Grace and Peace: Awesome Gifts from God!

This early morning, I just opened up my Bible and started reading from Paul's letter to the Galatians.  I was grabbed by the simplicity of his opening lines - Galatians 1:3-5 NIV:

[3] "Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ, [4] who gave himself for our sins to rescue us from the present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father, [5] to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen."

As I was just thinking about the line "grace and peace to you from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ" I had an image float through my mind  that the "grace and peace" were gifts from God.  I could almost see a big present labelled "grace" and another present labelled "peace".  They are for us and they are from God!

Grace is best defined as unmerited favor.  In other words, we did nothing to deserve it, nothing!  It would be like I purchased a bouquet of beautiful roses and walked out of the store and gave them to a random woman that I had never seen before.  That would be a great example of unmerited favor.  Now suppose that I actually know the woman, although she doesn't know me.  I know quite much about her life, her choices, both good and bad, and still decided to give her the roses.  That is closer to an example of what God is presenting us with when He gives us grace.  Now take it one step further and suppose that I have unlimited resources and in addition to giving the woman the bouquet of roses, I also pay all her debts off, every last one of them, her car, her mortgage, even all of her maxed out credit cards.  Now that is starting to sound like what God has done for each of us!  Wow!

Now looking at the gift of peace, the word used here is the Greek word Eirene which is pronounced i-ray'-nay.

Definition:

1.  a state of national tranquility
A. exception from the rage and havoc of war

2. peace between individuals, i.e. harmony, concord
3.security, safety, prosperity, felicity, (because peace and harmony make and keep things safe and prosperous)

4. of the Messiah's peace
A. the way that leads to peace (salvation)

5. of Christianity, the tranquil state of a soul assured of its salvation through Christ, and so fearing nothing from God and content with its earthly lot, of whatsoever sort that is
6.  the blessed state of devout and upright men after death

There is much to this word, and one could believe that Paul actually meant them all (except maybe the last one, as He was addressing those who were alive).  He was speaking to a persecuted people, the early Christian church was constantly under pressure and attack.  It was only after Constantine's conversion in the 300's that the Christian church became a protected and non-persecuted entity.  So, tranquility would be a great gift to the people of the church.

Secondly, peace between the members of the Body of Christ, the church in Galatia would be a huge blessing.  Peace in any house or organization is blessed, for the opposite is terrible to live through and experience.

Third, personal security and safety is always welcome.  There is nothing so unsettling as to feel that you are in danger.  Continuing on the third definition - prosperity and felicity (great happiness) are certainly welcome in every home and heart.  God is our provider, and understanding that allows us to turn to Him in our need, and unload our burdens that we are yoked with, instead taking up His yoke which is easy and light (Matt 11:28-30).

Fourth, peace is descriptive of our path to salvation.  Jesus gave himself for our sins, to rescue us from this present evil age (Gal 1:4).  He intends that we understand our salvation experientially.  

Fifth, the knowledge of our salvation and God's blessing and His character provides a unique insight that many people do not understand or experience.  Paul describes it elsewhere as a peace that passes understanding (Phil 4:7).  There is a settled-ness in the soul of one who is saved.  The early martyrs were amazing examples of possessing this peace and settled-ness in the face of terrible death.  It was recorded that many faced their death at peace and worshipping God, singing while the wild animals attacked them (see Fox's Book of Martyrs).  Many who watched were converted to Christianity by the simple observation of the peace and tranquility of those facing death.

All of this, the "grace" and the "peace" are meant to be real gifts that we open and experience! God knows us, and loves us and saves us!  Jesus came to pay for   our sins (debts) and save us from this evil age.  His grace and peace are not a couple of nice sounding words, but rather are life-changing gifts of His love.  Let us open them and enjoy them to our fullest expression.

Amen!

Reflecting on God's Love and Faithfulness

This morning I opened up to the Psalms, which I haven't done in quite a while.  I used to always start with part of a Psalm, as I spent time in prayer, as so often my heart resonates with what the psalmist is expressing.  This morning I am reflecting on Psalm 108:1-5 NIV:

[1] "My heart, O God, is steadfast; I will sing and make music with all my soul.
[2] Awake, harp and lyre! I will awaken the dawn.
[3] I will praise you, Lord, among the nations; I will sing of you among the peoples.
[4] For great is your love, higher than the heavens; your faithfulness reaches to the skies.
[5] Be exalted, O God, above the heavens; let your glory be over all the earth."

As soon as I read these verses, I was reminded of an old worship song based on this Psalm.  It is interesting that for me the best way to learn or memorize scripture is through song lyrics.  This particular song is from 30+ years ago, and I still remember the words and melody.  I have tried many times to memorize scripture, but it just doesn't seem to stay with me the way songs do.  I guess that is part of the whole purpose of the Psalms, for they are actually songs that were written and sung, and passed down.  They were reflections of the psalmist's interactions with the Lord.

A few things strike me this morning as I reflect on these verses.  First, David is moved to song by his reflections on the Lord. He spends time in the morning, singing and stirring his heart.  What a great practice to have in one's life, to begin the day reflecting on the Lord.  I am always blessed during my (mostly) daily ritual of waking to a time of prayer with the Lord.  It does take time and discipline to continue to do this almost every day, but my relationship with the Lord is my greatest treasure.

Secondly, David is reflecting on the Lord's love and faithfulness. A love higher than the heavens is pretty large, in fact it would be infinite.  My honey and I like to compare our love for each other to things in this world.  She will say things like "I love you more than chocolate, or more than the ocean."  I will replay that I love her more, most, and even mostest.  This is the language of love, and here David is prophetically speaking about God and saying God's love for us is greater than the heavens.  God uses the same kind of comparative language when speaking to us about His love for us.  That is awesome!

Third, the topic of faithfulness comes up when David is reflecting on God's love.  It appears that the two characteristics of God, His Love and Faithfulness are closely linked.  It is impossible for God to love us, higher than the heavens, and not be faithful to us.  I believe the imagery of faithfulness that reaches to the skies is related to the consistent appearance of the sun, moon and stars.  We have learned that they and our path around and through them are mathematically predictable. I think David is describing a faithfulness that is consistent, never changing, always dependable.  Webster's Dictionary defines faithfulness as follows:

1 obsolete  : full of faith
2 : steadfast in affection or allegiance : loyal
3 : firm in adherence to promises or in observance of duty : conscientious
4 : given with strong assurance : binding

I like that definition, and find it particularly helpful in thinking of God that way, in His affections for me.  He is steadfast in His affections.  In other words he won't change His mind about loving me.  He is firm in His adherence to His promises to me.  He won't ever forget His promises nor will He forget about me.  He gives us those promises with strong assurance.  His promise to love us and be faithful to us is something He proved by sending us Jesus to save us all.  He sent that which was most precious to Him, as a sign of His love and faithfulness.

Throughout history there are tales of epic love and faithfulness between men and women, husbands and wives.  This story of God's love and faithfulness to us is really astounding!  He has poured forth the greatest love in history, and lavished it on us!

Lord, I am so grateful for Your love and faithfulness!  I look forward to the day that I will join the heavenly chorus proclaiming the glory of Your love and faithfulness!  Your love is amazing!  You truly love me the mostest! Amen!

Pressing Forward To Know Jesus

This evening I am continuing my reading from Paul's letter to the Philippians, and have jumped over to the third chapter.  This is one of those really well known sections of scripture.  I want to focus on it as it reflects the Good News, and Paul's understanding of the the value of a life in Christ.  I will share the verses first, then break them down.

Philippians 3:7-14 NIV:

[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."

[12] "Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already arrived at my goal, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. [13] Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, [14] I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus."

The first thing I notice is that Paul is talking about his relationship with Jesus - the surpassing worth of knowing Him.  His statement is quite simply that knowing Jesus is more valuable and of greater worth than anything else.  In fact in light of relationship with Jesus, all things are as garbage. He has lost all things willingly, laid them down, for they no longer have any real value in light of Christ.  Paul had power, knowledge, was well respected in the community, and was one of the movers and shakers, and he willingly lost all of that, because their value was surpassed in knowing Jesus.

I think this is one of the first things we need to focus on and learn to cultivate in our lives.  For so many of us our faith is very little about relationship with Jesus, and more likely related to participation in a church, relationships with the people there, and participation in the programs and liturgies of that place.  The great treasure is the Lord, not our church body or programs.  If our primary focus lies anywhere other than Jesus, than we are missing the whole point of our Christianity - it is about relationships with the Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

Paul was so focused on the Lord, on becoming like Him, that he was willing to enter into Jesus' life, even sharing in the sufferings.  He embraced Jesus through the glory and persecutions, knowing that in Him, and through knowing Him, the door to His purpose and eternal relationship would be opened.  Paul seems to be taking on the personality and character of Christ, becoming like Him in all things, and that is His goal.

Secondly, Paul is willing to forget everything that is in the past, and willing to start each day with a new drive forward in the Lord.  He was not satisfied with what He had experienced for he knew there was far more to experience and to understand, so He constantly pressed forward. HE was not going to allow himself to be held back by wounds or injuries or even successes from his past.  He knew that the Lord had a purpose in calling him out of his sin and deception and he had not yet seen it in its fullest.  The Lord had a plan for His life that Paul strove forward to grab hold of, never satisfied in what he had attained so far.

Again, one wonders how many people in our churches have this hunger and drive?  In the place of relationship and personal growth, it seems that we have inserted attendance and listening with very little interaction and actual relationship stuff.  We spoon feed most of the people little bits and satisfy their dim hunger for another week and this is all they know. Once in a while we encounter someone truly hungry.  They have this belief that there should be more to this life of faith.  They are driving forward, desiring to be fed, and desirous of real relationship, and in that place they want to understand more about their purpose and God's plan for their lives. This is really the heart of the Good News, that knowing our God is possible, that He has a plan, a good plan for Your life, and it is for the whole of your life, whatever your age.  Yes, His plan is for every day of our life, we are never too young or too old.

So this evening I am encouraged that there is always more in Jesus, through relationship with Him, that I  have yet to encounter.  Lord, my desire is to know You and Your purposes for me.  I want to experience such a relationship with You that it surpasses everything else in worth and value.  Lord I desire some real understanding and experiences that completely break down my paradigms of what I think is possible.

Lord, we look to You, for You have everything we need!  Amen!

Working Out Our Salvation? (Phil. 2:12)

This morning I am reading from Paul's letter to the Philippians 2:1-13, as a result of my good friend Mason asking a question concerning verse twelve. I love this chapter for there is so much covered by Paul, especially in these thirteen verses.  I am going to focus on the last two verses, but the previous verses, all set the stage for those two verses, so I have included them.  As my friend and former pastor John Brown says, "When you see 'therefore' in scripture, you should ask yourself what is it there for?"  In every case, the following sections have established a foundation that is being built upon by that which follows the 'therefore'.  So here are the verses - Philippians 2:1-13 NIV:

[1] Therefore if you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any common sharing in the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, [2] then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and of one mind. [3] Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, [4] not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others. [5] In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus:

[6] Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage;
[7] rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness.
[8] And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death---even death on a cross!

[9] Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name,
[10] that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
[11] and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

[12] Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed---not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence---continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, [13] for it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose.

The quick summary is as follows, drawing the basic theme from each paragraph:

1) Because of our relationship with Jesus, pursue oneness with your brothers and sisters in Christ, through humility.
2) This humility was demonstrated to us by Jesus, who as God, humbled Himself and became just like us.
3) Jesus, because of His sacrifice for our sin, was glorified by the Father.
4) We should pursue this same humility and oneness, being like Jesus, and it will take work on our part, but God will help us.

If we were to read verse twelve on its own, it could confuse us regarding the Gospel of salvation through faith.  Paul writes very clearly that works (following the law) could not lead us to righteousness in his letter to the Galatians (Gal 2:19-21) and other places as well (Rom 4 & 5), so what does he mean in verses 12 & 13 when he says "work out your salvation"?

I believe that Paul is addressing our efforts to be like Christ.  The Greek word that is translated 'salvation' here is speaking about one's present possession, not something yet to be acquired.  In other words, Paul is not addressing our actual salvation, but the living in the place of being saved and following Christ.  Humility and dying to one's self, putting other's interests before our own, being obedient to Christ are all things that require effort on our part.  None of these is easy to do.  We are being encouraged to die to ourselves. Jesus called it denying oneself and taking up one's cross daily (Matt 16:24) and that sounds like work to me.

We are encouraged to this way of life because Jesus called us to it.  We are encouraged to this walk because the Father clearly favors it.  We are capable of doing this, of embracing this lifestyle, because God will help us!  It is Him, through the power of the Holy Spirit, helping us to will and act.  It is our effort, but His impetus!

I have always been interested in Paul's statement 'with fear and trembling' as that does not seem particularly helpful.  Why should I fear becoming like the one who loves me and has died for me?  Here is a statement from Strong's Exhaustive concordance concerning the original Greek, that is translated 'fear and trembling':  "[the phrase] with fear and trembling, [is] used to describe the anxiety of one who distrusts his ability completely to meet all requirements, but religiously does his utmost to fulfil his duty." That definition was very helpful in understanding this phrase, and Paul's use of it here in these verses.  If I know anything, I know that I will not succeed well in denying myself and taking up my cross with just my own effort.  Without the Lord's help, through relationship and encouragement, I have no chance of successfully walking this out.

Finally, the whole section follows Paul's description of his persecution and imprisonment due to his ministry.  He says that the Philippians are experiencing the same, and are suffering for following Christ Jesus (Phil 1: 12-29).  Paul is encouraging them, therefore, to press into each other, to pursue humility and oneness, to become like Christ, in the face of this suffering and persecution.  My natural reaction is to pull back and separate myself during times of struggle and suffering and Paul is encouraging them to do the exact opposite.

In my mind, I just saw the image of muskox, which when threatened form a circle with the helpless and young in the middle, and the mature and strong closing ranks with their horns facing outward.  This is what Paul is talking about, versus the opposite reaction that antelope have when threatened, they all run away and the youngest and weakest are at risk and ultimately are the ones that get killed. Paul is encouraging us to press into each other, to protect each other, to carry each other, to serve each other.  None of that is easy, and it requires that we deny ourselves and our proclivity to run and flee when  threatened.

Lord, thank You for this encouragement and enlightenment!  Help me to walk in Your ways, to deny myself and to love and serve others.  Help us as Your church to learn from You and to press into each other, and help each other, especially in times of struggle and difficulty.

Amen!

Practical Wisdom From Paul

This morning I was reading from 1 Timothy 4:7-14 NIV:

[7] "Have nothing to do with godless myths and old wives' tales; rather, train yourself to be godly. [8] For physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come.

[9] This is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance. [10] That is why we labor and strive, because we have put our hope in the living God, who is the Savior of all people, and especially of those who believe."

[11] "Command and teach these things. [12] Don't let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith and in purity. [13] Until I come, devote yourself to the public reading of Scripture, to preaching and to teaching. [14] Do not neglect your gift, which was given you through prophecy when the body of elders laid their hands on you."

As I look at these verses, I see some very practical guidance that Paul was providing to Timothy.

1) Physical exercise and training is good.
2) Spiritual training and exercise is better and affects our life here and in eternity.
3) The spreading of the Gospel is work, takes effort, but is valuable to all people.
4) It is important to be intentional in our lives, to set examples for fellow members of the Body of Christ.
5) It is important to remind ourselves of the calling in our lives, the things that God has said about us, and to press into those things.

One other thing that was interesting is Paul's statement in verse 10, about Jesus being the "...Savior of all people, especially of those who believe."  The original language says exactly that, that God is the Savior of all people, especially the believers.  The Greek words translated "all" and "people" are Pas and Anthropos, and both mean everyone.  See the definitions below:

Pas:

1) individually
    A) each, every, any, all, the whole, everyone, all things, everything

Anthropos:

1) a human being, whether male or female
A) generically, to include all human individuals

Some of the commentators say the usage of this language very rarely actually means every person, but is a general expression to mean most people.  In many instances, I can see their point, but in this statement, I see no reason to believe anything other than what is written, that God is the Savior of everyone.  Whether or not we accept His salvation is up to us, but it is apparently available to all people, through faith.  This is would be a very non-Calvinist perspective, but I must believe in the justice and love of God, believing that His grace and mercy is available to every one of us, because we are all His creation. His saving grace is available to every man, woman and child, and those who believe especially experience the reality of this salvation.

Prayer, Perseverance and Faith

This morning I opened my Bible and started reading where I left off yesterday, in Luke 18.  Jesus starts this chapter with an interesting parable - Luke 18:1-8 NIV:

[1] "Then Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up. [2] He said: “In a certain town there was a judge who neither feared God nor cared what people thought. [3] And there was a widow in that town who kept coming to him with the plea, 'Grant me justice against my adversary.'

[4] “For some time he refused. But finally he said to himself, 'Even though I don't fear God or care what people think, [5] yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will see that she gets justice, so that she won't eventually come and attack me!' ”

[6] And the Lord said, “Listen to what the unjust judge says. [7] And will not God bring about justice for his chosen ones, who cry out to him day and night? Will he keep putting them off? [8] I tell you, he will see that they get justice, and quickly. However, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on the earth?”

I like the fact that Luke added the narrative to start the story, for one could wonder about the overall meaning without those comments.  Jesus sometimes used comparisons to describe His Father, and this is one of those times.  He was not saying the Father was like the judge, rather just the opposite.  He was saying that if even a bad judge would issue the right decision if pressured enough, than how much more so will our Father in heaven, who is the very definition of good, and who needs no pressure, nor reminding.

It is interesting to compare this story to some of the other stories and discussion Jesus had about prayer, and the Father's heart.  I am reminded of two specific sections:

Matthew 6:7-15 NIV:
[7] "And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words. [8] Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him."

[9] “This, then, is how you should pray: “ 'Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, [10] your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. [11] Give us today our daily bread. [12] And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. [13] And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one. ' [14] For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. [15] But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins."

-and -

Matthew 7:7-11 NIV:
[7] “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. [8] For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.

[9] “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!"

When one reads these two sections, a different perspective on prayer and the Father's heart is communicated, than if one were to only read the passages from Luke.  This is a great example of why we can't just extract one set of verses and create theological understanding or principles from that one section.  We must read and understand the whole of the Bible, to rightly understand sections that might be questionable.

In a quick reading of Luke 18, in absence of the other sections from Matthew, one could think that Jesus was saying we must keep praying until we get our prayers met, as if God was like the bad judge and needed our prayers to move on our behalf.  Yet we find Jesus giving the exact opposite direction in Matt 6 - don't be like the pagans who babble on with many words.  He says the Father knows what we need before we ask Him.  So what would be the point of the story from Luke?  Luke was recounting the story which had been conveyed to him by someone who remembered the story and was giving their interpretation of its meaning.  I am not saying He wasn't guided by the Holy Spirit in his writing of the Gospels, but is it possible that some of the meaning was left out of the beginning narrative?

In understanding Jesus' comments we need to go back to some foundational truths.  First, He is speaking about those in relationship with the Father (His chosen ones).  The Father IS good, is loving, is faithful, is just, is our provider, is our healer, is all knowing, and is all powerful.  The Father does not need to be reminded of our need, or our situation, so what is the point of crying out night and day?  I believe the issue Jesus is trying to address is our faith in Him, which is the last statement He makes (Luke 18:8).

I believe the purpose behind encouraging the disciples to pray and not give up was that they might be reminded of the Father's character and promises.  I know when I am feeling pressured or in difficult circumstances, what I need is to take my eyes off myself, and focus on the Lord.  I need to gain His perspective, and when I do I am comforted and at peace.  I need to be reminded of who He is, and what He is capable of doing on my behalf.  I need to be reminded of His complete and right perspective, compared to my very limited and selfish perspective.  When I am in prayer or communication with the Lord, He reminds me of these things, and I am comforted.  My faith in Him is my anchor of peace.  When things get really hairy, I find myself needing to be in constant remembering mode, otherwise I lose perspective.

So, in looking at the beginning narrative, I think I would add a bit about faith, for that seems to be what Jesus is actually discussing, and is actually what He closes the story with, a statement about faith.  I would add something like the following - "... to show them that they should always pray and not give up, and remind themselves of God's faithfulness and love, stirring up their faith in Him."

God is good, is in control, and is not surprised or worried about our situation.  He has a plan and it is good!

Amen.

The Kingdom Within

This morning I was reading from Luke 17:20-21 NIV:

[20] "Once, on being asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come, Jesus replied, “The coming of the kingdom of God is not something that can be observed, [21] nor will people say, 'Here it is,' or 'There it is,' because the kingdom of God is in your midst.”

The Greek word that has bee translated 'midst' is Entos, and it literally means inside or within you.  Another way to translate the last sentence would be, "The Kingdom of God (His authority and rule) is inside of your being (within you)."  It is interesting that Jesus answered this question this way, for they were clearly thinking of the literal Kingdom of God being established over Israel, kicking out the Roman's and establishing themselves as a sovereign nation once again, under the Kingship of the Messiah.  Jesus' answer must have been completely confusing to them, for their paradigm of God's Kingdom was completely different.

In some ways, I think our perspective is somewhat similar, in that we expect the Kingdom of God, as demonstrated by the Church, to have earthly influence.  This is not a wrong expectation, for one would hope that Godly and faithful people would influence and be a part of the governments of the world, bringing influence and Godly perspective.  It is possible for a nation to be dedicated to God, as our nation was at its inception.  However, this is not a requirement for the Kingdom of God to prosper and increase.  The Kingdom of God exists on a personal level, that is both below the boundary lines of politics, regions, and nations and yet transcendent over all.

What this means personally is that God desires to rule and reign in our lives, if that is where His authority and rule exists.  This should have significant impact in our lives and the way we live.  The Kingdom of God is not just to bring salvation to people, but to establish the rule and reign and authority of God in their life as well.  For example, owning and wearing a T-Shirt with the name and official seal of another county does not make one a citizen.  In the US, we require education on the rules and structure of the government, a pledge to follow those rules and laws, and a commitment to abide under and by the authority of the government.

I believe God's expectations are no less, for we are called to live our lives in relationship, unity and obedience to the will of the Father.  Being a member of the Kingdom of God, is more than just calling ourselves Christians and being nice.  The are millions if not billions of nice people belonging to every Nation in the world, and probably every faith. No, being a member of the Kingdom of God active and volitional and related to His rule and reign.  Since the Kingdom of God advances on the personal level, we have responsibility to live our lives as members of the Kingdom.

We are not some people whose national citizenship is decided for us, as would be the case in where one government decided to surrender to another, and as happened to the citizens of many nations due to war.  No, our citizenship in the Kingdom of God is decided by us, and is a personal decision.  Our living under the rule and authority of God is also a personal decision.

So this morning, I am encouraged to look at my life, to consider whether the rule and reign of God is evident in my life?  Have I embraced His authority and reign?  Do I align myself under His rule, and do I obey His directives?  Lord, my desire is to experience the fullness of Your Kingdom, so please help me to grow in my understanding and my ability to follow Your Kingship.

God Isn't Human

So last night I was thinking about the fact that God isn't human.  In Hosea 11:9 He says, "I am God, and not man".  He is saying this because He does not act the way we humans act, and wanted to make sure that we understood that point.  In the Book of Isaiah 55:8 He says this “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the Lord."  It is important for us to understand that God is not man.  He doesn't act the way we act, and we don't think the way He thinks.

We are constantly trying to project our thoughts and emotions on God, trying to understand His motives.  We use human emotions and thought patterns to try to explain God, but all are woefully lacking.  While it is true that we are made in His image, and image of something does not mean it is exactly like the original.  A hand drawn pencil caricature of me is an image of me, as is a photograph, as is a theatrical production based on my writings.  All of these convey something about me, but none of them capture the fullness of me.  In the same way, we are at best on a shadow, an extreme subset of God.  So trying to explain God using our thoughts, words and emotions is bound to fall short.

I think this is where many people, especially the thinkers, stumble in their faith.  They encounter something in life that makes no logical sense, or seems completely unfair, or just plain wrong, and their response is to blame God.  They ascribe human characteristics or motivations to God as they try to make sense of the situation, and that will always fall short.  God is not man, we don't think like Him, and He doesn't act like us.  We desperately want to make God like us, so we can understand Him.

Thankfully, God understood our limitations and took it upon Himself to show us what He is like in human form so that we could better understand Him.  He sent His Son Jesus, to reveal to us His character, His heart and His thoughts.  He gave us what we want, God in Human form.  The problem is that He doesn't seem to act the way we thought God would act.  The old question, "what would Jesus do?" is actually a very pertinent question, for in understanding what Jesus would do, we see the heart and character of the Father revealed.  When we don't understand something, our first thoughts should not be "why God?", but rather, "what would Jesus do or say?" We clearly don't have a record of everything Jesus said or did, but we have a good foundation of understanding recorded in the Gospels.

As we study the scriptures and read about Jesus' interaction with the people, His disciples, and the religious leaders of the day, we start to understand God's character, and some bit of His thinking. Jesus constantly perplexed those around Him, for He didn't act the way they thought the Messiah would act.  He didn't seem to care about popularity, about offending the "so-called" religious leaders or rulers.  He loved sinners, healed the sick, freed those bound by sin and the deception of the enemy, He had mercy and compassion on the poor and lowly, He did not judge, He did not punish, He served, He humbled Himself, He loved deeply, He touched lives, He saw the truth of people, He called people into their purpose, He taught, He opened our understanding to scripture and in all of this He revealed the Father.

In addition to Jesus, God Himself, as the Holy Spirit as come to us, to our very lives, as our advocate, guide, counselor, teacher and help (John 14:15-27; John 15:26-27; John 16:5-16) .  We have inside of us, Him.  He, again, doesn't act the way we think God would act if He were inside of someone.  We would likely expect Him to be all powerful, possessing us for His purposes, overruling and directing, and making us slaves to His will, for that is how we portray people who are possessed of some other personality or will in movies and stories.  Instead, the Holy Spirit is gentle and loving, willing to wait, never forcing, always subjecting Himself to our will within our lives, for that is the whole premise of our free-will.

Make no mistake, the Holy Spirit is full of power and strength, and certainly could take over our puny wills and minds.  Instead He chooses to work through us, through those willingly allowing His power to flow through them.  It is through people like you and me that the Holy Spirit has demonstrated awesome power in miracles and signs and wonders, healings, etc.  He is not short of power nor constrained by our limited human bodies.  He has healed people through Peter's shadow, through Paul's kerchief, through simple proximity. He has raised people from the dead, revealed people's hearts and hidden thoughts, and set prisoners free from jail.  On His own, He has shaken houses, sent power in such a way that the whole town heard the sound of rushing wind, and enabled people to speak in languages they did not know.  He is thoroughly capable of amazing things, whether working through people or on His own.

This is the mystery of God, He is all powerful, yet humbling Himself and respecting our free will.  He works miracles ands signs and wonders, and yet at times seems silent.  He is the creator of the universe, yet He lives in us.  He is perfect, yet He loves us in our imperfection.  He hates sin, yet He loves us sinners.  He is all knowing, yet He loves to hear us speak to Him and converse with Him in relationship.  He is God of all, yet He chooses to become like us.  I could go on and on, and I would never stop uncovering the Glory of God, nor His mystery.  He clearly is not man.

So let us press in and endeavor to know Him more.  Let us not stumble over the things we cannot understand about God, but rather ask for insight, understanding and revelation.  God desires to be known, desires to be loved, and desires to be represented as His is to this lost world.   Lord God, help us!

The Unrelenting Love of God!

This morning I read through the whole book of Hosea.  This is such an interesting book, for it describes the unrelenting love of the Father, in spite of the unfaithfulness of His people.  There is a constant desire from God, for the people to turn back to Him, to refrain from their evil and rebellious ways and return to the Lord.  Some might read this book and conclude that God is angry and judgmental, based on the language of the sections where the Lord is speaking of their sin, rebellion and waywardness.  However, if you read the beginning and the end, you see that the Father's heart has never changed towards His people.  Here is how the book opens - Hosea 1:2, 10-11 NIV:

[2] "When the Lord began to speak through Hosea, the Lord said to him, “Go, marry a promiscuous woman and have children with her, for like an adulterous wife this land is guilty of unfaithfulness to the Lord.”

[10] “Yet the Israelites will be like the sand on the seashore, which cannot be measured or counted. In the place where it was said to them, 'You are not my people,' they will be called 'children of the living God.' [11] The people of Judah and the people of Israel will come together; they will appoint one leader and will come up out of the land, for great will be the day of Jezreel."

There is a sense that God, despite His sadness and frustration over the people's constant pursuit of other gods, never stops loving them.  He always longs for their return, longs to lavish them with His love.  Despite His strong language and warnings, God's heart is always for them.  Here is a set of verses that describe His heart very well - Hosea 11:8-11 NIV:

[8] “How can I give you up, Ephraim? How can I hand you over, Israel? How can I treat you like Admah? How can I make you like Zeboyim? My heart is changed within me; all my compassion is aroused. [9] I will not carry out my fierce anger, nor will I devastate Ephraim again. For I am God, and not a man---the Holy One among you. I will not come against their cities. [10] They will follow the Lord; he will roar like a lion. When he roars, his children will come trembling from the west. [11] They will come from Egypt, trembling like sparrows, from Assyria, fluttering like doves. I will settle them in their homes,” declares the Lord."

In verse 8 the word here translated changed, actually means to be turned over or flipped over.  I was thinking about this and I think it perfectly describes the heart of someone who is jealous for another's love.  They are angry that they are not the object of the other's affection, but that anger is immediately replaced with an awareness of the incredible love they have for the other.  It would almost seem like the heart is flipping back and forth, but the same emotion drives it - incredible love.

The last section of this book is a continued reflection of God's love for His people - Hosea 14:1-9 NIV

[1] "Return, Israel, to the Lord your God. Your sins have been your downfall!"

[2] "Take words with you and return to the Lord. Say to him: “Forgive all our sins and receive us graciously, that we may offer the fruit of our lips. [3] Assyria cannot save us; we will not mount warhorses. We will never again say 'Our gods' to what our own hands have made, for in you the fatherless find compassion.”

[4] “I will heal their waywardness and love them freely, for my anger has turned away from them. [5] I will be like the dew to Israel; he will blossom like a lily. Like a cedar of Lebanon he will send down his roots; [6] his young shoots will grow. His splendor will be like an olive tree, his fragrance like a cedar of Lebanon. [7] People will dwell again in his shade; they will flourish like the grain, they will blossom like the vine---Israel's fame will be like the wine of Lebanon. [8] Ephraim, what more have I to do with idols? I will answer him and care for him. I am like a flourishing juniper; your fruitfulness comes from me.”

[9] "Who is wise? Let them realize these things. Who is discerning? Let them understand. The ways of the Lord are right; the righteous walk in them, but the rebellious stumble in them."

The Lord desires nothing more than to love them freely. He desires to bless them and heal them, to prosper them and increase them.  His desire is to overlook all their sin, rebellion and waywardness and show them His incredible love.

Our God is truly amazing in His capacity to love and forgive.  As He said in chapter 11, verse 9, He is God, not a man.   He will not respond like a man would, but will rather respond like only God could, with Love and mercy.

Thank You Lord for Your amazing love.

As I was thinking more about these verses and the whole context of the revelation of the Father through Jesus' life, I realized why it was so important to get this perspective, that seeing Jesus, we see the Father.  Throughout the Old Testament the Father is described in terms that we never see Jesus embody.  We don't see Him releasing judgment and destruction, we don't see Him expressing anger at the sinners.  He does not treat us as our sins would require, and instead saves sinners, heals their diseases.  He does not cause disease, He heals disease.  He does not harden hearts, He softens hearts with Love and kindness.  He does not express His anger, accept at those who color the Father wrongly and make people think God is all judgmental.  He expresses the passion of the Father for His people!  He celebrates the significance of each of the people He meets.  He loves all, regardless of their sin, rebellion and waywardness.  The Father is really just like Jesus showed us, and anything else that we hear is untrue.

Lord, please open our eyes, our ears and our hearts and minds to these truths.  You really do Love us!

Comfort and Suffering

This morning I was reading through Paul's second letter to the Corinthians.  These verses are another set that rarely get preached in church, and should cause us to stop and evaluate our expectations about our lives as Christians.  Paul writes the following - 2 Corinthians 1:3-7 NIV:

[3] "Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, [4] who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God. [5] For just as we share abundantly in the sufferings of Christ, so also our comfort abounds through Christ. [6] If we are distressed, it is for your comfort and salvation; if we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which produces in you patient endurance of the same sufferings we suffer. [7] And our hope for you is firm, because we know that just as you share in our sufferings, so also you share in our comfort."

The couple of things that are just uncomfortable to hear about are our sharing "abundantly in the sufferings of Christ" and sharing in their (Paul's) own sufferings.  I don't know about you, but I really prefer a life with little or no suffering, and sharing abundantly in the sufferings of Christ, doesn't sound like that.  My rationalization is that Paul was speaking primarily about him and his companions and that he couldn't be referring to all of us.  This certainly sounds good to me, but I think it is incorrect.

When you look back at the sufferings that Paul and his companions endured, the vast majority of them were directly related to persecutions they were experiencing because of their faith and following of Jesus. In fact, Jesus warned His disciples about this very thing (Luke 21:12-19).  There is no doubt that many of the sufferings of Paul were due to his willing obedience and ministry.  Paul was not afraid of persecution, standing for His faith, or explaining his faith to unbelieving and even at times hostile groups.  He recognized the reality of the times they lived in, and saw his endurance in the face of persecution something that would help others going through the same.

In our present day culture which is quickly departing from Christian values and morals, as Christians, we will once again be faced with similar persecutions. So let us set our hearts and encourage one another, recognizing that in these environments Christianity has flourished, and will continue to flourish.

We will learn the comfort of God in all our troubles.  His comfort, His favor, His blessings will continue to be poured forth upon us, and His kingdom will continue to increase.  So let us not be surprised or discouraged if we are being persecuted individually or as a group, for Jesus experienced all and still had joy set before Him.

Amen.

Seeing Jesus, We See the Father

This morning I opened my Bible back up to John's Gospel, to continue where I left off and saw these two verses, which I have clearly read before, but which really grabbed my attention, most likely because of some of the themes I have been thinking about lately.

John 12:44-45 NIV

[44] "Then Jesus cried out, “Whoever believes in me does not believe in me only, but in the one who sent me. [45] The one who looks at me is seeing the one who sent me."

That last statement is pretty amazing - when we look at Jesus, we see the Father!  I don't know that I remembered Jesus saying this so clearly. He came to represent the Father, to show what the Father is like, to bring clarity to our incorrect perspectives, and ideas.  When we look at Him, we see the Father.  When we believe in Him, we believe in the Father.  When we encounter Him, we encounter the Father!

I know that I believe all that about their Heavenly existence as the Trinity, three in one, all God, all one.  I believe it is equally important for us to believe that about Jesus' earthly existence and ministry.  Even though He emptied Himself and became man, putting His divinity behind His humanity, and choosing to live as a man, He was a perfect representation of the Father to us all.  His embracing of our human nature required a limitation of His divine union, and in that limited state He demonstrated how we all could be one with the Father, through the ministration and guidance of the Holy Spirit. He still perfectly represented the Father's heart and thoughts, and actions.  When we look at Him, we see the Father, perfectly portrayed, perfectly reflected.

Lord, help us to do two things.  First, help us to dive deep into Your word, into the Gospels, and help us to really see You, and in seeing You see the Father.  Second, help us to faithfully represent and reflect who You, the Father and the Holy Spirit are to those around us, just as You did.

Amen!

Thoughts on Prophecies of Judgment

So this morning I was reading the Minor Prophet Nahum; reading his prophecy of Nineveh's destruction.  As I was pondering this prophecy, I came up with a theory concerning the identification of the Lord's anger as the motivation for the crushing of Nineveh.  In reality Nahum was just prophesying about Ninevah's coming destruction, and was foretelling that which would occur, the prophecy was accurate as far as the results, but I had some thougths about the motivation of God.  A few possibilities, not necessarily opposing ideas, popped into my mind to explain the language of the prophet, in light of the revelation of Jesus.

1) This is a great example of the progressive revelation of scripture.  Nahum has not seen God's great compassion and mercy, not understood the Father's heart toward sinners, and thus ascribed His anger to the reason they are being threatened. Is it possible that God was warning them, much the same as He did through Jonah?  Is it possible that their impending doom was the consequences of their own warring ways, and not God's anger?

2) The prophecy is not really much different than some of the few New Testament prophecies we see, just adding God's emotions as cause, rather than just foretelling Nineveh's destruction.

A) See Acts 11:28 - Agabus' prophecy about a coming famine

B) See Acts 21:10-14 Agabus' prophecy to Paul, that He was going to be bound and handed over to the Gentiles.

In both of these instances, Luke does not include any emotions concerning God's anger, yet in the Old Testament language there would have likely been some commentary on God's anger, striking the Roman world with famine, or Paul's something (maybe disobeying the Spirit's warning).  But, this side of the revelation of Jesus, concerning the heart of the Father, there is no such inclusion.

3) Nahum's prophecy can't really be read and understood, without also viewing God's warning to Nineveh in the Book of Jonah.  God's purpose in warning them was for them to repent, not to destroy them.  Here we have Jonah's angry statement to God, and God's response -  Jonah 4:2, 11 NIV:

[2] He (Jonah) prayed to the Lord, “Isn't this what I said, Lord, when I was still at home? That is what I tried to forestall by fleeing to Tarshish. I knew that you are a gracious and compassionate God, slow to anger and abounding in love, a God who relents from sending calamity."

God replied [11] "And should I not have concern for the great city of Nineveh, in which there are more than a hundred and twenty thousand people who cannot tell their right hand from their left---and also many animals?”

As I was writing this, I realized that more than ever we really need to read scripture backwards.  We need to start with the revelation of Jesus, as He revealed to us exactly who the Father is, and what He is like.  Once we have a firm grasp of the heart of the Father, then we can reread the Old Testament, and understand the writings through the filter of God's heart.  The Father has never changed, never grown in His feelings, or become more in love, or more angry.  He is unchanging (Heb 6:16-17) and He does not lie.  If we look at Jesus, and understand that He would not have said something, then the Father wouldn't say it either, because Jesus was the exact representation of the Father (Heb 1:3).

Jesus did foretell of the coming destruction of the temple and Jerusalem (Matt 24  & Luke 21).  He does not ascribe this coming destruction to the Father's anger, nor does He express anger with Jerusalem.  In fact, He expresses compassion for Jerusalem in Matt 23:37.  He effectively warns the people, and because of His warning and the warning of John, through The Book of Revelations, no Christian perished when Jerusalem was destroyed and more than a million Jews killed.  Jesus says this destruction will happen to fulfill what was written (Luke 21:22).  In other words, the prophecy was accurate, but He does not ascribe emotion or motivation to the Father, as the cause. Instead He says it is for Ekdikesis (a Greek word that meant justice served, or vengeance served for previous acts).  One could almost translate this as consequences of your previous actions.

This subject is a complex subject and obviously requires more study and understanding.  I am encouraged to dig deeper into the Word, working to understand the heart of the Father, the revelation of Jesus, and the guidance of the Holy Spirit in regards to all this.  The Father desires that we represent Him correctly to our fellow humans.

Lord, I pray that You would help me, for I desire to represent Your heart in all my ways.

Does Sin Lead To Punishment?

Last night I was reading from Luke's gospel, and had to stop and reflect on what Jesus was saying in the following verses - Luke 13:1-5 NIV:

[1] Now there were some present at that time who told Jesus about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mixed with their sacrifices. [2] Jesus answered, “Do you think that these Galileans were worse sinners than all the other Galileans because they suffered this way? [3] I tell you, no! But unless you repent, you too will all perish. [4] Or those eighteen who died when the tower in Siloam fell on them---do you think they were more guilty than all the others living in Jerusalem? [5] I tell you, no! But unless you repent, you too will all perish.”

These verses are addressing the common belief that bad things happen to bad or sinful people.  I have written about this topic previously, and it is always good to reflect upon this theme, as I believe that it is quite pervasive in the Church.  Jesus breaks his comments into two parts, a comment about the cause not being sin and the second is about how we should live our lives, in light of such information.

First, He says very clearly that neither the level of sin nor guilt was the cause of those people being killed.  Many people would associate such events with the judgment of God, for the sin in their lives.  In John 9, the disciples ask Jesus if a man born blind was because of the man's sin or his parents sin.  This illustrates the thought that the result of sin is punishment from God.

Jesus has every opportunity to address this and confirm that line of thinking, but instead He says that this is NOT the case.  These people were NOT more guilty or greater sinners than others.  He makes it clear that all are sinners and all are guilty.  It is an indirect point of logic that Jesus uses here.  His point is that if sin and guilt were the reason behind suffering and death, than you all would be experiencing exactly the same tragedies!

Many of us are quick to think that because we aren't experiencing sickness, tragedy, or natural disasters that we are somehow in better standing with God than those that are experiencing difficulty and trouble, as if the trouble was a sign of God's displeasure.  Again, Jesus says this is NOT the case.

Some of our fellow Christians are quick to call down judgment upon countries or cities that are stepping away from Godly principles or laws, saying that God will punish us for our sinfulness.  They believe that some natural disaster, or terrible event is being unleashed from God as a form of punishment. The problem with this thinking is that we are all sinners, we are all guilty of sin, everyone of us, Christian and sinner alike.  It is only through Jesus' blood applied to our lives, only through His sacrifice that our guilt is forgiven and our sins washed clean.  Nothing we have done cleanses our guilt more than anyone else, for it is Jesus' application of His righteousness to our lives that makes us righteous. Jesus makes that exact point here, saying the people who died were no less sinful or guilty than everyone else!

Sickness, tragedy, death and difficulty are not signs of God's displeasure or judgment upon our lives.

Instead of unleashing  punishment, natural disasters or tragedy on us to punish us for our sin, God sent His son Jesus, to save us from our sin (Matt 1:21).  Jesus took upon Himself all our guilt, all of our sin, and paid for it all.  He traded us righteousness for our sinfulness, love for our rebellion and sin, relationship for our disobedience.  God extended to us mercy rather than judgment!  Why would He act any differently today?

Finally, Jesus gives us all clear direction - it is through repentance that we will be saved.  Repentance is translated from the Greek word Metanoeo, which basically means you change the way you act after you understand.  Once we understand that we are all sinners and all guilty, we should be crying out for mercy, not judgment.  Once we understand that God loves us inspite of our sin, and has made a way for us, we should cry out for His forgiveness and accept the salvation that is only available through Jesus! Once we understand that God sent His Son to save us from our sin, we should be grateful and gladly receive His salvation, and share this Good News with those around us.

So let us look with mercy and compassion, not judgment, upon those who are struggling through difficulty, sickness, death or natural disasters.  Let us understand that God loves them no less than He loves us, and His response to our sin was to send His very best, His Son to save us all.

Amen!

More On Sin

This morning I read back over my journal entries from last Monday and Tuesday where I was contemplating the topic of sin.  This subject really is complex, and not so simple to define or analyse.  The idea of missing the mark is definitely part of the equation, and probably good in some ways, describing the effort to do good, but failing.  However, it does not accurately describe the heart condition, for clearly sin can be rooted in rebellion and disobedience, and in those cases, there really isn't any desire to hit the bulls-eye.  We can freely choose to sin, despite knowing some of the consequences.  We can choose to rebel against the Lord, believing our perspective over His, all of which He allows in His unwillingness to take away our free will.  There are even those that embrace a life-style of sin, reveling in their wickedness and sinful excesses, and God allows them to continue on that path.  God's attitude towards us is so amazing, for He patiently waits for each of us to recognize our need for Him, and His love for us.

Another component to think on is the idea of the consequences of sin.  As I mentioned before, I think part of the reason why God hates sin is that He sees the consequences of sin, and how that affects our image of Him and understanding of His character.  The enemy is constantly accusing God of many things, in our minds and hearts, and blaming Him for the consequences of our actions.  If we think about the story of Adam and Eve, as our first example of sin, the Lord described some of the consequences to disobedience prior to their eating the apple.  He didn't describe them all, but the result of the actions are significant. Separation of relationship, relinquishing authority and rule, division between Adam and Eve, shame and guilt are all consequences of this initial disobedience and sin.

One of the problems with sin is that it starts us down a path of consequences, none of which we really want to experience.  We can choose to get back up and try to do better (repentance), or we can just continue down the path we have started upon.  The enemy would try to convince us that it is worthless to try and get back on the right path, and that our sin has lost for us the opportunity for experiencing God's best for us.  Yet, the Lord, through Jesus' sacrifice, has made exactly that possible.  It is forgiveness and the canceling of the debt of sin, that sets us free from the power of sin and enables us to start over.

Looking at a few well known situations from Scripture  - Peter did not lose his place as an apostle when he denied Christ.  He did not lose his place of primacy in the newborn church (John 21).  Paul, through his attacks on the church did not disqualify himself from becoming an Apostle (Acts 8 & 9).  Peter, in embracing the idea of requiring circumcision for believers, was clearly wrong (sin) and yet maintained his position and authority (Gal 2:11-13).  In all of these instances, the Lord's forgiveness and repentance provide a restorative path.  There were some consequences, that were experienced, but in the end, the plan and purpose of God were fulfilled in both Peter and Paul's lives.

Secondly, sin does not cancel God's love for us (John 3:16-17).  He continues to bless us and do good to us and for us in spite of our sinful state (Matt 5:45).  He is good and He does good (Ps 145:9).  He is the Father of Lights, and every good gift comes from Him (James 1:17).  Our sin does not affect His character.  He loves us because He is love (1John 4:8). God continues to bless and pour forth His love on us, despite our sin, and the consequences of our sins.

I find myself realizing that my study of sin really leads me to understand God's mercy, compassion and love in a deeper way.  Often times the impression I had received was that sin would only lead me to experience God's judgment, yet if one really looks at God's attitude towards sinners, as described in the New Testament, you cannot help but realize that God would rather extend mercy, compassion, forgiveness and love than judgment.  He loves us and wants us to be with Him, in relationship with Him, and He is willing to wait our entire life, regardless of how many sins and mistakes we make, that we might turn to Him and enter into relationship with Him.  He is an amazing God!

When The Church Is Attacked

This morning I felt directed to read from Acts, Chapter 9.  This is the story of Paul's conversion.  It is a great example of how the Lord intervened for His church, and made one who was the primary enemy of the church into one of its greatest Apostles.  I am going to start with a few verses from Chapter 8, for they set the stage - Acts 8:1-4 NIV:

[1] "And Saul approved of their killing him.

On that day a great persecution broke out against the church in Jerusalem, and all except the apostles were scattered throughout Judea and Samaria. [2] Godly men buried Stephen and mourned deeply for him. [3] But Saul began to destroy the church. Going from house to house, he dragged off both men and women and put them in prison.

[4] Those who had been scattered preached the word wherever they went."

Saul (Paul) is the chief enemy of the church.  He is literally hunting the church from home church to home church, and throwing those Christians he found into prison.  This persecution follows the stoning of Stephen, who was one of the leaders of the church, one of the seven chosen to serve the growing church.  I think it is interesting that Luke , the author or the Book of Acts, writes that Saul began to destroy the church.  This is no slight persecution, but one of great significance.  The Greek word, translated as 'destroy', is the Greek word Lumainomai.  The Definition of the word is:

1) to affix a stigma to, to dishonour, spot, defile
2) to treat shamefully or with injury, to ravage, devastate, ruin

It is interesting that it appears this same thing is being accomplished here in America and in much of the western world, the Church is being affixed with a stigma and suffering dishonour and defilement.  Christianity is being colored as biggoted, judgmental, hateful, hypocritical, stupid and self-righteous.  Now, the truth is that there are congregations and individuals that fit many of these labels, but I belive that overall the characterization is untrue.  There is a spirit at work tying to destroy the church, or at least its witness and significance.  Instead of prisons, the church is being slandered and attacked in such a way as to make it irrelevant, and seen as a joke.  It is being imprisoned in peoples minds and thoughts, being seen as worthless and irrelevant.

Continuing the story, Paul is apparently so successful in Jerusalem that he moves on to other cities to hunt down members of church.  We continue with Luke's account in Acts 9:1-2 NIV:

[1] "Meanwhile, Saul was still breathing out murderous threats against the Lord's disciples. He went to the high priest [2] and asked him for letters to the synagogues in Damascus, so that if he found any there who belonged to the Way, whether men or women, he might take them as prisoners to Jerusalem."

We see later in this chapter how successful Saul was in his persecution, for people in the church everywhere were afraid of him (Acts 9:13-14).  I think it safe to say that the church was greatly affected by this attack.  They continued to preach the Gospel, as we see from Acts 8:4, but they were afraid.  One has got to believe that the general populace was afraid to join the ranks of the church, at least in the areas where they were being persecuted.

One thing that Saul and the others who were persecuting the church did not count on, for they clearly didn't believe Jesus was the Messiah, or that He had risen from the dead, was that Jesus would intervene for His church.  They thought they were wiping out some aberrant group who followed some guy that was now dead.  Instead, Saul found out the truth, and was forever changed.  This is described in following verses - Acts 9:3-19 NIV:

[3] As he neared Damascus on his journey, suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him. [4] He fell to the ground and heard a voice say to him, “Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?”

[5] “Who are you, Lord?” Saul asked.

“I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting,” he replied. [6] “Now get up and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do.”

[7] The men traveling with Saul stood there speechless; they heard the sound but did not see anyone. [8] Saul got up from the ground, but when he opened his eyes he could see nothing. So they led him by the hand into Damascus. [9] For three days he was blind, and did not eat or drink anything.

[10] In Damascus there was a disciple named Ananias. The Lord called to him in a vision, “Ananias!”

“Yes, Lord,” he answered.

[11] The Lord told him, “Go to the house of Judas on Straight Street and ask for a man from Tarsus named Saul, for he is praying. [12] In a vision he has seen a man named Ananias come and place his hands on him to restore his sight.”

[13] “Lord,” Ananias answered, “I have heard many reports about this man and all the harm he has done to your holy people in Jerusalem. [14] And he has come here with authority from the chief priests to arrest all who call on your name.”

[15] But the Lord said to Ananias, “Go! This man is my chosen instrument to proclaim my name to the Gentiles and their kings and to the people of Israel. [16] I will show him how much he must suffer for my name.”

[17] Then Ananias went to the house and entered it. Placing his hands on Saul, he said, “Brother Saul, the Lord---Jesus, who appeared to you on the road as you were coming here---has sent me so that you may see again and be filled with the Holy Spirit.” [18] Immediately, something like scales fell from Saul's eyes, and he could see again. He got up and was baptized, [19] and after taking some food, he regained his strength.

Saul spent several days with the disciples in Damascus."

Reading this account I am struck by a couple of things:

1)  The Lord is fully able to defend His church.  He is personally involved, and will always be personally involved.  He is capable of intervening on His own when necessary.

2)  There is no one who is outside the reach of the Lord, and no one who is too far gone to not experience salvation and forgiveness.

3)  The Lord looks at people completely differently than we do, for He saw in Paul his future super-evangelist, everyone else saw him as the chief enemy of the church.

4)  The spirit behind the attacks on the church, probably thought things were looking pretty good, until Jesus completely flipped Saul, and the persecution completely died off.

5)  Persecution does not weaken the church, it actually causes it to strengthen and spread.

6)  It is possible for the greatest enemy of the church to become the greatest proponent, even in a couple of days.  Maybe we should be praying for massive conversions of those fomenting the attack on the church, in addition to praying for protection from their attacks.

7)  The persecution actually caused the church to fulfill Jesus' command, for prior to the persecution much of the focus of the church was on Jerusalem, and afterwards it spread to all nations.  (Matt 28:19 and Acts 1:8).

In summary, we don't need to fear the attacks on the church, but rather we need to recognize that Jesus is still with us always, even to the end of the age. (Matt 28:20).  He truly does have all authority in Heaven and on earth (Matt 28:18) and is capable of stepping into this world to protect His bride, the Church. We are called to love one another (John 13:34), and even to love our enemies and pray for those who persecute us (Matt 5:44).  Let us entrust ourselves to Jesus, the Lord over all. He will lead and guide and intervene as necessary.

Mercy, For the Sake of His Name

This morning I felt like I should read from Ezekiel 19 and 20.  Chapter 19 is an interesting lament about Israel's princes.  What was more interesting to me was the theme of Chapter 20, which is God's purging of Israel.  There is a very repetitive theme as Ezekiel recounts the history of Israel.  Here is one section and God's statement about His actions towards Israel - Ezekiel 20:21-22, 44 NIV

[21] “ 'But the children rebelled against me: They did not follow my decrees, they were not careful to keep my laws, of which I said, “The person who obeys them will live by them,” and they desecrated my Sabbaths. So I said I would pour out my wrath on them and spend my anger against them in the wilderness. [22] But I withheld my hand, and for the sake of my name I did what would keep it from being profaned in the eyes of the nations in whose sight I had brought them out.

[44] 'You will know that I am the Lord, when I deal with you for my name's sake and not according to your evil ways and your corrupt practices, you people of Israel, declares the Sovereign Lord. ' ”

The repeating theme is God warning them, but then relenting and treating them in such a way that His name would not be profaned.  In other words, He treated Israel in such a way that people would not ascribe characteristics to God that were not true.  In verse 44 God says He would deal with them for His names sake, NOT according to their evil ways.

Here is how the Lord described Himself to Moses - Exodus 34:6-7 NIV:

[6] "And he passed in front of Moses, proclaiming, “The Lord, the Lord, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness, [7] maintaining love to thousands, and forgiving wickedness, rebellion and sin. Yet he does not leave the guilty unpunished; he punishes the children and their children for the sin of the parents to the third and fourth generation.”

So many want to ascribe to God punishment for guilt as His primary characteristic, yet God describes Himself very differently.  He is compassionate, gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love, abounding in faithfulness, maintaining Love, forgiving wickedness, forgiving rebellion, forgiving sin.  Those are the characteristics that we should be focused on, way before the punishment of guilt, for they give us a reference point and define what the last statement means.  If God forgives wickedness, rebellion and sin, what is left to be guilty of?

When Jesus came to earth, He came to represent the Father, and show us exactly what the Father was like.  Hebrews 1:3 says that He was the exact representation of the Father.  John says it this way, "No one has ever seen God, but the one and only Son, who is himself God and is in closest relationship with the Father, has made him known." (John 1:18)

Jesus described His mission a bit later in John's Gospel - "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. [17] For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him." (John 3:16-17)

Rather than focusing on the coming judgment of God, His punishment, His warnings, let us focus on His whole character, and His specific statements regarding His love as His compelling characteristic.  God is so much more than just a judge, waiting to judge.  He is first of all loving, compassionate, merciful, gracious and slow to anger.  In John's later letter he simply sates, "God is Love". (1 John 4:8)  So, I am not sure why we, as members of His church, continue to present Him as first of all judging and angry, and only happy with a few of us pure and righteous followers.

Lord, we pray that You would deal with us mercifully for the sake of Your name, and NOT for our wicked and sinful ways.  Help us to share with the world who you really are, not some judgmental God waiting to destroy us for our sin, but rather as one who is compassionate, gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness, forgiving wickedness, rebellion and sin.

Amen!

Preserved Through The Storm

This morning I felt led to read from Acts 27.  I didn't really remember what was in that chapter, so opened my bible and started reading.  I was immediately caught up in the story of the storm and shipwreck (if you haven't read this chapter I would encourage you to do so, it is very engaging).  I have attached a few of the critical parts here -  Acts 27:9-15, 21-27, 36-37, 39, 41-44 NIV:

[9] "Much time had been lost, and sailing had already become dangerous because by now it was after the Day of Atonement. So Paul warned them, [10] “Men, I can see that our voyage is going to be disastrous and bring great loss to ship and cargo, and to our own lives also.” [11] But the centurion, instead of listening to what Paul said, followed the advice of the pilot and of the owner of the ship. [12] Since the harbor was unsuitable to winter in, the majority decided that we should sail on, hoping to reach Phoenix and winter there. This was a harbor in Crete, facing both southwest and northwest.

[13] When a gentle south wind began to blow, they saw their opportunity; so they weighed anchor and sailed along the shore of Crete. [14] Before very long, a wind of hurricane force, called the Northeaster, swept down from the island. [15] The ship was caught by the storm and could not head into the wind; so we gave way to it and were driven along.

[21] After they had gone a long time without food, Paul stood up before them and said: “Men, you should have taken my advice not to sail from Crete; then you would have spared yourselves this damage and loss. [22] But now I urge you to keep up your courage, because not one of you will be lost; only the ship will be destroyed. [23] Last night an angel of the God to whom I belong and whom I serve stood beside me [24] and said, 'Do not be afraid, Paul. You must stand trial before Caesar; and God has graciously given you the lives of all who sail with you.' [25] So keep up your courage, men, for I have faith in God that it will happen just as he told me. [26] Nevertheless, we must run aground on some island.”

[27] On the fourteenth night we were still being driven across the Adriatic Sea, when about midnight the sailors sensed they were approaching land.

[36] They were all encouraged and ate some food themselves. [37] Altogether there were 276 of us on board.

[39] When daylight came, they did not recognize the land, but they saw a bay with a sandy beach, where they decided to run the ship aground if they could. [41] But the ship struck a sandbar and ran aground. The bow stuck fast and would not move, and the stern was broken to pieces by the pounding of the surf. [42] The soldiers planned to kill the prisoners to prevent any of them from swimming away and escaping. [43] But the centurion wanted to spare Paul's life and kept them from carrying out their plan. He ordered those who could swim to jump overboard first and get to land. [44] The rest were to get there on planks or on other pieces of the ship. In this way everyone reached land safely."


So a  couple of comments and observations:

1)  The Lord clearly warned Paul, and through him, the people in charge of the dangers before them.  The Lord will guide us and warn us of impending danger.

2)  The storm was not punishment from God for disobedience, but rather the natural consequence of a bad decision.  God actually had mercy on them, in spite of the consequences of their decision, He saved them all. One could successfully argue that by the definition of sin (missing God's perfect plan) that this bad decision was sinful, yet the resulting storm was not punishment for that sin.  God's response to their "sin" was mercy, not judgment.

3) So often we are quick to think that when bad things happen to people they are in some way responsible.  There were 276 people on this ship and only 3 people made the bad decision (the Centurion, Pilot and ship owner), yet all suffered the consequences.  Sometimes in our lives, when bad things happen, it is the result of bad decisions (sin) someone else has made, and they effect us.  I can think of tons of examples, e.g. the economy, bad laws, wars, etc.  They can be decisions on a large scale, made at the highest levels, or just personal decisions, but they can affect those of us who are innocent of any responsibility.

4) The Lord will speak to us in the midst of difficult situations and give us guidance that will save us and preserve us.  Sometimes the message is to hang in there and wait on the Lord.  We don't know how long it was between the angel visiting Paul and the final shipwreck, but it was likely a few days before they saw land.  Regardless, the Word of the Lord proved true.  We need to learn to listen to the Lord, in spite of the circumstances around us.

5) The purpose of the Lord will come to pass, regardless of the circumstances and/or bad decisions we or someone else has made.  This is REALLY important for us to grasp, for the enemy would try to convince us that we have missed the purposes of God, or can't possibly fulfill God's perfect plan anymore because of the bad decisions we have made, or the terrible place we find ourselves, yet this is just not true!  God is able to fulfill His promise and purposes.

6) The result of the trip was almost exactly what Paul had warned them about back in verse 10.  The difference is that there was no loss of life, and that was a result of Paul's presence, prayer, warnings and encouragement.  The Lord cared for each of the 276 people, and by heeding the warnings and guidance of Paul, all lives were saved.  At any point they could have continued to make bad choices and that would have resulted in lives being lost.  When we find ourselves in a bad place (especially from our own bad decisions), we need to pay special attention to the Lord, stop making bad decisions, and trust in Him for He will guide us out with a minimum of damage.

7) They were in sight of land, and had somehow managed to survive days without food, huge waves, lashing winds, and yet at the very last moment the ship got stuck, and destroyed.  The most critical time to hold onto the promise and trust in the Lord is when everything looks like it is being destroyed.  It often immediately precedes God's deliverance!  God is able to save us, no matter how bad it gets.

So today, I am encouraged in the Lord's ability to save!  He cares for each of us and is able to reach into whatever storm we find ourselves in and preserve us and save us.  Let us hold fast to Him and trust Him!

Amen!

The Gospel of Grace!

This morning I am reading from Paul's letter to the Galatians.  This is such an important book for us today, as Paul is addressing the modification of the Gospel, as it was being pushed upon the Galatians.  This modification was a mixing of the Gospel of Christ and the Law, adding to the Gospel some set of works or physical acts.  I am looking at a few of his statements -

Galatians 1:3-5 NIV:

[3] "Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ, [4] who gave himself for our sins to rescue us from the present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father, [5] to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen."

Galatians 1:6-9 NIV:

[6] "I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting the one who called you to live in the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel--- [7] which is really no gospel at all. Evidently some people are throwing you into confusion and are trying to pervert the gospel of Christ. [8] But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach a gospel other than the one we preached to you, let them be under God's curse! [9] As we have already said, so now I say again: If anybody is preaching to you a gospel other than what you accepted, let them be under God's curse!"

Galatians 2:15-16 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."

Galatians 2:20-21 NIV:

[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!”

I think it is pretty clear that Paul felt very strongly about this topic.  He recognized the danger of adding to the Gospel, and in His words, that is "really no gospel at all", or in other words not good news at all.  The Gospel is supposed to be GOOD NEWS!  It is the good news of the grace of Christ Jesus, applied to our lives.

It was His sacrifice ALONE that paid the price for our sins.

NOTHING we do earns this gift (Grace) of forgiveness.

It is ONLY through faith in Him that we are justified.

It is ONLY through this grace and faith in Him that we gain righteousness, not by the law or works.


A somewhat quick definition of  justification from the "ATS Bible Dictionary":

"The being regarded and treated as if innocent; or acquittal from the consequences of guilt before the tribunal of God. "Justification by faith" means that a person, on account of true and living faith in Christ..., will be delivered from condemnation on account of his sins; that is, his sins will be forgiven, and he be regarded and treated as if innocent and holy. Thus, besides the remission of sins and their penalty, it includes the restoration and everlasting enjoyment of the favor of God."

A somewhat quick definition of righteousness from "Baker's Evangelical Dictionary of Bible Theology":

"God the Father is righteous (just); Jesus Christ his Son is the Righteous (Just) One; the Father through the Son and in the Spirit gives the gift of righteousness (justice) to repentant sinners for salvation; such believing sinners are declared righteous (just) by the Father through the Son, are made righteous (just) by the Holy Spirit working in them, and will be wholly righteous (just) in the age to come. They are and will be righteous because they are in a covenant relation with the living God, who is the God of all grace and mercy and who will bring to completion what he has begun in them by declaring them righteous for Christ's sake."


One could say that the perfect work of salvation, by which we are justified and declared righteous was accomplished by Jesus, through His death.  Nothing we do or say could ever add to this perfect work.  There is no amount of good works, no right living, no following of rules, no embracing religion that will ever add anything to this perfect work.

There is a call to obedience to Christ, but that is after salvation has already been accepted and applied to one's life.  Obedience to Christ is not the entry requirement.  Good works are a sign of gratitude, not a way to earn favor, for that favor was already gained through our being declared just and righteous in Christ.  Good works are the result of us being in relationship (right relation) with Him and becoming like Him, which is a process.  Good works and obedience to Christ (learning to walk in the way He leads us) is not a sign of salvation, but rather the result of salvation, and a grateful response.

There are those that argue by being good, and doing good, that salvation is somehow earned, but works in any form could never earn our salvation.  As Paul says, if that was the case then Christ died for nothing.  There are those that argue that it is only by good works that we know if salvation has really occurred, and while there is some justification of that argument found in Jame's letter, in the truest sense of the Gospel, that is not required.  It is through faith alone, in Christ alone, that we receive and experience salvation, justification and righteousness.

Likewise, there are those that preach that salvation can be lost by sinful lives, and that clearly is a misunderstanding of the perfect work accomplished by Christ Jesus, available by grace.  If salvation comes through faith alone, how do we lose it by works?  That would make sense if we earned it by works, and it was some balance that God kept where we needed to have so many good works, to earn our salvation.  However, when salvation comes through faith in Jesus, and His perfect sacrifice is applied to our lives, and we are declared justified and righteous, how do our works cancel that declaration of God!  All our sins are forgiven, even those we have yet to do.  It sounds crazy, but it is true!  As Graham Cooke says, "the Gospel is too good to be true, but it is!"

So let us examine our lives.  Let us look to our understanding of the Gospel (Good News) of Christ and let us hold onto the truth, and reject anything that is not in line with this clear Gospel of grace through faith.  As Paul says, "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).  The yoke of slavery he mentions is the law, and its requirements (works and religion).

The Barren Fig Tree

This morning I was reading through Luke's Gospel and was pondering the parable of the fig-tree that gave no fruit.  It is one of those parables that is not immediately understandable, at least to me.  Here are the verses - Luke 13:6-9 NIV:

[6] "Then he told this parable: “A man had a fig tree growing in his vineyard, and he went to look for fruit on it but did not find any. [7] So he said to the man who took care of the vineyard, 'For three years now I've been coming to look for fruit on this fig tree and haven't found any. Cut it down! Why should it use up the soil?'

[8] “ 'Sir,' the man replied, 'leave it alone for one more year, and I'll dig around it and fertilize it. [9] If it bears fruit next year, fine! If not, then cut it down.' ”

I spent some time reading a few commentaries and I think Matthew Henry's comments make the most sense.  For a complete reading follow this link: http://classic.studylight.org/com/mhc-com/view.cgi?book=lu&chapter=13&verse=6#Lu13_6

His perspective is that Jesus is talking about the Israel (God's People) and this analogy is a very short synopsis of God's history with them.  He had planted them in the promised land, had given them blessing after blessing, caring for them throughout the centuries and they were not bearing the fruit He expected. The extra year that is requested is indicative of Jesus' ministry and demonstration of the love of the Father, and intercession on their behalf.

The chapter ends with Jesus' famous prophetic statement about Jerusalem, and also His statement about the coming judgment (see Luke 13:34-35). This judgment was seen in the years following, with the destruction of Jerusalem in 70AD.

The good news about the application of this parable is that there was fruit that was found and that would be the Church.  It was not much fruit initially, 120 were found in the upper room after Jesus death and Ascension (Acts 1:15), but that quickly changed after Pentecost, when 3000 joined in a single day.

As I read think about all this a few things come to mind, and are encouraging if I were to apply this parable to my life.  First, God's plans will come to fruition (bear fruit) whether they seem possible or not.  He is the Lord of all things and if He purposed something it will occur.  Second, Jesus has patience and a personal investment in our lives, and He will care for us and help us. He will remove those things that hinder our growth and fruitfulness and nourish us so that we will be able to bear fruit.

As I read this I am also encouraged that the Lord expects fruit.  He looks for fruit in our lives, and expects that we would bear fruit.  It is not enough to just exist in relationship with Him, but my life should bear witness (fruit) to my relationship with Him.  This is something I have thought about regularly, am I bearing fruit in my life that is good and line with His purpose for me?

Reflections On Sin

Yesterday I found myself thinking some more about sin, and had a couple of interesting thoughts that i will endeavor to line out in a rough form:

1) Sin is defined by the word usage in both Hebrew ( Chata')  and Greek ( Hamartia) as missing the mark, missing, having no part of...
2) Think of it as an archery term - missing the mark - bullseye.  Any shot that misses the bullseye, whether by 1 inch or 1 foot or 1 yard is technically a miss (sin)
3) Think of the bullseye as the perfect will of God. Anytime we miss the perfect will of God we are "sinning" by definition
4) There is no sin in God because He never misses His will.
5) Changes the thinking around Romans 3:23 NIV: "...for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,..." to fall short is a description of an archers shot
6) The Glory of God is the perfect will of God, is the revelation of God's goodness, and character.
7) God hates sin because it is outside His will, colors Him as less than He is, affects our experience of Him.

Deuteronomy 9:27-29 NIV
[27] Remember your servants Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Overlook the stubbornness of this people, their wickedness and their sin. [28] Otherwise, the country from which you brought us will say, 'Because the Lord was not able to take them into the land he had promised them, and because he hated them, he brought them out to put them to death in the wilderness.' [29] But they are your people, your inheritance that you brought out by your great power and your outstretched arm. ”

Deuteronomy 1:27 NIV
You grumbled in your tents and said, “The Lord hates us; so he brought us out of Egypt to deliver us into the hands of the Amorites to destroy us.

God didn't hate them! They were His people whom He loved.

8) Story of Adam and Eve - they chose to live outside God's perfect will and provision because they believed a lie about God.

Genesis 3:4-5 NIV
“You will not certainly die,” the serpent said to the woman. [5] “For God knows that when you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.”  The lie was that God didn't really love them and want the best for them...was hiding something good from them.

9) Jesus came and never sinned, because He always did exactly what the Father told Him to do, and said what He told Him to say.
10) When Jesus lived, He perfectly revealed the Glory of the Father, was the Exact Representation of the Father (Heb 1:3).
11) We tend to preach that we need to  hate sin because God told us too, but have not really dealt with why God hates it.
12) We focus on sin and not on God, rules rather than relationship, rules without knowing the why of the rules.
13) Like when we tell our children, don't touch the stove top - its a rule.   the child initially does not realize the purpose of the rule is because we are trying to help them avoid pain and hurting themselves.
14)  It isn't that He hates people who sin, He hates the fact that sin causes people to experience less than what is best for them, causes them unnecessary pain and hardship...and makes them think God is not loving and compassionate.
15) He hates sin because He sees someone He loves make a bad choice that results in their own pain - just like us as parents hate when our kids make bad choices
16) He hates sin for the pain it causes
17) He hates sin for the lack it causes
18) He hates sin for the work it causes (go back the story of Adam and Eve and see what their disobedience causes)
19) He hates sin because it causes people to have a wrong perception of who He is...
20) God loves sinners - sent Jesus to save sinners, not condemn sinners (John 3:16-17), Jesus hung out with sinners (Matt 9:10-12)
21) We tend to label people sinners, yet we are all sinners by the definition of the word.
22) We have vilified sin and sinners, yet we are all sinners.  We associate sin with being evil, yet by definition it is about trying and failing.
23) We tend to be ashamed of our sin, yet we all sin - we all try and fail to attain God's perfect will for our lives
24) The closer we get to the bullseye, and even hitting the bullseye in areas of our life, reveals to us the life God wants for us, it is glorious!
25) The demonstration of the Kingdom of God by Jesus was in essence a revealing the goodness of God, and His attitude and love towards us sinners, life that is possible in Him.

There is much more to think about on this subject, as it relates to the New Testament teachings, etc. Lord, I pray that You will help us to develop a right perspective on sin, especially in Your church.  You desire us to experience Your goodness and blessing, and have made a way for us to do so.