Realign, Refocus

This morning I felt led to read from Paul's letter to the Philippians 3:3-11 NIV:

[3] "For it is we who are the circumcision, we who serve God by his Spirit, who boast in Christ Jesus, and who put no confidence in the flesh--- [4] though I myself have reasons for such confidence. 

If someone else thinks they have reasons to put confidence in the flesh, I have more: [5] circumcised on the eighth day, of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; in regard to the law, a Pharisee; [6] as for zeal, persecuting the church; as for righteousness based on the law, faultless. 

[7] But whatever were gains to me I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. [8] What is more, I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them garbage, that I may gain Christ [9] and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ---the righteousness that comes from God on the basis of faith. [10] I want to know Christ---yes, to know the power of his resurrection and participation in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, [11] and so, somehow, attaining to the resurrection from the dead."

It is always good for me to read these verses, for Paul helps me put my life in proper perspective.  In light of our eternal reward, in light of our pursuit of deepening relationship with the Lord, no other accomplishment is of significant value.  No job, no success, no home, no car, no bank account, has any true value.  He is the one we should be pursuing with all we have, not to earn a reward, but to know Him, for love of Him.  

I work with microwave communications, where it is very important to have the transmitting antenna and receiving antenna perfectly aligned.  If there is a damaging wind, we may need to re-align those antennas.  These verses are like that for me, a realignment of focus.

I go back to a recent reflection on Jesus' conversation concerning the two most important commandments, found in all three of the Synoptic Gospels, and `will look at the version found in Mark 12:29-31 NIV:

[29] “The most important one,” answered Jesus, “is this: 'Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. [30] Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.' [31] The second is this: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' There is no commandment greater than these.” 

Imagine if we were able to live these out in our lives, coupled with the perspective  that Paul shared!  

If our lives were focused on loving the Lord and loving our neighbor, loving one another, what would that truly look like?

If this is the goal, how should I change my life, my thoughts and actions?

What a wonderful invitation to change the way I think and act.  I like the way Graham Cooke says it (paraphrased here) "if the way you have been thinking has led you here, then have another thought, or think again!"

Lord, please help me, for it is easy to become distracted and diverted in this life from what is most important!  Help me to realign my thoughts and pursuits to what is most important!

Amen!

Sinners Were ALL Gathering

Recently I have been reflecting on Jesus' teachings about seeking the lost, and this morning I opened my Bible right up to one of his most well known teachings on this subject, found in Luke 15:1-7 NIV:

[1] "Now the tax collectors and sinners were all gathering around to hear Jesus. [2] But the Pharisees and the teachers of the law muttered, “This man welcomes sinners and eats with them.” 

[3] Then Jesus told them this parable: [4] “Suppose one of you has a hundred sheep and loses one of them. Doesn't he leave the ninety-nine in the open country and go after the lost sheep until he finds it? [5] And when he finds it, he joyfully puts it on his shoulders [6] and goes home. Then he calls his friends and neighbors together and says, 'Rejoice with me; I have found my lost sheep.' [7] I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent."

While I love the parable, what really caught my eye this morning was the first verse, "Now the tax collectors and sinners were ALL gathering around to hear Jesus."  

Oh that this would be true of the Church, and true for every church, that their message would be so attractive to sinners that they would ALL gather around to hear!  

Can you even imagine that?

Jesus clearly is giving direction to the teachers of the Law, and to His disciples as well, there is great value in the lost sheep!  

Imagine all heaven being focused on the winning of the Lost!

In my mind I was reminded of almost every home in Kansas City being focused on the Superbowl last year, as the Chief's played.  At least at my house I was every attentive to the game and everything the Chief's did well I cheered about.

Imagine in Heaven the same level of attention being paid and cheered when one of the lost is found and saved!  What a great experience that must be!

Going back to the verses, I like to ask why.  Why did sinners and tax collectors ALL gather to hear Jesus?  

What do we like to hear?  What catches our attention, or opens our ears?  What draws us to a person?

While each of us is unique, I think there are a few things we can learn from the Lord, just through observation, of these verses and others.

1) Sinners did not feel threatened by Jesus

2) Jesus gave His attention to sinners and spoke to them

3) Jesus healed sinners (John 5:11)

4) Jesus forgave sinners (Luke 5:20)

5) Jesus did not condemn sinners (John 8:11)

Maybe Jesus didn't call them sinners.  

Maybe He treated them as if they had value, and gave them His attention!  

Maybe He talked to them, and listened to them!

Maybe He loved them!  

Maybe He fed them!

Maybe He served them!

Maybe He blessed them!!   

Maybe He was for them!

Maybe He saw sinners as those who were not rightly related to the Father, so He showed them what the Father was like!  

Maybe He related to them first, before He told them to sin no more.

Oh that we would learn to minister as Jesus did!  We must learn to love as Jesus loved, and that obviously includes sinners!  Thankfully that is the case, for I certainly know I am one!

Lord, I ask that you help us to hear what You are saying!  There is great value placed on the Lost by Heaven!  We are called to seek the lost and introduce them to You!  Help us to stop rejecting and judging the very ones we should be seeking!

Amen and Amen!

Sought and Saved

This morning I felt led to read from Luke 19:1-10 NIV:

[1] "Jesus entered Jericho and was passing through. [2] A man was there by the name of Zacchaeus; he was a chief tax collector and was wealthy. [3] He wanted to see who Jesus was, but because he was short he could not see over the crowd. [4] So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore-fig tree to see him, since Jesus was coming that way. 

[5] When Jesus reached the spot, he looked up and said to him, “Zacchaeus, come down immediately. I must stay at your house today.” [6] So he came down at once and welcomed him gladly. 

[7] All the people saw this and began to mutter, “He has gone to be the guest of a sinner.” 

[8] But Zacchaeus stood up and said to the Lord, “Look, Lord! Here and now I give half of my possessions to the poor, and if I have cheated anybody out of anything, I will pay back four times the amount.” 

[9] Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house, because this man, too, is a son of Abraham. [10] For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.”

I love this story, and I am glad I had the opportunity to reflect upon it again this morning.  I have shared this story on multiple occasions, back in the days when I  was leading retreats. It always spoke to me of the impact that meeting Jesus had on people.  They were changed, and Zacchaeus is a great example of someone radically changed in an instant.

This morning my main reflection is the last line, where Jesus describes His mission, " the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.”  

What a great reminder! 

He doesn't wait for the lost to find Him, He seeks them out!

We know Jesus only said and did what the Father told Him to do, so He already knew Zacchaeus was going to be His host that night, and we can gather that from their short conversation.  Jesus wasn't asking, and knew his name, so it was the plan all along!  Zacchaeus just wasn't aware.

Jesus wasn't just seeking him, because He knew He could get a good meal at his house, He had eternal purposes, namely salvation.

I am reminded of the story of the lost sheep (See Luke 15:3), where Jesus describes leaving the 99 to find the lost one, here we have a perfect example of Him finding and saving the lost one. 

This morning I am encouraged that this is still the heart of Jesus!

He knows who are lost, and He is seeking them to save them!

The Lord is working all things to His plan and purpose, and He will leave no one lost that He intends to find.

Thank you Lord that you sought me out and saved me!

Thank You for loving me enough to seek me out!

Thank You for allowing me to welcome You into my life!

Amen and Amen!

The "Receipt" of Our Salvation

This morning I woke up from an interesting dream, and thought there was a theme worth investigating. 

In my dream I had ordered and paid for something online, and picked it up at the store.  I was so excited to see the contents I opened the box right there and walked away to get a better view of the contents.  I was headed out of the store and an employee stopped me and told me I had to pay for the items in my hands. I tried to explain I had already paid for them, but when I went back I couldn't find the box, and I didn't have my phone on me, which would have allowed me to show my order, etc.  He wouldn't let me leave without paying and I wasn't going to pay for something I already owned... and that is where I woke up.

I am always amazed at the countless themes and dreams, sometimes there is a spiritual theme, others not so much.  As I reflected on this dream this morning, it seemed to relate to the Gospel of Grace, vs. religion and works.  Hopefully I can draw the parallels, and uncover some helpful truth. 

In the dream I was effectively missing the receipt, or proof that I paid.  Several stores I have frequented ask to see your receipt upon leaving to verify that you have paid for all the things in your shopping cart, and this store had a similar policy.  The receipt is what says you own the things in your possession, and have a right to them.

As I was thinking about this, I was reminded of a couple of verses in the New Testament where we are told the in-filling of the Holy Spirit is the seal guaranteeing our salvation.  Here are a couple of those verses:

Ephesians 1:13-14 NIV:
[13] "And you also were included in Christ when you heard the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation. When you believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, [14] who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God's possession---to the praise of his glory."

2 Corinthians 1:21-22 NIV:
[21] "Now it is God who makes both us and you stand firm in Christ. He anointed us, [22] set his seal of ownership on us, and put his Spirit in our hearts as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come."

The Greek word that is translated "seal" is the word sphragizo:

4972 sphragízō (from 4973 /sphragís, "a seal") – properly, to seal (affix) with a signet ring or other instrument to stamp (a roller or seal), i.e. to attest ownership, authorizing (validating) what is sealed.

4972 /sphragízō ("to seal") signifies ownership and the full security carried by the backing (full authority) of the owner. "Sealing" in the ancient world served as a "legal signature" which guaranteed the promise (contents) of what was sealed.

In our more common English this would be our receipt or deed of ownership.  According to the verses above, when we receive the Holy Spirit, this is God's mark of ownership over us, the proof that He paid for us, and has ownership and full authority, and backs this with His full authority.  Any debt has been paid, and we are His.  Period! 

In my dream I had paid for the package, but according to the Gospel of Grace, Jesus has paid for all our debts, and salvation is available to those of us who turn to Him, as a free gift.  We can't earn it, can't pay for it, but receive it as a gift of inestimable value.  

The gospel of works, which is really the spirit of religion, would say that we have to earn this gift of salvation, and it is always in danger of being repossessed due to sin.  Thus we must work every day, but at best we are never sure until the moment of our death whether or not we are saved, because we might have built up too much of a debt from all our sins.  Effectively, this is paying for something that has already been paid for by Jesus.

This is one reason the receipt of the Holy Spirit into our hearts is so important, it is proof that we have been paid for by Jesus!  The Holy Spirit in us, guarantees what is to come!  Praise God!  If we have Holy Spirit in us, we can show that receipt to those that would try to make us pay again!    Having the Holy Spirit and operating in His gifts is supposed to help us be at peace regarding our salvation! 

When I pay off my house, or car, or anything, I don't worry that someone will come and take ownership away from me.  There is no debt associated with whatever I fully own, and it is mine.  Holy Spirit is that seal over our lives concerning salvation, which is of far greater worth than any house, car, gem or jewel!

This morning I am encouraged that receiving the Holy Spirit is important in our lives, and apparently the Lord thinks so too (see Acts 1:4-5).  If you have not experienced this filling of the Holy Spirit, I encourage you to ask God to so seal you!  We find in Acts 8 the story of John and Peter going to Samaria to pray for the new believers who had not yet received the Holy Spirit.  If you have not, you can ask other believers to pray for you to receive the Holy Spirit just like they did.

Acts 8:14-17 NIV
[14] "When the apostles in Jerusalem heard that Samaria had accepted the word of God, they sent Peter and John to Samaria. [15] When they arrived, they prayed for the new believers there that they might receive the Holy Spirit, [16] because the Holy Spirit had not yet come on any of them; they had simply been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. [17] Then Peter and John placed their hands on them, and they received the Holy Spirit."

Thank Holy Spirit for leading us, guiding, filling us, empowering us and sealing us!

Amen and Amen!

Why Is It Sin?

Recently I was reflecting on repentance and sin, and the recognition of sin, as the reason we need to repent.  As I was thinking through those themes, I realized that the question why is important, as in "why is something a sin"?   I was reminded of a couple of verses immediately - Matthew 18:2-3 NIV: "He called a little child to him, and placed the child among them. [3] And he said: “Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven."

I remember when my son was in his "why?" stage, he must have asked "why?" close to a hundred times a day.  He wanted to understand the why for everything.  It wasn't enough for us to say because we said so.  I think, we must bring a bit of this attitude to our faith, and to our relationship with the Lord!  He doesn't mind the "why?" and He never rolls his eyes back in His head, after our hundredth question.  

It seems to me that we have unfortunately removed much of the "why?" from our presentation of faith and sin, and specifically as it relates to our relationship with the Lord.  Having the frame-work of a relationship of love, puts many of the listed sins into correct context and allows us to understand why its considered a sin.  Just like certain behaviors and thinking as a single individual are no longer ok or beneficial when married, so are certain thinking and behaviors no longer beneficial for growing our relationship with the Lord.

In other words, if the target is loving God and loving others as Jesus Loves, then anything that distracts us from that target is not helpful, and causes us to sin (miss the mark).

If we take one of the lists from Paul and look at the sins from the framework of relationship with God as being the bullseye, we might be helped.  Here is a list from Paul's letter to the Romans 1:28-31 NIV:

[28 Furthermore, just as they did not think it worthwhile to retain the knowledge of God, so God gave them over to a depraved mind, so that they do what ought not to be done. [29] They have become filled with every kind of wickedness, evil, greed and depravity. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit and malice. They are gossips, [30] slanderers, God-haters, insolent, arrogant and boastful; they invent ways of doing evil; they disobey their parents; [31] they have no understanding, no fidelity, no love, no mercy."

Some of the sins need no further examination, but some of the lesser ones like greed, deceit, gossips, slanderers, arrogance and boasting might require further examination. Looking at these from a command to love 'God and others' does provide helpful perspective, at least to me.

Greed - I am saying I want more that I have been provided and I am ok if others get hurt/less in my pursuit.  I am focused on myself, rather than others. Selfishness is the core motivation, and in the place of selfishness, other relationships will suffer.  I am clearly shooting wide of the mark of loving God and loving others as Jesus loves.  In this case, I am effectively saying I love money more than anything or anyone else.

Deceit - is the purposeful wrongful representation of something, most often for gain of some sort.  It is impossible to have a real relationship based on deceit.  Deceit is mostly focused on the loving others part, as it is impossible to deceive God.  Again the core motivation is selfishness, a withholding of truth for one's own benefit, no matter how badly the one being deceived will be wounded upon finding out the truth.  I think this is also a form of self-idolatry, of thinking one's plans and schemes are better than God, or His plans.  Again, clearly missing the mark!

Gossiping is really a form of judgment and accusation, as is slander.  I think we could say most often this is against others, so missing that part of the bullseye, but I think we could actually add bad theology into this, for when we mis-characterize God, we are essentially spreading a bad report.  The whole point of gossip and slander is to wound another, or to wound their character in the eyes of someone else.  This is clearly missing the mark!

Arrogance and boasting are related and similar in how they miss the mark.  Both seem to me to be a form of self-idolatry, and judging of others.  When we misrepresent ourselves, or present ourselves as better than we are, or judge others as less then ourselves, we are again missing the mark of loving as Jesus loved, and Loving God first.  Jesus, although the perfect son of God, and representation of Him, never seemed to minister in arrogance or boasting, in fact He chose purposely over and over to stay out of the lime-light, ministering to the poor and lowly, rather the rich and famous.  He knew who he was, yet served others, even to the washing of feet.  Treating others as 'less than' is clearly missing that mark.  Taking pride in one's own abilities to that level is also taking credit for what God did, for He is our creator.  When this is in our heart and mind, we aren't looking at God, and thus need to repent (turn-around).

I could continue on with the list, but this reflection has been quite helpful to me in understanding the why of these sins. I think if I spend more time listening to the Lord, and ask Him to bring revelation of those areas where I am clearly missing the mark, I will find He is faithful to help me see, and change.  His desire is that we embrace our relationship with Him, and represent Him well to others by loving them as He does, and He is a good teacher.  I find that His guidance to me is most-often very gentle and encouraging me, which is exactly how I see Him acting towards sinners, in need of repentance.  It is my  choice to think and act differently, and He provides me the reason for me to do so!

Oh Lord, help us to see our lives, our actions and thoughts in light of our relationship to You, how we love You and Your other daughters and sons.  Help us to recognize when we are missing the mark, that we might choose to think and act differently!

Amen!

Repentance ISN"T A Bad Word!

Yesterday, while having breakfast with a good friend, we were talking briefly about the state of the Church, and I said something that caught my attention, and I figured I would spend some time digging into it this morning.  We were talking about the watering-down of the Gospel, and  how some churches are trying to woo people with good programs, music, etc. and no longer are presenting the whole Gospel, and how some are almost afraid to speak about sin. My comment was, "repentance isn't a bad word, in fact repentance is the path we all took to salvation!"  As soon as I said that, I realized it would be a worthy bit for reflection, so here goes...

The very first thing we should do is define both repentance and sin, for our use of these words has become somewhat detached from their true meaning, at least in my opinion.  For a proper definition, I thin it helpful to go back to the original language of scripture for the New Testament, which is Greek.  Although Jesus spoke in Aramaic, it was recorded  by the authors of the Gospels in Greek.  The following defitions are from Strong's.

The Greek word translated repentance is metanoeo:

3340 metanoéō (from 3326 /metá, "changed after being with" and 3539 /noiéō, "think") – properly, "think differently after," "after a change of mind"; to repent (literally, "think differently afterwards").  

The Greek word translated sin is hamartia:

266 hamartía (a feminine noun derived from 1 /A "not" and 3313 /méros, "a part, share of") – properly, no-share ("no part of"); loss (forfeiture) because not hitting the target; sin (missing the mark).

If we put these together, repentance for sin could be defined as thinking differently after we missed the mark or the target, which is not so scary at all!  

It seems that we have turned sin into a guarantee of punishment from God for being bad.  Repentance has become this term of judgment, where we require people who are bad to change before we accept them or let them into the church.  Both of those statements might be a bit extreme, but think about how we have heard them preached about or used in the church?

Going back to the term used for sin, if it means missing the mark, the question is what is the mark, or target that we should be aiming at?  Is it a list of good or acceptable behavior?  Is it the Law of the Covenant? Is it the absense of any of the lists of sins provided by Jesus or authors of the New Testament? 

If we go back to the conversation Jesus had with an expert of the law found in all three Synoptic Gospel's, I think we can begin to understand what the target is for our life.  Here is the version of the occurrence from Luke 10:25-27 NIV:

[25] "On one occasion an expert in the law stood up to test Jesus. “Teacher,” he asked, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?” 

[26] “What is written in the Law?” he replied. “How do you read it?” 

[27] He answered, “ 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind' ; and, 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' ”

Jesus commended the man for his response, and at the heart of both statements is the relational word love.  We are commanded to love God and love others.  Jesus actually gave us a New Commandment in John 13:34 NIV:  “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another."  

Again, the new command is to love as Jesus loved, the old commands were to love God and love others.  I think love might just be the mark or the target!  So rather than a long laundry list of sins or wrong behavior, maybe our target should be focused on loving God and loving others.  If this is the case, then missing the mark would be behavior or, more importantly, a heart attitude that is not doing so, not loving God, or not loving people as Jesus loves them!  

The problem for many with this definition, is it seems we are always missing the bullseye, or at least I know in my case this is the case.  If I reflect back over my day, I will see all sorts of times that my actions, words, or thoughts were not loving towards God or others. 

If my definition of sin makes me think I am going to be punished for my sin, my outlook on life would be very grim with this type of definition.

This opens my eyes to a bigger problem with this type of definition: 

We can't judge people's sin, if we can't identify it, and we don't know whats in other people's hearts.

We can't keep score of how we are making progress, or how pure we are with this type of definition.

Rules are easier!

Relationships are multifaceted, and unique, and difficult to judge!

How do we know what sin is?

I believe these are some of the reasons so many have preached the rules version, and have caused us to lose the relational context.

Going back to the earlier theme of repentance, if this definition of sin is correct, 'missing the mark of loving God and loving one another as Jesus loves', then repentance is choosing to think or act differently, after looking at the facts of our life realizing that we have failed in loving as commanded.  In other words, after reviewing the day, looking at the evidence of our activity and thoughts and choosing to do better tomorrow, and then actually working throughout the next day to do better!   

That is not scary at all, in fact I would argue that it is actually really healthy!

I would like to propose that repentance is actually the healthiest this we can do!  I repent multiple times a day, as I realize my thoughts or actions aren't in line with loving God or others as Jesus loves them!  I am constantly realizing that I am judging people in my heart, mind and even words, and deciding to change!  That is repentance!

Repentance is the path towards being more like Christ.  It is in viewing my thoughts and actions and realizing that I am not acting as He would and then changing one or both, so that I might be more like Him!  This is repentance!  

As a Christian, a follower of Christ, as one working to emulate, and represent Him in our daily walk,  I think repentance must be our daily, even hourly practice.  I don't need ashes and sackcloth and a sad look on my face,  I need to recognize I can do better (think) and then choose to actually do better.

Repentance is also the door through which we all came to salvation!  At some point we recognized (had a thought) that we needed relationship with God, that our present life was not leading towards life, towards Him.  We made a choice and changed!  One could say that in that moment, we hit the bulls-eye, we chose to love God, chose to be in relationship with Him!  We chose Him over our situation, our life circumstances, our own selfish idea of how to live.  

Jesus through His death, Resurrection and Ascension made this all possible!  He opened the way for relationship with God, He enabled us to actually hit the bulls-eye!  

Oh, that we might embrace the relational context of our faith and stop treating ourselves and others like we are rule breakers!  It is about relationship, and at the very center is the Lord!   

Let us press forward, embracing the invitation to change, the opportunity to become more like Him!  Let us learn to love Him and others!  Let us recognize when we are missing the mark, and choose to do better!  Let us embrace this opportunity for repentance for it is the pathway to Him!  Repentance isn't a bad word at all!

Amen and Amen!

How The Lord Deals With Failure

This morning I am reflecting on the time the disciples were not able to heal the epileptic boy, it is found in all 3 of the synoptic Gospels, and Mark and Matthew place the event very close to the end of Jesus ministry, Luke has the event towards the end, but adds some thing not found in Mark and Matthew, the sending out of the 72 following this event.  I wanted to look at the connection, for it is my conjecture that the Lord didn't want that event and failure to be their last experience of ministry, before His Passion and Death.  

Here is the story as Luke recorded it... this immediately follows Jesus transfiguration - Luke 9:37-43a NIV:

[37] "The next day, when they came down from the mountain, a large crowd met him. [38] A man in the crowd called out, “Teacher, I beg you to look at my son, for he is my only child. [39] A spirit seizes him and he suddenly screams; it throws him into convulsions so that he foams at the mouth. It scarcely ever leaves him and is destroying him. [40] I begged your disciples to drive it out, but they could not.” 

[41] “You unbelieving and perverse generation,” Jesus replied, “how long shall I stay with you and put up with you? Bring your son here.” 

[42] Even while the boy was coming, the demon threw him to the ground in a convulsion. But Jesus rebuked the impure spirit, healed the boy and gave him back to his father. [43] And they were all amazed at the greatness of God."

Mark adds an interesting note in his version - Mark 9:28-29 NIV: "After Jesus had gone indoors, his disciples asked him privately, “Why couldn't we drive it out?” [29] He replied, “This kind can come out only by prayer. ”

While I could focus on Jesus' response in Luke 9:41, which I have looked at previously, I wanted to reflect on the impact this would have had on the disciples.  Mark adds another note to the beginning of the story which is pertinent - Mark 9:14 NIV: "When they came to the other disciples, they saw a large crowd around them and the teachers of the law arguing with them."  The argument was about the fact that they couldn't heal the boy.  Not only were the disciples unable to heal, but they were being verbally attacked about their failure.  They were obviously concerned, and following the healing they asked Jesus about it in private.  Jesus gave them insight and understanding, and I am sure that lit a bit of a fire in the disciples to make sure that didn't happen to them again... at least I know I would feel that way, but then again, fear of man and fear of failure can sometimes cause the opposite affect, the withdrawing, and not risking failure again.  

I imagine that this particular case had really caused a certain level of fear and confusion.  I can imagine that they had each taken a shot at healing the boy and none had been successful.  We do know that Peter, James and John were with Jesus, so they hadn't had a chance to take their shot, but I think probably the others had...  and then the teachers of the law started in on them! I think it was more concerning than we read.

Anyway, the real question is how did the Lord handle this situation?  In Luke 10, the following chapter, we find these verses - Luke 10:1-2,17-21 NIV:

[1] After this the Lord appointed seventy-two others and sent them two by two ahead of him to every town and place where he was about to go. [2] He told them, “The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field. 

[17] The seventy-two returned with joy and said, “Lord, even the demons submit to us in your name.” 

[18] He replied, “I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven. [19] I have given you authority to trample on snakes and scorpions and to overcome all the power of the enemy; nothing will harm you. [20] However, do not rejoice that the spirits submit to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven.” 

[21] At that time Jesus, full of joy through the Holy Spirit, said, “I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and learned, and revealed them to little children. Yes, Father, for this is what you were pleased to do."

What a wonderful follow-on to the events in previous chapter.  Jesus instead of allowing them to wallow in their failure, sends them and a whole bunch more out on their own to minister.  They come back rejoicing in that they had been victorious in confronting demons when they stood under the name of Jesus!  Jesus proclaimed that He saw satan fall as a result of their ministry!  What a complete and total reversal!  

I am so encouraged by the way the Lord dealt with their failure, He gave them a second chance, and sent them out!  He didn't require them to go back through the healing course again, the casting out demons course, or require an extended time of fasting and prayer.  He looked them in the eyes and said, "you got this, minister in my name and you will be fine!'  He sent them out as His heralds, going to all the places He intended to visit (at least 36 towns or villages) and they all were successful, as far as we know.  

I find Jesus last statement in verse 21 particularly helpful.  Jesus in praying to His Father said, "You have hidden these things from the wise and learned, and revealed them to little children."  I think this references the previous tussle the disciples had with the teachers of the law!  I also think it sets a very nice example of the requirements to follow Jesus, be like little children.  Advanced education, learning and training isn't required, but instead we are to look to Jesus and allow Him to reveal the hidden truths, and then go do what He tells us to do!

Oh Lord, help me to hear Your words and be encouraged!  Help me to press past my own fear and failure into simple obedience.  Help me to still the religious accusations in my own head, and believe that in Your Name, and as Your representative, that I can minister as well!

Amen and Amen!

Dry Prayer, Not!

Continuing the theme of relationship with the Lord, this morning I was reading Peter's second letter.  Listen how he starts his letter -

2 Peter 1:1-3 NIV:

[1] "Simon Peter, a servant and apostle of Jesus Christ, To those who through the righteousness of our God and Savior Jesus Christ have received a faith as precious as ours: [2] Grace and peace be yours in abundance through the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord.

[3] His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness."

Once again I am struck by the use of the Greek word that was translated as knowledge.  The word used here is "epignosis" and the here is part of the entry from the online interlinear guide I use, https://biblehub.com/greek/1922.htm

Cognate: 1922 epígnōsis (from 1909 /epí, "on, fitting" which intensifies 1108 /gnṓsis, "knowledge gained through first-hand relationship") – properly, "contact-knowledge" that is appropriate ("apt, fitting") to first-hand, experiential knowing. This is defined by the individual context. See 1921 (epignōskō).

Peter says knowledge gained through personal first-hand relationship of God and Our Lord Jesus Christ is key to our grace and peace.  This personal, first-hand knowledge is also the doorway through which we access His divine power which provides everything we need for a godly life. I am definitely seeing a pattern here!  :-)

The Passion Translation is a bit more descriptive, but still missing the personal first-hand knowledge - 2 Peter 1:2-3 TPT

[2] "May grace and perfect peace cascade over you as you live in the rich knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord.

[3] Everything we could ever need for life and complete devotion to God has already been deposited in us by his divine power. For all this was lavished upon us through the rich experience of knowing him who has called us by name and invited us to come to him through a glorious manifestation of his goodness."

Again, if this personal, first-hand knowledge of the Lord is possible for any of us, it should be available to all of us!  Peter is writing, and so we could say He had the personal, first-hand experience, but his invitation and encouragement is to all believers.  He wrote this letter near the end of his life, so about 30 years after Jesus ascended.  Those he was writing to clearly would not all have met Jesus personally during His earthly ministry, thus we must understand that this same knowledge and personal first-hand experience is available to them, and thus must be available to us, for Jesus is just as present today as He was 30 years after His Ascension.

This is the invitation I respond to daily, the reason my faith doesn't become dry, I know Him through personal first-hand experience, and continue to press into knowing Him more and more.  There is no lack in His character, no end of who He is, so every day I encounter Him in slightly different ways, with different conversation flows.  Often times I encounter the beginning of our conversation in scripture, and from there the conversation flows.  I don't hear the audible voice of the Lord, but recognize His quiet voice, flowing into my thoughts, as well as flowing out of verses of scripture as I respond to His direction on where to read next, or remember other verses from my previous reading.

Learning to listen and hear is key to our relationship with the Lord, and that is why a time of quiet, is so helpful.  I usually spend the first few minutes getting the thoughts out of my mind, so that I can be less distracted, and then turn my attention to Him.  The Lord is always faithful, and always ready to speak, it is me who has to work to pay attention and listen.

It is my prayer that all of us may grow in our depth of knowledge of the Lord through personal, first-hand experience.  He is always loving, merciful, understanding and encouraging, and waiting for us to turn our attention to Him. 

Blessings,

Sam

The Foundation Is Relationship

Recently, while walking our dog, I had this idea that the issue with religion is that it takes away relationship.  I was thinking that if we were to reframe the basics of our faith through a relational paradigm, even reading scripture from that perspective, it would be helpful to people.  I was reminded of that as I was reading from John 17:1-5 NIV:

[1] "After Jesus said this, he looked toward heaven and prayed:
“Father, the hour has come. Glorify your Son, that your Son may glorify you. [2] For you granted him authority over all people that he might give eternal life to all those you have given him. [3] Now this is eternal life: that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent. [4] I have brought you glory on earth by finishing the work you gave me to do. [5] And now, Father, glorify me in your presence with the glory I had with you before the world began."

I write about the relational context of my faith all the time because that is the absolute foundation of my faith.  I don't have faith in the rules, the teaching, the practice of Christianity, I have a living relationship with the Lord.  I spend more time in dialogue with the Lord than I do anyone else.  My thoughts are often about Him, I am asking questions throughout the day, and often praying in the Spirit, as well.  This may be strange to some, but I do believe that this is exactly what Jesus spoke about over and over again.

Historically, God treated Israel as His people, and took that relationship personally.  For instance in the book of Hosea, He compared the Jewish people to a spouse who was a prostitute (see Hosea 1:2) because they were constantly casting their affection on other Gods, other nations. Almost the whole of the Old Testament is a record of God's interaction with a chosen people, starting with Abraham.  His intention was to lead the nation, but they wanted human kings (See 1 Samuel 8:6-8).  There was always intent for relationship from God's side, but the people kept messing up, losing sight of this.

When Jesus came, I think one of the real issues that He dealt with continually was the unfamiliarity of the people with the relational context.  It had been over 300 years since they had heard a prophetic voice, and religion at this point was just rules.  When Jesus came as Messiah they were all thinking He would become King and lead them as a King leads people.  Instead Jesus came not so much leading, as living amongst them, expressing love, choosing specific followers.  Rather than distinguishing Himself in battle or popularity, He loved and ministered to the poor, sick, sinners and the like. He met, talked to, and touched people individually.  The core of His whole ministry was relationship, and He was bridging that relationship gap between us and the Father.  The writer of Hebrews states that He was the perfect representation of the Father (See Heb 1:3), and that is exactly what Jesus was doing in His ministry, showing us what a personal relationship with God looked like. 

Going back to the verses from John 17, in Jesus' final prayer, He is talking about the nature of Eternal life being that we know the Father and His son Jesus.  This knowing is the same word that is used to describe marital intimacy.  Here is something I found online: 1097 ginṓskō – properly, to know, especially through personal experience (first-hand acquaintance). 1097 /ginṓskō ("experientially know") is used for example in Lk 1:34, "And Mary [a virgin] said to the angel, 'How will this be since I do not know (1097 /ginṓskō = sexual intimacy) a man?'" ( https://biblehub.com/greek/1097.htm). 

I don't know how much more relational Jesus could have made it... this is the key, relationship, knowing another through personal experience. 

It seems to me that through the ages we have lost some this perspective, as the Church has tried to guide and help, she has sometimes lost focus on what is really important.  Throughout History revivals have come about when people experience God's personal touch upon their lives once again!  There are times when God sovereignly visits a people in an area and many people have experiences of God unlike anything they have had previously!  This creates a fire of desire in others to experience God in the same way.  People rush to wherever to experience God, and when they go back home they often spread the contagion, which is personal experience!  They come away knowing God in a new and personal way, and many lives are changed!

Oh, that the invitation of the church would be "come and meet Jesus!"

We often hear sermons on what we should do, or not do, but rarely do we hear about one's real relationship with Jesus.  We are supposed to introduce people to Jesus, to show them how to live in relationship with Him. The whole impetus of our pursuing some level of purity, is actually supposed to come from the place of pure love, pure relationship, desiring only Him, it is not supposed to be holding to some list of behaviors that someone decided were important. 

In the same way that my love and relationship with my wife causes me to desire only her, to love her, to think about her, to do things to please her, we are meant to live our lives in relationship with the Lord!  Our lives of faith should be fueled and driven by Love for Him.  It is only in personal relationship that this context is developed. 

When Jesus ministered and healed people, they knew that God had touched their life!  They knew that He saw them, knew them, knew their need and reached into this world and touched them.  This is what I think church should be about, the invitation to encounter the Lord personally, the sharing of our personal interactions with Him.  Its not supposed to be the experience of a chosen few, we are all invited to be sons and daughters of the God, and as such we each have the availability of direct relationship!   He treats all of us uniquely, and while my description of my faith might be helpful to some, it is unique to me. 

There are ebbs and flows to all relationships, times of greater and lesser intimacy, but as in the case of my relationship with my wife of almost 37 years, it should always be deepening, growing, and becoming more and more important.  We are not supposed to reach a relational plateau in our relationship with God, we are called deeper and higher always!

My prayer today is that I come to know the Lord more and more!  My prayer is that we all would learn what it means to be the daughter and son of God!  My prayer is that we might say that we know Him!

Oh Lord, help us!  That we might know You,  Father, Son and Holy Spirit!!

Hope for Utterly Dry Bones!

Yesterday as we ended our service there were some real encouragements in the Lord to press in, to resurrect those things that maybe we have given up on in our life.  At the very end, the Lord reminded me of Ezekiel 37, the dry bones prophecy.  I think it is worth rereading and reflection, allowing the Lord to breathe into our lives His breath!

Ezekiel 37:1-14 NIV:

[1] "The hand of the Lord was on me, and he brought me out by the Spirit of the Lord and set me in the middle of a valley; it was full of bones. [2] He led me back and forth among them, and I saw a great many bones on the floor of the valley, bones that were very dry. [3] He asked me, “Son of man, can these bones live? I said, “Sovereign Lord, you alone know. ” 

[4] Then he said to me, “Prophesy to these bones and say to them, 'Dry bones, hear the word of the Lord! [5] This is what the Sovereign Lord says to these bones: I will make breath enter you, and you will come to life. [6] I will attach tendons to you and make flesh come upon you and cover you with skin; I will put breath in you, and you will come to life. Then you will know that I am the Lord. ' ” 

[7] So I prophesied as I was commanded. And as I was prophesying, there was a noise, a rattling sound, and the bones came together, bone to bone. [8] I looked, and tendons and flesh appeared on them and skin covered them, but there was no breath in them. 

[9] Then he said to me, “Prophesy to the breath; prophesy, son of man, and say to it, 'This is what the Sovereign Lord says: Come, breath, from the four winds and breathe into these slain, that they may live.' ” [10] So I prophesied as he commanded me, and breath entered them; they came to life and stood up on their feet---a vast army.

[11] Then he said to me: “Son of man, these bones are the people of Israel. They say, 'Our bones are dried up and our hope is gone; we are cut off.' [12] Therefore prophesy and say to them: 'This is what the Sovereign Lord says: My people, I am going to open your graves and bring you up from them; I will bring you back to the land of Israel. [13] Then you, my people, will know that I am the Lord, when I open your graves and bring you up from them. [14] I will put my Spirit in you and you will live, and I will settle you in your own land. Then you will know that I the Lord have spoken, and I have done it, declares the Lord. ' ”

As I started reading these verses I stopped at the end of the second verse, "bones that were very dry."  I started to reflect on this statement. 

I suspect these bones were very dry, as in no marrow, no flesh, no nothing, old and weathered, gray and without any life or even possibility of life.  

The Hebrew word translated very, is defined by Strong's as follows:

diligently, especially, exceedingly, far, fast, good, greatly, louder and louder,

From the same as 'uwd; properly, vehemence, i.e. (with or without preposition) vehemently; by implication, wholly, speedily, etc. (often with other words as an intensive or superlative; especially when repeated) -- diligently, especially, exceeding(-ly), far, fast, good, great(-ly), X louder and louder, might(-ily, -y), (so) much, quickly, (so) sore, utterly, very (+ much, sore), well.

I think maybe the word from above that describes these bones best is "utterly" dry.

I love Ezekiel's response when the Lord asks him if these bones can live, "Sovereign Lord, You alone know."   He had enough experience with the Lord to know that with Lord anything was possible.  He knew enough to know that if the Lord was asking a question of Him, the Lord had some revelation He was leading him into!

In this case, "dead isn't dead to the Lord!"

The bones weren't even buried, they had been lying in the sun, being bleached out, picked over by scavengers, all life, all moisture, every ounce of usefulness removed and gone.  I think these bones represented a great battle that had been lost, and it was so humiliating of a defeat that those that died there were forgotten, not even buried, purged from the memory, as the story was too painful to revisit or remember.  

These bones were long dead, forgotten, and of no use to anyone!

The question was given to the prophet, can these bones live?

The answer given had just a little bit of faith, today we would say, "I don't know Lord, what do you think?"

That little bit of faith was enough to release the next word of the Lord, which was the promise of restoration, the prophecy which gave direction, and authority to command what the Lord was going to do!  

I feel this is where we are, the Lord is releasing His word anew!  

Those bones were once people, once people living with promises of life, provision and health.  Even the memories of those promises were dead, but they were not dead to the Lord!  He was renewing them, refreshing them and bringing them back to life!  

I believe we are in a season, a renewing season!  I believe the Lord is going to remind us of things long forgotten, long dead.  He is going to breathe on us, and places that were once painful memories of absolute defeat, will become places of victory and abundant life!

No memory or promise is too dead! 

No death and destruction is outside the reach of the Lord!

What statement have we agreed with, like the people of Israel, "Our bones are dried up and our hope is gone; we are cut off"?

The Lord is about proving our judgments of Him wrong!  

Oh Lord breathe on us, restore hope long lost, promises so dead that they are not even remembered!  Restore life  to those areas long abandoned, long forgotten, long without life!

Come Lord Jesus!  Come Holy Spirit!  Come Father!  

Stir us up, cause faith to rise up, even if it is just the smallest faith, and breathe on us!  That all may know that You are the only true God!

Amen and Amen and Amen!  Hear the Word of the Lord!

Touched and Changed

This morning I have been reading from Matthew's Gospel.  Sometimes I just want to reflect on Jesus, and the way His life impacted others.  Today my verses are Matthew 9:27-33 NIV:

[27] As Jesus went on from there, two blind men followed him, calling out, “Have mercy on us, Son of David!” 

[28] When he had gone indoors, the blind men came to him, and he asked them, “Do you believe that I am able to do this?” “Yes, Lord,” they replied. 

[29] Then he touched their eyes and said, “According to your faith let it be done to you”; [30] and their sight was restored. Jesus warned them sternly, “See that no one knows about this.” [31] But they went out and spread the news about him all over that region. 

[32] While they were going out, a man who was demon-possessed and could not talk was brought to Jesus. [33] And when the demon was driven out, the man who had been mute spoke. The crowd was amazed and said, “Nothing like this has ever been seen in Israel.”

There are a couple of things to note, first the blind men went to Jesus, and followed Him, and the mute man was brought to Jesus.  There is a faith movement that happens in the pursuit of, or going towards Jesus.  My conjecture is that these blind men had been searching for Jesus for a while.   This incident happened in Jesus' hometown of Capernaum, where He had moved after starting public ministry.  He had just been to the Synagogue leaders house to heal his daughter and was returning home.  The blind men must have been waiting for him, which means they had positioned themselves near where they had heard Jesus, who was a miracle worker, lived.  

Oftentimes when I read stories like these I like to reflect on the back-story, that which is not written, but can be surmised from the circumstances.  Blind men were generally beggars in Jewish society.  Just like today, beggars learned that to be more effective they needed to be in high-traffic areas, the more affluent the better.  I don't see Jesus living in a high-rent district in Capernaum.  If that is the case, then they must have been trying to locate him, following directions given to them, maybe even made a pact with each other to find this "Jesus".   This is in response to a glimmer of faith that they had in their heart, it might have been the faintest glimmer, but they believed there was a chance of them being healed if they found Him.  Even the slimmest of chances was worth pursuing, as life as a beggar was not good.  

As we know from John 9, they idea that people who were blind, deaf, or otherwise stricken were viewed with suspicion and judgment.  Either they or their parents were sinners (See John 9: 1-2). Thus, while many people might have given them money, the general opinion was they they had somehow earned this condition as punishment.  What a terrible sentence and judgment to live under...

Back to the blind-men, they finally get in front of Jesus and then He heals them!  Talk about changed lives!  Matthew says he sternly warned them to keep His healing of them secret, but instead they spread the news about him all over the region!!  

My initial desire was to reflect on how Jesus impacted the lives of those He met, and here we see a very good example!!  They couldn't stop talking about Him!  The formerly blind men went all over the region, maybe so they could see the wonders that they could now see, but in the midst of their travels, the subject of their conversation was always how Jesus had healed them.  Their lives were radically different, where before they were judged by society, now they were seen as favored by God!  They could see and interact and maybe even start a trade, rather then beg!    Their eyes were opened to the beauty all around them, and they were opening the eyes and ears of others to the wonder of God's touch through Jesus!

I love it!

Lord, I pray that I might bear witness to Your love, your touch, and in so doing that I might help people hear about you!  I pray that I might reflect the change that Your touch has brought to my life!

Amen!

How Does God Respond to Defilement?

The last few days I have been percolating on the following reflection.  

Earlier this week I felt led to read from Mark chapter 7.  It is always interesting uncovering what it is that the Lord wants me to reflect upon. Here are the verses - Mark 7:17-23 NIV:

[17] "After he had left the crowd and entered the house, his disciples asked him about this parable. [18] “Are you so dull?” he asked. “Don't you see that nothing that enters a person from the outside can defile them? [19] For it doesn't go into their heart but into their stomach, and then out of the body.” (In saying this, Jesus declared all foods clean.) 

[20] He went on: “What comes out of a person is what defiles them. [21] For it is from within, out of a person's heart, that evil thoughts come---sexual immorality, theft, murder, [22] adultery, greed, malice, deceit, lewdness, envy, slander, arrogance and folly. [23] All these evils come from inside and defile a person.”

This whole section, and the discussion before the quoted verses above seem rather benign today, but think about how this statement must have seemed to the Jews whose whole lives were affected by the dietary and cleanliness laws of their faith.  We still see some of this dietary practice today, and it is amazing to me that after these statements by Jesus that the apostles and other disciples maintained any semblance of adherence to the dietary laws.  

We do find in Acts 15:28-29, the council in Jerusalem essentially stating that Gentiles didn't need to follow the majority of the dietary laws of the Jews, and that was probably still shocking to the Jews.  It is a difficult thing to put away patterns of life that have been established for hundreds if not a thousand years.  There always seems to be a group that thinks the old ways are better, and make one more pure, or a better follower of God.  This religious spirit is difficult to discern and root-out, but at the core it is judgment.

What always caused me to stop are all of the other sources of defilement that Jesus Himself gives us.  Most of them we would completely agree with, but there are some that many don't see as defiling today.  The last word - folly is an interesting one. The Greek is defined as follows by Strong's Exhaustive Concordance:

folly, foolishly.

From aphron; senselessness, i.e. (euphemistically) egotism; (morally) recklessness -- folly, foolishly(-ness).

This senselessness (Not thinking something through, or just being totally focused on oneself), along with greed, deceit, envy, slander and arrogance seem to be all around us in our culture today.  According to Jesus these are not just poor character-traits, but they bring a defilement to one's heart.  

Defilement or uncleanness, as understood by the Jews is not a commonly used term today by the majority of the world.  The word actually means to make common, and the Jews were supposed to be anything but common. 

I found the following helpful:  "Generally, the Mosaic Law spoke of something as “unclean” if it was unfit to use in worship to God. Being “clean” or “unclean” was a ceremonial designation governing the ritual of corporate worship. For example, there were certain animals, like pigs, considered unclean and therefore not to be used in sacrifices (Leviticus 5:2); and there were certain actions, like touching a dead body, that made a living person unclean and temporarily unable to participate in the worship ceremony (Leviticus 5:3).

While a wide variety of circumstances could make a person, animal, or item unclean, the majority of the laws outlined activities disqualifying a person or animal in connection with the tabernacle offerings. An animal offered for sacrifice had to be without defect. The person who offered the sacrifice also had to be “clean” before the Law; i.e., the worshiper had to comply with the Law and approach God with reverence."  ( https://www.gotquestions.org/Bible-unclean.html)

I was thinking about this more, and there is a teaching that I heard a long-time ago that said our sin caused God to separate Himself from us, as He wouldn't choose to dwell with or be near a sinful person. This is clearly related to the Old Testament teaching, found in Genesis when God expels Adam and Eve from the garden for their sin.  We hear this echoed in the following verses from Isaiah 59:1-2 NIV:  "Surely the arm of the Lord is not too short to save, nor his ear too dull to hear. [2] But your iniquities have separated you from your God; your sins have hidden his face from you, so that he will not hear."  I think this is very similar to the idea of uncleanliness and defilement causing you to not be able to participate in the corporate worship.

The question to me is whether this is true today under the New Covenant?  Jesus clearly discusses defilement, and includes a list of things that are internally motivated.  The question I have is whether He would stay away from one who is defiled, as described in the verse from Isaiah above?  

That is really the heart of the question.  Does God remove himself from our presence if we are defiled and sinners?

My first reaction is no, He does not.  A couple of different stories and verses come to mind, Jesus touching and healing the leper, (Matt 8:2-4), the story of the Prodigal (Luke 15:11-31) and the story of the sinful woman anointing Jesus' feet (Luke 7:36-50).  Each of these represent a time that a clearly defiled person (using the Jewish definition, and even Jesus' refined definition of defilement), interacted with Jesus (Or in the story, the Father), and Jesus was absolutely not removing Himself from the presence of the defiled one.  We know that Jesus dined with sinners (Matt 9:10-13) and when questioned about that (for the Pharisees thought God, an certainly the Messiah would separate themselves from the sinful) replied, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. But go and learn what this means: 'I desire mercy, not sacrifice.' For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.”

These verses and stories seem to indicate the exact opposite of the verse from Isaiah, but when we look closely at the verses from Isaiah, we see that the one that turned away is actually the sinner, not God. In effect, they have turned their gaze from God, and He has become hidden from their sight because they are looking in the wrong direction.  Repentance means to turn around, and act differently, and if we applied that to the people addressed in Isaiah, they would see God!! 

This morning, I am greatly encouraged that the Lord does not separate Himself from us when we sin or defile ourselves.  It is then that we need Him more than ever, reaching to us, touching us and helping us to see our state.  He might tell us to turn around, that our sinfulness is causing us to look at the wrong thing, or in the wrong direction.  Jesus came to the world of sinners out of love, He didn't reject them, He called them to change,  because He loved them.

Oh Lord, help us to demonstrate Your love to those around us in need of a changed perspective. 

Amen and Amen.

Its About Love

This morning I felt led to pickup my reflection in the same chapter as I was reading yesterday.  I love the simplicity of these passages from Paul's letter to the Romans 13:8-11 NIV:

[8] "Let no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to love one another, for whoever loves others has fulfilled the law. [9] The commandments, “You shall not commit adultery,” “You shall not murder,” “You shall not steal,” “You shall not covet,” and whatever other command there may be, are summed up in this one command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” [10] Love does no harm to a neighbor. Therefore love is the fulfillment of the law. 

[11] And do this, understanding the present time: The hour has already come for you to wake up from your slumber, because our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed."

Often we miss some of the transition statements that I think are so important. In verse 11, Paul is pointing back to verses 8-10, and giving the reason we should pay attention to his encouragements.  We shouldn't read the Bible straight through, it is meant to be read backwards, forwards, back and forth between related passages, and as a complete work.  If we don't we miss important things, we miss connections, and we take things out of context, not just in the surrounding passages but in the overall perspective of the complete Gospel.  

We should read the Old Testament in light of the revelation of Jesus, and read the New Testament in light of the revelation of Jesus.  We must be familiar with Him, first and foremost.  If we are to clothe ourselves in Him, we must know Him, intimately, have experience with Him, and know how He will respond.

I am reminded of my relationship with my honey.  I can generally tell you how she will react, even sometimes what she will say.  I have spent 37 years getting to know her, and yet there are times that she surprises me.  In the same way that there is still more to my honey to know, and appreciate, I will never stop learning about Jesus, knowing Him, experiencing Him.  Because I know my wife so well, I can represent her in most situations.  It is my goal to be able to do the same of Jesus.

Going back to the preceding verses, Paul echoes our Command from Jesus and it is so simple, and yet so complete.  

We are to love one another!  

We are to love one another the way He loves us!  

We are to love one another the way we love ourselves!

As I read those three simple statements, I see the issue for many of us.  We struggle with one of all of those statements.  We may not love ourselves, we may not know how the Lord loves us, and we struggle with loving others for these simple reasons. 

If we are self-critical, how can we look at others in any different light?

If we think that we are unlovable, how can we love others better?

If we think we are too damaged, or too sinful, or too whatever to be loved by Jesus, we don't know Jesus, and we will struggle to represent His love to others.

Oh Lord, the world needs Your love!  Help us to know You, to know Your Love, to love ourselves, and to love one another with this love!

Amen and Amen!

Clothe Yourselves With Jesus

This morning I felt led to read from Romans, Chapter 13.  While there are a few things that I could reflect on in this chapter, the last line was what stood out.  Here is the last paragraph for context - Romans 13:11-14 NIV:

[11] "And do this, understanding the present time: The hour has already come for you to wake up from your slumber, because our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed. [12] The night is nearly over; the day is almost here. So let us put aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light. [13] Let us behave decently, as in the daytime, not in carousing and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and debauchery, not in dissension and jealousy. [14] Rather, clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ, and do not think about how to gratify the desires of the flesh."

The idea of clothing ourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ is such a perfect picture of how our Christian witness should impact our life.  Our representation of Christ should be the first thing that people notice about us!  

Wow, that is a real challenge!

That got me thinking, what do people first notice about me?

What did people first notice about Jesus?

How can I learn to emulate and embrace the Lord's heart and attitude towards others?

How can I learn to take time for others, see them as He sees them?

How can I look at and speak to others the way Jesus did?

How am I able to more clearly hear the Father's direction, so that my actions and words are from Him?

What about my present persona is not of Jesus?

How can I change to more effectively bear witness to Him, without it becoming religious?

Lord, there is much to think about here!  Help me to learn to clothe myself in You, to represent You in all I say and do throughout the day!  I do want people's first experience of me to be You!

Amen and Amen!