This morning I am reflecting on the issue of the fear of man and the spirit of religion, and how they work to corrupt the Gospel. We see this well illustrated in Paul's letter to the churches in Galatia, as there was a groundswell within the church there to begin embracing a work's mentality, and it was spurred by the members of the circumcision group that came from Jerusalem. These were converted Jews who were teaching that Gentiles needed to embrace the works of the Law. They were so influential that even Peter and Barnabas were swayed over to their demands and started to side with them. It appears that Peter was primarily motivated by fear, which I find very interesting considering his past history. Paul confronts this issue head-on in the following verses - Galatians 2:11-16 NIV:
[11] "When Cephas (Peter) came to Antioch, I opposed him to his face, because he stood condemned. [12] For before certain men came from James, he used to eat with the Gentiles. But when they arrived, he began to draw back and separate himself from the Gentiles because he was afraid of those who belonged to the circumcision group. [13] The other Jews joined him in his hypocrisy, so that by their hypocrisy even Barnabas was led astray.
[14] When I saw that they were not acting in line with the truth of the gospel, I said to Cephas in front of them all, “You are a Jew, yet you live like a Gentile and not like a Jew. How is it, then, that you force Gentiles to follow Jewish customs?
[15] “We who are Jews by birth and not sinful Gentiles [16] know that a person is not justified by the works of the law, but by faith in Jesus Christ. So we, too, have put our faith in Christ Jesus that we may be justified by faith in Christ and not by the works of the law, because by the works of the law no one will be justified."
Now it is important to note that the events above happened in Antioch, and Paul is addressing all the churches in the province of Galatia (of which Antioch was arguably one), so the teaching of the circumcision group was obviously more wide spread than just Antioch. Paul's confrontation in Antioch was apparently not sufficient to stop this false gospel, and thus Paul felt the need to write this letter.
As I have noted previously, this false gospel could really be seen as the Gospel-plus. The proponents of this gospel were converted Jews, who were teaching of the need to be circumcised, and likely follow other requirements of the Covenant of the Law. One would believe that they were presenting themselves as more holy or righteous than others because of their alignment with the Law. This is a common danger to the Gospel, those that preach the Gospel plus something special that makes them more holy, or more righteous. We, in our human frailty and pride are easily won over to such gospels, because we want to be part of the best, want to be able to keep score and show ourselves better. The gospel-plus is so attractive in this regards, and it is often packaged as pursuing the highest calling. I can just see the members of the circumcision group alluding to their superiority because of their guaranteed full inclusion in the promises given to the chosen people, because they were marked in their flesh.
This type of teaching (gospel-plus) causes others to question their own beliefs or level of commitment to Christ, especially when it is packaged as the highest calling. There are those that speak of special understandings, of secrets that only true believers, as demonstrated by some sacrificial works or special beliefs, will understand and get to enjoy the fullness reserved for them. We see this presented in several "christian-like" and "christian-esque" religions. This type of teaching can also infiltrate the main church, in less extreme ways, but always in ways that enable the adherents to feel spiritually superior to their peers. This is the goal of the religious spirit, spiritual pride that enables judgmental attitudes and creates a fear of judgment.
It is important to note that no one appears to be above this type of influence and concern, as both James and Peter were apparently affected, two of the Lord's Apostles and closest companions. We are wrong to think we are above this, and that our teaching or beliefs are protections against this type of concern, or worse yet, that it is better than others. We must continually battle to maintain a humble attitude, and always be re-aligning ourselves with the true Gospel. It is so easy to be swayed by teachings that sound good, that encourage us to the higher or highest calling, but are actually careful repackaging of the gospel-plus.
As Paul writes later in his letter, we must not allow ourselves to be mislead and allow someone to set requirements that effectively enslave us to their judgment. Paul closes his arguments with the following statements - Galatians 5:1-6 NIV:
[1] "It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.
[2] Mark my words! I, Paul, tell you that if you let yourselves be circumcised, Christ will be of no value to you at all. [3] Again I declare to every man who lets himself be circumcised that he is obligated to obey the whole law. [4] You who are trying to be justified by the law have been alienated from Christ; you have fallen away from grace. [5] For through the Spirit we eagerly await by faith the righteousness for which we hope. [6] For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision has any value. The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love."
I know for me, I certainly don't have everything figured out, and if I ever say I do, someone please slap me! I embrace the Gospel of Grace and Mercy, knowing that nothing that I have done, except my own recognition of my need of salvation, has brought me to this hope of eternal life and membership in the Body of Christ, as God's own adopted son. It is through Christ alone, through His sacrifice that my sins are washed away, and I am joined to Him. I am not deserving, nor have I ever been deserving of this free gift, yet God, through His love, has given it to me.
I am encouraged to stand firm, to embrace the Gospel of Grace, to love God and to love my fellow man, as Christ loved me. I am encouraged to be constantly vigilant against this gospel-plus mindset and teaching. Lord help me to pursue You not some high-calling.
Amen!
Wednesday, June 28, 2017
Tuesday, June 27, 2017
Overflowing Love, Increasing Knowledge and Discernment
This morning I am reflecting on a couple of verses from Paul's letter to the Philippians 1:9-11 NIV:
[9] "And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, [10] so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, [11] filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ---to the glory and praise of God."
Here is the same set of verses from the NASB - Philippians 1:9-11 NASB:
[9] "And this I pray, that your love may abound still more and more in real knowledge and all discernment, [10] so that you may approve the things that are excellent, in order to be sincere and blameless until the day of Christ; [11] having been filled with the fruit of righteousness which comes through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God."
Usually I like reading the NIV for easier understanding and flow, but in this case the NASB version seems to have a bit more depth and rootedness (I don't really know how to explain it, the NASB just makes more sense to me).
I love the way Paul describes this maturation and development of our love through relationship with Jesus. He fills us with the fruits of righteousness. I was doing a quick scriptural analysis of what the fruits of righteousness are and came up with the following list: Prosperity and provision (Ps 72:3); peace, quietness and confidence in God's faithfulness (IS 32:17); God's presence (Hos 10:12); Joy (Amos 6:12).
Back to the beginning of Paul's statement, Jesus' plan is to cause our love to overflow, to be more than we can use, so that is overflows to those around us! This love is based out of real knowledge, the question that comes to mind is "real knowledge of what?" In any relationship, I believe the answer is real knowledge of the one you love. The more we really know them, their hearts, their minds, the more we understand their motivation, the more we love and are able to embrace them. I know that often my fear is in being known to the deepest depths, but have found that when people have known me to that level, their response is deeper love. So we are being called to deeper, more abiding love and intimacy with Him.
Paul's prayer is that our love also increases through discernment, so that we might approve the things that are excellent. Discernment is one of those understated gifts, but one that is critical. It allows us to understand God's mind, enables us to see the right path, helps us in making the right choice. Often times we have limited perspective on what the Lord is doing, or what we should do, and one of the benefits of discernment is the ability to properly understand God's will for us in the midst of the confusion, or fog. In this case Paul indicates that it helps us to approve the things that are excellent.
I know for me it is almost never a choice between something clearly good and something clearly bad, but rather between multiple good things. In the past, rather than a single job offer, I will receive 2 or 3 at the same time and have to decide which one is in-line with His plan and purpose. I often have had the opportunity to join myself to many different ministries, all good ministries, so the question becomes not which is better, but which is the most excellent for me. Right now we are still undecided about where the Lord is leading us to connect to the Body of Christ. We are surrounded by good churches and know many good places with very good people, the question is which one is right for us. We need the gift of discernment.
Ultimately, all of these aid in our walk of faith and our relationship with Him. This is supposed to prepare us and help us grow in maturity and ultimately bring Glory and Praise to God. That is the life I want to live, growing in faith, growing in discernment, growing in love, over-flowing love to those around me, giving Glory to God, through who all good things come!
Amen!
[9] "And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, [10] so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, [11] filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ---to the glory and praise of God."
Here is the same set of verses from the NASB - Philippians 1:9-11 NASB:
[9] "And this I pray, that your love may abound still more and more in real knowledge and all discernment, [10] so that you may approve the things that are excellent, in order to be sincere and blameless until the day of Christ; [11] having been filled with the fruit of righteousness which comes through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God."
Usually I like reading the NIV for easier understanding and flow, but in this case the NASB version seems to have a bit more depth and rootedness (I don't really know how to explain it, the NASB just makes more sense to me).
I love the way Paul describes this maturation and development of our love through relationship with Jesus. He fills us with the fruits of righteousness. I was doing a quick scriptural analysis of what the fruits of righteousness are and came up with the following list: Prosperity and provision (Ps 72:3); peace, quietness and confidence in God's faithfulness (IS 32:17); God's presence (Hos 10:12); Joy (Amos 6:12).
Back to the beginning of Paul's statement, Jesus' plan is to cause our love to overflow, to be more than we can use, so that is overflows to those around us! This love is based out of real knowledge, the question that comes to mind is "real knowledge of what?" In any relationship, I believe the answer is real knowledge of the one you love. The more we really know them, their hearts, their minds, the more we understand their motivation, the more we love and are able to embrace them. I know that often my fear is in being known to the deepest depths, but have found that when people have known me to that level, their response is deeper love. So we are being called to deeper, more abiding love and intimacy with Him.
Paul's prayer is that our love also increases through discernment, so that we might approve the things that are excellent. Discernment is one of those understated gifts, but one that is critical. It allows us to understand God's mind, enables us to see the right path, helps us in making the right choice. Often times we have limited perspective on what the Lord is doing, or what we should do, and one of the benefits of discernment is the ability to properly understand God's will for us in the midst of the confusion, or fog. In this case Paul indicates that it helps us to approve the things that are excellent.
I know for me it is almost never a choice between something clearly good and something clearly bad, but rather between multiple good things. In the past, rather than a single job offer, I will receive 2 or 3 at the same time and have to decide which one is in-line with His plan and purpose. I often have had the opportunity to join myself to many different ministries, all good ministries, so the question becomes not which is better, but which is the most excellent for me. Right now we are still undecided about where the Lord is leading us to connect to the Body of Christ. We are surrounded by good churches and know many good places with very good people, the question is which one is right for us. We need the gift of discernment.
Ultimately, all of these aid in our walk of faith and our relationship with Him. This is supposed to prepare us and help us grow in maturity and ultimately bring Glory and Praise to God. That is the life I want to live, growing in faith, growing in discernment, growing in love, over-flowing love to those around me, giving Glory to God, through who all good things come!
Amen!
Sunday, June 25, 2017
Adoption As God's Sons and Daughters - Its More Than You Think!
Today I am reflecting on verses from Paul's letter to the church in Galatia. The church there was being influenced by those who were arguing for a full embrace of the Old Covenant Law by all Christians,both Jew and gentile alike. Paul is arguing to remain true to the Gospel of Grace. The following verses are at the core of His thinking, for the Gospel of Grace is based on our identity given to us through God's free choice. 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."
My bible has a note on the word sonship saying that the Greek word used here for "adoption to sonship is a legal term referring to the full legal standing of an adopted male heir in Roman culture." This is a significant point for us all to understand. Here is an excerpt of an article by Sarah Julien that describes exactly what this term that is used by Paul meant - found at: http://www.quodlibet.net/articles/murray-adoption.shtml.
The Process of Adoption
"As is seen in the case of the slave-made-son adoption, this process occurred in a change of social status for the person being adopted. Obviously, for the Romans this movement of status was a serious matter. The purpose of adoption in Roman culture was to secure the benefits of having a son in a family who has either no son or an estranged son.[19] The primary motivation for adopting was to continue the family line and practices. It was not necessarily for the protection or maintenance of the one being adopted; the focus was on the benefits the family as a whole gained through the process.[20]
In his Institutes, Justinian outlines this kind of adoption and calls it adrogation. Adrogation comes from the Latin word for “ask” (rogatur) because “the adopting father was asked whether he wished that the person he was going to adopt should be his lawful son, the person to be adopted was asked whether he should suffer it to be so, and the People was asked whether it pleased to so enact.”[21] Though adrogation confers rights to the adrogatus (one being adopted), it also comes with a list of duties.[22] Adrogation brought the adrogatus out of his previous state and into a new father-son relationship within his adopting paterfamilias (Ferguson 46).
According to Justinian , this process included the following legal consequences:
(i) the adrogatus and children in his power, if any, passed into the power of the adrogator [one adopting]; (ii) the property of the adrogatus of whatever kind, and debts due to him, passed to the adrogator by a kind of universal succession; and (iii) debts due by the adrogatus and the personal servitudes of ususfructus and usus were extinguished as a consequence of the extinction of his old persona resulting from the adrogation.[23]
In other words, all the debts of the adrogatus were cancelled, and in effect he started a new life.[24] The adopted person did, though, lose all rights in his old family, but gained all the rights of a fully legitimate son in his new family. In the most basic sense and in the most literal way, he got a new father.[25] His new father, the adrogator, has the same control, patria potestas, over him as he would over his biological children.[26] In adoption a person had to pass completely from one patria potestas to another.[27] The patria potestas included owning all the adrogatus’ property and acquisitions, controlling personal relationships, and having the rights of discipline. The father was liable for his new child’s actions and each owed “duties of support and maintenance” to the other.[28] It is important to keep in mind that this adoption does not include a change in the nature of the adrogatus, but only a change of status.[29] As can be seen in the process of adrogation, a father could disown his natural son; but this was not an option with his adopted son. Once someone was adopted into a paterfamilias, the bonds could not be broken.[30]"
There is much described in these paragraphs and the language is unusual, but don't miss the significance of what is described here. To quote Sarah Julian as she describes Justinian's description, .. "as a consequence of the extinction of his old persona resulting from the adrogation (adoption)". Literally, the person that existed before the adoption no longer existed after the adoption was completed, but rather a new person, now a son of the one who was adopting was created! This is what Paul is speaking about in this passage. Adoption by God means extinction of our former persona, we are now His son or daughter!
Paul writes about this new creation in 2 Corinthians 5:17 NIV: "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!" We are now God's sons and daughters if we have accepted His adoption. It is interesting that this process as described by Sarah Julien above, required a willingness on both parts to enter into adoption, and that is the same with us! God gives us the opportunity to welcome His adoption, to receive this new identity as His son or daughter. When we do, our old self is destroyed, or becomes extinct. This is really good news, for the old man, the sin, our weaknesses, our debts, our wickedness, everything of the old persona becomes extinct.
I am encouraged today to embrace this understanding, to see myself as God's son! I am no longer who I was, I might look the same, but I am adopted son of the Father. I am a new creation, and new person! Even though that reality happened more than 40 years ago, I can embrace a new awareness of it today! God is so good to us, so desirous of relationship with us that He is willing to call us His sons and daughters and make us His heirs. My choice now needs to be to pursue what that really means!
My prayer for you is that this awareness might open your eyes to your true identity, if you have already received the Lord's salvation, and if not that you might be able to choose salvation and adoption into His family! It is a really big family, but their is room for us all and plenty of inheritance for each of us to experience!
Amen!
Saturday, June 24, 2017
Cleansing the Temple - Relationship NOT Religious Duty
This morning I am reflecting on some verses from Mark's Gospel, as well from the Prophet Jeremiah, as the two were linked by Jesus. Here are the verses from Mark 11:15-17 NIV:
[15] On reaching Jerusalem, Jesus entered the temple courts and began driving out those who were buying and selling there. He overturned the tables of the money changers and the benches of those selling doves, [16] and would not allow anyone to carry merchandise through the temple courts. [17] And as he taught them, he said, “Is it not written: 'My house will be called a house of prayer for all nations' ? But you have made it 'a den of robbers.' ”
These verses always seemed a bit out of character to the witness of Jesus, and this morning I was reading them and caught myself wondering about the real reason for Jesus' actions. In Mark's brief account it almost seems premeditated, and so there must have been something that Jesus, at the command of the Father, was addressing. I think it is relatively straight-forward on one hand, but also has a deeper significance.
Jesus is clearly directing His actions against the business of religion that was being conducted in the temple courts. The courts were supposed to be a place for the gathering of people before God, to be reminded of His sovereignty and their relationship to Him as His people. The outer courts were called the Gentile's Courts and people from any nation could enter there and worship God. It doesn't say where the money-changers were, or those selling things, but even if they were in the courts of the gentiles, they were about the wrong focus. Being in the house of God is not about business or profit, but about relationship with God. The verses from Isaiah 56:7 that Jesus quotes first are related to those who are not Jewish. Here are the verses - Isaiah 56:6-7 NIV:
[6] And foreigners who bind themselves to the Lord to minister to him, to love the name of the Lord, and to be his servants, all who keep the Sabbath without desecrating it and who hold fast to my covenant--- [7] these I will bring to my holy mountain and give them joy in my house of prayer. Their burnt offerings and sacrifices will be accepted on my altar; for my house will be called a house of prayer for all nations. ”
Clearly God had made a place for all nations, even in the Covenant of the Law, and that is significant for all of us who are not Jews. The second set of verses that Jesus quotes are from the Prophet Jeremiah, and they have to do with religion versus relationship (in my opinion). Here are the larger set of verses from which His comment about the den of thieves is taken - Jeremiah 7:2-11 NIV:
[2] “Stand at the gate of the Lord's house and there proclaim this message:
“ 'Hear the word of the Lord, all you people of Judah who come through these gates to worship the Lord. [3] This is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says: Reform your ways and your actions, and I will let you live in this place. [4] Do not trust in deceptive words and say, “This is the temple of the Lord, the temple of the Lord, the temple of the Lord!” [5] If you really change your ways and your actions and deal with each other justly, [6] if you do not oppress the foreigner, the fatherless or the widow and do not shed innocent blood in this place, and if you do not follow other gods to your own harm, [7] then I will let you live in this place, in the land I gave your ancestors for ever and ever. [8] But look, you are trusting in deceptive words that are worthless. [9] “ 'Will you steal and murder, commit adultery and perjury, burn incense to Baal and follow other gods you have not known, [10] and then come and stand before me in this house, which bears my Name, and say, “We are safe”---safe to do all these detestable things? [11] Has this house, which bears my Name, become a den of robbers to you? But I have been watching! declares the Lord."
Clearly the Father had been watching the behavior of the Jews and He was addressing it. This observation is more critical in my mind, for the issue is the heart of worship. God, through Jeremiah, is calling the people out on their empty religious observance. They were basically living how they wanted and thinking that fulfilling the religious duties of their faith was sufficient. They had lost then whole idea that God was after relationship with them, rather than just their actions towards Him. He wanted a people that were set apart, that were different from other nations, that were righteous in all their actions and ways. What they had become was a nation pretty much like every other nation, but with the addition of some special religious observances toward Him. This was not God's desire and that which He constantly was addressing, for they quickly forgot the reason they were called and chosen.
In both of these references it seems to me that Jesus was addressing the deeper issues as identified by the Prophets. He was saying to Jerusalem that there was a better way, a longing on the Father's part for all people to know Him and worship Him, and in so doing to be changed in their heart and mind. God does not just want our attendance and our money, He wants our hearts and our minds in relationship with Him. He wants us to be fully cognizant of our relationship to Him as our Father, we His adopted sons and daughters. He wants us to know Him and to love Him.
Any church that is not focused on relationship with Him is offering similar "religious fulfillment" without His real purpose being fulfilled. I believe that those who profit wildly from their churches, those who teach a false gospel of duty and giving are in dangerous waters. The Lord is watching, and He does see. He expects us to be good shepherds as He was The Good Shepherd. We are called to introduce the sheep to voice of The Good Shepherd, (using the analogy of John 10:11-18) that they might know His voice and follow Him. He desires relationship above all else, for that is His definition of Eternal life - John 17:3 NIV: "Now this is eternal life: that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent." The word know here is the Greek word ginosko and it can mean the level of intimacy between a married man and woman, clearly a deep understanding and knowledge of one another. That is what the Lord desires for us!
So, let us examine ourselves, let us look at our churches and what they teach, let us examine our own beliefs and our own relationship with the Lord. Let us endeavor to worship Him for who He is, not for a sense of fulfilling our duty. Let us be changed by our encounter with the Living God and let us introduce others to Him. His desire is for all nations, let us introduce them to Him.
Amen!
[15] On reaching Jerusalem, Jesus entered the temple courts and began driving out those who were buying and selling there. He overturned the tables of the money changers and the benches of those selling doves, [16] and would not allow anyone to carry merchandise through the temple courts. [17] And as he taught them, he said, “Is it not written: 'My house will be called a house of prayer for all nations' ? But you have made it 'a den of robbers.' ”
These verses always seemed a bit out of character to the witness of Jesus, and this morning I was reading them and caught myself wondering about the real reason for Jesus' actions. In Mark's brief account it almost seems premeditated, and so there must have been something that Jesus, at the command of the Father, was addressing. I think it is relatively straight-forward on one hand, but also has a deeper significance.
Jesus is clearly directing His actions against the business of religion that was being conducted in the temple courts. The courts were supposed to be a place for the gathering of people before God, to be reminded of His sovereignty and their relationship to Him as His people. The outer courts were called the Gentile's Courts and people from any nation could enter there and worship God. It doesn't say where the money-changers were, or those selling things, but even if they were in the courts of the gentiles, they were about the wrong focus. Being in the house of God is not about business or profit, but about relationship with God. The verses from Isaiah 56:7 that Jesus quotes first are related to those who are not Jewish. Here are the verses - Isaiah 56:6-7 NIV:
[6] And foreigners who bind themselves to the Lord to minister to him, to love the name of the Lord, and to be his servants, all who keep the Sabbath without desecrating it and who hold fast to my covenant--- [7] these I will bring to my holy mountain and give them joy in my house of prayer. Their burnt offerings and sacrifices will be accepted on my altar; for my house will be called a house of prayer for all nations. ”
Clearly God had made a place for all nations, even in the Covenant of the Law, and that is significant for all of us who are not Jews. The second set of verses that Jesus quotes are from the Prophet Jeremiah, and they have to do with religion versus relationship (in my opinion). Here are the larger set of verses from which His comment about the den of thieves is taken - Jeremiah 7:2-11 NIV:
[2] “Stand at the gate of the Lord's house and there proclaim this message:
“ 'Hear the word of the Lord, all you people of Judah who come through these gates to worship the Lord. [3] This is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says: Reform your ways and your actions, and I will let you live in this place. [4] Do not trust in deceptive words and say, “This is the temple of the Lord, the temple of the Lord, the temple of the Lord!” [5] If you really change your ways and your actions and deal with each other justly, [6] if you do not oppress the foreigner, the fatherless or the widow and do not shed innocent blood in this place, and if you do not follow other gods to your own harm, [7] then I will let you live in this place, in the land I gave your ancestors for ever and ever. [8] But look, you are trusting in deceptive words that are worthless. [9] “ 'Will you steal and murder, commit adultery and perjury, burn incense to Baal and follow other gods you have not known, [10] and then come and stand before me in this house, which bears my Name, and say, “We are safe”---safe to do all these detestable things? [11] Has this house, which bears my Name, become a den of robbers to you? But I have been watching! declares the Lord."
Clearly the Father had been watching the behavior of the Jews and He was addressing it. This observation is more critical in my mind, for the issue is the heart of worship. God, through Jeremiah, is calling the people out on their empty religious observance. They were basically living how they wanted and thinking that fulfilling the religious duties of their faith was sufficient. They had lost then whole idea that God was after relationship with them, rather than just their actions towards Him. He wanted a people that were set apart, that were different from other nations, that were righteous in all their actions and ways. What they had become was a nation pretty much like every other nation, but with the addition of some special religious observances toward Him. This was not God's desire and that which He constantly was addressing, for they quickly forgot the reason they were called and chosen.
In both of these references it seems to me that Jesus was addressing the deeper issues as identified by the Prophets. He was saying to Jerusalem that there was a better way, a longing on the Father's part for all people to know Him and worship Him, and in so doing to be changed in their heart and mind. God does not just want our attendance and our money, He wants our hearts and our minds in relationship with Him. He wants us to be fully cognizant of our relationship to Him as our Father, we His adopted sons and daughters. He wants us to know Him and to love Him.
Any church that is not focused on relationship with Him is offering similar "religious fulfillment" without His real purpose being fulfilled. I believe that those who profit wildly from their churches, those who teach a false gospel of duty and giving are in dangerous waters. The Lord is watching, and He does see. He expects us to be good shepherds as He was The Good Shepherd. We are called to introduce the sheep to voice of The Good Shepherd, (using the analogy of John 10:11-18) that they might know His voice and follow Him. He desires relationship above all else, for that is His definition of Eternal life - John 17:3 NIV: "Now this is eternal life: that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent." The word know here is the Greek word ginosko and it can mean the level of intimacy between a married man and woman, clearly a deep understanding and knowledge of one another. That is what the Lord desires for us!
So, let us examine ourselves, let us look at our churches and what they teach, let us examine our own beliefs and our own relationship with the Lord. Let us endeavor to worship Him for who He is, not for a sense of fulfilling our duty. Let us be changed by our encounter with the Living God and let us introduce others to Him. His desire is for all nations, let us introduce them to Him.
Amen!
Friday, June 23, 2017
Listening for God's Word
This morning I am reflecting on and interesting passage from the Prophet Jeremiah. In this passage God reveals his plans for Judah and the nations in the area. Here are the verses - Jeremiah 27:1-7 NIV:
[1] "Early in the reign of Zedekiah son of Josiah king of Judah, this word came to Jeremiah from the Lord: [2] This is what the Lord said to me: “Make a yoke out of straps and crossbars and put it on your neck. [3] Then send word to the kings of Edom, Moab, Ammon, Tyre and Sidon through the envoys who have come to Jerusalem to Zedekiah king of Judah. [4] Give them a message for their masters and say, 'This is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says: “Tell this to your masters: [5] With my great power and outstretched arm I made the earth and its people and the animals that are on it, and I give it to anyone I please. [6] Now I will give all your countries into the hands of my servant Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon; I will make even the wild animals subject to him. [7] All nations will serve him and his son and his grandson until the time for his land comes; then many nations and great kings will subjugate him."
I find this so interesting, in that God was giving all the nations listed a word through the prophet Jeremiah. These were not nations that followed God's law and did not subject themselves (at least that is what they thought). Regardless of their thinking they were just as subject to God's word as the nation of Judah. Jeremiah is provided this understanding and speaks of it to each of the envoys of the kings. One gets the distinct feeling that they disregarded this warning through Jeremiah, to their own demise.
The same basic truth is obviously true today. God reigns supreme and whether a nation acknowledges this fact or not means little to Him, for His sovereignty still is over all nations! He raises up some nations, and others not so much. He affects the global geopolitical realm just as He always has, whether we recognize it or not. He is not fazed nor made any less by the nations lack of notice or unbelief. He does reward those who recognize Him and those that are obedient to His ways and Word.
In Jeremiah's word, He speaks of the allotted times of the particular reigns and lands, and they are set by God. In the following passages God rebukes the false lies of the "prophets, your diviners, your interpreters of dreams, your mediums or your sorcerers who tell you, 'You will not serve the king of Babylon.'" There are always those voices that are speaking counter to the will and ways of God and we would be well served to learn to distinguish His true voice from the false.
Paul speaks of a similar danger as we approach our set times in his second letter to Timothy. Here are the verses - 2 Timothy 4:3-4 NIV:
[3] "For the time will come when people will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. [4] They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths."
We must not listen for that which tickles our ears and is what we want to hear, but rather must learn to hear the Word of the Lord, not that we won't like what we hear, but we must desire His Truth above all else. As His Church we must speak this word so that those who would listen will hear and be able to respond correctly. This is a serious responsibility, and as His representatives, it is our duty and call to bring the Word of Life to those that are thirsty and parched.
Lord, we pray for Your Word to come forth and for it to be known to all that would follow You! Help us to learn to discern Your word from the false that tickles our ears. Help us to correctly interpret the times!
Amen!
[1] "Early in the reign of Zedekiah son of Josiah king of Judah, this word came to Jeremiah from the Lord: [2] This is what the Lord said to me: “Make a yoke out of straps and crossbars and put it on your neck. [3] Then send word to the kings of Edom, Moab, Ammon, Tyre and Sidon through the envoys who have come to Jerusalem to Zedekiah king of Judah. [4] Give them a message for their masters and say, 'This is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says: “Tell this to your masters: [5] With my great power and outstretched arm I made the earth and its people and the animals that are on it, and I give it to anyone I please. [6] Now I will give all your countries into the hands of my servant Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon; I will make even the wild animals subject to him. [7] All nations will serve him and his son and his grandson until the time for his land comes; then many nations and great kings will subjugate him."
I find this so interesting, in that God was giving all the nations listed a word through the prophet Jeremiah. These were not nations that followed God's law and did not subject themselves (at least that is what they thought). Regardless of their thinking they were just as subject to God's word as the nation of Judah. Jeremiah is provided this understanding and speaks of it to each of the envoys of the kings. One gets the distinct feeling that they disregarded this warning through Jeremiah, to their own demise.
The same basic truth is obviously true today. God reigns supreme and whether a nation acknowledges this fact or not means little to Him, for His sovereignty still is over all nations! He raises up some nations, and others not so much. He affects the global geopolitical realm just as He always has, whether we recognize it or not. He is not fazed nor made any less by the nations lack of notice or unbelief. He does reward those who recognize Him and those that are obedient to His ways and Word.
In Jeremiah's word, He speaks of the allotted times of the particular reigns and lands, and they are set by God. In the following passages God rebukes the false lies of the "prophets, your diviners, your interpreters of dreams, your mediums or your sorcerers who tell you, 'You will not serve the king of Babylon.'" There are always those voices that are speaking counter to the will and ways of God and we would be well served to learn to distinguish His true voice from the false.
Paul speaks of a similar danger as we approach our set times in his second letter to Timothy. Here are the verses - 2 Timothy 4:3-4 NIV:
[3] "For the time will come when people will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. [4] They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths."
We must not listen for that which tickles our ears and is what we want to hear, but rather must learn to hear the Word of the Lord, not that we won't like what we hear, but we must desire His Truth above all else. As His Church we must speak this word so that those who would listen will hear and be able to respond correctly. This is a serious responsibility, and as His representatives, it is our duty and call to bring the Word of Life to those that are thirsty and parched.
Lord, we pray for Your Word to come forth and for it to be known to all that would follow You! Help us to learn to discern Your word from the false that tickles our ears. Help us to correctly interpret the times!
Amen!
Sunday, June 18, 2017
Healing and Intimacy
This morning I have been reflecting on the story of the man that was born blind, but healed by Jesus on the Sabbath (John 9). This is such an interesting story for it illustrates several realities I believe we see when the Lord moves in healing and miracles today. When confronted with healing and miracles we have several options available to us:
1) We can say the person never was sick or in need of healing.(Denial)
2) We can say that if the person was healed that it is of the devil. (Cessationism)
3) We can acknowledge the person is better but believe that this is the result of some human innate ability. (Humanism)
4) We can acknowledge the healing but assign the source to some other god, or spirit. (New Age)
5) We can acknowledge the healing but find fault in the one who prayed, or their ministry, looking to discount this so we can go back to our normal religious life and practice (spirit of religion)
6) We can accept the healing is from God and worship Him and give Him praise. (Faith)
If we look at the story the true purpose of the healing is shown to us in the following verses - John 9:35-38 NIV:
[35] "Jesus heard that they had thrown him out, and when he found him, he said, “Do you believe in the Son of Man?”
[36] “Who is he, sir?” the man asked. “Tell me so that I may believe in him.”
[37] Jesus said, “You have now seen him; in fact, he is the one speaking with you.”
[38] Then the man said, “Lord, I believe,” and he worshiped him."
I believe that the purpose that the Lord has for healing and miracles is to bring individuals to relationship with Him! He wants people to realize that He is real, that He loves them and that He can be involved in their lives. He is demonstrating His very real love, and His desire is that we understand this. He is not healing just for the sake of healing, as some sort of calling card of effective ministry, but He is inviting those healed into relationship with Him.
The Greek word translated worshipped is the word proskuneo and it literally is meaning to kiss the hand, like a dog licking his master's hand. It is more normally defined as:
1) to kiss the hand to (towards) one, in token of reverence
2) among the Orientals, esp. the Persians, to fall upon the knees and touch the ground with the forehead as an expression of profound reverence
3) in the NT by kneeling or prostration to do homage (to one) or make obeisance, whether in order to express respect or to make supplication
a) used of homage shown to men and beings of superior rank
1. to the Jewish high priests
2. to God
3. to Christ
4. to heavenly beings
I personally like the affection shown by a dog to one's master, as a picture of pure affection, of acknowledgement of one's master or Lord, of the delight in his presence, of the single-minded focus. When our dog Charlie was still with us, I would come home from any trip, no matter how short, and she would come running to greet me at the door. She would put her head between my legs and wrap her front paw around the back of my leg. She seemed so excited to see me and expressed her affection by wanting to be as close as possible.
Earlier in my walk with the Lord, I read somewhere a definition of worship as "running to and embracing" and this is what I think of when I read verse 38 above. The healed man was probably close enough to hug Jesus, to bow down at His feet, to grasp His sandalled feet, to kiss His feet, or His hands and he probably did them all. The Lord desires our affection, because He loves us, not because He is some warped master. His purpose in healing this man wasn't just that his life would be better, but rather that He might have relationship with him. If it was just to make his life better, than Jesus would have never sought him out after healing him.
In summary, I believe that we must always couple healing prayer and ministry with the invitation to deeper relationship, to greater intimacy. The Lord, in His compassion and love, is inviting us to draw deeper, expressing His love through physical touch. He wants us to know of His love for us, and wants us to understand that He is good and able to affect our lives in real ways. He desires an interactive relationship, one that is more than just worship from a distance.
Amen!
1) We can say the person never was sick or in need of healing.(Denial)
2) We can say that if the person was healed that it is of the devil. (Cessationism)
3) We can acknowledge the person is better but believe that this is the result of some human innate ability. (Humanism)
4) We can acknowledge the healing but assign the source to some other god, or spirit. (New Age)
5) We can acknowledge the healing but find fault in the one who prayed, or their ministry, looking to discount this so we can go back to our normal religious life and practice (spirit of religion)
6) We can accept the healing is from God and worship Him and give Him praise. (Faith)
If we look at the story the true purpose of the healing is shown to us in the following verses - John 9:35-38 NIV:
[35] "Jesus heard that they had thrown him out, and when he found him, he said, “Do you believe in the Son of Man?”
[36] “Who is he, sir?” the man asked. “Tell me so that I may believe in him.”
[37] Jesus said, “You have now seen him; in fact, he is the one speaking with you.”
[38] Then the man said, “Lord, I believe,” and he worshiped him."
I believe that the purpose that the Lord has for healing and miracles is to bring individuals to relationship with Him! He wants people to realize that He is real, that He loves them and that He can be involved in their lives. He is demonstrating His very real love, and His desire is that we understand this. He is not healing just for the sake of healing, as some sort of calling card of effective ministry, but He is inviting those healed into relationship with Him.
The Greek word translated worshipped is the word proskuneo and it literally is meaning to kiss the hand, like a dog licking his master's hand. It is more normally defined as:
1) to kiss the hand to (towards) one, in token of reverence
2) among the Orientals, esp. the Persians, to fall upon the knees and touch the ground with the forehead as an expression of profound reverence
3) in the NT by kneeling or prostration to do homage (to one) or make obeisance, whether in order to express respect or to make supplication
a) used of homage shown to men and beings of superior rank
1. to the Jewish high priests
2. to God
3. to Christ
4. to heavenly beings
I personally like the affection shown by a dog to one's master, as a picture of pure affection, of acknowledgement of one's master or Lord, of the delight in his presence, of the single-minded focus. When our dog Charlie was still with us, I would come home from any trip, no matter how short, and she would come running to greet me at the door. She would put her head between my legs and wrap her front paw around the back of my leg. She seemed so excited to see me and expressed her affection by wanting to be as close as possible.
Earlier in my walk with the Lord, I read somewhere a definition of worship as "running to and embracing" and this is what I think of when I read verse 38 above. The healed man was probably close enough to hug Jesus, to bow down at His feet, to grasp His sandalled feet, to kiss His feet, or His hands and he probably did them all. The Lord desires our affection, because He loves us, not because He is some warped master. His purpose in healing this man wasn't just that his life would be better, but rather that He might have relationship with him. If it was just to make his life better, than Jesus would have never sought him out after healing him.
In summary, I believe that we must always couple healing prayer and ministry with the invitation to deeper relationship, to greater intimacy. The Lord, in His compassion and love, is inviting us to draw deeper, expressing His love through physical touch. He wants us to know of His love for us, and wants us to understand that He is good and able to affect our lives in real ways. He desires an interactive relationship, one that is more than just worship from a distance.
Amen!
Friday, June 9, 2017
The Hour Has Come!
This morning I felt called to read from John 17. The following verses are excerpts of the chapter and are the ones that seemed highlighted to me today.
John 17:1-4,14-17,20-24 NIV:
[1] "After Jesus said this, he looked toward heaven and prayed:
“Father, the hour has come. Glorify your Son, that your Son may glorify you. [2] For you granted him authority over all people that he might give eternal life to all those you have given him. [3] Now this is eternal life: that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent. [4] I have brought you glory on earth by finishing the work you gave me to do."
[14] "I have given them your word and the world has hated them, for they are not of the world any more than I am of the world. [15] My prayer is not that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one. [16] They are not of the world, even as I am not of it. [17] Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth."
[20] “My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, [21] that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me. [22] I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one--- [23] I in them and you in me---so that they may be brought to complete unity. Then the world will know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me."
[24] “Father, I want those you have given me to be with me where I am, and to see my glory, the glory you have given me because you loved me before the creation of the world."
My first reaction is, "What an Awesome prayer!" This is being prayed at the end of His ministry, prior to His death and resurrection, and as such I believe it represents the summary of His ministry.
He was here to reveal the Father, to make Him know to us, to bring Glory to His name!
He was here to introduce us to the reality that eternal life is found in relationship with Him and the Father.
He was here to plant the Father's word, the Truth, into the hearts and minds of His disciples, that they might go to all the world that billions might believe in Him.
He was here to call us out of the world, to sanctify us, to separate us from the world, to purify us by His blood. He came that this might be our experience. He came to draw His sheep out of the world, not to make friends with the world.
He was here to birth into us a desire for unity, for clearly that is what burns in the heart of The Father, Jesus and the Holy Spirit!
He came that we might be one, even as He and the Father and Spirit are one. This was to be a sign to the world of the Father's love for Jesus,and love for us.
As I reflect on this all, it is clear that we still have a ways to go before His full ministry goals are met. He did everything the Father told Him to and completed His earthly mission. He entrusted the remaining parts of His mission to His apostles and disciples, to the whole church and that is the mission we have today. We have yet to see the unity that He prayed for, other than in the earliest expression of the church. He is now seated in Glory with the Father, but also living in us, as promised here in John. He is empowering us to fulfill the final parts of His ministry.
His hour came, He finished well. It is now the hour for His church to step in and finish His work.
Lord, help us!
Lord, empower us!
Lord, lead us!
John 17:1-4,14-17,20-24 NIV:
[1] "After Jesus said this, he looked toward heaven and prayed:
“Father, the hour has come. Glorify your Son, that your Son may glorify you. [2] For you granted him authority over all people that he might give eternal life to all those you have given him. [3] Now this is eternal life: that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent. [4] I have brought you glory on earth by finishing the work you gave me to do."
[14] "I have given them your word and the world has hated them, for they are not of the world any more than I am of the world. [15] My prayer is not that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one. [16] They are not of the world, even as I am not of it. [17] Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth."
[20] “My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, [21] that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me. [22] I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one--- [23] I in them and you in me---so that they may be brought to complete unity. Then the world will know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me."
[24] “Father, I want those you have given me to be with me where I am, and to see my glory, the glory you have given me because you loved me before the creation of the world."
My first reaction is, "What an Awesome prayer!" This is being prayed at the end of His ministry, prior to His death and resurrection, and as such I believe it represents the summary of His ministry.
He was here to reveal the Father, to make Him know to us, to bring Glory to His name!
He was here to introduce us to the reality that eternal life is found in relationship with Him and the Father.
He was here to plant the Father's word, the Truth, into the hearts and minds of His disciples, that they might go to all the world that billions might believe in Him.
He was here to call us out of the world, to sanctify us, to separate us from the world, to purify us by His blood. He came that this might be our experience. He came to draw His sheep out of the world, not to make friends with the world.
He was here to birth into us a desire for unity, for clearly that is what burns in the heart of The Father, Jesus and the Holy Spirit!
He came that we might be one, even as He and the Father and Spirit are one. This was to be a sign to the world of the Father's love for Jesus,and love for us.
As I reflect on this all, it is clear that we still have a ways to go before His full ministry goals are met. He did everything the Father told Him to and completed His earthly mission. He entrusted the remaining parts of His mission to His apostles and disciples, to the whole church and that is the mission we have today. We have yet to see the unity that He prayed for, other than in the earliest expression of the church. He is now seated in Glory with the Father, but also living in us, as promised here in John. He is empowering us to fulfill the final parts of His ministry.
His hour came, He finished well. It is now the hour for His church to step in and finish His work.
Lord, help us!
Lord, empower us!
Lord, lead us!
Wednesday, June 7, 2017
Eternal Retirement Planning
This morning I was reading from Luke's Gospel an interesting set of verses, that certainly caused me to think. In them Jesus provides an interesting take on what many would call a good retirement strategy. It is important to note that He is commenting on an individual's request to have Him force his brother to split the inheritance, which was not a normal thing in those days apparently. It would be a younger son, wanting in on the inheritance of the oldest son, a sure sign of greed or desire for worldly things. Anyway, here are the verses - Luke 12:15-21 NIV:
[15] "Then he said to them, “Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; life does not consist in an abundance of possessions.”
[16] And he told them this parable: “The ground of a certain rich man yielded an abundant harvest.
[17] He thought to himself, 'What shall I do? I have no place to store my crops.' [18] “Then he said, 'This is what I'll do. I will tear down my barns and build bigger ones, and there I will store my surplus grain. [19] And I'll say to myself, “You have plenty of grain laid up for many years. Take life easy; eat, drink and be merry.” '
[20] “But God said to him, 'You fool! This very night your life will be demanded from you. Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself?'
[21] “This is how it will be with whoever stores up things for themselves but is not rich toward God.”
As usual Jesus starts in one direction and then appears to change the focus of His words, taking us to deeper issues. He starts by setting the foundational thought, that "life does not consist in an abundance of possessions." Notice that He says "IN" an abundance of possessions. This is a key point, for we tend to think that our life is made better by abundance, that there is some enrichment that occurs when we have more. We can tend to set goals that equate an amount of possessions with happiness, or peace or joy, and this just isn't true. Many a rich man has pursued happiness in the form of abundant possessions and many have failed to find that which truly brings happiness. In fact, one of the richest men of his day and one of the first Billionaires, Howard Hughes, is known for his quote, "Money can't buy happiness!"
Jesus, after laying this foundation, continues on and describes what appears to be a very wise retirement strategy, the storing of a rich man's abundance, so that the man could essentially retire and enjoy and easy life. It is hard to argue with this thinking in our natural minded perspective. Many would call this perfectly sound wisdom, and yet it draws God's comment of foolishness. Apparently from God's perspective, anything that does not take Him or our eternal destiny in account is foolishness. If we believe in Him and eternity, than I would say we would be wise to listen to God's perspective!
So how do we do we plan for retirement, or plan our future? I think that is exactly the question Jesus was wanting to bring to the mind of His listeners, for he follows the bit above with the following encouragement - Luke 12:22-34 NIV:
[22] "Then Jesus said to his disciples: “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat; or about your body, what you will wear. [23] For life is more than food, and the body more than clothes. [24] Consider the ravens: They do not sow or reap, they have no storeroom or barn; yet God feeds them. And how much more valuable you are than birds! [25] Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to your life ? [26] Since you cannot do this very little thing, why do you worry about the rest?
[27] “Consider how the wild flowers grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you, not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. [28] If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today, and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, how much more will he clothe you---you of little faith! [29] And do not set your heart on what you will eat or drink; do not worry about it. [30] For the pagan world runs after all such things, and your Father knows that you need them. [31] But seek his kingdom, and these things will be given to you as well.
[32] “Do not be afraid, little flock, for your Father has been pleased to give you the kingdom. [33] Sell your possessions and give to the poor. Provide purses for yourselves that will not wear out, a treasure in heaven that will never fail, where no thief comes near and no moth destroys. [34] For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also."
In Matthew's version of this, he adds seek "first" His Kingdom, and I think that is the point Jesus is making here. We tend to think of our self first, and then later when we have enough for ourselves stored up, we think of God's Kingdom. Jesus is promising the Father's provision, and encouraging us to trust ourselves to The Father's gracious character. The Father knows what we need and Jesus says that He will provide exactly that. The Father sees our lives from outside of time and knows exactly what we need when, at our best we cannot even see 1 minute into the future without His help. We are wise to entrust ourselves to the One who sees all things and controls all things. We would be wise to concern ourselves with the furthering of His Kingdom, for that is His encouragement here. After His Resurrection Jesus spent the next 40 days (Acts 1:4) continuing to speak about God's Kingdom, so we know this is of first and foremost importance.
I love Jesus statement that the Father, "Your" Father, has been pleased to give you the Kingdom (vs. 32). I am pretty sure we just plow right on past that statement, but I want to take a moment to dig into it. The Greek word translated give is the word didomi, and the definition is relatively long, but it essentially means exactly that, to give. So the Father is pleased (is happy or joyful in doing this) to give us the kingdom. The Greek word translated kingdom is the word basileia, and it is defined as follows:
1) royal power, kingship, dominion, rule
a) not to be confused with an actual kingdom but rather the right or authority to rule over a kingdom
b) of the royal power of Jesus as the triumphant Messiah
c) of the royal power and dignity conferred on Christians in the Messiah's kingdom
So the Father is pleased to give to us the right and authority to rule in His kingdom. This is something that would only be conferred to a King's sons and daughters, and that is exactly what we are.
Thus, essentially Jesus is encouraging us to seek first, to pay attention to that which we have been gifted, His Kingdom. We are Jesus' co-heirs, and He is calling us to step in and take up our responsibility and authority, for they go together, and having one without the other is unhealthy, at best. He is calling us to minister to the poor, to the needy, to those in need, just as He demonstrated. We will miss this opportunity if we are focused on ourselves, on our future, on our retirement. We are called to entrust our lives, our futures to the Good King, to our good Father who loves to give us gifts. He are encouraged to seek first His Kingdom, to pursue its advancement over our own savings and security.
This is clearly not worldly wisdom, but it is God's encouragement and His perspective. He cares for us and He will see to our needs! As we do so, our inheritance will grow, for it is eternal relationship with Him, enjoying His presence and blessings. As we entrust our futures and cares, our hearts become enamored with the King, for it is Him we serve, Him who shares His gifts and gives us the Kingdom authority and power, it all comes from Him! How can we not love Him! He is our eternal retirement!
Oh Lord, help us to embrace Your perspective and wisdom, and learn to serve Your Kingdom with faithfulness and joy. Amen!
[15] "Then he said to them, “Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; life does not consist in an abundance of possessions.”
[16] And he told them this parable: “The ground of a certain rich man yielded an abundant harvest.
[17] He thought to himself, 'What shall I do? I have no place to store my crops.' [18] “Then he said, 'This is what I'll do. I will tear down my barns and build bigger ones, and there I will store my surplus grain. [19] And I'll say to myself, “You have plenty of grain laid up for many years. Take life easy; eat, drink and be merry.” '
[20] “But God said to him, 'You fool! This very night your life will be demanded from you. Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself?'
[21] “This is how it will be with whoever stores up things for themselves but is not rich toward God.”
As usual Jesus starts in one direction and then appears to change the focus of His words, taking us to deeper issues. He starts by setting the foundational thought, that "life does not consist in an abundance of possessions." Notice that He says "IN" an abundance of possessions. This is a key point, for we tend to think that our life is made better by abundance, that there is some enrichment that occurs when we have more. We can tend to set goals that equate an amount of possessions with happiness, or peace or joy, and this just isn't true. Many a rich man has pursued happiness in the form of abundant possessions and many have failed to find that which truly brings happiness. In fact, one of the richest men of his day and one of the first Billionaires, Howard Hughes, is known for his quote, "Money can't buy happiness!"
Jesus, after laying this foundation, continues on and describes what appears to be a very wise retirement strategy, the storing of a rich man's abundance, so that the man could essentially retire and enjoy and easy life. It is hard to argue with this thinking in our natural minded perspective. Many would call this perfectly sound wisdom, and yet it draws God's comment of foolishness. Apparently from God's perspective, anything that does not take Him or our eternal destiny in account is foolishness. If we believe in Him and eternity, than I would say we would be wise to listen to God's perspective!
So how do we do we plan for retirement, or plan our future? I think that is exactly the question Jesus was wanting to bring to the mind of His listeners, for he follows the bit above with the following encouragement - Luke 12:22-34 NIV:
[22] "Then Jesus said to his disciples: “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat; or about your body, what you will wear. [23] For life is more than food, and the body more than clothes. [24] Consider the ravens: They do not sow or reap, they have no storeroom or barn; yet God feeds them. And how much more valuable you are than birds! [25] Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to your life ? [26] Since you cannot do this very little thing, why do you worry about the rest?
[27] “Consider how the wild flowers grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you, not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. [28] If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today, and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, how much more will he clothe you---you of little faith! [29] And do not set your heart on what you will eat or drink; do not worry about it. [30] For the pagan world runs after all such things, and your Father knows that you need them. [31] But seek his kingdom, and these things will be given to you as well.
[32] “Do not be afraid, little flock, for your Father has been pleased to give you the kingdom. [33] Sell your possessions and give to the poor. Provide purses for yourselves that will not wear out, a treasure in heaven that will never fail, where no thief comes near and no moth destroys. [34] For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also."
In Matthew's version of this, he adds seek "first" His Kingdom, and I think that is the point Jesus is making here. We tend to think of our self first, and then later when we have enough for ourselves stored up, we think of God's Kingdom. Jesus is promising the Father's provision, and encouraging us to trust ourselves to The Father's gracious character. The Father knows what we need and Jesus says that He will provide exactly that. The Father sees our lives from outside of time and knows exactly what we need when, at our best we cannot even see 1 minute into the future without His help. We are wise to entrust ourselves to the One who sees all things and controls all things. We would be wise to concern ourselves with the furthering of His Kingdom, for that is His encouragement here. After His Resurrection Jesus spent the next 40 days (Acts 1:4) continuing to speak about God's Kingdom, so we know this is of first and foremost importance.
I love Jesus statement that the Father, "Your" Father, has been pleased to give you the Kingdom (vs. 32). I am pretty sure we just plow right on past that statement, but I want to take a moment to dig into it. The Greek word translated give is the word didomi, and the definition is relatively long, but it essentially means exactly that, to give. So the Father is pleased (is happy or joyful in doing this) to give us the kingdom. The Greek word translated kingdom is the word basileia, and it is defined as follows:
1) royal power, kingship, dominion, rule
a) not to be confused with an actual kingdom but rather the right or authority to rule over a kingdom
b) of the royal power of Jesus as the triumphant Messiah
c) of the royal power and dignity conferred on Christians in the Messiah's kingdom
So the Father is pleased to give to us the right and authority to rule in His kingdom. This is something that would only be conferred to a King's sons and daughters, and that is exactly what we are.
Thus, essentially Jesus is encouraging us to seek first, to pay attention to that which we have been gifted, His Kingdom. We are Jesus' co-heirs, and He is calling us to step in and take up our responsibility and authority, for they go together, and having one without the other is unhealthy, at best. He is calling us to minister to the poor, to the needy, to those in need, just as He demonstrated. We will miss this opportunity if we are focused on ourselves, on our future, on our retirement. We are called to entrust our lives, our futures to the Good King, to our good Father who loves to give us gifts. He are encouraged to seek first His Kingdom, to pursue its advancement over our own savings and security.
This is clearly not worldly wisdom, but it is God's encouragement and His perspective. He cares for us and He will see to our needs! As we do so, our inheritance will grow, for it is eternal relationship with Him, enjoying His presence and blessings. As we entrust our futures and cares, our hearts become enamored with the King, for it is Him we serve, Him who shares His gifts and gives us the Kingdom authority and power, it all comes from Him! How can we not love Him! He is our eternal retirement!
Oh Lord, help us to embrace Your perspective and wisdom, and learn to serve Your Kingdom with faithfulness and joy. Amen!
Tuesday, June 6, 2017
Contentment in Difficult Times
This morning I felt like reflecting on a great set of verses from Philippians 4:11-13 NIV:
[11] "I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. [12] I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. [13] I can do all this through him who gives me strength."
This statement from Paul is really interesting in that it shows the depth of his relationship with the Lord, his understanding of his identity, and his ability to hold onto that truth in the face of difficulty and struggle. This is such an important point, such a good goal for us to set for ourselves. This peacefulness in the face of difficulty is not mind over matter, or the power of positive thinking, but rather the fruit of intimacy. This attitude is something learned, something that has developed and matured.
It is so important for us to understand that when difficult things happen in our lives, when struggles come our way, that this is not divine punishment or retribution for our sins or bad lives. God does not invite us into relationship so that He can punish us every time we do something wrong. He loves us, desires relationship with us, and wants us to understand that His love is so much more than just material blessing and gift giving. He loves us so much that He sent His Son to save us, not condemn us (John 3:16-17).
It is interesting to me how deeply rooted in our worldview is the mindset that difficulty and struggle is a sign of God's displeasure. I think there is something quite ancient about this type of thinking, as this was the reason that many cultures sacrificed to the "gods", thinking that bad weather or failed crops was a sign of the "gods" displeasure, so they made offerings to try and make them happy. This is not the way God is, and Jesus demonstrated that over and over, yet somewhere deep in our minds we still think of God as an angry God waiting to punish us, and think that when bad things happen, that is proof.
Paul has grown beyond this and learned that regardless of the difficulties, persecutions or struggles, that God's relationship with him never faltered. In fact, it was in times of weakness and struggle that he experienced more of God's strength and power. In fact Paul wrote about this in his second letter to the church in Corinth, and it was the result of a struggle he had that he learned this lesson. Here are the verses - 2 Corinthians 12:9-10 NIV:
[9] "But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness. ” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me. [10] That is why, for Christ's sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong."
This past year, in spite of serious back injury and surgery, job loss and being laid-off the Lord has been teaching me about His steadfast love and faithfulness. None of what I experienced was the result of my sin or bad behavior, and even if it was, God's love for me would have been steadfast. He loves me whether I am a sinner or walking in His righteousness. He loves me regardless of my circumstances, and in spite of my circumstances. Struggle and difficulty opens the door for His provision and blessings in ways that we would never recognise if we only experienced wealth and ease. Paul has seen this and experienced it first hand and learned to press into his relationship with the Lord even more during times of difficulty and struggle. He has learned to rejoice in times of blessing and comfort, and rejoice in his relationship in times of struggle!
This week I have been teaching the story of Joseph to some kids at a camp we help with, and it is such a great story to reflect upon. For although Joseph had an incredible promise from the Lord concerning his future calling, it was the time as a slave in Potiphar's house, and his time in the Prison that prepared him to rule over Egypt, as the Pharaoh's right-hand man. What looked like punishment instead became the training ground for greatness. Joseph never lost sight of the promise, and while it was hard to imagine how the promise of God would be fulfilled when he was a slave, or sitting in Prison, he trusted that God's promise was true, and instead of complaining and crying out for release, spent his time pursuing God, experiencing His favor in the midst of his circumstances. At the exact right time, God provided the circumstances to elevate Joseph from the prison to the right hand of Pharoah, and he was able to succeed because he had not lost sight of God, nor his relationship with Him, in spite of his circumstances.
In the same way Paul saw God use him even when in prison or in chains. Paul realized that God was with him, that His love for him never failed or faultered, and that God's purpose for him would be fulfilled regardless of the circumstances. In fact, it was because of his chains that Paul was able to travel to Rome on the government's denari and preach the Gospel to many important people. As Paul said, the secret to being content in all was his relationship with Him (God) who strengthened him.
So today I am encouraged to continue to press forward in relationship with the Lord, turning to Him in times of struggle or difficulty, leaning into my relationship and depending on His strength and power. I can learn to be content in Him, regardless of my circumstances. Lord help us to understand Your faithfulness and steadfast love, Your strength and power, regardless of our situations or circumstances.
Amen and amen!
[11] "I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. [12] I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. [13] I can do all this through him who gives me strength."
This statement from Paul is really interesting in that it shows the depth of his relationship with the Lord, his understanding of his identity, and his ability to hold onto that truth in the face of difficulty and struggle. This is such an important point, such a good goal for us to set for ourselves. This peacefulness in the face of difficulty is not mind over matter, or the power of positive thinking, but rather the fruit of intimacy. This attitude is something learned, something that has developed and matured.
It is so important for us to understand that when difficult things happen in our lives, when struggles come our way, that this is not divine punishment or retribution for our sins or bad lives. God does not invite us into relationship so that He can punish us every time we do something wrong. He loves us, desires relationship with us, and wants us to understand that His love is so much more than just material blessing and gift giving. He loves us so much that He sent His Son to save us, not condemn us (John 3:16-17).
It is interesting to me how deeply rooted in our worldview is the mindset that difficulty and struggle is a sign of God's displeasure. I think there is something quite ancient about this type of thinking, as this was the reason that many cultures sacrificed to the "gods", thinking that bad weather or failed crops was a sign of the "gods" displeasure, so they made offerings to try and make them happy. This is not the way God is, and Jesus demonstrated that over and over, yet somewhere deep in our minds we still think of God as an angry God waiting to punish us, and think that when bad things happen, that is proof.
Paul has grown beyond this and learned that regardless of the difficulties, persecutions or struggles, that God's relationship with him never faltered. In fact, it was in times of weakness and struggle that he experienced more of God's strength and power. In fact Paul wrote about this in his second letter to the church in Corinth, and it was the result of a struggle he had that he learned this lesson. Here are the verses - 2 Corinthians 12:9-10 NIV:
[9] "But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness. ” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me. [10] That is why, for Christ's sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong."
This past year, in spite of serious back injury and surgery, job loss and being laid-off the Lord has been teaching me about His steadfast love and faithfulness. None of what I experienced was the result of my sin or bad behavior, and even if it was, God's love for me would have been steadfast. He loves me whether I am a sinner or walking in His righteousness. He loves me regardless of my circumstances, and in spite of my circumstances. Struggle and difficulty opens the door for His provision and blessings in ways that we would never recognise if we only experienced wealth and ease. Paul has seen this and experienced it first hand and learned to press into his relationship with the Lord even more during times of difficulty and struggle. He has learned to rejoice in times of blessing and comfort, and rejoice in his relationship in times of struggle!
This week I have been teaching the story of Joseph to some kids at a camp we help with, and it is such a great story to reflect upon. For although Joseph had an incredible promise from the Lord concerning his future calling, it was the time as a slave in Potiphar's house, and his time in the Prison that prepared him to rule over Egypt, as the Pharaoh's right-hand man. What looked like punishment instead became the training ground for greatness. Joseph never lost sight of the promise, and while it was hard to imagine how the promise of God would be fulfilled when he was a slave, or sitting in Prison, he trusted that God's promise was true, and instead of complaining and crying out for release, spent his time pursuing God, experiencing His favor in the midst of his circumstances. At the exact right time, God provided the circumstances to elevate Joseph from the prison to the right hand of Pharoah, and he was able to succeed because he had not lost sight of God, nor his relationship with Him, in spite of his circumstances.
In the same way Paul saw God use him even when in prison or in chains. Paul realized that God was with him, that His love for him never failed or faultered, and that God's purpose for him would be fulfilled regardless of the circumstances. In fact, it was because of his chains that Paul was able to travel to Rome on the government's denari and preach the Gospel to many important people. As Paul said, the secret to being content in all was his relationship with Him (God) who strengthened him.
So today I am encouraged to continue to press forward in relationship with the Lord, turning to Him in times of struggle or difficulty, leaning into my relationship and depending on His strength and power. I can learn to be content in Him, regardless of my circumstances. Lord help us to understand Your faithfulness and steadfast love, Your strength and power, regardless of our situations or circumstances.
Amen and amen!
Sunday, June 4, 2017
The Promise of the New Covenant
This morning I am reflecting on the promise of the New Covenant, established by Christ. The author of the Letter to the Hebrews is quoting the Prophet Jeremiah when he writes the following verses - Hebrews 8:10-12 NIV:
[10] "This is the covenant I will establish with the people of Israel after that time, declares the Lord. I will put my laws in their minds and write them on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people. [11] No longer will they teach their neighbor, or say to one another, 'Know the Lord,' because they will all know me, from the least of them to the greatest. [12] For I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more. ”
We are clearly in the time of the New Covenant, for it was established by Jesus' death, resurrection and ascension. The promise of the New Covenant is that minds and hearts will be transformed, and relationship with God will be experienced, and forgiveness will have been established. We live in these days! We see lives transformed through the power of God present to save. We see people entering into relationship with God, knowing Him and being known. We see the blood of Christ liberally poured over our lives, forgiving us of our sins and cleansing us of our iniquity.
As we view our world, it is clear that we are not yet experiencing the fullness of this covenant as prophesied by Jeremiah 2600 years ago and again by the author of the Letter to the Hebrews some 2000 years ago. We see lives transformed, but not all. We see people walking in relationship with God, but not all. That means there is a greater fulfillment of this promise yet to be seen! Today there are an estimated 2.2 Billion Christians on the earth, and that number is rapidly increasing in places like Africa and South America, not to mention China.
The author of this letter was writing specifically to the Hebrews, and thus some of the language he uses is very similar to the old covenant of the Law, and he speaks of Israel. We know at the time this was written that the church fully understood that the promise of salvation and relationship with God had been extended to the gentile nations, and in that we are all included.
When the author writes about the law being written on their hearts and put in their minds, and a knowing of God, I believe he is pointing directly back to the words of Jesus as recorded by John. We see Jesus speak about His commands, the in-dwelling of God and relationship with Him in John 14:15-17,23-26 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."
[23] "Jesus replied, “Anyone who loves me will obey my teaching. My Father will love them, and we will come to them and make our home with them. [24] Anyone who does not love me will not obey my teaching. These words you hear are not my own; they belong to the Father who sent me. [25] “All this I have spoken while still with you. [26] But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you."
Thus, we have Jesus' promise of relationship, of in-dwelling our very bodies, of reminding us of His words, of His love for us. This is the fruit of the New Covenant and what we can experience in our life! While not all have experienced this reality yet, we see the number increasing year by year and day by day.
I am encouraged this morning because I believe God is faithful to fulfill His promises, and that means that we will see greater transformations of lives, greater increase in salvations and most importantly more and more people coming to relationship with God, The Father, The Son and the Holy Spirit. We can lay hold of this promise! We can expect the Lord to further transform our minds and hearts so that we fully know His will.
Amen and amen!
[10] "This is the covenant I will establish with the people of Israel after that time, declares the Lord. I will put my laws in their minds and write them on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people. [11] No longer will they teach their neighbor, or say to one another, 'Know the Lord,' because they will all know me, from the least of them to the greatest. [12] For I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more. ”
We are clearly in the time of the New Covenant, for it was established by Jesus' death, resurrection and ascension. The promise of the New Covenant is that minds and hearts will be transformed, and relationship with God will be experienced, and forgiveness will have been established. We live in these days! We see lives transformed through the power of God present to save. We see people entering into relationship with God, knowing Him and being known. We see the blood of Christ liberally poured over our lives, forgiving us of our sins and cleansing us of our iniquity.
As we view our world, it is clear that we are not yet experiencing the fullness of this covenant as prophesied by Jeremiah 2600 years ago and again by the author of the Letter to the Hebrews some 2000 years ago. We see lives transformed, but not all. We see people walking in relationship with God, but not all. That means there is a greater fulfillment of this promise yet to be seen! Today there are an estimated 2.2 Billion Christians on the earth, and that number is rapidly increasing in places like Africa and South America, not to mention China.
The author of this letter was writing specifically to the Hebrews, and thus some of the language he uses is very similar to the old covenant of the Law, and he speaks of Israel. We know at the time this was written that the church fully understood that the promise of salvation and relationship with God had been extended to the gentile nations, and in that we are all included.
When the author writes about the law being written on their hearts and put in their minds, and a knowing of God, I believe he is pointing directly back to the words of Jesus as recorded by John. We see Jesus speak about His commands, the in-dwelling of God and relationship with Him in John 14:15-17,23-26 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."
[23] "Jesus replied, “Anyone who loves me will obey my teaching. My Father will love them, and we will come to them and make our home with them. [24] Anyone who does not love me will not obey my teaching. These words you hear are not my own; they belong to the Father who sent me. [25] “All this I have spoken while still with you. [26] But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you."
Thus, we have Jesus' promise of relationship, of in-dwelling our very bodies, of reminding us of His words, of His love for us. This is the fruit of the New Covenant and what we can experience in our life! While not all have experienced this reality yet, we see the number increasing year by year and day by day.
I am encouraged this morning because I believe God is faithful to fulfill His promises, and that means that we will see greater transformations of lives, greater increase in salvations and most importantly more and more people coming to relationship with God, The Father, The Son and the Holy Spirit. We can lay hold of this promise! We can expect the Lord to further transform our minds and hearts so that we fully know His will.
Amen and amen!
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