Monday, November 28, 2016
Relationship During Transition
This morning I felt like I should read from Luke's Gospel, even though it is very familiar. I love how the Lord can take a familiar set of verses and make them new again, or give them special renewed meaning in a new season. The verses I am reflecting on this morning are the following - Luke 11:9-13 NIV:
[9] “So I say to you: Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. [10] For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened."
[11] “Which of you fathers, if your son asks for a fish, will give him a snake instead? [12] Or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? [13] If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!”
These verses are very encouraging to me as I am in a season of transition and waiting on the Lord to reveal His plan and purposes for me. I have been asking, and seeking, and knocking on doors a little, and knowing that He hears and responds is helpful.
I have a couple of quick thoughts about the verses without going too deep into the original language of the verses. First, it is interesting to me how the verb tense changes from verse nine to verse ten. The sentences are almost identical, except for the tense of the verbs. Apparently asking and seeking are answered immediately, but knocking on doors takes a bit of time. The verb tenses for asking and seeking are present tense, while the knocking is future tense. Going a bit deeper, the Greek word translated ask is Aiteo and it means:
1) to ask, beg, call for, crave, desire, or require.
The word translated seek is the Greek word Zeteo and it means the following:
1) to seek in order to find
a) to seek a thing
b) to seek [in order to find out] by thinking, meditating, reasoning, to enquire into
c) to seek after, seek for, aim at, strive after
2) to seek i.e. require, demand
a) to crave, demand something from someone
Now Jesus, in verse 13, places these words in the context of receiving the Holy Spirit. This is the same Holy Spirit that came upon the apostles and disciples at Pentecost (Acts 2) and is our advocate, our helper and the source of any power in our lives.
As I reflect on these verses I am reminded that everything that Jesus is speaking about is our inheritance in Him. He made a way for us to have real relationship with Him, the Holy Spirit and the Father. When we accept His salvation, we enter into a relationship with them all. So why would he be encouraging us to ask and seek for the Holy Spirit?
I believe the answer is quite simple and is related to our free will. We can just as easily decide to ask and seek for other things! We can divert our attention and our hearts away from God and in doing so, God allows us to wander away from Him. He is telling us to constantly ask for, and seek Him, to turn back to Him, to be reminded of His love for us. We need to do this every day, in fact sometimes I need to do it multiple times a day, and when we do, He is immediately available to us.
Going back the verses, I believe Jesus is talking about 2 things, relationship and direction. Relationship is related to our heart's desires and both Greek words used here describe the object of one's desire and longing. The knocking on the door, to me, sounds more like asking direction and is the way I commonly refer to decisions and direction in my own life. When I am looking for a new job, I am "knocking" on as many doors as possible. When I am going through transition, I am waiting for a new door to open so that I might walk into the new experiences and purposes that are revealed. All the while I am doing the knocking, I am constantly embracing relationship with Him.
In summary, if we are asking for Him and seeking Him, He is immediately available for relationship. If we are seeking direction, that may take some time for it to be revealed, for God's purposes and plans are revealed in His perfect timing. He is more than willing to be with us and help us wait, to give us clarity in our present situation, and to bless us with relational intimacy, but He is committed to His perfect plan and that does have time components.
Thus, this morning I am encouraged in this time of transition. I am encouraged that He loves me and wants me to walk with Him through this time of transition. I am encouraged because the proper door will be opened, but while I am waiting I can enjoy the blessings of relationship with Him. Lord, I ask for You, I seek You and I will continue to knock until the door is opened.
Amen!
Thursday, November 24, 2016
Thanksgiving and Reflection
A couple of days ago I felt like reading from the Gospel of Luke. Here are the two verses that captured my attention - Luke 15:1-2 NIV:
[1] "Now the tax collectors and sinners were all gathering around to hear Jesus. [2] But the Pharisees and the teachers of the law muttered, “This man welcomes sinners and eats with them.”
I love that these verses, especially verse 1, are recorded in Scripture. In these, and many other stories, we find a good example of Jesus' heart, as the Father's representative, towards sinners. I can imagine what the church would be like if these verses were not included. I think that it is possible to forget that Jesus came to seek and save the lost (Luke 19:10) and we can also forget that we are called to continue His ministry. If sinners hung out with Jesus and felt comfortable in His presence, even welcomed, can we say the same about our lives, and our churches?
That is actually a really interesting question. We, who are saved, tend to classify ourselves as saints (small s), those that have experienced Jesus salvation and are following Him. Our lives should be marked by our desire to follow him, and hopefully we are sinning less than before. In church we probably hang around people who are similar to us, and we try to make a positive impact on our world. Sometimes we can forget where we came from and what we were like previously, and take on a judgmental attitude towards those who have not yet welcomed the Lord into their lives. However, no matter our state of holiness, in reality we are all still sinners who have been redeemed! Some questions to consider in light of Jesus' example here in Luke:
Do we classify ourselves as better then others in our church, or in our neighborhood, because our sins are not as visible?
Do we have a list of bad sins and a list of not so bad sins? Do we feel good about ourselves because we don't do any of the "bad" sins?
Do we judge people by their sin, and even identify them by their sin, as we see the Pharisees and teachers of the Law doing here?
Do we even have anything interesting to say to "sinners"?
Do we even relate to people outside the fellowship of believers?
Do we remember our lives before Christ?
Do we take the forgiveness of our sins for granted?
Do we have an us and them attitude towards those inside vs. outside the church?
As I re-read these verses today, I was thinking that on Thanksgiving we gather around family and friends and possibly some of them may not know the Lord, or maybe have fallen away. What a great opportunity we have to love them and let them know how significant they are to us! I believe that each and every one of us is significant to the Lord, and greatly loved by Him. Let us endeavor to represent Him today to all those who would be classified as "sinners". Let us be thankful that we have experienced His love and forgiveness and extend the same to those around us! Let us cultivate a grateful heart for all the mercy and grace we have received from the Lord!
I am reminded of a very interesting story Jesus told in Luke 18:9-14 NIV:
[9] "To some who were confident of their own righteousness and looked down on everyone else, Jesus told this parable: [10] “Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. [11] The Pharisee stood by himself and prayed: 'God, I thank you that I am not like other people---robbers, evildoers, adulterers---or even like this tax collector. [12] I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get.'
[13] “But the tax collector stood at a distance. He would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, 'God, have mercy on me, a sinner.'
[14] “I tell you that this man, rather than the other, went home justified before God. For all those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.”
Let us remember our lives, and be thankful and grateful rather than prideful. God in His mercy has called us, forgiven us and made us His sons and daughters! The exact same mercy, forgiveness and invitation to relationship is available to us all! Let us be thankful that we have heard His voice, and responded.
Monday, November 21, 2016
Of Cats, Cars and Right Perspective...
This morning I was just reflecting on my relationship with our cat Wicket. He is quite the unique cat, and often is a bit stand-offish. He bites me sometimes, and sometimes bites books and cards and things he shouldn't. Regardless of what he did yesterday, or even 15 minutes ago, if he comes over and wants to snuggle on my lap, or lay against my leg, next to me on the couch, I welcome him and am glad that he wants to be by me. I was just thinking how similar this is to the Lord. His desire is always for us, He is always welcoming us, regardless of what we just did, or have done in the past. He loves me, desires me to be near, desires that I interact with Him. There is no penance necessary, no sacrifice required on my part due to my sin, for He paid for all of that previously.
He interacts with me here in time, but He sees me from His eternal, outside of time, position. Thus, when He sees me, He sees me as who I become in Him, who I am right now, and who I have been. A good analogy would be a car restoration. The really good restorers can look at an old worn out car and imagine how the vehicle will look once they are finished. They keep that image constantly in their mind as they work through the restoration process. They know what the car looked like at first, what its present state is, and what it will look like when finished. Because they know what it will look like when finished, they are able to plot out the path to get from its present state to its future state. One could say that they see through their imagination the vehicles future value and form, and it is their guiding vision.
In a very similar way, when the Lord looks at us, He sees us in our present state, and our actual future state, and He guides us. The difference is that His vision of us in not imaginary, it is reality, for He is outside of time and He can see the past, present and future all at once. He really is the beginning and the end, and everything in between. So when we look to the Lord, asking Him to guide us, we are allowing His clear perspective to guide us, rather than stumbling along trying to figure it out on our own. His love for us never changes because He has always seen us with the same perspective. I am so grateful that His perspective and opinion of me is never changing.
Probably the best part of this whole reality is that when God looks at me, He doesn't see my sin! He sees me as I am, clean without any sin to mar me, for Jesus paid for all my sins, and has forgiven me. I guess we could say that God has a really bad short-term memory concerning my sin, and fantastic long term-memory concerning me. He only has good thoughts about me, because He doesn't consider my sin (they have paid for) and He sees me as I am, hidden in His Son Jesus. How could he possibly think anything negative about me in this reality?
The key thing for all of us is to learn to live this way as well! We are invited to view ourselves, though our relationship with Him, the same way. We need to train ourselves to look at ourselves in a present/future state, rather than a past/present state. He invites us to leave all our history in the past, and step into the newness of today, the new mercies that are available today. He invites us to lay down all our memories of our sins, failures, wounds and scars so that we might see ourselves the way He sees us. Not only that, but He wants to speak to us and tell us who we become, so that we might believe and live toward that vision.
I am reminded of two great scriptural examples, first, the story of Gideon in Judges, Chapter 6. The background to the story is that Israel was being severely oppressed by the Midianites. Gideon was trying to thresh some wheat for his family, and doing so while hiding in a wine press. He has an encounter with and Angel and doesn't believe what the Angel says. Here are the two verses that demonstrate what I am saying - Judges 6:12, 15 NIV:
[12] "When the angel of the Lord appeared to Gideon, he said, “The Lord is with you, mighty warrior. ”
[15] “Pardon me, my lord,” Gideon replied, “but how can I save Israel? My clan is the weakest in Manasseh, and I am the least in my family". The Lord was speaking to Gideon's present/future state, but Gideon was mired in His past/present state. The Lord looked at Gideon from outside of time and rightly calls him a mighty warrior. Gideon, who can only look at his past and present, sees no reason to believe that he could be a mighty warrior. The invitation from the Lord was for Gideon to believe God's perspective rather than his own. Our invitation daily is to do the same.
The second example is the story of the prodigal son found in Luke, chapter 15. In this story the son asks for his inheritance, goes to a distant land and spends it in all sorts of sinful ways, and after becoming poor and starving, He decides to go back to his father's house and beg to just be a servant, because he was clearly no longer qualified to be called his son. Here are a couple of verses that are applicable - Luke 15:17-24 NIV:
[17] “When he came to his senses, he said, 'How many of my father's hired servants have food to spare, and here I am starving to death! [18] I will set out and go back to my father and say to him: Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. [19] I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me like one of your hired servants.'
[20] So he got up and went to his father. “But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him.
[21] “The son said to him, 'Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.'
[22] “But the father said to his servants, 'Quick! Bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. [23] Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let's have a feast and celebrate. [24] For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.' So they began to celebrate."
The son was trying to accept his past/present state and move forward in relationship with his father. The father though, would have none of that nonsense. he immediately restored the son to right relationship, as his son, and pronounced this to his whole household. It was as if he never saw this sinful son in any other way than as his son whom he loved. The father did not drag up his past, make him pay restitution, or punish him in any way. The father could only think of him as his son, whom he loved!
In the same way, our Father in heaven looks at each of us, and sees us where we are and sees us as His children. He loves us, and calls us forward in relationship with Himself. He doesn't dig up our past, call us to make restitution or make us pay any penalty. He wants us to believe in His perspective of us, and step into our identity as His sons and daughters and encourages us to live our lives with present/future perspective.
He interacts with me here in time, but He sees me from His eternal, outside of time, position. Thus, when He sees me, He sees me as who I become in Him, who I am right now, and who I have been. A good analogy would be a car restoration. The really good restorers can look at an old worn out car and imagine how the vehicle will look once they are finished. They keep that image constantly in their mind as they work through the restoration process. They know what the car looked like at first, what its present state is, and what it will look like when finished. Because they know what it will look like when finished, they are able to plot out the path to get from its present state to its future state. One could say that they see through their imagination the vehicles future value and form, and it is their guiding vision.
In a very similar way, when the Lord looks at us, He sees us in our present state, and our actual future state, and He guides us. The difference is that His vision of us in not imaginary, it is reality, for He is outside of time and He can see the past, present and future all at once. He really is the beginning and the end, and everything in between. So when we look to the Lord, asking Him to guide us, we are allowing His clear perspective to guide us, rather than stumbling along trying to figure it out on our own. His love for us never changes because He has always seen us with the same perspective. I am so grateful that His perspective and opinion of me is never changing.
Probably the best part of this whole reality is that when God looks at me, He doesn't see my sin! He sees me as I am, clean without any sin to mar me, for Jesus paid for all my sins, and has forgiven me. I guess we could say that God has a really bad short-term memory concerning my sin, and fantastic long term-memory concerning me. He only has good thoughts about me, because He doesn't consider my sin (they have paid for) and He sees me as I am, hidden in His Son Jesus. How could he possibly think anything negative about me in this reality?
The key thing for all of us is to learn to live this way as well! We are invited to view ourselves, though our relationship with Him, the same way. We need to train ourselves to look at ourselves in a present/future state, rather than a past/present state. He invites us to leave all our history in the past, and step into the newness of today, the new mercies that are available today. He invites us to lay down all our memories of our sins, failures, wounds and scars so that we might see ourselves the way He sees us. Not only that, but He wants to speak to us and tell us who we become, so that we might believe and live toward that vision.
I am reminded of two great scriptural examples, first, the story of Gideon in Judges, Chapter 6. The background to the story is that Israel was being severely oppressed by the Midianites. Gideon was trying to thresh some wheat for his family, and doing so while hiding in a wine press. He has an encounter with and Angel and doesn't believe what the Angel says. Here are the two verses that demonstrate what I am saying - Judges 6:12, 15 NIV:
[12] "When the angel of the Lord appeared to Gideon, he said, “The Lord is with you, mighty warrior. ”
[15] “Pardon me, my lord,” Gideon replied, “but how can I save Israel? My clan is the weakest in Manasseh, and I am the least in my family". The Lord was speaking to Gideon's present/future state, but Gideon was mired in His past/present state. The Lord looked at Gideon from outside of time and rightly calls him a mighty warrior. Gideon, who can only look at his past and present, sees no reason to believe that he could be a mighty warrior. The invitation from the Lord was for Gideon to believe God's perspective rather than his own. Our invitation daily is to do the same.
The second example is the story of the prodigal son found in Luke, chapter 15. In this story the son asks for his inheritance, goes to a distant land and spends it in all sorts of sinful ways, and after becoming poor and starving, He decides to go back to his father's house and beg to just be a servant, because he was clearly no longer qualified to be called his son. Here are a couple of verses that are applicable - Luke 15:17-24 NIV:
[17] “When he came to his senses, he said, 'How many of my father's hired servants have food to spare, and here I am starving to death! [18] I will set out and go back to my father and say to him: Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. [19] I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me like one of your hired servants.'
[20] So he got up and went to his father. “But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him.
[21] “The son said to him, 'Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.'
[22] “But the father said to his servants, 'Quick! Bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. [23] Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let's have a feast and celebrate. [24] For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.' So they began to celebrate."
The son was trying to accept his past/present state and move forward in relationship with his father. The father though, would have none of that nonsense. he immediately restored the son to right relationship, as his son, and pronounced this to his whole household. It was as if he never saw this sinful son in any other way than as his son whom he loved. The father did not drag up his past, make him pay restitution, or punish him in any way. The father could only think of him as his son, whom he loved!
In the same way, our Father in heaven looks at each of us, and sees us where we are and sees us as His children. He loves us, and calls us forward in relationship with Himself. He doesn't dig up our past, call us to make restitution or make us pay any penalty. He wants us to believe in His perspective of us, and step into our identity as His sons and daughters and encourages us to live our lives with present/future perspective.
Monday, November 14, 2016
God's Promise and Long Waits
This morning I felt like I should read from the Book of Genesis, specifically about Abraham, and God's promises and covenants with him. There are many things to learn from his story, but today the thing that stood out to me was the time between God's promises and the fulfilment of those promises. Abraham was 75 years old when God told him to leave his people and go to the land he would show him (Gen 12:1-4). God also told him that He would make Abraham into a mighty nation. In Genesis 15, God reiterates His promise to Abraham and this time is more specific, saying that a son of his own flesh will be his heir! This was after a year of craziness, as they had to go to Egypt to escape the famine in the promised land, as well as deal with Sodom and Gomorrah. At this point Abraham is 76 years old and Sarah his wife is 67 years old.
After they resettle in the land, they wait another 10 years but no children are born to Abraham and Sarah. At this point they try to figure out God's plan on their own, and Sarah figures Abraham should just sleep with her slave Hagar, who became one of Abraham's wives (Gen 16:1-4). Their plan was immediately successful, but Ishmael was not the son of the promise nor the covenant, but was the son of human effort. Over the next 13 years Ismael grows, and Abraham grows older.
Finally, after 24 years from the first invitation from God, He speaks again and tells Abraham, who is now 99, to circumcise all the males in his household, even Himself (Gen 17:1-3). It is at this time that the Lord, once again reiterates His promise, and tells Abraham that Sarah will have a son by this time next year (Gen 17: 15-21). Abraham thought it was funny, as it just didn't make sense in the natural, for he was 99 and Sarah was 90 years old.
Within the year, as foretold by God in verse 21, Sarah had given birth to Isaac. So in total Abraham waited at least 25 years from the original promise to seeing it miraculously fulfilled by God.
I guess my encouragement this morning is to not give up on the promises of God, regardless of how long ago they were spoken, nor how impossible they seem. It is interesting that it might have been physically possible for Sarah to give birth back when Abraham first heard that promise. Every year of delay made it less and less likely, yet God was able to do what He said He would do. I am encouraged that God was revealing part of His character here, that He is faithful and His word is true. His fulfilment doesn't always take on the form, nor timing that would make sense to us as humans, and that is perfectly ok. He is God and He is Faithful.
So, whether you have been waiting for 25 years or more, or the way God appears to be moving makes no sense to you, wait on the Lord. He will show you the perfect fulfillment oh His promises.
After they resettle in the land, they wait another 10 years but no children are born to Abraham and Sarah. At this point they try to figure out God's plan on their own, and Sarah figures Abraham should just sleep with her slave Hagar, who became one of Abraham's wives (Gen 16:1-4). Their plan was immediately successful, but Ishmael was not the son of the promise nor the covenant, but was the son of human effort. Over the next 13 years Ismael grows, and Abraham grows older.
Finally, after 24 years from the first invitation from God, He speaks again and tells Abraham, who is now 99, to circumcise all the males in his household, even Himself (Gen 17:1-3). It is at this time that the Lord, once again reiterates His promise, and tells Abraham that Sarah will have a son by this time next year (Gen 17: 15-21). Abraham thought it was funny, as it just didn't make sense in the natural, for he was 99 and Sarah was 90 years old.
Within the year, as foretold by God in verse 21, Sarah had given birth to Isaac. So in total Abraham waited at least 25 years from the original promise to seeing it miraculously fulfilled by God.
I guess my encouragement this morning is to not give up on the promises of God, regardless of how long ago they were spoken, nor how impossible they seem. It is interesting that it might have been physically possible for Sarah to give birth back when Abraham first heard that promise. Every year of delay made it less and less likely, yet God was able to do what He said He would do. I am encouraged that God was revealing part of His character here, that He is faithful and His word is true. His fulfilment doesn't always take on the form, nor timing that would make sense to us as humans, and that is perfectly ok. He is God and He is Faithful.
So, whether you have been waiting for 25 years or more, or the way God appears to be moving makes no sense to you, wait on the Lord. He will show you the perfect fulfillment oh His promises.
Sunday, November 13, 2016
One Household, One Building, One Body
This morning I am reading from Ephesians 2:12-22 NIV:
[12] "...remember that at that time you were separate from Christ, excluded from citizenship in Israel and foreigners to the covenants of the promise, without hope and without God in the world. [13] But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near by the blood of Christ."
[14] "For he himself is our peace, who has made the two groups one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility, [15] by setting aside in his flesh the law with its commands and regulations. His purpose was to create in himself one new humanity out of the two, thus making peace, [16] and in one body to reconcile both of them to God through the cross, by which he put to death their hostility. [17] He came and preached peace to you who were far away and peace to those who were near. [18] For through him we both have access to the Father by one Spirit."
[19] "Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and strangers, but fellow citizens with God's people and also members of his household, [20] built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone. [21] In him the whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord. [22] And in him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit."
Wow, talk about loaded lines of scripture! A couple of things that stand out very clearly here. In verse fifteen, Paul is as clear as can be in stating that Jesus set aside, in His flesh, the law and its regulations. This version of translation is relatively mild in how it translates the original Greek katargeo. A better definition is as follows:
1) to render idle, unemployed, inactivate, inoperative
a) to cause a person or thing to have no further efficiency
b) to deprive of force, influence, power
2) to cause to cease, put an end to, do away with, annul, abolish
a) to cease, to pass away, be done away
b) to be severed from, separated from, discharged from, loosed from any one
c) to terminate all intercourse with one
Any way I read the definition, it is clear that the Law and its regulations and commandments are no longer enforced. Jesus did this through His body, sacrificing Himself so that we could be free of the Law. He also did this so that the way would be opened for all men, both Jew and Gentile, and in so doing making us all into one new humanity (verse 15).
Secondly, we are all members of God's household. God doesn't have multiple household, just one, and we are all members of it. Jesus himself said "in my Fathers house, there are many dwellings" (John 14:2). Thus, we are all members of this one household, the household of God. We are all built on the same foundation and are all being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives (verse 20, 22). The Greek word translated built together is Sunoikodomeo and it is defined as follows:
1) to build together
a) to build together or with others
b) to put together or construct by building, out of several things to build up one whole
1) of the human body
Again, Paul is saying though we were many parts, Jew and gentile, we are now being built together into a single building, the temple of God or just as clearly, the Body of Christ. We can not disassociate ourselves from others in the body. We may have a different focus, a different purpose, but we are all members of this same building, this same body. I also like the fact that he says we are being built together, as it is not complete yet, but in process.
Lord, I pray that the simple truths revealed here would cause us to see the Church or the Body of Christ differently. We are all one, all members of one household, one body, one building! Help us to put away our petty disagreements and those things that cause division and embrace the unity that God has made possible.
Amen!
Tuesday, November 8, 2016
For Our Nation Today...
This morning I am reminded of this pledge and today make it a prayer as well!
I pray that God's Peace may be ours today!
I pledge allegiance to the flag,
of the United States of America,
and to the Republic for which it stands,
One nation, under God,
Indivisible, with liberty and justice for all!
Monday, November 7, 2016
The Command to Love
As I sat down to pray this morning, I opened my Bible to the last location I had been reading from yesterday, out of John, and the following verses caught my eye - John 14:15-17, 21 NIV:
[15] “If you love me, keep my commands. [16] And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever--- [17] 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.
[21] Whoever has my commands and keeps them is the one who loves me. The one who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love them and show myself to them.”
That first sentence in verse 15 is so simple and yet one that we often don't like, for Jesus speaks of His commands, and associates our following them with loving Him. For many of us, these two ideas (love and commandments) are not closely related. We think of love as being founded in emotion and affection, but commands as being something that is demanded of us from an authoritarian ruler (at least some of the time), especially if we take them out the context and just consider them as words.
The issue for many of us is that our heart responds coolly to this type of statement. Imagine yourself saying these very words to your spouse or significant other. If I imagine my wife saying these words to me, I would likely not be pleased. We think that a mutually loving relationship of equals should not have commands and/or obedience required.
So how do we open these words up and learn to embrace them? They are clearly significant, and the fruit of our obedience appears to be unfathomable intimacy with God Himself.
First, it might be helpful to understand what exactly are Jesus' commands? Are they the rules of the church (many would want to teach that is the case)? Are they the rules for living found in the Old Covenant of the Law? I figure the best place to go is back to Scripture and see where Jesus actually gives us (His followers) commands. The language is so specific, yet up to this point in John's Gospel, Jesus has not yet given a command that would be applicable to all. If I turn the page and go to Chapter 15, I find the only times in John's Gospel that Jesus actually gives a command, and then reiterates that command. Here are the verses -
John 15:12 NIV: "My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you."
- and again -
John 15:17 NIV: "This is my command: Love each other."
Isn't that incredible? In fact in all of the New Testament, these are the only times that Jesus gives a direct command to us. Now, if this is the command of Jesus that opens the door to unfathomable intimacy with Him, the Father and the Holy Spirit, then I find I am not so turned off by the command. He isn't commanding me to do things that I don't want to do, although I will be the first to say that I don't always feel like loving like He loved. He isn't demanding my adherence to some petty command, He is actually inviting me to enter into His mission and purpose! He was sent to reveal the Father to us all (Heb 1:3), to reveal the Father's love for us (John 3:16), and to love us with His whole life, demonstrating the greatest love possible by laying down His life for us (John 15:13).
Jesus is inviting us to embrace His mission and purpose out of our relationship with Him. Notice, He says, "if you love me" - then "keep my commands." If we love Him, (then) we should love one another too!
I was just thinking how different verse 14:15 would sound if we just took out the words "keep my commands" and replaced them with His actual command. It would read like this:
"If you love me, (then) love each other as I have loved you!"
This I can embrace! This is sweet to my ears, and welcome in my heart!
Going back to Jesus statement in verse 21, " Whoever has my commands and keeps them is the one who loves me. The one who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love them and show myself to them.”
Oh Lord, I pray for this greater revelation of Yourself an Your love, as You promised here! Help me Holy Spirit through Your power, as promised by Jesus. Come into my life and into my being! I look to You Father, help me to understand Your love for me! Help me to take this love, revelation and power and reveal You to all those around me through my love for them!
Amen!
[15] “If you love me, keep my commands. [16] And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever--- [17] 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.
[21] Whoever has my commands and keeps them is the one who loves me. The one who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love them and show myself to them.”
That first sentence in verse 15 is so simple and yet one that we often don't like, for Jesus speaks of His commands, and associates our following them with loving Him. For many of us, these two ideas (love and commandments) are not closely related. We think of love as being founded in emotion and affection, but commands as being something that is demanded of us from an authoritarian ruler (at least some of the time), especially if we take them out the context and just consider them as words.
The issue for many of us is that our heart responds coolly to this type of statement. Imagine yourself saying these very words to your spouse or significant other. If I imagine my wife saying these words to me, I would likely not be pleased. We think that a mutually loving relationship of equals should not have commands and/or obedience required.
So how do we open these words up and learn to embrace them? They are clearly significant, and the fruit of our obedience appears to be unfathomable intimacy with God Himself.
First, it might be helpful to understand what exactly are Jesus' commands? Are they the rules of the church (many would want to teach that is the case)? Are they the rules for living found in the Old Covenant of the Law? I figure the best place to go is back to Scripture and see where Jesus actually gives us (His followers) commands. The language is so specific, yet up to this point in John's Gospel, Jesus has not yet given a command that would be applicable to all. If I turn the page and go to Chapter 15, I find the only times in John's Gospel that Jesus actually gives a command, and then reiterates that command. Here are the verses -
John 15:12 NIV: "My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you."
- and again -
John 15:17 NIV: "This is my command: Love each other."
Isn't that incredible? In fact in all of the New Testament, these are the only times that Jesus gives a direct command to us. Now, if this is the command of Jesus that opens the door to unfathomable intimacy with Him, the Father and the Holy Spirit, then I find I am not so turned off by the command. He isn't commanding me to do things that I don't want to do, although I will be the first to say that I don't always feel like loving like He loved. He isn't demanding my adherence to some petty command, He is actually inviting me to enter into His mission and purpose! He was sent to reveal the Father to us all (Heb 1:3), to reveal the Father's love for us (John 3:16), and to love us with His whole life, demonstrating the greatest love possible by laying down His life for us (John 15:13).
Jesus is inviting us to embrace His mission and purpose out of our relationship with Him. Notice, He says, "if you love me" - then "keep my commands." If we love Him, (then) we should love one another too!
I was just thinking how different verse 14:15 would sound if we just took out the words "keep my commands" and replaced them with His actual command. It would read like this:
"If you love me, (then) love each other as I have loved you!"
This I can embrace! This is sweet to my ears, and welcome in my heart!
Going back to Jesus statement in verse 21, " Whoever has my commands and keeps them is the one who loves me. The one who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love them and show myself to them.”
Oh Lord, I pray for this greater revelation of Yourself an Your love, as You promised here! Help me Holy Spirit through Your power, as promised by Jesus. Come into my life and into my being! I look to You Father, help me to understand Your love for me! Help me to take this love, revelation and power and reveal You to all those around me through my love for them!
Amen!
Sunday, November 6, 2016
The Father's Plan for the Lost: To Seek and Save
I opened up my Bible to the Gospel of Luke, and one of my favorite stories, the story of Zacchaeus. Here is the story as told by Luke 19:1-10 NIV:
[1] "Jesus entered Jericho and was passing through. [2] A man was there by the name of Zacchaeus; he was a chief tax collector and was wealthy. [3] He wanted to see who Jesus was, but because he was short he could not see over the crowd. [4] So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore-fig tree to see him, since Jesus was coming that way.
[5] When Jesus reached the spot, he looked up and said to him, “Zacchaeus, come down immediately. I must stay at your house today.” [6] So he came down at once and welcomed him gladly.
[7] All the people saw this and began to mutter, “He has gone to be the guest of a sinner.”
[8] But Zacchaeus stood up and said to the Lord, “Look, Lord! Here and now I give half of my possessions to the poor, and if I have cheated anybody out of anything, I will pay back four times the amount.”
[9] Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house, because this man, too, is a son of Abraham. [10] For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.”
As I read through the story once again, I was most impacted by Jesus' statement, “Zacchaeus, come down immediately. I must stay at your house today.” We know from Jesus' statements in John that He only said and did what the Father told him to do and say. When I read this statement today, it was apparent to me that Jesus was being obedient to the Father, when he told Zacchaeus that "I must stay at your house today"! It seemed clear to me that Jesus was following the Father's specific directions.
Wouldn't that be awesome to have that type of interaction with the Father?
The good news is that is exactly what we are invited to do, we are invited to have the Father and Jesus come and make their home in us (John 14:23).
So, taking that belief that it was the Father directing Jesus, we see in Jesus' words and actions the Father's heart for Zacchaeus, while he was still steeped in His sins. It was clear that the Father had been already been drawing Zacchaeus, as he had it in his mind that he wanted to see Jesus. The Father's heart is further revealed in Jesus' statement at the very end, "For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.” That was the assignment that He had given to Jesus and that is what occurred.
What a wonderful example of the Father's heart for the lost, for those who are caught up in sin, for those that would be considered traitors and the worst of the worst. I am encouraged today, that the Father has the exact same heart for all those I know who are in the same heart condition as Zacchaeus. I am confident in His ability to find them where they are, to draw them towards Himself, and finally to encounter Him in such a way that their hearts are changed and their lives transformed.
The Father wasn't calling judgment down upon Zacchaeus and his household for his sins and evil ways! Instead the Father was visiting his whole house with salvation! Oh that all the church would learn to pray for the sinners and lost this way!
Lord, I lift up to You those that I know who have wandered away from You, have never known You, or who are worshipping money and material goods. I pray that You would seek them and save them and their whole households!
Amen and Amen!
[1] "Jesus entered Jericho and was passing through. [2] A man was there by the name of Zacchaeus; he was a chief tax collector and was wealthy. [3] He wanted to see who Jesus was, but because he was short he could not see over the crowd. [4] So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore-fig tree to see him, since Jesus was coming that way.
[5] When Jesus reached the spot, he looked up and said to him, “Zacchaeus, come down immediately. I must stay at your house today.” [6] So he came down at once and welcomed him gladly.
[7] All the people saw this and began to mutter, “He has gone to be the guest of a sinner.”
[8] But Zacchaeus stood up and said to the Lord, “Look, Lord! Here and now I give half of my possessions to the poor, and if I have cheated anybody out of anything, I will pay back four times the amount.”
[9] Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house, because this man, too, is a son of Abraham. [10] For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.”
As I read through the story once again, I was most impacted by Jesus' statement, “Zacchaeus, come down immediately. I must stay at your house today.” We know from Jesus' statements in John that He only said and did what the Father told him to do and say. When I read this statement today, it was apparent to me that Jesus was being obedient to the Father, when he told Zacchaeus that "I must stay at your house today"! It seemed clear to me that Jesus was following the Father's specific directions.
Wouldn't that be awesome to have that type of interaction with the Father?
The good news is that is exactly what we are invited to do, we are invited to have the Father and Jesus come and make their home in us (John 14:23).
So, taking that belief that it was the Father directing Jesus, we see in Jesus' words and actions the Father's heart for Zacchaeus, while he was still steeped in His sins. It was clear that the Father had been already been drawing Zacchaeus, as he had it in his mind that he wanted to see Jesus. The Father's heart is further revealed in Jesus' statement at the very end, "For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.” That was the assignment that He had given to Jesus and that is what occurred.
What a wonderful example of the Father's heart for the lost, for those who are caught up in sin, for those that would be considered traitors and the worst of the worst. I am encouraged today, that the Father has the exact same heart for all those I know who are in the same heart condition as Zacchaeus. I am confident in His ability to find them where they are, to draw them towards Himself, and finally to encounter Him in such a way that their hearts are changed and their lives transformed.
The Father wasn't calling judgment down upon Zacchaeus and his household for his sins and evil ways! Instead the Father was visiting his whole house with salvation! Oh that all the church would learn to pray for the sinners and lost this way!
Lord, I lift up to You those that I know who have wandered away from You, have never known You, or who are worshipping money and material goods. I pray that You would seek them and save them and their whole households!
Amen and Amen!
Saturday, November 5, 2016
We Are His Children and His Heirs!
This morning I opened my Bible to Galatians, and to a few verses that I was meditating on a couple of weeks back. Here are the verses - Galatians 4:4-7 NIV:
[4] "But when the set time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under the law, [5] to redeem those under the law, that we might receive adoption to sonship. [6] Because you are his sons, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, the Spirit who calls out, “Abba , Father.” [7] So you are no longer a slave, but God's child; and since you are his child, God has made you also an heir."
In light of the dream I had recently (my blog about it can be found here: http://amomentwithgod-srh.blogspot.com/2016/11/dont-settle-for-mediocracy-in-your.html), I want to start at verse 7, today. Paul is writing about being under the Law, in regards to his mention of slavery here. As the Law was fulfilled by Christ Jesus, and a new covenant was established through His most precious blood, this statement is true for us all. None of us is slave to the Law!
Unfortunately, much of the church seems to want to bring parts of the Old Testament Law back in, and subject us to those requirements. There are those that preach judgment and curses upon people for sin, which is part of the Law, but not the New Covenant. There are those that think that the judgments of Israel or the Jews, apply to us, but again those are part of the Old Covenant of the Law. When the question of how much of the Law is required under the New Covenant was brought up in the early church, when those who were not Jews joined the church, the resulting discussion and agreement of the Apostles caused the following letter to be written, as found in Acts 15:22-29 NIV:
[22] "Then the apostles and elders, with the whole church, decided to choose some of their own men and send them to Antioch with Paul and Barnabas. They chose Judas (called Barsabbas) and Silas, men who were leaders among the believers. [23] With them they sent the following letter:
The apostles and elders, your brothers, To the Gentile believers in Antioch, Syria and Cilicia:
Greetings. [24] We have heard that some went out from us without our authorization and disturbed you, troubling your minds by what they said. [25] So we all agreed to choose some men and send them to you with our dear friends Barnabas and Paul--- [26] men who have risked their lives for the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. [27] Therefore we are sending Judas and Silas to confirm by word of mouth what we are writing. [28] It seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us not to burden you with anything beyond the following requirements: [29] You are to abstain from food sacrificed to idols, from blood, from the meat of strangled animals and from sexual immorality. You will do well to avoid these things.
Farewell."
This is their summation of all the things that passed from the Old Covenant Law to the new believers, who were not Jewish, under the New Covenant. That is it, nothing else was added. Paul went on later in his letter to the church in Corinth to say that really food sacrificed to idols, and really eating of anything, was actually not an issue either (1 Cor 8:1-8), so we are left really with abstaining from sexual immorality. You will note that there were no judgments, no curses or punishments added, just the requirement to abstain.
So back to His statement in verse 7, we are no longer slaves to any of the Law, we are all, each and everyone of us, God's child! No one is more favorite, no one has position or authority over you in God's family, we are all equally His children, made so by the same sacrifice of Jesus. There are no half-siblings, no step-children, all are children of God! If you have ever thought yourself as less deserving, or not properly related to God, you thought wrong. We can choose to believe other things, and apply rules and regulations to ourselves (like pieces and parts of the Old Covenant) that are not true for us, or we can choose to live as we truly are, His children, His sons and His daughters. It is our choice!
I will say that many of us have been brought up in religion, and religion works to enslave us to rules and regulations. We believe in Christ and His salvation, but we have been taught incorrectly about grace, mercy, compassion and judgment, and fed a bunch of rules and regulations that are not part of the Gospel. It is no fault of ours that we have believed that which we have been taught, but the truth, seen here in Paul's writings and of course in Jesus' teachings throughout the Gospels, is clear! When we are confronted with truth from God's Word that is not in line with our own beliefs, our choice is simple, we can repent and change the way we think and act, or we can hold onto our wrong thinking! The call from God is towards freedom, towards life full of Him as His sons and daughters.
Finally, Paul finishes his statement with the statement, "God has made you also an heir." Please note, this is God's will towards us, not something we have earned. It is through His relationship with us, established in Christ Jesus, that He extends the inheritance to include us! We are His heirs! We probably need to tell ourselves that over and over and over.
Going back to the dream I had recently, the idea is that the inheritance is our to experience now, and is just waiting for us to step into it. Jesus taught His disciples to pray the following - Matthew 6:9-10 NIV: “This, then, is how you should pray: “ 'Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven." This prayer is not that we might make it to Heaven so that we can experience God's will there, but rather a prayer that we would experience here on earth that which is already experienced in Heaven. Jesus tells us to pray that God's will (His will states that we are His heirs) be done or experienced on earth as it is in Heaven. The Greek word that has been translated 'done' is the word Ginomai. Here is a brief definition:
1) to become, i.e. to come into existence, begin to be, receive being
2) to become, i.e. to come to pass, happen
a) of events
3) to arise, appear in history, come upon the stage
a) of men appearing in public
4) to be made, finished
a) of miracles, to be performed, wrought
5) to become, be made
When we pray as Jesus taught us, we are connecting ourselves to God's will, and asking that it would be revealed through us, to come into existence, to happen, to appear and become part of our history, to cause miracles to be performed that just need that finishing touch, to become real here on earth as it already is in Heaven! This is God's will for us, and we are His heirs, which means if it is His, it is ours as well, for we are His children. My children, when growing up in our house, never questioned if they could eat the food, or use the tools, or drink the juice - for they knew through their identity and relationship with us, their praents, that even though we paid for it, it was theirs to enjoy!
I really feel that this is God's invitation today, to step into our identity and become who we are, His sons and daughters! He is calling us to step into those things that are already in our possession as His heirs! Let us pray and believe and step into His freedom and the fullness of our relationship.
Amen and amen!
Thursday, November 3, 2016
Don't Settle For Mediocracy In Your Faith Experience!
This morning, and it seems like most of last night, I was dreaming about a mansions that we lived in. What was interesting about this dream is that we were using parts of it, or rediscovering parts of it that we haven't visited for years. We had grown so accustomed to living in the few rooms that we visited that we had forgotten about all these fantastic rooms and equipment, and stuff that was ours.
We had a whole area set aside for hosting big family events, extra kitchens, large cooking equipment, etc., almost like a commercial kitchen, but just on a different level than where we usually live. We had an area set up like a coffee shop, where we had a really cool coffee grinding mill that looked like an old water-powered grinding mill. We had a whole area that was like a concessions area for a mall, several different types of treats and food, each announced with bold Neon signs. When we opened the doors to these areas, I kept telling my children, these are here everyday, and always open for your use.
Amazingly it had been years since we had wandered through this part of the house.We had closets after closets of art work, most already framed, most done by my children, we seemed to have everything they had ever drawn or painted. We turned the corner and opened the door and there were at least 8 art studios all in this next section, separated by large sliding panels with the canvasses ready to be painted. We had rooms where I had musical equipment (guitars, drums, keyboards) and sounds systems, all ready for use. In other rooms we had all the supplies we needed, and or had bought at any time, it all looked fresh and ready to eat. There was meat in the freezers we found, and even though we hadn't been there in years, the supplies were all fresh and ready to be consumed and used, and there was no dust or cobwebs at all. It appears that someone was keeping it all in perfect readiness for the day we decided to walk back over to that part of our house. I kept telling everyone, "remember this is yours to use, and it always has been, you just need to walk into this part of the house".
As I reflect back on the dream, I do believe that I have been in this house before in my dreams, because it all seemed very familiar. What else was interesting was that my family was in town and that was why we were using the big family events section. As we walked around there were things from all of our childhood's. So this wasn't just my house, but it was the family estate!
When I woke up I felt the Lord whisper to me that this is exactly what is also available to us as His children in the spiritual realm. Most of us settle for the little areas that we are comfortable in, and never venture past our comfort, into areas that are just around the corner, or behind the next door. Each of the areas represented things that are in me, gifts and callings, and even things that I thought at one time that would be cool; it was all there in closets waiting for me to pull it out and use. I felt the strong encouragement of the Lord to revisit past words, dreams, visions, experiences and to open them back up and try them on, try them out, or enjoy them once again. Better yet, I felt like the encouragement was to invite my family and friends to enjoy these things with me. They are all just waiting and ready to be used! I felt Him say, "Don't settle for the mediocrity of what you already know and am comfortable with, but open the door and walk around, test things out, find something that interests you and give it a whirl." The best part is I don't need to ask permission, wait for clear direction, its already mine and I live right in the midst of it all, I just need to go there and open the doors.
I pray that you are encouraged to visit the mansions the Lord has prepared for you all (John 14:2 NKJV), and are a part of your inheritance as His co-heirs (Rom 8:17). He has provided for us with all the fullness of Himself. I am reminded of Paul's great prayer for the church in Ephesus, and believe this prayer is for us today.
Ephesians 3:14-19 NIV:
[14] "For this reason I kneel before the Father, [15] from whom every family in heaven and on earth derives its name. [16] I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, [17] so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, [18] may have power, together with all the Lord's holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, [19] and to know this love that surpasses knowledge---that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God."
Yes, let us be filled to to the measure of all the fullness of God, and experience His love in it's breadth, depth, width and height!
We had a whole area set aside for hosting big family events, extra kitchens, large cooking equipment, etc., almost like a commercial kitchen, but just on a different level than where we usually live. We had an area set up like a coffee shop, where we had a really cool coffee grinding mill that looked like an old water-powered grinding mill. We had a whole area that was like a concessions area for a mall, several different types of treats and food, each announced with bold Neon signs. When we opened the doors to these areas, I kept telling my children, these are here everyday, and always open for your use.
Amazingly it had been years since we had wandered through this part of the house.We had closets after closets of art work, most already framed, most done by my children, we seemed to have everything they had ever drawn or painted. We turned the corner and opened the door and there were at least 8 art studios all in this next section, separated by large sliding panels with the canvasses ready to be painted. We had rooms where I had musical equipment (guitars, drums, keyboards) and sounds systems, all ready for use. In other rooms we had all the supplies we needed, and or had bought at any time, it all looked fresh and ready to eat. There was meat in the freezers we found, and even though we hadn't been there in years, the supplies were all fresh and ready to be consumed and used, and there was no dust or cobwebs at all. It appears that someone was keeping it all in perfect readiness for the day we decided to walk back over to that part of our house. I kept telling everyone, "remember this is yours to use, and it always has been, you just need to walk into this part of the house".
As I reflect back on the dream, I do believe that I have been in this house before in my dreams, because it all seemed very familiar. What else was interesting was that my family was in town and that was why we were using the big family events section. As we walked around there were things from all of our childhood's. So this wasn't just my house, but it was the family estate!
When I woke up I felt the Lord whisper to me that this is exactly what is also available to us as His children in the spiritual realm. Most of us settle for the little areas that we are comfortable in, and never venture past our comfort, into areas that are just around the corner, or behind the next door. Each of the areas represented things that are in me, gifts and callings, and even things that I thought at one time that would be cool; it was all there in closets waiting for me to pull it out and use. I felt the strong encouragement of the Lord to revisit past words, dreams, visions, experiences and to open them back up and try them on, try them out, or enjoy them once again. Better yet, I felt like the encouragement was to invite my family and friends to enjoy these things with me. They are all just waiting and ready to be used! I felt Him say, "Don't settle for the mediocrity of what you already know and am comfortable with, but open the door and walk around, test things out, find something that interests you and give it a whirl." The best part is I don't need to ask permission, wait for clear direction, its already mine and I live right in the midst of it all, I just need to go there and open the doors.
I pray that you are encouraged to visit the mansions the Lord has prepared for you all (John 14:2 NKJV), and are a part of your inheritance as His co-heirs (Rom 8:17). He has provided for us with all the fullness of Himself. I am reminded of Paul's great prayer for the church in Ephesus, and believe this prayer is for us today.
Ephesians 3:14-19 NIV:
[14] "For this reason I kneel before the Father, [15] from whom every family in heaven and on earth derives its name. [16] I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, [17] so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, [18] may have power, together with all the Lord's holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, [19] and to know this love that surpasses knowledge---that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God."
Yes, let us be filled to to the measure of all the fullness of God, and experience His love in it's breadth, depth, width and height!
Tuesday, November 1, 2016
Jesus' Witnesses
This morning I am doing some reflecting on God's word and felt like reading from the book of Daniel 9:9-12 NIV:
[9] "The Lord our God is merciful and forgiving, even though we have rebelled against him; [10] we have not obeyed the Lord our God or kept the laws he gave us through his servants the prophets."
[11]" All Israel has transgressed your law and turned away, refusing to obey you. “Therefore the curses and sworn judgments written in the Law of Moses, the servant of God, have been poured out on us, because we have sinned against you. [12] You have fulfilled the words spoken against us and against our rulers by bringing on us great disaster. Under the whole heaven nothing has ever been done like what has been done to Jerusalem".
What caught my eye this morning was verse 11 where he writes, "Therefore the curses and sworn judgments written in the Law of Moses, the servant of God, have been poured out on us, because we have sinned against you." As I read those words the question popped into my mind, were there any such curses and sworn judgements written in the new covenant, the one established by Jesus? I certainly can't think of any.
Scripture is very clear that Jesus fulfilled the old covenant and established a new covenant through His death and resurrection. Thus, none of us in the "Christian" church are under the old covenant with its curses and sworn judgments for we follow the one who established the New Covenant. There are those who wrongly bring the curses and sworn judgments from the old covenant into the new, and this is not correct.
My good friend Vince Staggs writes the following yesterday on his Facebook feed- "I think Jesus' followers are going to have to settle, once and for all, which covenant—Old or New—is now in effect for humanity. We can’t afford to be of two minds about this. Here's my understanding: When Hebrews was written the Old Covenant was obsolete and “ready to disappear” (8:13). Not long after God ended that covenant in spectacular fashion with the destruction of the Temple in 70AD, permanently ending the Jewish priesthood and animal sacrifices.
The Law brings wrath (Rom 4:15). But Jesus fulfilled that Law and became the atoning sacrifice “not only for our sins, but also for the sins of the whole world” (1 Jn 2:2). The Law was about blessings and curses; Jesus redeemed us from the Law’s curse, becoming a curse for us (Gal 3:13). Whereas 3,000 people died the day the Law was given, 3,000 were saved with the Spirit’s coming at Pentecost. Now, instead of cursing the wicked with drought, God sends rain on both the righteous *and* the unrighteous, showing kindness to wicked and ungrateful people. He’s not counting humanity’s sins against us (2 Cor 5:19). (If he is, why do so many mass murderers live to ripe old ages: Stalin, Mao, Pol Pot, etc.?)
I don't think God is judging cities, much less nations. Jesus is the one entrusted with all judgment, and he wasn’t sent to judge—on the contrary, God sent him to *save* the world. The last city destroyed in judgment was Jerusalem in 70AD, destroyed in the final fulfillment of the Old Covenant as God invoked the curses specified in the Law on those who refused the safety of the New Covenant (including Jesus’ warnings to flee the city when they saw Rome surrounding it with armies, which the Christians did). This doesn’t mean there isn’t an appointed day (singular) of judgment at Jesus’ final return, but I believe we live in the favorable year of the Lord."
As we examine our lives it is right to repent, to change the way we think and act, as we are confronted with God's truth as demonstrated and fulfilled by Jesus. There are many times in my life that I have come to recognize that my thoughts or ways of thinking were not in line with His revealed truth, and I have changed. I don't do this because I fear His judgment or curse, but rather because I want to fully embrace and experience the intimacy and blessing of walking in unity with Him. HE is the greatest treasure that has been given to us and my goal is to experience as much of His goodness as is humanly possible.
As people groups and Nations, it is also right for us to change the way we think and act (repent) towards God and His beautiful Son and Holy Spirit. Again we are note called to do this out of fear, but rather as a result of our loving relationship. We are called to let our light shine to all men, that they might see and be drawn to the one who loves them from before the creation of the world. When we mis-characterize who God is, or what He is like through our words or actions, we affect others who do not know Him. I think it is time for many of us to repent of how we represent Jesus to the world. We were told to go and spread the Kingdom of God, to make disciples of all nations, to be witnesses for Him to all the world.
In the Catholic Church, today (Nov. 1st) is the Feast of All Saints, when we celebrate the lives of many who were faithful in being witnesses of Jesus through their life and death. Let us reflect on our lives and also accept this call and let us be true witnesses to Him who has loved us before the creation of the world.
Amen and Amen!
[9] "The Lord our God is merciful and forgiving, even though we have rebelled against him; [10] we have not obeyed the Lord our God or kept the laws he gave us through his servants the prophets."
[11]" All Israel has transgressed your law and turned away, refusing to obey you. “Therefore the curses and sworn judgments written in the Law of Moses, the servant of God, have been poured out on us, because we have sinned against you. [12] You have fulfilled the words spoken against us and against our rulers by bringing on us great disaster. Under the whole heaven nothing has ever been done like what has been done to Jerusalem".
What caught my eye this morning was verse 11 where he writes, "Therefore the curses and sworn judgments written in the Law of Moses, the servant of God, have been poured out on us, because we have sinned against you." As I read those words the question popped into my mind, were there any such curses and sworn judgements written in the new covenant, the one established by Jesus? I certainly can't think of any.
Scripture is very clear that Jesus fulfilled the old covenant and established a new covenant through His death and resurrection. Thus, none of us in the "Christian" church are under the old covenant with its curses and sworn judgments for we follow the one who established the New Covenant. There are those who wrongly bring the curses and sworn judgments from the old covenant into the new, and this is not correct.
My good friend Vince Staggs writes the following yesterday on his Facebook feed- "I think Jesus' followers are going to have to settle, once and for all, which covenant—Old or New—is now in effect for humanity. We can’t afford to be of two minds about this. Here's my understanding: When Hebrews was written the Old Covenant was obsolete and “ready to disappear” (8:13). Not long after God ended that covenant in spectacular fashion with the destruction of the Temple in 70AD, permanently ending the Jewish priesthood and animal sacrifices.
The Law brings wrath (Rom 4:15). But Jesus fulfilled that Law and became the atoning sacrifice “not only for our sins, but also for the sins of the whole world” (1 Jn 2:2). The Law was about blessings and curses; Jesus redeemed us from the Law’s curse, becoming a curse for us (Gal 3:13). Whereas 3,000 people died the day the Law was given, 3,000 were saved with the Spirit’s coming at Pentecost. Now, instead of cursing the wicked with drought, God sends rain on both the righteous *and* the unrighteous, showing kindness to wicked and ungrateful people. He’s not counting humanity’s sins against us (2 Cor 5:19). (If he is, why do so many mass murderers live to ripe old ages: Stalin, Mao, Pol Pot, etc.?)
I don't think God is judging cities, much less nations. Jesus is the one entrusted with all judgment, and he wasn’t sent to judge—on the contrary, God sent him to *save* the world. The last city destroyed in judgment was Jerusalem in 70AD, destroyed in the final fulfillment of the Old Covenant as God invoked the curses specified in the Law on those who refused the safety of the New Covenant (including Jesus’ warnings to flee the city when they saw Rome surrounding it with armies, which the Christians did). This doesn’t mean there isn’t an appointed day (singular) of judgment at Jesus’ final return, but I believe we live in the favorable year of the Lord."
As we examine our lives it is right to repent, to change the way we think and act, as we are confronted with God's truth as demonstrated and fulfilled by Jesus. There are many times in my life that I have come to recognize that my thoughts or ways of thinking were not in line with His revealed truth, and I have changed. I don't do this because I fear His judgment or curse, but rather because I want to fully embrace and experience the intimacy and blessing of walking in unity with Him. HE is the greatest treasure that has been given to us and my goal is to experience as much of His goodness as is humanly possible.
As people groups and Nations, it is also right for us to change the way we think and act (repent) towards God and His beautiful Son and Holy Spirit. Again we are note called to do this out of fear, but rather as a result of our loving relationship. We are called to let our light shine to all men, that they might see and be drawn to the one who loves them from before the creation of the world. When we mis-characterize who God is, or what He is like through our words or actions, we affect others who do not know Him. I think it is time for many of us to repent of how we represent Jesus to the world. We were told to go and spread the Kingdom of God, to make disciples of all nations, to be witnesses for Him to all the world.
In the Catholic Church, today (Nov. 1st) is the Feast of All Saints, when we celebrate the lives of many who were faithful in being witnesses of Jesus through their life and death. Let us reflect on our lives and also accept this call and let us be true witnesses to Him who has loved us before the creation of the world.
Amen and Amen!
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