The Harvest Is Plentiful!

This morning I am reading Matthew chapter nine.  What an amazing chapter full of miracles and significance.  I love how Matthew just gives the basics sometimes, and understates what we know to be really significant events, for that is often how the Lord works, in hidden or low-key ways, not much for fanfare, or publicity.  

In this chapter Jesus starts by healing and forgiving a paralyzed man (see Mark 2 or  Luke 5 for the expanded version), then calls Matthew the tax collector, releases revelation about being sent to sinners, releases revelation about the need for new wine skins, heals the woman with a flow of blood, raises the dead girl, heals two blind men, heals a man who was mute and demonically oppressed, and finally ends with the following verses which sets up Matthew 10, where Jesus sends out the twelve.  Here are the verses - Matthew 9:35-38 NIV:

[35] "Jesus went through all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom and healing every disease and sickness. [36] When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. [37] Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. [38] Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.”

Wow, I am tired just thinking about all of these events, each of which if they happened in our close circle of friends of in our churches would be life changing!  I love that Matthew just globs a whole bunch of towns and villages and healing "every disease and sickness"  into a single sentence!  Sometimes we read such a sentence and just skim over it without recognizing the true impact of what was recorded.  Imagine if the Lord went to each and every congregation in your area, preaching about the kingdom and healing EVERY DISEASE AND SICKNESS, demonstrating that this New Kingdom did exist and was real and present!!!  Wow!  What an incredible impact He would have, certainly worth more than two lines.  However, I think this should help us to understand the immensity of the ministry of Jesus, what was life changing for a whole region was just a couple of lines in the overall story of His ministry!

He came to release healing, miracles, signs and wonders, defeat the enemy, and change the world's view of the Father!  The world has never been the same, and in light of the 2000+ years of impact, these few months of ministry, recorded here by Matthew, are indeed small.  

I am reminded of a scholarly two volume book called "Miracles, The credibility of the New Testament Accounts" by Craig S. Keener, that looks at miracles over roughly the last two generations.  His books are 884 pages long and he has nearly 300 pages of bibliographical sources and indexes.  He writes about the church around the world, alive and well and experiencing miracles, healings, raising of the dead, casting out of demons, all of which we find in this single chapter form Matthew.  His point, in short, is that not only are these accounts from likes of Matthew's Gospel believable, that these same signs and wonders are still happening in the church today!  

As amazing as Dr. Keener's recounting of these thousands of miracles and experiences of God are, he is only scratching the surface of the real move of God that is happening all around us. In spite of this unbelievable continuance of Jesus' ministry on the earth today, there remains a large portion of the worldwide population that has yet to be impacted by the touch of the Lord, by His healing, deliverance, or restoration.  The need is greater than ever before, and we are invited into the ministry field that is all around us.  We don't need to go overseas, the need is right in our own towns, villages and neighborhoods. The harvest remains plentiful and there are still not enough workers in the fields!  

Help us Lord!

Amen and Amen!

Splendid and Majestic

Yesterday early morning I had a dream where I heard two words from the Lord - Splendid and Majestic, and I am aware that I tried to remember those words the rest of the night.  However, I forgot about that dream until I was at church in worship.  I looked it up in Google and the first reference that came up was Psalm 111, specifically the Berean Translation.  Here are the verses:

"1Hallelujah!a

I will give thanks to the LORD with all my heart

in the council of the upright and in the assembly.

2Great are the works of the LORD;

they are pondered by all who delight in them.

3Splendid and majestic is His work;

His righteousness endures forever.

4He has caused His wonders to be remembered;

the LORD is gracious and compassionate.

5He provides food for those who fear Him;

He remembers His covenant forever.

6He has shown His people the power of His works

by giving them the inheritance of the nations.

7The works of His hands are truth and justice;

all His precepts are trustworthy.

8They are upheld forever and ever,

enacted in truth and uprightness.

9He has sent redemption to His people;

He has ordained His covenant forever;

holy and awesome is His name.

10The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom;

all who follow His precepts gain rich understanding.

His praise endures forever!"

(from https://biblehub.com/bsb/psalms/111.htm )

Lately we have been focused on the fear of the Lord at church, and that phrase should be understood (at least in my opinion) as understanding how much greater, how much more powerful, how much more magnificent, how much more Holy is God compared to us. 

The Psalmist calls this "fear of the Lord" the beginning of wisdom and I think that is clearly the truth.  If we believe that there is order in the world, rules and design that can be understood, and that God is the creator of this all, then understanding God, or having a right perspective of how much greater He is than man, is a good place to start.  This really was the starting point of science, trying to discover order of the world through observation and study.

In this psalm the author draws his audience's attention back to interactions the Jews had with God, as they experienced His faithful and miraculous provision, their redemption from slavery in Egypt, the wonder of the Old Covenant, etc. and in so doing actually speaks prophetically in verse nine of what was accomplished through Christ Jesus, redemption and an everlasting covenant!

While this knowledge, this understanding, this "fear of the Lord" is the beginning of wisdom, I would conjecture that it, in our recognition of Holy Spirit, should also be our guide in expanding our wisdom.  Jesus said, "But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all the truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come. He will glorify me because it is from me that he will receive what he will make known to you." (John 16:13-14 NIV).  What better guide than the Holy Spirit, and how much more should we pay attention to He who understands all things?

I am reminded of something Paul said when reflecting on the revelation of scripture compared the revelation of Christ Jesus and the Holy Spirit in his letter  2 Corinthians 3:7-11,17-18 NIV:

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

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

Our contemplation of Christ, of His splendid majesty, will bring about our transformation!

Oh Lord, hasten to release greater revelation that transforms our hearts and minds!  Help us to become more like You! 

Amen and Amen!

Love Your Enemies/Sinners?

The theme I have been thinking about this past week has been the enemies of Israel, and how we as people of the New Covenant, and Kingdom should understand them.  This is one of those studies that is complex and requires a more thorough understanding and grasp of scripture than I have.  However a few things are apparent to my untrained mind. As I have read and reflected it seems that often God uses the "enemy" nations as places or agents of discipline for His people.  It is interesting to note that God also seemed  to care about these nations as He often warned them prophetically.   Other times they were even used to provide protection and even blessing for His people. 

For example Abraham went to Egypt during a famine (Gen 12:10).  Israel went to Egypt during a famine (Gen 47:47).  Even though it ended up being a slavery situation, Israel came out with the riches of Egypt (Ex 12:35-36), having multiplied and ultimately prospered. We also see that Joseph took Jesus and Mary to Egypt to escape the threat of King Herod (Matt 2:13).  Rather than always being considered an enemy, we find that ultimately Egypt is prophetically called "my people" in Isaiah 19:23-25 NIV:

[23] "In that day there will be a highway from Egypt to Assyria. The Assyrians will go to Egypt and the Egyptians to Assyria. The Egyptians and Assyrians will worship together. [24] In that day Israel will be the third, along with Egypt and Assyria, a blessing on the earth. [25] The Lord Almighty will bless them, saying, “Blessed be Egypt my people, Assyria my handiwork, and Israel my inheritance. ”

In these passages we see God's plans for Assyria as well, even though the nation was considered an enemy of Israel.   It was warned a few times in the Old Testament (Jonah and Nahum) and while there are different kings over time, much like Israel, some good some bad, ultimately God's heart appears for them.  In the verses above there is a clear prophetic destiny of Assyria as "my handiwork".

Babylon appears often as an enemy nation, and the Jews were sent into exile there.  It is an interesting study in that Daniel was written in Babylon, Ezra and Nehemiah are written about the restoration of the Jews to Jerusalem from Babylon and went with riches provided by the people of Babylon (Ezra 1:6-7).  In the book of the prophet Jeremiah God spoke to His people and told them to pray for prosperity while in Babylon. Here are those verses - Jeremiah 29:4-7 NIV:

[4] "This is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says to all those I carried into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon: [5] “Build houses and settle down; plant gardens and eat what they produce. [6] Marry and have sons and daughters; find wives for your sons and give your daughters in marriage, so that they too may have sons and daughters. Increase in number there; do not decrease. [7] Also, seek the peace and prosperity of the city to which I have carried you into exile. Pray to the Lord for it, because if it prospers, you too will prosper.”

I find that there are those who often would prefer to gravitate to the black and white ideas where enemies are enemies, and those verses where God calls for the destruction of enemies, but to do so one must ignore much of the scriptural record, for there is more to scripture than just the Old Testament and prophecies about destruction of enemies.  God doesn't think or act like humans (Is 55:8-9) and His perspective is clearly more complex.  If God really hated these nations, one would think He wouldn't send prophets to warn them, or speak about prophetic destiny as His people.  He wouldn't give them a chance to repent like He did through Jonah.  In fact Jonah was angry after Nineveh repented, he wanted God to destroy them, not relent because of their changed heart (Jonah 4:1-2). 

In our present day, we can tend to equate "sin" and "sinners" with these Old Testament enemies, and can embrace Jonah's mindset, but this is just not accurate portrayal of how we should act or think.  Jesus said He was sent to these very people - Luke 5:31-32 NIV:  "Jesus answered them, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. [32] I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.”

Secondly in the New Testament, it is clear that all nations are meant to be blessed and invited into the Kingdom of God (Mark 13:10;  Matt 28:19; Luke 24:47).  Jesus specifically talked about His Father's attitude towards all nations, good and bad, even those considered enemies. This is what Jesus said in Matthew 5:43-48 NIV:

[43] “You have heard that it was said, 'Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.' [44] But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, [45] that you may be children of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. [46] If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? [47] And if you greet only your own people, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that? [48] Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect."

Clearly the call is not to call down judgment on sinners or even enemies, but rather to love and pray for them.  Again God's perspective is so much wider than we commonly understand.  If the early Church took those words of Jesus to heart, they would have been praying for a certain individual named Saul who was leading the persecution against them.  Paul (formerly Saul) had a very interesting perspective about his life as a "sinner" that he shared in 1 Timothy 1:15-17 NIV: 

[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."

Oh, that we as the church would learn to walk in love for all!  Oh, that we would pray for all that don't know the Lord, even those that persecute us, rather than calling down judgment upon them!  Oh, that we would open wide our arms and invite them into relationship!  Oh, that we would be good representatives as children of our Father in Heaven! Oh, that we would understand that our salvation and redemption brings Glory to the Lord, for we were and are sinners,  and yet are given the gift of eternal life through Jesus! 

Oh lord, help us all!

Violence and the Kingdom of Heaven

The last few days I have been reflecting on the following verses  trying to understand them better.  Matthew 11:12-19 NIV:

[12] "From the days of John the Baptist until now, the kingdom of heaven has been subjected to violence, and violent people have been raiding it. [13] For all the Prophets and the Law prophesied until John. [14] And if you are willing to accept it, he is the Elijah who was to come. [15] Whoever has ears, let them hear. 

[16] “To what can I compare this generation? They are like children sitting in the marketplaces and calling out to others: [17] “ 'We played the pipe for you, and you did not dance; we sang a dirge, and you did not mourn.' 

[18] For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, 'He has a demon.' [19] The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, 'Here is a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners.' But wisdom is proved right by her deeds.”

These are such an interesting few verses, and I think somewhat troubling, as we don't think of the Kingdom of Heaven and violence together.  I studied the original Greek and it is talking about violence, and taking things by force.  I was letting these words bounce around a bit, and it seems to me the following is true.

1) From the time of John the Baptist, indicates the season they were in, and his primary message was one of preparation for the Messiah, and the repentance for sins.  Both of these were jarring to the senses and status quo that had developed over the last 300 years of prophetic silence.  The Jewish world would never be the same

2) Jesus came into this scene and started to perform miracles, signs and wonders, as noted in some of the previous verses, clearly demonstrating a Messianic ministry, as prophesied by Isaiah.  This too was a radical change to the status quo, their understanding of how God was working in their days. Their sense of God's ways was being completely rewritten.

3) Lastly, Jesus came to destroy the works of the evil one (1 John 3:8), and the miracles, healings, and deliverances were clearly doing that very thing.  In the spiritual realm He was violently confronting and destroying those things that stole life, liberty and freedom, and kept people shackled and chained, the very works of the enemy.  The world was completely changed!

All of these represent a radical shift in the status quo, and in the understanding of God!  It might not seem violent, but it was absolutely destroying centuries of thought and ideations.  

The other bit that was interesting in these verses was that Jesus indicated that people didn't receive Him because He didn't act the way they wanted.  One wonders how much of that is still true today?  Do we reject the things of God because we don't like the ways He does things?  We want a God that dances to our tunes, not the other way around.  They called John demonized because he was zealous for God and lived a fasted lifestyle.  They called Jesus a drunkard and glutton because He clearly both ate and drank, and hung out with sinners.  They wanted someone who followed their rules and fit into their preconceived notions of decorum and didn't push them out of their comfort.  

Finally, the idea of the Kingdom of Heaven advancing through the violence of violent men, aggressive in confronting the works of the evil one, rescuing and redeeming people from the kingdom of darkness, seems an interesting image, sometimes even at odds with the picture in our mind of a peaceful and gentle Gospel of love. However, in the spiritual realm this is exactly what is happening!  The Lord, in His love for us, has made a way through His power released by the Holy Spirit to set us free from all that binds us!  The rescue of a soul from the kingdom of darkness, from the power of sin and death is a mighty victory!  Any time we choose to embrace God's plan, to lay down our own life and daily take up our cross is a mighty victory!  Anytime someone is healed, delivered, restored, or even repentant is a great victory!  

Let us celebrate the Kingdom of Heaven advancing violently against the kingdom of darkness!  Let us embrace our God who is unlike us, and yet become one of us to set us free, to restore and heal us!  Let us proclaim this victory in our daily lives as we embrace His will, purpose and plan for our lives!  Let us love one another as He loved us!

Amen and Amen!

"Go" When Belief Becomes Faith

This morning I was reading the following verses - John 4:45-53 NIV:

[45] "When he arrived in Galilee, the Galileans welcomed him. They had seen all that he had done in Jerusalem at the Passover Festival, for they also had been there. 

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

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

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

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

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

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

I do like this story for a few reasons. First, the man was desperate enough to track Jesus down, and travel 20 miles to do so.  This was not as trivial an effort, as John makes it seem.  Secondly, Jesus seems to confront the man and challenge his beliefs, but the man just totally ignores the challenge and repeats his request.  His request is full of expectation and belief, but he wasn't there to talk about that, his son was sick and close to death!  

I am so appreciative of Jesus' understanding and dealing with the man and his concern.  He didn't chastise him, didn't question him, didn't require anything of him, these are all things that we can be told by religion  that are necessary, instead He tells the man His son will live.  That statement is enough for the man, and he "takes Jesus at his word" even though we don't really see evidence of Jesus healing from a distance previously!  In this case the son was 20 miles away.  In confirmation of his faith in Jesus the man departed.

I was just noticing something, Jesus healed the boy at 1pm, and a 20 mile journey was a whole day's journey, if by foot.  We don't know for sure that the man went to Jesus on foot, but if He did that meant he left very, very early, or even the day before.  Since a horse could make that journey in 5 hours, its possible that he left first thing in the morning, but then he should have been able to complete the trip back home that same day... so I think walking was his likely mode.  We don't know much else, but I can conjecture, that his trip to Jesus was as fast as he could go, and that his return trip was less so, for a peace had settled over him on Jesus proclamation.

There have been times where I knew the Lord was moving, where I had some promise, some faith-filled knowledge that the Lord was going to move, and I can say, peace does accompany that knowledge.  I usually don't know exactly how He is going to move, but the knowledge that He will and that He is good is enough.  I then spend the following days in excited anticipation and I am sure there was some of that in the man's heart, and the statement by his servants confirmed his belief, and his whole household was impacted.  

I was just looking back at John's recording of the story, and I wonder if the "Go" was doubly effective?  I wonder if Jesus was commanding the fever, and at the same time giving direction to the man?  If so, one would think that people felt the authority of that single word, for the command of Jesus is world changing!  

Finally, I was thinking again about Jesus and His willingness to be interrupted.  He was clearly teaching or ministering, for there seems to have been people around him when the man found him.  The Lord is never too busy for us, for our pleas, our prayers, our needs. He is about many things, but He is never bothered by us.  He might not respond the way we think (clearly in this case the man thought He would come with him) He should, but He will respond, sometimes in ways that completely change our experience of Him.  He is always the creator, and always creating and creative.  He does care about our concerns, our family members, our children, and our households.

Thank You Lord for Your word and attention!

Amen and Amen!

Does God Care About Sin? Part 2

On Sunday during worship I happened to be thinking about a recent reflection on sin, which was titled "Does God Care About Sin?" (Link to it here: https://amomentwithgod-srh.blogspot.com/2023/03/does-god-care-about-sin.html ) As I was thinking more about that I realized that I needed to spend some time considering the other side of that topic, the flip-side of that coin. 

I will start with a single verse from Paul's letter to the Romans 4:25 NIV:  "He was delivered over to death for our sins and was raised to life for our justification."

One could say that God cared so much about sin, that Jesus came and died for the sins of all!  He gave the most valuable life of all time, as a sacrifice to take away our sins.  That is how much He cares about sin!  His death was an eternal event, paying forward for all the sins committed in the future, as well as the sins in the past,  once and for all paying the ultimate price.  

Peter wrote the following -  "For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God. He was put to death in the body but made alive in the Spirit." ( 1 Peter 3:18 NIV)  Originally it was sin that caused the separation between God and men and women, according to Genesis.  We were created to be in relationship with God, and our sin caused us to break that relationship, and Jesus in coming to earth and paying for even that sin, restored to us the opportunity to once more live in relationship with God.   

Continuing that theme, John writes that the following - "The one who does what is sinful is of the devil, because the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the devil's work." ( 1 John 3:8 NIV ).  One could say that ultimately the sin is the devil's work, and Jesus destroyed its affect on us.

According to the Old Testament model, sin was cleansed and forgiven through the shedding of blood.  The author of Hebrews wrote,  "In fact, the law requires that nearly everything be cleansed with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness. ( Hebrews 9:22 NIV)  The following verses are a beautiful litany of how Jesus' blood cleanses us of our sin.

Ephesians 1:7 NIV:  "In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God's grace..."

Romans 5:9 NIV:  "Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved from God's wrath through him!"

1 John 1:7 NIV:  "But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin."

Revelation 1:5 NIV: ... "and from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth. To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood,"

Jesus' most precious blood was poured out for our sins, and by His blood we are washed clean!  He bled and died for love of us!  He desired to set us free form the power of sin and death, and sacrificed Himself to do so!  Now through Him, and through His blood we are forgiven and restored to relationship, should we choose to accept His salvation, the greatest gift ever given.  

God cares greatly about our sins, so much so that He made the greatest sacrifice in eternity to set us free!  I am wholly unable to fully present the wonderfulness of what God did in paying for our sins, and cleansing us with Jesus' blood.  There are whole books written about the Precious Blood of Jesus, one quote I came across was penned by Frederick Faber in his book, "The Precious Blood: or the Price of Our Salvation"

"But who can estimate the wonderfulness of such a gift ? It is the Blood of God. It is not the giving to us of new hearts, or of immensely increased powers, or of the ability to work miracles and raise the dead. It is not the bestowing upon us of angelic natures. It is something of far greater price than all this would be. It is the Blood of God. It is the created life of the Uncreated. It is a human fountain opened as it were in the very centre of the Divine Nature. It is a finite thing, with a known origin and an ascertained date, of a price as infinite as the Divine Person who has assumed it. To us creatures the adorable majesty of the Undivided Trinity is an inexhaustible treasure-house of gifts. They are poured out upon us in the most lavish prodigality, and with the most affecting display of love. They are beautiful beyond compare; and they are endlessly diversified, yet endlessly adapted to the singularities of each heart and soul. Yet what gift do the Divine Persons give us, which has more of their own sweetness in it, than the Precious Blood ? It has in it that yearning and tenderness which belong to the power of the Father, that magnificent prodigality which marks the wisdom of the Son, and that refreshing fire which characterizes the love of the Holy Ghost. It is also a revelation to us of the character of God. Nothing on earth tells us so much of him, or tells it so plainly and so endearingly."

His blood is the price He was willing to pay for forgiveness of our sins, washing us clean that we might be restored to fellowship with Him. Upon His death on the Cross the veil in the Temple, that which separated the sinful from the Pure and Holy One was torn in two (Matt 27:51), and a way was made open!  

In closing, we have this great encouragement from the letter to the Hebrews 10:19-23 NIV:

[19] "Therefore, brothers and sisters, since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus, [20] by a new and living way opened for us through the curtain, that is, his body, [21] and since we have a great priest over the house of God, [22] let us draw near to God with a sincere heart and with the full assurance that faith brings, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water. [23] Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful."

Amen and Amen!

Does God Care About Sin?

This morning, and recently, I have been reflecting on sin.  I assume that this is not the usual thing to reflect on for most, but the Lord has been peeling the onion, so to say, on this topic for several years.  I wrote a decently lengthy personal reflection on sin in my journal yesterday, and felt compelled to visit that topic once again this morning.  I am starting by reviewing the number of times that the word "sin" or "sinners"  or "sinned"  appears in the Gospels.  By  my count, in my NIV translation, sin is mentioned the following number of times:

Matthew:  17

Mark:  14

Luke:  32

John:  22

In a very quick review the majority of times this word appeared Jesus was either forgiving someone for their sins, which caused quite a stir among the Pharisees and Sadducees, or it was in the word "sinners" describing people who had been so labeled by others (tax collectors, women of ill repute, etc.).  Jesus rarely spoke about the subject, other than at His sermon on the mount (See Matthew 5 - 7 for the most extensive version).  At this sermon Jesus effectively changed the definition of sin, from the list of outward actions to include inner thoughts and attitudes.  I am sure that this must have been very troubling for the Pharisees and teachers of the Law who had a list of some 600+ laws, which defined what was sin, and what was not sin.  

Here are a couple of examples that Jesus gave during this sermon (in this sermon He doesn't use the word very often) - Matthew 5:21-22,27-28 NIV:

[21] “You have heard that it was said to the people long ago, 'You shall not murder, and anyone who murders will be subject to judgment.' [22] But I tell you that anyone who is angry with a brother or sister will be subject to judgment. Again, anyone who says to a brother or sister, 'Raca,' is answerable to the court. And anyone who says, 'You fool!' will be in danger of the fire of hell. 

[27] “You have heard that it was said, 'You shall not commit adultery.' [28] But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart."

These are a few great examples of how the Lord greatly expanded their definitions of sin, and what was going to be judged - not just murder, but anger with another, calling someone a fool, or "raca" which means looking on another with contempt, and even looking at someone lustfully.  All of these would be under the same judgment as the actual act like murder or adultery. 

This great expansion of definition of sin seems to be rarely preached about (at least in my years of attending church).  It certainly would not be a popular sermon topic, especially if we are wanting to encourage our congregation.  The good news is that the Gospel is not a list of things we can't do, or a list of coming judgments, it is an invitation to relationship with the one who has paid the price for ALL our sins, the one who offers forgiveness, mercy, compassion and love to those that come with bowed head and bowed knee, expressing their need for a Lord, and savior, and asking forgiveness for sins.

His sermon {mentioned above) ends with stories and revelation about the Father, and the encouragement and invitation to pursue Him and His Kingdom. Here are a few verses from the end of His sermon - Matthew 7:7-11 NIV:

[7] “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. [8] For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened. [9] “Which of you, if your son asks for bread, will give him a stone? [10] Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? [11] If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!"

Going back to my original theme, the question should be what is sin? We hear sin mentioned quite often in our churches, and some churches spend much of their time preaching about sin and the need to live righteous (sin-free) lives.  The Greek word that is translated sin is the word hamartia and Strong's provides the following word helps - 

266 hamartía (a feminine noun derived from 1 /A "not" and 3313 /méros, "a part, share of") – properly, no-share ("no part of"); loss (forfeiture) because not hitting the target; sin (missing the mark).

266 /hamartía ("sin, forfeiture because missing the mark") is the brand of sin that emphasizes its self-originated (self-empowered) nature – i.e. it is not originated or empowered by God (i.e. not of faith, His inworked persuasion, cf. Ro 14:23).

If we think of this word in usage at an archery tournament, this would be those that did not win a prize.  They shot, maybe even well, but still missed the mark more that others.  A miss of 1 inch and a miss of three feet are still misses.  The word helps above are helpful in defining sin, and how it should be understood.  If we want write up a list, it must include all the possible definitions of Jesus' to be helpful, and with the perspective I laid out above.`

I am confident this idea and definition and working understanding of sin would not be welcome in many churches, as it is seen as too lenient, or too hard to police.  A few common threads in many online posts about sin, are that we must not grow soft in our presentation of what sin is; we must call sin, sin; we must call each other to obedience that we might avert judgment.  The problem with all of this is who has the actual full list of sins?  Jesus took the actual acts and added to them sins of intent and thought (looking lustfully at another), sins of anger; sins of judging others as contemptible, even sins of calling another names.    All of these fall easily in the definition of missing the mark, but they are hard to to completely define and it is difficult to list every possible iteration of said area. 

The whole idea of constantly focusing on "acts" or even the motives of sin, is that this won't actually help us with salvation, or even representing the Lord.  Going back to the archery analogy, if you aren't constantly aiming at the bullseye, you aren't going to be able to hit it.  Focusing on the areas where your arrows keep missing, will not help you hit the target.  We need to be focused on the Lord, focused on our relationship with Him, and in that relationship we will find the help we need to become more like Him.  Righteousness without relationship to the Lord is worthless in an eternal perspective. 

I have heard that our sin causes the Lord to withdraw from us, causes His presence to leave, as there is no sin, no darkness with the Lord at all (1 john 1:5).  While this seems logical, what we are saying is that sin has power over the presence of the Lord!  If not that, then we are saying that God's hatred of sin is greater than His love us.  Neither of those statements is true!  In fact, Jesus demonstrated the absolute fallaciousness of those lines of thinking, by coming to a sinful world, because of His love for us (John 3:16-17), and paying the price for all our sins.  He defeated sin, and restored relationship with the Father!  

I have this belief that God is not actually that concerned about sin.  That is a shocking statement to some I am sure, however, lets look at the facts.  

Jesus paid for all our sins on the cross. 1 Cor 15:3

He defeated sin on the cross. 1Cor 15:55-56

He has set us free from the Law.  Rom 8:2

He has hidden us in Him, where sin does not exist.  Col 3:3

He has given us His righteousness.  Rom 3:22

We have been redeemed.  Eph 1:7

If all of this is true, why would the Lord be concerned about that which He defeated, paid for and does not have any power over Him?  I think His main concern regarding sin is the pain we receive from it, and the pain we cause others through sin.  He desires so much more for us.   

So, rather than focusing on sin, and our misses, let us focus more on Jesus!  Let us stop looking at the list and start looking at Him.  Let us set our hearts to unite ourselves to Him, becoming like Him to the best of our ability.  Let us press onward, forgetting what is behind us, pursuing the One who loves and pursues us.  I am reminded of Paul's eloquent prayer and encouragement found in Philippians 3:7-14 NIV:

[7] "But whatever were gains to me I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. [8] What is more, I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them garbage, that I may gain Christ [9] and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ---the righteousness that comes from God on the basis of faith. [10] I want to know Christ---yes, to know the power of his resurrection and participation in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, [11] and so, somehow, attaining to the resurrection from the dead." 

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

Amen and Amen!

The Power of The Cross

This morning I am reflecting on several verses from Paul's first letter to the church in Corinth.  He starts out the letter with a nice greeting and then gets right into the first concern he has which is division in the church and how that was compromising the message of the Gospel, and the power of the Cross.  I included several verses for context - 1 Corinthians 1:10-25 NIV:

[10] "I appeal to you, brothers and sisters, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree with one another in what you say and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be perfectly united in mind and thought. [11] My brothers and sisters, some from Chloe's household have informed me that there are quarrels among you. [12] What I mean is this: One of you says, “I follow Paul”; another, “I follow Apollos”; another, “I follow Cephas ”; still another, “I follow Christ.” 

[13] Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Were you baptized in the name of Paul? [14] I thank God that I did not baptize any of you except Crispus and Gaius, [15] so no one can say that you were baptized in my name. [16] (Yes, I also baptized the household of Stephanas; beyond that, I don't remember if I baptized anyone else.) [17] For Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel---not with wisdom and eloquence, lest the cross of Christ be emptied of its power. 

[18] For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. [19] For it is written: “I will destroy the wisdom of the wise; the intelligence of the intelligent I will frustrate.” 

[20] Where is the wise person? Where is the teacher of the law? Where is the philosopher of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? [21] For since in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom did not know him, God was pleased through the foolishness of what was preached to save those who believe. [22] Jews demand signs and Greeks look for wisdom, [23] but we preach Christ crucified: a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles, [24] but to those whom God has called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. [25] For the foolishness of God is wiser than human wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than human strength."

What grabbed my attention first was the statement Paul makes about his preaching the gospel, "not with wisdom and eloquence, lest the cross of Christ be emptied of its power."  When I read that, my mind immediately started wondering when was the last time I heard someone speaking about the power of the Cross, and consciously ministering in the power of the Cross?  

Verses 18-25 are such a welcome confrontation of our earthly mindsets, even our religious expectations.  One of the ideas I have been reflecting on of late is how God's revelation and representation in Christ Jesus is so outside what we, as humans would expect.  

We tend to think that if the God of the Universes was present He would demonstrate that through awesome signs of power, might and majesty!  Instead we read of Jesus who was the very Son of God, hidden from the worlds view for the first 30 years of his life, ministered for about three years, and mostly never sought the limelight, power or political alignment!  He was humble and gentle, merciful, compassionate and forgiving.  He did do many miracles, healings, signs and wonders, even raising the dead, but the majority of the time he was in some remote area, and often told the person He healed to go and tell know one.  There was no arriving on the scene in some powerful display  and demanding to be taken to the leaders!  Then incredibly, He allows Himself to be captured, beaten and crucified on the cross.  What god in any of the different mythologies (human ideas of what god's act like) ever did something similar? 

Going back to Paul, He writes that it was "in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom did not know him" (Christ Jesus as Messiah). This is such an interesting statement about the intent of God, and the mind of God.  In other words, God planned it this way!  The Gospel, as Paul writes is foolishness to man.  It does not make sense; it is not the way we would do it; it is not a story man would create!  I am so often reminded of God's statement made in Isaiah 55:8-9 NIV: “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the Lord. [9] “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts."

Last night we were watching videos of the Ashbury Revival, I must admit I was a bit underwhelmed initially.  The videos showed a bunch of unpolished students singing songs of worship.  The crowd though large for the venue wasn't impressive, there were no spectacular signs or wonders evident on camera, but there was a peace evident, there was affection for Jesus, there was clearly a gentle and loving experience of God.  This is such a great example of how the Lord operates and how He reveals Himself.  It is not what we think, yet when you read the accounts of those present they clearly experienced the love of God in ways they hadn't before!  

This IS one example of the power of the Cross.  Jesus, opened the way to God, through His death on the Cross.  He paid for our debts, took our punishment upon Himself, and restored the opportunity for relationship with the Father to us all.  He saved us, not through victory on a great intergalactic battlefield, but rather through humility and self-sacrifice.  His victory is the greatest victory of all time, for He now has all authority and all power, and sits exalted above every other being, and yet He reveals Himself to us in love, mercy, compassion, forgiveness and peace.  We struggle to comprehend this all, to make sense of this,  and Paul captures this all quite concisely in the verses quoted above.

My prayer today is that I might more fully comprehend the Power of the Cross, the Wisdom of God demonstrated through Christ Jesus!  My prayer is that we might embrace this "foolish" message, and not try to add some human "flash" to it, to make it fit our limited minds and expectations.  Let us pray for a greater revelation in the Church of "Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God."  I pray that as we approach the celebration of Easter, that we would not miss the message of the Cross, for to us who believe it is "the power of God".

Amen and Amen!

Admonishment or Correction?

This morning I felt led to reflect on Colossians 3, which is really a wonderful chapter talking about our duality, our life here  and our life hidden in Christ.  One could spend the rest of their life trying to fully comprehend the first few verses of this chapter.  However, my mind was drawn to a verse later in the chapter, here are the surrounding verses - Colossians 3:12-17 NIV:

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

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

Specifically, I am reflecting on verse 16, and my first question was what Greek word was translated admonish?  When I read that word it always seems corrective and not necessarily in a welcome way. The actual Greek word used is  nouthetéō  and this note is from Strong's Concordance and Word Helps.  "("admonish through instruction") especially appeals to the mind, supplying doctrinal and spiritual substance (content). This "exerts positive pressure" on someone's logic (reasoning), i.e. urging them to choose (turn to) God's best.  [This root (nouthe-) does not strictly mean "chastise," though this can be involved – i.e. with needed admonishing, correcting, exhortation, etc.] "  The Greek word actually is a composite word from 3563 /noús, "mind" and 5087 /títhēmi, "to place"  In other words to bring a mind to a place (through reasoning).

I think this is helpful, in a pastoral sense.  Sometimes we can feel like we need to correct people, and can do so by demanding obedience, and here Paul is urging a more educational encouragement, helping people see where they are and where they need to get to.  This is really what repentance is about, someone recognizing their need to change and then choosing to change.  

Sometimes the church falls into  a more coercive approach, but this is clearly not Paul' heart here, for forcing someone to change behaviour does not bring about true repentance.  While repentance is recognizing that changing the way one thinks is needed, and then acting on that change, coercion does not appear to cause true repentance.  What does happen is people change the way they think about the coercer and they change their behaviour because they don't want to suffer the consequences.  They have changed their behaviour out of fear of punishment.  They don't choose to change because of recognizing a misalignment of heart and thought, they change behaviour because of fear, but their original thinking towards the subject is unchanged. 

As I look back at these verses, verses 15 and 16 cannot understood outside of the context of verses 12-14.  Our approach to one another must be kind, gentle, humble, patient and loving, and bring about peace, thankfulness and unity. 

The church has at times lost a focus on the invitation of love and relationship with the Lord, and made the message one of fearing the outcome of bad and sinful behaviour, namely hell, and God's judgment.  I am quite convinced that Jesus primary mission was to represent to the world what the Father was really like, and He did so by speaking of the Kingdom of God and then demonstrating that Kingdom through healings, miracles, signs and wonders, forgiveness, casting out demons, and raising the dead.  The Kingdom reality flows directly from the rule and character of the King, in this case God, and while Jesus did provide warnings, His primary message was one of relationship, restoration, and God's love for us all. 

I am reminded of a couple of different sections of scripture, but in an effort towards brevity, I won't include all the verses.  First, I am reminded of Matthew Chapters 5-7 which is titled the sermon on the Mount, and thought of as the best description of the Kingdom principles, some even calling it the constitution of the Kingdom of God. In several verses Jesus reveals the character of the Father such as Matthew 7:9-12 NIV: “Which of you, if your son asks for bread, will give him a stone? [10] Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? [11] If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him! [12] So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets."

The second set of verses that immediately comes to mind contains one of the most frequently quoted verses - John 3:16-17 NIV: 'For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. [17] For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him."  The Father is inviting us to embrace this loving invitation, that we might experience salvation and redemption, and eternal life.

This morning I am encouraged to look at my life, at the way I represent the Lord, and to consider if and how my life leads others toward Him.  Do I  clothe myself with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience?  Do I represent and demonstrate forgiveness in the same way I have been forgiven?  Do I clothe myself in love at all times?  Is my approach to brothers and sisters encouraging, and enlightening?  Do I embrace repentance in my own life, seeing the opportunity to adjust my thinking and my actions, and embracing that opportunity as an invitation from the Lord to become more like Him? 

Lord help me to represent You more faithfully in my life! 

Amen and Amen!

When God Visits

This morning I have been thinking a little about the Ashbury Revival that is happening right now in North Central Kentucky.  I felt led to turn to Romans 9, where Paul is writing about his heart for the Jews, for his people.  He is reflecting on how they could be missing the blessing of the Messiah.  I am going to quote the whole section, to verse 16, where Paul writes a very important fact - here are the verses: Romans 9:1-16 NIV:

[1] "I speak the truth in Christ---I am not lying, my conscience confirms it through the Holy Spirit--- [2] I have great sorrow and unceasing anguish in my heart. [3] For I could wish that I myself were cursed and cut off from Christ for the sake of my people, those of my own race, [4] the people of Israel. Theirs is the adoption to sonship; theirs the divine glory, the covenants, the receiving of the law, the temple worship and the promises. [5] Theirs are the patriarchs, and from them is traced the human ancestry of the Messiah, who is God over all, forever praised! Amen. 

[6] It is not as though God's word had failed. For not all who are descended from Israel are Israel. [7] Nor because they are his descendants are they all Abraham's children. On the contrary, “It is through Isaac that your offspring will be reckoned.” [8] In other words, it is not the children by physical descent who are God's children, but it is the children of the promise who are regarded as Abraham's offspring. [9] For this was how the promise was stated: “At the appointed time I will return, and Sarah will have a son.” 

[10] Not only that, but Rebekah's children were conceived at the same time by our father Isaac. [11] Yet, before the twins were born or had done anything good or bad---in order that God's purpose in election might stand: [12] not by works but by him who calls---she was told, “The older will serve the younger.” [13] Just as it is written: “Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated.” 

[14] What then shall we say? Is God unjust? Not at all! [15] For he says to Moses, “I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion.” 

[16] It does not, therefore, depend on human desire or effort, but on God's mercy."

Paul uncovers, just a bit, the mystery of God and His ways.  We are desirous of God's presence, we pray for God's presence, we sing and we worship and do our best to be obedient, and all of that is right and good.  Many of us desire to see God move in our countries, in our churches, in our own lives.  The cries of the church, of God's sons and daughters go up to heaven constantly!  

Here in Kansas City we have the International House of Prayer, where for the past 20+ Years prayer, intercession and worship has been poured out 7x24x365!  History is full of people who have spent their lives crying out to the Lord.  Millions if not billions of people experience God's touch and presence in their daily lives, through prayer, worship and intercession.  We see and feel God move over and over in our lives.  

Yet, occasionally God, in His sovereign plan, decides to visit a certain place, in time, with a more significant experience of His presence, and as Paul writes, it is not dependent on our human desire or effort, but upon God's mercy!  

The student of Ashbury were not more desirous, or more holy than the millions and billions of other Christians who are crying out!  They didn't have a better worship set, better prayer times, or more dedicated obedience to the Lord!  They didn't desire God's move more than the rest of us!  God sovereignly chose this time and this place, in His perfect plan, and in His Mercy and Love visited their gathering.  

Thousands are flocking to Ashbury to experience this move of God and that is awesome.  What is equally awesome is that many of them will bring this experience back to their home churches and gatherings.  The move of the Holy Spirit is at times contagious and is transported from place to place in the hearts of His sons and daughters.  We see this over and over in the many revivals that have swept across lands and countries.  

We can and should be encouraged by what is happening!   We can and should be sending people to the revival in the hopes that they would carry back a Holy Spirit infection that spreads revival to our churches and gatherings.  We must resist the temptation to try through human effort or fleshly desire to whip up God's visitation through our own effort, for that is not how He works.  Let us pray for God's mercy and compassion to wash over our churches, our cities and our countries!  He is a good and sovereign God who desires all to be saved (1 Tim 2:4).

Amen and Amen! 

Remembering, Understanding and Faith: Looking Backwards Then Forwards

Yesterday I was reading some verses that were strange in Ezekiel 20:25-26.  They seemed to say that God gave the rebellious tribes bad laws and statutes, even allowed them to sacrifice their children.  This is a great example of why you can't take verses out of context, and must read Old Testament through the grid of understanding we now have through Christ and the New Testament.

I was just thinking that this is essentially like watching a movie and seeing a flashback scene that is best understood in hindsight. In this case, the later provides the key for understanding the earlier.

In many ways this is what we see in our own faith walk, we have clearer vision and understanding as we look back at our life. Faith is looking forward, and sometimes understanding comes from looking backwards.  We are called to look backwards to remember and then to look forward in faith and belief, understanding God's faithfulness, His ability to move and trusting that He will do so again.  

The Lord had the Israelites build monuments at critical junctures and locations in their journey, and they were meant to remind future generations of what God had done.  A great example is found in Joshua 4:4-7 NIV:

[4] "So Joshua called together the twelve men he had appointed from the Israelites, one from each tribe, [5] and said to them, “Go over before the ark of the Lord your God into the middle of the Jordan. Each of you is to take up a stone on his shoulder, according to the number of the tribes of the Israelites, [6] to serve as a sign among you. In the future, when your children ask you, 'What do these stones mean?' [7] tell them that the flow of the Jordan was cut off before the ark of the covenant of the Lord. When it crossed the Jordan, the waters of the Jordan were cut off. These stones are to be a memorial to the people of Israel forever.”

They were meant to be a memorial, in other words to call to memory.  God intended the people of Israel to learn from their history with Him.  Unfortunately, they rarely did so.

The whole of Ezekiel 20 is God providing an account of how despite many chances, many interventions, and many bad decisions by the people, God continued to reach out to the Israelites, and they continued to choose wrongly.   He continues on in Ezekiel 20:25-26 NIV:  So I gave them other statutes that were not good and laws through which they could not live; [26] I defiled them through their gifts---the sacrifice of every firstborn---that I might fill them with horror so they would know that I am the Lord. ' 

However, verses 25 and 26 must be understood in light of Romans 1:21-25 NIV:

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

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

What was clearly "missing" in the verses from Ezekiel is the phrase "over to", in other words allowed for free will.  He gave them clear directions, but they chose another path, and God allowed them to do so.  This is no different then the story of Adam and Eve, and our own story for that matter.  We must all have the ability to choose for sin to be possible.  God allows us to choose, for it is the only way to actually have faith.  We have faith defined for us in Hebrews 11:1 NIV:

"Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see." 

A computer program does not have faith, if only operates on the commands given it, in the same way a robot follows the exact commands it is given.  If we can only do what we are commanded, we are similar.  The ability to think, consider, hope, and then choose is absolutely key to our faith.  

In light of the verses from Ezekiel, God had clearly told the Israelites over and over what would happen if they rebelled. He warned them over and over and told them the other path was not good, did not lead to life, and would defile them.  These two verses represent a whole history, and clearly God allowed them to choose over and over again.  God did not suddenly give them new "false" laws and statues that wouldn't lead them to life, or suddenly command them to sacrifice their first born. He gave them the choice, and they chose poorly.

Today, as everyday, we are given the same choices, follow God and have faith in Him, or choose our own path.  We have he opportunity to look back at our life, to witness God's faithfulness and then to look forward into the unknown with hope and assurance that God will indeed guide us and be with us!  We don't know exactly how He will do it, nor when, but we have faith the He will.  I think this is one of the reasons Jesus always seemed to heal differently, so that we had to depend on Holy Spirit every time, otherwise faith is not really needed.

This morning I am encouraged that God does want us to learn form our History!  He wants us to look backwards and gain understanding, remembering how He moved, and then look forward into the future, trusting Him, believing in Him, having faith in Him.  He wants sons and daughters who have chosen Him, in love.  He wants us to choose wisely.  He gives us all the same choice!

I am reminded of a few verses from Paul's first letter to (1 )Timothy 2:1-6 NIV:

[1] "I urge, then, first of all, that petitions, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for all people--- [2] for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. [3] This is good, and pleases God our Savior, [4] who wants all people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth. [5] For there is one God and one mediator between God and mankind, the man Christ Jesus, [6] who gave himself as a ransom for all people. This has now been witnessed to at the proper time."

He has made the way, it is our choice now.  I for one, am choosing to learn from my history, and I am looking forward in faith! 

Amen!

Friendship With God?

The theme of 'Friendship with God" is my point of reflection this morning.  The first thing I think about is Moses, of whom it was said, "The Lord would speak to Moses face to face, as one speaks to a friend. Then Moses would return to the camp, but his young aide Joshua son of Nun did not leave the tent." (Exodus 33:11 NIV).  I guess we could say that the quality of relationship, and specifically communication, is key to friendship.  

Jesus, in a similar exchange promoted the Apostles form servants to friends in John 15:13-15 NIV:

[13] "Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one's life for one's friends. [14] You are my friends if you do what I command. [15] I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master's business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you."

Again, we see a level of intimacy and communication that seems to be the defining characteristic of friendship with the Lord!  In the verses from John, Jesus continues on and talks about how He chose them, and clearly Moses was chosen by God as well, so we could say that friendship with God in initiated by Him.  I am reminded of some significant verses from Paul from his letter to the Ephesians, saying that God,  "chose us in Him before the creation of the world" (Eph 1:4 NIV). This choosing is indicative of His desire for relationship.  Jesus finished his discourse to the Apostles found in John 15-17 with the following statement, speaking about the Father - John 17:26 NIV:  "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.”

Clearly to have relationship and friendship with anyone, whether speaking about God or another person, there must be communication.  All of these verses speak of personal communication, and it is always two-way communication.  I was doing a quick bit of research about friendship as it is defined in the Bible and came upon this quote, which I thought was helpful.  "In both Testaments the ideas of friend and friendship involve three components: association, loyalty, and affection. There are also three levels of meaning: friendship as association only; friendship as association plus loyalty; and friendship as association plus loyalty plus affection." ( Https://www.biblestudytools.com/dictionary/friend-friendship/).  

I believe that this is the invitation we all have, in the Lord, to real friendship, to experience a two-way relationship that is defined by association, loyalty and affection.  For this to be true, we must be able to offer to the Lord these qualities, and experience them back from Him. 

Wow, that really made me stop and think.

Have I offered these things in my pursuit of Him?  

Have I been found near Him?  

Do I like to hang out with Him?  

Do I act like Him?

Have I been loyal to Him?  Even when I haven't understood, or questioned Him?

Has He been the object of my affection?

I also stopped to reflect on whether I have experienced these from the Lord?  

Does He associate with me?  How have I experienced that?

Is He loyal and faithful to me?  When can I say that I have encountered Him in this way?

Has He expressed affection for me?  How does He do this, how does He show affection?

I could write at length about each of these questions, but this morning I am just going to leave them as questions.  I want to let these percolate in my heart and mind today, causing me to bring to remembrance my interactions and experiences with Him, as well as my own actions and words.

I want to allow this invitation, this open door, if you will, to draw me and make me aware of the quality of my relationship with Him!

Lord, help me to see truthfully where I am and where I am going, in You.

Amen! 

Blessings and Curses?

This morning I am reflecting on a set of verses that are often quoted in our day, verses where God promises to hear if a nation turns to Him and prays.  I have included the whole section, for we are often only quoted part of the message from God.  Here are the verses - 2 Chronicles 7:12-22 NIV:

[12] "the Lord appeared to him at night and said: 

“I have heard your prayer and have chosen this place for myself as a temple for sacrifices. [13] “When I shut up the heavens so that there is no rain, or command locusts to devour the land or send a plague among my people, [14] if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land. [15] Now my eyes will be open and my ears attentive to the prayers offered in this place. [16] I have chosen and consecrated this temple so that my Name may be there forever. My eyes and my heart will always be there. 

[17] “As for you, if you walk before me faithfully as David your father did, and do all I command, and observe my decrees and laws, [18] I will establish your royal throne, as I covenanted with David your father when I said, 'You shall never fail to have a successor to rule over Israel.' 

[19] “But if you turn away and forsake the decrees and commands I have given you and go off to serve other gods and worship them, [20] then I will uproot Israel from my land, which I have given them, and will reject this temple I have consecrated for my Name. I will make it a byword and an object of ridicule among all peoples. [21] This temple will become a heap of rubble. All who pass by will be appalled and say, 'Why has the Lord done such a thing to this land and to this temple?' [22] People will answer, 'Because they have forsaken the Lord, the God of their ancestors, who brought them out of Egypt, and have embraced other gods, worshiping and serving them---that is why he brought all this disaster on them.' ”

I have heard the first set of verses referenced many times as a call to our nation to repent and turn back to the Lord!  This can never be a bad thing, turning toward the Lord.   

However, today I continued reading and realized that it is a promise for blessing for obedience and curses for disobedience. I find that often times we like to lift a few verses out of context, and not include the whole word.  The question I have today, is do these verses match the further revelation of Jesus?  Do these verses faithfully represent the Father as Jesus presented Him?

We know that God is the same yesterday, today and forever (Heb. 13:8), but our understanding of God has been progressive in time. In our own lifetimes, our understanding of God has changed, and God is constantly revealing more of Himself.  In the life and history of the Church, God has been constantly revealing more of His unchanging self. In the Life of Israel, there was a constant revelation of God's character.  It seems to me that there will never be an end to this constant revealing, for it is impossible to fully know the infinite Godhead!  

The importance, for me, is that in all of this I must always read the Old Testament through the grid of understanding that is the Revelation of Jesus!  I can't just say, "this is truth, its in the Bible!"  The Jews of Jesus' time had the Old Testament and for the most part completely misunderstood the role of the Messiah, which was certainly one of the main points of the Old Testament!  I must read and ask for understanding, as Paul so wisely wrote in his letter to the Ephesians 1:17-23 NIV:

[17] "I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better. [18] I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in his holy people, [19] and his incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is the same as the mighty strength [20] he exerted when he raised Christ from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms, [21] far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every name that is invoked, not only in the present age but also in the one to come. [22] And God placed all things under his feet and appointed him to be head over everything for the church, [23] which is his body, the fullness of him who fills everything in every way."

So back to the verses in 2 Chron, how do I understand these verses in light of Jesus?

First, I must understand that God perfectly embodies multiple characteristics that to me seem almost opposites.  He is perfectly just, and perfectly merciful!  He is jealous for me, and at the same patient and understanding.  He will judge sin, and He has offered forgiveness of sins to all!   

When I struggle to understand, I find it simplest to go back to how He describes Himself in Isaiah 55:8-9 NIV:  “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the Lord. [9] “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts."

Second, I must recognize that the Gospel of Grace is true!  I have been offered forgiveness for my sins, and Jesus has made payment of my debts, and has  taken the punishment required for those sins upon Himself. This is His free gift to me, and the only required action on my part is belief, and relationship.  Paul writes extensively about the Gospel of Grace and was this Gospel's greatest defender in the early church.  The struggle at that time was that all sorts of well-meaning people wanted to add to the Gospel of Grace, actions based on the requirements of the Law, or requirements that made sense to them (human thinking).  One of my favorite authors, Graham Cooke, says, "the Gospel is so good it sounds too good to be true, but it is!"

Thirdly, I must understand that God allows for man's free-will.  I was thinking about many of the different warnings God proclaimed in the Old Testament, even the one above, and many of them were really proclaiming the ramifications of bad decisions on the part of the leaders and people.  God constantly warned them, giving them opportunities to repent, to change their minds, to act differently and they constantly chose poorly, and suffered the ramifications of their bad choices.  In the case of Solomon above, He rejected the ways of God and his son Rehoboam, who ruled after him, saw no apparent reason to follow the ways of God.  He quickly lost the favor of the people, any allies and started to see the repercussions of his bad choices almost immediately, and thus began the downward spiral that would end in the destruction of Jerusalem, as promised by God.   I find it possible to ascribe this fulfillment of God's promise, not so much to God's active punishment of Israel, but more to the ramifications of bad choices that Solomon, Rehoboam and kings after them made.  It seems that God was prophesying to them what would happen if they disobeyed, what would be the ramifications of their bad choices, rather than telling them what He would do.

If I look at Jesus' life, again as a perfect representation of the Father (Heb 1:3), I do not see Jesus punishing anyone for disobedience, even for violence towards Him.  He clearly confronted the Pharisees and Sadducees, but He did not strike them down, and continued to engage them in conversation, warning them of things to come, but never enacting violence.  In fact on the Cross, after He was beaten, wrongly accused, abused and suffering incredible anguish He prays this prayer, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.” ( Luke 23:34a NIV).  When He is raised from the dead, He does not reign destruction on those that killed Him. We are told that He died for the sins of all men (1 John 2:2), that included the Pharisees, and Sadducees, and all that had wronged Him, and the same offer of grace was available to His worst enemies, as we see later experienced by Saul, the lead persecutor of the early church (See Acts 9:1-31). 

One last thing, Jesus does talk about judgment, but it seems to me that He is always pointing to a final judgment.  In fact He says that though He could pass judgment He won't.  Here is a quote from John 12:47-48 NIV:  “If anyone hears my words but does not keep them, I do not judge that person. For I did not come to judge the world, but to save the world. [48] There is a judge for the one who rejects me and does not accept my words; the very words I have spoken will condemn them at the last day."

Going back to the Scriptures first considered from 2 Chron. I find myself thinking about the blessings promised for repentance, which in reality is a deepening of relationship with the Lord, or in the case of an unbeliever, the establishment of relationship!  I find that the Lord is always waiting for me to turn back to Him, always welcoming me back to deeper relationship!  There is no threat of punishment for disobedience, for He has taken all the punishment for my sins upon Himself (Is 53:5).  This can be true for every single person on the face of the earth, for this is the Gospel of Grace!  This is the New Covenant, and the old covenant is no longer in play (Heb. 8:13), and any judgment in-line with the Old Covenant is no longer accurate, according to the revelation of Jesus.  

That there will be a final judgment, is understood (Matt 12, Rom 2, 2 Peter 2, and 1 John 4), and we still suffer the consequences and ramifications of bad decisions, but we live under the New Covenant, and relationship is available to all who cry out, and believe in the Lord!  Relationship with God does bring blessing and provision, healing, compassion and mercy.  

So today, I am encouraged to press into my relationship with the Lord, to repent of all of my sin, and turn towards Him at all times.  I am encouraged to call those in need to call out to the Lord, to turn towards Him and/or return to Him.  I am encouraged that the Lord has blessed me with the Gospel of Grace!

Amen and Amen!

He is Waiting & Running Towards Us

Verses for this morning - James 4:7-12 NIV:

[7] "Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. [8] Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. [9] Grieve, mourn and wail. Change your laughter to mourning and your joy to gloom. [10] Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up." 

[11] "Brothers and sisters, do not slander one another. Anyone who speaks against a brother or sister or judges them speaks against the law and judges it. When you judge the law, you are not keeping it, but sitting in judgment on it. [12] There is only one Lawgiver and Judge, the one who is able to save and destroy. But you---who are you to judge your neighbor?"

In the past, when I have read these passages I have always separated the two of them, thinking that they essentially covered two separate topics, and one can certainly read them that way.  This morning I had the thought that the two first sentences in each paragraph were actually related, for clearly one of  the tactics of the enemy is to sow discord and division and some of his major tools in this are judgment and slander.  

It is amazing to me how quickly I can turn from praising the Lord to judging someone!  I can listen to a sermon and immediately criticize the speaker, and completely lose every good word that was just planted.  I can be like the soil that is the path, the seed never penetrates and is carried off by the birds of distraction. (See Matt. 13:19) Oh Lord, help me!

Just to be clear I am not always this way, but I have my moments, and any moments like that are not welcome. I want to be consistently submitted to God, looking to Him, not at others!  I want to press back against the distractions, the critical thoughts and judgments that flow into my mind unbidden.  I want to resist the enemy so much that he flees, hurried along by the wind of the Holy Spirit, as prayer and worship flows out of my mouth and heart.

I love the promise that when we come near to God, He will come near to us, and I have seen this over and over in my life. I am amazed at how faithful He is and remains.  The Lord is always responsive, always waiting and moving towards us.  He is the only one capable of judging anyone, and instead He greets us with open arms, grace, mercy and love!  When we come humbly to Him, He lifts us up!  I am reminded of the wonderful story Jesus told, and recorded in Luke 15.  Here are a few verses that recount the sons return, and the Father's response - Luke 15:20-23 NIV:

[20] "So he got up and went to his father. 

“But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him. 

[21] “The son said to him, 'Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.' 

[22] “But the father said to his servants, 'Quick! Bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. [23] Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let's have a feast and celebrate."

Oh what a loving Father we have!  Let us not hesitate a moment in turning towards Him, even in our darkest hour or state, for He is constantly vigilant, waiting and running towards us! 

Thank You Lord! 

To Do, Or Not To Do?

Recently, I was thinking about Jesus being tempted in every way we have (Heb. 4:15), and I realized that most of that probably occurred in His 30 hidden years.  We know that He was a carpenter, a craftsman who worked with wood, and we know almost nothing about His life outside of ministry, other than a few glimpses we are given of His birth, His presentation at the Temple, and the time He was lost, and found in the temple (Luke 2). We are given two sentences to describe His hidden life, found in Luke 2:40 NIV: "And the child grew and became strong; he was filled with wisdom, and the grace of God was on him."

-and -

Luke 2:52 NIV: "And Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and man."

I have reflected quite often on these hidden years, and this morning find myself drawn back to this idea.  We have the following understanding from the letter to the Hebrews 4:14-15 NIV:

[14] "Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has ascended into heaven, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess. [15] For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are---yet he did not sin."

If sin is defined as follows (Strong's): Usage: prop: missing the mark; hence: (a) guilt, sin, (b) a fault, failure (in an ethical sense), sinful deed.

HELPS Word-studies

266 hamartía (a feminine noun derived from 1 /A "not" and 3313 /méros, "a part, share of") – properly, no-share ("no part of"); loss (forfeiture) because not hitting the target; sin (missing the mark).

266 /hamartía ("sin, forfeiture because missing the mark") is the brand of sin that emphasizes its self-originated (self-empowered) nature – i.e. it is not originated or empowered by God (i.e. not of faith, His inworked persuasion, cf. Ro 14:23).

We must understand that Jesus walked perfectly in the Father's will, never faltered, but was perfectly obedient.  As such, His hidden life was the will of the Father.  While His life must have been exemplary, and He had favor with men, He was otherwise hidden.  He did no miracles, no signs or wonders, and we hear nothing of Him until His baptism by John. 

We are told that within His hometown he is not held in particular reverence, in fact it seems almost the opposite.  Here are some verses providing insight - Mark 6:1-3 NIV:

[1] "Jesus left there and went to his hometown, accompanied by his disciples. [2] When the Sabbath came, he began to teach in the synagogue, and many who heard him were amazed.

“Where did this man get these things?” they asked. “What's this wisdom that has been given him? What are these remarkable miracles he is performing? [3] Isn't this the carpenter? Isn't this Mary's son and the brother of James, Joseph, Judas and Simon? Aren't his sisters here with us?” And they took offense at him."

If this was their response we must conclude a few things, first that Jesus had not taught in their synagogue before, and secondly, that He had done no remarkable things in their presence, or hearing, previously.  I have often though how difficult it must have been for Jesus, having the Father's heart, to stand by and not do anything remarkable as He witnessed people's struggles, sickness and trials. 

I am reminded of a verse found in the letter of James 4:17 NIV:  "If anyone, then, knows the good they ought to do and doesn't do it, it is sin for them."

Somehow Jesus perfectly walked this fine edge of obedience, knowledge of what He could do, and not stepping into His own power.  He was capable of far more than this hidden life, but His time had not come and thus, in perfect obedience to the Father, He didn't engage and didn't reveal Himself.  HE knew exactly what the Father wanted Him to do, and did only that, regardless of the temptation to step out in His own power. 

It is important to note that James, makes a clear distinction, that it is full knowledge of what good they ought to do, not just anyone's list, or a list of general good things to do.  Strong's gives the following word-study: eídō ("seeing that becomes knowing") then is a gateway to grasp spiritual truth (reality) from a physical plane. 1492 (eídō) then is physical seeing (sight) which should be the constant bridge to mental and spiritual seeing (comprehension)."

Jesus operated in this perfectly, for He saw exactly what He was supposed to do, and did that.  He was aware of the physical plane need and the corresponding response tied to it from the spiritual plane (Father's will).  Others might have had a different opinion of the good that He should do, and this could have been one of the reasons His home town took offense at Him (Mark 6:3).  I imagine Jesus must have had a constant dialogue going with His Heavenly Father, "To do, or not to do, that is the question!" (Sorry for the Shakespeare-esque phrase).  He must have constantly been asking for and receiving very clear direction on how to act, what to do, and what not to do! 

This morning, I am encouraged that sometimes we might over-think and over-expect what God's plans and purposes are for us.  It is actually possible to live an unremarkable life, and be in perfect obedience to the Father! 

Lord, help me to know exactly what You would want me to do, help me to know what to do, and what not to do!

Amen!