The Greatest Commandment

This morning I am meditating on the following verses - Mark 12:29-33 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.”

[32] “Well said, teacher,” the man replied. “You are right in saying that God is one and there is no other but him. [33] To love him with all your heart, with all your understanding and with all your strength, and to love your neighbor as yourself is more important than all burnt offerings and sacrifices.”

It is interesting that Jesus boils down all of the law into these two commandments, loving God and loving our neighbors. The word used for love here is Agape and that denotes more than just brotherly love and affection. Definition: Agape is selfless, sacrificial, unconditional love, the highest of the four types of love in the Bible. In other words this is the type of Love that Jesus demonstrated in dying for us.

His love for us was demonstrated in His coming to earth, to reveal the heart of the Father and restore a way for us to be in eternal relationship with us. He then calls us to that exact same Love in our relationship with the Father. I think that Agape love is impossible without relationship. The teacher of the law gets it right, relationship is more important than the religious ceremonies and sacrifices.

Loving the Lord with all one's heart, soul, mind and strength, means that this love is all encompassing in our life. It involves our emotions, our understanding and reasoning, our choices and finally our physical exertions. This is not a one-hour on Sunday kind of love, but a life focus kind of love. The is a daily, hourly, never ending, never decreasing kind of love. This is the kind of love that shapes one's life, and the object of all this love is God.

Secondly, we are called to love our neighbor, in the same way we love ourselves. This is every bit as hard as the first command, in fact sometimes it seems harder. It is so easy to love ourselves, to spend our money on ourselves, to think constantly about our self, and to prioritize ourselves above every one else. The issue is that Jesus says we should love others just like we love ourselves, and that means we need to be ready to spend money on them, think about their needs and make them a priority. In our independent western mind-set, this is not common. In fact, it seems that about the only time we really see this type of love expressed is during times of difficulty that affect everyone, such as blizzards, ice storms, etc.

These few verses give me much to think about, and much to look at in my daily life. Am I truly loving God with my everything? Am I loving my neighbors in the same way I am loving myself? Am I pursuing relationships with God and my neighbors or am I just doing the minimal religious, and community duty? Lord, You said our love would be a sign to all that we follow You, and I pray that this would be the case for us all, that when people looked at us they would see our love! Amen!

Soaring Above Our Situation

Yesterday I was reminded of these verses from Isaiah and they are some of my favorite verses. The Lord has spoken to my heart many times with these verses, and I am always encouraged.

Isaiah 40:27-31 NIV:
[27] "Why do you complain, Jacob? Why do you say, Israel, “My way is hidden from the Lord; my cause is disregarded by my God”?
[28] Do you not know? Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth.
He will not grow tired or weary, and his understanding no one can fathom.
[29] He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak.
[30] Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall;
[31] but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength.
They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint."

Often when I am struggling or weighed down, I can have a little pity party where I think my situation has been overlooked by everyone, and no one cares, etc. Many of those times the Lord has brought me to these very verses, and reminded me of His constant love and faithfulness. He reminds me that He should be my source of strength, my place of peace. David called Him - "My Rock" and that is so true. By rock, we are not talking about some small rock that can fit in our hand, but something more like the Rock of Gibraltor, huge, unmovable, and always there! Sometimes we just need to turn around to see Him (this is basically what repenting means).

In addition to His faithfulness, God also provides the life we need, when we need it. Jesus speaks about how the Spirit is really the true source of life in John 6:63 NIV: "The Spirit gives life; the flesh counts for nothing. The words I have spoken to you---they are full of the Spirit and life."

Finally, the image of soaring on wings of eagles is helpful as well, because the eagle doesn't beat its wings to soar, it just glides on wind currents, and is capable of actually soaring higher without ever moving its wings. If we can catch the wind of the Spirit, we can soar to incredible heights, all with minimal effort on our part.

So let us be encouraged! God sees us, sees our situation and He is not surprised or caught unawares. He is the source of life, strength and hope. Let us lean into the wind of the Spirit and soar above this all!

Approaching The Father With Shameless Audacity

I had a very interesting time of insight on Luke 11 yesterday, and had a bit more as I was thinking about it later - see my notes yesterday, breaking the passage down and taking a different perspective about what is generally taught as the need to persevere in prayer. I am continuing on my thoughts around those verses - how I really think we have generally been focused on the wrong thing.

Luke 11:5-10 NIV
[5] "Then Jesus said to them, “Suppose you have a friend, and you go to him at midnight and say, ‘Friend, lend me three loaves of bread; [6] a friend of mine on a journey has come to me, and I have no food to offer him.’ [7] And suppose the one inside answers, ‘Don’t bother me. The door is already locked, and my children and I are in bed. I can’t get up and give you anything.’ [8] I tell you, even though he will not get up and give you the bread because of friendship, yet because of your shameless audacity he will surely get up and give you as much as you need.

[9] “So I say to you: Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. [10] For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened."

So, Jesus has just finished teaching them to pray using something we call the "Lord's Prayer". To further clarify this teaching, He uses the example above. So I was thinking about why He used this specific example., and figured there must be some things that we often overlook if we always thought this next story was about persevering in prayer.

First, the assumption that Jesus makes is that you have a need. It is not a big need, but one that is based out of a desire to be hospitable. I was thinking about the fact that Jesus could have used any example of need, but chose to use this, one that is not critical, one that doesn't even involve our own needs. We wouldn't need the bread for ourselves, but for a visiting friend. However important the need, the attitude of the one asking is not even apologetic, and that is the point. There is an expectation, and understanding that this need is one that will be met, no apologies needed. It is as if this was a common need, and everyone understood that of course you would be given bread if you needed it. The timing is the only questionable thing.

Second, why would we go to any friend in the middle of the night for bread? The answer is actually pretty simple, its because we would know that he had bread! You wouldn't be wondering if he had bread, especially if it was the middle of the night and you just keep knocking. You kept knocking because you had no doubt that this person had bread. So your attitude is simply that you won't leave until he gives you what you want, and what you know he has available. You know that he will give you as much as you need, no doubt about.

Third, Jesus calls it shameless audacity that wins you the bread. That is exactly what I just described, no shame, no apologies in asking, and an absolute certainty that the bread would be provided. This is the real focus of what Jesus is talking about - the attitude of the one in need, not the attitude of the one with the bread. In other words, Jesus is giving us direction about our attitude, as we approach the Father - and calls it shameless audacity. We could just as easily call it expectant faith.

Fourth, I was just thinking that another similar example would be sitting at the table when your father is distributing the food and you hand him your plate. There would be no shame in handing him your plate because you know that he has food that he is giving out, and you are his son or daughter. You would not be ashamed of your hunger, its only natural, and you wouldn't be apologetic about asking for something that was a given. You would however be thankful for the food.

Fifth, I think Jesus was contrasting the heart of the one who was asked for the bread, and comparing him to the Father. The Father is in no way like this friend and He does not require perseverance, or incessant asking. He does not sleep, or grow weary, (Is 40:28) but is always watching over us ready to respond (PS 18:6; PS 34:15). So to contrast, if we need to continue knocking to get bread from the friend, in contrast the Father will respond immediately. If the man is in bed too tired to answer, in contrast the Father is waiting and listening and ready. If one persistent approach is required for the man, in contrast, we don't need to use that approach with the Father. Jesus was trying show us the Father's heart.

Finally, Jesus goes right from this story of going to friend in the middle of the night to telling us to ask, seek and knock. He is freshly applying the principles He just described, and simply calls us to approach the Father directly with our needs, whatever they may be. We should do so without shame, knowing that He has exactly what we need, and He loves to give us that very thing. Jesus doesn't add any qualifiers, or any conditions, and that is why I believe He was really talking about our heart condition and attitude toward the Father.

So let us be encouraged in prayer, in turning to the Father. Let us realize that He loves us and does not need to be convinced of our need, nor moved by our incessant asking. He will answer, will open the door and will direct us as we need. Let us repent for any wrong view we have of the Father and let us ask, seek and knock for what we need.

Lord, Teach Us To Pray

This morning, I am reading from Luke 11:1-13 NIV:

[1] One day Jesus was praying in a certain place. When he finished, one of his disciples said to him, “Lord, teach us to pray, just as John taught his disciples.”

[2] He said to them, “When you pray, say: “ ‘Father, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come. [3] Give us each day our daily bread. [4] Forgive us our sins, for we also forgive everyone who sins against us. And lead us not into temptation. ’ ”

[5] Then Jesus said to them, “Suppose you have a friend, and you go to him at midnight and say, ‘Friend, lend me three loaves of bread; [6] a friend of mine on a journey has come to me, and I have no food to offer him.’ [7] And suppose the one inside answers, ‘Don’t bother me. The door is already locked, and my children and I are in bed. I can’t get up and give you anything.’ [8] I tell you, even though he will not get up and give you the bread because of friendship, yet because of your shameless audacity he will surely get up and give you as much as you need.

[9] “So I say to you: Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. [10] For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened. [11] “Which of you fathers, if your son asks for a fish, will give him a snake instead? [12] Or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? [13] If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!”

These are such interesting verses as they relate to prayer, especially when we realize that this is Jesus teaching His followers how they should approach the Father, in prayer. Looking at His teaching on prayer with a fresh eye we see:

1. Focus on the Name of the Father, bringing Him Glory and honor, recognizing that there is no other God, and He is wholly worthy of our praise.
2. A calling forth of the Kingdom of God - one would expect this would then result in its demonstration (healing, signs & wonders, deliverance, etc.)
3. A call for blessing and provision, in a very practical sense. God is not just interested in our spiritual condition, but also our natural condition.
4. Asking for forgiveness for those wrongs we have committed in our relationship with Him, and a commitment to forgive others for those wrongs they have committed against us. "Freely you have received, so freely give." (Matt 10:8)
5. Asking Him to guide and direct us and keep us on the correct path, to protect us from the deception of the enemy, and unhealthy pursuits of the flesh and the world. The Greek word can be literally translated trial - with both a positive and negative context. The idea is either that the Lord is testing our character and His work in us, or they are specifically designed to lead us to walk away from God and His plans, and thus from the enemy, or both.

After finishing this brief teaching, it seems Jesus tells His followers to persevere in prayer, almost to the point of obnoxiousness (verses 5-8). This is where it gets interesting, for He is teaching His followers how to approach the Father. I think that sometimes we misunderstand these particular verses, because these verses are really to help us to understand the character of the Father, not teach us to persevere in asking, for He isn't anything like the friend Jesus mentions. Jesus is using the story of the friend, who won't help until you just keep banging on their door, to illustrate that the Father isn't anything like them. The real focus is the attitude we should come with when we go to the Father. The NIV translates it shameless audacity, other translations use the word persistence. I like shameless audacity, for that is how I see the Lord wants us approach Him in the confidence of knowing Him. There is no shame in recognizing and our admitting our need, nor in going to the one who can really meet my needs.

Next, the Lord gives us simple directions, ask, seek, knock, depending on your particular need. He has established that the character of God is completely different than the character of man, and where a man might give us something if we ask many times, the Father will always. There's is no hesitancy, no waffling, no extensive questioning from the Father. There is no misunderstanding, no bait and switch, no shaming, no rejecting, just answering our need.

Our Father is so much more capable, so much more loving and so much more faithful than any person we have ever met, even the best earthly father. If we can receive good things that we need from these types of people, who are sinful and limited at their best, how much more will our Father in Heaven, the one who created us, loves us and has a plan for us, give us exactly what we need. We don't need to be ashamed when we come to Him in our need, we don't need to fear His answer, we just need to ask, seek and knock, and He will deliver.

This is all related to the teaching on prayer, all to help us understand how to approach the Father in prayer. He loves us, and desires the best for us. Let us approach Him with shameless audacity, knowing that He is indeed that good and that faithful.

A Focus On Life, Not Sin And Hell

This morning I had an interesting thought while thinking about sin and hell. I thought about how so much of some churches message is based around those themes when its only a very small part of the Gospel message from Jesus, and the New Testament. I decided to do a little research on the Greek words as the are used in the New Testament, pertaining to sin and hell, and other themes. The two primary Greek words for sin are skandalon/skandaliza (44 times), and Hamartia (177), and of those only 31 are in the Gospel and thus possibly attributable to Jesus. Hell and Hades are used a total of (19) times 13 in the Gospels. While the Greek words for love, agape and phileos are used (345), faith - Greek pistis (243), hope - Greek elpis (84), Kingdom - Greek Basileia (162), Father - Greek Pater (413), Spirit - Greek pneuma (379), mercy - Greek eleeo (59), forgiveness - Greek aphiemi (145), Heaven - Greek ouranos (275), heal/save- Greek sozo (106), heal - Greek therapeuo (43), heal - Greek iaomai (26). In summary, there is much to speak about, much to focus on in the New Testament rather than sin and hell. Note: some of the counts are combined with slightly different variants of the same Greek word, that mean the same thing.

The way I saw it was that there is this huge message about the awesomeness of God, and the potential of life within Him, and we only talk about what's the punishment if we don't embrace that life option. It is not that we shouldn't speak about sin, judgment and hell, but the message should be in balance with the rest of the Gospel. Paul says it well in Romans 6:22-23 NIV:

[22] "But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves of God, the benefit you reap leads to holiness, and the result is eternal life. [23] For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord."

In other words, let us not focus on the wages of sin, but on the great gift that we have been given in Christ Jesus our Lord, the one who has set us free from sin! So often we only hear the first part of verse 23 preached, when the focus of the verse is the second part - the great gift we have been given, namely eternal life. If we have been set free from the sin, then we have been set free from the effects of it as well, or the wages associated wth it.

So, let us look to the good news, the promise of eternal life, the message of the Kingdom, faith , love, mercy, healing, forgiveness, salvation, the Father, the Holy Spirit, and recognize that this is the message we have been called to preach and represent. Let us focus on that which brings life, that which encourages us forward in our relationship with the Lord, and the life available in Him.

God's Great Unfailing Love

I am filled with gratitude this morning for the loving relationship, the constant companionship of my Lord. I am so aware of His constant help, His intimate knowledge of my life and circumstances, and His untiring and unchanging love. I was just thinking back at all the things I have seen Him do in my life, in the lives of others and the wonder and joy I have experienced, and I am overwhelmed. I am reminded of His steadfast love, and support through difficult times , and I so grateful.

I am reminded of the verses from Lamentations 3 that say, [22] "Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. [23] They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. [24] I say to myself, “The Lord is my portion; therefore I will wait for him.” [25] The Lord is good to those whose hope is in him, to the one who seeks him;"

[26] it is good to wait quietly for the salvation of the Lord. [31] For no one is cast off by the Lord forever. [32] Though he brings grief, he will show compassion, so great is his unfailing love. [33] For he does not willingly bring affliction or grief to anyone."

Thank You Lord for Your steadfast and unfailing love, Your new mercies every day, Your faithfulness in all circumstances. You will never cast us off or forsake us, but will always welcome us, always forgive and always have new mercies for us every morning! Your love is truly great and unfailing, and directed at us all!

The Path To Eternal Life

This morning I am reading from Mark 10:17-22 NIV:

[17] As Jesus started on his way, a man ran up to him and fell on his knees before him. “Good teacher,” he asked, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?”

[18] “Why do you call me good?” Jesus answered. “No one is good---except God alone. [19] You know the commandments: ‘You shall not murder, you shall not commit adultery, you shall not steal, you shall not give false testimony, you shall not defraud, honor your father and mother.’ ”

[20] “Teacher,” he declared, “all these I have kept since I was a boy.”

[21] Jesus looked at him and loved him. “One thing you lack,” he said. “Go, sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.”

[22] At this the man’s face fell. He went away sad, because he had great wealth.

I love this story because it clearly lays out what is important, and the path forward. Many people have taken this story to mean that the only way forward for us towards eternal life is to sell everything we have, and in that they really miss the main point. It's not something we can do, but who we are in relationship with that determines our eternal status.

If we look closely at the man's question to Jesus, he wanted to know what he needed to do. He thought he could earn his way into heaven, or eternal life, by works of some sort, even if they were good works.

Jesus' reply was to come and follow Him, and it was out of His love for Him that He gave the man this invitation. This was an invitation to relationship with his savior. Unfortunately, the man's riches and responsibilities would have made a life of following Jesus impossible for this man, so Jesus gave him direction on what to do. I was reading David Guzick's commentary and he made a good point. He said that the man had made his wealth an idol, and Jesus was inviting him to break away from that which bound him, for idolatry of any sort will bind us, and control us to some degree.

Relationship with Jesus was the one thing the wealthy man lacked, and it is the only path to eternal life of joy in heaven. Being good won't be enough, following the law won't be enough, it is only in relationship with Jesus that we find eternal life.

Paul wrote in Galatians 2:15-16 NIV: “We who are Jews by birth and not sinful Gentiles [16] know that a person is not justified by the works of the law, but by faith in Jesus Christ. So we, too, have put our faith in Christ Jesus that we may be justified by faith in Christ and not by the works of the law, because by the works of the law no one will be justified."

John wrote in 1 John 5:11-12 NIV: "And this is the testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. [12] Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life."

Peter wrote in 1 Peter 1:3-4, 8-9 NIV: "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, [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."

Jesus himself said in John 17:3 NIV: "Now this is eternal life: that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent."

So, let us examine our life's and see if there is anything that keeps us from relationship with Jesus. Jesus does not condemn us if there is, but rather looks on us with love and invites us to put whatever it is aside and enter into relationship with Him. He loves us, and wants us to be in relationship with Him. He is the path to eternal life!

Context Matters

This morning I was reading from 1 Thessalonians and realized that Paul was writing to them as new Christians, for his visit to them had been short, and they had only been able to share with them briefly before they had to leave town (see Acts 17). Paul hadn't had time to fully form the church there, nor preach the fullness of the Gospel, for they only stayed a very short time. So Paul's message to the church there was not the message to a mature church, but rather to new believers, fresh in their faith and not fully formed. He longs to return to them and finish what he started and supply what was lacking in their faith. The verses below illustrate this:

1 Thessalonians 3:1-2, 5-6, 10-13 NIV

[1] So when we could stand it no longer, we thought it best to be left by ourselves in Athens. [2] We sent Timothy, who is our brother and co-worker in God’s service in spreading the gospel of Christ, to strengthen and encourage you in your faith,

[5] For this reason, when I could stand it no longer, I sent to find out about your faith. I was afraid that in some way the tempter had tempted you and that our labors might have been in vain.

[6] But Timothy has just now come to us from you and has brought good news about your faith and love. He has told us that you always have pleasant memories of us and that you long to see us, just as we also long to see you.

[10] Night and day we pray most earnestly that we may see you again and supply what is lacking in your faith.

[11] Now may our God and Father himself and our Lord Jesus clear the way for us to come to you. [12] May the Lord make your love increase and overflow for each other and for everyone else, just as ours does for you. [13] May he strengthen your hearts so that you will be blameless and holy in the presence of our God and Father when our Lord Jesus comes with all his holy ones."

In the preceding chapters we also see how gently Paul dealt with them, and how He loved them.

1 Thessalonians 2:7-12 NIV
[7] "Instead, we were like young children among you.

Just as a nursing mother cares for her children, [8] so we cared for you. Because we loved you so much, we were delighted to share with you not only the gospel of God but our lives as well. [9] Surely you remember, brothers and sisters, our toil and hardship; we worked night and day in order not to be a burden to anyone while we preached the gospel of God to you. [10] You are witnesses, and so is God, of how holy, righteous and blameless we were among you who believed. [11] For you know that we dealt with each of you as a father deals with his own children, [12] encouraging, comforting and urging you to live lives worthy of God, who calls you into his kingdom and glory."

My point in all this is understanding who Paul is writing too, helps us to understand ad frame his messages, for we can become confused by some of the simple language he uses here, compared to some of the more thoroughly written and thought out letters to mature believers, like Romans or Hebrews. We must always take Paul's writings as a whole, and recognize that no one sentence or one chapter can be understood on its own, nor can a theological point be extracted correctly without understanding the greater body of his work.

A good example is 1 Thessalonians 4:3-6 NIV:

[3] "It is God’s will that you should be sanctified: that you should avoid sexual immorality; [4] that each of you should learn to control your own body in a way that is holy and honorable, [5] not in passionate lust like the pagans, who do not know God; [6] and that in this matter no one should wrong or take advantage of a brother or sister. The Lord will punish all those who commit such sins, as we told you and warned you before."

First the phrase translated "the Lord will punish", could be more accurately translated "the Lord is the avenger". If takeN out of context, and with this single translation we could think that the Lord will punish those who sin sexually. The issue with this is that the Lord has already taken all the punishment for all sins upon himself on the cross (Romans 6).

Secondly we might think this is an immediate punishment, but Paul writes in Romans 2:5 "But because of your stubbornness and your unrepentant heart, you are storing up wrath against yourself for the day of God’s wrath , when his righteous judgment will be revealed." In other words, the punishment, if the sin is not forgiven, will be meted out on the day of Judgement, the day of God's vengeance.

Thirdly, one might misunderstand that this sexual sin is different than any other sin, all of which come under the blood of Jesus and can be forgiven. Jesus paid the price for all of us, and His blood cleanses us of every sin, if we come to Him and ask forgiveness (Eph 1:7, Col 1:14, Heb 9:22)! The author of Hebrews writes in Hebrews 10:14, 17-18 NIV:

[14] "For by one sacrifice he has made perfect forever those who are being made holy.

[17] Then he adds: “Their sins and lawless acts I will remember no more.” [18] And where these have been forgiven, sacrifice for sin is no longer necessary."

In other words, Jesus made the sacrifice for our sins, and if we come under His blood, in faith, our sins are remembered no more, and sacrifice for them has already been made.

So, in summary, let us read carefully and understand the fullness of the Gospel message, not taking things out of context, or creating theology out of one sentence. Let us be fed upon the whole Gospel and pursue maturity in Christ Jesus, that we might faithfully proclaim the Gospel, the good news, to all the world. Let us live to please God, not out of fear of punishment, but out of joy and relationship.

Adding To Our Righteousness?

This morning I am reading from Paul's letter to the Galatians. He is discussing the ideas of grace and works. Here are two critical sections:

Galatians 2:15-16, 19-21 NIV:
[15] “We who are Jews by birth and not sinful Gentiles [16] know that a person is not justified by the works of the law, but by faith in Jesus Christ. So we, too, have put our faith in Christ Jesus that we may be justified by faith in Christ and not by the works of the law, because by the works of the law no one will be justified.

[19] “For through the law I died to the law so that I might live for God. [20] I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. [21] I do not set aside the grace of God, for if righteousness could be gained through the law, Christ died for nothing!”

The goal here is to be deemed righteous, or free of sin, which is the requirement to enter into God's presence, or eternal life. Earlier in the chapter Paul was describing how he was calling Peter to task for giving in to the "circumcision" party, those who were trying to force Jewish laws on the Gentiles. Paul's stance was critical to the message of the Gospel, that through faith they might be saved. This was not a message of works, some set of acts that would enable a person to reach the required state, but rather a message of faith.

Paul makes it very clear that if righteousness could be gained through the law, then Jesus would not have needed to come and die for our sins. Additionally, the next step in the works logic is that following some of the rules of the law would enhance one's righteousness, thus producing a group of people who were 'more' righteous than the rest. That is exactly what Paul was battling here, the members of the "circumcision party" were considering themselves above the Gentile believers, because they were more righteous. Paul understood this was very dangerous territory and a stream that must be stopped, for it would taint the whole Gospel.

There can be only one answer, for there is only one savior, Jesus. He either died or all our sins or He didn't, and He either has made us righteous by His sacrifice, or He hasn't. There is no incompleteness to His sacrifice, no need to add to His sacrifice. We cannot achieve new levels of righteousness by our acts, for we have been made righteous by Jesus, and this is not based on anything we do. In other words, everyone who comes to Jesus for salvation and believes in Him through faith, has the same level of righteousness in God's eyes, that of Jesus.

Any acts of obedience, any embracing of the way of the Lord that we do is the result of our relationship and salvation we have already received. Our actions should be birthed out of relationship, not out of following some set of rules that someone else has written or communicated. Those who have just come to salvation in Christ, are just as righteous as those who have walked for years with the Lord, the difference is intimacy.

Using an example that we can relate to, a couple who just got married yesterday are every bit as married as a couple who was married 40 years ago. Those who have shared life together for 40 years are not more married, but they likely enjoy greater intimacy. The couple married for 40 years should not look down on the newly married couple with contempt, or act as if their marriage is better, but rather should be encouraging to the young married, of the joys and life they will experience. Similarly, there are many married couples whose life together is significantly different than other couples, yet their marriage is every bit as legitimate, and intimate, so they should not believe that the way their life together has developed is the way ever one else's should be.

So let us examine our lives and make sure that we do not believe a Gospel that has been added too, one that requires anything other than faith in Jesus as the standard and requirement for righteousness. Let us encourage each other onward in intimacy and relationship with the Lord, but let us not look down on those whose walk is young, different, or less intimate.

Healed of Blindness (2}

This morning I went back to the story of the man born blind who is healed by Jesus found in John 9. I was thinking about the whole healing and the way the whole situation was reported in such an understated way. Here are a few verses from the story - John 9:3-11 NIV:

[3] “Neither this man nor his parents sinned,” said Jesus, “but this happened so that the works of God might be displayed in him. [4] As long as it is day, we must do the works of him who sent me. Night is coming, when no one can work. [5] While I am in the world, I am the light of the world.”

[6] After saying this, he spit on the ground, made some mud with the saliva, and put it on the man’s eyes. [7] “Go,” he told him, “wash in the Pool of Siloam” (this word means “Sent”). So the man went and washed, and came home seeing.

[8] His neighbors and those who had formerly seen him begging asked, “Isn’t this the same man who used to sit and beg?”

[9] Some claimed that he was. Others said, “No, he only looks like him.” But he himself insisted, “I am the man.”

[10] “How then were your eyes opened?” they asked.

[11] He replied, “The man they call Jesus made some mud and put it on my eyes. He told me to go to Siloam and wash. So I went and washed, and then I could see.”

So I think the end of verse 7 may be one of the most understated sentences in the Bible - "So the man went and washed and came home seeing."

This is a man who was born blind and had never seen anything, and now he could see everything! He didn't just come home seeing, like it had been another day at the corner begging, but today he could see! No, he was utterly transformed in character, so much so that the people who were his neighbors didn't recognize him! Imagine yourself having never seen anything, and now being able to see! To see your world, and all the details and colors, and animals and plants, the sun, the sky, the birds, the trees, everything was new! To see people, to put faces with names, to see how people walked and talked and used their faces to express things, these were all new to the man! Imagine your best Christmas morning and birthday ever and multiply it times 1000, that is what this man just experienced. He didn't just come home seeing! He came home rejoicing, examining everything, every detail, every color, everything was new! He had never seen his house, never seen his parents! There must have been incredible joy in that house that day!

His demeanor and character must have been utterly transformed, for his very neighbors argued about whether it was him or not. He was no longer a beggar, no longer an outcast, he could see! He was no longer someone you ignored or didn't look at as you walked join by, but now he could truly see you and interact with you. Maybe this was the first time his neighbors had actually ever looked at him, for the blind were outcasts and beggars in that society. Its funny, you can tell by the conversation among themselves that they had never treated him as a real person, for they were arguing with each other in his very presence about whether this could be the same man who was born blind, like he didn't even matter. It is like he was formerly blind and deaf, like it didn't matter if he heard them or not. The man actually had to defend his own case for healing by telling them he was the man. He wasn't just the man, he was a whole person now! He had been healed of his physical blindness, and of everything that went with that. Wow, it must have been an incredible experience.

One final point, this man didn't ask Jesus to be healed, Jesus just happened to have walked by and the disciples asked Him about the man. Talk about someone's destiny be changed in an apparently chance encounter. Again, notice the way the disciples talk about the man as if he wasn't even there... they hadn't yet fully embraced the heart of the Lord in seeing the significance of every person. They were having a theological discussion about the man and his sin state, without ever addressing man, and they must have been standing right in front of him.

While they were talking Jesus spits in the dirt, which was probably a very normal thing to do, and this time reaches down and makes some mud. I think we can also say that Jesus wanted to heal the man, for without being asked, Jesus touches him. I have heard someone say that Jesus heals the man with the very thing that people usually cursed the man with, their spit. Again if we think about the notion of sickness or in this case blindness, being caused by sin, we can understand that people didn't want the man coming near them. In their culture, touching a sinner could make them unclean. I guess a common reaction to a sinner was to spit on the ground near them, to basically tell them of your contempt and disgust at their sin. The blind man had probably been spit at his entire life, but this time the result was completely different, he was healed rather than cursed.

The man didn't realize his healing until he went to the pool of Siloam and washed, and Jesus didn't say anything publicly about him receiving healing. I imagine there was something about the way that Jesus told him to go wash, that caused the man to do so, otherwise he probably would have just wiped the mud off his face with his own cloak. We don't know, as it wasn't recorded. Again, the understatement of the whole affair is amazing!

As I reflect back on this story, I come away with a few significant points:

1. Everyone is significant to Jesus, even those we consider cursed or less than whole persons.
2. The touch of the Lord can radically transform everything about a person.
3. Any day might be the day that we meet the Lord and He brings healing to us! Sometimes it might take a bit of time, or a little effort on our part, but He wants to heal us.
4. Jesus desires to heal us, and will heal not just physical needs but the whole being, in this case turning what had been a curse (spit) into blessing. It is like He erased all the years of cursing and rejection in an instant. The man would never look on spit the same way again.

Lord, You are so good, and such a lover of people. We pray that You will help us to love each other in the same way, as You have loved us.

Healed of Blindness

This morning I have been reading from John's 9th chapter, which is the story of the healing of the man born blind. I love this story for several reasons, but one of the main things I like is the realness of the conversation, the interaction of the Pharisees and the man, and then his parents. I can just imagine the circumstances, the pompous posturing of the Pharisees, the relative innocence of the man who was healed, etc. Here is a link to John 9 - https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=john+9&version=NIV

There are a few things that I think are very interesting in this story. First, Jesus doesn't stick around to experience his healing. Instead He sends the man to wash in the pool of Siloam, and it is then that the man is healed, but Jesus is nowhere to be found. In other words, Jesus just wasn't worried about acclamation. He wasn't worried about the turmoil that He caused the religious establishment. He ultimately came back and addressed the man personally and revealed Himself to him that he might believe. Jesus was concerned for the individual, and that was His main motivation.

Secondly, the whole idea of sickness relating to his sin is discussed. This was a common thought back then, and still exists in the church today in places. I have written about this in several blog entries, but it is always worth revisiting. The disciples ask Jesus who sinned to cause this man's blindness, the man or his parents? They were asking for clarification - was this and example of Deut. 5:9 or Ezek 18 - was the sin of the parents or the man himself responsible for his condition? Jesus responds simply "neither" was responsible. This was the perfect place for Jesus to have tied sin to sickness, but He didn't. We only have four recorded times where He speaks specifically of a person's sins, and yet we have recorded His healing of thousands, all with no comment from Jesus on their sin being the cause of their sickness. Sometimes we can learn from what is not said, and this is one of those situations where Jesus' lack of comment is very educational.

Thirdly, I love the last few verses concerning the man's interaction with the Pharisees - John 9:30-33 NIV: "The man answered, “Now that is remarkable! You don’t know where he comes from, yet he opened my eyes. [31] We know that God does not listen to sinners. He listens to the godly person who does his will. [32] Nobody has ever heard of opening the eyes of a man born blind. [33] If this man were not from God, he could do nothing.”

This is a perfect answer to those who in this day, hold to cessationist theology, namely that all miracles and healing and spiritual gifts ceased after the last of the Apostles died. This is their theology which then forces them to say that any healing, miracles or signs and wonders being performed in the church today are from the enemy, because they can't be from God. The Pharisees argued that Jesus couldn't be from God because He didn't follow the rules, which were clearly from God, via Moses. They clearly missed the fact that Jesus had created new eyes in the man and that is something only God can do, and a clear sign of the Messiah (see Isaiah 42:7) because He didn't follow their understanding of the rules. The same can be said of those who believe in cessationism, they are missing the very move of God in our midst, because of their own theology.

Finally, Jesus speaks of spiritually blind eyes - John 9:39-41 NIV: "Jesus said, “For judgment I have come into this world, so that the blind will see and those who see will become blind.” [40] Some Pharisees who were with him heard him say this and asked, “What? Are we blind too?” [41] Jesus said, “If you were blind, you would not be guilty of sin; but now that you claim you can see, your guilt remains." Spiritual blindness really is the result of pride, believing that one understands all things. We need to have humility in coming before God, for none of us can fully understand Him or His ways. God is creative and never stops creating, and He understands all His ways, and will never act outside of His character. The problem is that we don't fully understand Him, so cannot rightly judge all His ways. There will be times that we will see Him act in wholly new ways, and we must not reject them because they don't fit into our understanding.

Let us pray that we can have our eyes opened by the Lord to see His wonderful salvation available to us all. Let us lay down old, wrong ways of thinking and judging, and let us pursue the truth of the Father, revealed by Jesus both in scripture as well as in our daily experience. Let us examine ourselves and rid ourselves of our spiritual blindness. Help us Lord!

Revelation, Relationship and Rest

This morning I am reading from Matthew 11:25-30 NIV:

[25] "At that time Jesus 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. [26] Yes, Father, for this is what you were pleased to do.

[27] “All things have been committed to me by my Father. No one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.

[28] “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. [29] Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. [30] For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”

Such and interesting set of scriptures, all related, yet each set standing alone on its own. The themes of revelation, relationship and rest, all woven together.

The first statement Jesus made is intriguing, especially the end statement, about it being pleasing to the Father. The revelation of Jesus and the Kingdom of God, is what Jesus is discussing - see Luke 10:21- 22 for that reference. He had just sent the 72 out and they had seen miraculous things happen, and Jesus was rejoicing in the great things they had done and seen. He was expressing the fact that the Kingdom was advancing, and that on the shoulders of His followers, who were just like you and me. They were not the leaders of the synagogue or the 'wise', but just normal people. The Greek word actually means infant, but is used metaphorically to speak of the untrained and unskilled. He sent them out and they saw things that the Prophets of old longed to see. It is interesting that He says this pleases the Father to do it this way. We can conclude that the Father enjoys when the young, the new recruits, the humble, those held in little esteem go out and do "the stuff" of healing, signs and wonders, and miracles. There is a revelation of the Kingdom that the Father loves to bring about to such as these.

The second statement, rides on the first, for here Jesus says that it is precisely because He has relationship with the Father, and knows Him, and is choosing to reveal Him to us. All things have been committed to Him, and that means exactly that. He is the Father's representative, doing His works here on earth, and in that, bringing revelation of who the Father is, and what the Father is like. He chooses to reveal that to us, drawing us into relationship with Himself and the Father. Think of it as a young man bringing a friend home to meet his father. He knows what his father is like and is now bringing this friend home to meet his father and see for them self through first hand experience, what his father is really like. Tying this back to the first statement, it is the Father's good pleasure for it to work this way. The Father loves to reveal who He is through His Son Jesus.

Finally, there is rest and revelation in relationship with Jesus. When we come to Jesus we can lay down our burdens. When we come to Jesus there can be a transference of peace, for Jesus is not worried or pressured by anything. He speaks of rest for our souls, rest for the weary and burdened, which is brought about through His peace, and our knowing who He is. When I feel pressured and weary, I can go to Jesus and get His perspective. The invitation is to relationship with Him, the learning is only possible in that place of relationship. Finally the yoke He speaks of can mean His teaching and commands, and those were radically different than the law under which the people He was addressing were trapped. There was a great burden of the law and all its precepts that they felt they had to fulfill, and Jesus is replacing that with His new command - to love one another, and be active in representing Him and furthering the Kingdom. I was just reminded of something that Bill Johnson said about the time that Jesus and the apostles were ina boat in a storm and Jesus was sleeping (Matt 8:23-27) He said that Jesus was able to sleep, because inside Him there was no storm, only peace. He knew they would be fine, knew that the Father was in complete control, so was able to sleep. This is the type of peace and rest that He can bring us as we step into relationship with Him and come to know the heart of the Father.

So let us come to Jesus, receive this wonderful rest as we enter into relationship with Him and let Him reveal to us the heart of the Father for us. Let us walk in His ways, following His lead, and bring pleasure to the Father.

The Resurrection - The Cornerstone of Our Faith

This morning I have been reading a few different places in scripture and have come across the theme of the Resurrection repeatedly. I was thinking that this is one of the things we don't hear preached about much, at least I haven't, and yet it is the cornerstone of our faith.

These verses from Paul's first letter to the Corinthians describes the critical nature of the Resurrection - 1 Corinthians 15:12-14, 20-23 NIV:

[12] "But if it is preached that Christ has been raised from the dead, how can some of you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? [13] If there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised. [14] And if Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is your faith.

[20] But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. [21] For since death came through a man, the resurrection of the dead comes also through a man. [22] For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive. [23] But each in turn: Christ, the firstfruits; then, when he comes, those who belong to him."

In Acts 17, Paul was preaching in Athens and used the fact of the Resurrection as that which differentiated the Christian faith from all others. Here is an excerpt from that chapter - Acts 17:16-19, 29-31 NIV:

[16] "While Paul was waiting for them in Athens, he was greatly distressed to see that the city was full of idols. [17] So he reasoned in the synagogue with both Jews and God-fearing Greeks, as well as in the marketplace day by day with those who happened to be there. [18] A group of Epicurean and Stoic philosophers began to debate with him. Some of them asked, “What is this babbler trying to say?” Others remarked, “He seems to be advocating foreign gods.” They said this because Paul was preaching the good news about Jesus and the resurrection. [19] Then they took him and brought him to a meeting of the Areopagus, where they said to him, “May we know what this new teaching is that you are presenting?

[29] “Therefore since we are God’s offspring, we should not think that the divine being is like gold or silver or stone---an image made by human design and skill. [30] In the past God overlooked such ignorance, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent. [31] For he has set a day when he will judge the world with justice by the man he has appointed. He has given proof of this to everyone by raising him from the dead.”

To summarize what Paul was saying, his proof of God being the one true God was that He sent Jesus to the earth, and then raised Him from the dead. Without the resurrection, our whole faith in Jesus is pointless, for that is what proves He was who He said He was, namely the Son of God. Without the resurrection He could just be a prophet, or a great teacher. The prophets of old worked signs and wonders occasionally, the great teachers spoke with wisdom and authority. It was the resurrection that sets Jesus apart, and is thus the cornerstone of our faith.

Without His death, we have no proof that He became fully man, and thus fulfilled the requirements of the Law. Without the resurrection we have no proof that God accepted this sacrifice and exalted Him as our Savior. As Paul said, "If Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is your faith!"

So today, and hopefully every day, I am grateful for the fact that Jesus did rise from the dead, and is seated at the right hand of the Father, even now. He is the only one who has saved me and set me free from the bonds of sin and death. Thank You Lord Jesus!

Hearing What We Want To Hear

I was reading through Luke 18 and came across these verses - very interesting to think about: Luke 18:31-34 NIV:

[31] "Jesus took the Twelve aside and told them, “We are going up to Jerusalem, and everything that is written by the prophets about the Son of Man will be fulfilled. [32] He will be delivered over to the Gentiles. They will mock him, insult him and spit on him; [33] they will flog him and kill him. On the third day he will rise again.” [34] The disciples did not understand any of this. Its meaning was hidden from them, and they did not know what he was talking about."

I was just thinking how it is almost impossible to misunderstand Jesus' statement in the previous verses. The fact that the Apostles didn't understand what He was saying can only be attributed to one of two scenarios -1. The Holy Spirit was deadening their mind to the real meaning of Jesus' words. 2. They were only willing to hear what they wanted to hear.

Personally I think it was the latter, as we all do this to some extent. In my own life, their are certainly some areas of scripture that I either don't understand, or don't like reading. For example, one of those sections of scripture immediately precedes the verse above where Jesus tells the rich man to sell everything give to the poor. I just plain don't want to read those verses, and so I generally don't. The apostles were still believing that Jesus was going to somehow push the Romans out of power and take His throne here on earth, and anything other than that, it seems, they didn't want to hear.

This is a very dangerous stance, the of picking what we want to hear and believe. We believe the Holy Spirit inspired the writing of all scripture and ignoring or choosing to not believe some if it means we are limiting ourselves in understanding the full revelation of God. We may not understand the scriptures or the Father's heart in certain scriptures, but we must read them and try to understand, and pray for understanding. We need the totality of scripture, the whole Gospel, and we cannot leave out the parts we don't like or understand. Paul said in 2 Timothy 3:16 NIV: "All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness,...".

Peter also spoke about subject briefly in his second letter:

2 Peter 3:1, 16-18 NIV
[ of Paul] [16] He writes the same way in all his letters, speaking in them of these matters. His letters contain some things that are hard to understand, which ignorant and unstable people distort, as they do the other Scriptures, to their own destruction.

[17] Therefore, dear friends, since you have been forewarned, be on your guard so that you may not be carried away by the error of the lawless and fall from your secure position. [18] But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and forever! Amen.

So, my encouragement today is to look to the Lord, to read all His word, and to discover His will for me. I desire the full message of Scripture to fill my life and will choose to not hear only what I want to hear.

Sin, Discipline, Judgment and Love

I was thinking this morning about sin, specifically certain sins that are the result of believing lies, and bad theology, an interesting mix. I realized that we have to be very careful how we treat people who are deceived, and believing a lie, whether that is the stuff that is being taught about sinful lifestyles, or bad religion and teaching. We can't be angry with them, for they are deceived. We must not judge, for only Jesus can do that. We can express our belief and what we see as the truth, but we must not approach them with a sense of self-righteousness, or I am right you are wrong. This is where the command to love sees its primacy as the main motivation. Our first response should be love. We should not assume we know what they have experienced, or how they came to conclusion or belief they presently hold, but we should engage them in relationship and try to understand them. We must know what we believe, and why, and express that when questioned, and teach that when we are called. We must recognize that each person is significant and loved by the Lord, and our role is to represent Him.

I was just thinking about how different an approach this is, and how difficult to maintain. There is a definite role the that church should play, and we should stand up for what we believe in the political arena, but our personal ministry and relationships must represent Jesus. I think the danger is that some of the church feels that they can take on the judging role of Jesus, and they read scripture, seeing how He addressed the Pharisees and other religious leaders at that time, and figure they can act in the same way. I don't think this is our call, in fact in reading all the verses in the New Testament dealing with a judge or judgment, it is quite clear the Jesus alone is the judge. We can teach and correct those people in our own body, we can stand for the truth and teach the truth, we can explain our beliefs and thoughts to others, but I don't think we are called to take on judgment as a role, especially towards those outside the Body of Christ (1Cor 5:12-13).

I was thinking about a friend this morning who fell into serious sin in a particular area, and thought about how much of the church would want to treat him. As I was thinking about this, the Lord put it in terms of my relationship with my son, how if he were to mess up badly, as his father I wouldn't cut him off from relationship, I wouldn't punish him, I wouldn't stop all interaction with him until he got the one area back in line. I would continue to love him and be in relationship, and continue to work with him in all other areas. I would not interfere with the consequences of His bad decision, unless they were life threatening. I would help him wherever I could and encourage him to step up and be a man, and would love him through it all. This reminds me of a scripture comparing the Father to our earthly fathers - Matthew 7:9-11 NIV: "Which of you, if your son asks for bread, will give him a stone? [10] Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? [11] If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!" I think the "how much more" statement that Jesus makes about the Father, is applicable here as well. If I a willing to love my son through difficult and bad decisions, how much more will the Father in Heaven.

So this brings up another subject, that of disciplining our children. The Old Testament has many verses, especially in Proverbs, that speak of how to raise a child. As good example is Proverbs 13:24 NIV: "Whoever spares the rod hates their children, but the one who loves their children is careful to discipline them."

The Hebrew word here translated discipline is the word - Yacar

Definition: 1. to chasten, discipline, instruct, admonish a. (Qal) 1. to chasten, admonish 2. to instruct 3. to discipline b. (Niphal) to let oneself be chastened or corrected or admonished c. (Piel) 1. to discipline, correct 2. to chasten, chastise d. (Hiphil) to chasten e. (Nithpael) to teach

The Hebrew word here translated rod is the word - shebet

It is from an unused root probably meaning to branch off.

Definition: 1. rod, staff, branch, offshoot, club, sceptre, tribe a. rod, staff b. shaft (of spear, dart) c. club (of shepherd's implement) d. truncheon, sceptre (mark of authority) e. clan, tribe

My Hebrew to English Dictionary gives this definition of the word Shebet: rod, staff, a stick used to assist in walking, discipline, and guidance, often individualized and used for identification; of royalty: scepter, by extension: tribe, a a major unit of national group or clan.

So going back to Proverbs 13:34 - we could rewrite this verse to say the following - 'Whoever withholds guidance, direction and discipline from their child hates their child. But the one who loves their child is careful to correct, instruct, discipline and admonish their child.'. That sounds significantly different, and takes on a much more positive perspective.

So let us pray that the Church would learn to love, to act in love and to provide guidance, directions and instruction to those in the Body of Christ, and the words of life to those outside.

Foundations Of The Kingdom Of God

This morning have been revisiting the 'Sermon on The Mount' which starts in Matthew 5. This sermon is considered by many the single place where Jesus lays out the realities of the Kingdom of God, and how our lives should be lived.

I think it is very important to put this in the context of Jesus beginning ministry and the gathering of thousands of people. He had burst onto the scene with a completely new ministry of healing and miracles, proclaiming the Kingdom of God, and people were sure to be wondering what He was all about. These are the first real definitive statements that Jesus makes about all that, as far as we know.

He starts by proclaiming blessing to the people, not regarding material things, but rather spiritual traits. In other words He is laying the foundation of the Kingdom and it is a spiritual foundation, not a material one. This is such a departure from what the people were expecting from the Messiah. They were expecting a military leader, warrior-king to lead them to freedom from those who oppressed them, and here is Jesus saying blessed are the poor in spirit, the meek, those who mourn, those that hunger and seek righteousness, the merciful, the pure in heart, peacemakers and persecuted. He finishes the 'beatitudes' by saying that those who are insulted and persecuted because of their relationship with Him are blessed as well.

This is not a message on the power of positive thinking, or a statement that proclaims material prosperity to His followers, but rather a statement drawing people to the relational and spiritual components of their lives. Jesus wasn't proclaiming Himself an up and coming leader, but was rather drawing people to that which really provides life and blessing. He is all about restoring real relationship wth the Father, and the spiritually arrogant or people living purely material lives will not recognize their need or even the invitation. Rather than saying 'look at me!' He is inviting the people to look at their own hearts, and see there a need for relationship with the Father.

He continues on with encouragements to be salt to the earth, or a light on the hill. I find this very interesting in that at this early stage of His ministry, He was already talking about the witness His followers would have to the world around them. Again, this is not a call to people to follow him and show the world who is best and has the brightest ideas, or to force others to think as they do, which is the more common call of charismatic leaders to followers. Rather this is a statement of the critical role we all have in the Kingdom of God. The Kingdom of God expands because of us, because of the traits in us that He mentioned in the first discourse of blessings.

Finally, rather than making this about Him, He makes it about us. Rather than expressing His own significance, He speaks about all of our significance. This really is radically different teaching than what they were probably expecting. The foundations of the Kingdom of God are based on our relationships with Him, our recognition of our desperate need for relationship with Him, the Father and the Holy Spirit, and the character traits He develops in us as we follow Him. We are called to be lights to those around us, to be that which seasons those around us.

Lord, help us to be the kind of people You desire to partner with in the expansion of the Kingdom of God.

Her are the verses I was reading from this morning - Matthew 5:1, 3-16 NIV
[1] "Now when Jesus saw the crowds, he went up on a mountainside and sat down. His disciples came to him, [2]and he began to teach them.
He said:
[3] “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
[4] Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted. [5] Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.
[6] Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.
[7] Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.
[8] Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God. [9] Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.
[10] Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
[11] “Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. [12] Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.
[13] “You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot.
[14] “You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. [15] Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. [16] In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven."

The Reality Of The Kingdom Of God

This morning I am reading from Matthew 4:23-25 NIV:

[23] "Jesus went throughout Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom, and healing every disease and sickness among the people. [24] News about him spread all over Syria, and people brought to him all who were ill with various diseases, those suffering severe pain, the demon-possessed, those having seizures, and the paralyzed; and he healed them. [25] Large crowds from Galilee, the Decapolis, Jerusalem, Judea and the region across the Jordan followed him."

I was just thinking about these verses, and letting the reality of what is said here sink in to my heart and mind. Jesus travels throughout the region of Galilee, and His main message was that the Kingdom of God was present, and then He demonstrated that this was true by healing EVERY disease and sickness among the people. What a complete departure from the religion they were used to, and what a complete departure from ones normal experience of church.

His ministry was so effective that people traveled many miles to find Him. Galilee is about 40 miles across, the same of the Decapolis, and Judea is at least 30 miles away from the southern tip of Galilee. Since there was no form of mass communication, I imagine there was a huge network of people talking to people, sharing the news of what Jesus was doing, and where He was and people in their desperation were setting out to find him. The people came carrying or escorting those friends or family members who were sick, paralyzed, in severe pain, possessed or suffering seizures and they were ALL healed.

I can't imagine the hardships the people dealt with to find him. I can almost see them walking slowly by a donkey dragging a travois with a paralyzed person, or a wagon being pulled with someone in severe pain. These trips would not be quick, and the roads were not smooth, and the food wasn't free, nor was a night's lodging. The people were desperate for relief, desperate for God's touch, and they heard that anyone who made their way to Jesus were healed.

Imagine the joy of the return trip, no wonder the crowds grew to the thousands, for I am sure that they told everyone they met about their healing, deliverance or personal miracle. The news about Jesus spread throughout the region and people flocked to Him. Meeting Him would change people's lives!

The amazing thing is that He did all this as a man, just like me, empowered by the Holy Spirit, walking in obedience to the Father! In other words, we should be able to see this type of ministry in our churches, for He was not relying on His divinity, but rather had emptied Himself and became fully man (Phil 2:6-8). Jesus Himself said that we, His followers, could and would do even greater things (John 14:11-14).

This was the message of the Kingdom of God present on earth. God's rules applied and broke people free from the effects of sin in the world. Sickness does not exist in God's Kingdom so Jesus brought the reality of God's Kingdom to bear in the people's lives. Demonic forces do not have power in God's Kingdom, so Jesus cast them out. All are welcome in the Kingdom, so all were touched that came to Jesus. God's Kingdom is superior to all sickness and disease and Jesus demonstrated that over and over again. There was no disease that He couldn't and didn't heal. It didn't matter how far gone the people were, how affected their lives were by the sickness or their condition, Jesus brought the reality of the Kingdom to them. Oh that we would learn to live in this reality once again, for the reality of God's Kingdom has not changed!

Lord help us to settle for nothing less, help us to pursue You for the reality of the Kingdom of God demonstrated in our lives and the lives of our loved ones.

Amen!

Jesus And Sinners

One of the questions we were discussing last night was how Jesus dealt with sinners. It is surprising how little He actually addressed people's sins. I could only find instances where He addressed 4 people personally about their sins, the young man whom was carried to Him by his friends, the women who wept over His feet (Luke 7), the man healed at the pool of Siloam (John 5) and the adulterous woman (John 8).

He did talk about sin, and sinners and such on occasion, but it was not His main message. In the Gospels of Matthew and Mark, He really only spoke of sin in about 5 situations (in each Gospel) and one of them was in teaching us to pray, commonly known as the Lord's Prayer. The Gospel of Luke has several more instances where the topic of sin was raised but it was certainly not the main topic, and in the Gospel of John most of the discussion around sin had to do with whether Jesus was a sinner for breaking the Sabbath, or His correcting the common understanding of sin.

My point is not that we shouldn't be concerned about sin, but more that we should focus on what Jesus focused on. We should look at our message as the Church and see if it matches the message of Jesus. He focused on the reality of the Kingdom of God, demonstrated its realities as they flowed out of the Father's heart and called people into relationship. He destroyed the works of satan and advanced the Kingdom of God everywhere He went. He set people free, healed people, worked miracles and signs and wonders demonstrating the power of God present to save. His commandment was that we should love as He loved, to forgive, and to extend mercy.

So let us endeavor to align ourselves in thought, heart and action wth those things that the Lord was most concerned with as demonstrated in the Gospels. Let us be lights to this darkening world, and let us remember He was not called to go the righteous, but to sinners (Mark 2:17) and so are we. He came into the world not to condemn the sinners, but to save them (John 3:17 paraphrase).

Sin and Punishment Revisited

This morning I continue my reading around the topic of sin, not one of my favorite subjects, but something that is important to understand. I was thinking about a common quote regarding sins of the fathers being visited to the third or fourth generation. This comes from the Old Testament, and was last written in the 10 commandments in Deuteronomy 5:8-10 NIV:

“You shall not make for yourself an image in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below. [9] You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, punishing the children for the sin of the parents to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me, [10] but showing love to a thousand generations of those who love me and keep my commandments."

The interesting thing is that many of us still quote this, when this is clearly Old Testament, and not even the final word of the Lord on the mater of sin. In Ezekiel, He again addresses this topic, but with one important change - God does not punish anyone but the sinner, and even then provides the opportunity to repent - Ezekiel 18:18-23 NIV:

[18] "But his father will die for his own sin, because he practiced extortion, robbed his brother and did what was wrong among his people.

[19] “Yet you ask, ‘Why does the son not share the guilt of his father?’ Since the son has done what is just and right and has been careful to keep all my decrees, he will surely live. [20] The one who sins is the one who will die. The child will not share the guilt of the parent, nor will the parent share the guilt of the child. The righteousness of the righteous will be credited to them, and the wickedness of the wicked will be charged against them.

[21] “But if a wicked person turns away from all the sins they have committed and keeps all my decrees and does what is just and right, that person will surely live; they will not die. [22] None of the offenses they have committed will be remembered against them. Because of the righteous things they have done, they will live. [23] Do I take any pleasure in the death of the wicked? declares the Sovereign Lord. Rather, am I not pleased when they turn from their ways and live?"

So how does the church hold onto the idea of generational sin, as if it is visited to the third or fourth generation, or even the idea that God's desire is to see us punished for sins, when even in the Old Testament book of Ezekiel God is continuing to bring revelation of His true heart towards all of us? He doesn't take pleasure in punishment, but rather rejoices in repentance and remembers none of the offenses they have committed if they have repented and brings none of the punishment to bear.

Note: It is important to note that this is not talking about the consequences of sin, in the same way there are consequences to any bad decision, it is the same with sin.

I believe that much of the thinking today regarding God and sin is actually from the enemy trying to color God as vengeful and enjoying punishment, when that is actually his character. The enemy tries to deceive us and convince us that God is angry, vengeful and just waiting to punish us for our sins, when the exact opposite is actually true. As Father Kevin O'Brien says in his book, "...the enemy is repulsive, harsh, and seeks only to deceive and enslave people, Christ is inviting, gentle, and desires only to liberate people to love God and serve others. Both want to rule the world, but in different ways and for different reasons."

Let us listen to the Gospels and the message of Christ. Let us look to His example of the Father's heart and let us embrace His love, mercy and compassion and desire for our repentance. He is the most loving being in the world, and any other characterization of Him is not true.

The Deceitfulness of Sin

Yesterday morning I was reading through Roman's 6-8 and the following verses caught my attention:

Romans 7:10-11 NIV:
[10] "I found that the very commandment that was intended to bring life actually brought death. [11] For sin, seizing the opportunity afforded by the commandment, deceived me, and through the commandment put me to death."

David Guzick's notes concerning Romans 7:10-12

a. 'And the commandment, which was to bring life, I found to bring death: Sin does this by deception. Sin deceives us:

· Because sin falsely promises satisfaction

· Because sin falsely claims an adequate excuse

· Because sin falsely promises an escape from punishment

b. For sin . . . deceived me: It isn't the law that deceives us, but it is sin that uses the law as an occasion for rebellion. This is why Jesus said you shall know the truth, and the truth will set you free. (John 8:32) The truth makes us free from the deceptions of sin.

c. And by it killed me: Sin, when followed, leads to death - not life. One of Satan's greatest deceptions is to get us to think of sin as something good that an unpleasant God wants to deprive us of. When God warns us away from sin, He warns us away from something that will kill us."

I thought this was such a helpful discussion on the nature and deception of sin, and the purpose behind it. The enemy would try to lead us astray with fine arguments, and work at convincing us of God's unpleasantness and anger towards us, to entice us into the very things that will ultimately lead to death. This isn't always physical death, but also death of relationships, death of trust, and the death of truth in our lives. Sin does promise satisfaction and although this is true in the short term, the satisfaction gained from sin never lasts, but rather leaves us with a thirst for more. It is this pursuit that leads us down paths from which there is little hope for return, and definite bondage.

It is in Christ alone that we have true freedom, and release from those things that bind us. "It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery." (Gal 5:1) So let us recognize the deceitfulness of the enemy and the sin he entices us with, and turn to the Lord, our true source of life.

The Name of Jesus!

Last night I had a dream where I listened to a friend preach about the weakness of the church and his conclusion was that the reason the church is weak is that it does not continue to lift up the name of Jesus. It was an interesting dream to say the least. Then this morning I was reading through the first letter of John and came across these two verses - 1 John 5:11-12 NIV: "And this is the testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. [12] Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life."

I definitely am seeing a theme this morning, that salvation, eternal life and life in abundance come through relationship with Jesus. There are so many things we can focus on in our Christian walk, but the core of all thought, all focus must remain Jesus. It is easy to get distracted, to become fixated on one particular topic, or theme, but we must always return to Jesus. He is our life! Our focus should be less on the topics of the day and more on relationship with Jesus. We need to say His name, hear His name, and glorify His name. He is the source of all good things, the very Word of God made flesh for our salvation.

Being a Christian is so much more than being a good person, it is being in relationship with Jesus. We must come to know Him so that we can represent Him to the world. We must come to understand Him so that we can follow Him. We must learn to hear Him so that we can be directed in our steps. We must come to love Him for it is in that place that we recognize that He loves us even more.

The Gospel (Good News) really is quite simple - it is Jesus! Here are some lyrics to a great Chris Tomlin Song:

"The Name Of Jesus"

The name of Jesus is a refuge
A shelter from the storm,
a help to those who call

The name of Jesus is a fortress
A saving place to run,
a hope unshakeable

When we fall You are the Savior,
when we call You are the answer
There is power in Your name,
there is power in Your name

In the name of Jesus
There is life and healing
Chains are broken in Your name
Every knee will bow down and our hearts will cry out
Songs of freedom in Your name, oh, in Your name

Bring salvation,
bring Your Kingdom
Let all that You have made
bring glory to Your name

When we fall you are the Savior,
when we call You are the answer
There is power in Your name,
there is power in Your name

On Sinners...

This morning I was rereading some of Mark's Gospel and this one verse just grabbed me again - Mark 2:15 NIV: "While Jesus was having dinner at Levi’s house, many tax collectors and sinners were eating with him and his disciples, for there were many who followed him."

I love the fact that it so clearly states that many sinners followed Jesus. As I read this, it makes me ponder if we can say the same thing about the Church? Are sinners drawn to the Church, do they want to interact with the Church, does the Church have anything for them? Clearly this was the case with Jesus, so we must examine our representation of the Lord to the world around us.

Is our church welcoming of "sinners"? What is our approach to those outside the church, those in the world, those in trouble, those in need, those who are hurting? Do we offer relationship? Do we offer judgment? Do we offer a helping hand? Do we offer them life? Do we offer them hope? Do we offer them Jesus?