Monday, August 31, 2020
"Shock and Awe"
Yesterday during our worship time at church I felt led to read from 1 Samuel, and it had to do with the account of David being at Ziklag. This is during the time that King Saul was hunting for him, and Ziklag is actually in Philistine territory, and David had been given the city to live in with his followers, so that King Saul wouldn't attack him anymore. I am sure there is much that I could reflect on concerning his time in Ziklag, but today my focus is on the event that followed Ziklag's destruction, when David and His men were away, and had just returned. While the story is a bit long, it is worth the read and reflection. The story is found in the following set of verses - 1 Samuel 30:1-20 NIV:
[1] David and his men reached Ziklag on the third day. Now the Amalekites had raided the Negev and Ziklag. They had attacked Ziklag and burned it, [2] and had taken captive the women and everyone else in it, both young and old. They killed none of them, but carried them off as they went on their way.
[3] When David and his men reached Ziklag, they found it destroyed by fire and their wives and sons and daughters taken captive. [4] So David and his men wept aloud until they had no strength left to weep. [5] David's two wives had been captured---Ahinoam of Jezreel and Abigail, the widow of Nabal of Carmel. [6] David was greatly distressed because the men were talking of stoning him; each one was bitter in spirit because of his sons and daughters. But David found strength in the Lord his God.
[7] Then David said to Abiathar the priest, the son of Ahimelek, “Bring me the ephod. ” Abiathar brought it to him, [8] and David inquired of the Lord, “Shall I pursue this raiding party? Will I overtake them?”
“Pursue them,” he answered. “You will certainly overtake them and succeed in the rescue. ”
[9] David and the six hundred men with him came to the Besor Valley, where some stayed behind. [10] Two hundred of them were too exhausted to cross the valley, but David and the other four hundred continued the pursuit.
[11] They found an Egyptian in a field and brought him to David. They gave him water to drink and food to eat--- [12] part of a cake of pressed figs and two cakes of raisins. He ate and was revived, for he had not eaten any food or drunk any water for three days and three nights.
[13] David asked him, “Who do you belong to? Where do you come from?” He said, “I am an Egyptian, the slave of an Amalekite. My master abandoned me when I became ill three days ago. [14] We raided the Negev of the Kerethites, some territory belonging to Judah and the Negev of Caleb. And we burned Ziklag.”
[15] David asked him, “Can you lead me down to this raiding party?” He answered, “Swear to me before God that you will not kill me or hand me over to my master, and I will take you down to them.”
[16] He led David down, and there they were, scattered over the countryside, eating, drinking and reveling because of the great amount of plunder they had taken from the land of the Philistines and from Judah. [17] David fought them from dusk until the evening of the next day, and none of them got away, except four hundred young men who rode off on camels and fled. [18] David recovered everything the Amalekites had taken, including his two wives. [19] Nothing was missing: young or old, boy or girl, plunder or anything else they had taken. David brought everything back. [20] He took all the flocks and herds, and his men drove them ahead of the other livestock, saying, “This is David's plunder.”
My first sense in reading this was that God was about restoring things that the enemy has tried to steal from us, and from Him. That theme alone is enough to get me excited, for there is much that enemy has attacked in our life, through disease, through greedy business practices that have negatively affected us, through delusion, deception, division and lies. I would love to see the Lord strike the enemy and take vengeance upon him and return everything that has been lost or affected, and add to all that great amounts of "plunder".
As I was thinking through this, I had the phrase "Shock and Awe" pop into my mind. I was a bit familiar with this term that is normally used in military engagements, and thought I would look into it a bit more. The basic definition is as follows: "Shock and awe (technically known as rapid dominance) is a tactic based on the use of overwhelming power and spectacular displays of force to paralyze the enemy's perception of the battlefield and destroy their will to fight."
It is defined by four characteristics:
1) near total or absolute knowledge and understanding of self, adversary, and environment;
2) rapidity and timeliness in application;
3) operational brilliance in execution;
4) and(near) total control and signature management of the entire operational environment.
(See https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shock_and_awe)
As I was reading this, and thinking back to the verses from 1 Sam 30, I thought that the two were related. In fact, if we look at the defining characteristics of rapid dominance, those are all characteristics of God's intervention. When He moves, He had total knowledge of the adversary, and the environment. In this story above, He led David to find the Egyptian slave who could lead him directly to the camp of the Amalekites. God provided them the strength and endurance to rapidly deploy their forces, and pursue the enemy before they were able to leave the vicinity. God provided David the plan and the encouragement to pursue the enemy, and led him directly to them, when the enemy was not prepared for battle. Other than the 400 men that escaped, David and his forces had complete control of the battlefield and exacted complete victory! Amen!
Secondly, I believe this is also about, not only reclaiming that which has been stolen, but also about multiplication, so that what is restored is much more than what has been taken! When they returned to Ziklag, they had so much plunder, they shared it with, at minimum, 14 other groups of people. That is absolutely an abundance and multiplication.
Additionally, I believe this is in the process right now. That the Lord is about moving and preparing to unleash a "Shock and Awe" campaign upon our enemy! The enemy who has tried to defeat us, injure us, wound us, divide us, cause us to distrust one another, steal from us, confuse us, delude us, and any other other demonic or spiritual attack upon our own lives, the lives of our brothers and sisters, and even over the Body of Christ worldwide. I feel like the Lord is going to give us victory in many of the battlefields, and that it will be quick and decisive. I believe that it is not just about victory, but also about a recovery of much more than has been stolen in the first place!
Finally, Ziklag was essentially a small victory for David and His 600 men, but it immediately preceded the final transfer of the Kingdom of Israel from Saul to David, and as such was a precursor victory. God was once again proving to David that although the whole situation from his anointing to be King when he was a child, up until now, He had been with him (David), even during the rough stretches, and that He was with David still, working powerfully on his behalf. In the same way, I feel like the "Shock and Awe" campaign that will be unleashed by the Lord, will just be a precursor to even greater things, to greater Glory!
So today, I am encouraged to remind the Lord of all the ways the enemy has stolen from me, has attacked me, and is at work in and around us. I am encouraged to lift these to Him in prayer, and to seek His wisdom for those things I need to do. I am encouraged that God is still on my side, even though it hasn't always worked out the way I thought it would! I am encouraged that there are greater things to come, and that we will see the Lord Glorified as He releases His "Shock and Awe" Campaign on the enemy!
Amen and Amen!
Tuesday, August 25, 2020
Demolishing the High Places
This morning, and for the last few mornings, I have been reading through Paul's letter to the Colossians, which is one of my favorite letters of Paul's. This morning I was impressed with the strong language Paul used in describing our need to put to death certain things of our old nature. Here are the verses - Colossians 3:1-14 NIV:
[1] "Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. [2] Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. [3] For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. [4] When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory."
[5] "Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry. [6] Because of these, the wrath of God is coming. [7] You used to walk in these ways, in the life you once lived. [8] But now you must also rid yourselves of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language from your lips. [9] Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices [10] and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator. [11] Here there is no Gentile or Jew, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave or free, but Christ is all, and is in all."
[12] "Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. [13] Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. [14] And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity."
Paul begins by reminding us that in our salvation experience, we become a new being, as from God's perspective, our old self dies with Christ and we are now hidden in Christ, alive in Him. This is language that can only be slightly understood by us this side of eternity, but is the foundation for the next paragraph.
Moving to the next paragraph, Paul starts with the very stark statement, "Put to death whatever belongs to your earthly nature". My thought this morning on reading that was "how difficult of a time we have putting to death things from our old nature". It seems that while we may not be actively participating in the list Paul gives us in verse 5 and verse 8, these things are never far away, as culturally they are sometimes celebrated, and certainly allowed. We might not visit them, but we do not put them to death. Paul's language can't be any clearer, the word he used is the Greek word Nekroo, which means to put to death, first and foremost. It can also mean to destroy the power of something, but I like the first definition better. The NASB translates this sentence, "Therefore consider the members of your earthly body as dead" and while they mean essentially the same thing, I again prefer the NIV translation.
I like the fact that this sentence demands action, and demands a finality! A couple of evenings ago we had good friends over and we were talking about the way the Israelites used to allow the high-places and Asherah poles to remain, rather then destroy them completely, as they had been commanded. There are 40 different references to Asherah poles in the Old Testament, and that fact shows how much of an ongoing issue it was. Occasionally a King would come along, who followed the decrees of God, like Josiah (See 2 Chron 34) who would destroy the high places and Asherah poles. At one point it described how he ground the idols into powder ( 2 Chron 34:7). Many of the rest of the references were of the kings allowing the high places to remain, and their failure to follow God's direction.
The question in my mind, was why did they allow them to remain? I think it primarily has to do with unbelief. They didn't fully trust God's plan and word for them, and wanted to keep their options open. They had people living around them who seemed to prosper, who worshipped such things, and sometimes the commands of God were hard or required sacrifice. Other times they might not have wanted to seem that different, as when the requested a King the first time (See 1 Sam 8:5). Whatever the "reason" it all seems to come back to unbelief, to not believing God's Word, His plan or His character.
When I read Paul's encouragement, and thought about my typical response to those things in my life, I realized that I don't take the radical steps to "put things to death" rather I lock them away in a closet, and try not to visit that closet in thought and certainly in deed. Paul is talking about Idolatry, and his encouragement to "put to death" is in line with what the Israelites were encouraged by God to do to the high places, and what Josiah did. However, we live in a world that is full of the list Paul warns against and thus it is hard to "put these things to death", for they are all around us.
So how do we "put something to death" that is so prevalent? Paul says we must rid ourselves of these things, and that is the start. I must choose daily what things I will allow in my life, and what things I think about, entertain or view. We must be willing to recognize these things, and root them out. Jesus, in his sermon on the Mount, said we had to go beyond our actions to what is in our heart and thoughts (See Matt 5: 21-32). We must take thoughts and even attitudes captive to the throne and refuse to allow them to affect us. We must choose to guard our eyes and ears, to turn away from those things that are full of such temptations. We must learn to confess our sins, one to another, as encouraged by James (James 5:16), refusing these things a foothold in our lives.
We must learn to wage a spiritual war in our own lives, and in our own thoughts. Paul's list, includes several things that are accepted as "normal" these days, like slander, anger and greed. If I pick up any news headlines, they will almost always include one of those three topics. Slander seems to be the political tool of the day, and in an election year, we almost never hear about the positive plans or ideas, but rather are filled with slanderous tidbits. What we choose to read, to express, or to join ourselves to in our day, has a impact in our lives, and this is what Paul is addressing.
One of the things my Dad taught me when I was learning to drive was to look where I want to go, rather than looking at that which I didn't want to hit. The same can be said here, and that is another part of the "putting to death" these things. If we are always focused on God, on His Word, on His face, we can effectively shut out and shutdown anything that is not of Him. Jesus described the need to fill a house that has been emptied of a demon (Matt 12:42-45), and that is a good way to think about our lives, our thoughts and our actions. If we are busy about the things of God, if we are reading his word, if we are praying, if we are serving, if we constantly are setting our mind on things above, then we will fill our life with Him, and there will be little room for things that belong to our earthly nature.
Finally, we must wage war against those things that are actually causing these things to proliferate, as Paul writes. 2 Corinthians 10:3-4 NIV: "For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. [4] The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds." He adds in his letter to the Ephesians 6:12 NIV: "For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms." Let us come together as the Body of Christ, and let us fight with our weapons, that have true power to destroy strongholds, our prayer and worship.
Let us commit together to identifying the lies and delusions, the subtle infiltration of the earthly nature into our ways, and let us battle these and destroy them, demolishing the strongholds and high places that have been erected even within the church. Let us pray for a wave of repentance to flow through the church, poured out on us by the Holy Spirit! Let us embrace humility, and cast off the spirit of pride, the spirit of religion, the spirit of independence, the spirit of unbelief, and the spirit of division, the spirit of judgement, and the spirit of immorality.
Oh Lord, wash us clean, and help us to put to death, in our lives, and in our corporate lives as Your Body here on earth, all those things that are of our earthly nature, all those high places that are not of You! Help us to repent and to change our hearts, our minds and our actions! Let us press forward into purity and holiness, for You desire a spotless Bride (Rev. 19: 7-8).
Amen and Amen!
[1] "Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. [2] Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. [3] For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. [4] When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory."
[5] "Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry. [6] Because of these, the wrath of God is coming. [7] You used to walk in these ways, in the life you once lived. [8] But now you must also rid yourselves of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language from your lips. [9] Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices [10] and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator. [11] Here there is no Gentile or Jew, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave or free, but Christ is all, and is in all."
[12] "Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. [13] Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. [14] And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity."
Paul begins by reminding us that in our salvation experience, we become a new being, as from God's perspective, our old self dies with Christ and we are now hidden in Christ, alive in Him. This is language that can only be slightly understood by us this side of eternity, but is the foundation for the next paragraph.
Moving to the next paragraph, Paul starts with the very stark statement, "Put to death whatever belongs to your earthly nature". My thought this morning on reading that was "how difficult of a time we have putting to death things from our old nature". It seems that while we may not be actively participating in the list Paul gives us in verse 5 and verse 8, these things are never far away, as culturally they are sometimes celebrated, and certainly allowed. We might not visit them, but we do not put them to death. Paul's language can't be any clearer, the word he used is the Greek word Nekroo, which means to put to death, first and foremost. It can also mean to destroy the power of something, but I like the first definition better. The NASB translates this sentence, "Therefore consider the members of your earthly body as dead" and while they mean essentially the same thing, I again prefer the NIV translation.
I like the fact that this sentence demands action, and demands a finality! A couple of evenings ago we had good friends over and we were talking about the way the Israelites used to allow the high-places and Asherah poles to remain, rather then destroy them completely, as they had been commanded. There are 40 different references to Asherah poles in the Old Testament, and that fact shows how much of an ongoing issue it was. Occasionally a King would come along, who followed the decrees of God, like Josiah (See 2 Chron 34) who would destroy the high places and Asherah poles. At one point it described how he ground the idols into powder ( 2 Chron 34:7). Many of the rest of the references were of the kings allowing the high places to remain, and their failure to follow God's direction.
The question in my mind, was why did they allow them to remain? I think it primarily has to do with unbelief. They didn't fully trust God's plan and word for them, and wanted to keep their options open. They had people living around them who seemed to prosper, who worshipped such things, and sometimes the commands of God were hard or required sacrifice. Other times they might not have wanted to seem that different, as when the requested a King the first time (See 1 Sam 8:5). Whatever the "reason" it all seems to come back to unbelief, to not believing God's Word, His plan or His character.
When I read Paul's encouragement, and thought about my typical response to those things in my life, I realized that I don't take the radical steps to "put things to death" rather I lock them away in a closet, and try not to visit that closet in thought and certainly in deed. Paul is talking about Idolatry, and his encouragement to "put to death" is in line with what the Israelites were encouraged by God to do to the high places, and what Josiah did. However, we live in a world that is full of the list Paul warns against and thus it is hard to "put these things to death", for they are all around us.
So how do we "put something to death" that is so prevalent? Paul says we must rid ourselves of these things, and that is the start. I must choose daily what things I will allow in my life, and what things I think about, entertain or view. We must be willing to recognize these things, and root them out. Jesus, in his sermon on the Mount, said we had to go beyond our actions to what is in our heart and thoughts (See Matt 5: 21-32). We must take thoughts and even attitudes captive to the throne and refuse to allow them to affect us. We must choose to guard our eyes and ears, to turn away from those things that are full of such temptations. We must learn to confess our sins, one to another, as encouraged by James (James 5:16), refusing these things a foothold in our lives.
We must learn to wage a spiritual war in our own lives, and in our own thoughts. Paul's list, includes several things that are accepted as "normal" these days, like slander, anger and greed. If I pick up any news headlines, they will almost always include one of those three topics. Slander seems to be the political tool of the day, and in an election year, we almost never hear about the positive plans or ideas, but rather are filled with slanderous tidbits. What we choose to read, to express, or to join ourselves to in our day, has a impact in our lives, and this is what Paul is addressing.
One of the things my Dad taught me when I was learning to drive was to look where I want to go, rather than looking at that which I didn't want to hit. The same can be said here, and that is another part of the "putting to death" these things. If we are always focused on God, on His Word, on His face, we can effectively shut out and shutdown anything that is not of Him. Jesus described the need to fill a house that has been emptied of a demon (Matt 12:42-45), and that is a good way to think about our lives, our thoughts and our actions. If we are busy about the things of God, if we are reading his word, if we are praying, if we are serving, if we constantly are setting our mind on things above, then we will fill our life with Him, and there will be little room for things that belong to our earthly nature.
Finally, we must wage war against those things that are actually causing these things to proliferate, as Paul writes. 2 Corinthians 10:3-4 NIV: "For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. [4] The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds." He adds in his letter to the Ephesians 6:12 NIV: "For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms." Let us come together as the Body of Christ, and let us fight with our weapons, that have true power to destroy strongholds, our prayer and worship.
Let us commit together to identifying the lies and delusions, the subtle infiltration of the earthly nature into our ways, and let us battle these and destroy them, demolishing the strongholds and high places that have been erected even within the church. Let us pray for a wave of repentance to flow through the church, poured out on us by the Holy Spirit! Let us embrace humility, and cast off the spirit of pride, the spirit of religion, the spirit of independence, the spirit of unbelief, and the spirit of division, the spirit of judgement, and the spirit of immorality.
Oh Lord, wash us clean, and help us to put to death, in our lives, and in our corporate lives as Your Body here on earth, all those things that are of our earthly nature, all those high places that are not of You! Help us to repent and to change our hearts, our minds and our actions! Let us press forward into purity and holiness, for You desire a spotless Bride (Rev. 19: 7-8).
Amen and Amen!
Wednesday, August 19, 2020
No Fear, Heirs of God
This morning I have been reading through Paul 's lovely letter to the Roman's. I call it lovely because I think its His real masterpiece of laying out our faith and calling us into the deeper realities. The verses I am reflecting on this morning are from Romans 8:14-17 NIV:
[14] "For those who are led by the Spirit of God are the children of God. [15] The Spirit you received does not make you slaves, so that you live in fear again; rather, the Spirit you received brought about your adoption to sonship (or daughtership). And by him we cry, “Abba, Father.” [16] The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God's children. [17] Now if we are children, then we are heirs---heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory."
The verse that initially grabbed my attention as I was reading through these was the first part of verse 15, " The Spirit you received does not make you slaves, so that you live in fear again." What a great line! Oh that many of our churches would grasp this reality, for so many use fear as a rod to keep their members in line with their teaching or rules of life. I have friends who grew up fearing they could lose their salvation at any time. Others that fear missing church on a given Sunday or eating something they aren't supposed to eat, or any number of law-ish requirements.
The key to this all is what Paul continues on with, our salvation is not about some set of acts that we do, but about our adoption into the family of God, as His sons and daughters, it is about relationship. The specific term he uses is a Roman legal term, an adoption that is irrevocable by either party. Once the adoption is complete the former identity of the child who is adopted is expunged completely, and it is as if they never existed. In other words, it is impossible to go back, because that identity is gone forever. This is the example Paul uses here, and I think it would be so helpful for us to get this deep into our hearts and minds.
Secondly, Paul writes something that absolutely is beyond comprehension, that we become heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ. Again this goes back to the legal term he uses for adoption, for the term also includes with it a specific provision of being an heir. I wrote extensively on the subject a few years ago and that can be found at the following link: https://amomentwithgod-srh.blogspot.com/2017/06/adoption-as-gods-sons-and-daughters-its.html
I just can't wrap my mind around the reality of that statement about being heirs of God. We are so much more than just saved from hell, waiting for heaven Christians! We have as our inheritance, right now, all the God provided to Jesus, for we are co-heirs with Christ! Note, this inheritance is not just available upon the death, but is available now, just as in the story of prodigal son (See Luke 18:11-32). We don't need to wait for heaven to experience the benefits of our inheritance. In fact Jesus taught His disciples to pray, "Your Kingdom come, your will be done, on earth, as it is in heaven" (Matt 6:10) which is about extending to earth the rule of our Father here on earth, just as it is in heaven. Oh, that we would learn to live in this reality!
The Father wants us, His children, to live our lives from the place of assured relationship and access to Him. He wants us to live as those who have access to the resources of Heaven, as ones who understand our identity and live without fear of losing that identity. He wants us to step into all He has for us, not just leave the inheritance sitting in the heavenly bank account, for the day we enter Heaven. He wants us inviting others into this awesome family, for there is more than enough provision and blessing for us all!
Lord, I pray this day that you would help me to grasp with a greater measure the reality of my sonship! Help me to step into all that You have for me, now, as a co-heir with Christ! Help me to lay down and be free of all that would chain me with fear! I pray for all my brothers and sisters who have been taught to fear You, that they might receive freedom from these lies.
Amen!
[14] "For those who are led by the Spirit of God are the children of God. [15] The Spirit you received does not make you slaves, so that you live in fear again; rather, the Spirit you received brought about your adoption to sonship (or daughtership). And by him we cry, “Abba, Father.” [16] The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God's children. [17] Now if we are children, then we are heirs---heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory."
The verse that initially grabbed my attention as I was reading through these was the first part of verse 15, " The Spirit you received does not make you slaves, so that you live in fear again." What a great line! Oh that many of our churches would grasp this reality, for so many use fear as a rod to keep their members in line with their teaching or rules of life. I have friends who grew up fearing they could lose their salvation at any time. Others that fear missing church on a given Sunday or eating something they aren't supposed to eat, or any number of law-ish requirements.
The key to this all is what Paul continues on with, our salvation is not about some set of acts that we do, but about our adoption into the family of God, as His sons and daughters, it is about relationship. The specific term he uses is a Roman legal term, an adoption that is irrevocable by either party. Once the adoption is complete the former identity of the child who is adopted is expunged completely, and it is as if they never existed. In other words, it is impossible to go back, because that identity is gone forever. This is the example Paul uses here, and I think it would be so helpful for us to get this deep into our hearts and minds.
Secondly, Paul writes something that absolutely is beyond comprehension, that we become heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ. Again this goes back to the legal term he uses for adoption, for the term also includes with it a specific provision of being an heir. I wrote extensively on the subject a few years ago and that can be found at the following link: https://amomentwithgod-srh.blogspot.com/2017/06/adoption-as-gods-sons-and-daughters-its.html
I just can't wrap my mind around the reality of that statement about being heirs of God. We are so much more than just saved from hell, waiting for heaven Christians! We have as our inheritance, right now, all the God provided to Jesus, for we are co-heirs with Christ! Note, this inheritance is not just available upon the death, but is available now, just as in the story of prodigal son (See Luke 18:11-32). We don't need to wait for heaven to experience the benefits of our inheritance. In fact Jesus taught His disciples to pray, "Your Kingdom come, your will be done, on earth, as it is in heaven" (Matt 6:10) which is about extending to earth the rule of our Father here on earth, just as it is in heaven. Oh, that we would learn to live in this reality!
The Father wants us, His children, to live our lives from the place of assured relationship and access to Him. He wants us to live as those who have access to the resources of Heaven, as ones who understand our identity and live without fear of losing that identity. He wants us to step into all He has for us, not just leave the inheritance sitting in the heavenly bank account, for the day we enter Heaven. He wants us inviting others into this awesome family, for there is more than enough provision and blessing for us all!
Lord, I pray this day that you would help me to grasp with a greater measure the reality of my sonship! Help me to step into all that You have for me, now, as a co-heir with Christ! Help me to lay down and be free of all that would chain me with fear! I pray for all my brothers and sisters who have been taught to fear You, that they might receive freedom from these lies.
Amen!
Tuesday, August 18, 2020
With Gentleness and Respect
This morning, my time is short, so I will share these verses and comment briefly. I was reading from 1 Peter 3:13-16 NIV:
[13] "Who is going to harm you if you are eager to do good? [14] But even if you should suffer for what is right, you are blessed. “Do not fear their threats ; do not be frightened.” [15] But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect, [16] keeping a clear conscience, so that those who speak maliciously against your good behavior in Christ may be ashamed of their slander."
Peter wrote these words during the period when Christians were being persecuted for their faith. There were many false stories about Christians, and he was calling his brothers and sisters to rise above the "noise" of the the false witness and news of the day about Christians. As I read these verses I had to think of much of the present media twist, characterizing Christians as biggoted and hateful, for clearly there is an anti-Christ spirit alive and well in our media today.
What I love about Peter, and really all of New Testament authors, is their consistent alignment with the teaching and witness of Christ. While Jesus did respond to the teachers and Pharisees with what seem to be harsh words, His overall witness towards the Romans and authorities was gentleness and respect. His message was first and foremost about love, about revealing the Father, about mercy and compassion. He wasn't here to judge the world but to save the world by laying down His own life.
Peter is encouraging them to persevere in gentleness and respect. His previous verses had emphasized this attitude and behavior, as follows - 1 Peter 3:8-9 NIV: "Finally, all of you, be like-minded, be sympathetic, love one another, be compassionate and humble. [9] Do not repay evil with evil or insult with insult. On the contrary, repay evil with blessing, because to this you were called so that you may inherit a blessing."
Wouldn't it be an interesting witness if we, as Christians, chose to live out the words of Peter found in verse 15? If our response to those that were attacking us, or judging us was to respond with the reason we have this hope, but always with gentleness and respect? There is something in me that wants to defend myself, to answer verbal blow with verbal blow, but Jesus gave us a different way, to "turn the other cheek" to pray for and love those who are enemies (Matt 5: 38, 44).
I think this would be a wise approach to the contentious social media postings these days. Many of us have strong opinions one way or the other, and often it seems that all gentleness and respect has been lost. I am encouraged by Peter's words to check my heart, my attitude and my words in my dealings with those who do not share my faith or my opinion.
Lord, help us to make our hope in You, a light in this dark time!
Amen!
[13] "Who is going to harm you if you are eager to do good? [14] But even if you should suffer for what is right, you are blessed. “Do not fear their threats ; do not be frightened.” [15] But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect, [16] keeping a clear conscience, so that those who speak maliciously against your good behavior in Christ may be ashamed of their slander."
Peter wrote these words during the period when Christians were being persecuted for their faith. There were many false stories about Christians, and he was calling his brothers and sisters to rise above the "noise" of the the false witness and news of the day about Christians. As I read these verses I had to think of much of the present media twist, characterizing Christians as biggoted and hateful, for clearly there is an anti-Christ spirit alive and well in our media today.
What I love about Peter, and really all of New Testament authors, is their consistent alignment with the teaching and witness of Christ. While Jesus did respond to the teachers and Pharisees with what seem to be harsh words, His overall witness towards the Romans and authorities was gentleness and respect. His message was first and foremost about love, about revealing the Father, about mercy and compassion. He wasn't here to judge the world but to save the world by laying down His own life.
Peter is encouraging them to persevere in gentleness and respect. His previous verses had emphasized this attitude and behavior, as follows - 1 Peter 3:8-9 NIV: "Finally, all of you, be like-minded, be sympathetic, love one another, be compassionate and humble. [9] Do not repay evil with evil or insult with insult. On the contrary, repay evil with blessing, because to this you were called so that you may inherit a blessing."
Wouldn't it be an interesting witness if we, as Christians, chose to live out the words of Peter found in verse 15? If our response to those that were attacking us, or judging us was to respond with the reason we have this hope, but always with gentleness and respect? There is something in me that wants to defend myself, to answer verbal blow with verbal blow, but Jesus gave us a different way, to "turn the other cheek" to pray for and love those who are enemies (Matt 5: 38, 44).
I think this would be a wise approach to the contentious social media postings these days. Many of us have strong opinions one way or the other, and often it seems that all gentleness and respect has been lost. I am encouraged by Peter's words to check my heart, my attitude and my words in my dealings with those who do not share my faith or my opinion.
Lord, help us to make our hope in You, a light in this dark time!
Amen!
Monday, August 17, 2020
Right Teaching, Hearing and Living
This morning I was reading from the Book of Nehemiah, where the Book of the Law was found and read to the people for the first time since they were carried into exile in Babylon. They had spent over 70 years in exile, so the people who went back to Jerusalem were likely the children of those that had been captured. They had likley done their best to pass the laws down to the their children, but these passages describe what is likely the first time they actually heard it themselves. Here are the verses from Nehemiah 8:5-12 NIV:
[5] "Ezra opened the book. All the people could see him because he was standing above them; and as he opened it, the people all stood up. [6] Ezra praised the Lord, the great God; and all the people lifted their hands and responded, “Amen! Amen!” Then they bowed down and worshiped the Lord with their faces to the ground.
[7] The Levites---Jeshua, Bani, Sherebiah, Jamin, Akkub, Shabbethai, Hodiah, Maaseiah, Kelita, Azariah, Jozabad, Hanan and Pelaiah---instructed the people in the Law while the people were standing there. [8] They read from the Book of the Law of God, making it clear and giving the meaning so that the people understood what was being read.
[9] Then Nehemiah the governor, Ezra the priest and teacher of the Law, and the Levites who were instructing the people said to them all, “This day is holy to the Lord your God. Do not mourn or weep.” For all the people had been weeping as they listened to the words of the Law.
[10] Nehemiah said, “Go and enjoy choice food and sweet drinks, and send some to those who have nothing prepared. This day is holy to our Lord. Do not grieve, for the joy of the Lord is your strength.”
[11] The Levites calmed all the people, saying, “Be still, for this is a holy day. Do not grieve.”
[12] Then all the people went away to eat and drink, to send portions of food and to celebrate with great joy, because they now understood the words that had been made known to them."
I love the reaction of the people, for their hearts were clearly moved as they heard the words of the Law! They wept as they heard the words, and I am assuming it was for joy and sorrow at the same time. They were hearing clearly the word proclaimed and they could see what they had remembered, what they had somewhat remembered and discovered those things they forgot, or misunderstood. Clarity is such a beautiful thing, when the Lord brings it!
I also love how the Levites, didn't just read the words, but they explained to the people what the words meant, so that they could understand fully!
Oh, that the word of the Lord would be proclaimed to all the people, and they would hear and understand fully, and that their hearts would be stirred! Come Holy Spirit and inspire Your Church! Move in our hearts! Stir us to right teaching, right hearing and right living!
Amen!
[5] "Ezra opened the book. All the people could see him because he was standing above them; and as he opened it, the people all stood up. [6] Ezra praised the Lord, the great God; and all the people lifted their hands and responded, “Amen! Amen!” Then they bowed down and worshiped the Lord with their faces to the ground.
[7] The Levites---Jeshua, Bani, Sherebiah, Jamin, Akkub, Shabbethai, Hodiah, Maaseiah, Kelita, Azariah, Jozabad, Hanan and Pelaiah---instructed the people in the Law while the people were standing there. [8] They read from the Book of the Law of God, making it clear and giving the meaning so that the people understood what was being read.
[9] Then Nehemiah the governor, Ezra the priest and teacher of the Law, and the Levites who were instructing the people said to them all, “This day is holy to the Lord your God. Do not mourn or weep.” For all the people had been weeping as they listened to the words of the Law.
[10] Nehemiah said, “Go and enjoy choice food and sweet drinks, and send some to those who have nothing prepared. This day is holy to our Lord. Do not grieve, for the joy of the Lord is your strength.”
[11] The Levites calmed all the people, saying, “Be still, for this is a holy day. Do not grieve.”
[12] Then all the people went away to eat and drink, to send portions of food and to celebrate with great joy, because they now understood the words that had been made known to them."
I love the reaction of the people, for their hearts were clearly moved as they heard the words of the Law! They wept as they heard the words, and I am assuming it was for joy and sorrow at the same time. They were hearing clearly the word proclaimed and they could see what they had remembered, what they had somewhat remembered and discovered those things they forgot, or misunderstood. Clarity is such a beautiful thing, when the Lord brings it!
I also love how the Levites, didn't just read the words, but they explained to the people what the words meant, so that they could understand fully!
Oh, that the word of the Lord would be proclaimed to all the people, and they would hear and understand fully, and that their hearts would be stirred! Come Holy Spirit and inspire Your Church! Move in our hearts! Stir us to right teaching, right hearing and right living!
Amen!
Wednesday, August 12, 2020
Rejoicing, Peace and The Battle in Our Minds
This morning I am perusing one of my favorite Pauline letters, his letter to the Philippians. I guess I like this letter because of Paul's transparency, his desire for more of the Lord, his dogged pursuit of all that the Lord has for him. I need that type of encouragement in my life, for sure. Anyway the verses I am reflecting on this morning are as follows - Philippians 4:4-9 NIV:
[4] "Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! [5] Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. [6] Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. [7] And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
[8] Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable---if anything is excellent or praiseworthy---think about such things. [9] Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me---put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you."
I know I have reflecting on these words many times throughout my life, but they grabbed my heart again this morning. There is so much to think about thee days, so much to be concerned with, so much that can cause anxiety and worry, and it was nice to be reminded by Paul of a path forward into peace.
I love that he starts with the encouragement to rejoice, twice even! The Greek word is "Chairo" and it means exactly that to rejoice, but to do it exceedingly! Paul using it twice here means to rejoice exceedingly, exceedingly! Notice that this is an encouragement of how to approach our lives, not the response to our situation or circumstances. This is a mind-set, an attitude that we can choose to live within or not. Paul goes on to address the concerns of life in verses 6 & 7, but the overarching mindset that he encourages is rejoicing. What if we chose to wake up in the morning determined that we would rejoice all day long, regardless of the circumstances? I know I would definitely have a better day.
Paul writes the following a bit later, Philippians 4:12 NIV:..." Philippians 4:12 NIV: "I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation." I think this secret is setting one's heart to rejoicing, first and foremost.
Secondly, Paul does encourage us to unburden ourselves unto the Lord, brining Him the things that cause us anxiety and releasing them to Him through prayer, and petition. It is a wonderful thing to unload our worry onto the Lord. Jesus gave us this very invitation in Matthew 11:28-30 NIV: “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. [29] Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. [30] For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”
Finally Paul's encouragement is to think of things that lift us up, that will cause our minds to gaze on our Lord. He is our source, our life and our salvation. We can choose what to think on, and Paul's encouragement here is to do just that. To think about the true, the noble, the right, the pure, the lovely, the admirable, and the praiseworthy. I dare say that if we chose to force our thoughts onto this track, we would be quickly lifted out of our present perspective and see life differently.
For most of us, the great battle is in our minds. We must recognize that every thought that flows into our minds is not necessarily from us. The enemy works hard to convince us that those thoughts that bring anxiety, worry, division and doubt are from ourselves, but I have definitely learned that they are often from him. If you struggle with your thought life, I would highly recommend C. S. Lewis's Book "The Screwtape Letters". That book was foundational to my ability to recognize the lies and thoughts that are broadcast into my mind.
I have learned that when I am under attack to counterattack through prayer and petitions. I often will pray for salvation for some that I know who are lost, and find that the attack ceases soon after, for apparently my prayers are far more effective than the attacks of the enemy. If I am feeling constrained financially, thinking the Lord hasn't blessed me lately, or something stupid like that, I will counter-attack by deciding to give unto the Lord, to bless someone, and I find that the attack in my minds ceases. Hopefully that is helpful to someone today.
Paul provides us the path forward, rejoice, thank God, place our worries and concerns in His hands, to then set our minds on things of heaven, things of His Kingdom, things that are lovely and cause praise to well up within us. We are supposed to have a spring of living water within us (John 4:14), and the enemy tries to fill it in with the rock and mud of worry, doubt and anxiety.
In summary, let us choose this day to rejoice, and to rejoice again, and again and again! Let us choose to think about things that at lovely, pure, true, noble, praiseworthy and right. Let us counter-attack the enemies stream of negativity with Kingdom thinking. Let us press forward into the peace and rest that Jesus offers!
Amen and Amen!
[4] "Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! [5] Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. [6] Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. [7] And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
[8] Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable---if anything is excellent or praiseworthy---think about such things. [9] Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me---put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you."
I know I have reflecting on these words many times throughout my life, but they grabbed my heart again this morning. There is so much to think about thee days, so much to be concerned with, so much that can cause anxiety and worry, and it was nice to be reminded by Paul of a path forward into peace.
I love that he starts with the encouragement to rejoice, twice even! The Greek word is "Chairo" and it means exactly that to rejoice, but to do it exceedingly! Paul using it twice here means to rejoice exceedingly, exceedingly! Notice that this is an encouragement of how to approach our lives, not the response to our situation or circumstances. This is a mind-set, an attitude that we can choose to live within or not. Paul goes on to address the concerns of life in verses 6 & 7, but the overarching mindset that he encourages is rejoicing. What if we chose to wake up in the morning determined that we would rejoice all day long, regardless of the circumstances? I know I would definitely have a better day.
Paul writes the following a bit later, Philippians 4:12 NIV:..." Philippians 4:12 NIV: "I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation." I think this secret is setting one's heart to rejoicing, first and foremost.
Secondly, Paul does encourage us to unburden ourselves unto the Lord, brining Him the things that cause us anxiety and releasing them to Him through prayer, and petition. It is a wonderful thing to unload our worry onto the Lord. Jesus gave us this very invitation in Matthew 11:28-30 NIV: “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. [29] Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. [30] For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”
Finally Paul's encouragement is to think of things that lift us up, that will cause our minds to gaze on our Lord. He is our source, our life and our salvation. We can choose what to think on, and Paul's encouragement here is to do just that. To think about the true, the noble, the right, the pure, the lovely, the admirable, and the praiseworthy. I dare say that if we chose to force our thoughts onto this track, we would be quickly lifted out of our present perspective and see life differently.
For most of us, the great battle is in our minds. We must recognize that every thought that flows into our minds is not necessarily from us. The enemy works hard to convince us that those thoughts that bring anxiety, worry, division and doubt are from ourselves, but I have definitely learned that they are often from him. If you struggle with your thought life, I would highly recommend C. S. Lewis's Book "The Screwtape Letters". That book was foundational to my ability to recognize the lies and thoughts that are broadcast into my mind.
I have learned that when I am under attack to counterattack through prayer and petitions. I often will pray for salvation for some that I know who are lost, and find that the attack ceases soon after, for apparently my prayers are far more effective than the attacks of the enemy. If I am feeling constrained financially, thinking the Lord hasn't blessed me lately, or something stupid like that, I will counter-attack by deciding to give unto the Lord, to bless someone, and I find that the attack in my minds ceases. Hopefully that is helpful to someone today.
Paul provides us the path forward, rejoice, thank God, place our worries and concerns in His hands, to then set our minds on things of heaven, things of His Kingdom, things that are lovely and cause praise to well up within us. We are supposed to have a spring of living water within us (John 4:14), and the enemy tries to fill it in with the rock and mud of worry, doubt and anxiety.
In summary, let us choose this day to rejoice, and to rejoice again, and again and again! Let us choose to think about things that at lovely, pure, true, noble, praiseworthy and right. Let us counter-attack the enemies stream of negativity with Kingdom thinking. Let us press forward into the peace and rest that Jesus offers!
Amen and Amen!
Tuesday, August 11, 2020
Hard Hearts, Opinions and Repentance into God's Purposes
This evening I am reading from Luke, Chapter Seven, and there are so many great stories to reflect upon, but the set of verses that captured my attention was where Jesus is talking about His cousin John. Here are the verses - Luke 7:18-30 NIV:
[18] "John's disciples told him about all these things. Calling two of them, [19] he sent them to the Lord to ask, “Are you the one who is to come, or should we expect someone else?”
[20] When the men came to Jesus, they said, “John the Baptist sent us to you to ask, 'Are you the one who is to come, or should we expect someone else?' ”
[21] At that very time Jesus cured many who had diseases, sicknesses and evil spirits, and gave sight to many who were blind. [22] So he replied to the messengers, “Go back and report to John what you have seen and heard: The blind receive sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosy are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the good news is proclaimed to the poor. [23] Blessed is anyone who does not stumble on account of me.”
[24] After John's messengers left, Jesus began to speak to the crowd about John: “What did you go out into the wilderness to see? A reed swayed by the wind? [25] If not, what did you go out to see? A man dressed in fine clothes? No, those who wear expensive clothes and indulge in luxury are in palaces. [26] But what did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I tell you, and more than a prophet. [27] This is the one about whom it is written: “ 'I will send my messenger ahead of you, who will prepare your way before you.'
[28] I tell you, among those born of women there is no one greater than John; yet the one who is least in the kingdom of God is greater than he.”
[29] (All the people, even the tax collectors, when they heard Jesus' words, acknowledged that God's way was right, because they had been baptized by John. [30] But the Pharisees and the experts in the law rejected God's purpose for themselves, because they had not been baptized by John.)"
The two verses that stand out most to me are verses 29 & 30, and it seems Luke just adds them as a commentary. I wrote a reflection on those two verses a few years ago, which you can read here: http://amomentwithgod-srh.blogspot.com/2015/06/stepping-into-gods-purposes.html
However, today I want to spend some time looking at just verse 29, as it is a very interesting commentary on people's response to hearing God's word, and to the honoring of a man of God. All the people, even the sinners, were in agreement with Jesus' words about John, and that is such a beautiful thing these days, everyone agreeing with someone's opinion. In this case, it wasn't just an opinion, but the very Word of God.
As I reflect on this, I think that in our present state of disagreement and division, strife, and arguments, Jesus could come and provide the very word of God about a particular subject, or a particular person, and half of the people who heard Him would disagree because they had a differing opinion! It seems today that people are worshipping their positions and opinions every bit as much, if not more than God.
John was a true prophet, and his ministry, like those of the true prophets before him, was a response to a call of God. John wasn't a prophet for his own profit. He wasn't a prophet for the luxuries that recognition could bring him. He lived in the wilderness and people went out to him, for he spoke the truth, and their hearts were stirred by his message. He spoke of turning back to God, of repentance and the need for forgiveness. The following verses are some of his interactions with the crowds - Luke 3:8-14 NIV:
[8] Produce fruit in keeping with repentance. And do not begin to say to yourselves, 'We have Abraham as our father.' For I tell you that out of these stones God can raise up children for Abraham. [9] The ax is already at the root of the trees, and every tree that does not produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire.”
[10] “What should we do then?” the crowd asked.
[11] John answered, “Anyone who has two shirts should share with the one who has none, and anyone who has food should do the same.”
[12] Even tax collectors came to be baptized. “Teacher,” they asked, “what should we do?”
[13] “Don't collect any more than you are required to,” he told them.
[14] Then some soldiers asked him, “And what should we do?”
He replied, “Don't extort money and don't accuse people falsely---be content with your pay.”
Isn't it interesting that John's message of repentance has to do with how we treat one another? This is apparently the fruit that should be produced in keeping with repentance! His message was simple and to the point, and people responded accordingly. They responded by publicly proclaiming their need for change, and being baptized by John. They embraced his words, and they stepped into God's purposes for themselves which is the opposite of what the Pharisees and experts of the law did (see verse 30 above). God's purposes are not complicated, and when we hear them they should stir our hearts, if we can even feel our hearts.
Hard heartedness, in any area is dangerous. When we take up our opinions so strongly that we no longer see people with differing opinions as worth any respect or honor, we have become calloused and heart-hearted. We cease to see them for who they are, sons and daughters of God, and instead only view them by the label we place on them. In the Pharisees case here, they considered themselves the experts and didn't need to hear some wild-man in the wilderness telling them they needed to change. In their hard heartedness they missed God's purposes for them!
The other evening I had a very weird dream where I was in a large game of capture the flag, but in the middle of the field was a giant mud-pit. When the signal was given almost every player from bother sides ran into the mud and started massive mud-slinging brawl. I was not in the midst of the mud, and as I looked around, I saw the other team's flag unguarded and I ran directly to it and scored for our team. In fact I did it over and over again, and I was amazed that most of the people were so busy wrestling in the mud that they totally forgot the purpose of the game.
In the same way, I wonder if some of us have become so embroiled in our opinions or the arguments around us that we have lost sight of the purpose for which Christ Jesus called us. We are called to be a light to the nations, to represent His kingdom, to love one another as Christ loved us, to seek and save the lost. We are called to faithfully represent the ministry of Jesus, and showcase the Love of the Father.
Let us listen to the words of John, and let us turn back to God, let us love one another, let produce the fruit in keeping with repentance! Let us listen to Jesus, and represent His ministry, as He described it, "The blind receive sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosy are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the good news is proclaimed to the poor." (Luke 7:22NIV).
I am encouraged to look at my life and to see where I need to repent, where I need to love, where I need to respond to the words of the Lord, where I need to soften my heart! Lord, help me to hear Your word and respond! Help me to love those around me, to produce good fruit! Help me to step fully into Your purposes for me.
Amen Lord, Help me Lord!
[18] "John's disciples told him about all these things. Calling two of them, [19] he sent them to the Lord to ask, “Are you the one who is to come, or should we expect someone else?”
[20] When the men came to Jesus, they said, “John the Baptist sent us to you to ask, 'Are you the one who is to come, or should we expect someone else?' ”
[21] At that very time Jesus cured many who had diseases, sicknesses and evil spirits, and gave sight to many who were blind. [22] So he replied to the messengers, “Go back and report to John what you have seen and heard: The blind receive sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosy are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the good news is proclaimed to the poor. [23] Blessed is anyone who does not stumble on account of me.”
[24] After John's messengers left, Jesus began to speak to the crowd about John: “What did you go out into the wilderness to see? A reed swayed by the wind? [25] If not, what did you go out to see? A man dressed in fine clothes? No, those who wear expensive clothes and indulge in luxury are in palaces. [26] But what did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I tell you, and more than a prophet. [27] This is the one about whom it is written: “ 'I will send my messenger ahead of you, who will prepare your way before you.'
[28] I tell you, among those born of women there is no one greater than John; yet the one who is least in the kingdom of God is greater than he.”
[29] (All the people, even the tax collectors, when they heard Jesus' words, acknowledged that God's way was right, because they had been baptized by John. [30] But the Pharisees and the experts in the law rejected God's purpose for themselves, because they had not been baptized by John.)"
The two verses that stand out most to me are verses 29 & 30, and it seems Luke just adds them as a commentary. I wrote a reflection on those two verses a few years ago, which you can read here: http://amomentwithgod-srh.blogspot.com/2015/06/stepping-into-gods-purposes.html
However, today I want to spend some time looking at just verse 29, as it is a very interesting commentary on people's response to hearing God's word, and to the honoring of a man of God. All the people, even the sinners, were in agreement with Jesus' words about John, and that is such a beautiful thing these days, everyone agreeing with someone's opinion. In this case, it wasn't just an opinion, but the very Word of God.
As I reflect on this, I think that in our present state of disagreement and division, strife, and arguments, Jesus could come and provide the very word of God about a particular subject, or a particular person, and half of the people who heard Him would disagree because they had a differing opinion! It seems today that people are worshipping their positions and opinions every bit as much, if not more than God.
John was a true prophet, and his ministry, like those of the true prophets before him, was a response to a call of God. John wasn't a prophet for his own profit. He wasn't a prophet for the luxuries that recognition could bring him. He lived in the wilderness and people went out to him, for he spoke the truth, and their hearts were stirred by his message. He spoke of turning back to God, of repentance and the need for forgiveness. The following verses are some of his interactions with the crowds - Luke 3:8-14 NIV:
[8] Produce fruit in keeping with repentance. And do not begin to say to yourselves, 'We have Abraham as our father.' For I tell you that out of these stones God can raise up children for Abraham. [9] The ax is already at the root of the trees, and every tree that does not produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire.”
[10] “What should we do then?” the crowd asked.
[11] John answered, “Anyone who has two shirts should share with the one who has none, and anyone who has food should do the same.”
[12] Even tax collectors came to be baptized. “Teacher,” they asked, “what should we do?”
[13] “Don't collect any more than you are required to,” he told them.
[14] Then some soldiers asked him, “And what should we do?”
He replied, “Don't extort money and don't accuse people falsely---be content with your pay.”
Isn't it interesting that John's message of repentance has to do with how we treat one another? This is apparently the fruit that should be produced in keeping with repentance! His message was simple and to the point, and people responded accordingly. They responded by publicly proclaiming their need for change, and being baptized by John. They embraced his words, and they stepped into God's purposes for themselves which is the opposite of what the Pharisees and experts of the law did (see verse 30 above). God's purposes are not complicated, and when we hear them they should stir our hearts, if we can even feel our hearts.
Hard heartedness, in any area is dangerous. When we take up our opinions so strongly that we no longer see people with differing opinions as worth any respect or honor, we have become calloused and heart-hearted. We cease to see them for who they are, sons and daughters of God, and instead only view them by the label we place on them. In the Pharisees case here, they considered themselves the experts and didn't need to hear some wild-man in the wilderness telling them they needed to change. In their hard heartedness they missed God's purposes for them!
The other evening I had a very weird dream where I was in a large game of capture the flag, but in the middle of the field was a giant mud-pit. When the signal was given almost every player from bother sides ran into the mud and started massive mud-slinging brawl. I was not in the midst of the mud, and as I looked around, I saw the other team's flag unguarded and I ran directly to it and scored for our team. In fact I did it over and over again, and I was amazed that most of the people were so busy wrestling in the mud that they totally forgot the purpose of the game.
In the same way, I wonder if some of us have become so embroiled in our opinions or the arguments around us that we have lost sight of the purpose for which Christ Jesus called us. We are called to be a light to the nations, to represent His kingdom, to love one another as Christ loved us, to seek and save the lost. We are called to faithfully represent the ministry of Jesus, and showcase the Love of the Father.
Let us listen to the words of John, and let us turn back to God, let us love one another, let produce the fruit in keeping with repentance! Let us listen to Jesus, and represent His ministry, as He described it, "The blind receive sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosy are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the good news is proclaimed to the poor." (Luke 7:22NIV).
I am encouraged to look at my life and to see where I need to repent, where I need to love, where I need to respond to the words of the Lord, where I need to soften my heart! Lord, help me to hear Your word and respond! Help me to love those around me, to produce good fruit! Help me to step fully into Your purposes for me.
Amen Lord, Help me Lord!
Sunday, August 9, 2020
But You, Who Do You Say I Am?
Last night I was reading from Matthew's Gospel, and I came across something that I read many times, and probably even noticed, but found myself pondering the reason Jesus asked the following questions. Here are the verses - Matthew 16:13-20 NIV:
[13] "When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, “Who do people say the Son of Man is?”
[14] They replied, “Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, Jeremiah or one of the prophets.”
[15] “But what about you?” he asked. “Who do you say I am?”
[16] Simon Peter answered, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.”
[17] Jesus replied, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by flesh and blood, but by my Father in heaven. [18] And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it. [19] I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.” [20] Then he ordered his disciples not to tell anyone that he was the Messiah."
I have always thought that Jesus asked the same question effectively, but upon closer reading I saw that Jesus actually asked two different questions. I know that observation isn't a big revelation, but for me it stood out as significant. Jesus never did or said anything without direction from the Father, so what He asks and how He asks are important.
Just to be clear, this is the tenth time Matthew records Jesus using the term "Son of Man?" and every time previously, He was referring to Himself, sometimes blatantly, other times in a slightly veiled way, but it was nonetheless a familiar term to the Apostles and disciples. I can almost see the look confusion, followed by a bunch of furtive glances to each other from the Apostles. To me it seems like He was asking a question with a very obvious answer (Jesus), and yet the Apostles didn't say His name.
The first question is "who do the people say the Son of Man is?" and in this Jesus is effectively revealing the overall confusion in their times, of how this Messianic question would be fulfilled. They were waiting for the "Son of Man", the messiah, but his time of coming and identity were clouded in prophetic language with a bunch of different interpretations. The term was used mostly by the prophet Ezekiel, but t was Daniel who tied it the Messiah, the one who would come and bring salvation, at least that is how i read it. Anyway, it was a phrase that was known and clearly pointing at the Messiah, Jesus had used the term to refer to Himself, and yet when asked what the people thought, they answered everyone but Jesus.
A simple observation here is that the opinion of the people is often not correct, nor concise. There were probably as many opinions amongst the people as there were people. My point is that we can't look to the crowds for truth.
Next Jesus asks a very pointed question, “But what about you?” he asked. “Who do you say I am?”
This is actually one of the most important questions we need to ask ourselves regularly! Our deep down thoughts and actions are intimately affected by how we answer that question! Who do we say Jesus is?
Is He our friend?
Is He our Lord?
Is He our judge?
Is He our provider?
Is He our brother?
Is He our Savior?
Is He someone we know?
Is He someone we aspire to be like?
Is He all powerful and holding all authority?
Is He a historical figure?
Is He a wise teacher?
Is He fully man and fully God?
Is He the Son of God?
One of my favorite author, A.W. Tozer, says, "What comes into our minds when we think about God is the most important thing about us." (The Knowledge of the Holy). I think this is so true, and it is essentially the foundation upon which our life in God, if we have one, is built. It also might be the reason we don't have a life in God, as somewhere along the way we have believed what someone else told us God was like, and it wasn't good, and we never actually bothered to find out for ourselves.
Jesus is getting to that exact question here, "who do you say I am?"
I also think that Jesus was looking for a bit of a confirmation from the Father, that it was time to pull back the veil and tell the Apostles exactly who He was and what was coming! Imagine His perspective, knowing full well that He was heading to a date on the cross, gathering the Apostles, and seeing them completely missing the purpose and plan! I am amazed at Jesus patience, and understanding of the limited grasp of this all in the minds and hearts of the Apostles. I am sure that He wanted to tell them the whole truth, but realized they couldn't grasp the whole truth.
I am also comforted by the fact that the Lord, totally understands my own limitation in grasping His Word and His plans and purpose for me. I am such a dunderhead at times, and while I read these types of verses, and think, "Come on you guys, the answer is SO obvious!", when I am confronted with questions from the Lord, I am every bit as confused or missing the point!
I am additionally aware that sometimes the Lord is about revealing His character to me in different ways. Sometimes He is revealing Himself as Lord and Savior, sometimes as provider, or healer. My relationship with Him is always changing, going deeper, and oftentimes coming back to a character trait, but revealing additional aspects or depth that I hadn't seen before. I think it is safe to say that I could grow in knowledge of Him every day for the rest of my life and never know Him fully.
As I look back over my life, I see many times that my questions were answered in time, in process and in revelation. His plan is so perfect that He often is revealing Himself in the exact way I need to experience Him, at the exact moment need to encounter Him in that way. In these verses today, we see Him finally reveal, once and for all, to the Apostles, that He was indeed the Messiah. They need that knowledge going forward, for they would surely have abandoned Him if they didn't firmly believe He was the Messiah.
Finally, in Peter's statement, we find revelation. That revelation is followed by a release of prophetic destiny into Peter's life! Isn't that interesting Jesus asks, "who do you say I am?" and when He receives an answer proceeds to tell Peter who he is in His eyes. Our relationship with Jesus, our understanding of Him, is critical to our own understanding of who we are, of our identity and purpose! It is in pursuing Him, that we often find out who we really are!
In summary, I am encouraged today to take a deeper look at who I say Jesus is to me! I am encouraged to look at how I think about Him, recognizing that my actions should reflect my thinking and if they don't then I need to either change the way I think, or change the way I act. I believe that's called repentance. :-) Lord, I want to know You more, and I want to understand Your thoughts about me! Help me Lord! Pull back the veil and reveal more of Yourself to me today!
Amen!
[13] "When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, “Who do people say the Son of Man is?”
[14] They replied, “Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, Jeremiah or one of the prophets.”
[15] “But what about you?” he asked. “Who do you say I am?”
[16] Simon Peter answered, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.”
[17] Jesus replied, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by flesh and blood, but by my Father in heaven. [18] And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it. [19] I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.” [20] Then he ordered his disciples not to tell anyone that he was the Messiah."
I have always thought that Jesus asked the same question effectively, but upon closer reading I saw that Jesus actually asked two different questions. I know that observation isn't a big revelation, but for me it stood out as significant. Jesus never did or said anything without direction from the Father, so what He asks and how He asks are important.
Just to be clear, this is the tenth time Matthew records Jesus using the term "Son of Man?" and every time previously, He was referring to Himself, sometimes blatantly, other times in a slightly veiled way, but it was nonetheless a familiar term to the Apostles and disciples. I can almost see the look confusion, followed by a bunch of furtive glances to each other from the Apostles. To me it seems like He was asking a question with a very obvious answer (Jesus), and yet the Apostles didn't say His name.
The first question is "who do the people say the Son of Man is?" and in this Jesus is effectively revealing the overall confusion in their times, of how this Messianic question would be fulfilled. They were waiting for the "Son of Man", the messiah, but his time of coming and identity were clouded in prophetic language with a bunch of different interpretations. The term was used mostly by the prophet Ezekiel, but t was Daniel who tied it the Messiah, the one who would come and bring salvation, at least that is how i read it. Anyway, it was a phrase that was known and clearly pointing at the Messiah, Jesus had used the term to refer to Himself, and yet when asked what the people thought, they answered everyone but Jesus.
A simple observation here is that the opinion of the people is often not correct, nor concise. There were probably as many opinions amongst the people as there were people. My point is that we can't look to the crowds for truth.
Next Jesus asks a very pointed question, “But what about you?” he asked. “Who do you say I am?”
This is actually one of the most important questions we need to ask ourselves regularly! Our deep down thoughts and actions are intimately affected by how we answer that question! Who do we say Jesus is?
Is He our friend?
Is He our Lord?
Is He our judge?
Is He our provider?
Is He our brother?
Is He our Savior?
Is He someone we know?
Is He someone we aspire to be like?
Is He all powerful and holding all authority?
Is He a historical figure?
Is He a wise teacher?
Is He fully man and fully God?
Is He the Son of God?
One of my favorite author, A.W. Tozer, says, "What comes into our minds when we think about God is the most important thing about us." (The Knowledge of the Holy). I think this is so true, and it is essentially the foundation upon which our life in God, if we have one, is built. It also might be the reason we don't have a life in God, as somewhere along the way we have believed what someone else told us God was like, and it wasn't good, and we never actually bothered to find out for ourselves.
Jesus is getting to that exact question here, "who do you say I am?"
I also think that Jesus was looking for a bit of a confirmation from the Father, that it was time to pull back the veil and tell the Apostles exactly who He was and what was coming! Imagine His perspective, knowing full well that He was heading to a date on the cross, gathering the Apostles, and seeing them completely missing the purpose and plan! I am amazed at Jesus patience, and understanding of the limited grasp of this all in the minds and hearts of the Apostles. I am sure that He wanted to tell them the whole truth, but realized they couldn't grasp the whole truth.
I am also comforted by the fact that the Lord, totally understands my own limitation in grasping His Word and His plans and purpose for me. I am such a dunderhead at times, and while I read these types of verses, and think, "Come on you guys, the answer is SO obvious!", when I am confronted with questions from the Lord, I am every bit as confused or missing the point!
I am additionally aware that sometimes the Lord is about revealing His character to me in different ways. Sometimes He is revealing Himself as Lord and Savior, sometimes as provider, or healer. My relationship with Him is always changing, going deeper, and oftentimes coming back to a character trait, but revealing additional aspects or depth that I hadn't seen before. I think it is safe to say that I could grow in knowledge of Him every day for the rest of my life and never know Him fully.
As I look back over my life, I see many times that my questions were answered in time, in process and in revelation. His plan is so perfect that He often is revealing Himself in the exact way I need to experience Him, at the exact moment need to encounter Him in that way. In these verses today, we see Him finally reveal, once and for all, to the Apostles, that He was indeed the Messiah. They need that knowledge going forward, for they would surely have abandoned Him if they didn't firmly believe He was the Messiah.
Finally, in Peter's statement, we find revelation. That revelation is followed by a release of prophetic destiny into Peter's life! Isn't that interesting Jesus asks, "who do you say I am?" and when He receives an answer proceeds to tell Peter who he is in His eyes. Our relationship with Jesus, our understanding of Him, is critical to our own understanding of who we are, of our identity and purpose! It is in pursuing Him, that we often find out who we really are!
In summary, I am encouraged today to take a deeper look at who I say Jesus is to me! I am encouraged to look at how I think about Him, recognizing that my actions should reflect my thinking and if they don't then I need to either change the way I think, or change the way I act. I believe that's called repentance. :-) Lord, I want to know You more, and I want to understand Your thoughts about me! Help me Lord! Pull back the veil and reveal more of Yourself to me today!
Amen!
Saturday, August 1, 2020
Sinners or the Righteous?
This morning I have been reading from Matthew's Ninth chapter, and there is so much to think about, just in that one chapter, its hard to know where to start. That being said, I have read through it and the allow the Lord to highlight in my mind and/or heart the verses He wants me to focus upon. This morning there is just the lightest of indicators, but I believe these are the verses that I should spend time on.
Matthew 9:9-17 NIV:
[9] "As Jesus went on from there, he saw a man named Matthew sitting at the tax collector's booth. “Follow me,” he told him, and Matthew got up and followed him.
[10] While Jesus was having dinner at Matthew's house, many tax collectors and sinners came and ate with him and his disciples. [11] When the Pharisees saw this, they asked his disciples, “Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?”
[12] On hearing this, Jesus said, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. [13] But go and learn what this means: 'I desire mercy, not sacrifice.' For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.”
[14] Then John's disciples came and asked him, “How is it that we and the Pharisees fast often, but your disciples do not fast?”
[15] Jesus answered, “How can the guests of the bridegroom mourn while he is with them? The time will come when the bridegroom will be taken from them; then they will fast.
[16] “No one sews a patch of unshrunk cloth on an old garment, for the patch will pull away from the garment, making the tear worse. [17] Neither do people pour new wine into old wineskins. If they do, the skins will burst; the wine will run out and the wineskins will be ruined. No, they pour new wine into new wineskins, and both are preserved.”
In just these eight verses, there is much to look at, however the two statements that caught my eye this morning were found in verses 13 and 17, and I think they are related. It is clear from reading the Gospels that Jesus' ministry, while powerful and enjoyed by many people, caused much confusion, consternation and even arguments. He wasn't doing what people, especially the leaders (Pharisees and Sadducees) thought the messiah should be doing. He was spending time with the "sinners" and poor and common people. He wasn't acting like a "leader", and didn't seem to care that much about the other leaders and what they thought of Him.
As I was reading through these verses again, I was thinking about how unpopular they would be if they were spoken to our church congregations on a Sunday morning, if they were directed at those sitting in leadership and even in the congregation, not as "sinners" but as those who saw themselves as "righteous".
Now I am not making any wide generalizations here, just imagining if we were the objects of Jesus' comments. I wonder if we would respond in humility and repentance, or if we would become incensed? Its not like we aren't trying to do the right thing, trying hard to reach the lost and care for those who need help.
The question that keeps popping into my mind, is what about this young generation that seems to be leaving the church in greater numbers all the time. I keep wondering about all the good people I know that have stopped going to church for a variety of reasons, and I wonder if continuing to do church as usual is a bit like verse 17?
Has the church become unable to change, unable to flex enough to hold this new generation?
Have we become so used to preaching to "righteous" believers that we have lost touch with the "sinners"?
Do we want to be around "sinners" for there sake or are we only comfortable with the "righteous"?
As we look at this recent time of craziness and forced change, are we just wanting to go back to the way things were before?
Are we struggling to find our identity outside of our activity or responsibility in the church? In other words, now that we can't do what we always have done, are we unsure if our calling or value to the Body of Christ?
Those could be some deep questions to consider, and that is what the Lord seems to be high-lighting to me today. Jesus' statements in these verses should cause us to stop and think about what we are doing, about who we are focused on, and about our call in the Body! These verses should challenge us, for they represent some of the core features of Jesus' ministry on earth! He came to seek and save the lost. He came representing the Father, and yet He came as a servant leader, one who didn't pursue glory for Himself, nor pursue positions of power or authority. He was different that most everyone expected, and His primary motivation was love.
In summary, I believe the Lord continues to provide us an opportunity to reassess our situation, our thinking, our heart attitudes, and the need for change and flexibility. His heart for the lost hasn't changed, and Jesus, in perfect obedience to the Father, showed us what that heart looked like! The question is whether looking at us and at the Church, if people would see the same heart of the Father?
Oh Lord help us to faithfully represent You to this world around us. You love each and every man, woman and child, and desire Your ministry to continue through the church, Your Body on earth. Help us to be more like You!
Amen!
Matthew 9:9-17 NIV:
[9] "As Jesus went on from there, he saw a man named Matthew sitting at the tax collector's booth. “Follow me,” he told him, and Matthew got up and followed him.
[10] While Jesus was having dinner at Matthew's house, many tax collectors and sinners came and ate with him and his disciples. [11] When the Pharisees saw this, they asked his disciples, “Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?”
[12] On hearing this, Jesus said, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. [13] But go and learn what this means: 'I desire mercy, not sacrifice.' For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.”
[14] Then John's disciples came and asked him, “How is it that we and the Pharisees fast often, but your disciples do not fast?”
[15] Jesus answered, “How can the guests of the bridegroom mourn while he is with them? The time will come when the bridegroom will be taken from them; then they will fast.
[16] “No one sews a patch of unshrunk cloth on an old garment, for the patch will pull away from the garment, making the tear worse. [17] Neither do people pour new wine into old wineskins. If they do, the skins will burst; the wine will run out and the wineskins will be ruined. No, they pour new wine into new wineskins, and both are preserved.”
In just these eight verses, there is much to look at, however the two statements that caught my eye this morning were found in verses 13 and 17, and I think they are related. It is clear from reading the Gospels that Jesus' ministry, while powerful and enjoyed by many people, caused much confusion, consternation and even arguments. He wasn't doing what people, especially the leaders (Pharisees and Sadducees) thought the messiah should be doing. He was spending time with the "sinners" and poor and common people. He wasn't acting like a "leader", and didn't seem to care that much about the other leaders and what they thought of Him.
As I was reading through these verses again, I was thinking about how unpopular they would be if they were spoken to our church congregations on a Sunday morning, if they were directed at those sitting in leadership and even in the congregation, not as "sinners" but as those who saw themselves as "righteous".
Now I am not making any wide generalizations here, just imagining if we were the objects of Jesus' comments. I wonder if we would respond in humility and repentance, or if we would become incensed? Its not like we aren't trying to do the right thing, trying hard to reach the lost and care for those who need help.
The question that keeps popping into my mind, is what about this young generation that seems to be leaving the church in greater numbers all the time. I keep wondering about all the good people I know that have stopped going to church for a variety of reasons, and I wonder if continuing to do church as usual is a bit like verse 17?
Has the church become unable to change, unable to flex enough to hold this new generation?
Have we become so used to preaching to "righteous" believers that we have lost touch with the "sinners"?
Do we want to be around "sinners" for there sake or are we only comfortable with the "righteous"?
As we look at this recent time of craziness and forced change, are we just wanting to go back to the way things were before?
Are we struggling to find our identity outside of our activity or responsibility in the church? In other words, now that we can't do what we always have done, are we unsure if our calling or value to the Body of Christ?
Those could be some deep questions to consider, and that is what the Lord seems to be high-lighting to me today. Jesus' statements in these verses should cause us to stop and think about what we are doing, about who we are focused on, and about our call in the Body! These verses should challenge us, for they represent some of the core features of Jesus' ministry on earth! He came to seek and save the lost. He came representing the Father, and yet He came as a servant leader, one who didn't pursue glory for Himself, nor pursue positions of power or authority. He was different that most everyone expected, and His primary motivation was love.
In summary, I believe the Lord continues to provide us an opportunity to reassess our situation, our thinking, our heart attitudes, and the need for change and flexibility. His heart for the lost hasn't changed, and Jesus, in perfect obedience to the Father, showed us what that heart looked like! The question is whether looking at us and at the Church, if people would see the same heart of the Father?
Oh Lord help us to faithfully represent You to this world around us. You love each and every man, woman and child, and desire Your ministry to continue through the church, Your Body on earth. Help us to be more like You!
Amen!
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