Yesterday morning I was meditating on some verses from Paul's letter - 1 Corinthians 2:9-16 NIV:
[9] "However, as it is written: “What no eye has seen, what no ear has heard, and what no human mind has conceived”---the things God has prepared for those who love him--- [10] these are the things God has revealed to us by his Spirit."
"The Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God. [11] For who knows a person's thoughts except their own spirit within them? In the same way no one knows the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God. [12] What we have received is not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, so that we may understand what God has freely given us. [13] This is what we speak, not in words taught us by human wisdom but in words taught by the Spirit, explaining spiritual realities with Spirit-taught words. [14] The person without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God but considers them foolishness, and cannot understand them because they are discerned only through the Spirit. [15] The person with the Spirit makes judgments about all things, but such a person is not subject to merely human judgments, [16] for, “Who has known the mind of the Lord so as to instruct him?” But we have the mind of Christ."
Starting with the last line first, what an incredible statement "But we have the mind of Christ." Just let that settle in! We have, through the Holy Spirit, access to the mind of Jesus. Not just access but possess, for the Greek word used is Echo and it is defined as 'to have, to own, to possess'. When we experience salvation, we receive the Holy Spirit, as promised by Jesus (John 15:26).
Jesus describes what the Holy Spirit will do in the following passages - John 16:13-15 NIV: "But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all the truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come. [14] He will glorify me because it is from me that he will receive what he will make known to you. [15] All that belongs to the Father is mine. That is why I said the Spirit will receive from me what he will make known to you.”
So, Paul was describing to the Church in Corinth basically what Jesus described here in John. The Holy Spirit makes available to us God's mind, because all that belongs to the Father, including His mind, is Jesus' and the Holy Spirit makes known to us that which Jesus desires, which includes how He thinks, feels, and considers. This doesn't mean we have access to everything in the mind of God, for clearly our finite minds cannot comprehend nor handle the infinite. The Greek word translated mind is the word Nous, and it is defined as follows:
1) the mind, comprising alike the faculties of perceiving and understanding and those of feeling, judging, determining
a) the intellectual faculty, the understanding
b) reason in the narrower sense, as the capacity for spiritual truth, the higher powers of the soul, the faculty of perceiving divine things, of recognising goodness and of hating evil
c) the power of considering and judging soberly, calmly and impartially
2) a particular mode of thinking and judging, i.e thoughts, feelings, purposes, desires
So we have the ability to access Jesus' mind. We don't have to wonder what He is thinking, He will make that available to us through the Holy Spirit. Obviously, I hope, on our part we need to be willing to inquire, to ask and listen. God honors our free-will in all ways, and He will not force Himself on us, regardless of how much easier that would be. He wants us to freely choose Him, choose to listen to Him, choose to ask Him. We have the mind of Christ available to us, but it is up to us to access Him. In the same way that I could have a million dollars in the bank and live each day, pay-check to pay-check, barely scrapping by, we can try to do life on our own as well.
Personally, I find that my life is much easier, and much better if I go to Him and ask His guidance and direction. The Lord is never put out, in a bad mood, or unapproachable, but always welcoming and helpful. I have learned that it is much better to go to Him and ask for guidance and direction early on, rather than waiting until I got myself in a real fix by my own fruitless efforts. When I think back at my wondrous life, I am absolutely convinced that my life is immeasurably better for the direction the Lord provided. I know my own capabilities and history and I would have ended up in some completely different life due to poor choices I would have made along the way.
I certainly don't feel that I have come to understand the mind of Christ, nor learned to fully live by the guidance of the Holy Spirit, but I am doing better. I consider this a life-long quest, one that will only be fulfilled when I see Him face to face. However the knowledge that I can walk in closer unison with Him, that I can understand more of His mind and heart, and that I can grow to represent Him better is enough encouragement to last a lifetime. I am so grateful for the life that He has given me, the encouragement and affirmation, the gifts and blessings, and intimate relationship with Him. I am indeed a rich man.
So this day, the last of 2016, I am encouraged that 2017 will be a blessed year, not because 2016 was so terrible, but because I know that God is good, and He has great plans for me, some of which will be experienced in this coming year. I know that He is present and available and desirous of my relationship. I look forward to a new year, to new seasons and new adventures.
God bless!
Saturday, December 31, 2016
Sunday, December 25, 2016
A Christmas Meditation
Today I am just reflecting on these famous lines from the prophet Isaiah, fore-telling of Jesus nearly 700 years before His birth.
Isaiah 9:2, 6-7 NIV:
[2] "The people walking in darkness have seen a great light;
on those living in the land of deep darkness a light has dawned."
[6] "For to us a child is born,
to us a son is given,
and the government will be on his shoulders.
And he will be called Wonderful Counselor,
Mighty God,
Everlasting Father,
Prince of Peace.
[7] Of the greatness of his government and peace there will be no end.
He will reign on David's throne and over his kingdom,
establishing and upholding it with justice and righteousness from that time on and forever.
The zeal of the Lord Almighty will accomplish this."
When I read these verses, I can't help but hear the music to Handel's Messiah. :-)
Think about what a radical prophecy this was! That God would come as a child, and establish His Kingdom and rule over us on the earth for eternity. This was not your typical warning to Israel prophecy, but rather the a significant fore-telling of the most significant event to ever occur on earth.
Yesterday I was reflecting on John's introduction to his gospel, about how the light came into the world, and we see here in Isaiah the theme of a light coming to earth. I am reminded of something Jesus said and recorded in Matthew's Gospel - Matthew 5:14-16 NIV:
[14] “You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. [15] Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. [16] In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven."
This is exactly what Jesus did, and invites us to do as well. We are called to let our light, the light of Christ within us, shine before others. We are not to remain hidden, or under cover, but to shine forth that all may see and give Glory to our Father in Heaven. Our love for one another is meant to be that light, that indication to all that we carry within us the same light that was in Christ Jesus. As John said in his first letter - 1 John 4:7-12 NIV:
[7] "Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. [8] Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. [9] This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. [10] This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. [11] Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. [12] No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us."
So let us love one another this day, and allow the Love of God to be made complete in us, and in those around us!
Merry Christmas and have a blessed celebration of Christ's birth!
Isaiah 9:2, 6-7 NIV:
[2] "The people walking in darkness have seen a great light;
on those living in the land of deep darkness a light has dawned."
[6] "For to us a child is born,
to us a son is given,
and the government will be on his shoulders.
And he will be called Wonderful Counselor,
Mighty God,
Everlasting Father,
Prince of Peace.
[7] Of the greatness of his government and peace there will be no end.
He will reign on David's throne and over his kingdom,
establishing and upholding it with justice and righteousness from that time on and forever.
The zeal of the Lord Almighty will accomplish this."
When I read these verses, I can't help but hear the music to Handel's Messiah. :-)
Think about what a radical prophecy this was! That God would come as a child, and establish His Kingdom and rule over us on the earth for eternity. This was not your typical warning to Israel prophecy, but rather the a significant fore-telling of the most significant event to ever occur on earth.
Yesterday I was reflecting on John's introduction to his gospel, about how the light came into the world, and we see here in Isaiah the theme of a light coming to earth. I am reminded of something Jesus said and recorded in Matthew's Gospel - Matthew 5:14-16 NIV:
[14] “You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. [15] Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. [16] In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven."
This is exactly what Jesus did, and invites us to do as well. We are called to let our light, the light of Christ within us, shine before others. We are not to remain hidden, or under cover, but to shine forth that all may see and give Glory to our Father in Heaven. Our love for one another is meant to be that light, that indication to all that we carry within us the same light that was in Christ Jesus. As John said in his first letter - 1 John 4:7-12 NIV:
[7] "Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. [8] Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. [9] This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. [10] This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. [11] Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. [12] No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us."
So let us love one another this day, and allow the Love of God to be made complete in us, and in those around us!
Merry Christmas and have a blessed celebration of Christ's birth!
Saturday, December 24, 2016
Let the Light of the World Shine
This morning I thought it would be good to take a moment and reflect on how momentous Christ's birth was for all of creation. I love how the Apostle John starts his gospel - John 1:1-18 NIV:
[1] "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
[2] He was with God in the beginning.
[3] Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made.
[4] In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind.
[5] The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.
[6] There was a man sent from God whose name was John. [7] He came as a witness to testify concerning that light, so that through him all might believe. [8] He himself was not the light; he came only as a witness to the light.
[9] The true light that gives light to everyone was coming into the world. [10] He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him. [11] He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. [12] Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God--- [13] children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband's will, but born of God.
[14] The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.
[15] (John testified concerning him. He cried out, saying, “This is the one I spoke about when I said, 'He who comes after me has surpassed me because he was before me.' ”) [16] Out of his fullness we have all received grace in place of grace already given. [17] For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. [18] No one has ever seen God, but the one and only Son, who is himself God and is in closest relationship with the Father, has made him known."
It is just beyond understanding that Jesus, a full member of the Trinity, through whom everything was created, came to earth as one of us, and even more, become completely human! He came to give us grace and truth, and to make His Father known. Our world was forever changed by and through Him. The Light has come into the world, and we now are bearers of that same light!
Let us shine with the Light who is Christ! Amen!
[1] "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
[2] He was with God in the beginning.
[3] Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made.
[4] In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind.
[5] The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.
[6] There was a man sent from God whose name was John. [7] He came as a witness to testify concerning that light, so that through him all might believe. [8] He himself was not the light; he came only as a witness to the light.
[9] The true light that gives light to everyone was coming into the world. [10] He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him. [11] He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. [12] Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God--- [13] children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband's will, but born of God.
[14] The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.
[15] (John testified concerning him. He cried out, saying, “This is the one I spoke about when I said, 'He who comes after me has surpassed me because he was before me.' ”) [16] Out of his fullness we have all received grace in place of grace already given. [17] For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. [18] No one has ever seen God, but the one and only Son, who is himself God and is in closest relationship with the Father, has made him known."
It is just beyond understanding that Jesus, a full member of the Trinity, through whom everything was created, came to earth as one of us, and even more, become completely human! He came to give us grace and truth, and to make His Father known. Our world was forever changed by and through Him. The Light has come into the world, and we now are bearers of that same light!
Let us shine with the Light who is Christ! Amen!
Friday, December 23, 2016
Give With Good Measure
This morning I felt like reading from Luke's Gospel, and spending some time thinking about the character of Jesus, especially as we prepare to celebrate His birth. I was enjoying the sixth chapter and came upon the following verses, and thought they were worthy of additional reflection - Luke 6:37-38 NIV:
[37] “Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven. [38] Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.”
My first thought after reading these verses is how important our actions are in how we are treated. The verses immediately preceding these have to do with loving our enemies, and in those verses Jesus puts forth some very challenging teaching about we should treat even our worst enemies. He calls us to love them, pray for them, and be merciful just as our Father in Heaven in Merciful. Pretty challenging stuff. He then moves into these verses and basically calls us to take responsibility for our actions, and explains that how we treat others is how we will be treated. Don't judge, don't condemn and definitely do forgive. This seems to fly in the face of the entitlement mentality, where we think everyone owes us some unpaid debt.
Jesus is basically saying we shouldn't hold a grudge, shouldn't take offense and and shouldn't keep track of wrongs done to us, or experienced. As He ended the previous verses, He is calling us to embrace Our Father's heart. We are called to forgive, to be open about the value and past experiences of people, to not rush into criticism, or judgment because we don't know their situation or circumstances, and certainly not to call down condemnation on anyone. Wouldn't this be a great message to be heard in church?
He encourages us to forgive, and to give. If we are willing to give, that appears to open up a generosity on the Father's part that is not equal to our giving, but an abundance. The imagery He uses appears to be grain, and a speaks of the measure we use being the one the Father uses in return. However, it appears that the Father is not satisfied in just using the same measure, He presses it down to add more, He shakes it to make sure He can get as much as possible into the measure, and finally He adds more on top until it is overflowing! Notice that He doesn't say what to give, just to give. This opens up an abundance of scenarios - give life, give encouragement, give love, give mercy, give compassion, give time, give understanding, give forgiveness, give significance, give value, give peace, give your attention, give transparency, give, give, give, give. This is the kind of gift that I think we should most consider during this season!
Jesus certainly lived by these words. He is the one true judge, yet he didn't come to judge. He could of condemned the world, yet He came to save it. He who was betrayed, tortured and killed, forgave it all, and even paid for the very sins committed against Him. He gave of Himself, gave us everything! He who is life, who is truth, who is the way - gave to us Himself, completely.
So in these season of celebration, celebrating the greatest gift ever given, Jesus Himself, let us give to one another gifts that will bring life, and significance to one another! Let us love with abandon, for whatever measure we use, He will use in return! Give with a good measure, a huge measure, and watch the Lord return that with abundance into our laps!
Wednesday, December 21, 2016
On Judging One Another...Don't!
This morning I opened my Bible to the following verses and thought they were worthy of some reflection - James 4:11-12 NIV:
[11] "Brothers and sisters, do not slander one another. Anyone who speaks against a brother or sister or judges them speaks against the law and judges it. When you judge the law, you are not keeping it, but sitting in judgment on it. [12] There is only one Lawgiver and Judge, the one who is able to save and destroy. But you---who are you to judge your neighbor?"
The first question that pops into my mind, is what law? I read a couple of different commentaries and they both say that James is writing about the law that Jesus passed to us, not the Law of the Old Covenant. What law did Jesus give to us? He provided us several insights into the ways of the Father in His sermon on the Mount (Matt: 5-7). Here are a couple of applicable verses:
Matthew 5:44-45 NIV:
[44] "But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, [45] that you may be children of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous."
Matthew 7:1-2 NIV:
[1] “Do not judge, or you too will be judged. [2] For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you."
Additionally, He gave us a new Commandment - John 13:34 NIV: “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another."
Putting these together we can gain a very solid understanding of what is expected of us in our actions towards each other. We should love as Jesus loved, love as the Father loves, and not judge one another. Any judgment towards a fellow man, any harsh language about a brother, is effectively going against the law that Jesus passed to us, and in effect saying either that His law isn't sufficient, or that we know better than Him. Ouch!
Secondly, as I think about what James is saying here, I think that having a critical spirit falls into this category. Slander means to falsely accuse one, but some of the other translations have used "speak against" and I think that includes a wider category of negative speaking. What we say might be true, but unhelpful, or we might calling someone's attention to something they had not seen before in the subject of the criticism. In either case, our speaking would be against the individual we are called to love, as Jesus loved. We are called to lay down our lives for one another. If our words are not helpful, encouraging, and spoken in love to the subject themselves, rather than to someone else, then I think they fall into "speaking against".
Finally, we are called to love as a brother or sister, not direct another's life as a superior. We are called to serve, not be served (Mark 10:42-45). Taking on the role of superior over someone else's life is taking a position that is for the Lord only. We are not substitutes for the Lord, as if He is unable to be Lord in each person's life. In taking on this role, we are effectively judging His work and finding fault in it. Yikes! This is essentially what James is saying here in these verses.
So today, I am encouraged to look at my brothers and sisters in love, to banish my critical and judgmental nature, and to look for ways to love them and encourage them. I know that the Lord loves and treasures every person, regardless of their life choices, life situations, and life experiences, most of which I will never know. If He, who knows everything about each person, loves them beyond comprehension, who do I think I am to think or act differently? Lord, help me!
[11] "Brothers and sisters, do not slander one another. Anyone who speaks against a brother or sister or judges them speaks against the law and judges it. When you judge the law, you are not keeping it, but sitting in judgment on it. [12] There is only one Lawgiver and Judge, the one who is able to save and destroy. But you---who are you to judge your neighbor?"
The first question that pops into my mind, is what law? I read a couple of different commentaries and they both say that James is writing about the law that Jesus passed to us, not the Law of the Old Covenant. What law did Jesus give to us? He provided us several insights into the ways of the Father in His sermon on the Mount (Matt: 5-7). Here are a couple of applicable verses:
Matthew 5:44-45 NIV:
[44] "But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, [45] that you may be children of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous."
Matthew 7:1-2 NIV:
[1] “Do not judge, or you too will be judged. [2] For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you."
Additionally, He gave us a new Commandment - John 13:34 NIV: “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another."
Putting these together we can gain a very solid understanding of what is expected of us in our actions towards each other. We should love as Jesus loved, love as the Father loves, and not judge one another. Any judgment towards a fellow man, any harsh language about a brother, is effectively going against the law that Jesus passed to us, and in effect saying either that His law isn't sufficient, or that we know better than Him. Ouch!
Secondly, as I think about what James is saying here, I think that having a critical spirit falls into this category. Slander means to falsely accuse one, but some of the other translations have used "speak against" and I think that includes a wider category of negative speaking. What we say might be true, but unhelpful, or we might calling someone's attention to something they had not seen before in the subject of the criticism. In either case, our speaking would be against the individual we are called to love, as Jesus loved. We are called to lay down our lives for one another. If our words are not helpful, encouraging, and spoken in love to the subject themselves, rather than to someone else, then I think they fall into "speaking against".
Finally, we are called to love as a brother or sister, not direct another's life as a superior. We are called to serve, not be served (Mark 10:42-45). Taking on the role of superior over someone else's life is taking a position that is for the Lord only. We are not substitutes for the Lord, as if He is unable to be Lord in each person's life. In taking on this role, we are effectively judging His work and finding fault in it. Yikes! This is essentially what James is saying here in these verses.
So today, I am encouraged to look at my brothers and sisters in love, to banish my critical and judgmental nature, and to look for ways to love them and encourage them. I know that the Lord loves and treasures every person, regardless of their life choices, life situations, and life experiences, most of which I will never know. If He, who knows everything about each person, loves them beyond comprehension, who do I think I am to think or act differently? Lord, help me!
Monday, December 19, 2016
Change, Transition and Testing
Today, I am personally in a time of transition, once again. This time it was again an unexpected transition, so as I sat down to pray, I was thinking about my unknown future. I thought it would be good to look up 'unknown' in scripture and see what the Lord had to say, and I came across these familiar verses in Isaiah 48:3-7, 10, 12-13, 16-17 NIV:
[3] "I foretold the former things long ago, my mouth announced them and I made them known; then suddenly I acted, and they came to pass.
[4] For I knew how stubborn you were; your neck muscles were iron, your forehead was bronze.
[5] Therefore I told you these things long ago; before they happened I announced them to you so that you could not say, 'My images brought them about; my wooden image and metal god ordained them.'
[6] You have heard these things; look at them all. Will you not admit them? “From now on I will tell you of new things, of hidden things unknown to you.
[7] They are created now, and not long ago; you have not heard of them before today. So you cannot say, 'Yes, I knew of them.'
[10] See, I have refined you, though not as silver; I have tested you in the furnace of affliction.
[12] “Listen to me, Jacob, Israel, whom I have called: I am he; I am the first and I am the last.
[13] My own hand laid the foundations of the earth, and my right hand spread out the heavens; when I summon them, they all stand up together.
[16] “Come near me and listen to this: “From the first announcement I have not spoken in secret; at the time it happens, I am there.” And now the Sovereign Lord has sent me, endowed with his Spirit."
[17] "This is what the Lord says---your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel: “I am the Lord your God, who teaches you what is best for you, who directs you in the way you should go."
I definitely feel like I am in the stage of God announcing new things to me, of hidden things previously unknown to me. In the past it seemed like the Lord would give me a six month notice to major life changes, but since this summer the time of notification was very close to the change. I was complaining about that to the Lord this summer and His response was that I had learned how to trust Him and follow His guidance when I knew about things in advance, but that He wanted me able to follow Him without knowing the plan in advance, trusting totally in His character, rather than in His revealed plans. So now I am learning to trust Him in midst of change, with no visibility to where I will end up, nor how long it will take to get there.
I like these verses because, although the motivation ascribed to the Lord is different, the process He takes them through is similar to my present experience. My favorite verse is verse sixteen, where the Lord says, "at the time it happens, I am there." What a great promise to hold onto in the midst of transition and change. Even though the plan is not known, He is present! That should be enough for me, and so far it is. I am resting in my knowledge of His goodness and faithfulness. I am confident in His plan for my life, and know that He has led me to this place, and that He is leading forward in the way I should go (verse 17). I am counting on His presence to be evident in my life, bringing His peace that passes understanding (Phil 4:7).
Secondly, verse ten speaks of being tested and refined. I believe that the Lord regularly allows our testing, for it helps us to know how we are doing and what areas we need to grow in our relationship with Him. I think of this as a carpenter building a house, testing His work as he goes making sure it is solid, square and level. He desires that we grown into His image, and our testing allows us to see areas where we still need to grow. For example, if our first response is fear, then we need to know His love in a deeper way, for perfect love casts out fear (1 John 4:18). If we see God as punishing us, then we need to know the Father's heart in a deeper way for He didn't send Jesus to judge but to save (John 3:16-17). Our response to these challenges and tests will tell us much about our relationship and heart knowledge of the Lord, what we really believe versus what we say we believe.
Lord, I pray for all of us who are going through times of transition, and times of testing, that we might rest in You, and grow in our faith and knowledge of You through our experience of Your peace, provision and guidance. Amen!
[3] "I foretold the former things long ago, my mouth announced them and I made them known; then suddenly I acted, and they came to pass.
[4] For I knew how stubborn you were; your neck muscles were iron, your forehead was bronze.
[5] Therefore I told you these things long ago; before they happened I announced them to you so that you could not say, 'My images brought them about; my wooden image and metal god ordained them.'
[6] You have heard these things; look at them all. Will you not admit them? “From now on I will tell you of new things, of hidden things unknown to you.
[7] They are created now, and not long ago; you have not heard of them before today. So you cannot say, 'Yes, I knew of them.'
[10] See, I have refined you, though not as silver; I have tested you in the furnace of affliction.
[12] “Listen to me, Jacob, Israel, whom I have called: I am he; I am the first and I am the last.
[13] My own hand laid the foundations of the earth, and my right hand spread out the heavens; when I summon them, they all stand up together.
[16] “Come near me and listen to this: “From the first announcement I have not spoken in secret; at the time it happens, I am there.” And now the Sovereign Lord has sent me, endowed with his Spirit."
[17] "This is what the Lord says---your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel: “I am the Lord your God, who teaches you what is best for you, who directs you in the way you should go."
I definitely feel like I am in the stage of God announcing new things to me, of hidden things previously unknown to me. In the past it seemed like the Lord would give me a six month notice to major life changes, but since this summer the time of notification was very close to the change. I was complaining about that to the Lord this summer and His response was that I had learned how to trust Him and follow His guidance when I knew about things in advance, but that He wanted me able to follow Him without knowing the plan in advance, trusting totally in His character, rather than in His revealed plans. So now I am learning to trust Him in midst of change, with no visibility to where I will end up, nor how long it will take to get there.
I like these verses because, although the motivation ascribed to the Lord is different, the process He takes them through is similar to my present experience. My favorite verse is verse sixteen, where the Lord says, "at the time it happens, I am there." What a great promise to hold onto in the midst of transition and change. Even though the plan is not known, He is present! That should be enough for me, and so far it is. I am resting in my knowledge of His goodness and faithfulness. I am confident in His plan for my life, and know that He has led me to this place, and that He is leading forward in the way I should go (verse 17). I am counting on His presence to be evident in my life, bringing His peace that passes understanding (Phil 4:7).
Secondly, verse ten speaks of being tested and refined. I believe that the Lord regularly allows our testing, for it helps us to know how we are doing and what areas we need to grow in our relationship with Him. I think of this as a carpenter building a house, testing His work as he goes making sure it is solid, square and level. He desires that we grown into His image, and our testing allows us to see areas where we still need to grow. For example, if our first response is fear, then we need to know His love in a deeper way, for perfect love casts out fear (1 John 4:18). If we see God as punishing us, then we need to know the Father's heart in a deeper way for He didn't send Jesus to judge but to save (John 3:16-17). Our response to these challenges and tests will tell us much about our relationship and heart knowledge of the Lord, what we really believe versus what we say we believe.
Lord, I pray for all of us who are going through times of transition, and times of testing, that we might rest in You, and grow in our faith and knowledge of You through our experience of Your peace, provision and guidance. Amen!
Saturday, December 17, 2016
On Death and Hope
This morning I am reflecting on some verses from Paul's letter to the Church in Thessalonica, in honor of Don, one of my oldest friends, who passed into heaven yesterday. Here are the verses - 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 NIV:
[13] "Brothers and sisters, we do not want you to be uninformed about those who sleep in death, so that you do not grieve like the rest of mankind, who have no hope. [14] For we believe that Jesus died and rose again, and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him. [15] According to the Lord's word, we tell you that we who are still alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep. [16] For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. [17] After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever. [18] Therefore encourage one another with these words."
I love how Paul gets right to the heart of the matter, grieving without hope. We will all grieve the passing of a loved one, but we should know that there is hope in Christ Jesus. He is our hope, the first born from the dead, the one who makes a way for us to enter our eternal life, one that we enter through our relationship with Him!
Paul was writing to a church that believed the Lord's return was imminent, so they were concerned about those who had passed away before His return. In our humanness we struggle to see past our material existence, our physical bodies, and so when death claims us we are uncertain what, if anything, comes next. Paul is affirming their belief that God is sovereign over everything, even death, and that for Him death is no barrier. He who has existed before time, continues to exist outside of time, and for Him all things are possible both in the natural worlds as well as the supernatural world and spiritual world or realm. Christ Jesus provided the proof that there is life after death, life that flows from Him. In this, and in Him we can place our hope.
Paul actually dealt with death in several of his letters, and in his first letter to the Church in Corinth, he talks about how our mortal bodies cannot inherit immortality, and so we must be changed - 1 Corinthians 15:54 NIV: "When the perishable has been clothed with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality, then the saying that is written will come true: “Death has been swallowed up in victory.”
Thus we believe that when our believing loved ones pass into eternity, their experience is one of shedding the perishable to become clothed with their imperishable bodies, and death is defeated. We, who remain here, don't get to see that change, but we know that it has occurred for Jesus demonstrated this reality after His resurrection.
While I will miss my friend Don, I know that He has passed into a heavenly existence and his body is new and his suffering is over. I will grieve, but do so with hope in Christ Jesus, and believe that I will see him again when I pass into eternity. Even better, I will be reunited with my family members, my father, my nephew, my grandparents, all who have passed before me. Most importantly, I will see the Lord face-to-face and experience His love and glory in its fullness. Don is there now, and I am happy for him and blessed to have been a part of His life.
Lord, I pray for all that have recently experience the death of a loved one. I pray that You will bless them with peace, comfort, and hope.
Amen.
[13] "Brothers and sisters, we do not want you to be uninformed about those who sleep in death, so that you do not grieve like the rest of mankind, who have no hope. [14] For we believe that Jesus died and rose again, and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him. [15] According to the Lord's word, we tell you that we who are still alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep. [16] For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. [17] After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever. [18] Therefore encourage one another with these words."
I love how Paul gets right to the heart of the matter, grieving without hope. We will all grieve the passing of a loved one, but we should know that there is hope in Christ Jesus. He is our hope, the first born from the dead, the one who makes a way for us to enter our eternal life, one that we enter through our relationship with Him!
Paul was writing to a church that believed the Lord's return was imminent, so they were concerned about those who had passed away before His return. In our humanness we struggle to see past our material existence, our physical bodies, and so when death claims us we are uncertain what, if anything, comes next. Paul is affirming their belief that God is sovereign over everything, even death, and that for Him death is no barrier. He who has existed before time, continues to exist outside of time, and for Him all things are possible both in the natural worlds as well as the supernatural world and spiritual world or realm. Christ Jesus provided the proof that there is life after death, life that flows from Him. In this, and in Him we can place our hope.
Paul actually dealt with death in several of his letters, and in his first letter to the Church in Corinth, he talks about how our mortal bodies cannot inherit immortality, and so we must be changed - 1 Corinthians 15:54 NIV: "When the perishable has been clothed with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality, then the saying that is written will come true: “Death has been swallowed up in victory.”
Thus we believe that when our believing loved ones pass into eternity, their experience is one of shedding the perishable to become clothed with their imperishable bodies, and death is defeated. We, who remain here, don't get to see that change, but we know that it has occurred for Jesus demonstrated this reality after His resurrection.
While I will miss my friend Don, I know that He has passed into a heavenly existence and his body is new and his suffering is over. I will grieve, but do so with hope in Christ Jesus, and believe that I will see him again when I pass into eternity. Even better, I will be reunited with my family members, my father, my nephew, my grandparents, all who have passed before me. Most importantly, I will see the Lord face-to-face and experience His love and glory in its fullness. Don is there now, and I am happy for him and blessed to have been a part of His life.
Lord, I pray for all that have recently experience the death of a loved one. I pray that You will bless them with peace, comfort, and hope.
Amen.
Friday, December 16, 2016
On Fasting and Reflection
This morning I have been thinking about fasting, based on some verses I read in the book of the prophet Zechariah 7:5, 8-10 NIV:
[5] “Ask all the people of the land and the priests, 'When you fasted and mourned in the fifth and seventh months for the past seventy years, was it really for me that you fasted?"
[8] "And the word of the Lord came again to Zechariah: [9] “This is what the Lord Almighty said: 'Administer true justice; show mercy and compassion to one another. [10] Do not oppress the widow or the fatherless, the foreigner or the poor. Do not plot evil against each other.'"
These verses are very similar to verses in Isaiah where the subject of fasting was addressed. Here are those verses - Isaiah 58:3-7 NIV:
[3] 'Why have we fasted,' they say, 'and you have not seen it? Why have we humbled ourselves, and you have not noticed?'
“Yet on the day of your fasting, you do as you please and exploit all your workers. [4] Your fasting ends in quarreling and strife, and in striking each other with wicked fists. You cannot fast as you do today and expect your voice to be heard on high. [5] Is this the kind of fast I have chosen, only a day for people to humble themselves? Is it only for bowing one's head like a reed and for lying in sackcloth and ashes? Is that what you call a fast, a day acceptable to the Lord?
[6] “Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen: to loose the chains of injustice and untie the cords of the yoke, to set the oppressed free and break every yoke? [7] Is it not to share your food with the hungry and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter---when you see the naked, to clothe them, and not to turn away from your own flesh and blood?"
The question in Zech. 7:5 really grabbed my attention this morning. It is such a simple question, but really gets to the heart of our motivation for religious acts like fasting -and it is right to ask ourselves 'who are we doing it for?'
Fasting is an interesting practice that does not really get mentioned until Leviticus as part of the the Day of Atonement. The idea in Leviticus was that the people were supposed to deny themselves food, and present an offering to the Lord. The Day of atonement was supposed to be celebrated one time per year, and it was the day the people's sins were removed from them. Thus, they were reminded of their sins and extended mercy and grace on the day of their fast.
It seems to me that they never made the connection between their fasting and God's actions, which were meant to be an example for them of how they should treat one another. That is exactly what Isaiah is addressing, the people were fasting but never changing their attitude towards each other or their behavior. The idea was not observe the religious practice, but to actually change one's behavior to become more like the Lord. We would be right to call this repentance, for it should involve changing the way we think, and then changing the way we act. The fast was meant to aid us in this, by causing us to reflect on our lives and see the areas where our actions did not line up with God's law, and provide us the opportunity to change. Fasting is supposed to be an aid in reflecting on our life, seeing God's mercy and compassion, and then imitating Him in our own lives.
The question that God asks through Zechariah cuts to the heart of the people's motivation. Are they fasting for God, or for themselves? Are they using this time to become more like the Lord, or are they trying to check off a box so they can say they did what was required, and then go back to doing things exactly the way they did them before? The Lord is pretty clear in Isaiah that He expects that their reflection to lead them to better represent Him through their actions.
So why do people give up chocolate in Lent? Why do we fast? Are we trying to get God to answer our prayers? Are we trying to get the Lord to notice us, or think nice thoughts about us because we followed the rules? What is our motivation? Are we changed in our behavior following our fast? Are we fasting for God (for His Name's sake), or fasting for ourselves?
As I think about this reflection, I realize that in this season of advent, when we are preparing ourselves for the celebration of Christ's birth, one of our goals should be reflection upon our lives, identifying areas where we are not Christ-like, and deciding to change to become more like Him. Just as Jesus demonstrated when He came to earth, we are called to extend mercy and compassion, to loosen chains of injustice, to set oppressed free, to share our food with the hungry, shelter for the poor wanderer, clothing for the naked, and embrace our times with our families. I believe that would represent a proper embrace of the reason for the season.
Oh Lord, help us to focus our attention on You, rather than on ourselves this Christmas season!
[5] “Ask all the people of the land and the priests, 'When you fasted and mourned in the fifth and seventh months for the past seventy years, was it really for me that you fasted?"
[8] "And the word of the Lord came again to Zechariah: [9] “This is what the Lord Almighty said: 'Administer true justice; show mercy and compassion to one another. [10] Do not oppress the widow or the fatherless, the foreigner or the poor. Do not plot evil against each other.'"
These verses are very similar to verses in Isaiah where the subject of fasting was addressed. Here are those verses - Isaiah 58:3-7 NIV:
[3] 'Why have we fasted,' they say, 'and you have not seen it? Why have we humbled ourselves, and you have not noticed?'
“Yet on the day of your fasting, you do as you please and exploit all your workers. [4] Your fasting ends in quarreling and strife, and in striking each other with wicked fists. You cannot fast as you do today and expect your voice to be heard on high. [5] Is this the kind of fast I have chosen, only a day for people to humble themselves? Is it only for bowing one's head like a reed and for lying in sackcloth and ashes? Is that what you call a fast, a day acceptable to the Lord?
[6] “Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen: to loose the chains of injustice and untie the cords of the yoke, to set the oppressed free and break every yoke? [7] Is it not to share your food with the hungry and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter---when you see the naked, to clothe them, and not to turn away from your own flesh and blood?"
The question in Zech. 7:5 really grabbed my attention this morning. It is such a simple question, but really gets to the heart of our motivation for religious acts like fasting -and it is right to ask ourselves 'who are we doing it for?'
Fasting is an interesting practice that does not really get mentioned until Leviticus as part of the the Day of Atonement. The idea in Leviticus was that the people were supposed to deny themselves food, and present an offering to the Lord. The Day of atonement was supposed to be celebrated one time per year, and it was the day the people's sins were removed from them. Thus, they were reminded of their sins and extended mercy and grace on the day of their fast.
It seems to me that they never made the connection between their fasting and God's actions, which were meant to be an example for them of how they should treat one another. That is exactly what Isaiah is addressing, the people were fasting but never changing their attitude towards each other or their behavior. The idea was not observe the religious practice, but to actually change one's behavior to become more like the Lord. We would be right to call this repentance, for it should involve changing the way we think, and then changing the way we act. The fast was meant to aid us in this, by causing us to reflect on our lives and see the areas where our actions did not line up with God's law, and provide us the opportunity to change. Fasting is supposed to be an aid in reflecting on our life, seeing God's mercy and compassion, and then imitating Him in our own lives.
The question that God asks through Zechariah cuts to the heart of the people's motivation. Are they fasting for God, or for themselves? Are they using this time to become more like the Lord, or are they trying to check off a box so they can say they did what was required, and then go back to doing things exactly the way they did them before? The Lord is pretty clear in Isaiah that He expects that their reflection to lead them to better represent Him through their actions.
So why do people give up chocolate in Lent? Why do we fast? Are we trying to get God to answer our prayers? Are we trying to get the Lord to notice us, or think nice thoughts about us because we followed the rules? What is our motivation? Are we changed in our behavior following our fast? Are we fasting for God (for His Name's sake), or fasting for ourselves?
As I think about this reflection, I realize that in this season of advent, when we are preparing ourselves for the celebration of Christ's birth, one of our goals should be reflection upon our lives, identifying areas where we are not Christ-like, and deciding to change to become more like Him. Just as Jesus demonstrated when He came to earth, we are called to extend mercy and compassion, to loosen chains of injustice, to set oppressed free, to share our food with the hungry, shelter for the poor wanderer, clothing for the naked, and embrace our times with our families. I believe that would represent a proper embrace of the reason for the season.
Oh Lord, help us to focus our attention on You, rather than on ourselves this Christmas season!
Friday, December 9, 2016
Not Just Scraps!
This morning I felt like reading from Mark's gospel, and here are the verses I am reflecting upon - Mark 7:24-30 NIV:
[24] Jesus left that place and went to the vicinity of Tyre. He entered a house and did not want anyone to know it; yet he could not keep his presence secret. [25] In fact, as soon as she heard about him, a woman whose little daughter was possessed by an impure spirit came and fell at his feet. [26] The woman was a Greek, born in Syrian Phoenicia. She begged Jesus to drive the demon out of her daughter.
[27] “First let the children eat all they want,” he told her, “for it is not right to take the children's bread and toss it to the dogs.”
[28] “Lord,” she replied, “even the dogs under the table eat the children's crumbs.”
[29] Then he told her, “For such a reply, you may go; the demon has left your daughter.” [30] She went home and found her child lying on the bed, and the demon gone."
This is always such an interesting story, for the way Mark writes the account, it appears that Jesus is almost reluctant to do anything for her, just because she wasn't Jewish. However, that whole line of conversation is not my focus this morning. What i am thinking about is the fact that if we take the language in this story literally, that with the scraps from the banqueting table that would normally be fed to the dogs, Jesus has plenty to defeat the work of the enemy and cast the demon from the young girl's body.
As I was thinking about these scraps of bread, I was reminded of Jesus teaching on prayer (Matt 6:9-13), about asking for our daily bread from the Father. So often I would be more than happy with just a little scrap of God's presence, and yet according to Jesus, it is the Father's will to provide us the whole of our daily provisions! We just need to ask, just like this women! She isn't concerned that she doesn't have relationship with Jesus, she has heard that he is capable to heal people of demonic possession and so she goes to Him and asks. We, who have relationship with Him, how much more likely or willing is He to provide exactly what we need? He is our Lord, our provider, our source of all life! As Jesus tells us in Luke 11:13 NIV: "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!”
I also like the fact that Jesus never leaves the house and yet casts the demon out from afar (at least that is the way it appears). In other words, we don't need to feel His presence to know that He is capable of dealing with the situation! What an awesome God we have.
So this morning I am encouraged to ask, for the Lord doesn't just want to give me the scraps for the dogs! No, He wants to give me the whole of my provision, all that I want, my daily bread, and even more so the Holy Spirit!
Amen!
[24] Jesus left that place and went to the vicinity of Tyre. He entered a house and did not want anyone to know it; yet he could not keep his presence secret. [25] In fact, as soon as she heard about him, a woman whose little daughter was possessed by an impure spirit came and fell at his feet. [26] The woman was a Greek, born in Syrian Phoenicia. She begged Jesus to drive the demon out of her daughter.
[27] “First let the children eat all they want,” he told her, “for it is not right to take the children's bread and toss it to the dogs.”
[28] “Lord,” she replied, “even the dogs under the table eat the children's crumbs.”
[29] Then he told her, “For such a reply, you may go; the demon has left your daughter.” [30] She went home and found her child lying on the bed, and the demon gone."
This is always such an interesting story, for the way Mark writes the account, it appears that Jesus is almost reluctant to do anything for her, just because she wasn't Jewish. However, that whole line of conversation is not my focus this morning. What i am thinking about is the fact that if we take the language in this story literally, that with the scraps from the banqueting table that would normally be fed to the dogs, Jesus has plenty to defeat the work of the enemy and cast the demon from the young girl's body.
As I was thinking about these scraps of bread, I was reminded of Jesus teaching on prayer (Matt 6:9-13), about asking for our daily bread from the Father. So often I would be more than happy with just a little scrap of God's presence, and yet according to Jesus, it is the Father's will to provide us the whole of our daily provisions! We just need to ask, just like this women! She isn't concerned that she doesn't have relationship with Jesus, she has heard that he is capable to heal people of demonic possession and so she goes to Him and asks. We, who have relationship with Him, how much more likely or willing is He to provide exactly what we need? He is our Lord, our provider, our source of all life! As Jesus tells us in Luke 11:13 NIV: "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!”
I also like the fact that Jesus never leaves the house and yet casts the demon out from afar (at least that is the way it appears). In other words, we don't need to feel His presence to know that He is capable of dealing with the situation! What an awesome God we have.
So this morning I am encouraged to ask, for the Lord doesn't just want to give me the scraps for the dogs! No, He wants to give me the whole of my provision, all that I want, my daily bread, and even more so the Holy Spirit!
Amen!
Tuesday, December 6, 2016
Distortion and Truth
This morning I felt I should read from the Prophet Isaiah. He is my favorite of the Old Testament Prophets, so I am always excited to open up that book. This morning I felt particularly led to verse fourteen - here is the particular part that I have been meditating on - Isaiah 19:14 NIV: "The Lord has poured into them a spirit of dizziness; they make Egypt stagger in all that she does, as a drunkard staggers around in his vomit." This is a bit of a surprising focus, for this chapter also has some very interesting things to say about the middle-east.
The NIV translation of this particular verse seems to me to miss a little of the meaning of the original Hebrew. I like this NASB translation better - "The LORD has mixed within her a spirit of distortion; They have led Egypt astray in all that it does, as a drunken man staggers in his vomit."
The specific phrase that grabbed my attention was "spirit of dizziness" or in the NASB, "spirit of distortion". The reason this grabbed my attention is that it seems to me that we in the USA are being affected by a similar spirit of distortion. I am not sure if you have facebook, or watch the news, but if you do you can easily find commentaries and people's perspectives about certain events that offer wildly different portrayals of the truth! Often the same situation is described by two different people as the exact opposite of each other. I believe both can't be true, but yet both believe their perspective is true.
The original Hebrew word that Isaiah uses here is the word (`av`eh) and it means distorting, perverting, warping. I do believe that part of the USA's problem is a spiritual problem. In the Bible, Jesus describes the devil as follows - John 8:44b NIV: "He was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies." Later, Paul writes something similar in describing the enemy and how he affects people - 2 Thessalonians 2:10 NIV: ..."and all the ways that wickedness deceives those who are perishing. They perish because they refused to love the truth and so be saved." There are numerous other scriptures that offer similar descriptions of the devil and his works, and clearly from a scriptural perspective lies, deception, distortion and perverting truth are the handiwork of the enemy.
The problem with deception, delusion and even distorted perspective is the one who is affected usually doesn't know it. For them, their perspective and beliefs are true. I am reminded of the old old story of several blind men describing an elephant, each only describing what they can touch and feel. Here is a version I found online describing the six blind men as they described the elephant:
"Everyone of them touched the elephant.
"Hey, the elephant is a pillar," said the first man who touched his leg.
"Oh, no! it is like a rope," said the second man who touched the tail.
"Oh, no! it is like a thick branch of a tree," said the third man who touched the trunk of the elephant.
"It is like a big hand fan" said the fourth man who touched the ear of the elephant.
"It is like a huge wall," said the fifth man who touched the belly of the elephant.
"It is like a solid pipe," Said the sixth man who touched the tusk of the elephant.
They began to argue about the elephant and everyone of them insisted that he was right."
Sometimes our perspective is limited by our view, sometimes by our mind-set, and sometimes by our experience. In this story, each was sharing their experience, and for them it was true, but they were clearly lacking the big picture truth. If someone were to purposely only let every blind man only touch the trunk, they would all agree that the elephant was like a thick brach of a tree, and they would all be only partially correct and they would have a distorted perspective. In this case their distorted perspective would be the result of a conscious effort to influence them.
So, in today's information age where everyone has an opinion, and everyone seems to want to share their "truth" or the truth that appeals to them, how do we know what is really true? I believe the answer is that we need to go to the one that can see the whole truth, whose perspective is not tainted by delusion, deception or limited view. In my opinion, we need to go to the source of all truth and ask for clarity and right perspective. Jesus describes Himself as the truth (John 14:6) and He is willing and able to help us if we ask Him. He says the following as well concerning the Holy Spirit - John 16:13 NIV: "But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all the truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come."
So, in these times of confusion, distorted truths, deception and delusion, let us turn to the one who is the Truth, and allow His truth to adjust our perspectives, and lead us to the whole truth! Help us Lord! Clear away the spirit of distortion that is affecting us!
The NIV translation of this particular verse seems to me to miss a little of the meaning of the original Hebrew. I like this NASB translation better - "The LORD has mixed within her a spirit of distortion; They have led Egypt astray in all that it does, as a drunken man staggers in his vomit."
The specific phrase that grabbed my attention was "spirit of dizziness" or in the NASB, "spirit of distortion". The reason this grabbed my attention is that it seems to me that we in the USA are being affected by a similar spirit of distortion. I am not sure if you have facebook, or watch the news, but if you do you can easily find commentaries and people's perspectives about certain events that offer wildly different portrayals of the truth! Often the same situation is described by two different people as the exact opposite of each other. I believe both can't be true, but yet both believe their perspective is true.
The original Hebrew word that Isaiah uses here is the word (`av`eh) and it means distorting, perverting, warping. I do believe that part of the USA's problem is a spiritual problem. In the Bible, Jesus describes the devil as follows - John 8:44b NIV: "He was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies." Later, Paul writes something similar in describing the enemy and how he affects people - 2 Thessalonians 2:10 NIV: ..."and all the ways that wickedness deceives those who are perishing. They perish because they refused to love the truth and so be saved." There are numerous other scriptures that offer similar descriptions of the devil and his works, and clearly from a scriptural perspective lies, deception, distortion and perverting truth are the handiwork of the enemy.
The problem with deception, delusion and even distorted perspective is the one who is affected usually doesn't know it. For them, their perspective and beliefs are true. I am reminded of the old old story of several blind men describing an elephant, each only describing what they can touch and feel. Here is a version I found online describing the six blind men as they described the elephant:
"Everyone of them touched the elephant.
"Hey, the elephant is a pillar," said the first man who touched his leg.
"Oh, no! it is like a rope," said the second man who touched the tail.
"Oh, no! it is like a thick branch of a tree," said the third man who touched the trunk of the elephant.
"It is like a big hand fan" said the fourth man who touched the ear of the elephant.
"It is like a huge wall," said the fifth man who touched the belly of the elephant.
"It is like a solid pipe," Said the sixth man who touched the tusk of the elephant.
They began to argue about the elephant and everyone of them insisted that he was right."
Sometimes our perspective is limited by our view, sometimes by our mind-set, and sometimes by our experience. In this story, each was sharing their experience, and for them it was true, but they were clearly lacking the big picture truth. If someone were to purposely only let every blind man only touch the trunk, they would all agree that the elephant was like a thick brach of a tree, and they would all be only partially correct and they would have a distorted perspective. In this case their distorted perspective would be the result of a conscious effort to influence them.
So, in today's information age where everyone has an opinion, and everyone seems to want to share their "truth" or the truth that appeals to them, how do we know what is really true? I believe the answer is that we need to go to the one that can see the whole truth, whose perspective is not tainted by delusion, deception or limited view. In my opinion, we need to go to the source of all truth and ask for clarity and right perspective. Jesus describes Himself as the truth (John 14:6) and He is willing and able to help us if we ask Him. He says the following as well concerning the Holy Spirit - John 16:13 NIV: "But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all the truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come."
So, in these times of confusion, distorted truths, deception and delusion, let us turn to the one who is the Truth, and allow His truth to adjust our perspectives, and lead us to the whole truth! Help us Lord! Clear away the spirit of distortion that is affecting us!
Monday, December 5, 2016
The Church and Sinners
Yesterday morning I was thinking about the church and its attitude towards sin and sinners. I think it is a fair statement to say that the church is often better known for its judgment of sin and sinners than it is for its loving and welcoming of all. I was thinking about how Jesus was often surrounded by what the authors of the Gospels called sinners. They described how Jesus' actions were called into question by the religious leaders of the time. Here are a couple of verses from Mark that are a good example - Mark 2:13-17 NIV:
[13] "Once again Jesus went out beside the lake. A large crowd came to him, and he began to teach them. [14] As he walked along, he saw Levi son of Alphaeus sitting at the tax collector's booth. “Follow me,” Jesus told him, and Levi got up and followed him."
[15] "While Jesus was having dinner at Levi's house, many tax collectors and sinners were eating with him and his disciples, for there were many who followed him. [16] When the teachers of the law who were Pharisees saw him eating with the sinners and tax collectors, they asked his disciples: “Why does he eat with tax collectors and sinners?”
[17] "On hearing this, Jesus said to them, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.”
I love the heart of Jesus towards those who were considered sinners. Notice that He says He has come to call sinners, not the righteous! What an incredible statement that the church would be wise to take to heart, and consider how to reflect this in our mission. In fact, if you go back to the beginning of this little story, Jesus calls Levi to follow Him directly from his position as one of the chief sinners, as tax collectors were considered traitors since they worked for the Romans and certainly were not practicing Jews. It is widely believed that Levi (Hebrew name) is indeed Matthew (Greek name) the Apostle. In fact in Matthew's Gospel, he actually replaces the name Levi with Matthew in this same story (Matt 9:9-13).
I had read this many times before, but yesterday it just kind of grabbed me. Matthew went from being completely lost, a complete sinner, to one of Jesus' closest companions in a very short period of time. One wonders how many apostles the church has missed because they were at present sinners and just not welcome. Going back to the verses, notice that the invitation wasn't to clean up his (Matthew's) life, but rather it was an invitation to relationship.
When the church leads with judgment of sin and sinners, we are saying the opposite of what Jesus said and demonstrated here. We (the church) are saying to the sinner that they must clean up their life before they can have relationship with us or Jesus. It is no wonder that so many people don't want to go to church where they will be judged and required to change. I just don't see Jesus leading with that message.
Taking this reflection further, since Jesus hadn't already come and offered the sacrifice that bought us all forgiveness for our sins and salvation for our souls, every single person that Jesus called to be His disciple and apostle was a sinner! I think we (the church) can get so caught up with being "holy" or "sanctified" that we forget that we were all called when we were sinners. In fact, the great commission is to go to all nations and make disciples, just like Jesus did, going to sinners bringing the Gospel of Jesus Christ. The Good News is that God came to earth and is still present with us through His Holy Spirit, and that He came to have relationship with us. It is through relationship with Jesus that our lives are changed, but only after we have relationship with Him. Paul says we literally become a new creation when we are saved by faith in Jesus, not before.
For much of the church, it seems like the goal it to build these nice safe havens where we are only surrounded by others like us, others who will help us become holy and sanctified. We are afraid of the influences of the world, that we might be tainted or marred with sin. Jesus said that the gates of hell would not be able to overpower the church (Matt 16:18), not the other way around. The Kingdom of God is advancing, and to advance it must overcome the kingdom of this world. We are called to be a light, to overcome darkness and we can't do that if the only light that gets out to world is from the windows of our churches. What is this light that we are to be known for, this light that overcomes the darkness? It is our love (John 13:35) and it is the Lord present in our midst (John 8:12)! It is not our judgment of sin and sinner.
I am reminded of a few verses from John's first letter - 1 John 2:3-10 NIV:
[3] "We know that we have come to know him if we keep his commands. [4] Whoever says, “I know him,” but does not do what he commands is a liar, and the truth is not in that person. [5] But if anyone obeys his word, love for God is truly made complete in them. This is how we know we are in him: [6] Whoever claims to live in him must live as Jesus did.
[7] Dear friends, I am not writing you a new command but an old one, which you have had since the beginning. This old command is the message you have heard. [8] Yet I am writing you a new command; its truth is seen in him and in you, because the darkness is passing and the true light is already shining.
[9] Anyone who claims to be in the light but hates a brother or sister is still in the darkness. [10] Anyone who loves their brother and sister lives in the light, and there is nothing in them to make them stumble."
Here John equates loving our brother and sister with living in the light. He says that we must live like Jesus did (verse 6) , loving everyone, even the sinners.
Today I am encouraged to reflect on my heart towards sinners, towards those that are lost and clearly not following the Lord. His heart is for these people! He said He came for these very people, so how am I to represent Him to those I meet? Clearly with a demonstration of love, not judgment! Help me Lord to overcome any fear on my behalf.
[13] "Once again Jesus went out beside the lake. A large crowd came to him, and he began to teach them. [14] As he walked along, he saw Levi son of Alphaeus sitting at the tax collector's booth. “Follow me,” Jesus told him, and Levi got up and followed him."
[15] "While Jesus was having dinner at Levi's house, many tax collectors and sinners were eating with him and his disciples, for there were many who followed him. [16] When the teachers of the law who were Pharisees saw him eating with the sinners and tax collectors, they asked his disciples: “Why does he eat with tax collectors and sinners?”
[17] "On hearing this, Jesus said to them, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.”
I love the heart of Jesus towards those who were considered sinners. Notice that He says He has come to call sinners, not the righteous! What an incredible statement that the church would be wise to take to heart, and consider how to reflect this in our mission. In fact, if you go back to the beginning of this little story, Jesus calls Levi to follow Him directly from his position as one of the chief sinners, as tax collectors were considered traitors since they worked for the Romans and certainly were not practicing Jews. It is widely believed that Levi (Hebrew name) is indeed Matthew (Greek name) the Apostle. In fact in Matthew's Gospel, he actually replaces the name Levi with Matthew in this same story (Matt 9:9-13).
I had read this many times before, but yesterday it just kind of grabbed me. Matthew went from being completely lost, a complete sinner, to one of Jesus' closest companions in a very short period of time. One wonders how many apostles the church has missed because they were at present sinners and just not welcome. Going back to the verses, notice that the invitation wasn't to clean up his (Matthew's) life, but rather it was an invitation to relationship.
When the church leads with judgment of sin and sinners, we are saying the opposite of what Jesus said and demonstrated here. We (the church) are saying to the sinner that they must clean up their life before they can have relationship with us or Jesus. It is no wonder that so many people don't want to go to church where they will be judged and required to change. I just don't see Jesus leading with that message.
Taking this reflection further, since Jesus hadn't already come and offered the sacrifice that bought us all forgiveness for our sins and salvation for our souls, every single person that Jesus called to be His disciple and apostle was a sinner! I think we (the church) can get so caught up with being "holy" or "sanctified" that we forget that we were all called when we were sinners. In fact, the great commission is to go to all nations and make disciples, just like Jesus did, going to sinners bringing the Gospel of Jesus Christ. The Good News is that God came to earth and is still present with us through His Holy Spirit, and that He came to have relationship with us. It is through relationship with Jesus that our lives are changed, but only after we have relationship with Him. Paul says we literally become a new creation when we are saved by faith in Jesus, not before.
For much of the church, it seems like the goal it to build these nice safe havens where we are only surrounded by others like us, others who will help us become holy and sanctified. We are afraid of the influences of the world, that we might be tainted or marred with sin. Jesus said that the gates of hell would not be able to overpower the church (Matt 16:18), not the other way around. The Kingdom of God is advancing, and to advance it must overcome the kingdom of this world. We are called to be a light, to overcome darkness and we can't do that if the only light that gets out to world is from the windows of our churches. What is this light that we are to be known for, this light that overcomes the darkness? It is our love (John 13:35) and it is the Lord present in our midst (John 8:12)! It is not our judgment of sin and sinner.
I am reminded of a few verses from John's first letter - 1 John 2:3-10 NIV:
[3] "We know that we have come to know him if we keep his commands. [4] Whoever says, “I know him,” but does not do what he commands is a liar, and the truth is not in that person. [5] But if anyone obeys his word, love for God is truly made complete in them. This is how we know we are in him: [6] Whoever claims to live in him must live as Jesus did.
[7] Dear friends, I am not writing you a new command but an old one, which you have had since the beginning. This old command is the message you have heard. [8] Yet I am writing you a new command; its truth is seen in him and in you, because the darkness is passing and the true light is already shining.
[9] Anyone who claims to be in the light but hates a brother or sister is still in the darkness. [10] Anyone who loves their brother and sister lives in the light, and there is nothing in them to make them stumble."
Here John equates loving our brother and sister with living in the light. He says that we must live like Jesus did (verse 6) , loving everyone, even the sinners.
Today I am encouraged to reflect on my heart towards sinners, towards those that are lost and clearly not following the Lord. His heart is for these people! He said He came for these very people, so how am I to represent Him to those I meet? Clearly with a demonstration of love, not judgment! Help me Lord to overcome any fear on my behalf.
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