This morning my heart is drawn back to a few verses from Matthew's Gospel that have been pivotal in my understanding of the role of the church. HEre are the verses - Matthew 9:11-13 NIV:
[11] "When the Pharisees saw this, they asked his disciples, “Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?”
[12] On hearing this, Jesus said, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. [13] But go and learn what this means: 'I desire mercy, not sacrifice.' For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.”
These verses are so helpful to me in helping me understand the difference between legalism and the love and motivation of the Father, as represented by Jesus. Jesus, in His actions and His words was representing the Father (See Hebrews 1:3, John 14:9-11). His whole life is representing the Father's heart, doing what the Father tells Him and saying what He hears the Father saying. It was not accidental, or good manners that He was eating with sinners and tax-collectors, this was the Father's will and heart. It can be seen in no other light.
The Pharisees were taking a legalistic approach, applying the law without understanding the character and heart of God. They were more concerned with their own acts of righteousness, as they saw them, then they were the lost and wayward fellow Jews.
In His reply to the Pharisees, Jesus was quoting from the prophet Hosea, which they would have known well. It is a book where God calls Israel back, over and over again, despite their unfaithfulness. He has Hosea marry a Prostitute, and then go redeem her again even after she leaves him and commits adultery. It was a prophetic image of God's love for an unfaithful and sinful people. Here are some verses from the last chapter, where God is describing His love and desire for Israel - Hosea 14:1-7 NIV:
[1] Return, Israel, to the Lord your God. Your sins have been your downfall!
[2] Take words with you and return to the Lord. Say to him: “Forgive all our sins and receive us graciously, that we may offer the fruit of our lips. [3] Assyria cannot save us; we will not mount warhorses. We will never again say 'Our gods' to what our own hands have made, for in you the fatherless find compassion.”
[4] “I will heal their waywardness and love them freely, for my anger has turned away from them. [5] I will be like the dew to Israel; he will blossom like a lily. Like a cedar of Lebanon he will send down his roots; [6] his young shoots will grow. His splendor will be like an olive tree, his fragrance like a cedar of Lebanon. [7] People will dwell again in his shade; they will flourish like the grain, they will blossom like the vine---Israel's fame will be like the wine of Lebanon."
His desire was to be merciful to them, to love them, to provide for them. He desired that they would rekindle their relationship with Him, their God, and in that place experience His blessing and compassion and mercy. Almost the whole of the Old Testament is this same theme, God calling to the Jews to return to Him, because of His love and desire to bless them. God wanted to lead them and guide them and protect them, but they wanted a king like other nations (See 1 Sam 6:6-8). God's desire was for them to walk as a people in relationship with Him, and He constantly sent His prophets to call them back. Jesus, in going to the sinners and tax-collectors is continuing that ministry and call. The Father doesn't want anyone to be lost (See the parable of the lost sheep - Luke 15:4-6) and sent Jesus to them. Jesus actually says this was His call in Matthew 15:24 NIV: "He answered, “I was sent only to the lost sheep of Israel.”
The Pharisees in their legalism, would have rejected the sinners and tax-collectors, refusing to talk to them or have fellowship with them for fear of making themselves unclean. Their thought was that God only wanted fellowship with the righteous, and this is where they were completely wrong. They were afraid that their speaking or interacting with the sinners would cause their righteousness to be stained. They didn't understand that God's heart was to lift the sinners out of their sin, chains and bondage, and that He was able to do that without becoming stained or marred.
Our call is to follow Jesus' example. Our call is to the sick, to the lost, to the prisoners. Our righteousness isn't affected when we reach out to those who are not, because opur righteousness isn't dependent on our actions but rather on Jesus! Our call is to bring light into the darkness. Darkness cannot overwhelm the light (See John 1:4-5). We are called to represent Jesus, even as He represented the Father. His ministry is our ministry. His call is our call! His words should be our words! His actions should be our actions. In going to the lost, to the sinners, to the prisoners and having fellowship with them, being in relationship with them, the light that is within us, shines into their lives.
So today, I am encouraged to love and to extend mercy, not to focus on acts that maintain my own righteousness (sacrifice). I am encouraged to let the Light of Christ, that burns in me, shine to those who have none! I am encouraged to go to the sick, to the lost, to the prisoners of the spirit of this age and show them God's heart for them!
Amen!
Friday, March 23, 2018
Wednesday, March 21, 2018
The Good Shepherd, the Sheep Gate and the Lamb
This morning I felt like I should read from John's Gospel, and specifically the ninth chapter. This is the story of the man-born blind, that Jesus heals and then the ensuing conversations with the Pharisees and the formerly blind man. I love the interaction and find it so amazing how the Pharisees refused to believe that Jesus was from God (See John 9:13-34 for the whole interaction). What I am focused on this morning are the last two verses from chapter nine and then the first several verses from chapter ten, for they are directly related. Here are the verses - John 9:40-41 NIV:
[40] "Some Pharisees who were with him heard him say this and asked, “What? Are we blind too?”
[41] Jesus said, “If you were blind, you would not be guilty of sin; but now that you claim you can see, your guilt remains."
Continuing on to John 10:1-18 NIV:
[1] “Very truly I tell you Pharisees, anyone who does not enter the sheep pen by the gate, but climbs in by some other way, is a thief and a robber. [2] The one who enters by the gate is the shepherd of the sheep. [3] The gatekeeper opens the gate for him, and the sheep listen to his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. [4] When he has brought out all his own, he goes on ahead of them, and his sheep follow him because they know his voice. [5] But they will never follow a stranger; in fact, they will run away from him because they do not recognize a stranger's voice.” [6] Jesus used this figure of speech, but the Pharisees did not understand what he was telling them.
[7] Therefore Jesus said again, “Very truly I tell you, I am the gate for the sheep. [8] All who have come before me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep have not listened to them. [9] I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved. They will come in and go out, and find pasture. [10] The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.
[11] “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. [12] The hired hand is not the shepherd and does not own the sheep. So when he sees the wolf coming, he abandons the sheep and runs away. Then the wolf attacks the flock and scatters it. [13] The man runs away because he is a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep.
[14] “I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me--- [15] just as the Father knows me and I know the Father---and I lay down my life for the sheep. [16] I have other sheep that are not of this sheep pen. I must bring them also. They too will listen to my voice, and there shall be one flock and one shepherd. [17] The reason my Father loves me is that I lay down my life---only to take it up again. [18] No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down and authority to take it up again. This command I received from my Father.”
Now when we read these last verses of Jesus saying He is the good shepherd, we generally don't read it with the exhaustive knowledge of the Old Testament that the Pharisees had, so we don't necessarily correlate Jesus' claims with old testament names for God, but the image of God as the Shepherd of Israel was spoken by Jacob (Gen 48:15). Moses asked God to choose his successor and called him a shepherd for the people (Num 27:15-17) Saul was called to shepherd the people of Israel (2 Sam 5:2). David called himself the Shepherd and the people the sheep (2 Sam 24:17). In Psalms 23, 28 and 80 God is referred to as the Shepherd over Israel, and in Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, and Zecharaiah God speaks of himself as the Shepherd over them. This was no agricultural image, it was Jesus claiming to be one with God and the Shepherd of the Jews (King). We like to think of the shepherd and sheep imagery as a nice analogy, but Jesus was using the language that the Pharisees understood to clear up any questions they had about who He was or where He came from.
Finally, they would have also known that the Sheep Gate (in the wall around Jerusalem) was the responsibility of the High Priests (See Neh 3:1). Jesus appears to be talking about their priestly duty, of leading the people, speaking to the people and leading them correctly to God. The people were responding to His voice and as such He was being shown as a proper shepherd (king) and they should have been opening the gate for Him, as their responsibility was to the sheep gate, which also had to do with their priestly duty of offering the sacrifices for the forgiveness of sins. Instead, they were trying to bar the gate. He takes that imagery one step further and says He is the gate, which I guess could be Him saying He was fulfilling their priestly duty, fulfilling the sacrifice and the way to the Father. Taking the imagery a bit further I found this next bit online describing the verses in Nehemiah as a foreshadowing of Jesus at http://www.kotipetripaavola.com/Jerusalemgatesspiritualmeaning.html
"The high priest Eliashib with his brethren, and priests built the Sheep Gate and set up its doors. This is first gate mentioned. The spiritual meaning of the Sheep Gate is that the high priest was building it and that through the Sheep Gate lambs and sheep were brought to the temple, in which they were offered. The Lord and the Messiah (Christ) Jesus (Yeshua) is the High Priest of New Covenant, who is the Lamb, who was offered for the sake of our sins. Spiritual meaning of Sheep Gate is death and offering the Lamb (the Lord Jesus), which death, blood and resurrection bring us forgiveness of sins and redemption. The high priest was setting up the doors of the Sheep Gate, which means that He is the Door of the sheep. Through the Lord Jesus a man will be saved from the power of death-, sin and eternal damnation to eternal life."
"Building of the wall and gates begins from the Sheep Gate in Nehemiah 3, because everything begins from the offering of the Lamb (the Lord Jesus). This is a spiritual meaning, because of salvation and God's kingdom a man will enter through the offering and blood of the Lamb (The Lord Jesus). It is very significant that Eliashib means in Hebrew God restores. All things in the Bible are accurate in their places and have important meanings. It is not an accident that the high priest whose name was Eliashib was building up the Sheep Gate. Jerusalem and the wall and gates were destroyed, so needed Eliashib (HaKohen HaGadol) the high priest who sets up the doors of the Sheep Gate. Same also satan and sin has destroyed the heart of a man and so there is a need for New Covenant High Priest, Jesus Christ (Yeshua the Messiah), who is the Door of the sheep and who can save and restore men back towards the image of God. When men from the grace of God, repent their sins and believe in the Lord Jesus, then a man can receive the salvation. The Sheep Gate proclaims forgiveness of sins through the blood of the Lamb (Jesus Christ). The Sheep Gate proclaims grace of redemption (grace of God), which a man can encounter through the blood of the Lamb (the Lord Jesus). The Sheep Gate has been clear exemplary in the redemption of the Lord Jesus, who is the Door of the sheep."
Wow, talk about deeper meaning! I certainly didn't expect my reflection on Jesus saying he was the Good Shepherd to include all this. Lastly, as I was thinking about this whole exchange, I was realizing that Jesus was actually having mercy on the Pharisees. I have often read the exchange about the man born-blind and Jesus' response to them as a rebuke, but the truth is that He takes that opportunity to reveal Himself and His role more clearly. He uses language that they can understand, in the hopes that their ears will hear! He doesn't condemn them for their close-mindedness, instead He spends time opening their eyes (to hopefully cure their spritual blindness), speaking to them in imagery that should lead them to understanding exactly who He is. It seems to me that He was providing them every opportunity to understand, He was truly being the Good Shepherd!
So, this morning I am encouraged that Jesus is indeed the Good Shepherd, and He is the sheep gate, and He is the Lamb of God! I am encouraged by the deep and beautiful meaning and intricate ways God provided the fulfilment of His word, and ties the Old Testament and Prophets together in Jesus! Finally I am encouraged that the Lord speaks and enables me to hear His voice! He is my Good Shepherd, and I can entrust myself to Him!
Thank You Lord for Your promise and blessing and provision in my life! Amen!
Thursday, March 15, 2018
Divine Appointments and God's Plans
This morning I felt like reading from the First Book of Samuel, and came across the story of the Saul's selection. It is an interesting story for the detail that is included and the round-about way that God moves. Here are some select verses from the story - 1 Samuel 9:3,5-6,11-12,14-19 NIV:
[3] "Now the donkeys belonging to Saul's father Kish were lost, and Kish said to his son Saul, “Take one of the servants with you and go and look for the donkeys.”
[5] "When they reached the district of Zuph, Saul said to the servant who was with him, “Come, let's go back, or my father will stop thinking about the donkeys and start worrying about us.” [6] But the servant replied, “Look, in this town there is a man of God; he is highly respected, and everything he says comes true. Let's go there now. Perhaps he will tell us what way to take.”
11] "As they were going up the hill to the town, they met some young women coming out to draw water, and they asked them, “Is the seer here?”
[12] “He is,” they answered. “He's ahead of you. Hurry now; he has just come to our town today, for the people have a sacrifice at the high place."
[14] "They went up to the town, and as they were entering it, there was Samuel, coming toward them on his way up to the high place. [15] Now the day before Saul came, the Lord had revealed this to Samuel: [16] “About this time tomorrow I will send you a man from the land of Benjamin. Anoint him ruler over my people Israel; he will deliver them from the hand of the Philistines. I have looked on my people, for their cry has reached me.”
[17] When Samuel caught sight of Saul, the Lord said to him, “This is the man I spoke to you about; he will govern my people.”
[18] Saul approached Samuel in the gateway and asked, “Would you please tell me where the seer's house is?”
[19] “I am the seer,” Samuel replied. “Go up ahead of me to the high place, for today you are to eat with me, and in the morning I will send you on your way and will tell you all that is in your heart."
As I read this story this morning I was reflecting on the divine appointment that God had arranged in the life of Saul. Saul was unaware of the change that was coming, and to him it just seemed like another day or another trip, but God was arranging circumstances to have him meet Samuel. The trip seemed to have been 20-30 miles, from what I can tell, and this was all on foot, passing through a few different districts and tribal regions in search of these donkeys, which apparently were wandering quite far afield. In the natural, one wouldn't think that wandering donkeys would have anything to do with God, but these certainly did, for it was used by God to get Saul to Samuel's town.
Secondly, the timing of the journey was such that Saul arrived at the town when Samuel was there. Samuel maintained a traveling circuit between 4 destinations (See 1 Sam 7:15-17) and was on the road apparently quite often. It just so happened that when Saul was wandering looking for the far wandering donkeys, they came to Samuel's town on the day Samuel was going to offer a sacrifice. Saul got to this town because of the servant's encouragement, as if he had followed his own thoughts He would have already turned around. Again, looking in the natural, none of this seems unusual, yet God is at work bringing His plan to fruition.
We know God is at work because of the interactions of Samuel and God. God specifically told Samuel the day before Saul wandered into town, that He was going to meet a young man the next day, around the same time, and that He was to anoint him ruler. Saul was completely unaware, but Samuel was apprised of the situation and was expectant. Samuel caught sight of Saul and the Lord confirmed at that moment that he was the one He had told Samuel about previously.
Again, looking in the natural, we wouldn't see or be aware of this divine interaction or arranging of circumstances, it would just look like a young man wandering into town with his servant, meeting an old man on his way. Saul certainly had no idea what was about to unfold, and was only there for totally normal reasons. All the work in the background by God was completely hidden to him, and he was just being an obedient son.
My encouragement today is the Lord is every bit as aware of each of our lives, and is directing us and connecting us, arranging our schedules, our travels, our walking, our meetings, our day to day efforts. He is doing this so that we might have encounters and appointments of significance in our lives. If we are willing, He will also use us to affect the lives of those we meet with timely words and meetings that are God ordained. I am encouraged to pay more attention to my circumstances and situations, to chance meetings or even to thoughts of people in my life, as opportunities to change my life and other's lives as directed by the Lord. I have had several very significant "chance" meetings while traveling, and in retrospect one can see God arranging circumstances to enable me to meet someone. I have met my new future boss by sitting next to him on a plane from NJ to Chicago (I live in KC) and another time met and old friend that I hadn't seen in 25 years, in the Atlanta airport (He lives in Minnesota, I live in KC) and had a very specific word of encouragement for him. I love when I have significant meetings like these, but I am also aware that even the servant girls Saul met were part of God's plan to connect Saul and Samuel, even though neither they, nor Saul were aware of their part. God uses those around us, those we encounter to guide us and direct us through circumstance and situations to get us to His appointments!
I am reminded of the many ways God speaks and directs my life, and I am so grateful, for left to my own thoughts and ways, I would miss it all! I am grateful for the way God has used me to speak timely words, directive words and used me to speak to into someone else's life. I am grateful for all the times He has used others to do the same for me!
I am encouraged today, to just be more aware of the Lord and His word to me! I am encouraged to listen and then obey what He tells me to do, that I might receive or be part of a divine appointment! I am encouraged today, that even though it might seem like I am wandering around, wondering what is going on in my life, God has a plan and appointment for me, and His plan is well underway!
Amen!
[3] "Now the donkeys belonging to Saul's father Kish were lost, and Kish said to his son Saul, “Take one of the servants with you and go and look for the donkeys.”
[5] "When they reached the district of Zuph, Saul said to the servant who was with him, “Come, let's go back, or my father will stop thinking about the donkeys and start worrying about us.” [6] But the servant replied, “Look, in this town there is a man of God; he is highly respected, and everything he says comes true. Let's go there now. Perhaps he will tell us what way to take.”
11] "As they were going up the hill to the town, they met some young women coming out to draw water, and they asked them, “Is the seer here?”
[12] “He is,” they answered. “He's ahead of you. Hurry now; he has just come to our town today, for the people have a sacrifice at the high place."
[14] "They went up to the town, and as they were entering it, there was Samuel, coming toward them on his way up to the high place. [15] Now the day before Saul came, the Lord had revealed this to Samuel: [16] “About this time tomorrow I will send you a man from the land of Benjamin. Anoint him ruler over my people Israel; he will deliver them from the hand of the Philistines. I have looked on my people, for their cry has reached me.”
[17] When Samuel caught sight of Saul, the Lord said to him, “This is the man I spoke to you about; he will govern my people.”
[18] Saul approached Samuel in the gateway and asked, “Would you please tell me where the seer's house is?”
[19] “I am the seer,” Samuel replied. “Go up ahead of me to the high place, for today you are to eat with me, and in the morning I will send you on your way and will tell you all that is in your heart."
As I read this story this morning I was reflecting on the divine appointment that God had arranged in the life of Saul. Saul was unaware of the change that was coming, and to him it just seemed like another day or another trip, but God was arranging circumstances to have him meet Samuel. The trip seemed to have been 20-30 miles, from what I can tell, and this was all on foot, passing through a few different districts and tribal regions in search of these donkeys, which apparently were wandering quite far afield. In the natural, one wouldn't think that wandering donkeys would have anything to do with God, but these certainly did, for it was used by God to get Saul to Samuel's town.
Secondly, the timing of the journey was such that Saul arrived at the town when Samuel was there. Samuel maintained a traveling circuit between 4 destinations (See 1 Sam 7:15-17) and was on the road apparently quite often. It just so happened that when Saul was wandering looking for the far wandering donkeys, they came to Samuel's town on the day Samuel was going to offer a sacrifice. Saul got to this town because of the servant's encouragement, as if he had followed his own thoughts He would have already turned around. Again, looking in the natural, none of this seems unusual, yet God is at work bringing His plan to fruition.
We know God is at work because of the interactions of Samuel and God. God specifically told Samuel the day before Saul wandered into town, that He was going to meet a young man the next day, around the same time, and that He was to anoint him ruler. Saul was completely unaware, but Samuel was apprised of the situation and was expectant. Samuel caught sight of Saul and the Lord confirmed at that moment that he was the one He had told Samuel about previously.
Again, looking in the natural, we wouldn't see or be aware of this divine interaction or arranging of circumstances, it would just look like a young man wandering into town with his servant, meeting an old man on his way. Saul certainly had no idea what was about to unfold, and was only there for totally normal reasons. All the work in the background by God was completely hidden to him, and he was just being an obedient son.
My encouragement today is the Lord is every bit as aware of each of our lives, and is directing us and connecting us, arranging our schedules, our travels, our walking, our meetings, our day to day efforts. He is doing this so that we might have encounters and appointments of significance in our lives. If we are willing, He will also use us to affect the lives of those we meet with timely words and meetings that are God ordained. I am encouraged to pay more attention to my circumstances and situations, to chance meetings or even to thoughts of people in my life, as opportunities to change my life and other's lives as directed by the Lord. I have had several very significant "chance" meetings while traveling, and in retrospect one can see God arranging circumstances to enable me to meet someone. I have met my new future boss by sitting next to him on a plane from NJ to Chicago (I live in KC) and another time met and old friend that I hadn't seen in 25 years, in the Atlanta airport (He lives in Minnesota, I live in KC) and had a very specific word of encouragement for him. I love when I have significant meetings like these, but I am also aware that even the servant girls Saul met were part of God's plan to connect Saul and Samuel, even though neither they, nor Saul were aware of their part. God uses those around us, those we encounter to guide us and direct us through circumstance and situations to get us to His appointments!
I am reminded of the many ways God speaks and directs my life, and I am so grateful, for left to my own thoughts and ways, I would miss it all! I am grateful for the way God has used me to speak timely words, directive words and used me to speak to into someone else's life. I am grateful for all the times He has used others to do the same for me!
I am encouraged today, to just be more aware of the Lord and His word to me! I am encouraged to listen and then obey what He tells me to do, that I might receive or be part of a divine appointment! I am encouraged today, that even though it might seem like I am wandering around, wondering what is going on in my life, God has a plan and appointment for me, and His plan is well underway!
Amen!
Tuesday, March 13, 2018
The Seed and Being Good Soil
This morning for my reflection I am going back to one of the famous parables of Jesus, the parable of the seed and soil. I was just looking at Jesus' revelation of the meaning of the parable, focused on the good soil. Here are the excerpted verses - Luke 8:10-11,15 NIV:
[10] "He said, “The knowledge of the secrets of the kingdom of God has been given to you, but to others I speak in parables, so that, “ 'though seeing, they may not see; though hearing, they may not understand.' [11] “This is the meaning of the parable: The seed is the word of God."
[15] "But the seed on good soil stands for those with a noble and good heart, who hear the word, retain it, and by persevering produce a crop."
I am reflecting these days on my reception to the Word of the Lord, yesterday looking at my self-focus as one of the areas I need to work on. Today, I am thinking about how I respond to God's word in my life. In verse 10 above, Jesus was quoting out of the prophet Isaiah when speaking about the eyes and ears of the people. In my opinion, He was once again describing the spirit of the generation, hearing but not understanding, seeing but not really able to see. I know I operate in this mode quite often, allowing God's word to basically bounce off my life, or in some cases giving it a good two day try before completely forgetting about it. Other times I am all excited about a word, and then lose patience when it doesn't immediately produce fruit in my life. Jesus describes what good soil looks like in one's life - receptiveness (good and noble heart), listening and repenting, steadfast and persevering.
I was thinking about the commitment to planting seed and waiting for fruit to be born out by that seed, and the reality is that it takes a time commitment and attention to bear good fruit. Even if we plant a bean seed in a styrofoam cup, it takes time for the plant to grow. It won't grow to maturity and fruit bearing stage unless it is cared for, watered, fertilized and transplanted into deeper soil. It might sprout quickly, but the bearing of fruit still takes a significant amount of time and effort. The assumed point in my example is that the cup actually has soil in it, and that represents a receptiveness to God's word. You could spill a bunch of beans into a bunch of styrofoam cups and pretty much none of them will sprout, unless there is water (Holy Spirit) and soil (Receptiveness to hear the word).
So the question for me this morning is how to become more receptive, more diligent, more willing to listen, more steadfast and persevering? In other words, how do I cultivate good soil in my life? First, I need to recognize my need for the word of God in my life! I am pretty self-reliant (I think) and sometimes I tink I can figure this all out on my own. The truth is that I am very limited in my perspective, my understanding and quite selfish. I need God's word to direct me, to bring revelation and to help me mature and grow to be a better person overall. Secondly, I need to spend time listening to His Word. I do a pretty good job of getting up in the morning and taking time to meditate on His word. However, I have a huge need to learn how to be constantly listening to Him throughout the day. I guess I tend to compartmentalize my life, and listening to God during prayer is fine, but when I am working it is like I shut off my listening to Him. I need to learn to listen and perceive all day long. Third, I need to be willing to allow His word to penetrate my selfish worldview, and inaccurate self-image. I can read plenty, but it is in the self-application and self-analysis, when compared to His Word, that allows me to receive His Word. Forth, I need to be willing to change! Oftentimes my comfort overrides His Word, other times its fear. I need to be committed to allowing His word to change me, to change the way I think and then change the way I act, which is simply repentance. Lastly, I need to be committed to consistently applying what I learn, what I hear and what I see in His word into my life. This is where the rubber meets the road, application! I can have all sorts of ideas, and beliefs, and intentions, but until I plant them in my life, water them daily through prayer and attention, they won't bear any fruit. I am the king of good intentions, I have heaps of things I belief, but limited fruit, and that is because I haven't really applied them to my life.
For a real life example, I have the intention of working out. In fact, I have had this intention for about 10 years. It is healthy, it is good, it is important to maintain my blood pressure, my weight and even my cholesterol levels. However, I can almost count on my two hands how many times I have actually worked out. It is God's blessing that my genetics favor my slothful lifestyle, and I am not significantly overweight, or out of shape, but I am not seeing any fruit from working out because I am not working out. Its like I have plenty of working out seeds, still in the seed package, that have never been planted. A couple of times I might throw a few of them out into my life, but within a few weeks I forget all about them. I might start to work out, but within a few weeks my life becomes too busy, or I just don't feel like getting out of my recliner to go work out. Thus, I have no fruit to enjoy.
In the same way, I have many intentions concerning God's call and purpose in my life! I have ample opportunity to apply them in my daily life, and yet I find that most days, I haven't watered or tended these opportunities, and thus see limited fruit. Jesus, in His introduction to His explanation said He was sharing the knowledge of secrets of the Kingdom, and then He goes into a lesson in farming. I want to make everything super spiritual and revelatory, and the truth seems to be that the secrets of the Kingdom are all around us, we just need to see them and apply them to our lives! I just need to hear and understand, and apply them to my life!
Lord, I am hungry for some fruit in my life! Help me to hear and understand, and apply what You show me and speak to me! Help me to move past intentions to application and perseverance! Help me to make real changes in my life, that bear real fruit! Thank You for Your patience and Holy Spirit that provides water to my spiritual soil!
Amen!
[10] "He said, “The knowledge of the secrets of the kingdom of God has been given to you, but to others I speak in parables, so that, “ 'though seeing, they may not see; though hearing, they may not understand.' [11] “This is the meaning of the parable: The seed is the word of God."
[15] "But the seed on good soil stands for those with a noble and good heart, who hear the word, retain it, and by persevering produce a crop."
I am reflecting these days on my reception to the Word of the Lord, yesterday looking at my self-focus as one of the areas I need to work on. Today, I am thinking about how I respond to God's word in my life. In verse 10 above, Jesus was quoting out of the prophet Isaiah when speaking about the eyes and ears of the people. In my opinion, He was once again describing the spirit of the generation, hearing but not understanding, seeing but not really able to see. I know I operate in this mode quite often, allowing God's word to basically bounce off my life, or in some cases giving it a good two day try before completely forgetting about it. Other times I am all excited about a word, and then lose patience when it doesn't immediately produce fruit in my life. Jesus describes what good soil looks like in one's life - receptiveness (good and noble heart), listening and repenting, steadfast and persevering.
I was thinking about the commitment to planting seed and waiting for fruit to be born out by that seed, and the reality is that it takes a time commitment and attention to bear good fruit. Even if we plant a bean seed in a styrofoam cup, it takes time for the plant to grow. It won't grow to maturity and fruit bearing stage unless it is cared for, watered, fertilized and transplanted into deeper soil. It might sprout quickly, but the bearing of fruit still takes a significant amount of time and effort. The assumed point in my example is that the cup actually has soil in it, and that represents a receptiveness to God's word. You could spill a bunch of beans into a bunch of styrofoam cups and pretty much none of them will sprout, unless there is water (Holy Spirit) and soil (Receptiveness to hear the word).
So the question for me this morning is how to become more receptive, more diligent, more willing to listen, more steadfast and persevering? In other words, how do I cultivate good soil in my life? First, I need to recognize my need for the word of God in my life! I am pretty self-reliant (I think) and sometimes I tink I can figure this all out on my own. The truth is that I am very limited in my perspective, my understanding and quite selfish. I need God's word to direct me, to bring revelation and to help me mature and grow to be a better person overall. Secondly, I need to spend time listening to His Word. I do a pretty good job of getting up in the morning and taking time to meditate on His word. However, I have a huge need to learn how to be constantly listening to Him throughout the day. I guess I tend to compartmentalize my life, and listening to God during prayer is fine, but when I am working it is like I shut off my listening to Him. I need to learn to listen and perceive all day long. Third, I need to be willing to allow His word to penetrate my selfish worldview, and inaccurate self-image. I can read plenty, but it is in the self-application and self-analysis, when compared to His Word, that allows me to receive His Word. Forth, I need to be willing to change! Oftentimes my comfort overrides His Word, other times its fear. I need to be committed to allowing His word to change me, to change the way I think and then change the way I act, which is simply repentance. Lastly, I need to be committed to consistently applying what I learn, what I hear and what I see in His word into my life. This is where the rubber meets the road, application! I can have all sorts of ideas, and beliefs, and intentions, but until I plant them in my life, water them daily through prayer and attention, they won't bear any fruit. I am the king of good intentions, I have heaps of things I belief, but limited fruit, and that is because I haven't really applied them to my life.
For a real life example, I have the intention of working out. In fact, I have had this intention for about 10 years. It is healthy, it is good, it is important to maintain my blood pressure, my weight and even my cholesterol levels. However, I can almost count on my two hands how many times I have actually worked out. It is God's blessing that my genetics favor my slothful lifestyle, and I am not significantly overweight, or out of shape, but I am not seeing any fruit from working out because I am not working out. Its like I have plenty of working out seeds, still in the seed package, that have never been planted. A couple of times I might throw a few of them out into my life, but within a few weeks I forget all about them. I might start to work out, but within a few weeks my life becomes too busy, or I just don't feel like getting out of my recliner to go work out. Thus, I have no fruit to enjoy.
In the same way, I have many intentions concerning God's call and purpose in my life! I have ample opportunity to apply them in my daily life, and yet I find that most days, I haven't watered or tended these opportunities, and thus see limited fruit. Jesus, in His introduction to His explanation said He was sharing the knowledge of secrets of the Kingdom, and then He goes into a lesson in farming. I want to make everything super spiritual and revelatory, and the truth seems to be that the secrets of the Kingdom are all around us, we just need to see them and apply them to our lives! I just need to hear and understand, and apply them to my life!
Lord, I am hungry for some fruit in my life! Help me to hear and understand, and apply what You show me and speak to me! Help me to move past intentions to application and perseverance! Help me to make real changes in my life, that bear real fruit! Thank You for Your patience and Holy Spirit that provides water to my spiritual soil!
Amen!
Monday, March 12, 2018
Breaking Away From The Spirit of This Generation
This morning my reflection is on an interesting set of verses found in the Gospels where Jesus was speaking about the generation of people, and their general dissatisfaction. Here are the verses - Luke 7:31-35 NIV:
[31] "Jesus went on to say, “To what, then, can I compare the people of this generation? What are they like? [32] They are like children sitting in the marketplace and calling out to each other: “
'We played the pipe for you, and you did not dance;
we sang a dirge, and you did not cry.'
[33] For John the Baptist came neither eating bread nor drinking wine, and you say, 'He has a demon.' [34] The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and you say, 'Here is a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners.' [35] But wisdom is proved right by all her children.”
Normally this is a set of verses I read quickly and move on, but this morning my heart was drawn to them, and I saw something I haven't seen before, so I thought I would reflect some more on what Jesus was saying here. Jesus uses an analogy to describe the generation, and it was one of children being dissatisfied with every response from others. The played a pipe and the others wouldn't dance, they played a dirge and they wouldn't mourn, in other words they couldn't get the others to do what they wanted! It is actually a pretty normal behavior in children, wanting to have things their way, and in this case Jesus said this childish and selfish attitude represented the people of that generation.
As I was thinking about this, many of the marketing messages we have today came to mind, as we are constantly told that we can have things our way! We have fast food chains whose marketing jingles have reflected this emphasis, coffee vendors who specialize in individual orders, clothing and apparel companies who focus on our desire to have exactly what we want to celebrate our uniqueness, even car companies telling us how their cars will set us free, and enable us to do what we want when we want. Again, this is not that unusual, and seems to be one of the outstanding features of this generation, celebrating our uniqueness and ability to have things the way we want them.
Jesus, though, was directing their gaze through their worldview into faith, and that was my real insight this morning. I recently went through a season of looking for a new church, and found that I was very picky about what I was looking for! I know many who struggle with this same thing and this morning I felt like the Lord just shed some insight. While in the process, I found myself focused on the things I didn't like. I didn't like the worship in one place, the preaching in another, the way people treated us in another, or how worship was so choreographed in another. I was so busy picking apart the experience looking at the things I didn't like, that it took me a while to start asking the right questions, like where God wanted me to connect, or what was the Lord doing in the place and what I might add? I was so concerned about wanting church to be my way, I forgot that church is about being connected to His body so that I might be a part of what the Lord is doing! Our individualized, selfish perspective does not serve us well in seeking the Lord nor in seeking where the Lord would have us connect to His body.
In the case cited by Jesus, John came calling them to repentance, but people rejected his message because they didn't like his radical life-style, and passed him off as having a demon. It was easier to cast judgment on him than it was to look into their own lives and recognize the need for repentance. Jesus came, embracing sinners, loving them and extending relationship and salvation to them, and people rejected Him because he didn't seem holy enough! He actually hung out with bad people, and He also said things that challenged the status-quo. Again, it was easier to reject Him than it was to allow His teaching and example to lead them to change. In both cases, God was moving and the people wanted nothing to do with His movement as it required change, and maybe repentance (changing our thinking and actions) and that clearly wasn't what they wanted.
The question in my mind this morning, is how often I have rejected the invitation of the Lord to step into the things He is doing, because I didn't want to change, or was too judgmental in my attitude or self-focus? Have I allowed my desire for comfort and my desire to have things my way derail me from the very move of God? Have I rejected God's word for me because I didn't like the messenger? Have I been so focused on what I want, that I forgot to ask what God wanted of me?
Oh Lord, forgive me of my selfish focus and my judgmental ways! Help me to embrace Your move in my life, and help me to embrace the change that might be required. Help us all to accept Your invitation to join You in Your ways and actions all around us! Help me to see anyway in which I allowing my self-focus to cause me to miss out on what You are desiring to do! Help me ot break away from the spirit of this generation!
Amen!
[31] "Jesus went on to say, “To what, then, can I compare the people of this generation? What are they like? [32] They are like children sitting in the marketplace and calling out to each other: “
'We played the pipe for you, and you did not dance;
we sang a dirge, and you did not cry.'
[33] For John the Baptist came neither eating bread nor drinking wine, and you say, 'He has a demon.' [34] The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and you say, 'Here is a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners.' [35] But wisdom is proved right by all her children.”
Normally this is a set of verses I read quickly and move on, but this morning my heart was drawn to them, and I saw something I haven't seen before, so I thought I would reflect some more on what Jesus was saying here. Jesus uses an analogy to describe the generation, and it was one of children being dissatisfied with every response from others. The played a pipe and the others wouldn't dance, they played a dirge and they wouldn't mourn, in other words they couldn't get the others to do what they wanted! It is actually a pretty normal behavior in children, wanting to have things their way, and in this case Jesus said this childish and selfish attitude represented the people of that generation.
As I was thinking about this, many of the marketing messages we have today came to mind, as we are constantly told that we can have things our way! We have fast food chains whose marketing jingles have reflected this emphasis, coffee vendors who specialize in individual orders, clothing and apparel companies who focus on our desire to have exactly what we want to celebrate our uniqueness, even car companies telling us how their cars will set us free, and enable us to do what we want when we want. Again, this is not that unusual, and seems to be one of the outstanding features of this generation, celebrating our uniqueness and ability to have things the way we want them.
Jesus, though, was directing their gaze through their worldview into faith, and that was my real insight this morning. I recently went through a season of looking for a new church, and found that I was very picky about what I was looking for! I know many who struggle with this same thing and this morning I felt like the Lord just shed some insight. While in the process, I found myself focused on the things I didn't like. I didn't like the worship in one place, the preaching in another, the way people treated us in another, or how worship was so choreographed in another. I was so busy picking apart the experience looking at the things I didn't like, that it took me a while to start asking the right questions, like where God wanted me to connect, or what was the Lord doing in the place and what I might add? I was so concerned about wanting church to be my way, I forgot that church is about being connected to His body so that I might be a part of what the Lord is doing! Our individualized, selfish perspective does not serve us well in seeking the Lord nor in seeking where the Lord would have us connect to His body.
In the case cited by Jesus, John came calling them to repentance, but people rejected his message because they didn't like his radical life-style, and passed him off as having a demon. It was easier to cast judgment on him than it was to look into their own lives and recognize the need for repentance. Jesus came, embracing sinners, loving them and extending relationship and salvation to them, and people rejected Him because he didn't seem holy enough! He actually hung out with bad people, and He also said things that challenged the status-quo. Again, it was easier to reject Him than it was to allow His teaching and example to lead them to change. In both cases, God was moving and the people wanted nothing to do with His movement as it required change, and maybe repentance (changing our thinking and actions) and that clearly wasn't what they wanted.
The question in my mind this morning, is how often I have rejected the invitation of the Lord to step into the things He is doing, because I didn't want to change, or was too judgmental in my attitude or self-focus? Have I allowed my desire for comfort and my desire to have things my way derail me from the very move of God? Have I rejected God's word for me because I didn't like the messenger? Have I been so focused on what I want, that I forgot to ask what God wanted of me?
Oh Lord, forgive me of my selfish focus and my judgmental ways! Help me to embrace Your move in my life, and help me to embrace the change that might be required. Help us all to accept Your invitation to join You in Your ways and actions all around us! Help me to see anyway in which I allowing my self-focus to cause me to miss out on what You are desiring to do! Help me ot break away from the spirit of this generation!
Amen!
Sunday, March 11, 2018
Eternal Life - Now!
This morning as I am praying I was just reflecting on Jesus' prayer at the beginning of the seventeenth chapter of John - John 17:1-3 NIV:
[1] "After Jesus said this, he looked toward heaven and prayed:
“Father, the hour has come. Glorify your Son, that your Son may glorify you. [2] For you granted him authority over all people that he might give eternal life to all those you have given him. [3] Now this is eternal life: that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent."
As in John's letters, he reiterates the fact that Eternal life is equivalent to knowing the Lord (Father and Son, and implied Holy Spirit). The word translated knowing is the Greek Word, ginosko and it defined as follows:
1) to learn to know, come to know, get a knowledge of perceive, feel
a) to become known
2) to know, understand, perceive, have knowledge of
a) to understand
b) to know
3) Jewish idiom for sexual intercourse between a man and a woman
4) to become acquainted with, to know
In other words, eternal life is being relationally connected intimately with Jesus and the Father. If this is possible for us to experience today, in our life as we know it then we don't need to have a future eternal life mindset, but rather can have a present eternal life mindset. We can experience eternal life here on Earth! It seems to that this is exactly what Jesus was talking about in John 14: 10-14 where He said we could do the same things that He had been doing, and even greater, and it was all based on relationship.
Oh, that we would start to grasp the reality that Jesus describes. He wants us to live in Him, and He wants to live in us! He wants us to experience this eternal life now!! Oh Lord, I want to know You more, understand You, perceive Your thoughts, Your heart and to be able to walk in this depth of relationship with You! I want to walk in eternal life here and now!
Amen!
[1] "After Jesus said this, he looked toward heaven and prayed:
“Father, the hour has come. Glorify your Son, that your Son may glorify you. [2] For you granted him authority over all people that he might give eternal life to all those you have given him. [3] Now this is eternal life: that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent."
As in John's letters, he reiterates the fact that Eternal life is equivalent to knowing the Lord (Father and Son, and implied Holy Spirit). The word translated knowing is the Greek Word, ginosko and it defined as follows:
1) to learn to know, come to know, get a knowledge of perceive, feel
a) to become known
2) to know, understand, perceive, have knowledge of
a) to understand
b) to know
3) Jewish idiom for sexual intercourse between a man and a woman
4) to become acquainted with, to know
In other words, eternal life is being relationally connected intimately with Jesus and the Father. If this is possible for us to experience today, in our life as we know it then we don't need to have a future eternal life mindset, but rather can have a present eternal life mindset. We can experience eternal life here on Earth! It seems to that this is exactly what Jesus was talking about in John 14: 10-14 where He said we could do the same things that He had been doing, and even greater, and it was all based on relationship.
Oh, that we would start to grasp the reality that Jesus describes. He wants us to live in Him, and He wants to live in us! He wants us to experience this eternal life now!! Oh Lord, I want to know You more, understand You, perceive Your thoughts, Your heart and to be able to walk in this depth of relationship with You! I want to walk in eternal life here and now!
Amen!
Tuesday, March 6, 2018
The Promise of Continuous Revelation
This morning my reflection is on the last words of Jesus in his discourse to the Apostles at the Last Supper, as recorded by John 17:26 NIV: "I have made you (Father) known to them, and will continue to make you known in order that the love you have for me may be in them and that I myself may be in them.”
I was thinking about and reflecting on relationship with the Lord this morning, desirous of a deeper walk, of a more conscious daily conversation. I was feeling like there was an invitation to a deeper walk and knowledge of the Lord, and this was the verse that rang true with those themes. I am going to grab hold of this promise for continuous revelation!
Earlier in John's account, Jesus said that the Holy Spirit was being sent to teach us all truth, as Jesus had more things to share than He had time to impart (John 16:12-13). This is part of the planned continuous revelation Jesus promised. We have Jesus speaking to us, the Holy Spirit teaching us and reminding us, all three of them making their home in us! Our lives are supposed to be full of continuous revelation and intimacy. That is the Lord's desire for us! That is His desire for me!
Lord, I am a bit of dunderhead, and need Your help in realizing my potential and recognizing Your invitation throughout my day! I tend to walk around oblivious to Your invitation and desire to reveal more of Yourself! Lord, help me to open my ears, my eyes, my heart and my mind to You! I want to encounter Your continuing to make Yourself known! I want to be drawn deeper, to know Your heart more! I want to be aware of Your indwelling! I want to experience intimacy with You!
Amen Lord! Help me, as I can only gain head knowledge of you on my own!
I was thinking about and reflecting on relationship with the Lord this morning, desirous of a deeper walk, of a more conscious daily conversation. I was feeling like there was an invitation to a deeper walk and knowledge of the Lord, and this was the verse that rang true with those themes. I am going to grab hold of this promise for continuous revelation!
Earlier in John's account, Jesus said that the Holy Spirit was being sent to teach us all truth, as Jesus had more things to share than He had time to impart (John 16:12-13). This is part of the planned continuous revelation Jesus promised. We have Jesus speaking to us, the Holy Spirit teaching us and reminding us, all three of them making their home in us! Our lives are supposed to be full of continuous revelation and intimacy. That is the Lord's desire for us! That is His desire for me!
Lord, I am a bit of dunderhead, and need Your help in realizing my potential and recognizing Your invitation throughout my day! I tend to walk around oblivious to Your invitation and desire to reveal more of Yourself! Lord, help me to open my ears, my eyes, my heart and my mind to You! I want to encounter Your continuing to make Yourself known! I want to be drawn deeper, to know Your heart more! I want to be aware of Your indwelling! I want to experience intimacy with You!
Amen Lord! Help me, as I can only gain head knowledge of you on my own!
Thursday, March 1, 2018
Alignment With Jesus
This morning I am just reflecting on Paul's opening lines in Chapter 2 of His letter to the Philippians 2:1-4 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."
I like the first line, as Paul is basically calling us to reflect on and awareness of that which we have received in Christ Jesus! Sometimes, I can forget all that I have received, and Paul is encouraging the church to reflect on their unity with Jesus, His love for them, their empowerment by the Holy Spirit, and the tenderness and compassion that flow out of Jesus' heart towards us! What great things to think about in our daily walk! Oh, that we allow these to change our perception and align us with Jesus.
The natural outflow of alignment with Jesus, is as Paul described, unity, like-mindedness, loving the same things, flowing in the same Spirit! If we allow the heart and mind of Jesus to become ours then we should naturally flow into these desired states. As we embrace this reality, our perception of others takes on Jesus' perspective, and we see our brothers and sisters as He sees them. We become more concerned for them, seeing their need and value to Him. We learn how Jesus operates, and it is always in tenderness, love, compassion, mercy, forgiveness and encouragement.
As I was thinking about this, I was reminded of skits I have seen where two individuals pretend they are a mirror reflection of each other. They move exactly the same way, and try to do exactly what they see the other person doing. This is how I want to be with Jesus, so intent on what He is doing that I try to mirror His movements, try to do exactly what He is doing!
I know I need more of Jesus' tenderness, love, compassion, mercy, forgiveness, and encouragement in my life! I also need to be better at allowing those to flow out of my life! Oh Lord, remind me of my position in You, of Your tenderness and compassion, and help me to align myself with You in my heart and mind!
[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."
I like the first line, as Paul is basically calling us to reflect on and awareness of that which we have received in Christ Jesus! Sometimes, I can forget all that I have received, and Paul is encouraging the church to reflect on their unity with Jesus, His love for them, their empowerment by the Holy Spirit, and the tenderness and compassion that flow out of Jesus' heart towards us! What great things to think about in our daily walk! Oh, that we allow these to change our perception and align us with Jesus.
The natural outflow of alignment with Jesus, is as Paul described, unity, like-mindedness, loving the same things, flowing in the same Spirit! If we allow the heart and mind of Jesus to become ours then we should naturally flow into these desired states. As we embrace this reality, our perception of others takes on Jesus' perspective, and we see our brothers and sisters as He sees them. We become more concerned for them, seeing their need and value to Him. We learn how Jesus operates, and it is always in tenderness, love, compassion, mercy, forgiveness and encouragement.
As I was thinking about this, I was reminded of skits I have seen where two individuals pretend they are a mirror reflection of each other. They move exactly the same way, and try to do exactly what they see the other person doing. This is how I want to be with Jesus, so intent on what He is doing that I try to mirror His movements, try to do exactly what He is doing!
I know I need more of Jesus' tenderness, love, compassion, mercy, forgiveness, and encouragement in my life! I also need to be better at allowing those to flow out of my life! Oh Lord, remind me of my position in You, of Your tenderness and compassion, and help me to align myself with You in my heart and mind!
Tuesday, February 27, 2018
Being Watchful and Thankful
I felt like reading from the end of Paul's letter to the church in Colossae. As I was reading his closing remarks, a couple things he wrote caused me to take pause. Here are the verses - 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."
First, his encouragement to be watchful and thankful. This doesn't sound too strange, but in our modern day language, I think the more common expression would be to be watchful and careful. It struck me that Paul might be addressing an underlying mindset, of gratitude for all things, even difficult things. I recently was watching a Bill Johnson sermon on difficult seasons ( https://youtu.be/CSLKnRYaPQI) and he was talking about the fact that there are some things you only learn about God when you walk through "the valley of the shadow of death" (Ps 23:4). He wasn't advocating difficult seasons, but was saying that by keeping His heart and mind fixed on the Lord in the midst of this difficult season, he was able to grow in his relationship and faith.
Secondly, another perspective about the watchful and thankful encouragement might be that Paul is urging the people to be constantly on the lookout for those God arranged meetings, those divine encounters. He does finish that paragraph speaking about how we act towards outsiders, making the most of every opportunity, and maybe this directive is pointing at that thought.
My mind immediately goes to an idea that this is related to sharing my faith. I tend to be somewhat fearful of opportunities to share the Lord with those outside of church. It is mostly due to my fear of man, and fear of rejection. How different would my response be if I prayed for a thankful heart and thankful perspective in these instances, that instead of meeting the situation with fear, I meet it with a heart of gratitude that God has entrusted some small influence in the other person's life to me? Maybe my mind would change from a "I have to", to more of a "I get to" share.
Here is another radical thought, maybe I can just focus on loving the person I meet, and make that my goal, rather than being all worried about sharing my faith. Not that I shy away from sharing my faith, but focusing instead on the primary command of the Lord to love one another (John 13:34). It is my experience that if I am empathetic, if I am compassionate and willing to care for, encourage and help someone, they are almost always grateful! I can allow my kindness and personal interest in them speak of their value and worth to me, and to the Lord! I can determine to let my conversation be full of grace, and ready to share my love and my relationship with God, if asked or the opportunity presents itself. If I take my focus off of having to share, and instead look at the opportunity of loving someone who needs to know they are loved and lovely, then I find that I can embrace the opportunity with thankfulness!
Lord, I am encouraged this morning to be prayerful, watchful and thankful for opportunities to love, opportunities to be kind, opportunities to extend mercy and grace. Thank You Lord that You have decided that I am trustworthy of extending Your love and mercy to others.
Amen!
[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."
First, his encouragement to be watchful and thankful. This doesn't sound too strange, but in our modern day language, I think the more common expression would be to be watchful and careful. It struck me that Paul might be addressing an underlying mindset, of gratitude for all things, even difficult things. I recently was watching a Bill Johnson sermon on difficult seasons ( https://youtu.be/CSLKnRYaPQI) and he was talking about the fact that there are some things you only learn about God when you walk through "the valley of the shadow of death" (Ps 23:4). He wasn't advocating difficult seasons, but was saying that by keeping His heart and mind fixed on the Lord in the midst of this difficult season, he was able to grow in his relationship and faith.
Secondly, another perspective about the watchful and thankful encouragement might be that Paul is urging the people to be constantly on the lookout for those God arranged meetings, those divine encounters. He does finish that paragraph speaking about how we act towards outsiders, making the most of every opportunity, and maybe this directive is pointing at that thought.
My mind immediately goes to an idea that this is related to sharing my faith. I tend to be somewhat fearful of opportunities to share the Lord with those outside of church. It is mostly due to my fear of man, and fear of rejection. How different would my response be if I prayed for a thankful heart and thankful perspective in these instances, that instead of meeting the situation with fear, I meet it with a heart of gratitude that God has entrusted some small influence in the other person's life to me? Maybe my mind would change from a "I have to", to more of a "I get to" share.
Here is another radical thought, maybe I can just focus on loving the person I meet, and make that my goal, rather than being all worried about sharing my faith. Not that I shy away from sharing my faith, but focusing instead on the primary command of the Lord to love one another (John 13:34). It is my experience that if I am empathetic, if I am compassionate and willing to care for, encourage and help someone, they are almost always grateful! I can allow my kindness and personal interest in them speak of their value and worth to me, and to the Lord! I can determine to let my conversation be full of grace, and ready to share my love and my relationship with God, if asked or the opportunity presents itself. If I take my focus off of having to share, and instead look at the opportunity of loving someone who needs to know they are loved and lovely, then I find that I can embrace the opportunity with thankfulness!
Lord, I am encouraged this morning to be prayerful, watchful and thankful for opportunities to love, opportunities to be kind, opportunities to extend mercy and grace. Thank You Lord that You have decided that I am trustworthy of extending Your love and mercy to others.
Amen!
Monday, February 26, 2018
Vain Imaginations
Lately, the Lord has been helping me to take more and more control of my thought life. Of late, He has been giving me freedom from what I like to call 'vain imaginations'. So this morning I was doing some additional research into this type of thinking and came across two scriptural references that are related. I looked up "vain imaginations" and it is from Romans 1:21 KJV: "Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened."
The other verse that includes vain thinking if in Philippians 2:3-4 NIV: "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."
As I dug into the original Greek , I found it interesting that words translated vain in these two verses have a couple of different roots. The Greek Word translated vain conceit, is "Kenodoxia" and it means vain glory, groundless, self esteem, empty pride. The focus is on empty or fruitless, as in 'they tried in vain'. The Greek words translated in the KJV as vain imaginations are "Mataioo" meaning empty, vain or foolish and "Dialogismos" meaning the thinking of a man deliberating with himself, internally. I guess they basically mean the same thing, empty internal thoughts or concerns about oneself. The key is that they are fruitless and self focused. For me the only fruit they bear is temptation and sin generally, as they lead me down paths of pride and selfishness, neither of which is blessed by the Lord.
It works this way in my life. I imagine that people are looking at me, talking about me, noticing me for an endless number of reasons, most of which are quite ridiculous. It might be the car I am driving, its either good looking, or dirty and so I think people are thinking about me, as I am driving it. How often do we think about the other people we see driving, and how often is that thought more than a momentary judgment on their driving ability? Other times it is based on my appearance, my clothes, or hair, of carriage, and I think people are noticing me, thinking about me, or talking about me. Again, if I am grocery shopping, how often do I spend time thinking about others? If I do, its related to how I think they are thinking about me, and really for almost no other reason. It is this crazy self-focused perspective that takes me out of connection with the Father, because I am listening to my own empty thoughts, rather than listening to Him. Ultimately it is fruitless (for the Kingdom) thinking that only causes me to have anxiety or pride, and neither is beneficial to me. I could go on and on, as there is seemingly no end to the different imaginations I have about myself.
My desire is to become more like the Lord, and learn to listen to the Father at all times. Jesus demonstrated this in His life as a human, which means its possible for me to do as well. Listening to the Lord, grounds us in His perspective, rather than in our selfish perspective. We can have imaginations, but they are based on His call and invitations to relationship and Kingdom service. He desires that we have dreams and visions for our future, but wants them to line up with His purpose and His relationship in our lives. Sometimes He releases dreams and prophetic words over our lives to help us focus our thinking and imaginations. He wants our thoughts to bear good fruit, not empty conjecture, anxiety or pride.
I can remember, as a child, playing games, like baseball, basketball or other pursuits. Part of my thinking was how great I could be, re-enacting last minute heroics, and such! That was all good for a child, as God wants us to have hopes and dreams. As an adult, the Lord actually has even higher thoughts than those about us, for He sees us from His eternal perspective and sees all that we are capable of doing, in Him, and it is far greater than the momentary glory of a game winning last basket. We have in us the ability to effect eternal change, to walk in His authority and Power, to wage spiritual warfare, to bring healing and deliverance, to release life changing power, and He wants us thinking about those things!
So this morning, I am encouraged to recognize those empty lines of thinking and stop them before I get started. I want to think about things that will bear good fruit! I want to learn to listen to the Lord, and to do that I need to stop my own talking (internally). Lord, I pray that you will open my eyes to how You see me, open my ears to hear what You have to say to me and about me, and learn to rid myself of my vain imaginations!
Amen!
The other verse that includes vain thinking if in Philippians 2:3-4 NIV: "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."
As I dug into the original Greek , I found it interesting that words translated vain in these two verses have a couple of different roots. The Greek Word translated vain conceit, is "Kenodoxia" and it means vain glory, groundless, self esteem, empty pride. The focus is on empty or fruitless, as in 'they tried in vain'. The Greek words translated in the KJV as vain imaginations are "Mataioo" meaning empty, vain or foolish and "Dialogismos" meaning the thinking of a man deliberating with himself, internally. I guess they basically mean the same thing, empty internal thoughts or concerns about oneself. The key is that they are fruitless and self focused. For me the only fruit they bear is temptation and sin generally, as they lead me down paths of pride and selfishness, neither of which is blessed by the Lord.
It works this way in my life. I imagine that people are looking at me, talking about me, noticing me for an endless number of reasons, most of which are quite ridiculous. It might be the car I am driving, its either good looking, or dirty and so I think people are thinking about me, as I am driving it. How often do we think about the other people we see driving, and how often is that thought more than a momentary judgment on their driving ability? Other times it is based on my appearance, my clothes, or hair, of carriage, and I think people are noticing me, thinking about me, or talking about me. Again, if I am grocery shopping, how often do I spend time thinking about others? If I do, its related to how I think they are thinking about me, and really for almost no other reason. It is this crazy self-focused perspective that takes me out of connection with the Father, because I am listening to my own empty thoughts, rather than listening to Him. Ultimately it is fruitless (for the Kingdom) thinking that only causes me to have anxiety or pride, and neither is beneficial to me. I could go on and on, as there is seemingly no end to the different imaginations I have about myself.
My desire is to become more like the Lord, and learn to listen to the Father at all times. Jesus demonstrated this in His life as a human, which means its possible for me to do as well. Listening to the Lord, grounds us in His perspective, rather than in our selfish perspective. We can have imaginations, but they are based on His call and invitations to relationship and Kingdom service. He desires that we have dreams and visions for our future, but wants them to line up with His purpose and His relationship in our lives. Sometimes He releases dreams and prophetic words over our lives to help us focus our thinking and imaginations. He wants our thoughts to bear good fruit, not empty conjecture, anxiety or pride.
I can remember, as a child, playing games, like baseball, basketball or other pursuits. Part of my thinking was how great I could be, re-enacting last minute heroics, and such! That was all good for a child, as God wants us to have hopes and dreams. As an adult, the Lord actually has even higher thoughts than those about us, for He sees us from His eternal perspective and sees all that we are capable of doing, in Him, and it is far greater than the momentary glory of a game winning last basket. We have in us the ability to effect eternal change, to walk in His authority and Power, to wage spiritual warfare, to bring healing and deliverance, to release life changing power, and He wants us thinking about those things!
So this morning, I am encouraged to recognize those empty lines of thinking and stop them before I get started. I want to think about things that will bear good fruit! I want to learn to listen to the Lord, and to do that I need to stop my own talking (internally). Lord, I pray that you will open my eyes to how You see me, open my ears to hear what You have to say to me and about me, and learn to rid myself of my vain imaginations!
Amen!
Friday, February 23, 2018
We Need the Apostles!
This morning I am reflecting on God's amazing relational expression of life, namely the Church, or as Paul describes us, the Body of Christ. Within this context there are many unique giftings and callings and functions, but always the same Body. The Church and the Body of Christ really are synonymous. I am meditating on Paul's description of this found in 1 Corinthians 12:4-14,18-20,27 NASB:
[4] "Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit. [5] And there are varieties of ministries, and the same Lord. [6] There are varieties of effects, but the same God who works all things in all persons. [7] But to each one is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good. [8] For to one is given the word of wisdom through the Spirit, and to another the word of knowledge according to the same Spirit; [9] to another faith by the same Spirit, and to another gifts of healing by the one Spirit, [10] and to another the effecting of miracles, and to another prophecy, and to another the distinguishing of spirits, to another various kinds of tongues, and to another the interpretation of tongues. [11] But one and the same Spirit works all these things, distributing to each one individually just as He wills."
[12] "For even as the body is one and yet has many members, and all the members of the body, though they are many, are one body, so also is Christ. [13] For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body, whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free, and we were all made to drink of one Spirit."
[14] "For the body is not one member, but many."
[18] "But now God has placed the members, each one of them, in the body, just as He desired. [19] If they were all one member, where would the body be? [20] But now there are many members, but one body."
[27] "Now you are Christ's body, and individually members of it."
You will notice that I picked out verses where Paul kept referring to our membership in the Body. I wanted to focus on that particular truth this morning, for we can lose sight of this reality in our selfish worldview. It is easy to become focused on ourselves, focused on our gift, or our ministry, or service and lose sight of the fact that we are connected to the greater Body of Christ. In fact, it is right and true to say that God placed us in the Body (His Body) as HE desired, gave us gifts as He desired and He expects us to work together.
Even back then, Paul saw the propensity for people to become so myopic, concerning their gifts or ministries, that they lose sight of the greater Body of Christ, and he was calling them back to this understanding. Every church in every town and city, every ministry, every service work, every gifting is in place for the greater good, the common good of the entire Body of Christ. We all have the same goal, and competition should never be a part of our focus or drive. My right hand is not in competition with my left hand, they are supposed to work together and compliment one another, sharing the load. They rely on my wrists, arms, bones, muscles and tendons to move or accomplish anything at all. Wouldn't it be great if all similar ministries in a city got together and realized they were all meant to work together and complement one another?!
Paul writes very clearly that all gifts, and all ministries and service (effects) are given for the common good (verses 6 & 7 above), and for the body to work well, it can be no other way. Yet we find in the local body of Christ, competition and expressions of distrust and disagreement, duplication and judgment. Oh that we would see ourselves as truly part of the same body, all working for the common good! Oh, that we would be willing to direct our members to other expressions of service, ministry or points of connection where they fit better.
I see this as where the church really is missing the role of the Apostle, for they are tasked with the overseeing, directing and growing of the overall church. One could almost say they are supposed to be "life coaches" for the life of the local expressions of the Body of Christ (the individual churches in a city or region). Instead or apostolic direction we find very little coordination, different lines of leadership that are denominationally aligned, with very little intra-body and intra-member communication. Instead of operating like a real body, we find limited communication, limited coordination and even limited relationship. Oh Lord, bring forth the Apostles, those who operate in Your authority and power, given for the directing, overseeing and coordination for the Common good of the entire Body of Christ.
Lord, we pray that You would raise up in Your church, those men and women who You have placed as You desired, for our common good, as Your apostles. Lord, we pray that You help us to break down the walls of division, distrust, disagreement and disunity! Help us to come together as Your true Body, embracing one another as members of the same body, working together to expand Your Kingdom! Holy Spirit, help Your Church!
Amen!
[4] "Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit. [5] And there are varieties of ministries, and the same Lord. [6] There are varieties of effects, but the same God who works all things in all persons. [7] But to each one is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good. [8] For to one is given the word of wisdom through the Spirit, and to another the word of knowledge according to the same Spirit; [9] to another faith by the same Spirit, and to another gifts of healing by the one Spirit, [10] and to another the effecting of miracles, and to another prophecy, and to another the distinguishing of spirits, to another various kinds of tongues, and to another the interpretation of tongues. [11] But one and the same Spirit works all these things, distributing to each one individually just as He wills."
[12] "For even as the body is one and yet has many members, and all the members of the body, though they are many, are one body, so also is Christ. [13] For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body, whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free, and we were all made to drink of one Spirit."
[14] "For the body is not one member, but many."
[18] "But now God has placed the members, each one of them, in the body, just as He desired. [19] If they were all one member, where would the body be? [20] But now there are many members, but one body."
[27] "Now you are Christ's body, and individually members of it."
You will notice that I picked out verses where Paul kept referring to our membership in the Body. I wanted to focus on that particular truth this morning, for we can lose sight of this reality in our selfish worldview. It is easy to become focused on ourselves, focused on our gift, or our ministry, or service and lose sight of the fact that we are connected to the greater Body of Christ. In fact, it is right and true to say that God placed us in the Body (His Body) as HE desired, gave us gifts as He desired and He expects us to work together.
Even back then, Paul saw the propensity for people to become so myopic, concerning their gifts or ministries, that they lose sight of the greater Body of Christ, and he was calling them back to this understanding. Every church in every town and city, every ministry, every service work, every gifting is in place for the greater good, the common good of the entire Body of Christ. We all have the same goal, and competition should never be a part of our focus or drive. My right hand is not in competition with my left hand, they are supposed to work together and compliment one another, sharing the load. They rely on my wrists, arms, bones, muscles and tendons to move or accomplish anything at all. Wouldn't it be great if all similar ministries in a city got together and realized they were all meant to work together and complement one another?!
Paul writes very clearly that all gifts, and all ministries and service (effects) are given for the common good (verses 6 & 7 above), and for the body to work well, it can be no other way. Yet we find in the local body of Christ, competition and expressions of distrust and disagreement, duplication and judgment. Oh that we would see ourselves as truly part of the same body, all working for the common good! Oh, that we would be willing to direct our members to other expressions of service, ministry or points of connection where they fit better.
I see this as where the church really is missing the role of the Apostle, for they are tasked with the overseeing, directing and growing of the overall church. One could almost say they are supposed to be "life coaches" for the life of the local expressions of the Body of Christ (the individual churches in a city or region). Instead or apostolic direction we find very little coordination, different lines of leadership that are denominationally aligned, with very little intra-body and intra-member communication. Instead of operating like a real body, we find limited communication, limited coordination and even limited relationship. Oh Lord, bring forth the Apostles, those who operate in Your authority and power, given for the directing, overseeing and coordination for the Common good of the entire Body of Christ.
Lord, we pray that You would raise up in Your church, those men and women who You have placed as You desired, for our common good, as Your apostles. Lord, we pray that You help us to break down the walls of division, distrust, disagreement and disunity! Help us to come together as Your true Body, embracing one another as members of the same body, working together to expand Your Kingdom! Holy Spirit, help Your Church!
Amen!
Growing in Belief!
Last night I was reflecting on my lack of belief and faith in regards to answered prayer. It is an ugly thing when you are confronted with your own unbelief. I don't know how to move past this point of believing that God can and will move, but still having doubts and low expectations. I know faith comes from hearing (Rom 10:17). I think my response is similar to the man whose son the apostles couldn't heal, "Lord, I believe, help me overcome my unbelief!" (Mark 9:24NIV).
In light of last night's reflections, this morning I am once again drawn back to some of my favorite verses from John's Gospel. I have been reflecting on these words and hoping in these words for most of my adult life. I believe they are true and that we will see an increase in our experience of the truth communicated here by Jesus. Here are the verses - John 14:9-14 NLT:
[9] "Jesus replied, "Have I been with you all this time, Philip, and yet you still don't know who I am? Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father! So why are you asking me to show him to you? [10] Don't you believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? The words I speak are not my own, but my Father who lives in me does his work through me. [11] Just believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me. Or at least believe because of the work you have seen me do."
[12] "I tell you the truth, anyone who believes in me will do the same works I have done, and even greater works, because I am going to be with the Father. [13] You can ask for anything in my name, and I will do it, so that the Son can bring glory to the Father. [14] Yes, ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it!"
- And following these with Jesus' continuation of the theme of indwelling - John 14:20,23 NLT:
[20] "When I am raised to life again, you will know that I am in my Father, and you are in me, and I am in you."
[23] "Jesus replied, "All who love me will do what I say. My Father will love them, and we will come and make our home with each of them."
In the same way that Jesus described the Father living in Him (verse 10 above), He describes Himself and the Father living in us! It is the same level of relationship and intimacy from God's perspective. He lives in us! He LIVES in us! He lives IN us! He live in US!
I don't think we can think on that truth too much! It was the Father living in Jesus who did His work through Jesus (Jn 14:10), and the proof of that was in the works that Jesus did (Jn 14:11)! Oh Lord, that is one of the paths forward to see and believe in the works that You do! Help me to listen and hear, to look and see all that You are about in the world, all that You are doing! Help me to grow in belief through the works that You are doing!
Amen!
In light of last night's reflections, this morning I am once again drawn back to some of my favorite verses from John's Gospel. I have been reflecting on these words and hoping in these words for most of my adult life. I believe they are true and that we will see an increase in our experience of the truth communicated here by Jesus. Here are the verses - John 14:9-14 NLT:
[9] "Jesus replied, "Have I been with you all this time, Philip, and yet you still don't know who I am? Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father! So why are you asking me to show him to you? [10] Don't you believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? The words I speak are not my own, but my Father who lives in me does his work through me. [11] Just believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me. Or at least believe because of the work you have seen me do."
[12] "I tell you the truth, anyone who believes in me will do the same works I have done, and even greater works, because I am going to be with the Father. [13] You can ask for anything in my name, and I will do it, so that the Son can bring glory to the Father. [14] Yes, ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it!"
- And following these with Jesus' continuation of the theme of indwelling - John 14:20,23 NLT:
[20] "When I am raised to life again, you will know that I am in my Father, and you are in me, and I am in you."
[23] "Jesus replied, "All who love me will do what I say. My Father will love them, and we will come and make our home with each of them."
In the same way that Jesus described the Father living in Him (verse 10 above), He describes Himself and the Father living in us! It is the same level of relationship and intimacy from God's perspective. He lives in us! He LIVES in us! He lives IN us! He live in US!
I don't think we can think on that truth too much! It was the Father living in Jesus who did His work through Jesus (Jn 14:10), and the proof of that was in the works that Jesus did (Jn 14:11)! Oh Lord, that is one of the paths forward to see and believe in the works that You do! Help me to listen and hear, to look and see all that You are about in the world, all that You are doing! Help me to grow in belief through the works that You are doing!
Amen!
Tuesday, February 20, 2018
The Prayers of the Righteous Are Powerful & We Are Righteous In Jesus
The verses I am reflecting on this morning come from the last chapter of James' letter - James 5:13-18 NIV:
[13] "Is anyone among you in trouble? Let them pray. Is anyone happy? Let them sing songs of praise. [14] Is anyone among you sick? Let them call the elders of the church to pray over them and anoint them with oil in the name of the Lord. [15] And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise them up. If they have sinned, they will be forgiven. [16] Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective."
[17] "Elijah was a human being, even as we are. He prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and it did not rain on the land for three and a half years. [18] Again he prayed, and the heavens gave rain, and the earth produced its crops."
My point of reflection is the last sentence quoted above, how Elijah prayed and the heavens gave rain! So often when I read those verses, I am drawn to think of them as focused on the dry season that occurred as a result of Elijah's prayer, but this morning I was drawn to the second, to the praying for rain. I am particularly drawn to the impact the rain had, it watered the earth which produced its crops. The rain was the cause of increase!
Recently I had a word that spoke of rain falling, and while we often look at rain as a sign of blessings, with natural rain it is the after-effect of the rain that produces the increase. The rain itself is welcome as it washes and cleanses, but it is the watering of the soil, that causes the seeds to sprout and the trees to produce fruit. Rain while necessary to quench our thirst, has a much longer impact in producing crops! I guess you could say it is really a triple blessing, it washes and cleanses, it quenches our thirst and it allows the earth to produce its crops. I could definitely use that triple blessing in my life - cleansing, refreshing, quenching of my thirst for God, and abundance from a harvest!
James wrote the following immediately preceding his comments on Elijah - " The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective." As I read that I was thinking that I wish I was more righteous, that my prayers might be more effective. Almost immediately I was reminded of the fact that I am righteous because of what Jesus has done, not because of my works. I can allow His righteousness to affect me and change me, as I become more like Him, but the only righteousness I have in God's presence is Jesus' righteousness! (See Rom 3:10-31 for Paul's introduction to Righteousness by Faith). Thus, although I am certainly not righteous on my own, in Jesus, I am righteous, and my prayers are powerful and effective! Said another way, if I am hidden in Christ (Col 3:3) then when I pray, my prayers are coming out of Jesus, and are ascribed His righteousness, and there is no one more righteous!
This morning I am greatly encouraged that my prayers, offered in faith through Jesus are powerful and effective! I am encouraged that just as Elijah called forth rain, which brought a heavenly directed blessing and abundance, I am also able to release prayers that are every bit as effective! Oh Lord, stir up my faith that I might fully grasp my hiddenness in You, that I might release Your very prayers, even as You release the Father's blessing! You promised us, "In that day you will ask in my name. I am not saying that I will ask the Father on your behalf. [27] No, the Father himself loves you because you have loved me and have believed that I came from God. [28] I came from the Father and entered the world; now I am leaving the world and going back to the Father.” (John 16:26-28 NIV). We are praying to the Father, through You, and He is receiving our prayers in Your name, in the His very throne room!
Wow! Amen!
[13] "Is anyone among you in trouble? Let them pray. Is anyone happy? Let them sing songs of praise. [14] Is anyone among you sick? Let them call the elders of the church to pray over them and anoint them with oil in the name of the Lord. [15] And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise them up. If they have sinned, they will be forgiven. [16] Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective."
[17] "Elijah was a human being, even as we are. He prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and it did not rain on the land for three and a half years. [18] Again he prayed, and the heavens gave rain, and the earth produced its crops."
My point of reflection is the last sentence quoted above, how Elijah prayed and the heavens gave rain! So often when I read those verses, I am drawn to think of them as focused on the dry season that occurred as a result of Elijah's prayer, but this morning I was drawn to the second, to the praying for rain. I am particularly drawn to the impact the rain had, it watered the earth which produced its crops. The rain was the cause of increase!
Recently I had a word that spoke of rain falling, and while we often look at rain as a sign of blessings, with natural rain it is the after-effect of the rain that produces the increase. The rain itself is welcome as it washes and cleanses, but it is the watering of the soil, that causes the seeds to sprout and the trees to produce fruit. Rain while necessary to quench our thirst, has a much longer impact in producing crops! I guess you could say it is really a triple blessing, it washes and cleanses, it quenches our thirst and it allows the earth to produce its crops. I could definitely use that triple blessing in my life - cleansing, refreshing, quenching of my thirst for God, and abundance from a harvest!
James wrote the following immediately preceding his comments on Elijah - " The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective." As I read that I was thinking that I wish I was more righteous, that my prayers might be more effective. Almost immediately I was reminded of the fact that I am righteous because of what Jesus has done, not because of my works. I can allow His righteousness to affect me and change me, as I become more like Him, but the only righteousness I have in God's presence is Jesus' righteousness! (See Rom 3:10-31 for Paul's introduction to Righteousness by Faith). Thus, although I am certainly not righteous on my own, in Jesus, I am righteous, and my prayers are powerful and effective! Said another way, if I am hidden in Christ (Col 3:3) then when I pray, my prayers are coming out of Jesus, and are ascribed His righteousness, and there is no one more righteous!
This morning I am greatly encouraged that my prayers, offered in faith through Jesus are powerful and effective! I am encouraged that just as Elijah called forth rain, which brought a heavenly directed blessing and abundance, I am also able to release prayers that are every bit as effective! Oh Lord, stir up my faith that I might fully grasp my hiddenness in You, that I might release Your very prayers, even as You release the Father's blessing! You promised us, "In that day you will ask in my name. I am not saying that I will ask the Father on your behalf. [27] No, the Father himself loves you because you have loved me and have believed that I came from God. [28] I came from the Father and entered the world; now I am leaving the world and going back to the Father.” (John 16:26-28 NIV). We are praying to the Father, through You, and He is receiving our prayers in Your name, in the His very throne room!
Wow! Amen!
Monday, February 19, 2018
A Gospel Reminder/Refresher
This morning I felt like I should read from Paul's letter to Titus, who was one of his spiritual sons and helpers. It is an interesting letter, and certainly more of a personal note than theological treatise.
The first thing that caught my eye was how Paul describes himself in his opening greeting. I am grateful I don't have to introduce myself this way, as I would need to take a couple of breaths to say it all! :-)
Titus 1:1-3 NIV:
[1] "Paul, a servant of God and an apostle of Jesus Christ to further the faith of God's elect and their knowledge of the truth that leads to godliness--- [2] in the hope of eternal life, which God, who does not lie, promised before the beginning of time, [3] and which now at his appointed season he has brought to light through the preaching entrusted to me by the command of God our Savior,.."
His introduction makes me breathe hard and makes my brain hurt, trying to keep his description straight. It is almost like he is trying to fit the Gospel into his opening description of his title. Although somewhat humorous, I think the point is simply this, Paul lived the Gospel! It was that which was his complete focus and life goal to eat, sleep and breathe the Gospel. Oh, what a glorious Gospel it is!
The second section that I am reflecting on is his short synopsis of the Gospel found in the second chapter - Titus 2:11-14 NIV:
[11] "For the grace of God has appeared that offers salvation to all people. [12] It teaches us to say “No” to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age, [13] while we wait for the blessed hope---the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, [14] who gave himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for himself a people that are his very own, eager to do what is good."
Paul has the ability to pack so much information into just a few sentences. It is clear that these are the bullet points of the Gospel, as He proclaims it. It is first and foremost about the grace of God that offers salvation to all people, Jew or Gentile, slave or free, man or woman, regardless of race or nation (Col 3:11). It is an offer of salvation that any can respond to, and that comes with real help to change. This help, although not mentioned here by Paul, is clearly the Holy Spirit, the one who teaches and instructs (John 6:13), advocates and informs (John 15:26-27), reminds and reveals God's wisdom. He is the seal of our salvation the guarantee of what is promised (Eph 1:13-14). It is through the Holy Spirit's help that we are enabled to change, for He brings real power and authority, breathes relationship through the spirit of adoption as God's own children (Rom 8:15). Finally, Paul finishes his sentence drawing us back to Jesus' perfect sacrifice, his setting us free, and His promise of eternal life and final glorification upon His return to earth to gather all who believe.
In Paul's mind it seems everything relates back to the Gospel. Although he talks about followers being self-controlled, upright, godly, pure and eager to do what is good people, his teaching is that this is a joyful response to relationship through the Gospel of Grace. He starts by reminding Titus of the Gospel of grace, and ends with people joyfully waiting for Christ's return, and through gratitude leading lives that are changed by this real grace. The Gospel should bring about joyful change, for it is real good news, available to us all!
Thank You Lord for Your salvation, Your grace and Your help! Help me to live a life of gratitude and peace!
Amen!
The first thing that caught my eye was how Paul describes himself in his opening greeting. I am grateful I don't have to introduce myself this way, as I would need to take a couple of breaths to say it all! :-)
Titus 1:1-3 NIV:
[1] "Paul, a servant of God and an apostle of Jesus Christ to further the faith of God's elect and their knowledge of the truth that leads to godliness--- [2] in the hope of eternal life, which God, who does not lie, promised before the beginning of time, [3] and which now at his appointed season he has brought to light through the preaching entrusted to me by the command of God our Savior,.."
His introduction makes me breathe hard and makes my brain hurt, trying to keep his description straight. It is almost like he is trying to fit the Gospel into his opening description of his title. Although somewhat humorous, I think the point is simply this, Paul lived the Gospel! It was that which was his complete focus and life goal to eat, sleep and breathe the Gospel. Oh, what a glorious Gospel it is!
The second section that I am reflecting on is his short synopsis of the Gospel found in the second chapter - Titus 2:11-14 NIV:
[11] "For the grace of God has appeared that offers salvation to all people. [12] It teaches us to say “No” to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age, [13] while we wait for the blessed hope---the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, [14] who gave himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for himself a people that are his very own, eager to do what is good."
Paul has the ability to pack so much information into just a few sentences. It is clear that these are the bullet points of the Gospel, as He proclaims it. It is first and foremost about the grace of God that offers salvation to all people, Jew or Gentile, slave or free, man or woman, regardless of race or nation (Col 3:11). It is an offer of salvation that any can respond to, and that comes with real help to change. This help, although not mentioned here by Paul, is clearly the Holy Spirit, the one who teaches and instructs (John 6:13), advocates and informs (John 15:26-27), reminds and reveals God's wisdom. He is the seal of our salvation the guarantee of what is promised (Eph 1:13-14). It is through the Holy Spirit's help that we are enabled to change, for He brings real power and authority, breathes relationship through the spirit of adoption as God's own children (Rom 8:15). Finally, Paul finishes his sentence drawing us back to Jesus' perfect sacrifice, his setting us free, and His promise of eternal life and final glorification upon His return to earth to gather all who believe.
In Paul's mind it seems everything relates back to the Gospel. Although he talks about followers being self-controlled, upright, godly, pure and eager to do what is good people, his teaching is that this is a joyful response to relationship through the Gospel of Grace. He starts by reminding Titus of the Gospel of grace, and ends with people joyfully waiting for Christ's return, and through gratitude leading lives that are changed by this real grace. The Gospel should bring about joyful change, for it is real good news, available to us all!
Thank You Lord for Your salvation, Your grace and Your help! Help me to live a life of gratitude and peace!
Amen!
Sunday, February 18, 2018
Reflections On Jesus' Glory
This morning I have been reflecting on Paul's letter to the church in Philippi. As I read through the first couple of chapters, I was stopped by the truth of the following verses - Philippians 2:9-11 NIV:
[9] "Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name,
[10] that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
[11] and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father."
I was just thinking that this is one of the most profound promises found in Scripture; the Father's promise to glorify His Son Jesus! We read words like this and think we know what they mean, but I don't think we, in our wildest and grandest imaginations, could even come close to fathoming the truth of this statement.
Let us reflect for a moment on this statement - "God exalted Him to the highest place". That would be in heaven, of which we can't grasp any of the dimensions, since it is eternal and ever increasing, and yet the Father sets Jesus in the highest place! It is an impossible position to describe, the highest place in an ever-increasing Kingdom, but suffice it to say whatever we can imagine, it is higher and more glorious!
If we look in Scripture at the attempts of Isaiah, Ezekiel and John made to describe the visions of heaven, their descriptions are full of language that clearly falls short of their actual experiences. They describe the things they see and hear are "like" things we might understand, and yet it is clear that their descriptions don't capture the fullness and glory effectively. Ezekiel finished his vision with the statement that, "this was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of God", and I believe this statement expresses his inability to accurately convey what He saw and experienced.
Here is a short excerpt from Ezekiel's vision - Ezekiel 1:22-28 NIV:
[22] "Spread out above the heads of the living creatures was what looked something like a vault, sparkling like crystal, and awesome. [23] Under the vault their wings were stretched out one toward the other, and each had two wings covering its body. [24] When the creatures moved, I heard the sound of their wings, like the roar of rushing waters, like the voice of the Almighty, like the tumult of an army. When they stood still, they lowered their wings."
[25] "Then there came a voice from above the vault over their heads as they stood with lowered wings. [26] Above the vault over their heads was what looked like a throne of lapis lazuli, and high above on the throne was a figure like that of a man. [27] I saw that from what appeared to be his waist up he looked like glowing metal, as if full of fire, and that from there down he looked like fire; and brilliant light surrounded him. [28] Like the appearance of a rainbow in the clouds on a rainy day, so was the radiance around him."
"This was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the Lord. When I saw it, I fell facedown, and I heard the voice of one speaking."
John's description of his revelation is full of imagery and description, similar in many extents to what Ezekiel described. Here are a couple of sections:
Revelation 1:12-18 NIV:
[12] "I turned around to see the voice that was speaking to me. And when I turned I saw seven golden lampstands, [13] and among the lampstands was someone like a son of man, dressed in a robe reaching down to his feet and with a golden sash around his chest. [14] The hair on his head was white like wool, as white as snow, and his eyes were like blazing fire. [15] His feet were like bronze glowing in a furnace, and his voice was like the sound of rushing waters. [16] In his right hand he held seven stars, and coming out of his mouth was a sharp, double-edged sword. His face was like the sun shining in all its brilliance.
[17] When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead. Then he placed his right hand on me and said: “Do not be afraid. I am the First and the Last. [18] I am the Living One; I was dead, and now look, I am alive for ever and ever! And I hold the keys of death and Hades.
Revelation 4:2-11 NIV:
[2] "At once I was in the Spirit, and there before me was a throne in heaven with someone sitting on it. [3] And the one who sat there had the appearance of jasper and ruby. A rainbow that shone like an emerald encircled the throne. [4] Surrounding the throne were twenty-four other thrones, and seated on them were twenty-four elders. They were dressed in white and had crowns of gold on their heads. [5] From the throne came flashes of lightning, rumblings and peals of thunder. In front of the throne, seven lamps were blazing. These are the seven spirits of God. [6] Also in front of the throne there was what looked like a sea of glass, clear as crystal."
"In the center, around the throne, were four living creatures, and they were covered with eyes, in front and in back. [7] The first living creature was like a lion, the second was like an ox, the third had a face like a man, the fourth was like a flying eagle. [8] Each of the four living creatures had six wings and was covered with eyes all around, even under its wings. Day and night they never stop saying: “ 'Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty,' who was, and is, and is to come.”
[9] Whenever the living creatures give glory, honor and thanks to him who sits on the throne and who lives for ever and ever, [10] the twenty-four elders fall down before him who sits on the throne and worship him who lives for ever and ever. They lay their crowns before the throne and say:
[11] “You are worthy, our Lord and God,
to receive glory and honor and power,
for you created all things,
and by your will they were created and have their being.”
I just love the grand and glorious attempt that both authors made to describe something that cannot be fully described in our limited language. Higher than this, and more glorious than this is the eternal position of Jesus, for he is seated in the highest place. These visions may be insights into what that place looks like, but is ever increasing in Glory, so clearly lacking the fullness of the reality.
Paul, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit writes that one day we will all be confronted with this and our reaction will be the same as John and Ezekiel, we will bow down! In fact at the full unveiling of the glory of Jesus, EVERY knee in heaven, on earth and even under the earth (Common idea of where Hades is located) will bow down. There will be no challenge to His glory or position, all will bow, for I think we will all be overcome by His glory!
There are those that think they will never bow to Him, certainly the fallen angels and hosts would desire to turn their backs and say He is "not their God", but apparently they will also be overcome by His Glory and they will bow their knees and even proclaim that He is the Lord!
I think is makes sense to close with the opening verses from Paul's letter to the Philippians 2:9-11 NIV:
[9] "Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name,
[10] that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
[11] and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father."
Amen!
[9] "Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name,
[10] that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
[11] and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father."
I was just thinking that this is one of the most profound promises found in Scripture; the Father's promise to glorify His Son Jesus! We read words like this and think we know what they mean, but I don't think we, in our wildest and grandest imaginations, could even come close to fathoming the truth of this statement.
Let us reflect for a moment on this statement - "God exalted Him to the highest place". That would be in heaven, of which we can't grasp any of the dimensions, since it is eternal and ever increasing, and yet the Father sets Jesus in the highest place! It is an impossible position to describe, the highest place in an ever-increasing Kingdom, but suffice it to say whatever we can imagine, it is higher and more glorious!
If we look in Scripture at the attempts of Isaiah, Ezekiel and John made to describe the visions of heaven, their descriptions are full of language that clearly falls short of their actual experiences. They describe the things they see and hear are "like" things we might understand, and yet it is clear that their descriptions don't capture the fullness and glory effectively. Ezekiel finished his vision with the statement that, "this was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of God", and I believe this statement expresses his inability to accurately convey what He saw and experienced.
Here is a short excerpt from Ezekiel's vision - Ezekiel 1:22-28 NIV:
[22] "Spread out above the heads of the living creatures was what looked something like a vault, sparkling like crystal, and awesome. [23] Under the vault their wings were stretched out one toward the other, and each had two wings covering its body. [24] When the creatures moved, I heard the sound of their wings, like the roar of rushing waters, like the voice of the Almighty, like the tumult of an army. When they stood still, they lowered their wings."
[25] "Then there came a voice from above the vault over their heads as they stood with lowered wings. [26] Above the vault over their heads was what looked like a throne of lapis lazuli, and high above on the throne was a figure like that of a man. [27] I saw that from what appeared to be his waist up he looked like glowing metal, as if full of fire, and that from there down he looked like fire; and brilliant light surrounded him. [28] Like the appearance of a rainbow in the clouds on a rainy day, so was the radiance around him."
"This was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the Lord. When I saw it, I fell facedown, and I heard the voice of one speaking."
John's description of his revelation is full of imagery and description, similar in many extents to what Ezekiel described. Here are a couple of sections:
Revelation 1:12-18 NIV:
[12] "I turned around to see the voice that was speaking to me. And when I turned I saw seven golden lampstands, [13] and among the lampstands was someone like a son of man, dressed in a robe reaching down to his feet and with a golden sash around his chest. [14] The hair on his head was white like wool, as white as snow, and his eyes were like blazing fire. [15] His feet were like bronze glowing in a furnace, and his voice was like the sound of rushing waters. [16] In his right hand he held seven stars, and coming out of his mouth was a sharp, double-edged sword. His face was like the sun shining in all its brilliance.
[17] When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead. Then he placed his right hand on me and said: “Do not be afraid. I am the First and the Last. [18] I am the Living One; I was dead, and now look, I am alive for ever and ever! And I hold the keys of death and Hades.
Revelation 4:2-11 NIV:
[2] "At once I was in the Spirit, and there before me was a throne in heaven with someone sitting on it. [3] And the one who sat there had the appearance of jasper and ruby. A rainbow that shone like an emerald encircled the throne. [4] Surrounding the throne were twenty-four other thrones, and seated on them were twenty-four elders. They were dressed in white and had crowns of gold on their heads. [5] From the throne came flashes of lightning, rumblings and peals of thunder. In front of the throne, seven lamps were blazing. These are the seven spirits of God. [6] Also in front of the throne there was what looked like a sea of glass, clear as crystal."
"In the center, around the throne, were four living creatures, and they were covered with eyes, in front and in back. [7] The first living creature was like a lion, the second was like an ox, the third had a face like a man, the fourth was like a flying eagle. [8] Each of the four living creatures had six wings and was covered with eyes all around, even under its wings. Day and night they never stop saying: “ 'Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty,' who was, and is, and is to come.”
[9] Whenever the living creatures give glory, honor and thanks to him who sits on the throne and who lives for ever and ever, [10] the twenty-four elders fall down before him who sits on the throne and worship him who lives for ever and ever. They lay their crowns before the throne and say:
[11] “You are worthy, our Lord and God,
to receive glory and honor and power,
for you created all things,
and by your will they were created and have their being.”
I just love the grand and glorious attempt that both authors made to describe something that cannot be fully described in our limited language. Higher than this, and more glorious than this is the eternal position of Jesus, for he is seated in the highest place. These visions may be insights into what that place looks like, but is ever increasing in Glory, so clearly lacking the fullness of the reality.
Paul, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit writes that one day we will all be confronted with this and our reaction will be the same as John and Ezekiel, we will bow down! In fact at the full unveiling of the glory of Jesus, EVERY knee in heaven, on earth and even under the earth (Common idea of where Hades is located) will bow down. There will be no challenge to His glory or position, all will bow, for I think we will all be overcome by His glory!
There are those that think they will never bow to Him, certainly the fallen angels and hosts would desire to turn their backs and say He is "not their God", but apparently they will also be overcome by His Glory and they will bow their knees and even proclaim that He is the Lord!
I think is makes sense to close with the opening verses from Paul's letter to the Philippians 2:9-11 NIV:
[9] "Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name,
[10] that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
[11] and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father."
Amen!
Tuesday, February 13, 2018
Mercy for Ignorance and Unbelief!
This morning I am reflecting on a couple of verses from Paul's first letter to Timothy, in which he shares an insight into his previous life. Here are the verses - 1 Timothy 1:12-17 NIV:
[12] "I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who has given me strength, that he considered me trustworthy, appointing me to his service. [13] Even though I was once a blasphemer and a persecutor and a violent man, I was shown mercy because I acted in ignorance and unbelief. [14] The grace of our Lord was poured out on me abundantly, along with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus."
[15] "Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners---of whom I am the worst. [16] But for that very reason I was shown mercy so that in me, the worst of sinners, Christ Jesus might display his immense patience as an example for those who would believe in him and receive eternal life. [17] Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory for ever and ever. Amen."
I find Paul's recounting of the reason He was shown mercy very interesting. He said it was because he acted in ignorance and unbelief! One would normally associate His actions of persecuting the early church, hunting down the Christians, doing everything he could to crush the early church, a bit beyond ignorance and unbelief, and yet that is apparently how the Lord addressed them in extending mercy to Paul.
Isn't that amazing, here is the man who was trying to crush the church, who oversaw the stoning of Stephen, who was on his way to Damascus to attack and destroy the church there, and Jesus calls his sins unbelief and ignorance and forgives him of them both. Instead of punishing Paul, Jesus calls Paul into His service, as one of his most trusted evangelists. Wow, that is not the model of mercy we often see or understand, nor how we would likely judge his actions.
Paul continues his next statements fully embracing this truth! Jesus came into the world to save sinners, and although he was one of the worst, the salvation available in Jesus extended even to him! I am so encouraged by Paul's transparency and grasp of this clear truth. Jesus can save anyone, regardless of how dark and deep they have gone in their lives. Jesus extends mercy to those that we would write off, those that we would judge, and those that are ignorant and in unbelief. That is so reassuring!
In the church, sometimes we struggle to embrace the radical mercy that Jesus shows to sinners. We want them to pay for the bad things they have done! We want them to experience the judgment of God, not His mercy. We are sometimes like Jonah, who didn't want to preach to Ninevah because he knew that if they repented God would relent! He wanted to see the Ninevites punished! (See Jonah, Chapter 4 for this insight). Imagine if Jesus extended the same mercy that He extended to Paul, to all the athiests, or to all those who never heard or understood or believed, or even to those who were raised in completely different religious systems? It would be glorious! An yet, there are those who could never accept this type of mercy as being from God, for God hates sin! However, we see Paul clearly speaking of exactly this type of mercy, having learned it personally at the hands of Jesus!
Jesus even addressed this somewhat in the parable of the vineyard workers (See Matt 20:1-16). The workers hired earliest had agreed to work for one denarius a day, but when the vineyard owner paid those that had only worked an hour that same wage, the workers who had worked all day complained that it was unfair. They thought they should receive more! Here is the vineyard owners response, “But he answered one of them, 'I am not being unfair to you, friend. Didn't you agree to work for a denarius? [14] Take your pay and go. I want to give the one who was hired last the same as I gave you. [15] Don't I have the right to do what I want with my own money? Or are you envious because I am generous?' (Matthew 20:13-15 NIV) We should be grateful for the Lord's mercy being extended to us, to our own sins, and be grateful the Lord is equally patient and merciful to all sinners.
I love how Paul's reflection on this truth leads to Him praising God in the very next sentence (verse 17). Paul is moved by the greatness of the mercy that was extended to him! He understood how unbelievable this was, how beyond our human reasoning and thought God's mercy is and just launched into praising His name! We really should be grateful and celebrating the incredible mercy and patience that Jesus demonstrates not just to us, but to all sinners.
Oh, that we would all receive the same abundant grace poured out on us! Oh, that the love and faith that are found in Jesus might fill our lives, our hearts and our minds! He is so much more merciful, patient and forgiving than we can imagine! Let us be the light of this mercy, love and faith in our world today! Let us learn to extend the same mercy to those in unbelief and ignorance! Let us entrust judgment to the righteous one, and let us celebrate His mercy towards us!
Amen!
[12] "I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who has given me strength, that he considered me trustworthy, appointing me to his service. [13] Even though I was once a blasphemer and a persecutor and a violent man, I was shown mercy because I acted in ignorance and unbelief. [14] The grace of our Lord was poured out on me abundantly, along with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus."
[15] "Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners---of whom I am the worst. [16] But for that very reason I was shown mercy so that in me, the worst of sinners, Christ Jesus might display his immense patience as an example for those who would believe in him and receive eternal life. [17] Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory for ever and ever. Amen."
I find Paul's recounting of the reason He was shown mercy very interesting. He said it was because he acted in ignorance and unbelief! One would normally associate His actions of persecuting the early church, hunting down the Christians, doing everything he could to crush the early church, a bit beyond ignorance and unbelief, and yet that is apparently how the Lord addressed them in extending mercy to Paul.
Isn't that amazing, here is the man who was trying to crush the church, who oversaw the stoning of Stephen, who was on his way to Damascus to attack and destroy the church there, and Jesus calls his sins unbelief and ignorance and forgives him of them both. Instead of punishing Paul, Jesus calls Paul into His service, as one of his most trusted evangelists. Wow, that is not the model of mercy we often see or understand, nor how we would likely judge his actions.
Paul continues his next statements fully embracing this truth! Jesus came into the world to save sinners, and although he was one of the worst, the salvation available in Jesus extended even to him! I am so encouraged by Paul's transparency and grasp of this clear truth. Jesus can save anyone, regardless of how dark and deep they have gone in their lives. Jesus extends mercy to those that we would write off, those that we would judge, and those that are ignorant and in unbelief. That is so reassuring!
In the church, sometimes we struggle to embrace the radical mercy that Jesus shows to sinners. We want them to pay for the bad things they have done! We want them to experience the judgment of God, not His mercy. We are sometimes like Jonah, who didn't want to preach to Ninevah because he knew that if they repented God would relent! He wanted to see the Ninevites punished! (See Jonah, Chapter 4 for this insight). Imagine if Jesus extended the same mercy that He extended to Paul, to all the athiests, or to all those who never heard or understood or believed, or even to those who were raised in completely different religious systems? It would be glorious! An yet, there are those who could never accept this type of mercy as being from God, for God hates sin! However, we see Paul clearly speaking of exactly this type of mercy, having learned it personally at the hands of Jesus!
Jesus even addressed this somewhat in the parable of the vineyard workers (See Matt 20:1-16). The workers hired earliest had agreed to work for one denarius a day, but when the vineyard owner paid those that had only worked an hour that same wage, the workers who had worked all day complained that it was unfair. They thought they should receive more! Here is the vineyard owners response, “But he answered one of them, 'I am not being unfair to you, friend. Didn't you agree to work for a denarius? [14] Take your pay and go. I want to give the one who was hired last the same as I gave you. [15] Don't I have the right to do what I want with my own money? Or are you envious because I am generous?' (Matthew 20:13-15 NIV) We should be grateful for the Lord's mercy being extended to us, to our own sins, and be grateful the Lord is equally patient and merciful to all sinners.
I love how Paul's reflection on this truth leads to Him praising God in the very next sentence (verse 17). Paul is moved by the greatness of the mercy that was extended to him! He understood how unbelievable this was, how beyond our human reasoning and thought God's mercy is and just launched into praising His name! We really should be grateful and celebrating the incredible mercy and patience that Jesus demonstrates not just to us, but to all sinners.
Oh, that we would all receive the same abundant grace poured out on us! Oh, that the love and faith that are found in Jesus might fill our lives, our hearts and our minds! He is so much more merciful, patient and forgiving than we can imagine! Let us be the light of this mercy, love and faith in our world today! Let us learn to extend the same mercy to those in unbelief and ignorance! Let us entrust judgment to the righteous one, and let us celebrate His mercy towards us!
Amen!
Sunday, February 11, 2018
Glory and Unity!
This morning my heart is stirred by some passages I have been reading from John's Gospel, specifically the prayer Jesus prays right before His passion and death. Here are the verses:
John 17:4-5,20-26 NIV:
[4] "I have brought you glory on earth by finishing the work you gave me to do. [5] And now, Father, glorify me in your presence with the glory I had with you before the world began.
[20] “My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, [21] that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me. [22] I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one--- [23] I in them and you in me---so that they may be brought to complete unity. Then the world will know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me.
[24] “Father, I want those you have given me to be with me where I am, and to see my glory, the glory you have given me because you loved me before the creation of the world."
[25] “Righteous Father, though the world does not know you, I know you, and they know that you have sent me. [26] I have made you known to them, and will continue to make you known in order that the love you have for me may be in them and that I myself may be in them.”
What an incredible prayer! There is so much for us to reflect on here, as Jesus is including us specifically in verse 20, for we are those who have believed through the message (the Gospel) passed down to us by the Apostles and disciples. It is great knowing that Jesus specifically prayed for us!
It seems to me that much of His prayer revolves around giving glory to the Father, through us. Jesus said He brought the Father Glory by finishing the work He had been given to do. He established the Church, passed on an understanding of the Father that was intimate and perfect. This was giving Glory to the Father! The gift of unity is meant to give the Father Glory (verse 22-23). We are called to reveal to the World the Glory of the Father through our unity - one can see clearly why the enemy works so hard to cause division. Lord, we pray for a release of Unity in the Body of Christ like the world has never seen, that we might bring You Glory, the Glory Your deserve!
Jesus also prays that we might see His glory, the glory He had since before the creation of the world. This is where my brain tilts. I can visualize Jesus as a human man walking on the earth, I have a harder time getting my mind around His sitting on the Heavenly Throne, in full glory! We have records of the descriptions o what Isaiah, Ezekiel, and John saw in their heavenly visions, but they struggle to even express what they saw in language we can understand. We are left with a fuzzy image, due to the lack of appropriate language, and thus, my inner image of Jesus on the throne is less clear. I pray for the greater capacity and greater experience of Jesus' glory, for He desires it as well. Isn't that great to know, Jesus wants us to see Him in Glory! He wants us to comprehend who we worship!
Finally there is the promise of Jesus to continue to make the Father known to us! Part of this will result in an infilling of the Father's love for His son, into us! Wow! That is actually worthy of sitting on for a while. The Father's Love for Jesus will fill us too, causing us to know Him, and experience His indwelling in a more full way!
This ties back to the verses I was reflecting on this morning from Ezek. 43, and Isaiah 43 (see below). Yes, Lord show us Your Glory! Yes Lord, bring Your sons and daughters, bring us to Unity in You, The Father and the Holy Spirit!
Amen!
Here is the reflection I had on the verses from Isaiah and Ezekiel!
This morning I woke up at 4:34am, thanks to my cat crying right in my face. I woke up more alert than normal and thought maybe the time related to a scripture, or verse. I have been reading through the different 43:4's and here are a couple that stood out:
Ezekiel 43:2-5 NIV:
[2]..."and I saw the glory of the God of Israel coming from the east. His voice was like the roar of rushing waters, and the land was radiant with his glory. [3] The vision I saw was like the vision I had seen when he came to destroy the city and like the visions I had seen by the Kebar River, and I fell facedown. [4] The glory of the Lord entered the temple through the gate facing east. [5] Then the Spirit lifted me up and brought me into the inner court, and the glory of the Lord filled the temple."
(This reminds me of the transformation videos we were talking about recently, the ones where the Inuit heard the roaring sound during worship - link to the Youtube version here - https://youtu.be/X42oZ1O8hAk )
Isaiah 43:4-13,18-21 NIV:
[4]"Since you are precious and honored in my sight, and because I love you, I will give people in exchange for you, nations in exchange for your life. [5] Do not be afraid, for I am with you; I will bring your children from the east and gather you from the west. [6] I will say to the north, 'Give them up!' and to the south, 'Do not hold them back.' Bring my sons from afar and my daughters from the ends of the earth--- [7] everyone who is called by my name, whom I created for my glory, whom I formed and made. ”
[8] Lead out those who have eyes but are blind, who have ears but are deaf. [9] All the nations gather together and the peoples assemble. Which of their gods foretold this and proclaimed to us the former things? Let them bring in their witnesses to prove they were right, so that others may hear and say, “It is true.” [10] “You are my witnesses, ” declares the Lord, “and my servant whom I have chosen, so that you may know and believe me and understand that I am he. Before me no god was formed, nor will there be one after me. [11] I, even I, am the Lord, and apart from me there is no savior. [12] I have revealed and saved and proclaimed---I, and not some foreign god among you. You are my witnesses, ” declares the Lord, “that I am God. [13] Yes, and from ancient days I am he. No one can deliver out of my hand. When I act, who can reverse it?”
[18] “Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. [19] See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland. [20] The wild animals honor me, the jackals and the owls, because I provide water in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland, to give drink to my people, my chosen, [21] the people I formed for myself that they may proclaim my praise."
It seems to me there are three promises:
1) He will visit us with His Glory
2) He will gather His sons and daughters to us
3) He will do a New thing!
Oh Lord, we pray these promises over all of Your people, over every church here in KC, in the region and in the World. We are Your children, we are Your Church, We are Your Body! Visit Us! Add to us!
John 17:4-5,20-26 NIV:
[4] "I have brought you glory on earth by finishing the work you gave me to do. [5] And now, Father, glorify me in your presence with the glory I had with you before the world began.
[20] “My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, [21] that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me. [22] I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one--- [23] I in them and you in me---so that they may be brought to complete unity. Then the world will know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me.
[24] “Father, I want those you have given me to be with me where I am, and to see my glory, the glory you have given me because you loved me before the creation of the world."
[25] “Righteous Father, though the world does not know you, I know you, and they know that you have sent me. [26] I have made you known to them, and will continue to make you known in order that the love you have for me may be in them and that I myself may be in them.”
What an incredible prayer! There is so much for us to reflect on here, as Jesus is including us specifically in verse 20, for we are those who have believed through the message (the Gospel) passed down to us by the Apostles and disciples. It is great knowing that Jesus specifically prayed for us!
It seems to me that much of His prayer revolves around giving glory to the Father, through us. Jesus said He brought the Father Glory by finishing the work He had been given to do. He established the Church, passed on an understanding of the Father that was intimate and perfect. This was giving Glory to the Father! The gift of unity is meant to give the Father Glory (verse 22-23). We are called to reveal to the World the Glory of the Father through our unity - one can see clearly why the enemy works so hard to cause division. Lord, we pray for a release of Unity in the Body of Christ like the world has never seen, that we might bring You Glory, the Glory Your deserve!
Jesus also prays that we might see His glory, the glory He had since before the creation of the world. This is where my brain tilts. I can visualize Jesus as a human man walking on the earth, I have a harder time getting my mind around His sitting on the Heavenly Throne, in full glory! We have records of the descriptions o what Isaiah, Ezekiel, and John saw in their heavenly visions, but they struggle to even express what they saw in language we can understand. We are left with a fuzzy image, due to the lack of appropriate language, and thus, my inner image of Jesus on the throne is less clear. I pray for the greater capacity and greater experience of Jesus' glory, for He desires it as well. Isn't that great to know, Jesus wants us to see Him in Glory! He wants us to comprehend who we worship!
Finally there is the promise of Jesus to continue to make the Father known to us! Part of this will result in an infilling of the Father's love for His son, into us! Wow! That is actually worthy of sitting on for a while. The Father's Love for Jesus will fill us too, causing us to know Him, and experience His indwelling in a more full way!
This ties back to the verses I was reflecting on this morning from Ezek. 43, and Isaiah 43 (see below). Yes, Lord show us Your Glory! Yes Lord, bring Your sons and daughters, bring us to Unity in You, The Father and the Holy Spirit!
Amen!
Here is the reflection I had on the verses from Isaiah and Ezekiel!
This morning I woke up at 4:34am, thanks to my cat crying right in my face. I woke up more alert than normal and thought maybe the time related to a scripture, or verse. I have been reading through the different 43:4's and here are a couple that stood out:
Ezekiel 43:2-5 NIV:
[2]..."and I saw the glory of the God of Israel coming from the east. His voice was like the roar of rushing waters, and the land was radiant with his glory. [3] The vision I saw was like the vision I had seen when he came to destroy the city and like the visions I had seen by the Kebar River, and I fell facedown. [4] The glory of the Lord entered the temple through the gate facing east. [5] Then the Spirit lifted me up and brought me into the inner court, and the glory of the Lord filled the temple."
(This reminds me of the transformation videos we were talking about recently, the ones where the Inuit heard the roaring sound during worship - link to the Youtube version here - https://youtu.be/X42oZ1O8hAk )
Isaiah 43:4-13,18-21 NIV:
[4]"Since you are precious and honored in my sight, and because I love you, I will give people in exchange for you, nations in exchange for your life. [5] Do not be afraid, for I am with you; I will bring your children from the east and gather you from the west. [6] I will say to the north, 'Give them up!' and to the south, 'Do not hold them back.' Bring my sons from afar and my daughters from the ends of the earth--- [7] everyone who is called by my name, whom I created for my glory, whom I formed and made. ”
[8] Lead out those who have eyes but are blind, who have ears but are deaf. [9] All the nations gather together and the peoples assemble. Which of their gods foretold this and proclaimed to us the former things? Let them bring in their witnesses to prove they were right, so that others may hear and say, “It is true.” [10] “You are my witnesses, ” declares the Lord, “and my servant whom I have chosen, so that you may know and believe me and understand that I am he. Before me no god was formed, nor will there be one after me. [11] I, even I, am the Lord, and apart from me there is no savior. [12] I have revealed and saved and proclaimed---I, and not some foreign god among you. You are my witnesses, ” declares the Lord, “that I am God. [13] Yes, and from ancient days I am he. No one can deliver out of my hand. When I act, who can reverse it?”
[18] “Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. [19] See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland. [20] The wild animals honor me, the jackals and the owls, because I provide water in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland, to give drink to my people, my chosen, [21] the people I formed for myself that they may proclaim my praise."
It seems to me there are three promises:
1) He will visit us with His Glory
2) He will gather His sons and daughters to us
3) He will do a New thing!
Oh Lord, we pray these promises over all of Your people, over every church here in KC, in the region and in the World. We are Your children, we are Your Church, We are Your Body! Visit Us! Add to us!
Friday, February 9, 2018
Speaking Truth to Our Inner Thoughts
This morning I was led to read from Paul's letter to the Romans 6:8-14 NIV:
[8] "Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him. [9] For we know that since Christ was raised from the dead, he cannot die again; death no longer has mastery over him. [10] The death he died, he died to sin once for all; but the life he lives, he lives to God."
[11] "In the same way, count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus. [12] Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its evil desires. [13] Do not offer any part of yourself to sin as an instrument of wickedness, but rather offer yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life; and offer every part of yourself to him as an instrument of righteousness. [14] For sin shall no longer be your master, because you are not under the law, but under grace."
I love Paul's logic here, and his approach to helping us with our mindsets. He is speaking of the spiritual reality to help us apply it to our thinking and thus to our life. It is well known in today's psychology that we listen most to our own thoughts (just Google "Listening to Your inner Thoughts Psychology" for a great example of the many articles and studies that have been done on inner thoughts) and they can greatly affect how we act.
In one article the author wrote the following - "Did you ever realize that everything going on in your mind -- every thought, feeling, sensation, everything you are aware of -- is in fact happening only in your private internal world? Your thoughts appear only to you, and are not being heard by anyone else whatsoever. There is one physical world here on earth, but billions of different internal worlds. We are all in our own separate theaters, witnessing entirely different shows." ( https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/inviting-monkey-tea/201308/why-our-thoughts-are-not-real).
The author's point was that we all are affected by our internal thinking, and it is so important to understand what the truth is, and to actually meditate on it. She makes some very interesting points, and it is worth some reflection. One thing she doesn't take into account is the spiritual realm, and that is what Paul is speaking on here. He is addressing the thought lives of us all, and trying to help us grasp Spiritual truth that we can use to apply within our internal thought life, He clearly understands that this thought life affects us greatly.
For much of my life I didn't realize that some of my thoughts didn't originate with me, but rather were coming from an external source, either God or the enemy. It took time to learn to discern which came from the Lord, and which came from the father of lies, and which were my own. Once I become aware of this spiritual reality, I was able to identify the themes and efforts the enemy was constantly sowing within me. For a great example of a fictional account of this, read C.S. Lewis's book "The Screwtape Letters". Anyway, as I pondered my thoughts, I realized that many of the temptations I faced were in fact the result of thoughts that I embraced and followed, that were not originally from me. Despite the fact that I was a Christian and had been for many years there was a constant flow of negative or tempting thoughts, that I had to constantly deflect. It was a tiring effort, but one I was committed to waging. It was only a few years ago that the Lord helped me to see clearly how to step free of this struggle.
As I understand it, one of the great efforts of the enemy is to make us think our thoughts are all ours. He doesn't want us to realize he exists and is working to derail our lives. If we don't understand this, then we can believe this is just the way we are, and accept this as reality. The enemy also knows that the more we allow these thoughts and temptations to affect us, the deeper into his twisted world we are drawn. It is actually quite the nefarious scheme, and many of us humans are wholly unaware of this situation. The goal of the enemy is to draw us so deeply in, that our lives revolve around our sin, and we feel trapped with no hope for escape. It is a dangerous and deadly downward spiral. James speaks about the effects, or fruit of giving into temptation and allowing sin to take root in the following passages - James 1:13-15 NIV:
[13] "When tempted, no one should say, “God is tempting me.” For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone; [14] but each person is tempted when they are dragged away by their own evil desire and enticed. [15] Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death."
There is a downward spiral to sin, and many sins start as temptations, which often come as thoughts sown into our minds. If we allow these thoughts to reside and be planted into our minds and lives, they bear fruit as sin and as we continue to sin more and more and that sin bears fruit, and that fruit ultimately leads to death of some sort; death to relationships, death to hope, death to our true identity.
Paul is providing the spiritual truth to combat these attacks of the enemy, and we would be wise to allow these truths to settle firmly in our minds and embrace them in our active thought life. In Christ, we are "dead to sin and alive to God". The old man (in us) has died and we are now united with Christ Jesus in His glorious resurrection and reign. Satan has no power or authority in the Kingdom of God, or in the throne room of God. He is still the accuser, but that is all he can do. We have the freedom and power and authority, as sons and daughters of God, to tell him to be quiet. Jesus demonstrated this for us and the Gospel writers recorded multiple instances where He was telling the evil spirits or demons to be silent. Realizing we have this authority is half the battle, the other half is knowing we need to do this.
Paul, in light of this truth (We are dead to sin and alive to God) urges us to "not let sin reign in your mortal body". He is speaking about us allowing sin access and giving it power in our lives, when it should have none. This is where our free will comes in, God could eternally still the voice of the enemy, and will do so one day, but for now we must choose. We must choose whose reign we will live under, and it is our choice. The enemy in his multitude of lies tries to deceive and convince us that there is no way free, no way to escape the bonds of our sin, nor any way to escape the penalties, debts and fruit of our sin. He tries to make his path seem full of pleasure, but it is all selfishness and ultimately depravity and enslavement. God offers us freedom, forgiveness and the ability to walk as His true sons and daughters. He offers us life, death to our old man, life in His Glorious Kingdom. In such stark comparisons the choice is easy, but we must choose who to listen too, which is the point Paul is making. He says we can step free of the mastery of sin, there is another path, one of life united with Christ Jesus. We must choose to embrace the truth that we are free, made so by Christ Jesus. Regardless of the circumstances around us and how things look, we are free, because our old man died with Christ.
I am reminded of the effects of the 13th Amendment on the slaves here in the US. There were many that embraced this new freedom and threw off the shackles and life-styles of slavery to embrace their new found freedoms. There were also those that chose to stay on, living in much the same way they did before the amendment, for whatever reason. The choice was, in reality, theirs to make, to live as free men or to live in lifestyles very similar to slavery. This isn't a great analogy, but hopefully the point is clear. Paul is reminding us of the the proclamation of freedom to each of us, freedom from the power of sin, freedom from the lies of the enemy. We are encouraged to allow this truth to set up free! We have Jesus proclaiming freedom in this passage from Luke 4:18-21 NIV:
[18] “The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to set the oppressed free, [19] to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor.”
[20] Then he rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant and sat down. The eyes of everyone in the synagogue were fastened on him. [21] He began by saying to them, “Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.”
We are no longer captives to sin, oppressed by the lies and deception of the enemy. Paul wrote the following in his letter to the Galatians 5:1 NIV: "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." Paul was speaking specifically about the Law, but the truth is equally applied to sin. We were set free from the power of sin, and the lies and deception of the enemy by Jesus. We have freedom in Him!
This morning I am encouraged to look closely at my thought life and see where I am embracing the truth, and those areas where I am allowing temptation and sin to reign. I am encouraged to look to my life to see where I have believed the lies and deception of the enemy, guided by the Holy Spirit. I am encouraged to tell the enemy to be silent, as a son of God, standing in unity with Christ Jesus, who has all authority and power. I am encouraged to embrace freedom and the truth. Oh Lord, help me to know deep in my heart and mind this truth, that I am set free from the chains of sin, and I am free to be Your son, free to walk in everything You have for me. The old man is dead and I am alive in You! Help me to remind myself of this daily, that the old man is dead and I am alive to Christ Jesus, the enemy has no power over me! Help me to listen to the truth, to recite the truth, to speak the truth to myself!
Amen!
[8] "Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him. [9] For we know that since Christ was raised from the dead, he cannot die again; death no longer has mastery over him. [10] The death he died, he died to sin once for all; but the life he lives, he lives to God."
[11] "In the same way, count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus. [12] Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its evil desires. [13] Do not offer any part of yourself to sin as an instrument of wickedness, but rather offer yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life; and offer every part of yourself to him as an instrument of righteousness. [14] For sin shall no longer be your master, because you are not under the law, but under grace."
I love Paul's logic here, and his approach to helping us with our mindsets. He is speaking of the spiritual reality to help us apply it to our thinking and thus to our life. It is well known in today's psychology that we listen most to our own thoughts (just Google "Listening to Your inner Thoughts Psychology" for a great example of the many articles and studies that have been done on inner thoughts) and they can greatly affect how we act.
In one article the author wrote the following - "Did you ever realize that everything going on in your mind -- every thought, feeling, sensation, everything you are aware of -- is in fact happening only in your private internal world? Your thoughts appear only to you, and are not being heard by anyone else whatsoever. There is one physical world here on earth, but billions of different internal worlds. We are all in our own separate theaters, witnessing entirely different shows." ( https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/inviting-monkey-tea/201308/why-our-thoughts-are-not-real).
The author's point was that we all are affected by our internal thinking, and it is so important to understand what the truth is, and to actually meditate on it. She makes some very interesting points, and it is worth some reflection. One thing she doesn't take into account is the spiritual realm, and that is what Paul is speaking on here. He is addressing the thought lives of us all, and trying to help us grasp Spiritual truth that we can use to apply within our internal thought life, He clearly understands that this thought life affects us greatly.
For much of my life I didn't realize that some of my thoughts didn't originate with me, but rather were coming from an external source, either God or the enemy. It took time to learn to discern which came from the Lord, and which came from the father of lies, and which were my own. Once I become aware of this spiritual reality, I was able to identify the themes and efforts the enemy was constantly sowing within me. For a great example of a fictional account of this, read C.S. Lewis's book "The Screwtape Letters". Anyway, as I pondered my thoughts, I realized that many of the temptations I faced were in fact the result of thoughts that I embraced and followed, that were not originally from me. Despite the fact that I was a Christian and had been for many years there was a constant flow of negative or tempting thoughts, that I had to constantly deflect. It was a tiring effort, but one I was committed to waging. It was only a few years ago that the Lord helped me to see clearly how to step free of this struggle.
As I understand it, one of the great efforts of the enemy is to make us think our thoughts are all ours. He doesn't want us to realize he exists and is working to derail our lives. If we don't understand this, then we can believe this is just the way we are, and accept this as reality. The enemy also knows that the more we allow these thoughts and temptations to affect us, the deeper into his twisted world we are drawn. It is actually quite the nefarious scheme, and many of us humans are wholly unaware of this situation. The goal of the enemy is to draw us so deeply in, that our lives revolve around our sin, and we feel trapped with no hope for escape. It is a dangerous and deadly downward spiral. James speaks about the effects, or fruit of giving into temptation and allowing sin to take root in the following passages - James 1:13-15 NIV:
[13] "When tempted, no one should say, “God is tempting me.” For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone; [14] but each person is tempted when they are dragged away by their own evil desire and enticed. [15] Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death."
There is a downward spiral to sin, and many sins start as temptations, which often come as thoughts sown into our minds. If we allow these thoughts to reside and be planted into our minds and lives, they bear fruit as sin and as we continue to sin more and more and that sin bears fruit, and that fruit ultimately leads to death of some sort; death to relationships, death to hope, death to our true identity.
Paul is providing the spiritual truth to combat these attacks of the enemy, and we would be wise to allow these truths to settle firmly in our minds and embrace them in our active thought life. In Christ, we are "dead to sin and alive to God". The old man (in us) has died and we are now united with Christ Jesus in His glorious resurrection and reign. Satan has no power or authority in the Kingdom of God, or in the throne room of God. He is still the accuser, but that is all he can do. We have the freedom and power and authority, as sons and daughters of God, to tell him to be quiet. Jesus demonstrated this for us and the Gospel writers recorded multiple instances where He was telling the evil spirits or demons to be silent. Realizing we have this authority is half the battle, the other half is knowing we need to do this.
Paul, in light of this truth (We are dead to sin and alive to God) urges us to "not let sin reign in your mortal body". He is speaking about us allowing sin access and giving it power in our lives, when it should have none. This is where our free will comes in, God could eternally still the voice of the enemy, and will do so one day, but for now we must choose. We must choose whose reign we will live under, and it is our choice. The enemy in his multitude of lies tries to deceive and convince us that there is no way free, no way to escape the bonds of our sin, nor any way to escape the penalties, debts and fruit of our sin. He tries to make his path seem full of pleasure, but it is all selfishness and ultimately depravity and enslavement. God offers us freedom, forgiveness and the ability to walk as His true sons and daughters. He offers us life, death to our old man, life in His Glorious Kingdom. In such stark comparisons the choice is easy, but we must choose who to listen too, which is the point Paul is making. He says we can step free of the mastery of sin, there is another path, one of life united with Christ Jesus. We must choose to embrace the truth that we are free, made so by Christ Jesus. Regardless of the circumstances around us and how things look, we are free, because our old man died with Christ.
I am reminded of the effects of the 13th Amendment on the slaves here in the US. There were many that embraced this new freedom and threw off the shackles and life-styles of slavery to embrace their new found freedoms. There were also those that chose to stay on, living in much the same way they did before the amendment, for whatever reason. The choice was, in reality, theirs to make, to live as free men or to live in lifestyles very similar to slavery. This isn't a great analogy, but hopefully the point is clear. Paul is reminding us of the the proclamation of freedom to each of us, freedom from the power of sin, freedom from the lies of the enemy. We are encouraged to allow this truth to set up free! We have Jesus proclaiming freedom in this passage from Luke 4:18-21 NIV:
[18] “The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to set the oppressed free, [19] to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor.”
[20] Then he rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant and sat down. The eyes of everyone in the synagogue were fastened on him. [21] He began by saying to them, “Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.”
We are no longer captives to sin, oppressed by the lies and deception of the enemy. Paul wrote the following in his letter to the Galatians 5:1 NIV: "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." Paul was speaking specifically about the Law, but the truth is equally applied to sin. We were set free from the power of sin, and the lies and deception of the enemy by Jesus. We have freedom in Him!
This morning I am encouraged to look closely at my thought life and see where I am embracing the truth, and those areas where I am allowing temptation and sin to reign. I am encouraged to look to my life to see where I have believed the lies and deception of the enemy, guided by the Holy Spirit. I am encouraged to tell the enemy to be silent, as a son of God, standing in unity with Christ Jesus, who has all authority and power. I am encouraged to embrace freedom and the truth. Oh Lord, help me to know deep in my heart and mind this truth, that I am set free from the chains of sin, and I am free to be Your son, free to walk in everything You have for me. The old man is dead and I am alive in You! Help me to remind myself of this daily, that the old man is dead and I am alive to Christ Jesus, the enemy has no power over me! Help me to listen to the truth, to recite the truth, to speak the truth to myself!
Amen!
Monday, February 5, 2018
The Many Responses to God's Move!
This morning I am reflecting on some verses from John's Gospel, where he is describing the varied responses to Jesus. Here are the verses - John 12:9-13,17-19,37,42-43 NIV:
[9] "Meanwhile a large crowd of Jews found out that Jesus was there and came, not only because of him but also to see Lazarus, whom he had raised from the dead. [10] So the chief priests made plans to kill Lazarus as well, [11] for on account of him many of the Jews were going over to Jesus and believing in him."
[12] "The next day the great crowd that had come for the festival heard that Jesus was on his way to Jerusalem. [13] They took palm branches and went out to meet him, shouting, “Hosanna! ” “Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!” “Blessed is the king of Israel!”
[17] "Now the crowd that was with him when he called Lazarus from the tomb and raised him from the dead continued to spread the word. [18] Many people, because they had heard that he had performed this sign, went out to meet him. [19] So the Pharisees said to one another, “See, this is getting us nowhere. Look how the whole world has gone after him!”
[37] "Even after Jesus had performed so many signs in their presence, they still would not believe in him."
[42] "Yet at the same time many even among the leaders believed in him. But because of the Pharisees they would not openly acknowledge their faith for fear they would be put out of the synagogue; [43] for they loved human praise more than praise from God."
As I read these verses, I am aware of the many different responses to God, especially when He is moving. Jesus had clearly done awesome miracles in their sight, many were eye-witnesses. There was a growing belief in Him, that He was the Messiah, and yet the Pharisees and and chief priests wanted to kill Him. The very ones that said they worshipped God and served Him wanted to kill Him! They were the ones whose power and authority were being questioned, and challenged. They didn't want to just kill Jesus, they wanted to kill Lazarus too, as he was a visible representation of God's work.
There are those that wanted to worship Jesus, and praise of Him broke out spontaneously! They gathered in the streets, proclaiming His name, and shouting. They were those that had been waiting for the real move of God, and were convinced that Jesus was the Messiah! These were the people who longed for a savior, who longed to see God Move!
There were those that went around sharing about Jesus, because they were so convinced by His miracles that He was the Messiah! They had seen the miracles, and wanted all to know that He was the one they had been waiting to receive!
The Pharisees clearly had set themselves against Jesus, and apparently it didn't matter what He did, they were going to try to stop Him. They must have hated His real power, His ability to win crowds of people, His authoritative messages, His referring to God as if He knew Him! He had everything they wanted, and yet because they couldn't control Him they wanted to kill Him. They were in danger of losing their positions of power and prestige, or so they thought. It is a scary thing when people resist the move of God because of fear for their own position and power - they are clearly not worshipping God above all else.
There are those that remain unconvinced regardless of the signs and wonders performed. They are those whose hearts are hardened, those whose pride will not let them admit they were wrong, those that have stood and proclaimed there is no god! Oh, the sad state of their hearts, to be confronted with the very Word of Life, and choosing instead to close their eyes, ears and hearts to the one who loves them!
Finally there are those that believed, but lived in fear of those in power. They were worried about what the Pharisees thought of them, and worried about their positions as well, but clearly not the decision makers. There are always those that long for the move of God, but then when He starts moving they lose their stomach for Him out of fear.
Lord, I pray that I would not respond out of fear, out of pride, or out of concern for myself or my "position"! I pray that I might welcome you, and welcome news of You moving! I pray that I might be one who shares with all, the wonders I have seen and experienced! I pray that my heart might be moved by You! I pray for the leaders of our churches, that they would welcome Your move wholeheartedly, for You are the one we are waiting for!
Amen!
[9] "Meanwhile a large crowd of Jews found out that Jesus was there and came, not only because of him but also to see Lazarus, whom he had raised from the dead. [10] So the chief priests made plans to kill Lazarus as well, [11] for on account of him many of the Jews were going over to Jesus and believing in him."
[12] "The next day the great crowd that had come for the festival heard that Jesus was on his way to Jerusalem. [13] They took palm branches and went out to meet him, shouting, “Hosanna! ” “Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!” “Blessed is the king of Israel!”
[17] "Now the crowd that was with him when he called Lazarus from the tomb and raised him from the dead continued to spread the word. [18] Many people, because they had heard that he had performed this sign, went out to meet him. [19] So the Pharisees said to one another, “See, this is getting us nowhere. Look how the whole world has gone after him!”
[37] "Even after Jesus had performed so many signs in their presence, they still would not believe in him."
[42] "Yet at the same time many even among the leaders believed in him. But because of the Pharisees they would not openly acknowledge their faith for fear they would be put out of the synagogue; [43] for they loved human praise more than praise from God."
As I read these verses, I am aware of the many different responses to God, especially when He is moving. Jesus had clearly done awesome miracles in their sight, many were eye-witnesses. There was a growing belief in Him, that He was the Messiah, and yet the Pharisees and and chief priests wanted to kill Him. The very ones that said they worshipped God and served Him wanted to kill Him! They were the ones whose power and authority were being questioned, and challenged. They didn't want to just kill Jesus, they wanted to kill Lazarus too, as he was a visible representation of God's work.
There are those that wanted to worship Jesus, and praise of Him broke out spontaneously! They gathered in the streets, proclaiming His name, and shouting. They were those that had been waiting for the real move of God, and were convinced that Jesus was the Messiah! These were the people who longed for a savior, who longed to see God Move!
There were those that went around sharing about Jesus, because they were so convinced by His miracles that He was the Messiah! They had seen the miracles, and wanted all to know that He was the one they had been waiting to receive!
The Pharisees clearly had set themselves against Jesus, and apparently it didn't matter what He did, they were going to try to stop Him. They must have hated His real power, His ability to win crowds of people, His authoritative messages, His referring to God as if He knew Him! He had everything they wanted, and yet because they couldn't control Him they wanted to kill Him. They were in danger of losing their positions of power and prestige, or so they thought. It is a scary thing when people resist the move of God because of fear for their own position and power - they are clearly not worshipping God above all else.
There are those that remain unconvinced regardless of the signs and wonders performed. They are those whose hearts are hardened, those whose pride will not let them admit they were wrong, those that have stood and proclaimed there is no god! Oh, the sad state of their hearts, to be confronted with the very Word of Life, and choosing instead to close their eyes, ears and hearts to the one who loves them!
Finally there are those that believed, but lived in fear of those in power. They were worried about what the Pharisees thought of them, and worried about their positions as well, but clearly not the decision makers. There are always those that long for the move of God, but then when He starts moving they lose their stomach for Him out of fear.
Lord, I pray that I would not respond out of fear, out of pride, or out of concern for myself or my "position"! I pray that I might welcome you, and welcome news of You moving! I pray that I might be one who shares with all, the wonders I have seen and experienced! I pray that my heart might be moved by You! I pray for the leaders of our churches, that they would welcome Your move wholeheartedly, for You are the one we are waiting for!
Amen!
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