Whatever I Do, In Word Or Deed

This morning I was continuing my reading from Paul's letter to the Colossians.  I do enjoy reading large chunks of the Bible, as it helps to provide a larger canvas of thought and perspective that you sometimes don't see if you are just reading a couple verses per day.  Anyway, I was reading in the third chapter, going over some familiar verses and one particular verse caught my attention.  Here are that verses and some additional verses for context - Colossians 3:15-17,23-24 NIV:

[15] "Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. [16] Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts. [17] And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him." 

[23] "Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters, [24] since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving."

The verse that I am focused on today is seventeen, and the reality of what Paul wrote just registered with me in a new way, specifically "do it in the name of the Lord Jesus."  This really caused me to stop and consider my daily activities, what I do for work, and in my leisure, how I daily spend my time, my waking hours.  Paul's encouragement is that whatever we do, whatever we say, we do this in Jesus name.  As in, 'we do and say these things as if we were directly representing Jesus'.  

That certainly caused me to stop and reflect, for I would say that some number of my daily activities, words and thoughts, would not be found in Jesus, would not be endorsed by Jesus, and thus could not "done in Jesus' name"!  

If I take this thought and apply it to my present job and employer, in my day I work for my company 8-10 hours and during those hours I am conscious that I am working for my company and my words (my emails, and texts) and actions are being done in the name of my company.  However, during off hours, or on breaks, I have time to spend the way I want, or in my name, representing my own personally wants, needs and ideas.  

Paul is saying that all of this, both work time and personal time should be lived with the same thought, that I am doing all in the name of Jesus!  Whatever I do, whether in word or deed, that I do it in the name of the Lord Jesus.  

It is not that I am actively engaged in criminal activity, or even specifically sinful behaviour or thoughts, its just that I am often NOT doing things in the name of Jesus, but rather in my own name.  I am not thinking, "is this something the Lord would want me to do?"  I am not reflecting on my thoughts and actions when I am awake, considering whether they would represent what Jesus would be doing if He was in my shoes.

The net that Paul casts is wide here, not just when I am at church or engaged in some Kingdom activity, but whatever I do or say, as in everything.  This is not rocket science, and I have certainly read these verses before and even reflected on them, but today I felt a particular bite to the words.  It is not a harsh correction, more like the love nips my cat gives me what I am petting him in the wrong way.  

Today I am greatly encouraged to really consider all my thoughts, all my deeds, all my work, all my leisure, all my waiting, all my doing, and in doing so making sure that I am doing them in the name of the Lord Jesus, to the best of my ability.

Lord help me!  Holy Spirit remind me!  

Amen and Amen!

The Agape (LOVE) Boat

This morning I felt led to read from Paul's letter to the Colossians 2:2-3,6-7 NIV:

[2] "My goal is that they may be encouraged in heart and united in love, so that they may have the full riches of complete understanding, in order that they may know the mystery of God, namely, Christ, [3] in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge."

[6] "So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live your lives in him, [7] rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness."

Talk about loaded verses!  The whole second chapter has much to reflect on, but these 4 verses seemed to resonate with my mind and spirit this morning, more than the others, so I will spend some time digging into them. 

It is interesting how Paul correlates being united in love as a precursor to having the full riches of complete understanding and knowing the mystery of God.  In other words, this is foundational to our ability to understand Christ.  We can't rightly perceive without this uniting love. 

I guess that makes sense, as John says that God is love (1 John 4:8) so if He defines love, we must experience and know love to know Him. 

The original Greek word that has been translated united is the word symbibázō (from 4862 /sýn, "identified with" and 1688 /embibázō, "to board a ship") – properly, bring together (combine), "causing to stride together" (TDNT); (figuratively) to grasp a truth by intertwining ideas needed to "get on board," i.e. come to the necessary judgment (conclusion); "to prove" (J. Thayer).

This is accomplished through Agape love, or love where we prefer others. The definition is as follows -  agápē – properly, love which centers in moral preference. So too in secular ancient Greek, 26 (agápē) focuses on preference; likewise the verb form (25 /agapáō) in antiquity meant "to prefer" (TDNT, 7). In the NT, 26 (agápē) typically refers to divine love (= what God prefers).

This is an interesting word picture, Paul is praying for them that they might experience preferring to being in the same boat together, working together.  I like to say we are all in the boat rowing in the same direction, in this case its an agape (love) boat.

Again, Paul says this experience is essential to our grasping the mystery of God in and through Christ. 

This strikes me as essentially requiring us to lay down or independence, our individualism, and being willing and preferring to join ourselves to others!   No wonder many in the American church struggle to embrace and experience the fullness of God's plan for the church and His Kingdom.  Even in our congregationalism, we don't often have strong relationships with our neighboring congregations, instead thinking our expression is the right way of doing things. Oh Lord, help us!

We want to experience the full riches of complete understanding that we might know the mystery of God and all the hidden treasures of wisdom and knowledge hidden in Him, in Christ!  Help us to get this first part correct, this agape boat!

Finally, we are called to live our lives connected to Christ, rooted and built up in Him, overflowing in thankfulness.  Again, we must willingly lay down our independence, and connect ourselves to Christ.  In Him is hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.

Lord, help us to learn to prefer this connected life, this unity with others and with You!  Help us to experience this pathway to a greater understanding, a greater experience of Your nature, Your oneness and preference for each other.

Amen and Amen!

Strengthen Our Inner Being

This morning I was reading through Paul's letter to the Church in Ephesus, and trying to let his words and understanding penetrate my being.  Sometimes when I read these verses, it is like I have never seen them before, other times they are like old friends that I know well.  This morning, I was somewhere between the two experiences. As I was reading, the verses that resonated with my heart are found in Ephesians 3:16-21 NIV:

[16] "I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, [17] so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, [18] may have power, together with all the Lord's holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, [19] and to know this love that surpasses knowledge---that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God. 

[20] Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, [21] to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen."

Lately, I have been reflecting on my walk, my knowledge of the Lord, my awareness of Him, and I find myself lacking.  I have been praying for greater revelation, enlightenment and awareness of His moving in and around me, and these verses, this prayer of Paul, rang true for me.  I need everything Paul is praying!

I echo Paul's prayer, Oh Lord...

I need Your strengthening!

I need it to penetrate my inner being!

I need to be aware of Christ dwelling in my heart!

I need to be rooted and established in love, as my foundation of relationship with Him!

I need the power of the Lord to grasp how wide, long, high and deep His love is for me and for His Body.

I need to know His love that surpasses all knowledge.

I need to be filled to the measure of all fullness of God.  (One wonders what that measure is, certainly more than we can imagine!)

I pray that God may be glorified through me, through His power at work in me!

Oh Lord, I can achieve none of this, I look to You as the only source, the only one able to answer these prayers!

Oh Lord help me!

Amen and amen!

The New Self

Last evening I was reading some of my blog entries from several years back.  I was looking at and reflecting on the Kingdom, and Jesus' revelation concerning the Kingdom, and I ran across one thought where I realized that Jesus, in sharing about the Holy Spirit, was sharing from His own personal experience.  He operated through the power of the Holy Spirit, had intimacy with the Father, and basically showed us what a life of oneness with the Father looked like.  As I am thinking about this, I am wondering about the new self that Paul writes about, in Ephesians 4:22-24 NIV:

[22] "You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; [23] to be made new in the attitude of your minds; [24] and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness." 

I was thinking this new self is only available to us because of Jesus' resurrection, but that Jesus operated in this prior to His death and resurrection.  He was filled with the power of the Holy Spirit, and demonstrated a oneness with the Father.  It seems to me that His death opened the way for us, but He was already living in unity with the Father, as a man, but demonstrating to us what our life could be like, as a son or daughter of God.

Jesus speaks clearly about His relationship with and direction from the Father in the following verses from John 5:16-27 NIV:

[16] "So, because Jesus was doing these things on the Sabbath, the Jewish leaders began to persecute him. [17] In his defense Jesus said to them, “My Father is always at his work to this very day, and I too am working.” [18] For this reason they tried all the more to kill him; not only was he breaking the Sabbath, but he was even calling God his own Father, making himself equal with God. 

[19] Jesus gave them this answer: “Very truly I tell you, the Son can do nothing by himself; he can do only what he sees his Father doing, because whatever the Father does the Son also does. [20] For the Father loves the Son and shows him all he does. Yes, and he will show him even greater works than these, so that you will be amazed. [21] For just as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, even so the Son gives life to whom he is pleased to give it. [22] Moreover, the Father judges no one, but has entrusted all judgment to the Son, [23] that all may honor the Son just as they honor the Father. Whoever does not honor the Son does not honor the Father, who sent him. 

[24] “Very truly I tell you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be judged but has crossed over from death to life. [25] Very truly I tell you, a time is coming and has now come when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God and those who hear will live. [26] For as the Father has life in himself, so he has granted the Son also to have life in himself. [27] And he has given him authority to judge because he is the Son of Man."

I love the statement that Jesus makes in verse 20, "For the Father loves the Son and shows him all he does."   If I am a true son of God, through adoption, united with Jesus through His death, resurrection and ascension (Rom 6:5-10) and this is born witness to by the Holy Spirit (Rom 8:15), then this same statement should, in some way, be true or me!  I say in some way, not because the Father loves me less, but because of my present unbelieving heart and mind.  I am my own limitation.

Oh Lord, I pray that you would help me to embrace this promised reality!  I pray that You would open my eyes, open my ears, open my heart and mind to this reality, that I might experience and live my life being directed by the You, seeing what You are doing and then doing it.  Help me to embrace this new self, and put it on daily, that I might operate more like You did Jesus.

I am confident that I can only live my life this way through You, through You Holy Spirit.  I need Your help!  Help me step past my own limitation into the life You have for me, this new self.

Amen!

Body AND Bride

I am continuing a meditation that I started yesterday, which got a little side-tracked.  The verses I am reflecting on come from Paul's letter to the Ephesians 5:25-33 NIV:

[25] "Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her [26] to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word, [27] and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless. [28] In this same way, husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. [29] After all, no one ever hated their own body, but they feed and care for their body, just as Christ does the church--- [30] for we are members of his body. [31] “For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh.” [32] This is a profound mystery---but I am talking about Christ and the church. [33] However, each one of you also must love his wife as he loves himself, and the wife must respect her husband."

While these verses are often read and understood as pertaining to the husband/wife relationships, this morning I am want to focus on the mystery that Paul describes as profound.  The idea that we are part of the Church, His wife, and also a part of His Body.  This is a difficult concept for us to understand, especially in our present day weak thinking about marriage, as something, more often than not, temporary and subject to written agreements and not a spiritual reality.  Paul is using the marriage covenant and original Genesis teachings to try and help us understand the church and our relationship with Christ. 

The idea that we can be separate, yet one, both bride and a single body, is really pretty radical.  I have a hard time even knowing where to start, but thinking about my own marriage is helpful.  The whole subject of submitting, which Paul covered in the previous paragraph often gets in the way of this deeper mystery.  The idea is that we can care for one another as we care for our own selves, is essentially what Paul is conveying here.  There is a sacrificial component to loving others to the degree that you think of them as you think of yourself.  

We struggle with this idea because of our independence and will, and frankly because of our selfishness.  It goes against our own flesh and sense of self, to sacrifice our own wants and needs to serve someone else's wants and needs, especially when it is done with no ulterior motives. To love someone sacrificially and unconditionally is the invitation we have in the place of marriage. We are invited and called to think of our unity, our oneness, as more important than our individual sense of self!  We are called and invited to think about our "body" as one being.

That just hurts my flesh even writing that statement.

Now to delve deeper into the mystery Paul is addresssing, we put this same thinking into the context of our relationship with Jesus, as our spouse and He who with which we are one body.  My brain is hurting right now... thankfully we have the Holy Spirit who helps us even in our unknowing (see Rom 8:26).  

If I understand Paul here, our invitation as a member of Christ's body is to consider ourselves one with Christ.  He loves us, is going to feed and care for us, as His own body!  We are part of His body, made one with Him.  In the same way that we are invited in our marriages to embrace oneness,  sacrificing our own needs and wants for the greater one body, we are invited to embrace our part in the Church, in His Body.

Church is not supposed to be just something we do  1-2 hours a week, some club we belong to, it is supposed to be a living breathing representation of Christ's own body here on earth, and each of us a part of it.  Our invitation to be part of His Body, beloved members of His wife, the Church, and as such, part of Him. This deep spiritual mystery should affect our deepest ideas of self.  

Wow, I just need to stop and let that rumble around in my mind and spirit!  

Lord, I know this is a profound mystery!  Help me to better understand and better experience this reality!  So often I struggle to get past my own selfish perspective, my own wants and needs!  Help me to grasp this sense of belonging and oneness, to better understand how You love me and care for me as part of Your Body and Bride.

Amen!

The Only One

This morning as I woke up I was immediately reminded of a few verses from scripture and a revelation I had concerning them.  I always love when this is the case (it certainly isn't an everyday experience) for I know that there is something the Lord is desiring to reveal to me.  The verses this morning were from Revelation 5:1-6,11-14 NIV:

[1] Then I saw in the right hand of him who sat on the throne a scroll with writing on both sides and sealed with seven seals. [2] And I saw a mighty angel proclaiming in a loud voice, “Who is worthy to break the seals and open the scroll?” [3] But no one in heaven or on earth or under the earth could open the scroll or even look inside it. [4] I wept and wept because no one was found who was worthy to open the scroll or look inside. [5] Then one of the elders said to me, “Do not weep! See, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has triumphed. He is able to open the scroll and its seven seals.” 

[6]"Then I saw a Lamb, looking as if it had been slain, standing at the center of the throne, encircled by the four living creatures and the elders. The Lamb had seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven spirits of God sent out into all the earth."

[11] Then I looked and heard the voice of many angels, numbering thousands upon thousands, and ten thousand times ten thousand. They encircled the throne and the living creatures and the elders. [12] In a loud voice they were saying: 

“Worthy is the Lamb, who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and praise!” 

[13] Then I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and on the sea, and all that is in them, saying: 

“To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be praise and honor and glory and power, for ever and ever!” 

[14] The four living creatures said, “Amen,” and the elders fell down and worshiped."

A couple of years back I was reflecting on these verses, specifically verse 11 and I had an image of this scene pop into my imagination.  Doing the math 1000 x 1000 = 1,000,000 and 10,000 x 10,000 = 100,000,000 and in my imagination I saw what looked like a stadium where 100,000,000+ angels were gathered around the throne room of God which was at the very center of the stadium.  As a comparison, here in Kansas City, Arrowhead stadium seats 70,000+ people, so we are talking about a space outside of our imagination!  At the very center of it all is Jesus, the only one worthy to open the scroll!!  

As I was reminded of these verses and that image I was thinking about how radically different the Lord is than we would imagine if we had to imagine what the God of the Universe would be like without the context of scripture. I can certainly say, I would never imagine the only one worthy of opening the scroll being one who looks like a slain lamb!!  

He is so completely different than what we would imagine and yet, He is the only one worthy to open the scroll!   He is Holy, set apart, sovereign over everyone and everything, and yet he reveals Himself as a sacrificed lamb!  In all of Heaven, He is the only one worthy and able to open the scroll! 

He is perfect in His humility! 

Perfect in His obedience! 

He is worthy to receive all the power, wealth, wisdom, strength, honor, glory and praise! 

He is so Holy!  

His ways are higher than our ways!  

His thoughts are higher than our thoughts!  

He is better than we can imagine! 

He is the beginning and the end! 

He is all of this, and yet He humbled Himself and become man, and suffered and died after His short time of ministry.

As I was reflecting on all this, I saw an image of someone giving me some additional forks (yeah it was a bit strange but that is what I saw).  I was immediately aware that this means another course is coming in an awesome banquet, or feast!  I can only imagine this means additional revelation, for I am feasting on this revelation of Jesus!  

I was just reminded of some verses from Paul's letter to the Colossians 3:1-3 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."

If we are hidden in Him guess where we are??!!

I was also reminded of a few verses from Paul's letter to the Romans 8:16-17 NIV:

[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."

These verses just blow my mind.  We are co-heirs with Christ, we are hidden in Him!  And it has nothing to do with anything we have done!  He truly is beyond our comprehension, beyond our ability to grasp, wholly different that us!  And yet we are invited in, as the ones He was thinking about when He created the foundations of the earth!

Wow!  I can only grasp the smallest bit of this reality and it is completely more than anything I could think up in my wildest imagination.

Lord, You truly are worthy of all praise and adoration!  You are Holy, Holy, Holy!  

Help me to grasp the width, depth, length and height of who You are and Your love for me!

Amen and Amen!