Work With All Your Heart

This morning I thought I would read from Paul's letter to the Colossians. While I normally will start in a chapter with my highlighted verses, this morning I started reading in the little bit of this chapter that wasn't highlighted.  Anyway, this approach led me to two verses that were helpful for me this morning. HEre they are - Colossians 3:23-24 NIV:

[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."

Lately I have been absolutely slammed at work, putting in 60-70 hour weeks consistently, traveling a bunch, missing times of prayer, etc.  Sometimes I am so focused on my work, for it is quite mentally demanding, that I lose any sense of being aware of the Lord or hearing His voice.  I have read these verses many times, and while they are quite familiar, today they were helpful to me in setting my heart at peace. 

I know that I am in this job through the Lord's clear direction and help, and my being in this role is part of His plan for me.  Sometimes I forget that fact, and these verses helped remind me today that my working hard at this job, is actually a form of worship.  I am embracing fully God's plan for my life, agreeing with His direction and laying down my life to do this role to the best of my ability.  Even though I don't always feel like it, I am serving Him. My work, my effort, my attention, my energy are being focused on doing that which He has directed me to do, and that encouraged me today!!

I think at times I become so lopsided in my thinking that I feel the only ministry that matters is "ministry" and all other forms of employment are somehow "less than" in God's eyes. I was talking to a young man a few weeks back and he was expressing this very thing, as a fault in the younger generations of Christians, that somehow they think the only call of God that matters is the call to "ministry" and everything else is somehow inferior.  

This morning as I write, I am reminded of the 30 years of life that Jesus lived as a carpenter's son and then as carpenter Himself.  He so thoroughly fulfilled this role that people in his hometown couldn't believe He was the Messiah (See Matt 13:54-57). While we often think that this hidden life that He lived in some way was less, the Father was very clear about His affection for Jesus at His baptism, which occurred before He started His active ministry.  His words are recounted by Luke 3:21-22 NIV:

[21] When all the people were being baptized, Jesus was baptized too. And as he was praying, heaven was opened [22] and the Holy Spirit descended on him in bodily form like a dove. And a voice came from heaven: “You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased.”

This morning I am encouraged that I am doing exactly what the Lord has called me to do, and so in doing my job, I am working for Him.  While I might be an employee of my company, I am an adopted son of the Father, and He takes pleasure in me, in my work in my efforts, and in me!  He is well pleased when I serve Him to the best of my ability, even if it isn't in "ministry"! 

Thank You Lord!

We "Belong" to Each Other

This morning I felt led to read the following verses  - Romans 12:3-13 NIV:

[3] "For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the faith God has distributed to each of you. [4] For just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, [5] so in Christ we, though many, form one body, and each member belongs to all the others. [6] We have different gifts, according to the grace given to each of us. If your gift is prophesying, then prophesy in accordance with your faith; [7] if it is serving, then serve; if it is teaching, then teach; [8] if it is to encourage, then give encouragement; if it is giving, then give generously; if it is to lead, do it diligently; if it is to show mercy, do it cheerfully." 

[9] "Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. [10] Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves. [11] Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord. [12] Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. [13] Share with the Lord's people who are in need. Practice hospitality."

I love verse 5, "each member belongs to all the others"!  This is so true and something the church in America struggles to understand.  Many are so focused on our own little bit, our own gift, or our own vision, even our own expression as a congregation, that we forget that we belong to a greater Body of Christ, and we all need each other!  In fact the truth is nothing we have is for ourselves, we belong to each other, so do our gifts, vision, faith expressions, and even our congregations!  

Looking at the original Greek, it reads slightly different and here is Young's Literal Translation of the verses -  Romans 12:4-5 YLT:  "for as in one body we have many members, and all the members have not the same office, [5] so we, the many, one body are in Christ, and members each one of one another."

I actually like this version for it explains it a bit better at least in my mind, though awkwardly.  We are all part (many) of one body (Christ's) and only find our connection in others (each one of another).  Our place can only be in context to the rest of the body.  As I wrote that I thought of the single puzzle piece, compared to the whole puzzle.  No single puzzle piece contains the whole picture, it is only in connection and context of all teh other puzzle pieces that it connects with that its place is seen and understood.

Lord, help us to understand our absolute need for one another!  Help us to 'not think about ourselves more highly than we ought' but to recognize that it is only in joining together with everyone else in the Body of Christ, that we find our true place!  Help us to learn to define ourselves not through our specific gift, or place, but to understand our place in the bigger picture.  Help us to call back those that we need to complete the Body of Christ!

Amen & Amen!

"The child" Yehoshua

Last night before heading to bed, I was reflecting back over my earlier reflection on circumcision, and as I was thinking about it, I remembered that Jesus was circumcised, and that it was described in Luke.  I turned there as I wanted to make sure my memory was correct, and sure enough, Luke recorded the following - Luke 2:21 NIV:  "On the eighth day, when it was time to circumcise the child, he was named Jesus, the name the angel had given him before he was conceived."

This single verse really grabbed my thoughts, for prior to His circumcision, Jesus was known as "the child".  Jesus custom is quite clear, that sons are named on the 8th day, the day of their circumcision. This is part of the written law, and Jesus fulfilled every bit of the Law, and thus was circumcised. The fact that Jesus, the Only son of God, the Word made flesh, came to earth and for 7 days was officially known as "the child" just blows me away.  Continuing on with this line of  thought that the Lord,when He instituted the rite of circumcision, knew that one day it would apply to Him.  

I guess I am just reminded of the absolute humility that He embraced in coming to earth, and being born as a man. He held nothing back!  He embraced humanity in every way, and was willing to allow Himself to be circumcised that He might perfectly embrace and fulfill the law.  He gave up everything, laid everything down, allowed Himself to be "cut" to join Himself to the Covenant, the very Covenant He instituted with Abraham.  He, the author of the Covenant,  embraced the Covenant as a human child.

Lastly, the idea that for 7 days, He wasn't officially named, also just seemed amazing to me... I know its a ceremonial thing, and since Mary and Joseph knew what He was supposed to be named, I imagine they called Him Jesus before His 8th day, but maybe not. I found this interesting note concerning Jewish customs of naming:

"Contrary to popular perception, it is not forbidden to announce the name of a baby before his circumcision. In a metaphysical sense, however, the child does not actually "receive" his name until the Bris. This is based on the fact that God changed Abraham's name in conjunction with his Bris – at age 99 (Genesis 17:15). Also, the boy only receives the full measure of his soul at the Bris, and a person cannot truly be "named" until attaining that completion."

( https://aish.com/48961326/)

I don't know that the final sentence is true, at least it seems a bit strange for a ceremony to install part of one's full measure of soul, but if this is the belief, then Jesus fulfilled it perfectly as well. He was announced to the world officially as Yehoshua on the 8th day.  He became a covenant male of Jewish lineage, and His course was set for His life, as the one who saves!

Amen and Amen!

New Creation vs. Circumcision

This morning I felt I should read from Philippians 3:1-11 NIV:

[1] "Further, my brothers and sisters, rejoice in the Lord! It is no trouble for me to write the same things to you again, and it is a safeguard for you. [2] Watch out for those dogs, those evildoers, those mutilators of the flesh. [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."

I love the verses from 7-11, but what caught my eye this morning was Paul's statements about circumcision.  I guess it is one of those topics I haven't really thought about much.  It seems pretty straight forward, and yet, there is much more to this than a medical procedure. The fact that this one topic was one of the first divisive themes in the newly born church, should clue us into its overall importance.  

I figured I should do some research.  I came across a really good article discussing the importance of Circumcision and the role of this act in the life of the Jewish male written by a rabbi ( https://www.jtsa.edu/torah/the-power-of-circumcision/).  He describes circumcision as that rite of separation from one's mother and receiving one's name and identity, and dedication unto God.  The author describes the impact of this on the life of Abram and Sarai, as described in Gen 17:

"It is at this juncture that God intervenes again. “I am El Shaddai. Walk in My ways and be blameless. I will establish My covenant between Me and you, and I will make you exceedingly numerous (Genesis 17:1-2).” For effect, God changes Abraham’s name from “Abram” to “Abraham,” with the additional heh, endowing it with the meaning of “the father of a multitude of nations (Genesis 17:5).” The physical symbol of this everlasting covenant is to be circumcision. Indeed, Sarah becomes pregnant with Isaac only after her elderly husband has undergone the operation. Circumcision is as critical to setting human history on a new course as the original call to Abraham to leave his native land and his father’s house. Fertility comes to Sarah at the age of 90 with Abraham’s entry into the sacred covenant. Moreover, her name is likewise changed by the addition of the letter heh from “Sarai” to “Sarah (Genesis 17:15),” a letter that in both cases may represent the transfer of the letter heh from God’s name (i.e. the Tetragrammaton) to that of Abraham and Sarah. The new names signify not only a change in their fortune but a nearness and fidelity to God." 

As I was reading and reflecting on this article, I saw the parallels between circumcision and the "new creation" that Paul writes about in Galatians 6:14-15 NIV:

"May I never boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world.  Neither circumcision nor uncircumcision means anything; what counts is the new creation."  

Clearly Paul believes that the "new creation" is superior to circumcision, and one must agree for no longer does just our name and identity change, our whole being changes, we are in effect born again (John 3:3-7 & 1 Peter 1:23) as a new human creation.  Where Abraham represented the first of a new nation, wholly dedicated to God, Jesus is the new Adam (1Cor 15:45), the first born (Col 1:18) of the new creations.  Paul again writes in 2 Corinthians 5:17 NIV: "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!" 

Going back to the verses from Paul's letter to the Philippians, he started the verses I quoted talking about those pushing for circumcision as a requirement for the gentile believers.  Paul clearly had not time for this nonsense, for he understood that our new identity, our new relationship with God as His sons and daughters, as co-heirs with Christ Jesus completely fulfilled any new identity, commitment to or nearness to God achieved through the sacramental circumcision. This was not some new expression of the Jewish faith, this superseded everything all the way back to Adam!  Circumcision was type and shadow of what was to come, but in the end was replaced by the "new creation".  As author of the letter to the Hebrews wrote that the new covenant is superior to the old covenant (Heb 8:6), and effectively replaces it.  

If the old covenant has been superseded by the new, then the requirements of the old have been replaced as well, for Christ Jesus fulfilled all, and as we are joined to Him, so has His fulfillment been applied to us.  Paul makes that simple statement in verse 3 above, "It is we who are the circumcision" for our nature and identity have changed and we are covenanted to God, sealed by the Holy Spirit, bought through Jesus' sacrifice!  What can some act of the flesh ever add to this?

This morning I am grateful for this deeper understanding of what I have gained in Christ!  I am grateful for Paul's unrelenting support of the Gospel of Grace and his willingness to stand-up to those that would have injected some fleshly requirement into the Gospel.  I am grateful that Jesus has made the way for us to enter as new creations into His Divine Kingdom!  

Lord, help us to more deeply consider and embrace all that You have given us in our salvation!  

Amen and Amen!

Frustrating the Intelligence of the Intelligent

This morning I am continuing my journey of examining the non-rational aspects of the Gospel.  What I mean is that at the very heart of the Gospel is a truth so profound that it offends our rational senses, our thoughts of how things should be, and seems too good to be true.  In life, we usually find out that something that seems to good to be true, is indeed too good to be true, and putting our hope in something like that will lead to disappointment, or worse.  In my choice of reading today I decided to shy away from Paul's logical fare and look at 1 Peter, not that he is illogical, but he certainly writes with less philosophical logic.  

Here are the verses I am reflecting upon this morning -  1 Peter 1:3-12 NIV:

[3] "Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, [4] and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade. This inheritance is kept in heaven for you, [5] who through faith are shielded by God's power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time. [6] In all this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. [7] These have come so that the proven genuineness of your faith---of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire---may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed. [8] Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, [9] for you are receiving the end result of your faith, the salvation of your souls." 

[10] "Concerning this salvation, the prophets, who spoke of the grace that was to come to you, searched intently and with the greatest care, [11] trying to find out the time and circumstances to which the Spirit of Christ in them was pointing when he predicted the sufferings of the Messiah and the glories that would follow. [12] It was revealed to them that they were not serving themselves but you, when they spoke of the things that have now been told you by those who have preached the gospel to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven. Even angels long to look into these things."

Yesterday I was pondering the types and shadows, the themes that God introduced hundreds if not thousands of years before they were seen fulfilled, and today Peter is writing about the Prophets speaking about something they didn't fully understand or know how it would be presented.  Prophets like Isaiah were writing 600-700 years before Christ Jesus was born, Abraham lived close to 2000 years before Christ.  Each had revealed to them promises and themes that clearly spoke of a future time, and while they would have probably tried to understand what they heard, their ability to logically frame these things was quite impossible.  

I like to look back on the history of the United States to get some idea of the passage of time, for even back to our earliest visit by Europeans, America is not even 500 years old.  Western culture was alive and well in Europe much before this and while much has changed in the 500 years, we find no one from those days predicted, nor prophesied accurately about how our culture would evolve, or the revelations that would come to light in the ensuing years (at least not that I am aware of). There is a popularly known non-religious prophet named Nostradamus, who wrote a bunch of loosely interpreted predictions that have been twisted into all sorts of fanciful fulfillments from everything to the Nazi 1000 year reign to the attack on the world trade centers.  Most were undated and about wars, earthquakes, and other worldly trauma ( I haven't read them, just summarizing recent commentaries) and while this seems interesting we find many similar verses in scripture, which predated his works by hundreds if not thousands of years.  

What makes the Gospel so amazing to me is the utter illogical nature of it!  I have written before of how this Gospel just doesn't match anything we, as humans, would think up for how an all-powerful, universe creating God would enact salvation upon the population of a planet.  We have all sorts of ancient mythology dealing with gods and demi-gods, whether Greek, Roman, Norse, Mesopotamian, Egyptian, or Eastern, and I am unaware of any story that resembles the Gospel of Grace (note: again I am not an authority on any of these ). 

Sorry - I just wonder off down a path that I could keep pursuing, but this draws me away from the focus verses today.  Going back to Peter, He starts out with our "new birth", something which Jesus spoke of with Nicodemus.  We are invited into the relationship with Christ, which results in us becoming a "new creation", one born of the Holy Spirit. While outwardly we look the same in our spirit-man we are transformed.  In this transformative work, which is a free gift (Grace) from God, we become co-heirs with Christ Jesus, the Messiah. Our salvation is from sin and death and our invitation is to live the "heavenly life" that Jesus demonstrated to the world. We access all of this through faith at His invitation.  The Lord laid the ground work for all of this through prophetic verses scattered throughout the Old Testament Prophets and writers, and while they wrote the verses, the authors never could comprehend the fulfillment of these words found in Christ Jesus.  The looked intently into the future and were unable to see the time or nature of Christ.  

We find this best represented by the common thinking of what the Messiah was going to do for the Jewish people.  They were expecting a new king who would reign over all, defeating their enemies, establishing another earthly kingdom. The apostles were so understanding of this Messianic role, that they couldn't understand that Jesus was going to be betrayed, suffer and die, for this made no sense in their messianic understanding. We find even after His death and Resurrection, this thinking evident in the following, "Then they gathered around him and asked him, “Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel?”( Acts 1:6 NIV).

Peter is essentially laying out this same message, that this amazing Gospel is true, and even though our prophets wrote about it they didn't understand it, but now we are making it clear to you. The Gospel of Grace requires faith and nothing else.  This faith requires us to step past our logic, past our thinking of how the Messiah should act, or how an all-powerful god would save us.  We struggle with this and Paul writes about the "foolishness of the cross:" in his first letter to the  Corinthians 1:18-21 NIV:

[18] "For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. 

[19] For it is written: “I will destroy the wisdom of the wise; the intelligence of the intelligent I will frustrate.” 

[20] Where is the wise person? Where is the teacher of the law? Where is the philosopher of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? [21] For since in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom did not know him, God was pleased through the foolishness of what was preached to save those who believe."  

My prayer today is that all those that struggle with the irrational nature of the Gospel would not stumble over this, but that they would lay down their need to understand everything, and accept the unexpected beauty of this Gospel!  God Loves you as you are, has made a way for you to have relationship with Him, offers you the free gift of salvation, and only asks that you believe this truth!   

Oh Lord, break through the walls of intellectualism!  I pray that You would astound us once again, even as You did during your 3 years of public ministry, with unexplainable signs and wonders, miracles and healings that force us to reconsider our thoughts about You and our worldview.

Amen and Amen!

Revelation of Deep Things, Types and Shadows

This morning I felt led to read from the Letter to the Hebrews.  It is always interesting wading through this book which lays out the case for Christ describing the depth of the prophetic preview of picture of Christ that the Lord spoke to them through the prophets and the Law.  Whoever the author was they were clearly intimately familiar with the scriptures and all of the Law, and logical thinking.  

This morning I was reading from Hebrews 7, which establishes Christ's priesthood as better than the Levitical priesthood.  The logic that is being argued is so subtle, and rich, and sometimes too much so.   What I was understanding this morning was the depth and interwoven nature of this imagery as a type and shadow of Christ.  Paul speaks of this in Col 2:17, and 1 Cor 13:12, where he talks about our inability to fully see and understand, a sort of shadow of things to come, or seeing dimly now.  The author of this letter clearly saw things and pulled things together with a clarity that must have been helpful to the Hebrew people.  Moving from the Law to Gospel of Grace was a difficult task, but the author was helping identify the foundation stones that had been laid for this throughout their history, and I find it amazing.  Here is a quick snippet of an example: 

Hebrews 7:11-17 NIV:

[11] "If perfection could have been attained through the Levitical priesthood---and indeed the law given to the people established that priesthood---why was there still need for another priest to come, one in the order of Melchizedek, not in the order of Aaron? [12] For when the priesthood is changed, the law must be changed also. [13] He of whom these things are said belonged to a different tribe, and no one from that tribe has ever served at the altar. [14] For it is clear that our Lord descended from Judah, and in regard to that tribe Moses said nothing about priests. [15] And what we have said is even more clear if another priest like Melchizedek appears, [16] one who has become a priest not on the basis of a regulation as to his ancestry but on the basis of the power of an indestructible life. [17] For it is declared: “You are a priest forever, in the order of Melchizedek.”

These verses represent some of the final verses from three chapters of looking at the priesthood of Jesus. The author started the Letter looking at Jesus as the Son and representation of the Father, moved to Jesus being greater than Angel, Jesus as fully Man, Jesus greater than Moses, then Jesus as High Priest, and finally looking at Jesus' sacrifice, as High Priest.  The author argued all of these through the use of scripture, again pointing to the pre-established pattern that was followed and fulfilled by Jesus.  At times I have written about a finely woven tapestry as a good picture of how God's plan all come together perfectly, and that word picture comes to mind again this morning.  

As I was thinking through this, following the logic of the author, watching how each and every verse highlighted pointed towards Jesus, I had this idea that it was sort of like a long-lost subway map, where all tunnels ended at one point, Jesus.   I guess I could say its a version of "all roads lead to Rome", but an underground version and all paths leading to Christ Jesus.

The reason I saw it as tunnels was that from the surface, it could totally be missed, and largely not understood or even suspected.  The author was uncovering each instance (theme) and bringing it to light, and identifying the stops God had inserted along the history of the people.  Some of the "tunnels" went all the way back to the time before the Covenant of the Law, showing the master plan of God.   Hopefully that is a helpful image.

Why am I looking at all this deep logic, these types and shadows?  As I was reading these verses, I was just realizing that God's plans, His rich tapestry of purpose didn't end with Jesus.  We are in a time of further revelation of God's move on the earth,  things hinted at in the New Testament, but clearly not revealed in perfectly understandable imagery.  God is continuing to create, continuing to move, continuing to reveal, for there is no end to the increase of His Kingdom and its expansion (Is 9:7 & Dan 2:44) and it goes on forever. We are now in the time of Jesus' continued ministry on the earth, through His church, and one could say all that is being revealed and brought to light now is the further revelation of the majesty of Jesus!  In fact, this theme comes up later in this letter to the Hebrews 13:8 NIV:  "Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever."

Let us not think that the revelation of things long hidden or spoken is finished, for we are continuing to live out the revelation of God's plans, present in our lives.  We are His representatives now, bringing to light His word, and His intentions in these days!  We are partnering with Holy Spirit to bring further Glory to Jesus, who represents the Father.  We are co-heirs with Christ (Rom 8:17), and God's Kingdom is alive and present on the earth!  

My prayer today is that my eyes and understanding would be opened.  Paul prayed the following in his letter to the Colossians 1:9-12 NIV:

[9] "For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you. We continually ask God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all the wisdom and understanding that the Spirit gives, [10] so that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God, [11] being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience, [12] and giving joyful thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of his holy people in the kingdom of light."

Paul again prayed something similar in his letter to the Ephesians 1:17-19a NIV:

[17] "I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better. [18] I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in his holy people, [19] and his incomparably great power for us who believe."

Yes Lord, release Your wisdom and understanding, increase our knowledge of You and Your ways!  Help us to understand the deeper things, that we might be lifted up in our minds to grasp the greatness of You!

Amen and Amen!