Abiding In His Love (Having a Velcro-Butt)

My reflection this morning is on our call to love and obedience, as Jesus invited us in John 15:9-13 NIV:

[9] “As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain (abide) in my love. [10] If you keep my commands, you will remain  (abide) in my love, just as I have kept my Father's commands and remain (abide) in his love. [11] I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete. [12] My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. [13] Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one's life for one's friends."

I added the word 'abide' next to the word remain, because the original Greek word 'meno' can be translated as either word.  For me the word remain sounds more like a command, whereas the word abide sounds more like an invitation and choice, based out of affection.

Often times when reading this, we could tend to focus on the call to keep commands, rather than the fact that the foundation of all of this is God's love for us.  His invitation, is based on His love for us!  He is not some heavenly drill instructor or disciplinarian, requiring obedience just for the sake of having power over us.  He doesn't inflict significant penalties for non-compliance.  Instead He is in love with us, is motivated out of love, and has a plan for our lives that is wonderful and good.  He is inviting us to stay in relationship with Him, abiding in that place of His love, and we are able to do that by following His directions.

Secondly, the primary command of Jesus that we are being called to keep is to love each other as He loved us (verse 12). I reflected previously that if we replace the word commands or commandments with 'love each other' my response to these verses is much less guarded.  Verse ten would read, 'If you love  each other as I have loved you, you will abide in my love, just as I have loved you in accordance with the Father's love, and abide in His love.'  I know it is primarily semantics, but it is helpful to my mind and heart.

Based on my reflection yesterday, loving one another is also an effective weapon against the strategy of the enemy.  He is trying to cause division and strife, love defeats that strategy. Loving one another allows us to dwell in God's love, to abide in that place, to remain fixed in His love.  What a great defensive position when in a battle, nestled in arms of the all powerful Father.  Thus, loving one another is both an offensive weapon against the enemy and defensive position against his attacks.

Finally, the purpose of this revelation is to make our joy complete, and that Jesus' joy might be in us!  I think that joy is probably a good indicator of our ability to abide in the Father's love.  When we are viewing the world and our circumstances safely from His arms, experiencing His love, our perception of our situation becomes free of stress, fear and anxiety.  Not that we won't experience struggles and pain, but our back is not up against a wall, it is up against our Loving Father's chest.  In that place, we can experience His joy, for He isn't worried about anything, as He is all powerful and all knowing and His plan and purposes will come to pass.  If we can rest and abide in Him, this attitude and perception will wash over us. Thus, we can experience His joy and let it infect us, regardless of how things look.

As I was writing those last few sentences, I was reminded of my son's desire to always sit on my lap when he was younger.  I used to call him velcro-butt, because the second I sat down he wanted to be on my lap, and he didn't want to get off my lap, even if I needed to move or stand up.  His desire was to be settled in my embrace, remaining in my love.  This was his favorite place to sit, by far!  This is the picture I see when I read Jesus' statement about remaining in His love.

Lord, I pray that You will help me to remain in Your love, to love those around me as You loved me, and to be as determined as was my son was, to stay in Your embrace!  Help us all to recognize Your love, and to respond to Your love!

Amen!

Our Marching Orders

This morning I opened my Bible to Peter's first letter to the Christians scattered in the many regions of his day.   I actually read through the whole letter, which I find is helpful to gain a better insight into the author's overall goals.

When I am reading from scripture I am always listening to my heart response, for the Lord will usually highlight the verses he wants me to read by causing my heart to respond with some excitement.  I have heard it said that its like the "words jump off the page", and to some degree that is what it feels like.  I can tell when my heart resonates with something I read, and that is where I stop and start to meditate, listening to the thoughts in my mind, and looking closely at the meaning of the verses.  My Bible is heavily highlighted, so I usually am drawn to those passages first, as I highlight passages that seem significant to me as I read them. This morning, as is the case many mornings, I didn't read anything that stood out in the first chapter, so I just kept reading.  All of it is good, and anyone of the verses is worthy of reflection, but I want to be paying attention to the Lord's word for me today.

I firmly believe that the Lord wants a relationship with us, and if that is the case then there must be the ability to communicate and converse, for that is the basic foundation of every relationship.  If God wants a relationship then He must speak in such a way that I can hear Him, and must have the ability to both speak and respond, which again is part of every real relationship.  I have learned to listen, and the Lord has opened for me many ways that He speaks to me, both through His written word in Scripture, but also directly to my mind and heart.  This is possible, since according to Him, He lives in me (John 14:17). The main issue for all of us is learning to listen and hear, which can be different for each of us, but also similar enough that we can learn from each other.  I am always encouraged when I hear how someone else hears God speak, for often times it will open up a way I had not previously considered, or recognized.

Anyway, that is a long introduction to say that this morning the verses that stood out to me were from the fourth chapter, so it required me to keep reading and pursuing what the Lord wanted me to reflect upon this morning.  Here are the verses - 1 Peter 4:7-11 NIV:

[7] "The end of all things is near. Therefore be alert and of sober mind so that you may pray. [8] Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins. [9] Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling. [10] Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God's grace in its various forms. [11] If anyone speaks, they should do so as one who speaks the very words of God. If anyone serves, they should do so with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ. To him be the glory and the power for ever and ever. Amen."

My main focus is not on his first statement, as clearly when Peter made that statement, the end of all things was not as near as he thought.  That being said, the end of all things is definitely nearer now than when Peter wrote it originally.  I have never been a big end-times guy, namely because every generation has had plenty of those people who preached the end of the world was at hand, and everyone of them has been inaccurate.  However, I like to say that the end of my world will occur in my life-time, and that is true for each of us.  Our lives will end in death (the end of our time on this world), and our concerns as Christians should be not only our life here and now, but also our eternal life.

In the same way that Peter starts with that statement concerning the 'end of all things' but then moves into a discussion of how our lives should be lived here and now, I focus on the here and now primarily.  If I look at his following statements, I can discern some clear guidance for my daily walk.

1) Be alert and of sober mind
2) Pray
3) Love each other deeply
4) Offer hospitality to one another
5) Use the gifts that I have received to serve others
6) Speak what I hear from the Lord
7) Serve to bring glory to the Lord

As I reflect on that list, it is actually not very complicated.  We need to recognize our situation and be alert and able to think clearly.  Peter wrote that we should make the most of our opportunity, recognizing that our lives are visible to others, and understanding that life wasn't always going to be easy.  We are surrounded by those who have given themselves to the spirit of the age, and that spirit is against the Kingdom of God and will try to dissuade us and discourage us, and even outright attack us.  This should show us how to pray, as we recognize the work of the enemy, we should speak to the Lord about those situations and Look to Him for guidance and direction (communication from HQ if you will) so that we can effectively push back the enemy, for the Kingdom of God is not in defensive mode, but rather is ever increasing.

In looking at Peter's next statements, we may not recognize them as such, but these are very effective weapons in the spiritual war in which we are engaged.  We can pray, but we also need to love, to be hospitable, to use our gifts, serve one another, speak the encouragement of the Lord and give Him glory and Praise in all things!  Love is probably the most effective weapon in our battle, Paul writes that there are three things that will remain, faith, hope and love, and the greatest is love (I Cor 13:13).  Jesus said that Love was the motivation for Him to come to earth (John 3:16) and love was the motivation for His laying down His life (John 10:18 & John 15:13). Jesus' one command was that we should love one another as He loved us (John 15:12).  Jesus absolutely knew the circumstances and spiritual realities He was birthing His church into, and His one command was to Love one another.  This should tell us all we need to know, this was the most important thing for us all to do, and what we must do!

Finally we can be hospitable, opening our lives to one another and to others.  Nothing creates open doors in others, like open doors in our own lives.  If we invite people in, more than likely they will reciprocate. We have all received gifts that are meant to be shared with all.  Often times, in our modern religious experience people have used these gifts for personal gain, rather than for serving each other.  Our goal should be humble service and encouragement of the Body of Christ, and bringing Glory to the Lord, from whom the gifts are received.  If we looked at the gifts we have received as being weapons against the enemy, maybe we would stop trying to use them for personal gain, and instead use them to push the enemy back and set others free.

I am encouraged today to press forward and take ground from the enemy using the effective weapons of love and hospitality, and the spiritual gifts that He has given me.  I am encouraged to pray and listen, and respond with love and mercy, compassion and care.  I have my marching orders for my day!

Amen!

Get Out Of The Boat!

Once again the Lord is meeting me immediately this morning.  I was watching a video this morning of Bill Johnson sharing a story about God's healing power (Youtube - Bill Johnson video) and I was thinking about how God wants to work through me.  I realize that for me the biggest reason I don't see God move more powerfully is  probably because I let the fear of man constrain me.  There is so much more in God and yet I allow myself to be boxed into only having a small impact out of my fear of rejection by man.

I rationalize my fear of man as politeness, and being raised to be respectful of people's privacy. Those are both good things, at least in my mind, so I hide behind them and have all sorts of good intentions, but rarely do I step out in courage.  I know that God is just waiting patiently for me to rise above my fear, and I can't express how grateful I am for His patience and mercy.

As I was reflecting on my situation, I opened my Bible and continued to read out of Paul's letter to the Philippians, and next up was one of the great statements of Paul about his motivation and drive to press forward into the Lord.  Here are the verses - Philippians 3:10-14 NIV:

[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."

I am going to start my reflection with verse thirteen - "forgetting what is behind".  The shame of regret is something that can shut any of us down, looking at all  the lost opportunities, the lost years, the things we could have said or done, all of these can weigh on us and cause us to embrace defeat.  Rather, as Paul says, we should forget what is behind, as it is unchangeable,  and strain forward toward what is ahead, and be different going forward.

I like that he uses the Greek word Epekteinomai for the action we take towards what is ahead.  The word was translated here in verse 13 as straining, but it could also more accurately be defined as stretching forward, reaching with effort.  In other words, it takes effort and causes us to stretch, or be stretched. Sitting in my little safe bubble, I am not stretched, if anything I am compressed.

It is time for me to press forward, to press onward, and this takes effort. It means I need to get up and step out of my comfort zone, out of my safe place, out of my polite respect of people's privacy and be willing to be God's representative to those around me.  I need to think differently, looking for opportunities and need, and then stepping into them with the courage that I am not alone.  God desires to use me, and it is up to me to step out.

I am reminded of the story of Peter stepping out of the boat - Matthew 14:25-29 NIV:

[25] "Shortly before dawn Jesus went out to them, walking on the lake. [26] When the disciples saw him walking on the lake, they were terrified. “It's a ghost,” they said, and cried out in fear.

[27] But Jesus immediately said to them: “Take courage! It is I. Don't be afraid.”

[28] “Lord, if it's you,” Peter replied, “tell me to come to you on the water.”

[29] “Come,” he said.

Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus."

It is time for me to step out, to press forward toward what is ahead, forgetting what is behind, "pressing on to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus!" Lord, I am encouraged this morning, help me to take this courage with me throughout the day.  Help me to see You moving, to see the opportunity, to see the need and step out of the boat into Your purposes!  I can hear Your encouragement, "Get out of the boat!"

Amen and Amen!

A Kick In The Pants!

This morning I was contemplating my relative laziness in doing things that I feel like I should be doing, both personal discipline as well as Kingdom stuff.  I have a terrible habit of thinking good thoughts and having good intentions but then never following through. My positive thought life, if I could turn it into action, would actually be a positive force in my life and the lives of those around me, especially if I ever got around to actually doing even half of the things I think I should do.

As I was thinking those thoughts, I opened my bible right to these following verses - Philippians 2:12-16 NIV:

[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."

[14] "Do everything without grumbling or arguing, [15] so that you may become blameless and pure, “children of God without fault in a warped and crooked generation.” Then you will shine among them like stars in the sky [16] as you hold firmly to the word of life. And then I will be able to boast on the day of Christ that I did not run or labor in vain."

I love when the Word of God is directly applicable to my momentary thoughts, even if it is calling me on the carpet, as it reminds me of how intimately involved in my life the Lord wants to be!  I also love how the Lord is quite direct, not beating around the bush, as they say.  Here I was thinking about my inability to obey what I feel like He has told me, and struggling to turn thought into will and then action and that is the theme of the first two verses I read.  Ouch!  However at the same time it is good, for the Lord is allowing me to see that my life needs change, or as they say in religious circles, I need to repent.  I need to change the way I am thinking, change my will, and change my actions.  Lord, I thank You that Your grace is sufficient and mercy is new every morning.

Secondly, I need to embrace an attitude of gratitude and thankfulness, in every thing I do!  It is so easy to gripe and complain, especially when you are being encouraged to change, as change doesn't come without effort and sacrifice.  I need to say no to my flesh and my will, and say yes to the Lord's, and that is sometimes difficult to do!  However, I can choose to do so with a cheerful heart, thankful for the opportunity to change.

Recently, I was hired for a new job after a few months of unemployment.  This is really good news, but the financial renumeration was less than I hoped and less than I was making before, so rather than being thankful, I was griping and complaining.  Last week, on my second day of work, the Lord gently corrected me and showed me that I was being ungrateful, and participating in unbelief, by calling into question His provision.  He gave me the opportunity to change my attitude, and when I did, my whole outlook changed and my excitement about the job was what it should be when starting a new position.

I find it interesting that Paul indicates that having a thankful and obedient heart will cause us to shine like stars in the sky among this generation!  I know which type of person I would rather work around, and I need to choose to be that type of person.  If I can get my eyes off myself and start seeing the hand of God at work in my life and the lives of those around me, and start to call out the good and beautiful things I am seeing and experiencing, than I will be able to make a difference in my life and shine a bit more.  If I can get off my lazy behind, and will and do those things that the Lord has put in my heart, than who knows how much good I might see!

Lord, I am am grateful that You understand my human condition so well, and that You do work in me to will and act in order to fulfill Your good purpose in me.  Help me to fully embrace that which You show me, and help me to push past my selfish attitude and thoughts. Help me to shine with Your life and light!  Thank You for Your gentle kick in the pants!

Amen and Amen.

Ever-Increasing Glory

This morning I am contemplating a few verses from Paul's second letter to the Church in Corinth.  He is talking a bit about the New Covenant and his comments are helpful and encouraging.  Here are the verses - 2 Corinthians 3:4-11,17-18 NIV:

[4] "Such confidence we have through Christ before God. [5] Not that we are competent in ourselves to claim anything for ourselves, but our competence comes from God. [6] He has made us competent as ministers of a new covenant---not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life."

[7] "Now if the ministry that brought death, which was engraved in letters on stone, came with glory, so that the Israelites could not look steadily at the face of Moses because of its glory, transitory though it was, [8] will not the ministry of the Spirit be even more glorious? [9] If the ministry that brought condemnation was glorious, how much more glorious is the ministry that brings righteousness! [10] For what was glorious has no glory now in comparison with the surpassing glory. [11] And if what was transitory came with glory, how much greater is the glory of that which lasts!"

[17] "Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. [18] And we all, who with unveiled faces contemplate the Lord's glory, are being transformed into his image with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit."

His first main point is that the New Covenant is a covenant of the Spirit, not the letter.  He is referring to the New Covenant, established by Jesus' blood, and announced by Him at the last supper (Luke 22:20).  This new covenant was prophesied by Jeremiah (Jer 31:31) 600+ years before it occurred, and it was clear from his writing that it would be a different covenant, one that was internalized, versus one that was written down with letters.

Rather than focusing on the differences here, Paul just does an overall comparison pointing to the significantly greater glory of the new covenant.  If the old is being replaced with something better, Paul's point is that it is probably going to be much better than we can probably imagine.  He is engaging the people by asking them to reflect on what was known to them, and then imagine something far better!  This final covenant will need no replacing, for it is eternal, full of freedom and life and ever-increasing in glory!  The people could reflect back on the events of the other covenants God had made in Israel's past and all the glorious ways He intervened on their behalf, and they could get a sense of what Paul was saying.  The church at Corinth included some Jews (1Cor 7:18-19), but it was largely composed of Gentile converts (1Cor 6:9-11, 1Cor 8:7, 1Cor 12:2) ( https://www.bibleodyssey.org/en/places/related-articles/church-at-corinth), so Paul was relying on their understanding of the history of the Jews, much as we understand it.

Paul is building a reference grid for expectation and understanding this new covenant.  He unfortunately realizes that is almost impossible to do, as "what was glorious has no glory now in comparison with the surpassing glory."  In other words, every we think is glorious now isn't even on the scale of glorious in the eternal experience of this new covenant, which is of the Holy Spirit, and brings us life and freedom.  This reminds me of famous verse from Isaiah 55:9 NIV: “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts."  There really is no comparison between what was seen before and what is to come, and that is amazing!

The part that gets me excited when reading this, is that we are fully in the new covenant now, and while we are not able to experience the fullness of it this side of eternity, we can certainly experience it in part.  The author of the letter to  Hebrews  writes in verse 10:1a NIV: "The law is only a shadow of the good things that are coming---not the realities themselves."  In the same way, we can experience some of what is available to us now in this New Covenant, but not the complete fullness.  We have been given the Holy Spirit, who lives within us, and He brings us life (2 Cor 3:6), freedom (2 Cor 3:17), wisdom (1 Cor 2:13), understanding (Col 1:9), power (Eph 3:16) and Love (2 Tim 1:7).  He provides us gifts to use (1 Cor 12:1-11) and fruit to experience (Gal 5:22-23) here on earth.  Our lives are meant to be a shining example in this dark age (Philippians 2:15).

Historically, in the Church, we have seen many great revivals and here is a list from the book "The 10 Greatest Revivals Ever", Towns and Porter, 2000.

1. The 1904 Revival, Beginning in Wales
Evan Roberts, Korea, Moravian, Azusa Street
2. The First Great Awakening, 1727-1750
Zinzendorf, Wesley, Whitefield, Jonathan Edwards
3. The Second Great Awakening 1780-1810
Cane Ridge
4. The General Awakening 1830-1840
Charles Finney, Hawaii, Jamaica
5. The Layman’s Revival 1857-1861
Phoebe Palmer, Lanphier, D. L. Moody
6. The World War II Revival 1935-1950
Billy Graham, Duncan Campbell, New Zealand
7. The Baby Boomer Revival 1965-1970
The Jesus People, The Prairie Revival, Asbury
8. The Reformation, 1517
Martin Luther, John Calvin, Zwingli, Knox
9. The Pre-Reformation Revival 1300-1500
Lollards, Wycliffe, Hus, Savonarola
10. Pentecost 30 A.D.
Peter, Ephesus, Paul

We have seen great and awesome miracles and signs from God, and we continue to see these things in our days see ( https://globalawakening.com/testimonies) or ( http://bethelredding.com/ministries/healing-rooms/testimonies) or the historical descriptions of the ministries of Smith wigglesworth or John G. Lake, to name only a few miraculous ministries.

His kingdom and His glory is ever-increasing, so one would expect that we will see even greater things that what have already come to pass!

This is something to be excited about, something to look forward to, and something to expect!  Come Lord Jesus!  Come Holy Spirit!

Amen and Amen!

Faith is Enough

This morning I was reading through Luke's Gospel and came had an interesting thought as I read about Jesus healing the Centurion's servant.  Here are the verses - Luke 7:1-10 NIV:

[1] "When Jesus had finished saying all this to the people who were listening, he entered Capernaum. [2] There a centurion's servant, whom his master valued highly, was sick and about to die. [3] The centurion heard of Jesus and sent some elders of the Jews to him, asking him to come and heal his servant. [4] When they came to Jesus, they pleaded earnestly with him, “This man deserves to have you do this, [5] because he loves our nation and has built our synagogue.” [6] So Jesus went with them."

"He was not far from the house when the centurion sent friends to say to him: “Lord, don't trouble yourself, for I do not deserve to have you come under my roof. [7] That is why I did not even consider myself worthy to come to you. But say the word, and my servant will be healed. [8] For I myself am a man under authority, with soldiers under me. I tell this one, 'Go,' and he goes; and that one, 'Come,' and he comes. I say to my servant, 'Do this,' and he does it.”

[9] "When Jesus heard this, he was amazed at him, and turning to the crowd following him, he said, “I tell you, I have not found such great faith even in Israel.” [10] Then the men who had been sent returned to the house and found the servant well."

This is a well known story of faith, and often discussed as a great example of faith in the Lord, and understanding of authority.  I have reflected on those in the past, but what caught my attention this morning was the Lord's nonchalance towards the actual healing, and the understated way it was recorded.  Jesus never is mentioned as praying, as asking the Father to heal him, nothing.  He comments on the faith of the Centurion and that is all.

In other words, just the presence of faith in the Centurion was enough to release healing in His servant, no specific prayer needed to be said, nothing else happened.  Sometimes we get so caught up in models of praying for people, or thinking that God only heals through prayer, and then we see something like this, and it causes us to stop and reconsider our thinking.

Two of my favorite ministers, Bill Johnson and Randy Clark, have learned that oftentimes in their services that people are healed without anyone praying for them or ministering to them in any way.  Usually they will have a few stories or testimonies and then will stop and ask people to pay attention to their bodies and ailments they needed healing for, and very often numbers of people will already have experienced significant healing.  They believe this is the result of the level of faith rising in the room, as a result of the testimonies and stories.  This is similar to what is recorded in this story of the centurion. I think of it this way, faith creates a healing target for the Lord to touch, almost like a landing strip for an airplane. There are lights and radio signals that guide airplanes to the landing strips, and the combination of the two enable pilots to land even when it it cloudy night, or even foggy.  Faith apparently provides an atmosphere for God to move and paints a target on the one who needs it.

This is apparently why Jesus focused so much of the conversation on the faith of the Centurion, rather than on the Father's ability to heal.  He wanted people to know that the Father desires to heal and sometimes just is looking for a faith target to land on!

Oh Lord, increase my faith and the faith level of Your church so that we might see more and more people touched and healed, just like You demonstrated when You walked on the earth!

Amen!

Embracing the Bigger Picture

This morning I am reflecting on some verses from Paul - 2 Corinthians 4:16-18 NIV:

[16] "Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. [17] For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. [18] So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal."

I love how Paul continues to point people towards an eternal focus and perspective. We need this in our lives, for our society constantly points us to our here and now, tells us to focus on our needs and wants and not on our eternal destiny. Placing our eyes on our Lord, understanding our identity in Him, recognizing the eternal nature of our souls are all beneficial pursuits.

As we embrace our relationship with Him, we gain God's perspective and can rest in His faithfulness and Omnipotence.  To consider our present experiences light and momentary is freeing to our mind, enabling us to step out of our situation and into God's eternal perspective.  This is like learning to apply a scale of reference to a photo or map.  Without a scale of reference we have a hard time telling if something is 5 inches, 5 feet, or 5 miles. Likewise, without God's perspective we struggle to correctly interpret our situation and purpose.

In several places Paul discusses the hardships he endured for the sake of the Gospel.  He understood that these difficult circumstances sometimes were used by God to enable His ministry.  He wrote about how his illness actually enabled him to minister to the church in Galatia - Galatians 4:13-14 NIV:
" As you know, it was because of an illness that I first preached the gospel to you, [14] and even though my illness was a trial to you, you did not treat me with contempt or scorn. Instead, you welcomed me as if I were an angel of God, as if I were Christ Jesus himself."

Paul was able to see the bigger picture, and recognize that God's ways are not always the ways we would think or act (Is 55:8-9).  He encourages us to fix our eyes on Jesus (2 Cor 4:18), on our relationship with him, our eternal destiny and life, and to allow this perspective to contextualize our present situation and circumstances.

I know for me this is a very helpful exercise, thinking about how God would view my present situation.  I know He is not worried, concerned or surprised.  As I recognize that He is still God of my life, still in firm control of all eternity, still has all authority and power, still seated on His throne, still loves me, still knows everything about my life, I can settle my heart.  I can learn to lean into Him and allow these present circumstances to wash over me, and I can stand on the footing the Lord has given me, as He is the rock upon which I can stand (Ps 40:2).  It is so peaceful once I get the bigger picture!

Thank You Lord for Your love, compassion, provision and plans!

Amen and Amen!

Watchful and Thankful

This morning I am continuing on in my reading of Paul's letter to the church in Colossae.  The following verses are just another great encouragement in our daily  walk to be mindful of what we do, and whose we are - Colossians 4:2-6 NIV:

[2] "Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful. [3] And pray for us, too, that God may open a door for our message, so that we may proclaim the mystery of Christ, for which I am in chains. [4] Pray that I may proclaim it clearly, as I should. [5] Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity. [6] Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone."

My first thought in reading this is that Paul is really the consummate evangelist. He has devoted His life to proclaiming the Gospel, and that is his one focus in everything.  He is in chains for his efforts and yet His prayer is that He might be even more effective!

I like the dual directives he gives for their prayer - "be watchful and thankful".  The original Greek word here translated watchful, could also be translated 'stay alert' or 'be on watch' and is specifically related to guarding one's life.  I know that sometimes I forget that Christianity was under persecution and the people to whom Paul was writing were at times putting their lives in danger by converting to Christianity. In Colossae, it appears that the pressure the Christians were under was related to heresy rather than persecution.  In either case, maintaining a watchful and alert attitude was important for the protection of the believers and the church.  In many ways, the church is under the same duress today.  Increasing persecution and heretical thinking and teaching. We are in a spiritual battle and wariness is always important.

The second charge to remain thankful in prayer is equally important.  This attitude maintains our eyes on the Lord, and helps us align ourselves with His perspective.  So often I am only thankful when things go well, and complaining when they don't.  Paul, maintains that we should be thankful in all circumstances (1 Thes 5:18), not just good circumstances.  I know for me, this is the most effective way for me to return my heart and mind to the Lord. My thanks in all circumstances becomes praise to God for His faithfulness and faith in His plans and purposes that I cannot see.

Finally, Paul encourages us to maintain a watchfulness over opportunities to share the love of God and the Gospel of peace. I consistently fail at this, as rarely do I feel I made the most of the opportunities presented to me.  That being said, I haven't given up the cause, instead I have turned to  Him in prayer, asking the Lord to help me to be more aware of the situations and opportunities, that I might be ready to share the love of God, extending grace and mercy and seasoned conversation.  I am aware of the fact that I carry within me the gospel message and I should be willing to share it verbally, or through my life of service and love.

Lord, I pray that You would lead me forward in proclaiming the fullness of Your Gospel.  Help me to devote myself to prayer, maintaining a watchful and thankful heart and mind.  Help me to be the bearer of the Good News of Your Kingdom, ready to proclaim it as clearly as I  should, and ready to make the most of every opportunity

Amen!

Spiritual Elitism and Heresy

This morning I have been doing some research on the Church in Colossae, and the heresy that was bubbling up there, which Paul was addressing in Col 2:6-23.  It is often helpful to understand the specifics of what Paul was battling to better understand his thinking and comments.  I found two good sources covering the Colossian Heresy - 

1) A shorter description at https://www.biblegateway.com/resources/asbury-bible-commentary/False-Teaching-at-Colosse

2) A longer exhaustive covering at - https://faculty.gordon.edu/hu/bi/ted_hildebrandt/ntesources/ntarticles/bsac-nt/bruce-colossianheresy-pt3-bs.htm

Both are helpful in understanding Paul.  I pulled the following excerpt from the Gordon.edu text:

"Some people today, as then, love to make a parade of exceptional piety. They claim to have found the way to a higher plane of spiritual experience, as though they had been initiated into sacred mysteries which give them an almost infinite advantage over the uninitiated. Others are all too prone to be impressed by such people. But Paul warns them against being misled by such lofty claims. Those who make them, for all their lofty pretensions, for all their boasting of the special insight which they have received into divine reality, are simply inflated by unspiritual pride and are out of touch with Him who is the true Head and Fount of life and knowledge.

If people practice various forms of abstinence and find their spiritual health improved thereby, that is their own responsibility. But if they make their abstinence a matter of boasting, and if they try to impose it on others, they are wrong. As for those who draw public attention to their abstinence so as to gain some measure of veneration, they must learn that there is no necessary connection between such impressive asceticism and the true humility of Christ. By contrast with the spiritual service which the gospel enjoins in conformity with the will of God, which is "good and acceptable and perfect" (Rom. 12:2), this would-be religion is a "self-made cult," as Deissmann rendered it,(34) or a "faked religion," as H. N. Bate put it.(35)

The compound e]qeloqrhskei

34 Adolf Deissmann, Paul: A Study in Social and Religious History, trans. W. E. Wilson (London: Hodder & Stoughton, 1926), p. 118. He contrasts it with the logikh> latrei

35 H. N. Bate, A Guide to the Epistles of St. Paul (London: Longmans & Green, 1926), p. 143.

Excerpt from:  Bibliotheca Sacra 141 (Jan. 1984) 195-208. Copyright © 1984 by Dallas Theological Seminary.  Cited with permission. 

Colossian Problems:   Part 3:   The Colossian Heresy, By F. F. Bruce

What I find interesting is that some of these same things are still present today.  In fact in a previous study of the early church heresies, I was amazed to see how much of what was refuted back in the first three centuries of the Church is still in play today.  It seems that we are still dealing with the same issues with spiritual elitism and pride, and possibly the same spiritual forces encouraging the same heretical thought.  We must be very careful in our Christian walk to recognize the subtle influences of thought and teaching that starts us down a path like the Colossians. 

So let us heed the warning of Paul and listen to his wise words - Colossians 2:2-4,6-8 NIV:

[2] "My goal is that they may be encouraged in heart and united in love, so that they may have the full riches of complete understanding, in order that they may know the mystery of God, namely, Christ, [3] in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. [4] I tell you this so that no one may deceive you by fine-sounding arguments." 

[6] "So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live your lives in him, [7] rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness. [8] See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the elemental spiritual forces of this world rather than on Christ."

Amen & Amen!

Checklist for My Day

This morning I needed some good encouragement from the Word, and turned to the following verses from Paul's letter to the Colossians 3:1-3,9-17 NIV:

[1] "Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. [2] Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. [3] For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God."

[9] "Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices [10] and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator. [11] Here there is no Gentile or Jew, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave or free, but Christ is all, and is in all."

[12] "Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. [13] Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. [14] And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity."

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

It is almost like I can put together a check list for the day, similar to the checklist a pilot goes through before taking off:

1) Set my heart on Heaven, where Jesus is seated next to the Father.
2) Set my  mind on heavenly things
3) Recognize that I am now hidden in Christ
4) Put off my old self and its practices
5) Put on my new self which is being renewed
6) Recognize that I am part of Christ's body
7) Put on compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience
8) Forgive anyone that need I need to forgive
9) Put on love
10) Let peace rule in my heart
11) Be thankful
12) Let the message of Christ dwell in me
13) Encourage my brothers and sisters
14) Decide that whatever I do, whether in word or deed, I will do in the name of Jesus

I think I will post this on my desk so I can review it and reflect on it every day.  Thank You Lord for Your encouragement through these words from Paul.

Amen!

Understanding When God Is Described As Angry

This morning I am wrestling with the difficult topic of God's wrath as described in the OT. I am using some verses from the prophet Habakkuk 3:2-4,12-13,18-19 NIV:

[2] "Lord, I have heard of your fame; I stand in awe of your deeds, Lord. Repeat them in our day, in our time make them known; in wrath remember mercy.
[3] God came from Teman, the Holy One from Mount Paran. His glory covered the heavens and his praise filled the earth.
[4] His splendor was like the sunrise; rays flashed from his hand, where his power was hidden."

[12] "In wrath you strode through the earth and in anger you threshed the nations.
[13] You came out to deliver your people, to save your anointed one. You crushed the leader of the land of wickedness, you stripped him from head to foot."

[18]..." yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will be joyful in God my Savior.
[19] The Sovereign Lord is my strength; he makes my feet like the feet of a deer, he enables me to tread on the heights. For the director of music. On my stringed instruments."

The first thing that comes to mind when I am reflecting on verses like these is that I need to filter everything through the Revelation of the Father, demonstrated through the words and deeds of Jesus, as He is the perfect representation of the Father (Heb 1:3).  As the perfect revelation, He provides us with the decoder ring through which we must always view things in all of scripture. Also, we know that the Bible must also be read understanding that progressive revelation is part of the reality of Scriptures.  As God revealed more and more of Himself, man was able to understand more and more about Him. We must understand that God communicated, within the existing revelation coordinates, new information and revelation as man was able to understand. Jesus specifically said the following (as a great example of providing additional revelation in line with their ability to understand): John 16:12-13 NIV: “I have much more to say to you, more than you can now bear. [13] But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all the truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come."

Paul , also, describes a maturing in understanding and growing in application that is similar to what Jesus expressed. He wrote the following to the Church in Corinth - 1 Corinthians 3:1-2 NIV: "Brothers and sisters, I could not address you as people who live by the Spirit but as people who are still worldly---mere infants in Christ. [2] I gave you milk, not solid food, for you were not yet ready for it. Indeed, you are still not ready."

The Author of the letter to the Hebrews also had similar words to share - Hebrews 5:11-14 NIV: "We have much to say about this, but it is hard to make it clear to you because you no longer try to understand. [12] In fact, though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you the elementary truths of God's word all over again. You need milk, not solid food! [13] Anyone who lives on milk, being still an infant, is not acquainted with the teaching about righteousness. [14] But solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil."

Finally Peter also described a similar maturing process, and treated it as a normal part of Christian maturation - 1 Peter 2:2-5 NIV: "Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation, [3] now that you have tasted that the Lord is good."

[4] "As you come to him, the living Stone---rejected by humans but chosen by God and precious to him--- [5] you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ."

It is so important to grasp these two principles (the perfect revelation of the Father in Jesus and progressive revelation) as we read scripture, for otherwise we misunderstand God, His redemptive plan and His heart. This is a normal maturation process for all Christians.  We must understand that just because we can read the words, and understand the meaning of the words that we may still not fully grasp the full intent and meaning, nor the character of God.  Paul writes that at best we can only partially understand this side of eternity - 1 Corinthians 13:9-12 NIV: "For we know in part and we prophesy in part, [10] but when completeness comes, what is in part disappears. [11] When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put the ways of childhood behind me. [12] For now we see only a reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known."

Thus, I am not saying that I have a perfect grasp of these principles and thus have complete understanding, what I am saying is that my knowledge of God and His heart and character will continue to expand  and grow throughout my entire life. I have grown immensely in my understanding of God since my salvation, and I know that I will continue to grow in understanding and revelation my entire life.  That being the case, I know that there is 100% chance that I am misunderstanding or not walking and believing in the full revelation of God's heart and character at this present time.  As such, I  might easily misread or misunderstand God's motivation and emotions concerning me.  If we are honest with ourselves, I believe we all must come to the same conclusion.

So, that was a long introduction to a difficult topic, but one that I hope provides some framing for my thoughts.  My personal opinion is that there are a few additional things that are related to what I just covered, that we need to consider when reading the Old Testament:

1) God is the same, He never changes (Heb 6:17).
   a) Our understanding of Him changes, He doesn't change.
2) God had to work with the people where He found them, and with their present understanding and paradigms.
   a)  He called Abraham when there really was no mono-theistic mindset on earth - He was the first to have that revelation.
   b)  He led Israel out of Egypt, and they all had the mindset of slaves when they came out.  They were familiar with tribes, but were not a nation.
 
3)  God chose the Hebrew people as His own, and loved them.
4)  God loves all people and made a way for salvation for all in Christ Jesus, but that wasn't understood fully until Peter had the revelation in Joppa (Acts 10).
   a) Prior to this event, despite hints in the OT, all Hebrews thought that only they could be saved, and all others were outside of God's plan and promise.
      1) If the prior point is accurate than any revelation received concerning other peoples and nations would be filtered through this belief.
5) All people have free-will and this is something that God has absolutely protected since the beginning. We have the choice to choose God, or not.
   a) Adam and Eve is primarily the story of free-will, and the ramifications of choice
   b) Other peoples choices and actions are at times misunderstood as God's actions or lack of protection
6) Moses reportedly wrote the first five books of the bible, and as such His understanding of God would have been communicated through his writing.
   a) He was recording in Genesis what had been orally passed down for generations, and included others revelations of God's character.
   b) He recorded His own interactions with God in the remaining books and God's word was inspired by the Holy Spirit within the context of His paradigm of understanding.

As I was just thinking about this all I had an interesting  analogy, one of my interactions with my son or daughter on their behalf. I know that from the time that my children were born that I would defend them to the death against any force or person that put their life in danger.  This is still true today, but their ability to defend themselves has grown as they have matured.  When they were young I would remove them from dangerous situations, blocking off parts of the house that were dangerous, etc. As they got older I started to teach them about what was dangerous, and at times they didn't understand my motivation.  They thought something looked fun and exciting but I would not allow them to participate because I knew they were not mature enough to participate safely, i.e. driving a car when they had not been trained. They would think I was being too stern or mean, when in reality I was motivated out of my love and desire to protect them from harm.  At one point we had to get rid of our Nintendo because my son, who was 5 at that time, couldn't understand that playing the game for hours at a time was not healthy for him. At another point we chose to move because of the influence of some of the children in the neighborhood.  My kids we really disappointed, and now we arrange for them to have friends over to play.  It was much more work and they missed their former friends, but they were able to grow up safely without bad influences surrounding them.  We made a decision for them that they were unable to make for themselves.  As they have grown into adults they are now primarily responsible for their own lives and protection and make their own decisions about what is good and what is not, and they understand more fully my motivation.  Now I can more fully explain myself, my actions and also provide insight into my previous actions and motivations, should they ask.

When I read the Old Testament I am trying to always look at it from a perspective of God loving and protecting His chosen people.  I believe that is how they related to Him.  He was their God, not the God of the other nations and peoples, which now in light of Peter's revelation in Acts 10, we know was not the complete picture. However, at that time this is how the people understood the situation.  Again, when we were young, we needed very clear black and white understandings to guide us.  We had a mindset that set up a good/bad connotation to things.  What was good was generally the opposite of what was bad.  We didn't understand the nuance and shades.  Something was either good or bad, not good and less good, or bad and less bad.  We needed clear guidance to teach us about ourselves and the world, as well as about our family and parent's love.  In the same way I believe God instructed His chosen people.  Thus, I believe that God's actions on their behalf were also seen as actions against others.  If He loved the Hebrews, than He hated the other nations. If He protected them then He attacked the others.   It was black and white.

Applying this logic,  I was just thinking about the pursuit of the Hebrew people by the Pharaoh.  If he would have relented and stopped following them He, and his army, would have survived.  It was Pharaoh's choice to pursue Moses and the Hebrew people.  What was not understood at the time was God's love for the Egyptian people (See Isaiah 19:25)  nor the Pharaoh's free will.  Both of these are true, and understood now.  We understand that God loves Egypt just like He loves every nation, and included them in the Great commission (Matt 28:18-20), Jesus' statement of love for the whole world in John 3:16, and specifically as a people in Isaiah 19.  We now understand God's heart towards sinners and that He doesn't desire anyone to perish (1 Tim 2:3-4). These things are true, and have always been true if God is unchanging, yet they were not always known.

Back to my analogies, when I read my own journal's from years ago (I have been journalling for 30+ years) I can see the significant growth that has occurred in me personally and in my understanding of God.  He spoke to me back then, and I definitely see how I understood things differently and how God worked within the limits of my paradigm of understanding.  He had much to say to me, but much of it I couldn't understand because of my own maturity level.  He has increased the level of communication and understanding and works to build me up in Him, but He doesn't just skip to the end, He knows my maturation is a process.  I believe that I clearly heard the Holy Spirit back then and I do now too, I just understand Him more now.  That doesn't mean that what I heard was wrong, but sometimes what I heard and how I understood it were limited.  For example, early in our marriage we heard from God that we were to have a heart for children, raising up sons and daughters.  We immediately thought that we might be called to the mission field, working in orphanages.  We tried several different approaches to make that happen and they all failed to be God's will.  Our thoughts of working in an orphanage made the most sense to us at that time.  I believe we heard God's words for us, but we just didn't have a full revelation.  When we look back at our lives now, we see how we have been instrumental in raising up and ministering to hundreds of sons and daughters and even now serve on a board and in a ministry for foster children.  God's word was true, we just didn't understand the fullness of it at that time, applying our the only paradigm of understanding we had at that time. I like to say that God's word is perfect, our understanding of it isn't!

So back to the verses from Habakkuk (sorry for circuitous route). The prophet wrote the following:  "In wrath you strode through the earth and in anger you threshed the nations. You came out to deliver your people, to save your anointed one. You crushed the leader of the land of wickedness, you stripped him from head to foot." If we apply the points we now understand to be true about God's love for all nations, the plan of Salvation for all nations, the price Jesus paid for all sins, for all men, and the fact that God loves the sinner (Rom 5:8), but hates and defeated sin setting us free (Romans 5-8).  When we read these verses we must filter them with the understanding of the more recent revelation .  God's motivation was to save His people, and He moved strongly on their behalf, even breathing hard (literal translation of the Hebrew word here translated anger).  If I think back to times where my child got themselves in danger, I would immediately respond to them running hard if needed, breathing hard and pushing past or through anyone who stood between me and them.  I might be described as angry, but my overwhelming emotion is love for my children.  God has passion for His people, and it might look like or even be described as angry towards the other nations, especially if you didn't have the further revelation we have now through Christ Jesus.

In these verses, God's anger is described as towards those who threaten His children, and in this case the prophet describes someone as the leader of the land of wickedness.  Is it possible that God was speaking about satan, and not some leader of a specific nation? Could this be a reflection back to the time God set the Hebrew people from the leader of Egypt? When He moved on their behalf as He lead them out of destruction?  I am not sure which scenario is true, but some of the authors of commentaries believe that Habakkuk was referring back to the deliverance out of Egypt. We already looked at that scenario through a filter of additional revelation provided later in the Scriptures.

Finally (Sorry for the really long discussion) in summary, I believe that it is so important to read scriptures with the revelation provided by Jesus as our grid for understanding. We must not lose sight of the greater revelation of god's love, Jesus' sacrifice for our sins, our freedom bought through His blood, and our call to go to all the nations, to all peoples and to spread the message of the  love of God, and the invitation to relationship with Him.  God loves us all!  He created us all!  He hates sin, for it causes us to miss out on His blessings, but He loves the sinner.  He loves every nation, and sent Jesus to set us all free.  This is a free gift, one that we can choose because He continues to uphold our free-will. We must learn to be mature in our understanding of God, His word, and His interaction with us.

I pray that this is helpful to you, and not confusing.  God Loves You and wants you to know that! He wants to provide clarity where there is confusion.  he wants us to walk in a more full revelation of His love and interaction in our lives.

Amen!

Defending the Gospel Through Love and Kindness

This morning I am reflecting on the introduction from Paul's letter to the church in Philippi.  I sometimes just pass over the introductions, but this morning felt an encouragement to read every word, for the Scriptures are worthy of our consideration, every word.   So here are the verses I am reviewing and reflecting upon - Philippians 1:3-11 NIV:

[3] "I thank my God every time I remember you. [4] In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy [5] because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, [6] being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.

[7] It is right for me to feel this way about all of you, since I have you in my heart and, whether I am in chains or defending and confirming the gospel, all of you share in God's grace with me. [8] God can testify how I long for all of you with the affection of Christ Jesus.

[9] And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, [10] so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, [11] filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ---to the glory and praise of God."

I love the confidence of Paul expressed in verse six.  He is fully confident in the Lord, that He is able to finish the good work He started in each of us.  I am especially encouraged for all those that I know that have struggled with their faith, in some instances abandoning the faith altogether.  The Lord is fully capable and able to finish His work in all our lives, and as He said in John 10:27-28 NIV: "My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. [28] I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one will snatch them out of my hand."

Secondly I so appreciate Paul's comments about defending and confirming the Gospel in verse seven.  We are in an age where the attack on the Gospel is reaching a fever pitch, especially here in America.  What was once considered worthy of respect and imitation has now become an opportunity for ridicule and attack, especially in the media.  Our lives should provide opportunities for defending and confirming the Gospel, through our daily walk and following of Christ. We should shine like a light in this darkening age (Matt 5:16).  We should be prepared to witness to our beliefs and communicate the Gospel at all times through kindness and love.  Paul writes that it is God's kindness that leads to repentance (Rom 2:4), and Jesus commanded us to love one another as He loved us (John 13:34).  Jesus said that our love for one another is what will distinguish us as His followers (John 13:35).  I can't imagine of a better way to defend and confirm the Gospel than through living a life of kindness and love towards all, even to those that would consider themselves enemies of the faith, or my enemies.

Finally, Paul prays for our abounding love gained through knowledge and depth of insight.  Isn't that almost an ironic statement?  So often we find that gained knowledge produces pride, arrogance and condescending attitudes. I believe that Paul is speaking about knowledge and depth of insight into the heart of the Father, into Jesus and the Holy Spirit.  Knowledge of the word is one thing, but knowledge of the person, their very heart and mind, is how love grows.  As we gaze upon Jesus; as we understand His heart for us; as we see Him moving in power in our lives and the lives of those around us; as we see the Holy Spirit at work bringing glory to the name of Jesus through miracles, signs and wonders; as we come to understand the heart of the Father perfectly represented through Jesus, we will grow in love, to the point that we overflow.

Let us be encouraged today to pursue abounding love through relationship with the Lord.  Let us confirm and defend the Gospel of Grace through lives of kindness and love.  Let us pray for those that have lost their way and listened to a voice that is not the Good Shepherd. Let us be confident in Jesus ability to carry out to completion the good work He began in us!

Amen and Amen!

The Path To Unity

This morning I am reflecting on some verses from Paul's letter to the Philippians. The following verses are so encouraging, and yet difficult to live out - Philippians 2:1-5 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:"

These verses fly in the face of our "every man for himself" culture and thinking.  We are so quick to reject anything that doesn't put us first, that doesn't benefit us directly!  Paul's encouragement is to live a life patterned after Christ. Jesus called us to love one another as He demonstrated (John 13:34) putting the needs of others before His own, laying down His life freely (John 10:17), enduring the cross for the joy set before Him (Heb 12:2). None of that is easy, none of that comes without a cost, yet this is our call and invitation.

I believe that Paul desires to cause the church in Philippi to stop and reflect and allow these encouragements to settle into their hearts and minds.  All of this is available through our relationship with Jesus, through our empowering through the in-dwelling Holy Spirit. He provides His love, compassion and tenderness and perspective.  It is available to us all, if we enter through Christ.

However, as good as this all sounds, I believe that it is impossible on our own to work up unity, to create through nice thought and good feelings a unity in spirit and mind that is in-line with the Lord!  Throughout history, many have tried to create utopian societies where everyone looked after one another and shared everything in common and there was no violence, selfishness or power struggles, yet man's proclivity for selfishness always dooms these experiments to failure.  The core thinking behind communism and socialism have these type of goals and vision, yet when they are put into practice they always fail.  Rather than creating a society where everyone is unified and equally blessed, of one mind and spirit, they create police states where all power is in the government and a few powerful individuals, and they forcibly tell you what to think and how to act.

The difference here is that we have, in Christ, the opportunity to freely choose, to embrace His mind-set. The core of Christianity is free-will, the ability to choose!  This life is available through relationship with Jesus, a free gift to any that would choose.  We are not forced, not coerced, but lovingly invited to embrace a life-style that brings life and maturity, opens the doors to the Kingdom of God on earth, and provides eternal life.  All of this unity and one mindedness is not something we work up and then the Lord blesses, but rather it is the result of  our unity with Him.  The more we think like Him and act like Him, the more we will be unified in mind and spirit.  This is why one of the foundational Gospel messages is repentance, for repentance means changing the way we think and then the way we act.  As we see Jesus, as we encounter Him, we are given the opportunity to choose to be like Him.  We see how good He is, and we can then choose to follow His example.  This is what Paul is encouraging the church in Philippi to embrace.

So the question, first and foremost, for me is whether I am open to change? I have to be willing to change, willing to see there is another way of thinking and acting.  If I am willing, then I am open to suggestions and the Lord in mercy and compassion will provide plenty of opportunities.  The thing I have learned about the Lord is that He is infinitely wise and patient.  He understands my fears, my concerns, my own proclivity for selfish thought, and yet He daily provides opportunities to grow and become more like Him. I guess one could say that Christianity is in principle quite easy, we just need to see what Jesus is doing and follow Him.  The difficulty is that we are selfish and Jesus demonstrated a selflessness, love, mercy and compassion that requires us to lay down our selfishness, our pride and our opinions.  If we are to follow Him, to choose to be like Him, then everything that is in us that isn't like Him will have the opportunity to be jettisoned.

In summary, the opportunity for growth and unity comes at the cost of our own selfishness.  If we are pursuing unity, love and compassion then we will need to walk in humility and follow Jesus' lead, and be willing to lay down our lives, and put others first.  Oh Lord, help me!  I don't like the cost of this path, but I know it is the path to eternal life, and the expansion of Your Kingdom here on earth.

Reigning in Life!

Yesterday I was reflecting on Paul's letter to the Romans.  This is such a great letter, but one that you need to read through.  Paul builds a very logical case for salvation through faith, but it takes time and when you first start reading it all seems doom and gloom.  Here are the verses I am considering this morning - Romans 5:12-14,17-19 NIV:

[12] "Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, and in this way death came to all people, because all sinned--- [13] To be sure, sin was in the world before the law was given, but sin is not charged against anyone's account where there is no law. [14] Nevertheless, death reigned from the time of Adam to the time of Moses, even over those who did not sin by breaking a command, as did Adam, who is a pattern of the one to come."

[17] "For if, by the trespass of the one man, death reigned through that one man, how much more will those who receive God's abundant provision of grace and of the gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man, Jesus Christ!

[18] Consequently, just as one trespass resulted in condemnation for all people, so also one righteous act resulted in justification and life for all people. [19] For just as through the disobedience of the one man the many were made sinners, so also through the obedience of the one man the many will be made righteous."

These passages illustrate the Gospel in a very short form.  We were all under the reign of death and sin, until Christ came, and through His one righteous act and the gift of grace have been invited into life.  His righteousness has been extended to all people, which provides justification and life.

What I wanted to look at specifically this morning is verse seventeen, where Paul makes an interesting statement.  He says, " how much more will those who receive God's abundant provision of grace and of the gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man, Jesus Christ!"  It seems that Paul is assuming that we understand this to be a rhetorical question.  The answer should be obvious, that there is a great opportunity to REIGN IN LIFE through Jesus.  The Greek word translated reign is the word Basileuo its definition follows:

1) to be king, to exercise kingly power, to reign
   a) of the governor of a province
   b) of the rule of the Messiah
   c) of the reign of Christians in the millennium
2) metaph. to exercise the highest influence, to control

Paul is saying that we, who have received God's abundant provision of grace and the gift of His righteousness will reign in this life, being able to exercise kingly power in this life (zoe).  Kingly power relates to His authority and His ability to rule.  Jesus gave the disciples His authority, and extended it us all as His co-heirs.

Here are some of the verses referring to receiving power and authority:

Matthew 10:1 NIV: "Jesus called his twelve disciples to him and gave them authority to drive out impure spirits and to heal every disease and sickness."

Luke 9:1-2 NIV: "When Jesus had called the Twelve together, he gave them power and authority to drive out all demons and to cure diseases, [2] and he sent them out to proclaim the kingdom of God and to heal the sick.:"

Luke 10:17-19 NIV:

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

[18] "He replied, “I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven. [19] I have given you authority to trample on snakes and scorpions and to overcome all the power of the enemy; nothing will harm you."

Matthew 28:18-20 NIV:

[18] "Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. [19] Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, [20] and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

Acts 1:7-8 NIV:

[7] He said to them: “It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by his own authority. [8] But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”


- and we see the result of the power and authority being demonstrated through the apostles in the following verses:

Acts 2:42-43,46-47 NIV:

[42] "They devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. [43] Everyone was filled with awe at the many wonders and signs performed by the apostles."

[46] "Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, [47] praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved."

I believe these are examples of what Paul refers to as reigning in this life.  We are to represent the King, demonstrate the reality of His rule over all things, while we live here on earth, and of course once we are in Heaven.  I believe this is exactly what Jesus told us to pray for every day when teaching the disciples to pray - Matthew 6:9-10 NIV:

[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."

The prayer is simply asking that God's reign, His will, be extended on earth as it already is in heaven!

So today I am encouraged that I am invited to reign with Him here on earth, in this life!  It should not be unusual, but the normal life I lead!  Lord, help me grasp Your invitation, open my life to Your empowerment, and learn to walk as Your representative here on earth, showing the world that You are the King, and Your power and authority are real!

Amen!

Righteousness and Freedom

The other morning I was reflecting on Paul's letter to the church in Galatia. This is such an interesting letter for in it, Paul discusses a disagreement that he had with Peter (Cephas) and essentially many of the Jewish believers concerning the requirements of the Gospel, and specifically circumcision.  The church in Galatia was mostly comprised of gentile believers, and as such they did not follow Jewish traditions. Paul brings up the time he confronted Peter in Antioch, as an example to the Galatians, as follows:

Galatians 2:11-16 NIV:

[11] "When Cephas came to Antioch, I opposed him to his face, because he stood condemned. [12] For before certain men came from James, he used to eat with the Gentiles. But when they arrived, he began to draw back and separate himself from the Gentiles because he was afraid of those who belonged to the circumcision group. [13] The other Jews joined him in his hypocrisy, so that by their hypocrisy even Barnabas was led astray.

[14] When I saw that they were not acting in line with the truth of the gospel, I said to Cephas in front of them all, “You are a Jew, yet you live like a Gentile and not like a Jew. How is it, then, that you force Gentiles to follow Jewish customs?

[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."

Paul's point here is very clear, the Jewish customs, which were based on the Law were not requirements for Gentiles in the Gospel.  Evidentially the "circumcision group" was pushing for all gentiles to adopt their customs, and were likely pushing it as steps in righteousness, if not as a requirement for righteousness. The idea that any of the requirements of the law are required for righteousness through Christ Jesus flies in the face of the Gospel of salvation through faith. Paul was quick to quash this thinking in Antioch, but continued to battle this thinking in Galatia.

In reading the rest of his letter, I don't think that Paul was opposed to people pursuing personal examples of affection for God, in whatever form they embraced, but he was opposed to adding these to the Gospel.  It is so important to differentiate between requirements of the Gospel and our own personal walk and convictions.  Ascribing increasing righteousness, in God's eyes, through acts of obedience is incorrect in any and every instance.  If we have received justification through Christ's sacrifice and now live in His righteousness, through no act of our own, how is it possible to add anything to His righteousness? This is not the same thing as being zealous for God, and embracing a changed lifestyle out of affection for God.

I believe that this is one of the common areas of misunderstanding and even wrong teaching in the church.  It is so easy to make personal conviction a requirement for others, especially when the individual who has the personal conviction is charismatic and people are following their life as an example.  There is certainly wisdom in certain lifestyle changes, but none of them are required for salvation, justification or righteousness!

Paul continued on in his letter - Galatians 5:1-4,13-14,18 NIV:

[1] "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. [2] Mark my words! I, Paul, tell you that if you let yourselves be circumcised, Christ will be of no value to you at all. [3] Again I declare to every man who lets himself be circumcised that he is obligated to obey the whole law. [4] You who are trying to be justified by the law have been alienated from Christ; you have fallen away from grace."

[13] "You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh ; rather, serve one another humbly in love. [14] For the entire law is fulfilled in keeping this one command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.”

[18] "But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law."

In summary, Paul is encouraging the Galatians to embrace the Gospel and to reject anything that adds to the Gospel in the form of requirements.  As gentile believers they were not under the law, and accepting any requirement from the Law for justification essentially alienates one from the Lord and the Gospel of grace. It is important for us to understand that none of the rules for church membership, rules for living righteously, or rules for behavior have any bearing on our salvation and any other understanding, in this regard, is opposed to the Gospel.

Finally, let us embrace our one new command from Jesus, that we would love one another as He loved us.  Let us lead with love, and not pass judgment on another''s acts of affection and pursuit of the Lord, nor add any requirements for righteousness to another! Let us encourage one another to love the Lord, and love each other.

Amen!