What Voice Are We Hearing?

This morning, upon opening my Bible, I realized that I can pretty much open it to anywhere and receive revelation from the Word.  That being said, I was also aware that the Lord has specific things that He does want to say to me today, so it is always a good thing to ask for Him to speak, rather than just reading where ever I want.

This morning I felt led to read from 1 John 4, and while I know several verses from this chapter, I was trying to read it without going to my favorite verses in that chapter.  I actually used a different translation and a Bible that I have only highlighted a bit.  Otherwise I tend to read what I have highlighted, and sometimes might miss verses that are helpful.  Anyway, so about the commentary... this morning the verses I am reflecting on are from 1 John 4:1-6 NASB:

[1] "Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world. [2] By this you know the Spirit of God: every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God; [3] and every spirit that does not confess Jesus is not from God; this is the spirit of the antichrist, of which you have heard that it is coming, and now it is already in the world. [4] You are from God, little children, and have overcome them; because greater is He who is in you than he who is in the world. [5] They are from the world; therefore they speak as from the world, and the world listens to them. [6] We are from God; he who knows God listens to us; he who is not from God does not listen to us. By this we know the spirit of truth and the spirit of error."

John was writing these words several decades after Jesus ascended and He was combatting some of the error that was already creeping into the church.  There were heresies that developed quite early in the church and one of them had to do with Jesus' humanity, arguing that He didn't really come in the flesh.  This heresy came to be known as Docetism, and a few of the early Church councils discussed this in depth.  Here John is providing some of the first comments meant to prove its falseness.  

While interesting, Docetism is actually not the focus of my thinking today, but rather I was drawn to verse 5, as it seems applicable these days.  In verse 5, John lays bare the competing voices, and I see this in play all around me these days, as it seems there are almost two completely different voices describing the events around us, and some people only hear one voice, and others hear a completely different voice.  I have spent some time reflecting on the divergence of truth and fact, and find myself amazed by some of the conclusions that people draw from same events or "facts" that are completely different than the conclusions I draw.  As I have reflected on this, it does seem like they are listening to a completely different voice. John says there is a worldly voice, that people in the world listen to, and that this is different than the message that we speak.  It is as is they only hear that one voice, while we do hear something different.

What I find confusing these days is the fact that many people whom I love and respect, have started listening to a voice that I just don't hear, and while I see their thinking presented in their comments and such, I just can't get there logically. It seems to me that their ears and maybe their hearts are hearing something completely out of synch with what I am hearing.  Now I am not one to think that my hearing and understanding is always right, so this is not a judgment.  I am saying this because I am concerned at the voices that are prevalent in the Church today, and see all around the danger of division and deception creeping into the Body of Christ and into the teaching, more than it already has historically.  It seems that different voices and conclusions are becoming more and more polarized and diverging rapidly, and that concerns me greatly, for as the Body of Christ we are called to unity in Christ Jesus. Unity does not mean conformity, but it does require love, mercy, compassion, and relationship.

I love that John calls us back to the main thing in the next set of verses, and I will just put forth a few that capture his thinking - 1 John 4:7-11,20-21 NASB:

[7] "Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. [8] The one who does not love does not know God, for God is love. [9] By this the love of God was manifested in us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world so that we might live through Him. [10] In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins. [11] Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another." 

[20] "If someone says, "I love God," and hates his brother, he is a liar; for the one who does not love his brother whom he has seen, cannot love God whom he has not seen. [21] And this commandment we have from Him, that the one who loves God should love his brother also."

My encouragement this morning is to make sure that my heart is full of love towards my brothers and sisters, especially those who have different opinions and thoughts, who seem to be listening to a different voice.  I must be sure to not just love them in thought, but in word and action.  I reminded of Peter's charge found in 1 Peter 4:8 NASB:  "Above all, keep fervent in your love for one another, because love covers a multitude of sins."  

Therefore, let us choose to love one another first and foremost!  Let us embrace one another, listen to one another, and mostly let us listen to the Lord, for He is surely speaking into this situation, and we want to make sure we are listening to His voice, and not tuned into another voice.

Help us Lord!

Freedom, Bond-Servants and Governing Authorities?

This morning I am reading from Peter's first letter and ran across a very interesting statement that I want to unpack, for my own understanding.  Here are the verses - 1 Peter 2:13-17 NASB:

[13] "Submit yourselves for the Lord's sake to every human institution, whether to a king as the one in authority, [14] or to governors as sent by him for the punishment of evildoers and the praise of those who do right. [15] For such is the will of God that by doing right you may silence the ignorance of foolish men. [16] Act as free men, and do not use your freedom as a covering for evil, but use it as bondslaves of God. [17] Honor all people, love the brotherhood, fear God, honor the king."

The whole paragraph is a somewhat challenging thesis on how we, as Christian's should live, especially if you are living under a ruler or government that is against Christianity, as Peter was when He wrote this, a few years before his death under Nero.  However, it is verse 16 that is my focus, and I am using the NASB translation as the NIV doesn't quite translate it the same, and this NASB is closer to the Greek. 

Peter, in laying the groundwork, has established that we as Christian's are essentially foreigners in any country in which we live, for we are part of a chosen race, a people set apart (1 Peter 2:9) and as such we are free, or one could say subject to a higher government than that which live under.  Peter most likely wrote this during the reign of Nero, and his encouragement to his fellow Christians to submit themselves to the king and governors for the Lord's sake seems surprising.  He even goes so far as to say that this is essentially the will of God.  Peter is urging us to freely choose to do so, to submit ourselves to a lesser government than the Kingdom of God, for the sake of the Lord, as an act of freedom!  It just seems almost counter-intuitive.  

Peter then goes on and urges us to become bondslaves to the God, once again freely choosing to do so.  This is really what made me stop and think.  We, as brothers and sisters, fellow co-heirs with Christ, sons and daughters of the Father, set free from the bonds of the Law, sin and death, are encouraged to freely embrace binding ourselves once more, this time to God.  As I have been reflecting on this strange bit it occurred to me that the key to understanding this all is relationship!  

The Greek word Peter uses is doulos, and it is defined:

1) a slave, bondman, man of servile condition

    a) a slave

    b) metaph., one who gives himself up to another's will those whose service is used by Christ in extending and advancing his cause among men

    c) devoted to another to the disregard of one's own interests

2) a servant, attendant

While we don't really have this type of position any more, at least here in America, there is some need to understand Peter's use here.  The fact that he is urging those who are free to take up these bonds, indicates that his use would fit 1b or 1c in the definition above.  This is something we are encourage to do, out of our own freedom, choosing to put someone else's interests and needs before our own, in this case the Lord.  

Going back to my reflections that this is all connected to relationship, helps me here. I have no problem embracing the binding of myself to someone I love, and have chosen to do so within the context of the bonds of matrimony.  I love my sweetheart, and gladly embrace a life of being bound to her, looking to her needs and interests, often before my own, serving her in love.  I was free, but then out of love, I committed myself to being bound together with her for the rest of my life!  I choose daily to continue to embrace this life, and I wouldn't have it any other way! 

This seems to me to be what Peter is discussing here, and in that context I have freely bound myself to the Lord, who I love.  I have freely chosen to embrace a life submitted to His will, purpose and plans.  I have worked to understand and embrace His purposes, leading and words in my life.  Again, this is out of love and relationship, not out of a sense of duty or religion.  It is a lifestyle I choose to embrace, every day.

So this all seems right and good, until Peter adds it into context of submitting myself to the governing authorities, not that I am of a rebellious spirit or anything, it just doesn't seem to be included in the same relational level.  Peter, to make sure we understand his point, repeats himself and concludes this paragraph with "Honor all people, love the brotherhood, fear God, honor the king."   I wonder if this includes my words and thoughts concerning my present governing authorities? Ouch!

As I now look at these verses, it seems to me that Peter is raising the bar for how we as Christians should respond to government.  We could take a higher than thou approach, but instead, it seems to me,  he is encouraging us to honor and respect, in words and actions, our governing authorities, as we would those we are committed to serving out of love.  This really makes me think about my own attitudes and thoughts concerning my local, state and national governing authorities, especially in times where I don't agree with the thinking, policies or plans.  

Lord, I certainly don't grasp the fullness of this all, but I do see in Peter's words a challenge to change some of my ways of thinking and speaking about our government.  I don't fully understand how this fits fully into Your will and purpose, but for Your sake, for love of You, I will choose to endeavor to embrace Your word, breathed through Peter.   I know well that there is more to Your plans and purposes than I could ever imagine, so I will choose Your ways over mine.  

Deeper Questions - Punishment or Consequences and the Gospel

My thinking recently has been about the deeper truths.  In particular, I have been pondering the question of how God is often portrayed as an angry punishing God by the prophets, when it seems to me that much of what is being described and ascribed as punishment is actually the consequence of sin, and sin nature, and the result of free-will.  This morning I am reading through Paul's letter to the Romans with this thought in mind.

Here are a couple of interesting verses from Paul, as he lays the foundation of the need for the Gospel - Romans 1:20-26,28-32 NIV:

[20] "For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities---his eternal power and divine nature---have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse."

[21] "For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened. [22] Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools [23] and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images made to look like a mortal human being and birds and animals and reptiles." 

[24] "Therefore God gave them over in the sinful desires of their hearts to sexual impurity for the degrading of their bodies with one another. [25] They exchanged the truth about God for a lie, and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator---who is forever praised. Amen. 

[26] Because of this, God gave them over to shameful lusts. Even their women exchanged natural sexual relations for unnatural ones. 

[28] Furthermore, just as they did not think it worthwhile to retain the knowledge of God, so God gave them over to a depraved mind, so that they do what ought not to be done. [29] They have become filled with every kind of wickedness, evil, greed and depravity. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit and malice. They are gossips, [30] slanderers, God-haters, insolent, arrogant and boastful; they invent ways of doing evil; they disobey their parents; [31] they have no understanding, no fidelity, no love, no mercy. [32] Although they know God's righteous decree that those who do such things deserve death, they not only continue to do these very things but also approve of those who practice them."

The phrase that needs a bit more study is "God gave them over" as this speaks of free-will, at least in my opinion.  The Greek word used by Paul is paradídōmi, and it means to give into the hands of another, or to give over to one's power.  It is often translated betrayal, or delivered and usually translated with a negative connotation.  Here Paul indicates that God "gives them into the hands" of sexual impurity and later shameful lusts.  It is important to note that a decision was being made by the subjects of Paul's commentary, in verses 20-23 - They knew God, or observed God, but instead chose a different path.  

This is effectively the story found in Genesis, that although they knew God and His will, they chose differently.  In time this caused an overall darkening of their hearts and increased futility of thinking, a regression away from God's ways and purposes, if you will.  Paul describes exactly that in verse 28, where he says God gave them over to a depraved mind.  The Greek word Paul uses is adókimos, and it means unapproved, not standing the test, and is often associated with counterfeit or almost like an illegal copy.  Thus, we can see how God allowed or gave them over to their choices of how to think, an unapproved path, which resulted in them becoming "filled with every kind of wickedness, evil, greed and depravity. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit and malice."

If we take this thought to its logical conclusion, the world would be filled with people who are following this path that brings about an overall darkening of hearts and increased futility of thinking, we would find a world where people were disconnected from God's ways, and  treat each other terribly!  We would likely find that people would come up with new ways to take advantage of each other, powerful and evil men would take power and crush those they deemed weak or enemies.  We would find a world much like we have!  

However, we find that God doesn't just give them over to this way of thinking and leave them to their own evil ways, instead He constantly reached out to them via His prophets and others who chose His path instead, for it is always an option, and constantly called His people back to Him, and warned them of the dangers and consequences of the path they were on!  His love for all people compelled Him to continue to intervene, continue to call to them!  Jesus tells us that this love was the root cause and motivation for His actions (see John 3:16-17).  

In a very similar theme, God in revealing Himself to Moses was quite clear about those attributes that He considered key.  We find this in Exodus 34:6-7 NASB:

 "Then the LORD passed by in front of him and proclaimed, "The LORD, the LORD God, compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in lovingkindness and truth; [7] who keeps lovingkindness for thousands, who forgives iniquity, transgression and sin; yet He will by no means leave the guilty unpunished, visiting the iniquity of fathers on the children and on the grandchildren to the third and fourth generations."  I find it interesting in the NIV the last sentence is translated as punishment, but in the NASB we have it described as allowing the iniquity of the Fathers to affect their children and grandchildren.  The Hebrew word used here is avon and it is defined as "perversity, depravity, iniquity, guilt or punishment of iniquity".  Without digging too deep into the definitions of the Greek and Hebrew definitions, we are clearly back to Paul's description of how God gave the people over to their sin nature, and free-will, where they chose an unapproved path.

In general, it seems that Paul and the Lord (through Moses) is describing the same thing, the consequences of  choices made through free-will, affecting people negatively when they choose a path that the Lord recommends against.  These choices made consistently from generation through generation, caused a regression away from Godliness, and resulted in a world seemingly adrift from God.  However, God never gives up, and is constantly laying the invitation to know Him, whether through the written Word of the Law or scripture, the example of lives of those who do have relationship with Him, or through the evidence found in the world around us.  His invitation is to return to His plans and purposes, and a life that is filled with knowledge of Him, and an affective relationship with Him.  He warns us of the consequences of following a different path, but is always willing to forgive us when we stray away from His ways. 

I believe this idea of God's interaction with us could be described as a loving father, and that is exactly how Jesus describes the Father in the story we title "The Prodigal Son", found in Luke 15:11-32.  I won't quote the whole of the story, but it definitely worthy of much reflection.  Essentially we find the exact same description of the Father allowing the son to choose a path that was not recommended, and the son experiences the consequences of his choices, and ends up starving and penniless in a distant country, having lost all the Father gave him.  

The Father didn't force this situation, but rather allowed the son to choose freely, and while He clearly knew the possible consequences, and probably even warned him, enabled the son to walk away from the life He had hoped he would embrace.  The Father is clearly not punishing the son, however, if one was describing the warnings about the terrible consequences, it could almost be misinterpreted that way.  I am sure the younger son, in his immaturity and selfishness, felt constricted, even judged by the Father's guidance and warnings.  He might have thought that the Father was threatening him, or trying to steal his freedom.  It was only later that he is described as coming to His senses (Luke 15:17) and it is at this point that He recognizes he is experiencing the consequences of his own choices, and he vows to return to his father's household.

Jesus, in telling this story, is providing us a clear perspective on the heart and motivation of the Father, as well as a prime diagnosis of our sinful state.  The young man, in choosing to leave His fathers house, was given over to the world by the Father, and bore the consequences of his choice.  He gave himself into the power of evil and depraved people, and powerful took advantage of him. The Father allowed him to walk away, but true to His loving and compassionate heart, welcomed the son back gladly, restoring him to right relationship and his true identity.  The son bore the scars (if you will) of his years away from the Father, but in embracing relationship with Him once again, the consequences of his choices were no longer affecting him. 

This really is the heart of the Gospel!  God so loved us that He (Jesus as the second member of the Trinity) came to earth and made a way for us to step out of our wrong choices,  and be reunited with Him!  He allows us to choose, but when we choose Him, welcomes us with open arms, and runs to us!  He isn't about punishing us, but is rather about saving us!  He loves us even when we are separated from Him, even when we choose paths that He doesn't recommend, and never stops waiting for our return!  He truly is "The LORD, the LORD God, compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in lovingkindness and truth!"

What a wonderful God we have!

Amen!

Deep Questions - Consequences or Punishments?

Yesterday I was reading through Ezekiel 23 and 24 which are difficult verses  to read - as the Lord is basically telling Israel that He is gong to punish them for the their infidelity towards him, and he uses the image of prostitution.  In this set of verses Oholibah is Jerusalem.

Ezekiel 23:22-30 NIV

[22] “Therefore, Oholibah, this is what the Sovereign Lord says: I will stir up your lovers against you, those you turned away from in disgust, and I will bring them against you from every side--- [23] the Babylonians and all the Chaldeans, the men of Pekod and Shoa and Koa, and all the Assyrians with them, handsome young men, all of them governors and commanders, chariot officers and men of high rank, all mounted on horses. [24] They will come against you with weapons, chariots and wagons and with a throng of people; they will take up positions against you on every side with large and small shields and with helmets. I will turn you over to them for punishment, and they will punish you according to their standards. [25] I will direct my jealous anger against you, and they will deal with you in fury. They will cut off your noses and your ears, and those of you who are left will fall by the sword. They will take away your sons and daughters, and those of you who are left will be consumed by fire. [26] They will also strip you of your clothes and take your fine jewelry. [27] So I will put a stop to the lewdness and prostitution you began in Egypt. You will not look on these things with longing or remember Egypt anymore." 

[28] “For this is what the Sovereign Lord says: I am about to deliver you into the hands of those you hate, to those you turned away from in disgust. [29] They will deal with you in hatred and take away everything you have worked for. They will leave you stark naked, and the shame of your prostitution will be exposed. Your lewdness and promiscuity [30] have brought this on you, because you lusted after the nations and defiled yourself with their idols."

This was written sometime between 592-570BC.  

This morning, I turned to Psalm 79 and was struck by a similar theme, but this time being prayed by Asaph.  I did a bit of research and sure enough this was likely written after the fall of Jerusalem in 586/587BC, or shortly after the warnings of Ezekiel. 

Psalm 79:1-9 NIV:

[1] "O God, the nations have invaded your inheritance; they have defiled your holy temple, they have reduced Jerusalem to rubble. [2] They have left the dead bodies of your servants as food for the birds of the sky, the flesh of your own people for the animals of the wild. [3] They have poured out blood like water all around Jerusalem, and there is no one to bury the dead. [4] We are objects of contempt to our neighbors, of scorn and derision to those around us. 

[5] How long, Lord? Will you be angry forever? How long will your jealousy burn like fire? [6] Pour out your wrath on the nations that do not acknowledge you, on the kingdoms that do not call on your name; [7] for they have devoured Jacob and devastated his homeland. 

[8] Do not hold against us the sins of past generations; may your mercy come quickly to meet us, for we are in desperate need. [9] Help us, God our Savior, for the glory of your name; deliver us and forgive our sins for your name's sake."

I find it interesting how they are basically praying for God to intervene on their behalf when God clearly told them this is what He was going to do to them because of their actions!  Nonetheless, God does have mercy on them, and does have compassion on them and does not hold their past sins against them, for He sends Jesus to fully pay for all sins. 

The question running through my mind this morning is how to rightly understand God's plans and purposes in our limited terrestrial and time limited minds.  He clearly is a God of ages, of millenniums, of centuries, and decades.  His plans are perfect, and at best we might have some hint.  He releases His Word to the world, but is the world listening?  He is looking throughout the whole world (2 Chron 16:9) for those he might strengthen.  

I was thinking about how the Lord spoke through His prophets of old, and how many of their messages were just ignored or rejected.  Jeremiah is a great example, for he was actually thrown in a pit for prophesying something that the leaders didn't like (See Jeremiah 38).  Again, we have records of God speaking, of prophesy being fulfilled, or people repenting and then forgetting their change of heart, or sinning and God relenting, and forgiving, just so many Old Testament examples of the back and forth of dedication and falling away of the Jews, and God dealing with it all, being unaffected in His plan which never faltered, never changed, but one that was greatly misunderstood.  

I was thinking about how the idea of free-will might not have been developed at this time, and essentially what God is warning them about is the consequences of their own sins!  They looked to and welcomed the help of the the Assyrians, Egyptians, and Chaldeans, and entered into pacts with them and agreed to pay tribute to them for their help.  When they later broke those pacts, they were punished by these nations.  There was also a time where Hezekiah showed envoys of Babylon all his treasuries, which they later came and pillaged - (See 2 Kings 20:12-18) and these verses from Ezekiel are the warnings that preceded the invasion by the Babylonians.  Again, it was often due to their own mistakes, their own sin that they suffered or the nation suffered.  The authors ascribed this to the Lord's anger, as punishment, but in reality, it seems very much related to the decisions they made where they turned away from the Lord, seeking others Help, rather than His.

One wonders how often do we ascribe God's anger towards us, or His punishment towards us, when it is in reality the result of choices we make in our own free will?  How often do we get ourselves into messes and then cry out to God for rescuing?  How often do we apply our own logic, or own thinking to God's actions?  I think we greatly underestimate our own responsibility, and instead try to pass on the responsibility and consequences to God, and blame Him for our own issues (at times).

I think we underestimate our importance to God, and overestimate our ability to mess up His plans.  I think we tend to think of God as only active in the now, reacting to things like we do, and God is so far above this present momentary thinking and acting.  We are told He has chosen us since before the world was created, and in a time based perspective this seems huge, and yet if you are outside of time, its no different at any point.

Help us Lord to lift our eyes above our present situation, to see You!  Help us to be less reactive, and instead to see in our lives the long-game of Your will and purpose.  Help us to recognize Your handiwork, even when we can't see it, or understand it.  

Pushing Past The Opportunity For Offense

This early morning I am reflecting on some verses from John 4.  The beginning of this chapter is the story of the Samaritan woman at the well, which is one of my absolute favorite stories, but today I am focusing on the next story found in John 4:46-53 NIV:

[46] "Once more he visited Cana in Galilee, where he had turned the water into wine. And there was a certain royal official whose son lay sick at Capernaum. [47] When this man heard that Jesus had arrived in Galilee from Judea, he went to him and begged him to come and heal his son, who was close to death. 

[48] “Unless you people see signs and wonders,” Jesus told him, “you will never believe.” 

[49] The royal official said, “Sir, come down before my child dies.” 

[50] “Go,” Jesus replied, “your son will live.” 

The man took Jesus at his word and departed. [51] While he was still on the way, his servants met him with the news that his boy was living. [52] When he inquired as to the time when his son got better, they said to him, “Yesterday, at one in the afternoon, the fever left him.” 

[53] Then the father realized that this was the exact time at which Jesus had said to him, “Your son will live.” So he and his whole household believed."

I am always intrigued by those verses that on first reading make it seem that Jesus was being a bit rude, as verse 48 above does. His answer is such a surprising response to the man's request for him to come and heal his son who is close to death.  I imagine the man's anguish was great for him to travel more than 25 miles from Capernaum to Cana to find Jesus. Being a royal official, he might not have walked but might have had some conveyance, regardless it was  significant journey.  We learn later that the son had been healed at 1pm, which means the man must have left early in the morning, regardless of his mode of transportation.  He finds Jesus, in his desperation, and begs for his son's life, and Jesus responds in a strange way, commenting on the people of the region rather than the need presented by the father.

I imagine there are two very distinct things going on, for there was likely a crowd of people gathered around, and there was this desperate father pleading with Jesus.  The Lord operated with a perception much greater than most of us, and when He responded He was saying what the Father told Him to say, and was addressing not just the man, but the apparent lack of faith in the region.    John had noted in the 3 verses preceding this story that Jesus had said that a prophet had no honor in his own country, and Jesus had been raised in Galilee (see John 4:43-45).  Thus, we see a correlation between John's commenting on the lack of faith, and Jesus describing that lack of faith in the region, but also see Jesus giving the prescription for increased faith, the experience of signs and wonders.  Where we like to read into the story a sort of negative response, I see Jesus setting the stage for increased faith and belief. While it seems like Jesus' first response was directed to the larger crowd of Galileans, not so much the man, I am sure Jesus was looking right at the man when He said this, for Jesus clearly dealt with the person in front of Him, just like He did the woman at well a few days earlier.

What I love is the man's response to Jesus' statement, he just asked again, almost like He completely ignored Jesus' previous statement. He wasn't offended by Jesus' seemingly lack of compassion.  He just pushed right past the opportunity to be offended.  He probably even recognized the truth of Jesus' statement in His own life.   I think that is what Jesus was looking to see, the spark of faith, clearly deposited by the Father, coupled with humility and concern for his child.  The man clearly had enough belief that he traveled 25+ miles, but one wonders what additional thing Jesus was looking for, and this dogged determination, this idea that Jesus would heal his son regardless of the distance He would need to travel, the inconvenience of it all, tells me the man knew the answer in his heart.  Jesus would heal His son!  He had hope and faith!  

Jesus, operating in intimate awareness of the Father's will, then spoke the authoritative pronouncement, "Go, Your son will live!"  John records it as a reply, and that it was, Jesus answered all the man's questions in 5 words.  The man asked Jesus to come with Him, but Jesus replied, Go (as in I don't need to go with you).  Secondly, the need was no longer there, for the healing has already been accomplished and his son would live.  The man didn't need to worry further, or be concerned if he was gong to return in time, or any of that.  John tells us that the man took Jesus at his word and left.  I am sure that is a bit of an understatement, I bet the man was rejoicing the whole way home, for he knew in his heart that his son would live!  

Finally John adds details about the outcome, that can only come from personal knowledge, for they occurred after the man left and was returning home.  We are told that all the man's household believed and I believe that the man, or one of his household had come back and told the rest of the story.  We find in this prologue the fulfillment of Jesus' prophecy earlier, "Unless you people see signs and wonders, you will never believe.”  This man and his whole household did believe after experiencing the miraculous healing, which was worked from a distance of 25 miles.  

This morning I am encouraged that Jesus knows exactly what I need, and there is no distance too great for the Lord to minister, in the Kingdom we all have direct access to Him.  Secondly, I am encouraged to keep pressing forward, to not be offended if Jesus seems to have missed my proclamation of need, for He knows exactly what i need and when, and what I need to do is believe Him!  Sometimes Jesus command is for me to, "Go!" and I need to take Him at his word!

Amen!

The Unanticipated Cornerstone

This past Saturday I was woken up with the thought  that "the Lord saved us even when we didn't know we needed saving, in a way we didn't know was possible to be saved."  

I started thinking about that thought and reflected on the following, taking a bit of a historical overview.  As Jews, they knew about God and His ability to intervene in their lives and save them as a nation and people, and even as individuals, but it was always a material world salvation, being saved from an enemy nation, army, etc.   The Lord gave them the law as a guide towards righteousness, but none were capable of attaining righteousness, and the whole of the Old Testament seems to be related to their continual failure.  The Gentiles had no real clue, but saw in the Jews something different.  Anyway, based on their history, they thought the Messiah was going to save them materially, driving away the Romans and reestablishing the Kingdom of Israel, with God's supernatural backing.  This is how they thought they needed saving, even though they knew about sin, they had the Law which told them how to deal with it as best they could.

Whether they knew about sin or not, all men knew that death claimed them.  Several of the ancient civilizations pondered life here and developed different practices for preparing for life after death, mummification, ancestor worship, even reincarnation, but none of them knew how to destroy the curse of death. 

When Jesus came, He brought deeper revelation of God, demonstrated God's great love and compassion, His mercy and grace, and revealed a salvation that was totally unlooked for by those of His day.  He clearly brought a different teaching, going deeper and into much greater intimacy of the Father's character and will.  I love the explanation God's plan found in John 3:16-17 NIV:  "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."

Jesus was bringing revelation and understanding that was, at times, completely missed or misunderstood by those who followed Him.  It was only after He died and rose and ascended, and they received the Holy Spirit, that some of this all made sense to His Apostles and followers.  For example, the last thing they asked Him before His ascension was, “Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel?” ( Acts 1:6 NIV) which was clearly linked to the historical view of the Messiah.  I can now clearly see why Holy Spirit was sent to us to help us understand, and remind them of everything Jesus said (John 14:26).  They needed to remember and understand all that Jesus said so that they could unpack the depths of His revelation, fully understand the salvation which He brought, and proclaim it to the world.

It was following Pentecost that the Church finally exploded and I am sure that the revelation of understanding was flowing hot and heavy in those early days!  They were meeting daily and the apostles were teaching, and i would imagine the Holy Spirit was working overtime, helping them to understand and connect all the revelation they were unpacking, for they were likely understanding much for the first time!  

I find this thought just so refreshing, as most of the time when I read the Gospel's and hear Jesus' teaching it is with an understanding of much of foundational theology already in place, and understood.  I have a hard time getting my mind around the Jew's mindset and how radically different Jesus' revelation was to them!  We are talking a massive paradigm shift that completely changed the majority of their understanding.   They thought the Law was everything (imagine a house) and they found out it was just a model for the real thing which was Jesus' sacrificial redemption, breaking the power of sin and death and establishing the Kingdom of God.  When I was in architecture classes we used to draw a house design, then build a little tiny model that could fit on a desk.  Compared to the real house it was tiny and unusable, but it represented what it would look like.  This is what the Law was like, when compared to the actual revelation of Jesus!  

As I was thinking about this, I was reminded of a few verses about cornerstones.  I think it is like the Law, rather than being the house, was just part of the cornerstone, the beginning of understanding, which the revelation of Jesus fulfilled. One of those verses is found in Isaiah 28:16-18 NIV:

[16] "So this is what the Sovereign Lord says: “See, I lay a stone in Zion, a tested stone, a precious cornerstone for a sure foundation; the one who relies on it will never be stricken with panic. [17] I will make justice the measuring line and righteousness the plumb line; hail will sweep away your refuge, the lie, and water will overflow your hiding place. [18] Your covenant with death will be annulled; your agreement with the realm of the dead will not stand. When the overwhelming scourge sweeps by, you will be beaten down by it."  

Jesus, also spoke of a cornerstone, recorded here in Matthew 21:42-43 NIV:

[42] "Jesus said to them, “Have you never read in the Scriptures: “ 'The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone; the Lord has done this, and it is marvelous in our eyes' ? 

[43] “Therefore I tell you that the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people who will produce its fruit."

It seems to me that Jesus is referring to the revelation of the Law and prophets (for the whole parable He just told was about the revelation of the Law and Prophets) and Himself as the stone the builders rejected, establishing a double meaning.   Later in Acts 4, Peter clearly identifies Jesus as the cornerstone rejected (See Acts 4: 8-12).  I find it interesting that God gave Moses the Law and Commandments on stone - Exodus 24:12 NIV:  The Lord said to Moses, “Come up to me on the mountain and stay here, and I will give you the tablets of stone with the law and commandments I have written for their instruction.”  Now we have Jesus, the Word of God (John 1:1,4), established as the whole cornerstone. 

As I was writing earlier, at the time of Jesus speaking His revelation, and even at the time of His passion, death and resurrection and ascension, His followers clearly didn't grasp the fullness of what He was saying and doing! His revelation and life did indeed become the cornerstone upon which the Kingdom of God was established and built.  Holy Spirit reminded them of all He said, and I am sure they were pouring through scripture, putting the pieces together, and understanding more and more every day!  I imagine there was a a great vibrancy to all they were doing right after Pentecost, as they discovered the fullness of what Jesus had accomplished!  I think the thought I had the other day is very true, that Jesus saved them even when they didn't know they needed saving in ways they didn't know they needed saving, and now, finally, they were discovering the richness of it all!  

Luke records how it was right after Pentecost as follows- Acts 2:42-47 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. [44] All the believers were together and had everything in common. [45] They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need. [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."

My belief is that the Lord is encouraging us to revisit and understand more fully His salvation that He won for us!  He is encouraging me to refresh my view and understanding, to look deeper into His revelation, to mine the truths that poured out during His earthly ministry!  He is encouraging me to embrace this dynamic message with fresh eyes and renewed heart!  He is encouraging me to look at the Gospel with an understanding of those who don't have the theological upbringing and understanding I have, to see the Gospel with fresh eyes, to see the Good News as GOOD NEWS!  I am praying the Holy Spirit would once again blow upon us and bring an anointing for the proclamation of His truth to those who don't know they need saving, those who think they can save themselves and those who have heard the truth and yet don't fully understand it!

Amen Lord!

The Surprise of Good Friday

Being Good Friday, my mind immediately went to the verses in Isaiah, where the first inkling of the Messiah's suffering is revealed, 700 years prior to His life on earth.  It really is an amazing thing to reflect on this day, that God would come and suffer and die for my sins.  Here are the verses - Isaiah 53:1-12 NIV:

[1] "Who has believed our message and to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed? 

[2] He grew up before him like a tender shoot, and like a root out of dry ground. 

He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him, nothing in his appearance that we should desire him. 

[3] He was despised and rejected by mankind, a man of suffering, and familiar with pain. 

Like one from whom people hide their faces he was despised, and we held him in low esteem. 

[4] Surely he took up our pain and bore our suffering, yet we considered him punished by God, stricken by him, and afflicted. 

[5] But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; 

the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed. 

[6] We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to our own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all. 

[7] He was oppressed and afflicted, yet he did not open his mouth; 

he was led like a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before its shearers is silent, so he did not open his mouth. 

[8] By oppression and judgment he was taken away. Yet who of his generation protested? 

For he was cut off from the land of the living; for the transgression of my people he was punished. 

[9] He was assigned a grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death, though he had done no violence, nor was any deceit in his mouth. 

[10] Yet it was the Lord's will to crush him and cause him to suffer, and though the Lord makes his life an offering for sin, 

he will see his offspring and prolong his days, and the will of the Lord will prosper in his hand. 

[11] After he has suffered, he will see the light of life and be satisfied; 

by his knowledge my righteous servant will justify many, and he will bear their iniquities. 

[12] Therefore I will give him a portion among the great, and he will divide the spoils with the strong, 

because he poured out his life unto death, and was numbered with the transgressors. 

For he bore the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors."

I think Isaiah captures the reality of the common thought in his first statement, "Who has believed our message?"  Clearly, many of the teachers of Jesus' time, and prior to his time, just basically ignored these verses in their teaching about the Messiah!  They were looking for someone to take over David's earthly Kingdom, looking for someone that would re-establish Israel as one of the dominant nations on the earth!  They were NOT looking for someone to come and suffer and die, and have their grave assigned with the wicked!  Who would ever believe that was the plan for the Messiah?

I know as times I want the same thing!  I want God to show up in awesome power, cleaning the earth of all that stand in His way, convincing all through awesome miracles that He is God!  I want the establishment of His Church to be great and glorious!  As I reflect today, I am thinking that God's ways are different than my ways, and that Good Friday demonstrates that fact perfectly.

The Good News is absolutely dependent on the reality of Good Friday!  God's substitutionary suffering on our behalf, as a free gift, out of Love for us, is the core of our Gospel, and all the glory, power and miracles will not change this fact.  He took the low-road, became like us, embraced a life of quietness, and then in humility laid down His life, all that we might be set free from the bondage of sin and death!  It was our iniquities that crushed Him, our transgressions that pierced Him, our punishment that fell upon his back and shoulders and nailed Him to the cross!  

I can almost imagine Isaiah writing these words, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, and afterwards, thinking, "What have I written, these make NO sense!"

Today, when I read these verses, I almost can't believe that Jesus fulfilled them perfectly, yet I know it is true.  

As a follower of Christ, I must ask myself, what does Good Friday mean for me and how does it affect my witness as a Christian?  Does this revelation of God's willingness to become like us, taking upon Himself our sins and punishment affect how I treat others, how I interact with the world around me?  Does this aspect of His saving grace infiltrate my idea of what His Kingdom is like, for the Kingdom is a reflection of the King?  

I want to make sure that I am not so caught up in looking for the great and glorious that I miss Jesus in the lowly and humble, like the Pharisees and Sadducees did in Jesus day!    Lord, help me to see all of You and embrace all of You, not leaving out the parts I can't understand or that make no sense to me!   Help me to embrace Your humility, Your lowliness, Your willingness to lay down Your life for me!

Thank You Lord for Your great Love!

Amen!

A Relationship That Will Endure!

Today is Holy Thursday, the beginning of the celebration of Jesus' passion, death and resurrection!  I do love this time of focusing on His ultimate sacrifice for our salvation!  Thank You Lord!

This morning I am reading out of Paul's second letter to Timothy.  I was very conscious of the fact that this letter was written from Paul to Timothy, as a Father in the faith would write to his son in the faith.  It is more than pastoral, it is personal.  I am blessed to have good friends and family with whom I can have similar conversations!  Our faith is meant to be shared and lived in each other's lives.

The focus this morning is on the end times (which we are certainly closer too than Paul and Timothy were when Paul wrote these verses) and I find Paul's comments very accurate.  Here are the verses - 2 Timothy 3:1-5,10-17 NIV:

[1] "But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days. [2] People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, [3] without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, [4] treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God--- [5] having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with such people." 

[10] "You, however, know all about my teaching, my way of life, my purpose, faith, patience, love, endurance, [11] persecutions, sufferings---what kinds of things happened to me in Antioch, Iconium and Lystra, the persecutions I endured. Yet the Lord rescued me from all of them. [12] In fact, everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted, [13] while evildoers and impostors will go from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived. [14] But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have become convinced of, because you know those from whom you learned it, [15] and how from infancy you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. [16] All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, [17] so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work."

These two paragraphs have, in my mind, a bit of a cause and effect relationship.  Pau tells Tim, effectively, in light of verses 1-5, live you life as I describe in verses 10-17.  This is good fatherly advice.  I wish Paul would have left out Verse 12, for that is one that I certainly don't like reading, for I certainly don't want to be persecuted, but in light of verses 1-5, I say the probability of persecution is getting higher and higher.  Lord Help us all.

There are days when I am very introspective, looking at how my life will be affected or impacted by the Word I am studying, and today these verses could certainly provide an on-ramp to such reflection.  However, today being Holy Thursday, I am taking this reflection down a different path, recognizing that Jesus' passion, death and resurrection, were for such times as these!  Our Lord's life is meant to be a light to us in dark times!  His sacrifice made a way for the Truth of His Love to be victorious, for the Gospel of Grace to shine with a radiance that will attract the whole world!   

His personal sacrifice has opened the way for us to be in relationship with Him and made it possible for us to receive the Holy Spirit that we might be empowered to live our lives for Him,  hidden in Him, yet visible to all!  This relationship was that which Paul held onto in the midst of the the sufferings he briefly described in verses 10 and 11, and this relationship should be our tether to Truth and Life in these last days.

I am reminded of an encouragement from the Letter to the Hebrews 12:1-3 NIV:

[1] Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, [2] fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. [3] Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart."

As we fix our eye and hearts on Jesus, holding tightly to our relationship, we can persevere through any and all troubles.  This is what Jesus did in the midst of His passion and death, He help onto His relationship to the Father, and looked towards His relationships with us, as joy set before Him.  He understood that dark times would come, but He also knew that His sacrifice of Love would be victorious, and would endure!

In the same way, we can hold onto our relationship with Him, knowing that He has provided the way and the ability for us to endure in our faith in Him, despite persecutions and struggles of our own.  Today we celebrate the beginning of this great sacrifice, this opening of a way for us to be reestablished in relationship with God.  Today, we remember the humility with which Jesus came and submitted Himself to the the plan that would set us all free from the power of sin and death!  Today, we hold onto that which we know of Jesus, for we just don't know about Him, we can know Him personally, and Paul's encouragement in verse 14 above can be embraced by us all.

Jesus thank You for making a way for us!  Thank you for laying down Your life!   Thank You for calling me out and into relationship with You!  Thank You that this relationship will endure!

Amen and Amen!