miracle? Plant a word of love heart-deep in a person’s life. Nurture it with a smile and a prayer, and watch what happens!

From The Applause of Heaven

Max Lucado – Change Your Heart

January 23, 2014 broboinhawaii Leave a comment

A woman battles with depression. What’s the solution suggested by some well-meaning friend? Buy yourself a new outfit! A husband is in an affair that brings him as much guilt as it does adventure. The solution? Hang out with people who don’t make you feel guilty. Change your style. Get a new haircut. Case after case of treating the outside while ignoring the inside.

And the result? The woman gets a new outfit, and the depression disappears…for a day, maybe. The husband finds a bunch of buddies who sanction his adultery. The result…peace, until the crowd’s gone. Then the guilt is back. The exterior polished, the interior corroding. The outside altered, the inside faltering. One thing is clear. Cosmetic changes are only skin deep!

Jesus said, “Blessed are the pure in heart” (Matthew 5:8). And the message of the Beatitude is a clear one. You change your life by changing your heart!

From The Applause of Heaven

Max Lucado – The State of Your Heart

January 22, 2014 broboinhawaii Leave a comment

Luke 6:45 says, “. . .out of the overflow of his heart his mouth speaks.” That is why the state of the heart is so critical. So what’s the state of your heart?

When your to-do list is too long, do you lose your cool or keep it? Well, that depends on the state of your heart. When you’re offered gossip marinated in slander, do you turn it down or pass it on? That depends on the state of your heart. Do you see the bag lady as a burden on society or as an opportunity for God? That too depends on the state of your heart.

No wonder the wise man in Proverbs begs, “Above all else, guard your heart” (Proverbs 4:23). David’s prayer should be ours: “Create in me a pure heart, O God” (Psalm 51:10).

And Jesus’ statement rings true, “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God” (Matthew 5:8).

From The Applause of Heaven

Max Lucado – Blessed are the Merciful

January 21, 2014 broboinhawaii Leave a comment

Could someone actually be forgiven a debt of millions and be unable to forgive a debt of hundreds? Could a person be set free and then imprison another? You don’t have to be a theologian to answer those questions; just look in the mirror.

Who among us hasn’t begged God for mercy on Sunday and then demanded justice on Monday? Is there anyone who doesn’t, at one time or another, show contempt for the riches of God’s kindness, tolerance and patience, not realizing that God’s kindness leads you toward repentance?

Look into the face of the One who forgave you. Who wept when you pleaded for mercy. Look into the face of the Father who gave you grace when no one else gave you a chance. “Blessed are the merciful,” Jesus said (Matthew 5:7). Why? “Because they will be shown mercy.”

You see, forgiving others allows us to see how God has forgiven us!

From The Applause of Heaven

Max Lucado – Childish Resistance

January 20, 2014 broboinhawaii Leave a comment

Jesus’ promise is comprehensive. “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled” (Matthew 5:6 ).

We usually get what we hunger and thirst for. The problem is, the treasures of earth don’t satisfy. The promise is, the treasures of heaven do. Blessed are those, then, who hold their earthly possessions in open palms. Blessed are those who are totally dependent on Jesus for their joy.

Our resistance to our Father is childish. God, for our own good, tries to loosen our grip from something that will cause us to fall. But we won’t let go. We say, “No, I won’t give up my weekend rendezvous for eternal joy.” “Trade my drugs and alcohol for a life of peace and a promise of heaven? Are you kidding?” There we are, desperately clutching the very things that cause us grief.

It’s a wonder the Father doesn’t give up!

From The Applause of Heaven

Our Daily Bread

Our Daily Bread — Two Men

January 19, 2014 broboinhawaii Leave a comment

John 11:30-37

He groaned in the spirit and was troubled. . . . Jesus wept. —John 11:33,35

Two men were killed in our city on the same day. The first, a police officer, was shot down while trying to help a family. The other was a homeless man who was shot while drinking with friends early that day.

The whole city grieved for the police officer. He was a fine young man who cared for others and was loved by the neighborhood he served. A few homeless people grieved for the friend they loved and lost.

I think the Lord grieved with them all.

When Jesus saw Mary and Martha and their friends weeping over the death of Lazarus, “He groaned in the spirit and was troubled” (John 11:33). He loved Lazarus and his sisters. Even though He knew that He would soon be raising Lazarus from the dead, He wept with them (v.35). Some Bible scholars think that part of Jesus’ weeping also may have been over death itself and the pain and sadness it causes in people’s hearts.

Loss is a part of life. But because Jesus is “the resurrection and the life” (v.25), those who believe in Him will one day experience an end of all death and sorrow. In the meantime, He weeps with us over our losses and asks us to “weep with those who weep” (Rom. 12:15). —Anne Cetas

Give me a heart sympathetic and tender;

Jesus, like Thine, Jesus, like Thine,

Touched by the needs that are surging around me,

And filled with compassion divine. —Anon.

Compassion helps to heal the hurts of others.

Bible in a year: Genesis 46-48; Matthew 13:1-30

Max Lucado – True Courage

January 17, 2014 broboinhawaii Leave a comment

Are you timid? Cautious? Could you use some courage? Scripture says, “There is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus” (Romans 8:1). “For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God” (Colossians 3:3). If you’re in Christ, these promises are not only a source of joy, they are the foundations of true courage!

When God looks at you, he doesn’t see you; He sees the One who surrounds you. Failure’s not a concern for you; your victory is secure. How could you not be courageous? In Hebrews 10:22, the writer says, “Since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus—let us draw near to God with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith.”

The point is clear. The Father of Truth will win, and the followers of Truth will be saved. The prize is yours. Applaud the victory!

From The Applause of Heaven

Max Lucado – Doing What Comes Naturally

January 16, 2014 broboinhawaii Leave a comment

My child’s feelings are hurt, I tell her she’s special. My child’s injured, I do whatever it takes to make her feel better. My child’s afraid, I won’t go to sleep until she’s secure. I’m not a hero. I’m not unusual. I’m a parent. When a child hurts, a parent does what comes naturally. He helps.

Moments of comfort from a parent. I can tell you they’re the sweetest moments in the day. They come naturally, willingly, joyfully. If all that’s so true, then why am I so reluctant to let my heavenly Father comfort me?

Being a father has taught me that when I’m criticized, injured, or afraid, there’s a Father who’s ready to comfort me. A Father who’ll hold me until I’m better. And who won’t go to sleep when I’m afraid. Ever! And that’s enough.

From The Applause of Heaven

Max Lucado – The Prison of Pride

January 15, 2014 broboinhawaii Leave a comment

The prison of pride. You’ve seen the prisoners—the alcoholic who won’t admit his drinking problem; the woman who refuses to talk to anyone about her fears. Perhaps to see such a prisoner all you have to do is look in the mirror!

The Bible says, “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us” (I John 1:9). The biggest word in Scripture just might be that two-letter one, if.

Confessing sins, admitting failure, is exactly what prisoners of pride refuse to do. They say, “Listen, I’m just as good as the next guy.” “I pay my taxes.” Justification. Rationalization. Comparison. These are the tools of the jailbird. But in the kingdom of God they sound hollow. Many know they’re wrong, yet pretend they are right. As a result they never taste the exquisite sorrow of repentance.

Blessed are those who know they’re in trouble and have enough sense to admit it!

From The Applause of Heaven

Max Lucado – A New Definition

January 14, 2014 broboinhawaii Leave a comment

With God—all things are possible! (Matthew 19:26).

Consider Abram. Pushing a century of years, his wife, Sarai, ninety. The wallpaper in the nursery faded, baby furniture out of date. The topic of a promised child brings sighs and tears. . . and God tells them they’d better select a name for their new son. They laugh! Partly because it’s too good to happen and partly because it might. They’ve given up hope, and hope born anew is always funny before it’s real. They laugh a little at God, and a lot with God—for God is laughing too.

With the smile still on His face, He gets busy doing what He does the best—the unbelievable. Abram, the father of one, will now be Abraham, the father of a promised multitude. Sarai, the barren one, will now be Sarah, the mother.

Their names aren’t the only thing God changes. He changes the way they define the word impossible!

From The Applause of Heaven

Max Lucado – You Cannot Save Yourself

January 13, 2014 broboinhawaii Leave a comment

You work hard, pay your dues, and “zap”—your account with God is paid in full. Jesus says, “No way.”

What you want costs far more than you can pay. You don’t need a system of payment, you need a Savior. You don’t need a resume, you need a Redeemer.

The Bible says, “For what is impossible with men is possible with God” (Luke 18:27). Don’t miss the thrust of this verse. You cannot save yourself. Not through the right rituals. The right doctrine. Not through the right goose bumps. Jesus’ point is crystal clear. It is impossible for human beings to save themselves.

It’s not the possessions—it’s the pomp that hinders us. It’s a different path. Admission of failure isn’t usually admission into joy. Complete confession isn’t commonly followed by total pardon. But then again, God has never been governed by what’s common!

From The Applause of Heaven

Max Lucado – Stubborn Peace

January 10, 2014 broboinhawaii Leave a comment

Who do you know with a stubborn peace? Their problems aren’t any different, but there’s a serenity that softens the corners of their lips.

A priest visited just such a man in the hospital. The man was nearing death. The priest noticed an empty chair beside the bed and wondered if someone else had been there. The old man smiled, “I place Jesus on that chair, and I talk to him.” The priest was puzzled so the man explained. “Years ago a friend told me prayer is as simple as talking to a good friend. So every day I pull up a chair and Jesus and I have a good talk.”

When his daughter informed the priest her father had died, she explained, “When I got to his room, I found him dead. Strangely, his head was resting, not on the pillow, but on an empty chair beside his bed.” The picture of stubborn peace!

From The Applause of Heaven

Max Lucado – The Summit

January 9, 2014 broboinhawaii Leave a comment

Jesus says, “Come to Me, all you who are weary and burdened” (Matthew 11:28).

I wish I could say it happens all the time; but it doesn’t. Sometimes He asks and I don’t listen. Other times He asks and I just don’t go. But sometimes I follow. I leave behind the deadlines, the schedule and walk the narrow trail up the mountain with Him.

You’ve been there. You’ve turned your back on the noise and sought His voice. You’ve stepped away from the masses and followed the Master as He led you up the winding path to the summit. The roar of the marketplace is down there, the perspective of the peak is up here.

He gently reminds you, “You’ll go nowhere tomorrow that I haven’t already been.” “The victory is already yours.” “My delight is one decision away—seize it!” Ah, the words on the sacred summit. A place of permanence in a world of transition.

From The Applause of Heaven

Max Lucado – The Command to Do Nothing

January 8, 2014 broboinhawaii Leave a comment

When I was ten, my mother enrolled me in piano lessons. Spending thirty minutes every afternoon tethered to a piano bench was a torture just one level away from swallowing broken glass.

I hammered the staccatos. I belabored the crescendos. But there was one instruction in the music I could never obey to my teacher’s satisfaction. The rest. The zigzagged command to do nothing. Nothing! What sense does that make? “Because,” my teacher patiently explained, “music is always sweeter after a rest.”

“Be still,” the scripture says, “and know that I am God” (Psalm 46:10). Perhaps it is time for you to let the music slow to a stop…and be still and rest.

From The Applause of Heaven

Max Lucado – Joy Within Your Reach

January 7, 2014 broboinhawaii Leave a comment

There’s a delicious gladness that comes from God. A joy which consequences cannot quench. His is a peace which circumstances cannot steal.

Nine times he promises it. And he promises it to an unlikely crowd: The poor in spirit. Those who mourn. The meek. Those who hunger and thirst. The merciful. The pure in heart. The peacemakers. The persecuted. It is to this band of pilgrims that God promises a special blessing. A heavenly joy.

But this joy is not cheap. What Jesus promises is not a gimmick to give you goose bumps or a mental attitude. No, Matthew Chapter 5 describes God’s radical reconstruction of the heart. It’s no casual shift of attitude. It’s a demolition of the old structure and a creation of the new.

God’s joy. And it’s within your reach. You are one decision away from joy!

From The Applause of Heaven

Max Lucado – Sacred Delight

January 6, 2014 broboinhawaii Leave a comment

He should have been miserable. He should have been bitter. He had every right to be a pot of boiling anger. But he wasn’t. Jesus embodied a stubborn joy!

What is this stubborn joy? This bird that sings while it’s still dark? What is the source of this peace that defies pain? I call it sacred delight. What is sacred is God’s! And this joy is God’s.

Sacred delight is good news coming through the back door of your heart. It’s the too-good-to-be-true coming true. It’s having God as your lawyer, your dad, your biggest fan, and your best friend. It’s hope where you least expected it—a flower in life’s sidewalk.

It is sacred because only God can grant it. It is a delight because it thrills. It can’t be stolen. It can’t be predicted. It is God’s sacred delight!

The Applause of Heaven

Max Lucado – To Be Seen

January 3, 2014 broboinhawaii Leave a comment

If we’re not looking up at God, we’re looking inward at ourselves and outward at each other. The result? Quarreling families. Restless leaders. Fence-building. No trespassing signs.

If we see only ourselves, our tombstones will have the same epitaph Paul used to describe enemies of Christ: “Their god is their own appetite, they glory in their shame, and this world is the limit of their horizon” (Philippians 3:19).

It’s why God came near. To be seen. It’s why those who saw Him were never the same. Christianity, in its purest form, is nothing more than seeing Jesus. And Christian service is nothing more than imitating Him whom we see. The Bible says, “Unless a man is born again, He cannot see the kingdom of God” (John 3:3).

God came near. There is no truth more worthy of your time.

From God Came Near

Max Lucado – Face to Face With Our Past

January 2, 2014 broboinhawaii Leave a comment

All of us at one time or another come face to face with our past. And it’s always an awkward encounter. When our sins catch up with us we can do one of two things: run or wrestle.

Many choose to run. They brush it off with a shrug of rationalization. “I was a victim of circumstances.” Or, “It was his fault.” The problem with this escape is it’s no escape at all. It’s only a shallow camouflage.

The best way to deal with our past is to roll up our sleeves, and face it head on. No more buck-passing or scapegoating. No more glossing over or covering up. No more games.

We need a confrontation with our Master, eyeball to eyeball, and be reminded that left alone we fall. If you wonder if you’ve gone too long to change, take courage. No man is too bad for God!

From God Came Near

Max Lucado – The Truth About Life

January 1, 2014 broboinhawaii Leave a comment

Hair transplants, surgery, color in a bottle. All to hide what everyone already knows—we’re getting older.

If you ever want to stall a conversation at a party just say, “How’re you feeling about your approaching death?” It won’t put much life into the conversation.

I have a friend who has cancer. He’s in remission. A nurse unaware of his condition was asking a question for his medical record. “Are you presently ill?” “Well yes, I have cancer,” he said. She looked at him and asked, “Are you terminal?” He responded, “Yes, aren’t we all?”

You’d think we weren’t, the way the subject is kept hush-hush. Jesus does His best work at such moments. Just when the truth about life sinks in, His truth starts to surface.

The next time you find yourself facing the undeniables of life, whisper His name. He is nearer than you think!

From God Came Near

Scriptures, Lessons, News and Links to help you survive.