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Come to Me

 

There are a few passages in the Bible that, though short, tell us volumes about the character of the Almighty.  Verses like:

 

In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.    (Gen 1:1)

Or:

And God said to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM.” (Ex 3:14)

Or:

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

He was in the beginning with God.

All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made.

In Him was life, and the life was the light of men.  (John 1:1-4)

But there are a couple in Matthew that you might not have considered:

 

"Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.

"For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened.”  (Matt 7:7,8)

These presented an ‘ah-hah’ moment for me as it struck me that they weren’t just giving us instruction on persistence or getting ‘stuff’ or us – they’re not primarily about us at all.  They tell us something wonderful about God.

 

You see, in Eden, the serpent tried to convince us that God was holding back, that He was/is distant and kind of ‘stingey’.  And as with all the devil’s lies, the opposite is true which is what these verses in Matthew Seven show us.

 

Bear in mind that Christ was speaking to His followers.  He is describing the Almighty’s ‘posture’ as welcoming and open.  “Ask, and it will be given to you;” is unqualified.  He didn’t say “Ask, and if you have enough good works; or Ask, and if your faith is impressive.”  All He wants is for you to ask.  Of course, asking implicitly means there is an expectation that God has what is asked for and that He will hear the petition.  No one ‘asks the air’. 

 

Now, I did not say that you don’t need faith.  You do.  That’s what your asking reveals.  You ask with sincerity, confidence and with an unwavering expectation.  John wrote:

 

Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us.

And if we know that He hears us, whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we have asked of Him.  (1 John 5:14,15)

“Seek, and you will find.”  This is simply saying that you need to acknowledge your lack, your need, your desire to find.  Christ was saying that Abba is open and will respond to your seeking.  He wants you to find Him, to find the glorious gift of Life in Jesus and thus, to find your way home.  The heart that seeks is not lazy, not isolated or self-obsessed.  Jesus said of Himself:

“for the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost.”  (Luke 19:10)

You see, God does not lack, He does not need, but He does love.  We are the ones who rebelled against Him and separated ourselves from Him.  His love compelled Him to send His Son to seek and save us. 

“Knock and it will be opened to you.”  There’s only one thing you knock on – a door; and the only reason you knock is for the door to be opened.  Guess what?  There is literally only One Door:

“I am the door. If anyone enters by Me, he will be saved and will go in and out and find pasture.”  (John 10:9)

Now, some of you might be thinking, ‘What about heaven?  What about the door to God’s kingdom?’ 

Good news!  That’s Jesus!  He said:

 “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.  (John 14:6)

And He did not say, ‘you gotta knock hard’ or ‘you gotta have your money-bag with you’.  He guaranteed, “Knock, and it will be opened to you.”   Just open your heart and hear God’s Spirit:

“All that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will by no means cast out.”  (John 6:37)

Yes, contrary to the devil’s lie in Eden, God is responsive to your asking, He is responsive  to your seeking and responsive to your knocking.  We are conditioned by the deceptive delusion of this fallen world to expect the opposite, to believe what Satan believes – the lie.   But the Truth is right there in our verses, the unconditional Truth:

"For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened.”    (Mat 7:8)

Asking, seeking, knocking – this is the VIP invitation to know the One Who’s inviting.

 

 

More

 

Want to be rich?  That’s a simple and direct question.  Some would say, “Sure.”  And some would say, “OK, maybe. What’s the catch?”  Some  might simply shake the head, ‘No thanks’.

 

Jesus was not rich and did not pursue wealth.  He told one wanna-be:

 

“Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head.”   (Mat 8:20, Lu 9:58)

Another wanna-be thought he was doing all things well, but Jesus told him:

 

So, when Jesus heard these things, He said to him, "You still lack one thing. Sell all that you have and distribute to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me."

But when he heard this, he became very sorrowful, for he was very rich.

And when Jesus saw that he became very sorrowful, He said, "How hard it is for those who have riches to enter the kingdom of God!    (Lu 18:22-24)

And that should raise our antennas really high because there is no greater ‘mantra’, ethic, pursuit, desire, ideal in this country than wealth.  Everyone seeks it, from pastors to pewsters, from atheists to ‘the faithful’.

 

The Bible calls this idol “mammon” which simply means wealth.  Security, pleasure, temporary happiness, and other things come with mammon but there are also plenty of traps such as pride, obsession, fear, distrust and more which capture and torture and ultimately strangle the human soul/heart. 

 

Sadly, the contemporary church is enchanted with mammon – increased with ‘goods’ but are in reality “wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked…”  In fact, many of the otherwise most godly people (including pastors) are addicted to wealth just like narcotics.

 

Jesus taught His disciples:

 

“No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon.”

 

"Therefore, do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or    'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?'  For      after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things.  But seek   first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and        all these things shall be added to you.”                        (Mat 6:24,31-33)

 

Be careful how you read this.  Jesus did not include wealth here; He spoke of food, drink and clothing.  He did not advocate poverty but…

 

It comes down to where do you want your ‘treasure’?  You can have it here or you can have it in heaven:

 

"Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where     moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven,   where neither moth nor rust destroys and where      thieves do not break in and steal.”  (Mat 6:19,20)

 

Let me strongly encourage you – make your Savior your treasure.  Make your love for Him your Life. 

 

 

 

Audience of One

 

“Take heed that you do not do your charitable deeds before men, to be seen by them.  (Mat 6:1)

“And when you pray, you shall not be like the hypocrites. For they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the corners of the streets, that they may be seen by men.   (Mat 6:5)

“Moreover, when you fast, do not be like the hypocrites, with a sad countenance. For they disfigure their faces that they may appear to men to be fasting.”  (Mat 6:16)

…your Father who sees in secret will Himself reward you openly             (Mat 6:4,6,18)

 

Your heart is singular.  By that, I mean you cannot serve two masters.

Now, you may disagree and think, ‘I don’t serve any master.’  But that simply says that you are your own master or a slave to your self, your ego, your fleshly pride and thus your sin.  Most, if not all Christians are caught in this dynamic tension. 

 

If you are truly born again, your inner being deeply desires to revel in the unity of the new creature with your Maker.  However, by God’s will, you are temporarily ‘housed’ or, as Paul puts it, ‘clothed’ in a corpse and it still listens to its master, the evil one. 

 

Paul had an ‘ah-hah’ moment of revelation and wrote:

 

Therefore, we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.  (Rom 6:4)

But God be thanked that though you were slaves of sin, yet you obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine to which you were delivered.  And having been set free from sin, you became slaves of righteousness.  (Rom 6:17,18)

For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh) nothing good dwells; for to will is present with me, but [how] to perform what is good I do not find.

For the good that I will [to do], I do not do; but the evil I will not [to do], that I practice.  (Rom 7:18,19)

I find then a law, that evil is present with me, the one who wills to do good.  For I delight in the law of God according to the inward man.            (Rom 7:21,22)

O wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death?  I thank God--through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, with the mind I myself serve the law of God, but with the flesh the law of sin.          (Rom 7:24,25)

Yes, even Paul acknowledged this personal dynamic, and friends, no one ‘beats the rap’.  He said that though he wanted to do good, he couldn’t make it happen on his own and the evil he hated, he wound up practicing.

And this is why it’s especially important for us as believers to heed Christ’s words in Matthew Six above and which He finished with:

 

“No one can serve two masters…You cannot serve God and mammon.”  (Mat 6:24)

What He illustrated is that “to be seen by men” shows a commitment to the opinions of men while “in secret” shows a commitment to the viewpoint of the Father.  Serving, at least from the heart, requires commitment.  Your heart cannot be committed to two masters.

 

So, was Paul saying that he was committed to two?  No, not at all.  His commitment from the inner being was to God but he acknowledged that the frustrating commitment of his flesh was to sin.  And he also said “that flesh is dead”:

 

And if Christ is in you, the body is dead because of sin, but the Spirit is life because of righteousness.  (Rom 8:10)

That’s why he thanked God “through” (but translated 53 times “for”) Jesus Christ because we cannot solve or overcome this dilemma – only Jesus could and did!  The simple, singular choice is to trust in Jesus, always trust Him, trust His goodness, trust His Blood, trust His amazing Grace.  In unity and identification with Him, there is no condemnation, only love.

 

You don’t need to “be seen by men”.  The only audience that matters is the audience of One.

 

 

Knowing Him

 

You can know how or who or you can know when or what or about or you can know something or nothing or for certain or the truth or that you know that you know… there are a lot of ‘knows’, different types of knowing but when it comes to your Creator, only one matters.

And this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent.  (John 17:3)

So put to the side your books on theology, at least for now.  Put aside your sermon notes and tapes (or DVDs).  God sent His Son to give us a different kind of understanding.  Not theology, not philosophy, but a new “way of thinking and feeling”.

And we know that the Son of God has come and has given us an understanding, that we may know Him who is true; and we are in Him who is true, in His Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God and eternal life.  (1 John 5:20)

You see, this word for “know” as in “know You” or “know Him” in Greek is pronounced “ghin-oce'-ko” and is different from “know” as in “know that” or know all those other things.  This second type of know is pronounced “i'-do”.

The first know is a relational know.  In fact, in the Bible it can refer to the sexual union of a man and woman.  It is to know someone by experience – to truly know them.  The second know is based upon the word “to see” and is purely mental.

Now, this is important to “know” (i-do, pun intended) because to “i-do” Christ or God is the basis of religion. On the other hand, to “ghin-oce’-ko” Christ or God is the basis of our mutual faith and our salvation, our eternal life.  Please understand, “i-do” can help bridge to “ghin-oce’-ko” but it can never displace it.  Seeing Jesus, knowing about Jesus is the proverbial step in the right direction but it can never substitute for actually knowing Him.

So, the way to know Jesus is to be one with Him, to surrender your will to Him and “be saved”, to be born again or literally “procreated from on high”.  Nicodemas was a theologian and “teacher of Israel”.  He came to Jesus wanting to know (i-do) more, but Jesus used his desire to “know about” as a bridge to introduce to him to becoming a new creature.

Alas Nicodemas, the confusion was driving him nuts.  His whole life had been spent pursuing the wisdom of the elders and the knowledge of the scriptures.  He knew the traditions better than most Pharisees.  In fact, he was known as the teacher of Israel.  And for most of his life, he’d been quite confident about his knowledge.

But then came this itinerant rabbi doing these truly amazing signs.  He gave sight to the blind, hearing to the deaf, new limbs to the lame.  Demons even fled at his word.  Yet it was his word that troubled Nicodemus.  His teachings confused him for though the signs were undoubtedly from God, his words didn’t seem to jive with the traditions of the elders.

And so, here he was, approaching the ‘Light’ under cover of darkness.  As he neared, he came to Jesus with sincere desire and doubt.

“Rabbi, we know that You are a teacher come from God; for no one can do these signs that You do unless God is with him."

But Jesus knew immediately the source of Nic’s dilemma.  And John presented it in his gospel because the poor Pharisee is not alone.  We can all wear his sandals so to speak.  Most of us at some time or another get caught in the same mess. (i.e. “i-do” verses “ghin-oce’-ko”)

Jesus answered and said to him, “‘Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.”

So let me explain a bit about procreation and the awesome parallel we see spiritually when someone is “born again” or literally “procreated from on high”.  I’ve spoken before on this wonderous process and if you heard it, you may remember the part on gestation which precedes expulsion.

Gestation is the longest part of the procreation process – 38 to 42 weeks for humans; during this time, a fertilized cell becomes a zygote, then a morula, then a blastocyst, then an embryo, and then a fetus. The zygote contains all the genetic information needed to become a baby.  It’s truly amazing to consider that this is how the Son of God came into the world:

 And the angel answered and said to her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Highest will overshadow you; therefore, also, that Holy One who is to be born will be called the Son of God.  (Luke 1:35)

Mary, impregnated by the Holy Spirit, carried Christ as a zygote, then a morula, then a blastocyst, then an embryo, and then a fetus and delivered her baby and laid Him in a feed trough.  And though that is wildly amazing, there is a spiritual process going on in you right now, if you are born again, that mirrors this very process.

When you are initially born again, spiritually inseminated, Christ places His Holy Spirit IN you and He unites with your dead human spirit, giving new life – you become a new creation, knowing Him better and better, moment by moment - a spiritual zygote so to speak and the spiritual gestation continues until the moment you are set free, gloriously free, from your sin-filled corpse.  Jesus told Nicodemus about this when He said:

"That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.

"Do not marvel that I said to you, 'You must be born again.'

"The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear the sound of it, but cannot tell where it comes from and where it goes. So is everyone who is born of the Spirit."   (John 3:6-8)

What Jesus was referring to here is the conclusion of the spiritual gestation.  Yes, “Born of the Spirit” is the key to knowing (ghin-oce'-ko) Him. Recall, before He died on the cross and rose again, Jesus told His disciples:

"A little while longer and the world will see Me no more, but you will see Me. Because I live, you will live also.

"At that day you will know that I am in My Father, and you in Me, and I in you.    (John 14:19,20)

That’s because after He rose, He gave them the Holy Spirit:

So, Jesus said to them again, "Peace to you! As the Father has sent Me, I also send you."

And when He had said this, He breathed on them, and said to them, "Receive the Holy Spirit.”   (John 20:21,22)

 So, like the pregnant mother, as a believer, your body carries another one spiritually – the new and real you, in utter union with Christ, His Holy Spirit and Father God.  How amazing is that! 

Knowing Jesus, knowing God, starts when you are spiritually inseminated “born of the Spirit”.  And this process of gestation continues until you are expelled from your ‘womb’ into the presence of your Maker.

Of course, your spiritual gestation period is all in God’s control – it may be a day or many decades.  But when you are “expelled” from the flesh, born into Heaven, what a joyous freedom you’ll realize as a Child of God.

For we who are in this tent groan, being burdened, not because we want to be unclothed, but further clothed, that mortality may be swallowed up by life.  Now He who has prepared us for this very thing is God, who also has given us the Spirit as a guarantee. 

We are confident, yes, well pleased rather to be absent from the body and to be present with the Lord.  (2 Cor 5:4,5,8)

 

Humility and Heaven

 

For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.  (Rom 8:18)

I’ve been thinking a lot about this subject.  When you dig into the meaning of  the word used here – sufferings, it is explained as:

that which one suffers or has suffered; also the afflictions which Christians must undergo in behalf of the same cause which Christ patiently endured.

And when you consider what Christ endured, your focus, of course, is the cross:

And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross.  (Phi 2:8)

And concerning us, Jesus said:

Then Jesus said to His disciples, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me.  (Mat 16:24)

Which is recorded in all three synoptic gospels.  Hmmm

 

And when I think of patient endurance for a lifetime, I think of the wilderness and 40 years of wandering in it.  Moses and the Jewish nation endured this – why?  Well, we know that at first, they failed to obey God and take the new land.  They chickened out.  But the wandering wasn’t punishment, it was purposeful:

“And you shall remember that the LORD your God led you all the way these forty years in the wilderness, to humble you and test you, to know what was in your heart, whether you would keep His commandments or not.”

“who fed you in the wilderness with manna, which your fathers did not know, that He might humble you and that He might test you, to do you good in the end—”  (Deut 8:2,16)

They were tested and Christ was tested:

For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted (tested) as we are, yet without sin.  (Heb 4:15)

They endured humbling and Christ endured the humbling of being found as a man and going to the cross.  In both cases, God’s ‘end-game’ was good:

looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.  (Heb 12:2)

Christ was honored with His exaltation to the right hand of the Almighty.

The scripture tells us:

 

…before honor is humility.  (Pro 15:33; 18:12)

 

So, here’s my point.  Paul exhorted us:

Therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, put on tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, longsuffering;  (Col 3:12)

We “put on” humility, honestly and without reservation because it is Christ in us.  Paul put it this way:

Therefore, we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.  (Rom 6:4)

And so, speaking of His Seed in our hearts:

It is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory. It is sown in weakness, it is raised in power.  (1 Cor 15:43)

Yes!  God’s ‘end-game’ is indeed good!

The LORD lifts up the humble;  (Psa 147:6)

He will beautify the humble with salvation.  (Psa 149:4)

The humble also shall increase their joy in the LORD,  (Isa 29:19)

For thus says the High and Lofty One

Who inhabits eternity, whose name is Holy:

“I dwell in the high and holy place,

With him who has a contrite and humble spirit,

To revive the spirit of the humble,

And to revive the heart of the contrite ones.            (Isa 57:15)

 

 

HOW to Pray

 

Perhaps you’ve been in a church where it was said, “Now, let’s pray the ‘Our Father’” and everyone recited in unison the prayer found in Matthew 6 and Luke 11.  In my youth, I said this prayer each night.  It’s a wonderful and perfect prayer to be sure.  But I’m inclined to think that religion has ‘sanitized’ it by making it rote.

In Matthew six, before teaching the disciples this prayer, He prefaced it with:

"And when you pray, you shall not be like the hypocrites. For they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the corners of the streets, that they may be seen by men. Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward. But you, when you pray, go into your room, and when you have shut your door, pray to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly. And when you pray, do not use vain repetitions as the heathen do. For they think that they will be heard for their many words. Therefore, do not be like them.” (Mat 6:5-8a)

In essence, He was telling them that their prayers should be absolutely sincere, personal and never for show:

“But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him.  God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.”  (John 4:23,24)

And because I think the church, that is, all of us, is going to be doing a lot more prayer in the coming days, I thought it prudent to revisit the ‘model prayer’, not to pray it better but to understand His teaching and pray in the manner that He taught.

"This, then, is how you should pray:”   Some translations says “the manner”; the point being it is HOW not what you should pray.  (See Matt 6:9-13)   

 “Our Father…”  In coming before God, the first thing HE wants US to remember is that He is our Father.  This is NOT a reminder for Him but for us.  He is a true, a loving, a faithful Father, our Abba Father and ever will be.  Although the world has indeed corrupted the image of fatherhood in its moral meltdown, God is unchanged – He’s compassionate, capable and purely interested in our good.   It was Jesus Who emphasized this and perfectly represented our Father.  He doesn’t want us to view Him as some separate, distant deity but Someone Who loves us dearly.

“…Who art in heaven…”  There is a heaven and there is a hell.  We are in neither place as yet, but ALL of us one day will be.  God is in heaven, what the scriptures refer to as the “third heaven” – the sky and the cosmos being the first and second respectively.  That is, God is above all, above all the mess of a sinful and cursed creation.  At the same time, He is in you by way of His Holy Spirit.  Jesus spoke of this when He said:

“A little while longer and the world will see Me no more, but you will see Me. Because I live, you will live also.  At that day you will know that I am in My Father, and you in Me, and I in you.”  (John 14:19,20)

He Himself is untouched by sin nor can He be.  Perfectly pure and forever holy, holy, holy, His character is not like ours – He is loving to the uttermost, all-knowing, all-powerful and all-present.  Yes, even though He is in heaven, He is also in the midst of His creation everywhere – there is nowhere you can go that He will not be with you. 

“…hallowed be Thy name.”  Gayle Erwin wrote a wonderful work entitled “The YHWH Style” in which he reminds us that from a biblical standpoint that “name” is synonymous with “nature”.  Now, hallowed comes from the Greek word pronounced ‘hagios’ meaning ‘a most holy thing’.  Therefore, here we are reminded that in addition to remembering He is our Father, we are to ponder that His nature/name is most holy.  In a day in which the concept of holiness is so poorly understood, one might ask, ‘Why is this so important?’     

Being separate from all sin, special, above all – these attributes are a part of holiness certainly, but by no means do they constitute even the ‘tip of the iceberg’ so to speak.  In the Bible, we note that the quality which moves all of heaven, even the highest created beings, to worship God is His holiness.  Describing it with mere words is like trying to impress an ant with the Mona Lisa.  Suffice it to say that this prayer leads us as believers to esteem His very nature as infinitely higher than our own and expresses the desire for the whole world to have the same awe.   

“Thy kingdom come…”  Someone once told me that this really says. “Come, Thy kingdom.”  Now, His kingdom has come in a measure through the spread of the church, but it is indeed in a limited measure.  One day, God’s ways will fill all creation and there will be a day in which sin and its rotten fruit are long gone -- no more evil, no more devil or demonic activity, no more sickness, pain, suffering or death.  We’ll know pleasures forevermore, glorious reunions, justice and truth, grace and mercy, overflowing joy, perfect peace, endless love – these wonderful things will no longer be the topic of sermons but revealed in God and in us forever as He reigns.   

“Thy will be done,…” We sometimes need to be reminded that God’s will applies not only to the means but to the end as well.  God’s will was the cross of Calvary (the means) as well as cosmic reconciliation (the ‘end’).  Tough ‘medicine’ for a tough situation but yielding the most tender of outcomes.  Submitting to God’s will for ‘the means’ means trusting that His will for the outcome is always worth it.  And it is.  Jesus submitted to the cross because of the joy set before Him on the other side.  So, is His will as to ‘the means’ always a hard pill to swallow?  No, but don’t be surprised or even disappointed when it is.   

“…on earth as it is in heaven.”  Did you know, heaven is coming to earth?  For some radical and unfathomable reason, God will establish His very throne in our proximity.  His heavenly city will descend close to earth and not only will He rule and reign our own once wayward planet but all of creation as well – from here! 

Then I, John, saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.  And I heard a loud voice from heaven saying, "Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people. God Himself will be with them and be their God.” (Rev 21:2-3)

Heaven is perfect because of God.  His presence makes it heaven and one day, earth will be a part of it.  What better way for Him to demonstrate who He is than to turn the devil’s own stomping grounds into His paradise.  Only He can do such a thing.  Only God can clean up this mess – and that’s exactly what He’s going to do.  Earth will be as heaven!  Wow!   

“Give us this day our daily bread…”  This request applies to all our daily necessity.  We must never look to our Father as grudgingly coughing up some scraps of stale crackers as we beg.  Remember, He’s the One who is giving us this model prayer in the first place.  If He has told us to ask, you can be sure it is because He loves to give.  Note, however, the daily part – ‘oh, if we could just get ahead a little – you know, put aside a little stash so we didn’t have to DAILY come to Him.’  That’s exactly what our flesh wants because every day you don’t depend on God, you’ll drift from Him.  This ‘daily’ business is more important than the provision itself.  Those who are in the greatest sense of material security, if they depart from the daily seeking of God, are rather in the greatest spiritual peril.  Yet, we tend to see it the other way – we just want the stuff.  We want to be stuffed with the stuff.  Like a bunch of ‘turkeys’ we gobble, gobble, gobble and then want to kick back and check in with God next week or when the ‘pantry’ gets low.  This applies to both material and spiritual needs.  But daily-ness is the recipe.   

“And forgive us our debts…” We owe God big time!  We are in HUGE debt.  Frankly we owe Him everything everywhere forever.  And yet we are bankrupt.  We can never pay for the forgiveness, the redemption, the eternal life He has provided.  We can never ever, EVER compensate Him for His Son.  Every sincere Christian acknowledges this – our sin has been paid for in full, by Christ’s blood.  You can’t sincerely ask God to cancel your debt if you don’t first accept that it exists.  When I came to Christ, it was as the result of a ‘search for meaning and truth’.  God, however, loved me too much to leave me in that ignorance.  It was after years of wallowing in the gutters of lust and misguided depravity (even as a ‘Christian’) that I realized how desperately I needed His forgiveness and redemption.  It wasn’t until then that I really knew I had a debt and a Redeemer.  There is no humility without humiliation.  And here’s the kicker… Jesus said, “to whom little is forgiven, the same loves little.” (Luke 7:47)  It wasn’t until I began to fathom the extent of my forgiveness that I began to truly love my Lord.  True, love is the driver behind obedience (John 14:15) but love is driven itself by the appreciation of mercy and grace.     

“…as we forgive our debtors…”   Oh-oh, look out for that “as”. That little conjunction in the Greek means “and” or “also” or “indeed”.  Forgiveness is not really optional for the believer.  The sense of forgiveness we enjoy in this life is directly related to the forgiveness we extend to others.  Now, I don’t believe this is a ‘conditional addendum’ on the contract of the cross so to speak.  If you have truly accepted the gift of salvation provided for at Calvary, you are covered by Christ’s own righteousness – in God’s view, you are as righteous as Jesus Himself.  Your place in heaven is secure.     

However, your peace on earth or sense of rightness with God will be impacted by a hard heart toward others who frankly owe you immeasurably less than you owe God.  And He does that purposefully – you cannot fully embody the love of God or a love for God if your heart is hardened by unforgiveness.  Many of you know the story of Corrie ten Boom who was undoubtedly one of the dearest saints to preach the gospel.  You remember how she shared her testimony of surviving Ravensbruck, a torturous prison camp in WWII where her sister was brutally treated and eventually died.  One day after the war, as she spoke to a crowd about the Lord, she was approached by a man whose presence made her shake – the very prison guard who so harshly treated she and her dear sister.  He had come to Christ himself and now asked for her forgiveness.  Corrie recalled that she could not forgive him, she could not extend her hand to even touch his.  However, she prayed for God’s strength to do His will and slowly reached out her hand in greeting.  As their hands were joined, she sensed a supernatural quality of divine forgiveness overflowing in her heart.  Like her, you cannot escape it.  Quit trying.  Forgive that person.  Do it now!     

“Lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil.”  The word temptation literally means a test.  This is interesting for although the Bible clearly teaches that God tests our hearts (Psa 7:9; 11:5; Pro 17:3; 1 Thes 2:4) and that He will not let us be tested beyond what we can bear (1 Cor 10:13), Christ seems to teach us to pray ‘Don’t do it, Lord’.  Why? He says it again in Matt 26:41.  Is Jesus saying something contrary to what God desires for us?  No way.     

There are at least a couple of reasons – first, the humble, broken person is not necessarily afraid of God’s tests but is absolutely aware of the seriousness of them.  Jesus is affirming the posture of the humble servant.  In the garden of Gethsemane, He told the sleepy Peter, James and John “the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.”  

Next, there are unnecessary tests or trials that come to us when we are disobedient and sinful.  Paul wrote, “But they that will be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and hurtful lusts, which drown men in destruction and perdition.” (1 Tim6:9)  Jesus told us to pray that God would lead us away from such circumstances.  That is made evident when he completes the sentence with “but deliver us from evil.(lit. the evil one)”  God’s tests may be difficult, but they are always for our good.      

Also, it could be that there is an eschatological application in this phrase for Jesus said concerning the trying tribulation events of the last days, “Watch therefore, and pray always that you may be counted worthy to escape all these things that will come to pass, and to stand before the Son of Man.”   (Luke 21:36)   

“For Thine is the kingdom,…”  “Kingdom” here is “royal power” not to be confused with an actual kingdom but rather the right or authority to rule over a kingdom.  It may seem like Satan still rules our world, but after Calvary that simply has not been the case.  The devil has no more authority to rule.  He’s a ‘squatter’.

When Christ rose from the dead, the devil’s goose was cooked if you would.  What he connived to obtain from Adam and Eve, he lost through the just redemption of our world.  It was a traumatic thing in heaven you know, at least for John.  He observed it as recorded in Revelation: 

And I saw in the right hand of Him who sat on the throne a scroll written inside and on the back, sealed with seven seals.  Then I saw a strong angel proclaiming with a loud voice, "Who is worthy to open the scroll and to loose its seals?"

And no one in heaven or on the earth or under the earth was able to open the scroll, or to look at it.  So, I wept much, because no one was found worthy to open and read the scroll, or to look at it.  But one of the elders said to me, "Do not weep. Behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has prevailed to open the scroll and to loose its seven seals."

And I looked, and behold, in the midst of the throne and of the four living creatures, and in the midst of the elders, stood a Lamb as though it had been slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God sent out into all the earth.  Then He came and took the scroll out of the right hand of Him who sat on the throne.   (Rev 5:1-7)     

What is this scroll?  I agree with those who claim that it’s likely either the divine inheritance and/or the deed to the planet.  In the days this scripture was written such scrolls were used for these purposes. They had seals and notations linked to obligations or liens.  You’ll note John cried at first for no man could redeem earth from Satan’s brutal rule for if in the set time a redeemer could not be found, Jewish law passed the right of ownership permanently to the one temporarily possessing it. (see Lev 25:30)  Can you imagine a world ruled forever by Satan??  Talk about hell on earth!  But Christ’s is the scroll, Christ’s is the kingdom!!  He alone has the right to rule our world.     

“…and the power…” Christ is no powerless monarch.  He not only has the right and authority to rule, He has the power – unmatched and limitless.  Jesus said in prayer to the Father:

“…You have given him (the Son of God) power over all flesh, that he should give eternal life to as many as You have given him.”  (John 17:2) 

“And (after He had risen from the dead) Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, All power is given to me in heaven and in earth.”   (Matt 28:18) 

Wow, just think – total power combined with infinite love, wisdom, a perfectly pure heart and the desire to do good!   

“…and the glory…” Although glory can mean a brightness or brilliance, it’s probably more accurately understood here to mean a judgment, opinion or view.  Because Christ has the right, authority and power to rule, His judgment or view is all that matters, really.  Right?  So why be hung up on man’s opinions or what the devil tells you about yourself.  In the NT, this word translated often as ‘glory’ always refers to “a good opinion concerning one, resulting in praise, honour, and glory” (Strong’s).  If you’re His child, you can depend upon His judgment, His view of you as being good.   

“…forever.”  That’s a long time.  For nearly two thousand years, believers have lifted up this prayer and many, many like it.  But two millennia is a comparatively nonexistent wisp or vapor of time in the context of eternity.  So, let’s pray it like we mean it!  Maranatha!  Come, Lord Jesus!

Remember, this prayer is a model, it’s how we should pray.  Consider it a divine guide on interacting with our Creator.  May your prayers be “acceptable”:

Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart

Be acceptable in Your sight,

O LORD, my strength and my Redeemer.  (Psa 19:14)

 

 

Blessed Expectation

 

John was the one Gospel writer who recorded Christ’s emphasis about His commandments:

 

"If you love Me, keep My commandments. ...  

"He who has My commandments and keeps them, it is he who loves Me. And he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and manifest Myself to him."

(John 14:15,21)

"If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love, just as I have kept My Father's commandments and abide in His love.   (John 15:10)

And thus we all have the first inclination to think He was referring to:

“A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another.  (John 13:34)

Or:

“This is My commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you.”  (John 15:12)

And all that is great, but the vast majority of pastors and pewsters ignore the one command He gave to His servants concerning His return:

 

"Take heed, watch and pray; for you do not know when the time is.

"[It is] like a man going to a far country, who left his house and gave authority to his servants, and to each his work, and commanded the doorkeeper to watch.

"Watch therefore, for you do not know when the master of the house is coming--in the evening, at midnight, at the crowing of the rooster, or in the morning--

"And what I say to you, I say to all: Watch!"      (Mark 13:33-37)

I suspect that’s because after 2000 years or so it is much easier to preach on loving, much more reasonable to believe and obey the ‘love command’.  After all, watching implies an expectation and requires trust that the expectation will be fulfilled. 

The contemporary church, being ‘infected’ with myriad desires – desire for comfort, desire for notoriety, desire for safety, etc. is generally sleepy from religion and scared to really trust God for Christ’s return.  If you talk about it, you get yawns.  Much of the church itself has scoffed at those who maintain that sincere expectation. But we should expect that because Peter told us:

knowing this first: that scoffers will come in the last days, walking according to their own lusts, and saying, “Where is the promise of His coming? For since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of creation.”           (2 Pet 3:3,4)

And Jesus warned us:

 

“Watch therefore,… lest, coming suddenly, he find you sleeping.”       (Mark 13:35a,36)

Now, watching is not (as some have done) climbing on your roof and shouting at an asteroid.  It is not at all a work of the flesh.  It is a heart-attitude which is the result of abundant grace – trusting in Christ’s truthfulness.  Watching simply means that you’re always ready because Christ’s return and the rapture is imminent. 

There are four aspects to imminence.  They are:

• Certainty:

For an event to be imminent, it must be certain to occur.

• Any-Moment Return: 

Imminence means that Christ could return at any time, and that there's no specific list of signs or events that must happen beforehand. 

• Emphasis on Readiness: 

This belief serves as a powerful motivator for us as Christians to live holy lives, remain alert, and be prepared for the day of Christ's return. 

• Constant Watchfulness: 

Rather than focusing on predicting a specific time, our focus is on living each day as if it could be the day of His coming, a concept emphasized by Jesus in passages like Mark 13:32-33. 

Now, some of you may be thinking, ‘But I know scriptures that say,’:

The sun shall be turned into darkness,
And the moon into blood,
Before the coming of the great and awesome day of the LORD.                          (Joel 2:28, Acts 2:20)

But that and other similar verses are speaking of the tribulation time, the 70^th ‘week’ of Daniel’s prophecy in Daniel chapter nine.  And in any event, Jesus told us:

"But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, but My Father only. But as the days of Noah were, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be. For as in the days before the flood, they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, and did not know until the flood came and took them all away, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be. ...  "Watch therefore, for you do not know what hour your Lord is coming. ... "Therefore you also be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.  (Mat 24:36-39, 42, 44)

So, let’s keep all Christ’s commands.  Love God and love one another and watch for His imminent return with trust and faith.

He who testifies to these things says, “Surely I am coming quickly (without delay, suddenly).” Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus!  (Rev 22:20)

 

 

The Issue of Sin

 

A friend of mine asked, what’s the point of the millennial reign of Christ here on earth if afterwards, when Satan is freed from his prison, the whole earth rejects the righteous rule of God’s Son and joins with Satan in rebellion?  And by the way, if they’ve enjoyed the benefits of this righteous rule, why reject it after a thousand years?

 

Good questions.  The answer, though simple, has several ‘facets’ or aspects.  First, the people still living after the Great Tribulation will be those who stubbornly held on to their adoration of evil.  The scripture tells us:

 

But the rest of mankind, who were not killed by these plagues, did not repent of the works of their hands, that they should not worship demons, and idols of gold, silver, brass, stone, and wood, which can neither see nor hear nor walk.      (Rev 9:20)

They are not victors, not even sane.  Their world is basically destroyed but God mercifully allows them to survive – barely.  So, as they crawl out of their holes, they don’t shake their fists at the Holy One.  They limp and look for mercy.  But their hearts are still black with SIN. 

 

Next, their survival and continuance throughout the millennium are God’s visual aid for the cosmos.  SIN is not something that allows for rehabilitation.  You cannot be healed from SIN.  You see, SIN is the offense of Iniquity or Evil.  SIN is the expression of that terribly dark disease.  SIN destroys its host 100 percent of the time.

 

And sadly, SIN is wired into the heart of all mankind.  Satan is also bound by it for he was found filled with iniquity:

 

“You were the seal of perfection,

Full of wisdom and perfect in beauty.

You were in Eden, the garden of God;

Every precious stone was your covering:

The sardius, topaz, and diamond, beryl, onyx, and jasper, sapphire, turquoise, and emerald with gold.

The workmanship of your timbrels and pipes was prepared for you on the day you were created.

“You were the anointed cherub who covers;

I established you;

You were on the holy mountain of God;

You walked back and forth in the midst of fiery stones.

You were perfect in your ways from the day you were created,

Till iniquity was found in you.  (Eze 28:12b-15)

Next, the millennium and the ensuant rebellion prove something.  There is no ‘getting better’ from SIN; there’s no amount of discipline or ‘growth’ that can drive it from you.

The ONLY way to be rid of its stench and blackness is to surrender all of it to Christ and absolutely trust Him.  You see, He took the penalty for ALL of it that we surrender by faith on the cross of Calvary.  He literally took all of it on Himself:

who Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, having died to sins, might live for righteousness—by whose stripes you were healed.     (1Pet 2:24)

Next, you might have thought that the root of mankind’s problems is Satan.  Nope.  I mean, he is indeed our enemy. He shows up and the world again is rebellious to God, but the root is iniquity (evil) which produces SIN which produces death.  Sure, Satan uses it against us, but he’s also bound by it. 

So, the millennium is God’s final visual aid and lesson to all the cosmos on the whole issue of SIN and also on the glorious eternal character of our Creator.

 

 

Coming Good

 

What are the attributes of God?  The Bible is specific about a few and many of us are nodding heads when we hear, “God is love.”  I like to point out that there are what I call two categories of attributes – the What and the Who.

 

And when we ‘know’ Him, both are important but the Who attributes, and one in particular, are my emphasis right now.  As Paul winds up his masterful book to the Romans, he also seems to spotlight this attribute:

Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.

(Rom 15:13)

 

Simply put, hope is the expectation of coming good. It’s eternal because He’s eternal and it’s wonderful because He’s wonderful.  And it has several key characteristics:

 

It’s a Response to God's Nature: It is a gift from God that enables believers to trust Him, even in difficult circumstances, leading to peace and power through the Holy Spirit.  Worldly hope is often based on uncertain desires, like hoping for a lottery win or good weather.

 

It’s a Confident Expectation: Unlike a simple wish, biblical hope implies a firm belief and certain expectation that a desired future good will be fulfilled.

 

It’s Grounded in Faith: Hope is inseparable from faith, as it relies on believing God's word and the reality of His past faithfulness and future promises.

 

It’s a Joyful Anticipation: This confident expectation gives rise to an irrepressible joy and a positive outlook for the future.

 

It’s Rooted in God: True biblical hope finds its source and foundation in God's character, His redemptive power, and His unwavering promises.

 

So, let’s consider what the scripture has to say to us about hope so that we can know, love and submit to our God ever more whole heartedly.

God cursed the ground for man’s sake (Gen 3:17) and so the creation ‘groaned’ but Paul explained:

 

For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of Him who subjected it in hope; 

(Rom 8:20)

 

So, God Himself had the absolute expectation of coming good because all His work, all His plan is good and absolutely sure.

 

Abraham is called the father of faith because of his great faith in God but he could also be called the father of hope for the same reason. Speaking of Abraham, the apostle wrote:

 

who, contrary to hope, in hope believed, so that he became the father of many nations, according to what was spoken, "So shall your descendants be." 

(Rom 4:18)

We are told that “faith is the evidence of things not seen…” (Heb 11:1) and is the “substance of things hoped for…”.  And again, Paul tells us:

 

For we were saved in this hope, but hope that is seen is not hope; for why does one still hope for what he sees?  But if we hope for what we do not see, we eagerly wait for it with perseverance.

            (Rom 8:24,25)

So, hope is not seen but it was embodied in a person:

Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ, by the commandment of God our Savior and the Lord Jesus Christ, our hope, 

(1 Tim 1:1)

He led the way into the presence of God:

This hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and steadfast, and which enters the Presence behind the veil, 

(Heb 6:19)

This “anchor”, this utterly amazing God-man, Jesus Christ, not only entered that “Presence” but also sent His Spirit into our hearts to provide not simply a ‘wishful thinking’ hope for eternal life but a living hope with an absolute expectation:

 

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,

(Pet 1:3)

So now each and every one of you who truly believe are a visual aid to creation because “the Hope”, by His Spirit lives in you:

 

… Christ in you, the hope of glory.

(Col 1:27)

And everyone who has this hope in Him purifies himself, just as He is pure. 

(1John 3:3)

Just as I’ve written before, you cannot purify yourself.  You cannot make yourself clean – only the blood of Jesus can do that.  What this verse is saying is that it’s this Hope, this person in you who believe – He purifies you just as He is pure. (See 1 John 1:9)  It’s having Him in you that purifies you. 

 

So, what does this purification look like?  After all, He left us in ‘corpses’ for a reason – when we yield to Him, He leads us in Him, to Hope, and to the love of God:

 

And not only that, but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance; and perseverance, character; and character, hope. Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us. 

(Rom 5:3-5)

I hope you hear me on this.  This is NOT religion.  Hope does not disappoint.

 

 

The Ultimate Choice

 

It’s a truly sobering thought.  When you turn away from knowing God, you are inhabited by darkness.  And it’s not a static possession but a wickedness that corrupts and devolves you ultimately into a tortured oblivion.  Romans chapter one explains this condition:

For since the creation of the world His invisible [attributes] are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, [even] His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse, because, although they knew God, they did not glorify [Him] as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened.

Professing to be wise, they became fools and changed the glory of the incorruptible God into an image made like corruptible man--and birds and four-footed animals and creeping things.

Therefore, God also gave them up to uncleanness, in the lusts of their hearts, to dishonor their bodies among themselves, who exchanged the truth of God for the lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen.

For this reason, God gave them up to vile passions. For even their women exchanged the natural use for what is against nature.

Likewise, also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust for one another, men with men committing what is shameful, and receiving in themselves the penalty of their error which was due.

And even as they did not like to retain God in [their] knowledge, God gave them over to a debased mind, to do those things which are not fitting; being filled with all unrighteousness, sexual immorality, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, evil-mindedness; [they are] whisperers, backbiters, haters of God, violent, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, undiscerning, untrustworthy, unloving, unforgiving, unmerciful; who, knowing the righteous judgment of God, that those who practice such things are deserving of death, not only do the same but also approve of those who practice them. 

                                                                       (Rom 1:20-32)

From the beginning of our world’s creation, that is, the six days in Genesis which included mankind, God’s divinity and power were clearly displayed and men did absolutely know He was God, but they refused to glorify Him as God and were not thankful.

As a result, their thinking, their minds, their imaginations, became wicked – demonically wicked, and their inner beings became terminally dark.  This played out as they insanely worshipped idols made to look like men, birds, beasts, and creeping things.

But the darkness had only begun to devolve for wickedness drew doomed men into self-annihilating perversion.  They defiled one another – men with men and women with women, women with demons and so on, so that they no longer regarded the truth of God but adored and served the lies of evil.

We witness this in Cain; we see it in the condition of the world before the great flood and we have record of it in every society from Egypt to Babylon to Rome, even the Jews.

The only thing that countered the devolution was the introduction and spread of the gospel.  Wherever to good news sowed its light and life – where Jesus Christ was glorified, men’s lives turned away from the corroding darkness.

But there is always a choice and really, it’s the ultimate choice – believe God or believe the lie.  To believe God is to believe that He took on human flesh, lived a perfect life and died on the cross, carrying the sins of all mankind.  Then on the third day He rose again and is now seated on God’s right hand. 

To believe the lie is to believe Satan as he shrieks, “You will not surely die.  God doesn’t care about you.  Sin is satisfying.  Live for you.”  Every satanic thought and word is a lie and those who have embraced the darkness can’t see it.  They hate the light, they hate and twist the truth.  They are shriveling into oblivion.

And even as you choose light, choose to believe God, you discover that God likewise has chosen you:

But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; 

(                                                                            (1 Pet 2:9)

At every moment, eschew the darkness because:

You are all sons of light and sons of the day. We are not of the night nor of darkness. 

(                                                                             (1Thes 5:5)

Light is your life:

But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin.

(                                                                             (1 John 1:7)

Take God’s lifeline.  Let Him pull you out of the flow of darkness that is circling down into the sewage pit of death and hell.  Take His outstretched hand, now.

 

 

The First Prayer

 

What took so long??

 

This one small verse tucked into the end of chapter four of Genesis:

 

And as for Seth, to him also a son was born; and he named him Enosh. Then men began to call on the name of the LORD.             (Gen 4:26)

Do the math and you’ll see that this was 235 years after Adam’s creation.  It seems to illustrate that mankind was ‘gun-shy’ so to speak about relating to the Lord.  Let’s consider what had happened up to this point.

 

Adam and Eve, and consequently the whole human race, died spiritually which meant that they were separated from God – no connection, no fellowship.  They listened to and believed the serpent.  Then they were evicted (for their own good) from the Garden of Eden.  Because of the poison of sin, they could no longer perceive anything correctly – what was innocent and good looked bad and vice versa.  This condition became a permanent part of the human ‘genome’.

 

Cain and Abel, for some reason, attempted to worship the Lord with sacrifices but Cain got it wrong.  Maybe they picked that idea up watching Adam but we don’t know as there is no record of Adam ever worshipping.  Maybe they were teenagers and thought they’d ‘do it better than the folks’ and came up with it on their own.  Maybe they were instructed by God on what to do and Cain just thought that he’d do it his own way instead.  This latter scenario seems to be the case since it’s recorded:

 

And in the process of time, it came to pass that Cain brought an offering of the fruit of the ground to the LORD.

Abel also brought of the firstborn of his flock and of their fat. And the LORD respected Abel and his offering, but He did not respect Cain and his offering. And Cain was very angry, and his countenance fell.

So, the LORD said to Cain, "Why are you angry? And why has your countenance fallen? If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin lies at the door. And its desire is for you, but you should rule over it."  (Gen 4:3-7)

But Cain did not rule over it.  Rather, it came to pass:

 

… when they were in the field, that Cain rose up against Abel his brother and killed him.  (Gen 4:8)

Cain was hard-hearted and miserably self-obsessed. Here’s what happened next:

Then the LORD said to Cain, "Where is Abel your brother?" He said, "I do not know. Am I my brother's keeper?"

And He said, "What have you done? The voice of your brother's blood cries out to Me from the ground.

"So now you are cursed from the earth, which has opened its mouth to receive your brother's blood from your hand.

"When you till the ground, it shall no longer yield its strength to you. A fugitive and a vagabond you shall be on the earth."  (Gen 4:9-12)

But sin filled Cain had the typical narcissistic victim attitude:

 

And Cain said to the LORD, "My punishment is greater than I can bear!  Surely You have driven me out this day from the face of the ground; I shall be hidden from Your face; I shall be a fugitive and a vagabond on the earth, and it will happen that anyone who finds me will kill me."  (Gen 4:13,14)

So, in review, Adam and Eve were sent out by the Lord; Cain was disciplined by the Lord.  And no one called upon the Lord for over 200 years or so – not until Enos (Enosh).  Why?

 

We know from the scriptural record that men were turning, more and more prideful and violent.  But Enos came on the scene and then men began to call upon the Lord.  Was it something Enos did or was it something he inspired?

 

The name is important.  All names were very significant at this time.  Enos is derived from the word for mortal or frail.  Perhaps Enos began to call upon the Lord because he was frail or perhaps his parents called on the Lord for him. 

 

At this time, men typically lived more than 900 years probably because of the water shield around the earth which would have filtered out most if not all cosmic rays from the sun.  In any event, mortality or frailty was likely the reason prayer, calling upon the Lord, started up. 

 

When people are young and healthy, there is little thought given to God’s presence or our need for Him.  But I’ve been a chaplain in a hospital and believe me, many people want to believe in God’s help and forgiveness when they’re dying or frail.

 

As far as we know, no one except Abel had died but “mortality” means “death is inevitable”.  And when Christ conquered death, he conquered mortality.  Thus, Paul wrote:

 

But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you. (Rom 8:11)

For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality.

So, when this corruptible has put on incorruption, and this mortal has put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written: "Death is swallowed up in victory."  (1 Cor 15:53,54)

And that reminds me of a story out of Joshua.  Moses had died on the mountaintop and left Joshua in charge of the hosts of Israel.  The people were camped on the east side of the Jordan getting ready to enter the promised land.  Joshua called upon the Lord (just like Enos) and God told him exactly what to do.

 

He gathered the elders and told them that the priests carrying the Ark of the Covenant would lead the way and that all the people would follow:

 

Then Joshua rose early in the morning; and they set out from Acacia Grove and came to the Jordan, he and all the children of Israel, and lodged there before they crossed over.

So it was, after three days, that the officers went through the camp; and they commanded the people, saying, "When you see the ark of the covenant of the LORD your God, and the priests, the Levites, bearing it, then you shall set out from your place and go after it.

"Yet there shall be a space between you and it, about two thousand cubits by measure. Do not come near it, that you may know the way by which you must go, for you have not passed this way before."   (Jos 3:1-4)

So, the people were a bit nervous.  This was the BIG day.  The Jordan river was swollen, overflowing its banks.  The name Jordan means “descender” which makes sense since it descends from the Sea of Galilee down to the Dead Sea where nothing, and I mean nothing grows or lives. The Jordan thus typifies Death and/or Sin.

 

Anyway, Joshua (whose name, BTW, is the same as Jesus) told them what to expect:

 

“And it shall come to pass, as soon as the soles of the feet of the priests who bear the ark of the LORD, the Lord of all the earth, shall rest in the waters of the Jordan, that the waters of the Jordan shall be cut off, the waters that come down from upstream, and they shall stand as a heap.”        (Jos 3:13)

And just as he said, the priests carrying the Ark stepped into the Jordan and:

 

…the waters which came down from upstream stood still and rose in a heap very far away at Adam, the city that is beside Zaretan.                        (Jos 3:16)

So, you see, the Ark, which represented Jesus entered the Jordan (death, sin) and it was dried up all the way (far away) back to Adam.  And Zaretan comes from the word which means to pierce or puncture.  It is a picture of the verse on mortality I presented above:

"Death is swallowed up in victory." 

Indeed, Christ’s sacrifice by piercing conquered death and His resurrection swallowed it up all the way back to Adam.

And the Hebrews passed over dry shod about 2000 cubits (years?) later.

 

So, something about frail, mortal Enos caused men to call upon the Lord. If their  prayers concerned frailty or mortality, they were answered in Christ.  For all the reasons they MAY have been ‘gun-shy’ of the Lord, the real reason was sin and the only way to deal with sin is to call upon the Lord, accept the gracious gift of salvation provided by faith in Jesus Christ.

 

 

Like God

 

But godliness with contentment is great gain.           (1 Tim 6:6)

But thou, O man of God, flee these things; and follow after righteousness, godliness, faith, love,  patience, meekness.   (1Tim 6:11)

We’ve been deceived about godliness.  To be like God is what Satan desired:

I will ascend above the heights of the clouds,
I will be like the Most High.'  (Isa 14:14) 

 

And, it is what he tempted Eve with:

 

“For God knows that in the day you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.”  (Gen 3:5)

And yet, God promised it to the house of David:

 

“In that day the LORD will defend the inhabitants of Jerusalem; the one who is feeble among them in that day shall be like David, and the house of David shall be like God, like the Angel of the LORD before them.”  (Zec 12:8)

But, the godliness that Paul wrote to Timothy about is not being like God but rather having “respect, reverence, or piety” towards God.  Big difference.

 

Yet we still tend to think of godliness as in the form of the serpent’s lure.  We originally took that bait and we’ve been hung up on it ever since.  As it ingrained itself into our sin-nature, the nature of the flesh, it manifested itself in religion.  Consider the Pharisees.  In fact, many if not most ‘ministries’ today are tainted with the ‘P problem’ – pride and ego.  I know many really humble Christian leaders but many also get soaked in the limelight and really like the attention.

 

You see, I think God views our own desires for godliness based upon our heart attitude.  The godliness Paul spoke of and which Jesus manifested was humble, reverent and respectful of the Almighty.  On the other hand, the ‘godliness’ that wants to “be like God” a la Satan is self-elevating; it strokes the ego.

 

So why the prophecy about the house of David?  Because the prophet is saying that one day David’s house is going to have the heart of God.  Remember, God said of him…

 

“And when He had removed him, He raised up for them David as king, to whom also He gave testimony and said, ‘I have found David the son of Jesse, a man after My own heart, who will do all My will.’”  (Acts 13:22, 1 Sam 13:14)

When your heart is humble, like Jesus – in the right place so to speak, God wants you to be like Him to abide in Him, to imitate Him because He abides in you. Paul wrote:

 

Imitate me, just as I also imitate Christ.  (1 Cor 11:1)

 

Satan’s heart was corrupted by sin and he, in turn, corrupted mankind with the same so whether someone unsaved does evil or tries to do good, apart from the working of the Holy Spirit, it is tainted with sin. 

 

That’s why so many people who hate Christ or are apathetic to Him still want others to consider them ‘good’.  Many thirst for that self-appreciation as well.  It’s not that the ‘good works’ that they may do are wrong or somehow bad, but rather it’s that their hearts are dark thus their ‘good works merit badges’ so to speak can’t save them.

 

For us, as believers to be like God, in fact to be IN God is already the Almighty’s end game:

 

“At that day you will know that I am in My Father, and you in Me, and I in you.  (John 14:20)

Jesus answered and said to him, “If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home with him.”  (John 14:23)

So, Satan’s words to Eve were an empty promise and completely misleading.

 

Renewal

 

The earth was without form, and void; and darkness was on the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters.  (Gen 1:2)

Four of the most used English translations of this verse say, “The earth was wasted…”  Others say the earth was formless or without form.  The point is that the earth was a chaotic mess, but this stands in apparent contradiction to God’s word through Isaiah for in Isa 45:18, all translations say, in effect, that God did not make the earth wasted but intended it to be inhabited.  (The same Hebrew words for wasted and chaos are used in both.)

 

For example, Young’s Literal Translation reads:

 

For thus said Jehovah, Creator of heaven, He is God, Former (to mold into a form; especially as a potter) of earth, and its Maker,

He established it -- not empty (not wasted or formless)

He prepared it,

For inhabiting He formed it:

'I am Jehovah, and there is none else.

Now, many Bible scholars ‘poo-poo’ the notion of what is commonly called the ‘gap theory’ saying it isn’t in the plain sense Hebrew and doesn’t explain the fossilized remains.  I don’t intend to defend a theory, but it’s evident that their ‘poo-pooing’ is not based on Bible interpretation but prejudice.  Understanding ancient Hebrew is not an exact science, but rather a complex, interpretive discipline. As with any translation of ancient languages, it is both an art and a science, relying on methodical analysis but never achieving absolute certainty due to historical and linguistic challenges. Unfortunately, there are those who want to impress with their scholarship and use it to press their bias.

 

Of course, I’m not the expert in Hebrew – just a student and a student of the scripture for some 53 years so when I see that Isaiah records that Jehovah established the earth NOT empty which means NOT wasted or formless and I read that Moses says of the earth in Gen 1:2 it was indeed wasted, formless and in chaos, I conclude that something happened to the earth that God prepared for inhabiting. 

 

And this observation is consistent with God’s way of acting – for just as he created “good” in making a ‘new’ earth in Genesis in six days, we read that when fallen mankind again makes a mess of everything, God foretells in Isa 65:17:

 

“For behold, I create new heavens and a new earth;
And the former shall not be remembered or come to mind.”

 

After all, making a new creation is exactly what He’s done in each of us who believe in Jesus.  We were all ‘wasted’ in sin and then by God’s grace, through our trust in Christ for salvation, we were made suitable for inhabiting by His Spirit.

 

You see, this is the demonstrated character of the God we worship.  He doesn’t create waste and chaos; rather He delights in bringing goodness and beauty to what is destroyed.

 

In addition, these same scholars propose that God must have made the earth already with fossils – it’s called the ‘old earth’ theory.  They cite that after all, Adam was made fully formed so then an ‘old earth’ could have been created as well.

 

But it is not a good practice to interpret the Bible to be alignment with your theory.  Rather, use scriptural evidence as your support.  For instance, although God made the first Adam fully formed, He also made the last Adam, Jesus, by impregnating Mary – that is, Christ grew to be fully formed.

 

Now, I have another translation issue in this verse.  The word presented as “hovering” or “moved upon” (KJV) doesn’t covey what I think is the intent. The ancient Hebrew word means “brooding” and can easy mean “move gently, also cherish, and brood” like a mother bird over its chicks. 

 

What we see is the Holy Spirit brooding over the waste and chaos which clearly conveys an emotional attachment, a caring.  Hovering or moving upon presents God’s Spirit as stoic.  That’s not the Spirit of Abba, Father.

 

Worldwide, mankind has made another waste – societies are in a free-fall of failure.  Birthrates have plummeted, emotional and mental craziness is rising, traditional values are routinely run down, whole cultures have been homogenized and dissolved.  We all see it.  So does God.

 

It is better to trust in the LORD
Than to put confidence in man.  (Psa 118:8)

Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding;

In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths.  (Pro 3:5,6)

 

 

 

The Old Old Story

 

A Lesson for Us and the Angels

 

Judging by the style of the Hebrew it uses, some scholars judge Job to be the oldest book of the Old Testament. “Ancient it is beyond all dispute. It probably belongs to the period covered by the book of Genesis; and possibly, to the time of Abraham. Its lesson, therefore, is the oldest lesson we could have; and it takes us back to the first lesson taught in the Bible itself.” (Guzik/Bullinger)

 

“It is fascinating to think that as we open this text we may be faced with the earliest of all written accounts of a human being’s relationship with Yahweh, the one true God.” (Mason)

 

Job must deal with the fact that in his life, God does not act the way he always thought God would and should act. In this drama, the Book of Job is not so much a record of solutions and explanations to this problem; it is more a revelation of Job’s experience and the answers carried within his experience. (Guzik)

 

There was a man in the land of Uz, whose name was Job; and that man was blameless and upright, and one who feared God and shunned evil.  (Job 1:1)

This strong statement of the godliness of Job is important to understanding the rest of the story. Recognizing this righteousness of Job “will save us from the mistake of thinking at any point of those experiences as having their explanation in the man himself. Nor for himself did he suffer. His pains were not penalties for wrongdoing: they were not even chastisements for correction.” (Morgan)

 

 One would not know it from the first few verses, but the Book of Job is about an epic war. Yet no city is attacked or besieged or conquered; no battles are won or lost; no oceans are sailed, or nations founded, or adventures recorded. The whole conflict happens on an ash heap — virtually a garbage dump — outside a village. It is an epic war, but one of the inner life; a struggle to make sense of some of the deepest questions of life. (Guzik)

 

The two great themes of the Book of Job, as explained by James, are the perseverance of Job and the end intended by the Lord, and it is important to learn both themes.  The end intended by the Lord is God’s eternal purpose as revealed in Ephesians 3:10-11 — now the manifold wisdom of God might be made known by the church to the principalities and powers in the heavenly places, according to the eternal purpose. God’s intended purpose was to use Job to teach angelic beings, especially to teach them about His own spectacular wisdom. (Thanks, Guzik)

 

Now instead of presenting forty chapters of destruction, death, grief and self-condemnation, let me simplify in hopefully an inoffensive manner.  Job’s story is about a blameless (note, not sinless) man who righteously serves and worships God.  Because of events that transpired in the heavenly realm, he suffered at least four waves of torment. 

 

The first wave was the sudden destruction of all he had as possessions.  The second wave was the death of all his children whom he loved  (his wife remained, who continued to taunt him to simply curse God and die).  The third wave was the disastrous torments to his own body and mind leaving him a pus-oozing unrecognizable heap sulking in an ash-pile.  The fourth wave was the confrontation/consolation of his ‘friends’ who basically condemned him as sinful and in receipt of his justified judgements from God.

 

At the beginning of his torment, Job’s reaction was amazingly humble and righteous but over time, he turned to self-loathing, cursing his own birth.  In the end we witness self-righteous defensiveness, but we also see God’s forgiveness and graciousness. 

 

So, what was/is the lesson?  What is the epic war all about?  Who won, who lost?

 

First, we have to understand that this war is not really about Job.  Oh, he is in the midst of it and his behavior is on display, but all that he goes through is a vis-aid to demonstrate to the whole created order – spiritual and material - Who the Creator is.  Even Satan is a pawn in this epic.

Jesus told us of the devil, that:

 

He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own resources, for he is a liar and the father of it.  (John 8:44)

“Cyril and some others think it is the first murder, that of Abel, that is in view (1 John 3:15), but far more probably it is the introduction of death through the first sin.” (Dods/Guzik) 

 

I certainly respect these scholars and their points of view, but it was Cain that killed Abel and Adam that sinned and brought death into our existence.  We can point the finger at the serpent just as Eve did for these things, but Jesus said “from the beginning” which prompts me to think of:

 

God, who has saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace which was given to us in Christ Jesus before time began, but has now been revealed by the appearing of our Savior Jesus Christ, who has abolished death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel,         (2 Tim 8-10)

You see, God abolished death in Christ before time began.  But in order to do that, Christ had to die:

 

Inasmuch then as the children have partaken of flesh and blood, He Himself likewise shared in the same, that through death He might destroy him who had the power of death, that is, the devil,      (Heb 2:14)

Thus, in effect, Christ gave His Life for us before time began in order to destroy him who had the power of death. THIS is why the devil was a murderer from the beginning for THIS was the first murder.

 

Sin turned the being called Lucifer (light bearer, the covering cherub) into the awful, hateful being called Satan (Adversary) and the devil (false accuser, slanderer).  At some point, iniquity was “found” in him and changed him:

 

“You were the seal of perfection,
Full of wisdom and perfect in beauty. (Ez 28:12)

You were perfect in your ways from the day you were created,
Till iniquity was found in you.  (Ez 28:15)

You became filled with violence within, (Ez 28:16)

It's easy for me to believe that filled with violence, Satan’s influence in the heavenlies was to lie about the Almighty, to slander His Holy character.  This evidently infected some one-third of the angels.

 

And this began an epic battle to enlighten the whole of the created order as to the true character of the Almighty.  Even in Eden, Satan tried to thwart God’s ‘vis-aid’ by enslaving His image and likeness bearers (mankind). 

 

Of course, this was part of God’s master plan for in doing so, Satan forged a ‘binding contract’ of sorts that required one perfect man to redeem (pay for) the failure of the one sinful man (Adam and his progeny).  And we all know how that worked out! (Thank you Jesus!)

 

Back to Job.  God knew Job.  But Job didn’t know God; not yet.  Oh, he knew about God, he feared and revered God but he needed to know God in a way that all the angelic host needed as well.

 

I suspect that the devil used the same slanderous lies on Eve that he did among the angelic host. 

 

Then the serpent said to the woman, "You will not surely die.

"For God knows that in the day you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil."  (Gen 3:4,5)

First, he said to the woman that God lied to them and followed up with a statement that conveyed, ‘God’s withholding from you. He doesn’t want you to be like Him.’

 

So, the epic war was spiritual – either to trust God or to try to be like Him.  The old trust versus try battle.  What God demonstrated to the cosmos through Job was that Job was a truster, but his adversity drove him to turn to his works for justification - trying, trying to be good.  Job described how his reputation for wisdom and goodness was deserved. He was a man full of good and noble works, especially to the poor and disadvantaged.

 

Concerning chapter 29:  “Not once before this had he pointed to any of his good deeds as evidence of his faith, but rather he had taken his stand squarely upon faith alone and not upon works…” (Mason)

 

Concerning chapter 30:  “Classically there are two ways of soliciting the favor of God. One way is by trying very hard to be very, very good and hoping that God will take notice. The other way is to beg God for His blessing and to refuse to let Him off the hook until He comes through… It is those who refuse to give up on God (i.e. continue to trust) who end up with His blessing.” (Mason)

 

Concerning chapter 40:  Job, speaking from what he felt to be his God-absent agony, longed to contend with God. Yet after God appeared in His love and glory, Job now felt humbled about his previous demand. He rightly felt he was in no place to contend with the Almighty, much less to correct Him or rebuke Him.

 

We might say that Job fell into the trap of thinking that because he couldn’t figure God out, that perhaps God wasn’t fair. Yet in this larger section of God’s revelation of Himself to Job, God has demonstrated that there are many things that Job doesn’t know, and therefore was not a fit judge of God’s ways. (Guzik)

 

Concerning chapter 41:  This description of Leviathan – especially at this point – is so like that of Satan, that we may fairly suppose that God here was indicating to Job not only His great might and Job’s vulnerability before Satan, but also alluding to Satan’s role in Job’s great crisis. 

 

Concerning chapter 42:  Job said many sad and imprudent things, both in his agonized cry of Job 3 and in the bitter and contentious debate with his friends. At times he doubted the goodness of God and His righteous judgment in the world; at times he doubted if there was any good in this life or in the life beyond. Now Job has come full circle, back to a state of humble contentment with not knowing the answers to the questions occasioned by his crisis and his companions.

 

The most powerful aspect of Job’s encounter with God was not primarily what God said, but God’s simple, loving, powerful presence with Job that changed him most profoundly.

 

Herein is the lesson:  God’s character, His eternal attributes are ever good, ever trustworthy, ever Holy and perfect.  All His creation can trust Him always.

 

Herein is the epic war:  It’s Try to be like Him vs. Trust Him

 

Herein is the winner:  Trust wins!  Jesus settled it on the Cross and proved it at the empty tomb.

 

 

 

Only One

 

In the beginning, there was One. (John 1:1, 1 John 5:7) Then there were many but the many sang as one. (Job 38:7, Psa 147:4)  Then one among the many was no longer one with the many. (Isa 14:12-14, Ez 28:12b-15)  And the one wanted to be like the One. (Isa 14:14)  So the one was cast out from the many and dragged down some of the many with him. (Rev 12:4a, Ez 28:16, 17)

 

And there, the fallen one with his other ones caused chaos and destruction. (Gen 1:2a, Isa 45:18) Then the One saw it and created new that which was in chaos and in the process created a new ‘species’ specifically designed to be in the image and likeness of the One.  Of course, the fallen one was furious and hated the new creature.

 

The One knew what would happen. The new creature stumbled and thus became a slave of the fallen one.  At some point, war broke out in the cosmos between the unified ones and the fallen ones.  But as planned, when the time was right, the One sent His Only One to the enslaved ones who didn’t recognize Him or received Him, and being stirred by the fallen one, killed the Only One who willingly laid down His life.

 

However, the Only One could not be contained by death, and He rose from the grave.  As a result, the enslaved ones who believed in Him became the blessed ones and were set free.  They were recreated, clean, new and free.  Then the blessed recreated ones became One with the Only One, the Holy One and the Almighty One for they became fully the likeness and image of the One. In addition, they are at home in the One and together became the permanent home of the One.

 

Boy, that’s a lot of ones, right?  But the point is that from before time began, God’s plan was to unify all His creation in His Only One, His Son.  The underlie-ing principle of fallen mankind is separation from God and individual hubris.  That principle is a dead end literally.

 

In contrast, oneness or God’s unity is not the loss of identity but rather the participation of all His family in the perfect love and purposes of the One.  We will be filled with all the fullness of God, ever increasing, ever loving, ever living. (John 1:16, Eph 1:10, 23, 3:19, 4:23, Col 1:19,20)

 

 

 

The 4-Fold Blessing

 

• that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man,
• that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith;
• that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what [is] the width and length and depth and height--to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge;
• that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.          (Eph 3:16-19)

 

Part 1 – The Inner Man

 

The first part of Paul’s blessing (actually the Holy Spirit’s) to us is that Father God would give us something.  It’s important to start with this understanding – that it is indeed a gift.  And it is not a meager gift.  It is according to, or in the measure of, the riches of His glory. 

 

Now glory is generally thought of as a splendor or brilliance, but its primary meaning is a view, opinion or judgement and in the New Testament, it is always a positive view.  Of course, this is understandable for when God sees you, He sees His Son Jesus in you. 

 

In other words, this gift is as great as God’s opinion about His Son and that greatness cannot be accurately described with words, can it?  It’s just …

 

Anyway, this amazingly HUGE gift is to be strengthened with power (dynamis in the Greek from which we get our word dynamite) BOOM! And specifically, this strength is through or by way of His Spirit and more specifically, this ‘BOOM’ is in your inner being – it’s where He has built you together along with other believers as a dwelling place for the Godhead.

 

Unlike the strength of the flesh, this power never fades, never grows weak with age.  When you are born again, your inner being, the real you is one with God’s Spirit, God’s Son and God Himself.  In fact, the scripture tells us God will bring ALL THINGS together in unity in Jesus:

 

that in the dispensation of the fullness of the times He might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven and which are on earth—in Him.  (Eph 1:10)

So do NOT identify with that rotting corpse, your body, which hangs on to its sin and sinful ways.  When you trusted in Christ as your Savior, your redemption, you died with Him and were also raised with Him.  You truly are a new creation. 

 

What this power is all about is the ultimate power, but its nature may surprise you.  It’s the power to trust God at all times, at every instant.  It’s the power to love those your flesh doesn’t.  It’s the power to rest, to be at peace.  It’s the power to see Father God as Abba, Father.  It’s the power to be in absolute unity with God and His family. 

 

This power makes you suitable for Paul’s second blessing –

 

Part 2 – Christ’s dwelling

 

This is more than amazing, but if you accept Paul’s (actually Christ’s) first blessing, you have the power to trust it:

 

“At that day you will know that I am in My Father, and you in Me, and I in you.” (John 14:20)

And to Judas, (not Iscariot) Jesus answered and said to him, “If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home with him.”  (John 14:23)

Read it again if you missed it – your dwelling is in Christ and His dwelling is in you.  This is not someday in the future ‘by and by’!  It’s the moment you first trusted in Jesus as your Savior:

 

In Him you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation; in whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise,  (Eph 1:13)

So, understand that this word for dwelling is NOT a tent.  It is NOT in any way temporary.  It’s a permanent residence.  And get this, it’s not a dwelling that you can measure in square feet or meters.  Its dimensions are made for God Himself and how vast is He?

 

The Bible says that God fills both heaven and earth and that you can't go anywhere that God isn't!

 

He who descended is also the One who ascended far above all the heavens, that He might fill all things.  (Eph 4:10)

So, by definition, the size of this spiritual dwelling defies description and guess what it’s filled with?  God.  And John tells us:

 

And we have known and believed the love that God has for us. God is love, and he who abides in love abides in God, and God in him.  (1 John 4:16)

So, our wonderous dwelling in and with God is filled with love. 

 

Part 3 – Measureless Love

 

And that leads us to Paul’s third blessing.  You see, if you dwell in the midst of measureless love, you are definitely rooted and founded in it.  You are one with it/Him.  Thus, I expect that we’ll spend eternity exploring it/Him in every ‘direction’.

 

I wish the translators had used the more sensible word here, that is, “to eagerly seize” or “to possess” instead of comprehend because we can and will, throughout eternity, eagerly seize and possess this mind-boggling love but we don’t have to comprehend it.  Paul (or rather the Holy Spirit) tells us it’s beyond knowledge. 

 

Now, you might think, ‘but he also says that we will “know the love of Christ”.  Yep, but that word for know means to know by experiencing.  It’s not mental; it’s relational.

 

So, he’s saying that we will experience the wonderous Being of Love in all ‘directions’ if you would throughout eternity, He Who far surpasses knowledge.  There is no limit, no boundary, no end to our God, our Savior, our Helper. 

 

Part 4 – Filled with God

 

Which leads us to the fourth blessing – to be filled with all the fullness of the God.  Filled means filled, topped off and fullness is repletion.  Our forever is being filled up to the top with God, all of Him.  In this, God fulfills His plan.  He made us in His image and likeness and herein He fills us with Him – His love, His joy, His peace…

 

 

Done Deal

 

Blessed [be] the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly [places] in Christ, just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love, having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will, to the praise of the glory of His grace, by which He made us accepted in the Beloved.   (Eph 1: 3-6)

having made known to us the mystery of His will, according to His good pleasure which He purposed in Himself, that in the dispensation of the fullness of the times He might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven and which are on earth--in Him.  (Eph 1:9,10)

But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised [us] up together, and made [us] sit together in the heavenly [places] in Christ Jesus,  (Eph 2:4-6)

God doesn’t deal in ‘crisis management’.  That’s for at least two reasons – first, His knowledge is infinite, so He has complete understanding and awareness of all things past, present and future at all moments of eternity.  And second, what He says will be is actually already accomplished in and through His only begotten self – Jesus Christ.

 

Even when we talk about accepting Christ, the precedent and primary reality is that He chose us and made us (note the past tense) accepted in His Son before time began:

 

…who has saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace which was given to us in Christ Jesus before time began, (2 Tim 1:9)

Are you tracking with me?  Every spiritual blessing!  Accepted in the Son!  Seated with Him!  Made eternally ALIVE!  It’s all a done deal.

So why all the ‘fuss’?  Why the tribulations and sorrows and grief?  Why the sacrifice, why the cross?  The full answer to that is way beyond our meager minds.  But one thing we can know because we are told:

 

Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares [us], and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of [our] faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.     (Heb 12:1,2)

It was, it is and it will always be – JOY.  It was set before Him and that made it worth everything.  And you, my friend, are a part of that joy, forever.  It’s a done deal, God’s deal, and you will never have done anything to merit it.  In Christ, you are the forever recipient of God’s lavish love, made in His image and likeness. Hallelujah!

 

 

Knowing Abba

 

We are instructed in the Bible to live and walk and worship and, well many things “in the Spirit” but most of us don’t fully understand what that means.  The ‘doers’ among us say, “just let me get my hands dirty” while the worshipers say, “just let me sing or pray”, and the emotional or tender-hearted say, “just show me someone who needs love and care”. 

 

“In the Spirit” has different implications depending on how we are ‘wired’.  And that’s fine but we can know our God, our Father, our Savior and our Helper better and better as we submit to this wonderful concept – “in the Spirit”.

 

And there are a couple of really key verses to consider:

 

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control.  (Gal 5:22,23a)

Many of us know this verse and refer to it often considering the Spirit of God. It speaks to individual and group edification.  But there is an even more consequential verse that I’d like to focus upon:

 

And because you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into your hearts, crying out, “Abba, Father!”  (Gal 4:6)

There is only one person in scripture to ever use this term, “Abba” – Jesus, when He was in the midst of utter rejection by humanity, there in the garden, sweating drops on blood. 

 

Church focused Christianity teaches us to understand the Spirit’s fruit as in Galatians 5:22, 23 because He is the influence in our relationships with each other, but Christ’s focus was upon the Father.  For Him, to "cry out Abba Father" signified a deep, intimate, and personal relationship with God, expressing both dependence and love as a child to a father. 

 

"Abba" is an Aramaic word equivalent to "daddy" or "papa," emphasizing a close, affectionate, and trusting connection.  And this is perhaps the crux of the matter – it reflects a sense of belonging and assurance of being God's own. 

• Intimacy and Closeness:

The term "Abba" denotes a level of intimacy and closeness that goes far beyond a formal or religious relationship with God. 

• Childlike Dependence:

It expresses a childlike trust and reliance on God, recognizing Him as a loving and caring father. 

• Not Just Words:

It's not merely a vocal expression but a heartfelt cry arising from a deep-seated understanding of God's love and the identity as His child. 

This is what Jesus came to share, to give to us – not only the glorious promise of eternal life but everything “Abba” represents.

 

Importantly, notice that the placing of His Son’ Spirit in our heart is not expressly for salvation.  The scripture tells us that that was settled in Christ from before the beginning:

 

But we are bound to give thanks to God always for you, brethren beloved by the Lord, because God from the beginning chose you for salvation through sanctification by the Spirit and belief in the truth,  (2 Thes 2:13)

who has saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace which was given to us in Christ Jesus before time began,  (2 Tim 1:9)

Rather, Galatians 4:6 tells us expressly that for those of us recognize Him as our Savior, the Son’s Spirit was sent into our hearts crying, “Abba, Father”.  It is all about recognizing God as our Abba, it’s about opening our spiritual eyes to that reality – that connection, that awesome trust, that we are indeed in Him and He in us.

 

This sense of belonging is the sense of being accepted, valued, and included in God’s family. It's more than just being physically in the pew so to speak; the new creature doesn’t just behave or think differently, the new creation sees the Creator in a whole new way.  It's about knowing, having absolute assurance that you’re connected and that you matter to the Father and your heavenly family. 

 

Key aspects of a sense of belonging:

• Acceptance:
• Inclusion:
• Connectedness:
• Support:

 

Now, I’m not just putting forth theory – you see, the concept of Abba is so important to us for we literally inherit our desire to belong; it's hardwired in our brain. Studies have shown that we crave connection in the same region of the brain that we crave food, and we experience social exclusion in the same part of the brain that we experience physical pain.

 

As someone recently reminded me, we don’t ‘walk’ by feeling; even a feeling of belonging.  We walk by faith/trust.  That’s true;  nevertheless, God’s work is to give us this awesome sense through His Spirit, and so we recognize Abba – we do walk in that recognition or awareness.  It’s His will that we have this view.  You could say that through Jesus He has shown us He welcomes that connection with us.  It’s His will for us to know we belong, that we have an inheritance along with Christ:

 

“He who overcomes shall inherit all things, and I will be his God and he shall be My son.  (Rev 21:7)

and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him, that we may also be glorified together.  (Rom 8:17)

Last month, we traveled through a foreign country.  We experienced many warm friendships but also sensed, all the time, that we were not ‘native’ to the environment.  There was no sense at all of belonging. 

 

But there is a ‘country’ where all of us, as believers, belong.  It’s a home with a wonderful Father:

 

“Father, I desire that they also whom You gave Me may be with Me where I am, that they may behold My glory which You have given Me; for You loved Me before the foundation of the world.”  (John 17:24)

This is what our hearts long for – Abba, Father:

 

“And this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent.”  (John 17:3)

 

 

Light of the Living

 

You have taken account of my wanderings;

Put my tears in Your bottle.

Are they not in Your book?

 

For You have delivered my soul from death,

Indeed, my feet from stumbling,

So that I may walk before God

In the light of the living.  (Psa 56:8,13)

 

David was in anguish.  As a fugitive, his enemies took him in temporarily when he was in Gath.  Perhaps you know the story – Gath was the home the giant Goliath whom David slew with a sling and a stone, but David had gained much fame since then with his military exploits for Saul the king.  In fact, he was so renowned, the people of Gath mistakenly thought he was the king of Israel. 

 

This was partly because the following adage had gone ‘viral’:

 

‘Saul has slain his thousands,
And David his ten thousands’?”

 

But Saul was hunting down his own servant, son-in-law and general for this very reason – he was filled with rage and envy of David’s fame and standing among the people.  But because of the ‘ten thousands’ saying, David greatly feared Achish the king of Gath as well. 

 

Now, David was ‘a man’s man’ but his heart was tender, and he had spent many a night hiding from Saul and weeping in desperation.  He never stopped trusting God, but he was at wit’s end with all the persecution.  For this reason, it wasn’t difficult to feign insanity in Gath. 

 

So, he changed his behavior before them, pretended madness in their hands, scratched on the doors of the gate, and let his saliva fall down on his beard.  Then Achish said to his servants, “Look, you see the man is insane. Why have you brought him to me?

“Have I need of madmen, that you have brought this fellow to play the madman in my presence? Shall this fellow come into my house?”

So, David made his escape, humiliated but alive and thus we have the verses from Psalm 56 above.  When his heart had stilled, he could praise God and rejoice that in spite of his tribulation, that [he could] walk before God in the light of the living. 

 

What is this light?  Is it just a poetic way to say, “Wow, God, thank you that I’m alive!” or is it revealing to us something more about walking with God, walking in His light?

 

 

Because, there it is – another bookend, a tremendous indication of its importance for us.  Light was the first thing God spoke into existence, Genesis 1:3 and one of the last promises to His children, Revelation 22:5:

 

 They need no lamp nor light of the sun, for the Lord God gives them light. And they shall reign forever and ever.

And there it is associated with Life, over and over:

 

For with You is the fountain of life;

In Your light we see light  (Psa 36:9)

 

In Him was life, and the life was the light of men.  (John 1:4)

 

Then Jesus spoke to them again, saying, “I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life.”  (John 8:12)

 

Of course, this Light is not made of photons.  It is not on the electromagnetic spectrum at all.  But get this (and I repeat this verse intentionally):

 

For with You is the fountain of life;

In Your light we see light  (Psa 36:9)

 

That is, only in this Light can we see (perceive, understand) this Light

 

For You will light my lamp;

The LORD my God will enlighten my darkness  (Psa 18:28)

 

Your ‘lamp’ is your life, your soul, and without God’s help you exist in darkness.  In fact, Jesus said to His disciples:

 

“As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.”  (John 9:5)

 

Plain and simple – Jesus is the Light; Jesus is the Life.  So, to walk in the Light of the Living is to exist IN the person of Christ, to abide in Him as He abides in you. 

 

David’s praise is, for us, God’s promise:

 

“I have come as a light into the world, that whoever believes in Me should not abide in darkness.  (John 12:46)

And:

"that they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us, that the world may believe that You sent Me.

"And the glory which You gave Me I have given them, that they may be one just as We are one:

"I in them, and You in Me; that they may be made perfect in one, and that the world may know that You have sent Me, and have loved them as You have loved Me.  (John 17:21-23)

 

Gleaning from David’s tears, tribulations and praise leads us to a wonderful promise and a glorious plan from our amazing Savior, Jesus Christ.  Walking in the Light of the Living is abiding in Christ.

 

 

Can You Hear Him?

 

Ever since Eden, mankind has had a love affair with lies.  Yes, ever since we first decided to believe the serpent’s lies over God’s truth, we’ve been deaf to it and often butchered it to suit our own ‘narrative’ or agenda.  It’s what we do.  Think about it, even communist Russia’s own national news was called Pravda, or ‘truth’.

Standing before the Truth itself, Pontius Pilate said dismissively, “What is truth?”  He should have asked, “Who is Truth?”

And the Truth is that without the help of God’s Spirit, like Pilate, we cannot even recognize the Truth so that we sometimes resort to holding up books and claiming, “This is the truth!”  Of course, if that book is the Bible, our claims are the truth about the Truth but only part of the Truth.  The scriptures say:

“The entirety of Your word is truth,…”  (Psa 119:160)

The Bible is the written truth because it was given by the Spirit of Truth, Christ’s Spirit, God’s Spirit. 

“But when the Helper comes, whom I shall send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father, He will testify of Me.”  (John 15:26)

And

“However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come.”  (John 16:13)

So, to say you know the Truth is not merely to know the Bible but most importantly, to know it’s Author.  Jesus said,

“I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.”  (John 14:6)

The Jews who confronted Jesus knew the Book, but they did not know the Author of its words.  Because of that, they could not hear Him or understand:

"Why do you not understand My speech? Because you are not able to listen to My word.

"You are of your father the devil, and the desires of your father you want to do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own resources, for he is a liar and the father of it.

"But because I tell the truth, you do not believe Me.  (John 8:43-45)

 

These verses grabbed my attention yesterday, especially that word “because” in the last one.  Jesus didn’t say, “You guys are not listening.” Or “I’ll rephrase that so you can understand Me.”

No, He said plainly that their problem was like ‘spiritual DNA’, that they had/have their father’s.  The devil has no truth in him, which is what his children inherit.  As such, they are not able to hear truth and thus we have that word “because”.

“Because” means that their problem wasn’t with Jesus’ accent or clothing or His tendency to produce miracles on the Sabath.  Their ‘inherited spiritual DNA’ caused them to not hear, to refuse to hear, when the truth was spoken and thus, they could not believe Jesus because that’s all He spoke. 

Some people just cannot hear Truth.  However, Christ told Pilate,

“Everyone who is of the truth hears My voice.”  (John 18:37)

Now, if you’ve been reading your Bible, you know that Jesus frequently spoke intentionally in parables.  Sometimes His listeners understood and sometimes they did not.  Even His disciples were a bit fuzzy at times –

Jesus told them, “I go to prepare a place for you.  And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also.  And where I go you know, and the way you know.” 

Thomas said to Him, “Lord, we do not know where You are going, and how can we know the way?”

Christ told His disciple,  “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.”  (John 14:6) 

But as I started with, He told a group of Jews that Satan was their father and the father of lies as well.  I wonder what “23andMe” would say about that?  I’m not sure, but I know what Paul said:

He told Timothy about the character of our days:

“But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come:”

And,

“But evil men and impostors will grow worse and worse, deceiving and being deceived.”  (2 Tim 3:1,13)

In our love affair with lies, we have claimed that truth is relative, based upon one’s perspective.  Having spoken God’s Word to people from more than a hundred countries, I can attest that perspective does influence understanding and that’s why knowing Christ by His indwelling Spirit is the difference in determining or discerning Truth.  It’s the only way to truly know Truth, to know Him.  The written Word can lead you to Him but it’s the Holy Spirit who unites you with Him. 

“…clearly you are an epistle of Christ, ministered by us, written not with ink but by the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of flesh, that is, of the heart. And we have such trust through Christ toward God… who also made us sufficient as ministers of the new covenant, not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.”  (2 Cor 3:3,4,6)

Jesus dealt a death blow to mankind’s illicit love affair with lies.  The Truth, knowing the Truth, KNOWING JESUS sets us free.

 

 

Expectations

 

Bitterness. The result of shattered expectations.

 

From the days of Adam until now, the expectations of godly men and women are realized in the person of Jesus Christ -- Who He is, what He does, all that He represents. Most of us would agree, however, that some of the expectations of the godly aren’t so ‘godly’. Rather, we can shade them in selfishness, impatience, covetousness or misunderstanding and as a consequence be very disappointed with God and with each other.

 

The big deal, the important lesson for us, is to be aware that shattered expectations are one of Satan’s favorite tools. They can lead to a loose grip on faith and even a turning away from the Lord. One of the great dangers of the whole so-called ‘faith movement’ – the name it and claim it teachings – is this very thing. Many people have been duped into this ‘hyper-faith’ mindset only to run into a ‘brick wall’ spiritually. They fail, they think, in faith. They place faith in faith. Or worse, they think God has failed.

Their expectations, nurtured and trained in the wrong school, are dashed.

Of course, this does NOT make they themselves ungodly but simply exposes some of their expectations as being something other than ‘heaven-sent’.

 

But in the Christian community as a whole, so many have turned away from God because they became angry and/or disappointed.  Some if not most of us can relate – bitterness born from disappointment, even grief… I’ll give an example -- we were in Greece. In our home, Darlene gave birth to our little boy John Lance. In our early twenties, we were there to serve the Lord.  God had done so many wonderful miracles in our rather young spiritual lives that we simply believed… well, believed that despite any impending doom or dire circumstances that He would always step in and ‘save the day’ so to speak. He always had.

 

Then our little one got sick…very sick. For me, denial set in and as he grew weaker denial gave way to confusion. We had no money for a doctor – no money at all. Surely, he would be all right. God would heal him.

 

But the next day, as I held him in my lap, he just stopped breathing and went all blue. I didn’t know what to do. Darlene was crying uncontrollably. I tried breathing into his mouth and in a few seconds, he started breathing again. Immediately, we went to the hospital.

 

The doctors told us that he had septicemia and meningitis. About six weeks later, he died.

 

A year later, we returned to the States. We still loved the Lord and wanted to serve Him. Despite the doctors’ forecasts, Darlene was pregnant again. Officially, we came back just to get better healthcare, but in retrospect, there was also a festering distrust of God’s care born out of a shattered spiritually immature expectation. As a consequence, we were confused about what to believe. Mixed with the joy of salvation and the memories of His wonderful bona fide miracles were the pain of grief, the image of our son’s suffering and our helplessness and for me, the terrible sobbing and brokenness of my precious wife.

 

There were those who said he died because of our lack of faith. I don’t know where people get this garbage. Not from the Bible! That misguided theology portrays our heavenly Father like some sort of ‘referee’ who times our spiritual race or watches how high we can jump so that when we fail – and we will fail – he can bring devastating judgment upon us. That ugly notion  actually fosters ‘works-trips’ and mislabels it faith.

 

Now, I’m not saying faith isn’t important – to the contrary, it’s critical. But the scripture says specifically that to each one of the saints is given a measure of faith with which to work. (Romans 12:3) God knows our measure of faith because He gave it to each of us, and He says He won’t test us to a greater degree than we can handle. (1 Cor 10:13) As with dear Job, the greater faith is not that which sees the miracle but that which persists despite contrary circumstances.

 

Anyway, we journeyed back to the States and I confess I did a spiritual ‘belly-flop’ if you would in the cesspool of grief and worldliness. I made a horrible display of myself and got many of those around me ‘all wet’ too. Oh, I still looked to the Lord, but my behavior was incongruent with trust and led to much hurt. However, “It is of the LORD'S mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not.” (Lam 3:22) and I praise Him that He healed my heart and turned me around. That was about 50 years ago.

 

Now there was nothing ‘ungodly’ about our hope or expectation that God would heal our son.  However, bitterness developed because I took my eyes off the cross. I was short-sighted. Let me explain:

 

Back in Exodus, the host of Israel were riding a ‘wave’. They had seen miracle after miracle after miracle during their liberation from slavery. Pharaoh’s army was annihilated under the Red Sea and for a short time the people were buoyant but with shallow faith. Then, after just three days of ‘roughing it’ in the wilderness, exhilaration turned to desperation. Just after praising God in the Song of Moses and the Song of Miriam, the people found poison in the waters of Marah (literally means bitter).

 

“So, Moses brought Israel from the Red Sea; then they went out into the Wilderness of Shur. And they went three days in the wilderness and found no water. Now when they came to Marah, they could not drink the waters of Marah, for they were bitter. Therefore, the name of it was called Marah. And the people complained against Moses, saying, ‘What shall we drink?’”

 

The people, as yet, were pampered, in a way. Their faith was untested – most everything had gone their way so to speak. Sure, some of the exodus dilemmas  were pretty ‘hairy’, pretty tense – but until then, the miracle –working power of God had just ‘flowed’. Here, in the wilderness, they were seriously dry. The waters of Marah were a huge and life-threatening disappointment. But a wonderful picture was being painted – “So he (Moses) cried out to the LORD, and the LORD showed him a tree. When he cast it into the waters, the waters were made sweet.”

 

The chemistry here is clear – the Tree, when it was cast into the bitter waters, made them sweet. And the same is as true now – as ever – our Tree is the cross of Calvary. Peter wrote of Jesus – “Who his own self bore our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed.” (1 Pet 2:24) And Luke recorded, “… when they had fulfilled all that was written of him, they took Him down from the tree, and laid Him in a sepulcher.” (Acts 13:29)

 

When our expectations are nested in true faith/trust and held to by the same, there is no shattering disappointment or shame. (See Romans 5:5) But how is that trust secured? The Tree. In essence we must ‘apply the Tree’.  Now, that’s not a formula for getting what we want but a cure for the bitterness of short-sighted expectations. We’ve got to grasp the fundamental truth of what Christ accomplished there – life from death, an entrance into the awesome presence of God Almighty, an eternal mind-boggling inheritance in heaven, the determined end of all evil, redemption and cosmic reconciliation, … on and on it goes. My small mind needs help to comprehend this – that’s why the psalmist sang, “My soul, wait thou only upon God; for my expectation is from him.” (Psalm 62)

 

Herein is a key to consider. David spoke to his soul – that part of the believer which is influenced both by the Spirit and by the flesh. His determination was to wait only upon God and he acknowledged that his expectation was from the Almighty. It had to be divine to be realizable.

 

You see, in our carnality, if we do not “walk in the Spirit,” we can be influenced to entertain all kinds of earthly expectations or even godly expectations that are ‘fuzzy’, incomplete.

 

It seems that when it comes to Jesus, many peoples’ expectations are at times askance. How could it be that our Father, Who gave His own Son to satisfy the payment for our sins, could produce ANYONE’s unsatisfied expectation?! One more story – and you know it well.

 

It was probably a long walk, not because of the length of the road but their long ‘faces’. The two travelers to Emmaus were initially perturbed with the ‘outsider’ who apparently didn’t know why they were dismayed. But as He toured them through the scripture pointing to one picture after another concerning Christ, their hearts burned. The smoldering embers of faith were rekindled so to speak. And then, when He broke the bread, their vision cleared. Their spiritual myopia was healed, and Christ came into focus.

 

The broken bread – symbolic of His broken body. We MUST remember what that means; what it means to us eternally.

 

You see, “expectation” in Hebrew has an interesting second meaning – a “cord”. And as you consider the principle of first mention in the scripture, (that is, the first place a significant prophetic picture or word is presented in scripture often reveals additional insight), this first cord points, in the same manner, to the broken bread and to the Tree in our previous examples. You see, it is the scarlet cord that Rahab had to keep in her window to save her when the Israelites conquered Jericho. That scarlet cord represented the living hope we MUST keep in our ‘window’ – it needs to be visible, in focus. We must keep it there especially when the walls are crumbling around us. It’s not just a protection against judgment which we indeed deserve but a reminder of a divine promise of salvation.

 

Alas, our expectations are usually just too small, too carnal, too myopic. When Christ broke the bread – when the wood was placed in the water – when the scarlet cord was kept in the window – these are illustrations for us that point to our need to establish or re-establish trust in our Lord and Savior Who’s plans far, far exceed our own; who’s eternal kingdom includes resurrections, restorations, transformations and inspirations way beyond our imaginations!

 

Always know that you can give God your shattered expectations, dashed hopes, bitter heart. You can tune in once again to His Holy Spirit’s voice so that your hope may be alive, your expectation may be from Him, your anticipation joyful, peaceful and confident. Trust me, your heart will heal. You will find God worthy of your love and devotion.

 

Keep the cross, the broken body and the precious blood of our Savior before you at all times.  And rest in His glorious resurrection.  “Set your minds on things above.”

 

One day soon, our Abba will send His Son, and you’ll see that indeed He is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think.

 

 

 

Christ's Peter Principle

 

“Not that I have already attained or am already perfected; but I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me. Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.” (Phil 3:12-14)

We’d so much like to think that the ‘older’ we get in the Lord, the saintlier we get. Whole denominations are built on this notion. Of course, there is some validity to this, but there is also a tension, if you would, with it as well. For, the more ‘mature’ we become in Christ, the more ‘taintlier’ we realize we are in comparison to our dear Savior. 

 

Paul claimed that he had not already attained or been perfected or had apprehended because he is referring to his goal, the prize of the upward call – his final transformation. 

 

“Pressing on” is not Paul asserting a quest for self-improvement.  “Laying hold” is to take hold of so as to make one's own, to perceive, to take into one's self.  What he’s expressing is that, “what Christ wants for me is what I want and the only way that happens is when I stop ruminating the past and instead surrender more completely to Him.  The prize is His upward call.” (See 1 Cor 15:52-54)

 

 Regarding the inner man, he wrote:

 

 As you therefore have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him,

rooted and built up in Him and established in the faith, as you have been taught, abounding in it with thanksgiving.

Beware lest anyone cheat you through philosophy and empty deceit, according to the tradition of men, according to the basic principles of the world, and not according to Christ.

For in Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily;

and you are complete in Him, who is the head of all principality and power.  (Col 2:6-10)

 

While the writer of Hebrews, speaking of the presence of our inner beings in heaven said:

 

But you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, to an innumerable company of angels,

to the general assembly and church of the firstborn [who are] registered in heaven, to God the Judge of all, to the spirits of just men made perfect,  (Heb 12:22,23)

 

Now, some would characterize Paul as an ever gung-ho, you-can’t-hold-me-back kind of guy. Maybe so, but what he asserted in this passage in Philippians has much less to do with spiritual accomplishment and much more to do with character, relationships and facing the balance of your life when you know that ‘much water has passed under your bridge’ so to speak. You could say that it is an attitude necessary for finishing well.  It’s fundamentally about trust.

 

Perhaps, you’ve accomplished much; perhaps, you’ve suffered much; perhaps, you think you’ve failed greatly and repeatedly. Perhaps, you think there’s reason to boast or be thankful, or perhaps, there are woeful regrets. Paul had them all; perhaps you do as well.  

 

Focusing on the past, we can be swung from castigation to congratulation back and forth. Both are balls and chains to the Spirit-filled believer. And of course, Satan knows this, so he endeavors to fix our attention there.

 

How do you get out of the pendulum swing and reestablish trust?  Paul was as fed up as you and I are with the failures of the flesh, but there is one way to deal with them, one thing to do. “…forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead”. The Greek is more emphatic – “truly forgetting”.

 

“OK”, you say, “but truly forgetting is truly difficult.”  Sometimes that is truly true.  But there’s a principle, a tool if you would that is very helpful.  It’s called repentance – a complete change of mind.  You see, both ends of the pendulum involve self-focus which interferes with your relationship with our Lord and others.  Combined with confession and trust, the three tools are invaluable to us as believers. 

 

That’s because sinful attitudes of the flesh are typically ‘sticky’.  But Christ understands this and even coached Peter in it – we can call it the spiritual  ‘Peter Principle’.  It is prefaced by these two points - God promised to cleanse us from all unrighteousness when we confess our sin (1 John 1:9) and as with the woman caught in adultery, He says, “Go, and sin no more.”

 

But dear Peter was perplexed because someone was evidently a repeat-offender and he wanted to know just how far this forgiveness deal went:

 

Then Peter came to Him and said, “Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? Up to seven times?”

Jesus said to him, “I do not say to you, up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven.           (Mat 18:21,22)

Christ’s  ‘Peter Principle’ reveals something to us about the heart of God.  He hates sin but He loves you.  Paul could “reach forward to those things which are ahead” because he was absolutely confident of His Father’s love and forgiveness.  Towards the end of his life, he could justly boast of his sufferings for Christ as in 2 Cor 11 and yet, he came to esteem himself as the ‘chief’ of sinners (see 1 Tim 1:15).

 

Yes, chief of sinners but still complete and sinless in Christ.  How does that work?  He wrote, “Or do you despise the riches of His goodness, forbearance, and longsuffering, not knowing that the goodness of God leads you to repentance?” (Rom 2:4)  Paul could write that because he experienced it and told us: 

 

For what I am doing, I do not understand. For what I will to do, that I do not practice; but what I hate, that I do.

For the good that I will to do, I do not do; but the evil I will not to do, that I practice.

But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members.  (Rom 7:15,19,23)

Paul wrote of what we can call ‘the stickiness’ of sin or persistence of the flesh in which case repentance is not always  a ‘one and done’ thing.  Speaking of this, Jesus told all the disciples:

 

“Take heed to yourselves. If your brother sins against you, rebuke him; and if he repents, forgive him.  And if he sins against you seven times in a day, and seven times in a day returns to you, saying, ‘I repent,’ you shall forgive him.”  (Luk 17:3,4)

Now, as a believer, all your sin is forgiven – all your sin.  Your inner being is clean before God because of Christ.  Your salvation is absolutely secure.  This repentance is not about your salvation; it’s about your relation to others and your ability to go forward in trust and to have peace.  The relationship between believers is immensely important to God.  Jesus said:

 

“By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.”  (John 13:35)

And understand, repentance, though it is a valuable tool, is not intended as a free pass for continuing in sin.  Paul also wrote:

 

What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound?

Certainly not! How shall we who died to sin live any longer in it?

Or do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death?

Therefore, we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.  (Rom 6:1-4)

 

 Christ’s ‘Peter Principle’ regarding sin is simply Confess, Repent, Trust.  And never stop trusting God.   That’s how you, along with Paul, can keep “…forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead”. That’s your peace, the peace that Christ gives. 

 

Remember, in Christ your soul, your inner being is complete, perfect in God’s eyes. It’s a finished work. Your final transformation, your own “upward call” will follow in God’s time.  So, abide in Him, trust Him, love Him, for He loves you!

 

 

Sonday

 

Jesus told them over and over – He would be beaten and crucified.  Then, on the third day, He would rise again from the dead.  But His disciples and other dear followers just didn’t get it.  What was the problem?  It’s hard to believe that they didn’t hear Him.   

 

Then, they saw Him lay down His life.  They watched His agony in Gethsemane, His beatings, His stripes and crown of thorns, and then the tortuous crucifixion on Golgotha. 

 

Now, Jesus had predicted the course of these events (Mat 17:12,22,23; 20:18; 26:31,32; Mark 8:31; 9:31; 10:33…) and the scriptures were amazingly specific from the stripes to the crucifixion to the piercing of the spear to the criminals on His side to the rich man’s tomb and much more.  But still, they didn’t get it.  That was ‘Friday’. 

    

Fundamentally, they didn’t believe He would conquer the grave. (Mark 16:9-11)  It was one thing, I guess, to see Him raise the dead, open the eyes of the blind, heal the lepers, feed the 4000 and then the 5000 on a few scraps of food, to still the raging sea, to cast out demons…they saw it all and yet they couldn’t believe He’d return.  That kind of trust required something more than seeing the miraculous.

 

They saw Him transfigured on the mount and in dialog with Moses and Elijah.  They heard the voice of God Almighty declaring Jesus as His Son.  But He’d also been wrapped in linen grave cloths, and they just didn’t really believe He’d return.  That was ‘Saturday’.   

 

When hopes are dashed, and grief is raw, that’s ‘Saturday’.  When all your purpose seems absolutely purposeless, that’s ‘Saturday’.  When you heart hardens into a callous pursuit of self-gratification or worldly comfort – that’s ‘Saturday’.  When doubts and fears surround, and you feel like hiding – that’s ‘Saturday’. 

 

And many, if not most of us can get stuck there to some extent.  Stuck, because like the disciples, we don’t really trust that He’ll return – not like He said He would – not imminently, not really. 

 

Many Christians don’t identify with Christ’s Spirit within us.  They still identify with the dead corpse we all drag around.  Many don’t notice the whisper of His Spirit because the shouting of the flesh is so obnoxious and loud.  That too, is the result of living in ‘Saturday’.

 

Perhaps you’ve not noticed, but like them, we’re seeing many miracles too if we pay attention - many prophesied signs of the last days coming to pass – but, we often behave like it’s ‘Saturday’.  Oh, we grant intellectual assent, even verbal ‘atta-boy’s’ to the notion of the imminent return of Jesus Christ  or our union with/in Him.

 

But here’s the truth and it’s good news - as believers, we get to live in the expansive joy of Sunday or should I say Sonday morning.  We get to share in the fantastic reality of resurrection, eternal life and holy transformation – perfect unity with Him born out of the God-originated intimacy with Him and a holy new image and likeness to Him.  You see, that Sonday is not only the confidence of His resurrection but also of His return, and His indescribable love for us - the fulfillment of His redemption.  It’s called in the Bible the “blessed hope” (Tit 2:13). 

 

   Whether it is filled with travail or slumber, ‘Saturday’ is like the ‘valley of the shadow of death’.  It’s not the place the Lord wants us to linger in but rather to pass through.  Abiding in Jesus means passing through this worldly state of mind, this ‘Saturday’ if you would.   And pass through we must.  Jesus said, “If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.”  (Mat 16:24)    

 

So how did Jesus get to ‘Sonday’ and what does it mean for us?     

Please let this sink in; it’s so important.  It was God’s doing.  And the same is true for us who abide.  No matter how hard we try, how many gimmicks we use, we won’t ‘unstick’ ourselves from the muck and stupor of ‘Saturday’;  dear Paul wrote:

 

For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh) nothing good dwells; for to will is present with me, but how to perform what is good I do not find.      (Rom 7:18)

You see, we can’t somehow pull ourselves up by the bootstraps and land in the ‘Sonday’ of that blessed new life, unity with Christ and a truly imminent expectation.  We must call out to the Lord.  Yes, though we often miss it, it really is that simple and that serious.  

  

Now, lest I leave you with the impression that living in the hope of His imminent appearance means some sort of ‘hyper-spiritual’ (is there such a word?) fanaticism or enormous works trip, let me relate a story from dear Francis of Assisi.  One day as he was working in his garden a disciple asked him what he would do if he absolutely knew that Christ would be back in five minutes.  He replied, “Why, I’d finish this weeding!”     

 

The blessed hope can’t be worked up or feigned.  It must be real in our hearts and it will always conduct us to the place where we live in the trust, real trust in our Abba and our Savior.  

 

May each of us look for and hasten the day! (2 Pet 3:12)

 

 

 

Lost and Found

 

Luke 15: 1-32

 

Joseph was seventeen when Jacob lost him.  His brothers tossed him in a pit in the wilderness and then sold him as a slave into Egypt.  Then they mercilessly lied to their father letting him think his beloved son was dead, torn by a wild animal. 

 

Gabriel was just seventeen when we lost him.  So, I can relate to Jacob’s grief.  It tore our family apart.  We eagerly watch for the day that we will find him again.

 

When Jesus was challenged about His ministry to “sinners”, He spoke three parables – one about a lost sheep, another about a lost coin and one we all remember, the lost or prodigal son.  All three speak of loss but the primary point of view of the first two is of the seeker and that of the third is of the one lost.

 

The religious leaders of Jesus’ day divided humanity into two classes: the unclean and the righteous. They decided to live, as much as possible, in complete separation from the unclean. Some rabbis of Jesus day took this idea so seriously that they refused to teach the unclean God’s word (Morris).

 

In seeking the lost sheep, the emphasis of the story is not that the shepherd valued the lost one over the ninety-nine but rather that he cared for it and then celebrated when he found it.  “This was the error of the Pharisees and scribes who complained. They were not joyful when tax collectors and sinners drew near to Jesus.” (Guzik)

 

Then there’s the story of the lost coin.  In a sense, the lost belong to God whether they know it or not. “The piece of silver was lost but still claimed. Observe that the woman called the money, ‘my piece which was lost.’ When she lost its possession, she did not lose her right to it; it did not become somebody else’s when it slipped out of her hand and fell upon the floor.” (Spurgeon)

 

This is a tremendous comfort to those who may have lost a loved one or watched them walk away from the faith.  “One of the first things to arrest us powerfully is the worth of single souls. It was one sheep the shepherd went to find. It was for one coin the woman searched the house.” (Morrison) 

Likewise, I say to you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents. (Luke 15:10)

Lost coins find it impossible to repent, so Jesus added this so that both the religious leaders and the sinners who heard Him knew that repentance is important for lost people. (Guzik)  And repentance is the main theme of His final story:

 

Then He said: “A certain man had two sons. And the younger of them said to his father, ‘Father, give me the portion of goods that falls to me.’ So, he divided to them his livelihood. And not many days after, the younger son gathered all together, journeyed to a far country, and there wasted his possessions with prodigal living. But when he had spent all, there arose a severe famine in that land, and he began to be in want. Then he went and joined himself to a citizen of that country, and he sent him into his fields to feed swine. And he would gladly have filled his stomach with the pods that the swine ate, and no one gave him anything.”  (Luke 15:11-16)

What we should not miss here is that the younger son gets lost, we’d say he lost his way.  But unlike the first two stories, no one seeks for him.  “The son left the area to become independent of the father and lived a prodigal (reckless, foolish, extravagant) life. No doubt it was fun while it lasted.” (Guzik) 

 

“But when he came to himself, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired servants have bread enough and to spare, and I perish with hunger! I will arise and go to my father, and will say to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you, and I am no longer worthy to be called your son. Make me like one of your hired servants.”’”              (Luke 15:17-19)

The message is still one of finding but the perspective has changed – the lost son repented and found his way home to his father.  So, it is with the lost even today.

 

“And he arose and came to his father. But when he was still a great way off, his father saw him and had compassion and ran and fell on his neck and kissed him. And the son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and in your sight and am no longer worthy to be called your son.’ (Luke 15:20-22)

Unlike the first two stories, the joy results not just from the finding but from the fact that the son was dead and is alive again.  You see, the father couldn’t simply search for the lost son until he found him because he would have remained ‘dead’.  Repentance brings life so the son had to find his change of heart and return to the father but notice that once he appeared on the horizon, “his father saw him and had compassion, and ran and fell on his neck and kissed him.”

 

And he said to his servants:

 

‘Bring out the best robe and put it on him and put a ring on his hand and sandals on his feet. And bring the fatted calf here and kill it and let us eat and be merry; for this my son was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’ And they began to be merry.” (Luke 15:23-24)

None of the things brought to the repentant prodigal were necessities; they were all meant to honor the son and make him know he was loved.  Yes, God searches and rejoices when what was lost is found.  But the third story is necessary to tell us about the need for repentance and humility on the part of the lost. 

 

As with the sheep, God will carry you back to your family and as with the valuable coin, God will clean house, your house.  As with the son, God will run to welcome you home.  And in all cases, when what’s lost gets found, all heaven rejoices.

 

 

 

Can't Contain Him

 

A rarely mentioned attribute of God’s creation is that it is filled (pun intended) with containers.  You see, people are containers; the earth is a container, the cosmos in its entirety is a massive container.  And of course, there are containers for virtually everything – material and spiritual.  But there is one exception to this – God, Himself.  God does not contain, God is and God fills.

 

Mankind simply cannot conceive of this.  Mankind has always tried to place God in a container, or imagine Him to be a container - to give Him a definition.  Mankind’s understanding requires “boundary conditions” but God simply says, “I AM” and He adds “the Way, the Truth, and the Life” which are not boundaries but qualities.  God has attributes but not definitions or boundaries.  You cannot ‘contain’(i.e. limit) Him even in your mind or imagination.

 

Why do we try??  Every false religion tries.  Bluntly, every religion tries. 

So, what does God say about Himself?

 

Can anyone hide himself in secret places,
So I shall not see him?” says the LORD;
“Do I not fill heaven and earth?” says the LORD.  (Jer 23:24)

God says He fills – in fact, He says He fills all things.  Clearly, this is a mystery far beyond human understanding.  We say that He is omnipresent; and so is Jesus Christ:

 

He who descended is also the One who ascended far above all the heavens, that He might fill all things.  (Eph 4:10)

Now, before He ascended far above all the heavens, Jesus as the Son of Man was filled -  some good news is that you and I can be, like Jesus, filled with His Holy Spirit.  Yes, Jesus Himself was filled when He was baptized by John:

Then Jesus, being filled with the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness,  (Lu 4:1)

Mind-exploding, right?  But what we can know and trust is what He has declared.

 

God says He is Almighty, He is self-existent, He is gracious, He is holy, He is first and last.

 

“I am Almighty God…”  (Gen 17:1)

And God said to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM.”  (Ex 3:14)

 And it will be that when he cries to Me, I will hear, for I am gracious.        (Ex 22:27)

“For I am the LORD your God. You shall therefore consecrate yourselves, and you shall be holy; for I am holy.” (Lev 11:44)

Who has performed and done it,
Calling the generations from the beginning?
‘I, the LORD, am the first;
And with the last I am He.' ”  (Isa 41:4)

Again, not boundary conditions but qualities or attributes.  God says these things because He wants us to know Him. In fact, God the uncontainable, made His Son a container in Mary, the Son of Man, and took all the sins of creation to the grave on Calvary so that we could know Him:

 

And we know that the Son of God is come, and hath given us an understanding, that we may know Him that is true, and we are in Him that is true, even in His Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God, and eternal life.  (1 John 5:20)

Friends, this is more than information.  It’s an invitation to intimacy.  This “know” as in know Him is a special word which means to know by experience.  It’s not ‘head knowledge’; it’s a realization due to personal relationship or intimacy.  In fact, it is used to reference that relationship between a husband and wife.  It’s so important that Jesus indicated it was a necessity for entrance into His kingdom:

 

Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works?   And then will I profess unto them, I never knew (same word) you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.  (Mat 7:22,23)

In fact, God created Eve, compatible with Adam as a prophetic picture of the intimacy that leads to unity:

 

"For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh."

This is a great mystery, but I speak concerning Christ and the church.  (Eph 5:21,22)

The first Adam and his bride became intimate and united in the flesh, and the mystery Paul referred to is that the Last Adam, Jesus, and His bride, the Church, became intimate and united in the Spirit:

 

 But he who is joined to the Lord is one spirit with Him.  (1 Cor 6:17)

So, may He Who fills all things, fill you:

 

Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.  (Rom 15:13)

 

 

What Do You Know?

 

What do you know?  Peter was not a warrior, not a swordsman – all he could do in a pinch was hack off an ear (see John 18:10).  But he could fish, or so he thought. He’d been doing that his whole life.  He knew the sea of Galilee like any fisherman knows his favorite spot.  But twice, on ‘his spot’, he’d gone fishless, nada, empty nets.  The first time Jesus said to him,

“Launch out into the deep and let down your nets for a catch.”  (Luke 5:4)

Now if you’re a professional, you usually don’t like a ‘newbie’ telling you how to do your job.  But to Peter’s credit, he replied,

 

“Master, we have toiled all night and caught nothing; nevertheless at Your word I will let down the net.”  (Luke 5:5)

You know the story.  Wham!

 

And when they had done this, they caught a great number of fish, and their net was breaking.  So, they signaled to their partners (James and John) in the other boat to come and help them. And they came and filled both the boats, so that they began to sink.  (Luke 5:6,7)

All his life, he had been doing his thing in his spot, and he’d never seen anything like this!

 

When Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus’ knees, saying, “Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord!” 

For he and all who were with him were astonished at the catch of fish which they had taken;  (Luke 5:8,9)

Jesus intended to use Peter, use what he knew; but He would use it in a different way.  He told him:

 

“Do not be afraid. From now on you will catch men.”  (Luke 5:10)

Yes, after Christ’s resurrection, Peter, in the power of the Holy Spirit went ‘fishing’ in a new spot.  He preached a mighty sermon to a large crowd:

 

But Peter, standing up with the eleven, raised his voice and said to them, “Men of Judea and all who dwell in Jerusalem, let this be known to you, and heed my words.

Peter was fishing with the bait of the truth:

 

Now when they heard this, they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, “Men and brethren, what shall we do?”

The ‘fish’ drew near, and Peter cast the net:

 

Then Peter said to them, “Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.  “For the promise is to you and to your children, and to all who are afar off, as many as the Lord our God will call.”

And Jesus’ words were fulfilled:

 

Then those who gladly received his word were baptized; and that day about three thousand souls were added to them.  (Acts 2:14,37-39,41)

But before this, Peter, after the resurrection, had returned to Galilee, in the power of the flesh:

 

Simon Peter, Thomas called the Twin, Nathanael of Cana in Galilee, the sons of Zebedee, and two others of His disciples were together.  Simon Peter said to them, “I am going fishing.” They said to him, “We are going with you also.” They went out and immediately got into the boat, and that night they caught nothing.  (John 21:2,3)

You know the story.  Jesus appeared on the shore and called out to see how the fishing was going.  It had been a fruitless endeavor all night.  They didn’t recognize Him and He asked if they had caught anything.  He got a one-word answer, “No!”  Again, He tells them how to do what they ‘know’:

 

“Cast the net on the right side of the boat, and you will find some.”  So, they cast, and now they were not able to draw it in because of the multitude of fish.  (John 21:6)

I can imagine John and Peter scratching their heads, thinking, ‘this seems familiar’ when suddenly John blurts out, “It’s the Lord.”  You probably remember, Peter swims to shore where Jesus already has some fish cooking on a fire.  The rest of the guys struggle to pull the net, full of 153 large fish to shore.  After breakfast Jesus beckons Peter to follow Him and gives him the famous 3-fold “Do you love Me?” lesson.

 

Peter knew how to fish but the only time he caught fish (or men) was in obedience to Christ’s command.  What do you know? 

 

Maybe it’s music or singing or speaking or teaching or building or…  Jesus will use that but only when it’s done in obedience to Him.  When you do it in your own power, even if you’re doing it “for the Lord”, your spiritual nets will be empty.  You may hear the Lord ask you, “Do you love Me?”

 

 

Nowhere Town

 

The more I consider the whole incarnation of Christ, the amazing humility of Mary, the divine choice of “nowhere town” Nazareth, the orchestration of a world-wide registration in order to move Joseph and Mary to Bethlehem, the miracle births of John the Baptist and of Jesus. It stuns me and overwhelms my puny mind.

 

The setting for the announcement from Gabriel amazed the first century Jewish readers first because he ignored Judea and the city of Jerusalem and the temple itself, and instead went to Galilee, which the Jews held in contempt because of its ‘half-breed’ population.  Furthermore, Gabriel went to the village of Nazareth, basically a “non-place”.  It wasn’t even mentioned in the Old Testament or in the rabbinical writings.  A shoddy, corrupt stop between the ports of Tyre and Sidon, it was basically overrun by gentiles and roman soldiers.  You may recall that even Nathaniel when learning that it was Christ’s hometown said, “Can anything good come from there?”

 

And who was this girl, Mary?? As young as 12 years old, she was from a poor family and was certainly illiterate.  Like all the peasants of this area, she rarely traveled more than a few miles from home – “a nobody in a nothing town in the middle of nowhere.” (thanks Kent Hughes) 

 

She presents for us a wonderful contrast in several ways – whereas Zachariah and Elizabeth were elderly, she was a youth; whereas Gabriel approached Zach in the Holy Place of the temple in Jerusalem in the course of his service with the incense, Mary encountered Gabriel in a non-descript place, presumably her home in “nowhere-town”; whereas the priest was fearful and doubting, the girl was afraid but trusting and submitted; whereas Zachariah and Elizabeth’s son, great man that he was, with his death, ended the Old Testament,  on the other hand, Mary’s son, God-son that He is, with His death on the cross, began the New Testament.

 

Consider all the characters and conditions that came into place; consider all the audience, divine, angelic and human;  consider all the divine promises, the many thousands of years of expectation.  What if Mary declined?  What if she fumbled in faith like Zachariah?  What if Joseph freaked or made a public display?  The magnitude of the all the intricacies of the holy drama are mind numbing to say the least.

 

And thus “nowhere-town” became the very center of the universe, both seen and unseen.  And this is how God does things, isn’t it – absolutely perfect and completely contrary to man’s ways. 

 

That gives me such hope!  When Nathaniel blurted out, “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?” he certainly had no idea how far off his skepticism or cynicism was.  And in like manner, I can look at the utter disaster the world has become today or look at Revelation and read:

 

After these things I saw another angel coming down from heaven, having great authority, and the earth was illuminated with his glory.  And he cried mightily with a loud voice, saying, “Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen, and has become a dwelling place of demons, a prison for every foul spirit, and a cage for every unclean and hated bird!”  (Rev 18:1,2)

And a la Nathaniel, I can only see our world, planet Babylon, as “planet-nowhere”.  But that’s not the end of the story for God has promised to renew our world:

 

Now I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away. Also there was no more sea.  (Rev 21:1 and see also Isa 65:17, Isa 66:22 and 2 Pet 3:13)

So why does God choose Mary in whom to plant the seed of salvation?  Why does he choose Nazareth to plant His Son?  Why does He choose a planet that is “without form and void” (see Gen 1:2) to plant a garden of Eden?  Why did God choose you and me??

 

God delights in choosing nobodies in nowhere places to accomplish the things that only He can do.  That brings Him the glory only He deserves and praise from our hearts!

 

 

New Identity

 

There are eight men who were named or renamed by God in the Bible.  Each one became the identity described in the name. And each one’s name spoke of a relationship with or truth about God.  This concept of identity is important because who we believe that we are influences highly how we live and what we believe.  It’s not a matter of a name tag on a lapel or sticker on a shirt.

 

So, who are you?  Here are the eight that God named or renamed:

 

He created them male and female and blessed them and called them Adam (“Mankind”) in the day they were created.  (Gen 5:2)

“No longer shall your name be called Abram, but your name shall be Abraham ("father of a great multitude"); for I have made you a father of many nations.  (Gen 17:5)

Then God said: “No, Sarah your wife shall bear you a son, and you shall call his name Isaac; I will establish My covenant with him for an everlasting covenant, and with his descendants after him.        (Gen 17:19)

And He said, “Your name shall no longer be called Jacob, but Israel (“One who wrestles or struggles with God”); for you have struggled with God and with men and have prevailed.”  (Gen 32:28)

‘Behold, a son shall be born to you, who shall be a man of rest; and I will give him rest from all his enemies all around. His name shall be Solomon (“Peace”), for I will give peace and quietness to Israel in his days.  (1 Chron 22:9)

“And I also say to you that you are Peter ("rock" or "stone"), and on this rock, I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it.  (Mat 16:18)

But the angel said to him, “Do not be afraid, Zacharias, for your prayer is heard; and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you shall call his name John (“God is gracious”).  (Luke 1:13)

“And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bring forth a Son and shall call His name JESUS ("God saves" or "The Lord is salvation").  (Luke 1:31)

Typically, we get an ‘identity’ soon after we are born.  But that name doesn’t necessarily identify us – that’s what we put on the name tag or sticker but it’s not who we are. 

 

So, who are you?  If you are not born again in Christ, you will identify with that name tag or sticker label because you think you are your flesh, or if you’re religious, you think you are your flesh and your soul.  Most people in your church think this way because even if you’ve heard the sermons and sang the songs, you think of God as being ‘up there’ or someone we follow or who we invite to be a part of what we do.  When that is the case, we think of God, Jesus, His Holy Spirit, as separate.

 

However, when we are truly born again or as some say new creatures in Christ, that perception is not true.  Our Lord is NOT separate, not “up there” or “out there” or someone we need to keep up with or else we’ll lag behind.  Rather, He’s in you and you are in Him – salvation brings a perfect unity in the Spirit:

 

“And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever— the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you.”

“A little while longer and the world will see Me no more, but you will see Me. Because I live, you will live also. At that day you will know that I am in My Father, and you in Me, and I in you.” (John 14:16,17,19,20 NKJV)

So no longer are you separate from the Almighty, identified by that dead corpse, your flesh.  But you are a part of God’s family - children and part of the glorious bride of His Son.  And there is even more to your identity for God made us to be “in His image and likeness” (Gen 1:26) and in order for that to be fulfilled, your identity includes a glorious two-part transformation.

 

First, in Jesus, you are complete spiritually.  You are one spirit with Him:

But he who is joined to the Lord is one spirit with Him. (1 Cor 6:17)

 

Thus, Father God sees you as holy and blameless because He sees Jesus:

… He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we would be holy and blameless before Him in love,  (Eph 1:4 LSB)

And this transformation is complete, perfect, spiritually for in Christ you are spotless, sinless just as He is.  But second, being made to have His likeness and image,  there is more transformation to take place which indeed may happen suddenly – in the blink of an eye – as Paul wrote:

 

For our citizenship is in heaven, from which we also eagerly wait for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform our lowly body that it may be conformed to His glorious body, according to the working by which He is able even to subdue all things to Himself.  (Phi 3:20,21)

...who will transform our lowly body that it may be conformed to His glorious body, according to the working by which He is able even to subdue all things to Himself.

Behold, I tell you a mystery: We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed--in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.

For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal [must] put on immortality.                        (1 Cor 15:51-53)

And/or gradually, again as Paul wrote:

 

But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror (who do you see in a mirror?) the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as from the Lord, the Spirit.           (2 Cor 3:18 LSB)

So, who are you? 

 

When you listen to our enemy and identify with your body, your ‘flesh’, with the name on the lapel tag, even though you’re born again, you’ll be plagued by the pernicious sin-nature of your body and like the dear Apostle Paul when he bemoaned:

For what I am doing, I do not understand. For what I will to do, that I do not practice; but what I hate, that I do. (Rom 7:15)

For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh) nothing good dwells; for to will is present with me, but how to perform what is good I do not find.  (Rom 7:18)

For I delight in the law of God according to the inward man.  (Rom 7:22)

But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members.  O wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death?

I thank God—through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, with the mind I myself serve the law of God, but with the flesh the law of sin.  (Rom 7:23-25)

Paul clearly recognized this identity problem and summarized that the only hope for peace in his mind was to trust totally in Jesus which is what he preached:

…the mystery which has been hidden from ages and from generations, but now has been revealed to His saints.  To them God willed to make known what are the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles: which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.  Him we preach, warning every man and teaching every man in all wisdom, that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus.  (Col 1:26-28)

So let me encourage you – if you are indeed born again in Christ, don’t identify with that dead stinking corpse you drag around called by what ever name is on ‘the tag’, but realize Christ, by His Spirit, is IN YOU -- identify with Him.  Don’t try to impress Him with how good you are or how fruitful you are or anything about you.  In Him, you are perfect, you are clean, you are justified.  And one day soon, you’ll be glorified – your transformation into His image and likeness will be forever!  He does it, not you.

 

 

 

Decay

 

You know, I don’t typically focus on decadence.  I think God has called me to edify and encourage but there are times for each of us to be reminded of the true nature of our society and the environment we live in.  This is where we’re at. Look around and take note. Here are ten clearly evident examples of the terminal decay of our human society.

 

1. Ethical Value Decay:

• Widespread dishonesty and a lack of integrity in various spheres of life.
  • Politics, Justice, Social, Educational, Religious, Market/Trade, Entertainment, Medical, Scientific systems are a few of the areas that have become decrepit.
• Acceptance or normalization of corruption.  It’s like the proverbial frog in the slowly boiling pot.
  • Many will talk about change and improvement but very, very few actually step up to make a difference. 
• Pursuit of wealth, success, and material possessions at the expense of ethical considerations.
• A culture that prioritizes and glorifies pride and self-interest.
• Leaders engaging in unethical behavior without accountability.
• Exploitative or self-serving leadership practices that prioritize personal gain over the well-being of the nation or institution.             

2. Family Decay:

• Increasing rates of divorce, family fragmentation, and breakdown of traditional values.  Many in the newest generation have decided against marriage or having children.
• Technology-driven disintegration of community bonds and a rise in social isolation.
• Neglect of responsibilities toward vulnerable populations, such as the elderly and children.                                                                       

3. Moral Decay:

• Entertainment industry has driven the rejection of long-esteemed moral values and promoted the belief that “anything goes.”
• Justification of evil actions based on subjective interpretations of right and wrong.                                                                                      

4. Spiritual Decay:

• Indifference or hostility toward religious and spiritual principles.
• A lack of reverence for sacred values and traditions.
• Religious leadership neck-deep in the pursuit of celebrity and wealth while manipulating attendees to achieve those ends.                         

5. Social Decay:

• Deterioration of trust between individuals and institutions.
• Escalation of crime and a breakdown in social cohesion.                    

6. Entertainment and Media Decay:

• Proliferation of entertainment content that glorifies violence, immorality and trivializes ethical considerations.
• Manipulative media practices that prioritize marginalizing, deception, and sensationalism over truth and integrity.                                     

7. Educational Decay:

• Dilution of educational standards and a decline in the emphasis on character development.
• Promotion of political and sexual ideologies that undermine moral principles.
• Lack of focus on critical thinking and ethical decision-making in educational curricula.                                                                     

8. Cultural Decay:

• Loss of cultural identity and appreciation for cultural heritage.
• Prevalence of cultural expressions that promote immorality or undermine traditional values.
• Escalation of substance abuse problems and addiction issues.
• Societal acceptance or normalization of substance abuse that leads to harmful consequences.                                                               

9. Integrity Decay:

• Misuse of technology for unethical purposes.
• Spread of harmful content online that influences societal attitudes negatively.                                                                                     

10. Generational Decay:

• Disconnection between generations, with younger generations lacking or rejecting guidance from positive role models.
• General apathy and breakdown of intergenerational relationships ending transmission of moral values.                                               

But it’s not just the society as a whole that’s nose-diving in decay.  The Apostle Paul wrote concerning the last days churches: 

 

But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come:

For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy,

unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good,

traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God,

having a form of godliness but denying its power. And from such people turn away!  (2 Tim 3:1-5)

 

And he followed with the sad but true admonition:

 

But evil men and impostors will grow worse and worse, deceiving and being deceived.  (2 Tim 3:13)

 

Thus, the last-days church is identified by the following general characteristics:

• Self-love: (2 Tim 3:2-4)
• Hypocrisy:  Professing believers are described as displaying an outward piety, but their lives show no effect of the conviction and power of God’s Word. Paul warned, “turn away” from them. In other words, do not be a member of a fellowship that is guilty of a pattern of sin and ungodliness (1 Corinthians 5:9-11, 13; 2 Corinthians 6:17).
• Apostates Leading Astray the Spiritually Weak:  (2 Tim 3:6-7)

In the last days, the church will be afflicted with false teachers and their doctrines. With the introduction of mass publishing, radio and television in the 20th century, and the internet in the 21st century, apostate teaching has become epidemic.                                                                          

With this in mind, I encourage all of us to radically devote our hearts to loving and submitting to our Savior Jesus, to His Holy Spirit and to Almighty Father God.  These are the days He told us would come.

 

 

In Due Time

 

Then the LORD God said, "Behold, the man has become like one of Us, to know good and evil. And now, lest he put out his hand and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live forever"-- therefore the LORD God sent him out of the garden of Eden to till the ground from which he was taken.

So, He drove out the man; and He placed cherubim at the east of the garden of Eden, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to guard the way to the tree of life.  (Gen 3:22-24)

It seems like the Tree of Life in the garden of Eden could extend forever the existence of the flesh but what a terrible fate that would have been – existing forever in sin and death and darkness just like Satan.  So, God sent Adam and Eve out of the garden to protect them and to protect mankind until the time was right.

 

Some 4000 years later, the time was right, and God invited all of mankind to the Tree of Eternal Life that created new creatures – creatures fit for eternity, creatures raised from the dead and forever cleansed from sin, filled with His Holy Spirit.  This is the Tree that does not just give eternal existence but eternal Life.  Eternity filled with awe, thankfulness, love, kindness, goodness, mercy, joy… heaven and perfect relationship, union with our Creator.

 

Every thing, every event, every person, every tragedy, every victory, every prayer, every praise… all of it from the time Adam left Eden led ultimately to the time of Calvary.  The time of Calvary?  OK, what happened on Calvary forever changed the cosmos, but do you mean that the time itself was special as well?  Yep.

 

Jesus began His ministry saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe in the gospel.” (Mark 1:15)

 

And the scripture tells us, “But when the fullness of the time had come, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the law,..”  (Gal 4:4)

 

Not only was it the fulness of time but, He says: “In an acceptable time I have heard you, and in the day of salvation I have helped you.” Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.  (2 Cor 6:2)

 

Even the demons knew about the time, the set time - And suddenly they cried out, saying, “What have we to do with You, Jesus, You Son of God? Have You come here to torment us before the time?”  (Mat 8:29)

 

We know the time was set for Jesus performed one of His greatest miracles to illustrate that fact.  Let me summarize.  During His ministry time, Jesus had become extremely close to a trio of siblings in a small community just outside of Jerusalem – two sisters and a brother.  As the time grew close for Jesus to go to the cross to fulfill His mission, He received word that someone dear to Him, especially dear, was sick unto death.  When He heard the news, He said, “This sickness is not unto death, but for the glory of God, that the Son of God may be glorified through it.” (John 11:4) and then intentionally waited two days to respond at which point He told His disciples, “Lazarus is dead.  And I am glad for your sakes that I was not there, that you may believe. Nevertheless, let us go to him.” 

 

When Jesus and His disciples arrived, they found many mourners and two grief-stricken sisters.  Now the Lord knew what He would do.  He told a grieving Martha, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live.”  Shortly after this, the other sister, Mary, came and fell at His feet, crying the same thing as Martha, “Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died.”

 

Everyone was weeping.  When Jesus saw this, He groaned in the spirit and the Bible simply says, “Jesus wept.”

 

They showed Him where they had placed the body.  It was a cave.

 

Jesus said, “Take away the stone.” Martha, the sister of him who was dead, said to Him, “Lord, by this time there is a stench, for he has been dead four days.” (See John 11 for this story.)

 

Many of you know this story.  Jesus cried out, “Lazarus, come forth!” and the dead man rose from his grave. 

 

Lazarus means, “God has helped” and indeed that’s what God did four days after Lazarus died and four prophetic days, after mankind died.  What?

 

It was indeed about 4000 years since Adam was exiled from the garden and specifically the Tree of Life.  According to Peter in 2 Peter 3:8, that’s four days to the Lord.  As God warned, Adam (and mankind) died after eating of the fruit from the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil.  As with Lazarus, God waited for the right time to make that right.  He waited four days to raise him from the dead.

 

It was four days that we (mankind) were dead with Adam until we were ‘crucified with Christ’ (Gal 2:20) and raised with Him, like Lazarus, (see Eph 2:6, Col 2:12). 

 

So, the time was right.  After four days, four thousand years, in due time, the Tree of Life was accessible again.  Only this Tree, the Cross of Christ, gave us the fruit of the Spirit for the Life God wants for us – Eternal Life and a quality of Life that only He can give.

 

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law.  (Gal 5:22,23)

For when we were still without strength, in due time (i.e. a fixed and definite time, the time when things are brought to crisis, the decisive epoch waited for) Christ died for the ungodly.  (Rom 5:6)

 

 

Fumbled

 

We have a sport in which if you are carrying a ball and for whatever reason you drop it, we say you fumbled it.  In a way, that’s what happened to Zacharias – he fumbled.  Let me explain.

 

Only priests from a particular lineage could serve in the temple. Over the years the number of priests multiplied, (there were said to be as many as 20,000 priests in the time of Jesus) so they used the lot to determine which priests would serve when. The lot to serve might fall to a priest only once in his life.

 

There were several lots cast to determine who did what at the morning sacrifice. The first lot determined who would cleanse the altar and prepare its fire; the second lot determined who would kill the morning sacrifice and sprinkle the altar, the golden candlestick, and the altar of incense. The third lot determined who would come and offer incense. This was the most privileged duty; those who received the first and second lots would repeat their duty at the evening sacrifice, but not with the third lot. To offer the incense would be a once in a lifetime opportunity. (thanks D. Guzik)

 

Then an angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing on the right side of the altar of incense. And when Zacharias saw him, he was troubled, and fear fell upon him. But the angel said to him, “Do not be afraid, Zacharias, for your prayer is heard; and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you shall call his name John.  (Luke 1:11-13) 

So here was the father of John the Baptist, standing in the holy place of the temple, in front of the golden altar of incense, facing the holy of holies and suddenly an angel appears standing next to or in front of, the table of showbread and Zach is freaked. 

 

Of course, this is understandable for this was the Archangel Gabriel, who immediately says, “Don’t be afraid.”  And he follows with the encouragement, “…your prayer is heard and your wife, Elizabeth, will bear you a son.”   You see both he and his wife, like Abraham and Sarah of old, were OLD and childless.  Elizabeth, based upon her praises later, was living in shame and probably deep discouragement.  So, the prayer Gabriel referred to was likely not just a recent one – perhaps a continuous one over decades of disappointment. 

 

But, you see, this ‘scene’ was the opening act in the drama of God’s final plan of redemption.  Of course, the plan itself originated even before the beginning of the planet but at this time, it was reaching its apex and John was its long-foretold precursor.  This was not just a big game or even THE big game; it was the BIGGEST game ever.  And to top it off, I can easily imagine the Father, The Son and the Holy Spirit, along with untold numbers of the angelic host watching intently.

 

Gabriel continued,

 

“And you will have joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth. For he will be great in the sight of the Lord and shall drink neither wine nor strong drink. He will also be filled with the Holy Spirit, even from his mother’s womb. And he will turn many of the children of Israel to the Lord their God. He will also go before Him in the spirit and power of Elijah, ‘to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children,’ and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just, to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.”  (Luke 1:14-17)

Did his knees knock?  Did his teeth chatter?  Did his hands shake?  Zach managed to speak,

 

“How shall I know this? For I am an old man, and my wife is well advanced in years.”  (Luke 1:18)

He fumbled in faith.  He needed a sign in order to believe that God could or would answer his prayer.  I don’t know if angels can be shocked but if so, this would likely have been the time.

 

When we pray for something for so long and see no result, we can stop believing, stop trusting that God hears.  Some believe Zach’s attitude is ‘this is just too good to be true.’  And that’s likely the case but it doesn’t make it any less doubtful.  We know this because Gabriel tells him,

 

“I am Gabriel, who stands in the presence of God, and was sent to speak to you and bring you these glad tidings.  But behold, you will be mute and not able to speak until the day these things take place, because you did not believe my words which will be fulfilled in their own time.”  (Luke 1:19,20)

Some people just think they should see some proof of God.  They can say, “But I didn’t feel anything.”  Or “But I don’t see any change.” 

 

They think of God’s handiwork as a magician’s act.  But that attitude denigrates God and belittles His plans.  He does all things in His time and way, and if He says something, it is guaranteed absolutely whether or not it is visible to our eyes.  This is the ‘stuff’ of Abraham’s faith – an old man, a long life, an apparently unwilling God but when He spoke the blessing, Abraham believed, and for that attitude God considered him righteous. (See Rom 4:3)

 

But here, God sent Zach on a ‘time-out’ so to speak – time to think about his faith and God’s abilities.

 

Now, after this, God presented for us a contrast – someone who had every excuse to fumble but did not.  She was a young maiden, betrothed but unmarried. 

 

Now in the sixth month (of Elizabeth’s pregnancy) the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin’s name was Mary.  (Luke 1:26,27)

She was probably quite young in our reckoning – 12 to 15 or so.  At least that was typical.  OK, same amazing Archangel, an even more amazing miracle.  He addresses her:

 

“Rejoice, highly favored one, the Lord is with you; blessed are you among women!”  (Luke 1:28)

And as with Zacharias, she is scared.  So, Gabriel continues:

 

“Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God.  And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bring forth a Son and shall call His name JESUS. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Highest; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David.  And He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of His kingdom there will be no end.”  (Luke 1:30-33)

Now, unlike Zacharias who was found in the very temple itself, Mary is in the ‘nowhere’ town of Nazareth. 

 

Though Nazareth is in the general region of Galilee, it is 15 miles away from the Sea of Galilee. It is six miles from the closest major road. Nazareth had no good water supply; only one fairly weak well in the center of the village. (Guzik)

 

Notice as well that with this greeting the focus is not on Mary but rather on Jesus. 

 

Then Mary said to the angel, “How can this be, since I do not know a man?” And the angel answered and said to her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Highest will overshadow you; therefore, also, that Holy One who is to be born will be called the Son of God. Now indeed, Elizabeth your relative has also conceived a son in her old age; and this is now the sixth month for her who was called barren. For with God nothing will be impossible.”  (Luke 1:34-37)

Mary’s question was logical. She asked the same question Zacharias asked (Luke 1:18), but his question was asked in skeptical unbelief, and her question was asked in wonder-filled faith.  (Guzik)

 

Forget any ideas of the Holy Spirit ‘mating’ with her, the word overshadow refers to the cloud of the Shekinah glory of God – this was a purely miraculous conception. 

 

Then Mary said, “Behold the maidservant of the Lord! Let it be to me according to your word.” And the angel departed from her.  (Luke 1:38)

 

In this ‘nowhere’ town, far from the majesty of the temple, this humble girl did not fumble in faith.  Some think God is mostly active or even only active within the confines of the ‘temple’ or church.  Sure, the Lord is active there, but He loves to do what only He can do far from the limelight in the hearts of the humble.  The humble who He knows won’t fumble in faith!  It’s in those people that the Seed of His Son is ‘planted’.

 

 

Beholding Transformation

 

Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is.  And everyone who has this hope in Him purifies himself, just as He is pure.  (1 John 3:2,3)

What a glorious promise!  When He is revealed, we shall be like Him.  Now, I always thought this was speaking of His revealing/appearing when the trumpet sounds just as Paul described in 1 Cor 15: 51,52:

 

Behold, I tell you a mystery: We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed--in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.

This, clearly, is an instantaneous transformation – one that we all look forward to.  But I believe that being like Him is far more than putting on incorruption.  So, I’m inclined to look, in scripture for more transformation.  Here it is:

 

But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord.  (2 Cor 3:18)

You see, it appears that the Apostle declares the coming  instantaneous transformation of the new body of the believers in 1 Corinthians but in 2 Corinthians 3, he points to the present and ongoing transformation of the believers’ spirit.  By the Spirit of the Lord, we all can see clearly the image of ourselves (i.e. as in a mirror) displaying the glory of our Lord and being transformed into His image.  It is a fulfillment of God’s original intent when He said:

Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness;”  (Gen 1:26)

That is, even now we are being transformed into His image spiritually as He is in union with us inwardly and as He lives His life in and through us:

 

“A little while longer and the world will see Me no more, but you will see Me. Because I live, you will live also.  At that day you will know that I am in My Father, and you in Me, and I in you.”  (John 14:19,20)

So, the revealing John spoke of  is actually two-fold – one we look forward to in hope (a hope that purifies us!) and one that is even now ongoing.  In both cases, there’s a transformation and Christ is glorified.  In both cases, we glorify Jesus because it’s His glory:

 

For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.  (Rom 8:18)

So, I will join with Paul in exhorting all of us:

 

And do not be conformed to this world but be transformed by the renewing of your mind (understanding), that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.  (Rom 12:2)

 

 

Bookends

 

Then the serpent said to the woman, “You will not surely die.  For God knows that in the day you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.”

So, when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree desirable to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate. She also gave to her husband with her, and he ate.  (Gen 3:4-6)

For all that is in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—is not of the Father but is of the world.  And the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever.  (1 John 2:16,17)

Almost like bookends, these two passages in the Bible speak of the fundamental nature of the world.  In the garden of Eden, the serpent’s lie ensnared Eve (and Adam) with these things and we all know how that worked out. 

 

The Apostle John wrote near the closing of the New Testament that, “he who does the will of God abides forever.”  In both cases, three elements of worldly existence were brought forth.  The serpent used them as temptations; John used them as warnings/admonitions.  What can we learn from them and their presentations?

 

The serpent first developed in the woman the lust for something she did not have.  He tempted her that she could be like God.  Satan understood this lust for he had it in spades:

 

 "How you are fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! [How] you are cut down to the ground, You who weakened the nations!

For you have said in your heart: 'I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God; I will also sit on the mount of the congregation On the farthest sides of the north;

I will ascend above the heights of the clouds, I will be like the Most High.'  (Isa 14:12-14)

As soon as she started to listen to his drivel, she was hooked. 

Immediately, the tree looked good for food, pleasant for the eyes and desirable to make her wise.  John called these, the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes and the pride of life. This was and is the trifecta of lust.  She was poisoned by the deceit and hooked by the lust.  And she took the bait.

Unfortunately, it poisoned not only her and ‘hubby’ but all of mankind. 

 

Fundamentally, lust is the desire for something more, something or someone you think you lack.  It doesn’t come necessarily from dissatisfaction but rather it creates dissatisfaction.  It ensnares the mind and darkens the soul.

 

The Bible says that sin was found in Lucifer (means light-bringer or morning star) and it turned him into Satan (means adversary or opposer).  From there, he apparently infected up to a third of the angelic host with it, condemning them to darkness as well and when he showed up in Eden, just listening to him infected Eve and then Adam with the same contagion.

 

We have no evidence that the serpent told Eve that the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil was good for food but that’s the way she saw it.  I suggest she entertained the lust, or her sense of lack, and then she perceived it was pleasant to the eyes and desirable to make one wise.

 

One thing led to another.  Whatever the case, the lust seemed to validate the lie that God was holding out, that Satan was right.

 

Now Eve was deceived, Adam was not.  That’s why he was the one accountable for the sin and mankind’s nose dive into darkness. 

 

So, with the other ‘bookend’, John describes three things, the same three things Eve perceived in Eden at the tree, the tree that brought death and eternal darkness – separation from God.  But he adds that they are, “not of the Father but … of the world.”  Significant because he adds, “And the world is passing away…”

 

They are earthly, not heavenly.  They are from Satan’s realm, not God’s.  “And the world is passing away…”  Eve was grasping for MORE but the reality is that it’s vapor, it’s really nothing, it’s passing away.

 

But while the garden of Eden ended in death coming from a deadly tree, Jesus brought forth another tree, the cross of Calvary which became for us a tree of Life.  That’s because when you believe in Jesus’ Name – God saves -  you are doing God’s will:

 

Jesus answered and said to them, “This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He sent.”  (John 6:29)

And this is His commandment: that we should believe on the name of His Son Jesus Christ and love one another, as He gave us commandment. (1 John 3:23)

“He who believes in the Son has everlasting life… (John 3:36a)

The ‘bookend’ of the first tree brought death but the ‘bookend’ of the last tree brought life:

 

…but he who does the will of God abides forever. (1 John 2:17)

So regardless of what lust tells you, turn away and believe/trust in the name of Jesus, trust in what He accomplished.  Do the will of God and live forever!

 

 

Holy Hope

 

And not only [that], but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance; and perseverance, character; and character, hope.

Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us.  (Rom 5:3-5)

There are just a few words that absolutely transcend our human existence.  They cannot be explained, at least not adequately, and they cannot be explained away. 

 

I was on a lunch break driving in my car and as I approached the traffic signal to turn left, I supernaturally heard Psalm 23 in my heart, and I knew my youngest son was going to die soon.  It shook me to the core. 

I prayed, “No, Lord.  Not now.  Please.”  More than twenty-four years later, I still remember it perfectly. 

 

Why is hope so important and how does God use it?  One of the unfortunate realities of humanity is our tendency to destroy important elements of our heritage and our language over time.  The hope in the scripture, you can call it holy hope, is not at all the same word we throw around today.  To illustrate, let me highlight some instances:

 

Be of good courage,
And He shall strengthen your heart,
All you who hope in the LORD.  (Psa 31:24)

For in You, O LORD, I hope;
You will hear, O Lord my God.  (Psa 38:15)

Even before Calvary, hope was our ‘tether’ to the Almighty.  The word literally means expectation and/or confidence.  It also means “cord” in the Hebrew.

 

Why are you cast down, O my soul?
And why are you disquieted within me?
Hope in God, for I shall yet praise Him
For the help of His countenance.  (Psa 42:5)

My soul faints for Your salvation,
But I hope in Your word.  (Psa 119:81)

Herein we see that hope in God is a spiritual balm for our troubled soul.

 

“Blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD,
And whose hope is the LORD.”  (Jer 17:7)

In this verse, we can see that hope partners with trust and brings God’s blessing.

 

For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the LORD, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope.  (Jer 29:11)

For we were saved in this hope, but hope that is seen is not hope; for why does one still hope for what he sees?  (Rom 8:24)

For we through the Spirit eagerly wait for the hope of righteousness by faith.  (Gal 5:5)

As with faith/trust, hope deals with the unseen – it is the confident expectation of the fulfillment of God’s promises and their coming good.

 

…looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ,           (Tit 2:13)

And for the redeemed, the return of Jesus Christ is our “blessed hope”.

that by two immutable things, in which it is impossible for God to lie, we might have strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold of the hope set before us. This hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and steadfast, and which enters the Presence behind the veil,  (Heb 6:18,19)

This hope is what anchors (tethers) our soul to God Almighty and brings us into the realization of His presence in us.

 

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,  (1 Pet 1:3)

Notably, like our Savior, this is a living hope and although the ‘time’ will come when we will see all that is for now unseen, this hope will always abide because in the Lord, we will eternally expect coming good for our God never tires of blessing.

 

So why do I still remember so clearly my Psalm 23 moment?  Well, you see, our little hero had been born with a congenital heart defect and for seventeen years, we trusted God for his life.

 

Throughout that time, many, many miracles had happened for him. And to God’s glory, he had been born again wonderfully by the Spirit just a few months earlier.  But when he passed, we truly needed this holy hope.  We needed the holy cord of connection to our Lord like never before.  We “fled for refuge to lay hold of the hope set before us.”  In the midst of our grief and suffering we found this hope as an anchor of the soul, both sure and steadfast.  God carried us through in hope.

 

 

Fulfill All Righteousness

 

Jewish proselyte baptism was for those seeking to join the Jewish faith:

 

Then Jesus came from Galilee to John at the Jordan to be baptized by him.

And John [tried to] prevent Him, saying, "I need to be baptized by You, and are You coming to me?"

But Jesus answered and said to him, "Permit [it to be so] now, for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness." Then he allowed Him.               (Mat 3:13-15)

 

Jesus was not a Jew.  Now, He was raised as one, but He did not have a Jewish father for His birth was initiated by the Holy Spirit:

 

Now the birth of Jesus Christ was as follows: After His mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Spirit.  (Mat 1:18)

 

Of course, some of you may be thinking, ‘but Jewish identity comes from the mother.’  And that is true in relatively modern times, but in Jesus’ day and throughout the Old Testament, the lineage was always determined by the father.

 

So, once you’ve considered that, we can move on to the next point – the beginning of Jesus’ ministry.  Now John was baptizing in the Jordan; it was a baptism of repentance, but Jesus was sinless and had no need to repent.  Thus, John told him “I need to be baptized by You…”  But Jesus had something else in mind, so He told John, "Permit [it to be so] now, for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness."  In other words,  ‘we are going to make all things right’.

 

What do you suppose He was referring to?  I suggest that He was referring to the salvation of all mankind.  Jesus said, concerning the cross:

 

 “And I, if I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all peoples to Myself.”  (John 12:32)

 

He came to make us all righteous, all who put their trust in His death, and resurrection and forgiveness of our sins. 

 

And God had an order in mind as well.  That’s why He sent His Son to the Jews; that’s why He chose Abraham.  Paul explained:

 

For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek.  (Rom 1:16)

 

To identify first with the Jews, He had to become a Jew.  Yes, He was raised as one but because of the virgin birth His parentage with Joseph was always suspect.  So, Jesus came to be baptized publicly by John. 

 

While the term "baptism" is primarily associated with Christianity, the concept of ritual immersion for purification and repentance has roots in ancient Jewish traditions, particularly in the practice of the mikvah. Jewish law required immersion in a mikvah for ritual purity after certain defilements, (John’s baptism) and this practice was also a requirement for converts to Judaism.

 

Immersion in a mikvah was a requirement for converts to Judaism, signifying their acceptance of Jewish law. (The law which Jesus fulfilled.) So, Jesus ‘became’ a Jew even though His real Father wasn’t Jewish and His real Father made this heavenly lineage clear immediately following the baptism when He spoke from heaven:

 

When He had been baptized, Jesus came up immediately from the water; and behold, the heavens were opened to Him, and He saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting upon Him.

And suddenly a voice [came] from heaven, saying, "This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased."  (Mat 3:16,17)

 

So, Christ came first to the Jews and identified Himself with them, but why did God choose them in the first place?

 

“The LORD did not set His love on you nor choose you because you were more in number than any other people, for you were the least of all peoples;”  (Deut 7:7)

 

Well, to be accurate, God first chose Abram.

 

“You are the LORD God,
Who chose Abram,
And brought him out of Ur of the Chaldeans,
And gave him the name Abraham;”  (Neh 9:7)

 

“For you are a holy people to the LORD your God; the LORD your God has chosen you to be a people for Himself, a special treasure above all the peoples on the face of the earth.”  (Deut 7:6)

 

Now, God, being God, knew exactly who He was choosing – the ‘good’, the bad and the ugly so to speak.  He knew their fleshly nature, He knew their future and their failures.  He knew they would ultimately reject Him via His Son and for a time, even follow the anti-Son the antichrist.

 

But God chose their progenitor and the people.  He chose them to be “a special treasure above all the peoples on the face of the earth”.  And this was not for their numbers or their intelligence or their wealth or their integrity or any other human measure.  These are the people who at one point burned their own children on the arms of an idol.  These are the people who danced naked around a golden calf.  These are the people who shouted, “Crucify Him!” when Pilate tried to free Jesus.

 

He chose them because in the end, it would glorify Him; it would be a vis-aid if you would to the whole cosmos of Who He Is.  His love, forgiveness, faithfulness, mercy and grace.  He is the One Who makes all things right, He is the One Who fulfills all righteousness!

 

 

 

The Great Sin

 

There is one vice of which no man in the world is free; which everyone in the world loathes when he sees it in someone else; and of which hardly any people, except Christians, ever imagine that they are guilty themselves. I have heard people admit that they are bad-tempered, or that they cannot keep their heads about girls or drink, or even that they are cowards. I do not think I have ever heard anyone who was not a Christian accuse himself of this vice.…

The vice I am talking of is Pride or Self-Conceit: and the virtue opposite to it, in Christian morals, is called Humility.… According to Christian teachers, the essential vice, the utmost evil, is Pride. Unchastity, anger, greed, drunkenness, and all that, are mere fleabites in comparison: it was through Pride that the devil became the devil: Pride leads to every other vice: it is the complete anti-God state of mind. – C S Lewis

Now, what I want to do is simple – put a holy spotlight on this ‘great sin’ and its antithesis using the scriptures to illustrate them.  As a believer, it does not help to beat yourself up over your pride; it’s ‘hardwired’ into your DNA.  But exposing its nature can help all of us to avoid being swept up by it.

 

Adam and Eve were snared by it the moment they disobeyed God.  Cain killed Abel because of it.  And when God mercifully dealt with him on it, to allay his fears, He said that if anyone came against him, he would be avenged seven-fold.  Not long afterward, one of his descendants, Lamech, bragged to his mate:

 

“And Lamech said unto his wives, Adah and Zillah, Hear my voice; ye wives of Lamech, hearken unto my speech: for I have slain a man to my wounding, and a young man to my hurt.  If Cain shall be avenged sevenfold, truly Lamech seventy and sevenfold.”

 

And throughout history, we read of many, many notable incidents in which     pride is manifested greatly.  Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon, walked          in the palace of his city and:

 

All [this] came upon King Nebuchadnezzar.

At the end of the twelve months he was walking about the royal palace of Babylon.

The king spoke, saying, "Is not this great Babylon, that I have built for a royal dwelling by my mighty power and for the honor of my majesty?"  (Dan 4:28-30)

The king’s hubris led to his humbling by the Lord – soon after, he literally      began to think and act like a beast and this lasted for years.

 

But the peasant and poor are just as prideful as the mighty and rich.  Peter boasted pridefully that he would never betray Jesus. Oops.  James and John thought they deserved to sit on Christ’s left and right in His kingdom.  Whoa.  Suffice it to say that the list of people sinning in pride includes EVERYONE.

 

Does this seem to you exaggerated? If so, think it over. I pointed out a moment ago that the more pride one had, the more one disliked pride in others. In fact, if you want to find out how proud you are the easiest way is to ask yourself, “How much do I dislike it when other people snub me, or refuse to take any notice of me, or shove their oar in, or patronize me, or show off?” The point is that each person’s pride is in competition with everyone else’s pride. It is because I wanted to be the big noise at the party that I am so annoyed at someone else being the big noise.       – C S Lewis

Reconsider Cain and Abel.  They both brought sacrifices to offer before the Lord and as you know, Abel’s was accepted while Cain’s wasn’t.  Cain resented this and in pride, competitive pride, he killed his brother.

 

Now what you want to get clear is that Pride is essentially competitive — is competitive by its very nature — while the other vices are competitive only, so to speak, by accident. Pride gets no pleasure out of having something, only out of having more of it than the next man. We say that people are proud of being rich, or clever, or good-looking, but they are not. They are proud of being richer, or cleverer, or better-looking than others. If everyone else became equally rich, or clever, or good-looking there would be nothing to be proud about. It is the comparison that makes you proud: the pleasure of being above the rest.

It is Pride which has been the chief cause of misery in every nation and every family since the world began. Other vices may sometimes bring people together: you may find good fellowship and jokes and friendliness among drunken people or unchaste people. But Pride always means enmity — it is enmity. And not only enmity between man and man, but enmity to God. – C S Lewis
 

But humility is the antithesis to the Great Sin.  It is pictured wonderfully in the innocent lamb and perfectly in the Lamb of God - Jesus.

 

Therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, put on tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, longsuffering;  (Col 3:12)

When the apostle says, “put on” it’s the same as saying, “submit yourself to the Spirit” and thus manifest…

 

Now, as I said earlier,  pride is part of your DNA so to speak.  It is part of your dead fleshly nature.  Humility, on the other hand, is not.  Like agape love, you must choose to put it on. 

 

“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 will forgive their sin and heal their land.”  (2 Chron 7:14)

And the Bible has much to say about the humble.  For example:

 

The humble He guides in justice,
And the humble He teaches His way.  (Psa 25:9)

And

The humble also shall increase their joy in the LORD,
And the poor among men shall rejoice
In the Holy One of Israel.  (Isa 29:19)

And

For thus says the High and Lofty One
Who inhabits eternity, whose name is Holy:
“I dwell in the high and holy place,
With him who has a contrite and humble spirit,
To revive the spirit of the humble,
And to revive the heart of the contrite ones.  (Isa 57:15)

And

“God resists the proud,
But gives grace to the humble.” (Jam 4:6, 1Pet 5:5, Pro 3:34)

Has God ‘offended’ you?  Is there something bad that happened to you that you hold God accountable?  You can call it offense or justifiable blame or anger but basically, it’s just pride.

 

In God you come up against something which is in every respect immeasurably superior to yourself. Unless you know God as that—and, therefore, know yourself as nothing in comparison—you do not know God at all.  – C S Lewis

Trust, humility and love are the antidotes to the poison of pride.

 

 

 

The Seed

 

I faced this conundrum.  Many verses in the Bible tell me that as a believer I am perfect, complete in Christ, for example:

 

For in Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily; and you are complete in Him, who is the head of all principality and power.        (Col 2:8,9)

But at the same time, it tells me that there’s a continuing need for growth:

… that we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting, but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head--Christ-- from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love.  (Eph 4:13-16)

So, how does that work?  I’m complete, perfect in Jesus and yet He’s looking for me to grow.  Then someone told me that a seed is perfect and I recalled the parable of Christ in which He said:

 

“The field is the world, the good seeds are the sons of the kingdom, but the tares are the sons of the wicked one.”  (Mat 13:38)

These are perfect sons of the kingdom (they’re in Christ), good seeds, seeds which are designed to be planted, to die and to grow.

 

Yes, the seed is complete; it’s perfect.  It needs nothing added to its design.  But its purpose is incomplete.  It needs to grow.  And to grow it needs to be buried.  It needs to die.  It needs to be watered.

 

Yet wonder of wonders, what it grows into is not just another seed but a seed-maker – like Jesus.  Uh-huh, Jesus Who died, was buried and when He rose again, He became the Seed Maker, the Life-giver (see 1 Cor 15:45).  And through salvation, we are by faith, in union with Him and He with us.

 

Anyway, as a seed, a son of the kingdom, I’m complete, but God wants me to increase, to grow in my relationship with Him -- that’s what I’m designed for – that’s my purpose.  To mature in this I need to learn to submit to His Holy Spirit, to appreciate and thus worship Him in an ever-growing way.  My salvation in Christ has made me complete in being, but by design, I’m going to grow:

 

 …till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ;  (Eph 4)

The seed is perfect in its design, but it is designed to be more than a seed.  Such are we in Christ.  I can rest in the understanding that I am complete because of Jesus in me and I can rest in the whole growth issue because it’s in God’s hands, it’s His work.  It’s His Spirit Who will ‘water’ me, ‘weed’ me,  draw me closer and work in me a greater yielding to Him.  In this way, I will grow.  I’ll come to the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ who is totally in union, in submission to the Father.

 

 

 

Let This Sink In

 

“I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.”  (Gal 2:20)

You know, after you are genuinely saved, Christ is no longer ‘out there’ or ‘up there’ or ‘somewhere’.  But He is forever IN THERE, in you, and you are IN HIM.  Let this really sink in.  Union in Christ is one of the most fundamental creeds we have.

 

Our union with Christ is captured in that simple prepositional phrase, “in Christ,” used by Paul in one form or another 164 times. Only as we are “in Christ” are we chosen, called, regenerated, justified, sanctified, redeemed, assured of the resurrection, and given every spiritual blessing (Eph. 1:4,7; Rom. 6:5; 8:1; 2 Cor. 5:17; Eph. 1:3). This union with Christ spans space and time— so that Paul can say that the Christian has died with Christ (Rm. 6:1-11; Gal. 2:20); the Christian has been resurrected with Christ (Eph. 2:5f; Col. 3:1f.), the Christian has ascended with Christ to share now in his reign in the heavenly places (Rm. 5:17; Eph. 2:6) and the Christian is destined to share Christ’s coming glory with him (Phil 3:20f; 1 Jn. 3:2).

Paul speaks of a body (with Christ as its head), a building (with Christ as its foundation), a marriage (with Christ as the groom), and in Rom. 5 and 1 Cor. 15 Paul develops one other picture of solidarity that sheds light on our relationship with Christ, cosmic in its scope and embracing all humanity—the picture of our union with Adam. “For just as through the disobedience of the one man (Adam), the many were made sinners, so also through the obedience of the one man (Jesus Christ), the many will be made righteous” (Rom. 5:19).

But one final image takes us to the very nature of God himself. Jesus tells us that our relationship with himself is in some sense a reflection of his own relationship with his Father in heaven. We are united to Christ in a way that reflects the mysterious union of the divine persons of the Trinity—the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.

Union with Christ—you could say it is the sum of our salvation. The saving work of Christ is captured in this one simple phrase—by faith we are now in Christ. That’s our only hope, for to be separate from Christ is to be “without hope and without God in the world” (Eph. 2:12). But to be in Christ is to share in all his riches.

William L. Kynes

Pastor, Senior Fellow for Pastoral Theology, CSLI

 

This concept is so important, let’s examine a few of the “in Me” scriptures:

“He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood abides in Me, and I in him.”  (John 6:56)

Understand, His flesh represents His sacrifice and His blood represents His atonement.  Taking these into us, eating and drinking if you would, represents believing and ultimately submitting to their rule, accepting their gift.  But wonder of wonders, as we ‘take them in’, we ourselves are taken in to Christ and there we abide/remain.

 

“At that day you will know that I am in My Father, and you in Me, and I in you.”  (John 14:20)

As Pastor Kynes pointed out, “We are united to Christ in a way that reflects the mysterious union of the divine persons of the Trinity…”  And so, when the Lord first said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness…” (Gen 1:26)  It is evident that He was planning for this intimate union.  Even Paul spoke of it:

 

For we are members of His body, of His flesh and of His bones.

“For this reason, a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.”

This is a great mystery, but I speak concerning Christ and the church.  (Eph 5:30-32)

 

This is something that Satan simply could not and cannot stand.  He himself wanted desperately to be “like the Most High” (see Isa 14:14) but he was not created for that, and so he has always hated that mankind was designed for ultimate union with the Godhead by faith.

 

“I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.”  (John 15:5)

When we abide in this union, the ‘sap’ of His Holy Spirit moves in us, and we bear His fruit abundantly.  It’s like the parable of the two who doubled their entrusted talents.  When we do not abide, we are like the one who buried his talent and ultimately lost it.

 

“And the glory which You gave Me I have given them, that they may be one just as We are one:  I in them, and You in Me; that they may be made perfect in one, and that the world may know that You have sent Me, and have loved them as You have loved Me.”  (John 17:22,23)

This glory of God which He gave to Jesus and which Jesus in turn gave to His disciples is the mysterious agent of unity, for the Spirit uses it to transform us into His image:

 

But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord.  (2 Cor 3:18)

I’ll even go so far as to suggest that when the scripture says of Christ, “… who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.” (Heb 12:2)  He may have pondered our eternal intimate union.

 

I hope you will let this sink in.

 

 

 

The Right Side

 

I can relate to Peter; he was a ‘doer’, a ‘get r done’ kind of guy.  So, he couldn’t just sit around waiting for Jesus.  I think he was also the kind of guy that could carry a big load, a big load of guilt that is.  So, after Christ had risen from the grave and they had made the trek to Galilee, Peter said to his fellows, “I’m going fishing.”  I mean what else was there to do besides wait.

 

Evidently, the rest of the boys felt the same way because they all jumped into a boat and spent the whole night casting their net and hauling in a whole lot of nothing, nada.  Then as the sun begins to rise and the morning breaks a stranger on the shore about a hundred yards off says, “Children, have you any food?”

 

Their response is simple but honest, “No!”

 

Now the stranger could have replied, “Of course not.  You’re doing your own thing.”  But instead, he tells these ‘seasoned’ fishermen, “Cast the net on the right side of the boat, and you will find some.”

 

I confess, I’ve spent many, many hours fishing and like these guys just coming up with nothing, nada.  And at that point, the last thing I’m in the mood for is a stranger telling me where to cast but on the other hand, what have I got to lose?

 

So, we could spend the rest of this devotion with Peter but I want to focus on what happened next.  Surprisingly, they cast the net yet again but on the right side (starboard) of the little boat and WHAM – no more waiting.  The net immediately filled with so many fish that all of them together could not capture the haul.

 

Jesus made a strange suggestion to His disciples. There was no logical reason why fishing in the morning light would be better than fishing at night. There was no logical reason why fishing on one side of the boat would be better than the other side. It wasn’t even directly a test of trust in Jesus, because they did not know it was Him until after the fish were caught.  (Guzik)

 

OK, now it seems evident that the fish themselves were not the important thing but rather the number of the fish.  Some interpreters (like Augustine) thought that because 153 is the sum of numbers 1 to 17, this catch of fish points towards the number 17.  If that’s so, we should consider how the Bible uses this number. 

 

Its first mention, which is usually the most significant is with Joseph: 

 

Joseph, being seventeen years old, was feeding the flock with his brothers.  (Gen 37:2)

Joseph was sold into slavery by his brothers and brought to Egypt when he was 17. He spent approximately 13 years in Egypt, serving Potiphar, being imprisoned, and finally being released and promoted to a position of power by Pharaoh. At the age of 30, he was raised up out of prison and appointed over all of Egypt.

 

Joseph's story in Egypt, particularly his rise to power and subsequent ability to provide for his family during famine, is often seen as a type or prefiguration of Jesus Christ. Joseph's suffering, betrayal by his brothers, and eventual forgiveness and service are seen as mirroring aspects of Jesus' life, including his suffering, death, and resurrection. 

 

It is also significant that after Joseph’s resurrection out of the pit of prison so to speak, the family of Jacob was eventually bound in Egypt for some 400 years.  In like manner, after Jesus’ resurrection out of the pit of hell, God’s attention and grace was upon the church while the Jews were eventually ‘bound’ by the world for some two thousand years.  At the conclusion of both of these bondages, it is Joshua/Jesus (same name) who led (and will lead) the Jews into the Promise Land.

 

So it could be that the specificity of 153 fish was a prophetic type of what Christ planned for both His Church and His people as portrayed in the life of Joseph and his family.

 

And why specifically the right side?  Why did the stranger say it had to be on the right side or right hand of the boat?  I suggest that it was yet another indicator of Who they were listening to for these words are frequently used to indicate God’s Son:

 

Let Your hand be upon the man of Your right hand,
Upon the son of man whom You made strong for Yourself.  (Psa 80:17)

The right hand of the LORD is exalted;
The right hand of the LORD does valiantly.  (Psa 118:16)

Fear not, for I am with you;
Be not dismayed, for I am your God.
I will strengthen you,
Yes, I will help you,
I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.'  (Isa 41:10)

Now John says that he wrote his gospel to help those who didn’t see the resurrected Christ to believe in Him and in the first twenty chapters we learn of some seven miraculous signs presented for that purpose.  But then he adds chapter twenty-one wherein he presents the risen Lord as a humble servant who cooks fish and bread on the shore and ministers healing to Peter’s self-condemnation.

 

It seems to be presented for a different purpose.  If the linkage to Joseph and the bondage of Israel in Egypt is the intended foreshadow of God’s plan for His people from Christ’s resurrection until His return, it would be like Him saying to them, “Wait for Me. I’m not finished with you even though, like Peter, you’ve denied Me.”

 

He will come and all Israel will be saved!  The net did not and will not break.

 

 

Choosing to Love

 

"As the Father loved Me, I also have loved you; abide in My love.

 

"If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love, just as I have kept My Father's commandments and abide in His love.

 

"These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may remain in you, and that your joy may be full.

 

"This is My commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you.

 

"Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one's life for his friends.

 

"You are My friends if you do whatever I command you.

 

"No longer do I call you servants, for a servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all things that I heard from My Father I have made known to you.

 

"You did not choose Me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should remain, that whatever you ask the Father in My name He may give you. 

 

“These things I command you, that you love one another.   (John 15:9-17)

 

Few passages are so emphatic – five mentions of commands and six of love.  Jesus had just said, “I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser.” And “I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.” (v1,5)

 

So clearly, to abide in Him is at least partly to heed/obey His command and the “much fruit” is all about love.  But think about this – we are commanded, not encouraged or asked or suggested – commanded, to love.  It’s like the ‘Great Commandment’ of the Old Testament. 

 

Now, some of you may be scratching your head, thinking ‘I can understand a command to sit or stand or do some sort of work, but a command to love?  How does that work?

 

First or all, you must understand that this love is the godly agape love that you can choose to exhibit.  It’s not the romantic or ‘feel-good’ emotion.  Second, it is something that God initiates, we receive, and can choose to reflect both back to Him and to others. 

 

We love Him because He first loved us.  (1John 4:19)

 

So, God initiates this love. He starts it.  And then He commands us to make our own right choice – to choose to embrace that love, submit to that glorious love and by the power/gifting of the Holy Spirit (see Gal 5:22,23) shine it outward to others.

 

Yes, fundamentally, God’s love through us is a choice, our choice, our response.  It’s His love, His power, but our response. And as if to amplify this point, Jesus told the guys, “You did not choose Me, but I chose you.” That is, this choosing ability should never go to our heads or be taken for granted for we only get to choose God’s love because He first chose us. 

 

This is not about salvation. This divine gift from Christ of agape love is what empowers us to minister to His sheep.  That’s what Jesus made clear to Peter after His resurrection on the shore of Galilee:

 

So, when they had eaten breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, "Simon, son of Jonah, do you love Me more than these?" He said to Him, "Yes, Lord; You know that I love You." He said to him, "Feed My lambs."

 

He said to him again a second time, "Simon, son of Jonah, do you love Me?" He said to Him, "Yes, Lord; You know that I love You." He said to him, "Tend My sheep."

 

He said to him the third time, "Simon, son of Jonah, do you love Me?" Peter was grieved because He said to him the third time, "Do you love Me?" And he said to Him, "Lord, You know all things; You know that I love You." Jesus said to him, "Feed My sheep.” (John 21:15-17)

 

But there’s more to understand; it’s not as ‘simple’ as it sounds.  Oh, it can be if you are trusting and fully submitted to God’s Spirit, but there is an enemy who will fight you and try to influence your choosing, just as in the garden of Eden.  Now, he cannot win this battle, but if you choose, like Eve, to listen to his drivel and whine, that is, if you  make a poor choice, God will wait on you to learn to ignore his lies and trust His Son.  Again, we’re not talking salvation – that’s a forever settled deal once you placed your heart in Christ’s care.  This is ministry.  This is fruit-bearing.  This is about you learning to trust in Jesus moment by moment and to continually choose to obey His Word.

 

So, will you keep Christ’s command?  Will you choose to love (agape) God and your family in Christ?  If so, Jesus said that you will abide (remain) in His love.

 

It’s not how you feel.  It’s not emotional.  This love is not romantic.  It is the most powerful love of all; the love that accompanied Jesus to the cross and empowered Him to say, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.”  This is the essence of Almighty God for God is Love.  This is the fruit of His Spirit.  This is what makes eternal life, eternal life. 

 

If you’re saved, He is in you and you in Him.  Join Him in living in and through you.  Submit to His will to love Him and others.  God created us to love, serve, minister and fellowship.  Choose love, choose life, choose Him always.

 

 

Home!

 

Jesus answered and said to him, “If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home with him.”  (John14:23)

The implications of this verse are staggering.  If you love Christ and keep His word, you’ll be loved by God Almighty and both the Father and Son will come to you and make a home with you.  Think of that!  No camp out. Not a visit.  But a permanent residence, a home or dwelling. 

 

Jesus told us, “In my Father’s house are many dwellings.”

 

Combine that with His previous statement, “At that day you will know that I am in My Father, and you in Me, and I in you.”  (John 14:20)  This is the perfect union. As believers, we are all at home in Him.  And He is in us.

 

This is to know God’s love perfectly, to know His Life fully, to enjoy Him unboundedly, to trust Him completely, to be made ‘in His image’ eternally. 

 

For:

“Eye has not seen, nor ear heard,
Nor have entered into the heart of man
The things which God has prepared for those who love Him.”                  (1 Cor 2:9)

Trust me on this – this is not religion.  This is not a matter of knowledge or rule-keeping or propriety or even an inspiration.  This wipes out any and all your fantasies about heaven or eternal life or ‘Christian kumbaya’.  You don’t know Christ yet like you will know Christ:

 

For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part, but then I shall know just as I also am known.  (1 Cor 13:12)

Understanding what this verse really means can supercharge your walk in Christ, increase your faith.  Not only will you anticipate His appearing with sincerity, but you’ll rejoice presently.

 

So, meditate on it.  Ask the Lord to open your heart to its significance.  Study it, share it.  Trust Him.

 

 

 

Signs

 

This again is the second sign Jesus did when He had come out of Judea into Galilee.  (John 4:54)

A nobleman came to Jesus from another town and begged Him to heal his son.  In response, Christ spoke the word for healing.  The next day, the nobleman got the news of the results and asked when it happened:

 

So, the father knew that it was at the same hour in which Jesus said to him, “Your son lives.” And he himself believed, and his whole household.  (v55)

Signs have been a part of God’s communication with man for a  long time.  The scriptures tell us:

 

Then God said, “Let there be lights in the firmament of the heavens to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs and seasons, and for days and years;  (Gen 1:14)

Which was poignantly fulfilled with the wise men and Christ:

 

“Where is He who has been born King of the Jews? For we have seen His star in the East and have come to worship Him.”  (Mat 2:2)

The rainbow in the sky after the Noahic flood God called a sign.  The circumcision of Abraham and all his descendants was termed a sign, the virgin birth of Jesus was called a sign. 

 

Fundamentally, signs give us direction, warning or important information.  And to the Jews, signs have been especially valuable:

 

For Jews request a sign, and Greeks seek after wisdom;  (1 Cor 1:22)

Ironically, despite all the miraculous healings and deliverances Christ performed, many Jews simply didn’t notice:

 

So, the Jews answered and said to Him, “What sign do You show to us, since You do these things?”  (John 2:18)

We started with the Lord’s second sign above.  His first sign though, was not a healing but a different kind of blessing:

 

And he said to him, “Every man at the beginning sets out the good wine, and when the guests have well drunk, then the inferior. You have kept the good wine until now!”

This beginning of signs Jesus did in Cana of Galilee, and manifested His glory; and His disciples believed in Him.  (John 2:10, 11)

As you may notice, some signs are given to individuals, others for specific groups, and yet others for large groups or generations:

 

And while the crowds were thickly gathered together, He began to say, “This is an evil generation. It seeks a sign, and no sign will be given to it except the sign of Jonah the prophet. (Luke 11:29)

And we should note that all signs given by God are intended to generate trust in Him: 

 

And truly Jesus did many other signs in the presence of His disciples, which are not written in this book; but these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in His name.  (John 20:30,31)

But the great deceiver, Satan through his antichrist, will use signs to turn people away from God and toward himself:

 

He performs great signs, so that he even makes fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men.  And he deceives those who dwell on the earth by those signs which he was granted to do in the sight of the beast, telling those who dwell on the earth to make an image to the beast who was wounded by the sword and lived.  (Rev 13:13,14)

Then the beast (antichrist) was captured, and with him the false prophet who worked signs in his presence, by which he deceived those who received the mark of the beast and those who worshiped his image.  (Rev 19:20)

So, God wants us to be alert to His signs and to discard the ‘signs’ of the evil one.  God’s signs, intended for us, nurture trust in Him.  For the ungodly, they are warnings of impending doom that are rejected:

 

But the rest of mankind, who were not killed by these plagues, did not repent of the works of their hands, that they should not worship demons, and idols of gold, silver, brass, stone, and wood, which can neither see nor hear nor walk.  (Rev 9:20)

So, open the eyes of your inner being and take heed to God’s signs personally and in the greater context.  The ‘signs of the times’ are all around us.

 

 

New Commandment

 

From the days of Moses and the giving of the Law until Jesus there was one great commandment. Christ told a man who inquired of the same:

 

Jesus said to him, "'You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.'

"This is the first and great commandment.

"And the second is like it: 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.'

"On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets."      (Mat 22:37-40)

And as you may already know, it was an impossible command for men to obey.  People can give ‘lip-service’ to it but no one without the help of the Holy Spirit can love God that way, or one’s neighbor.  Mankind simply could not (and cannot) keep the Law, so Jesus fulfilled it and set it aside:

 

For, on the one hand, there is a setting aside of a former commandment because of its weakness and uselessness  (Heb 7:18)

Because of its weakness and unprofitableness: In its weakness and unprofitableness, the law made nothing perfect. The law does a great job of setting God’s perfect standard, but it does not give the power to keep that standard.

 

The law provides expert diagnosis of our sin problem, which is absolutely essential. But the law does not provide the cure to our sin problem. Only Jesus can save us from our sin problem.       -- Guzik

 

But then the Lord gave a new command:

 

“A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, even as I have loved you, that you also love one another.”  (John 13:34)

“This is My commandment, that you love one another, just as I have loved you.”  (John 15:12)

It wasn’t God setting aside His command to love Him supremely and just love your neighbor.  Rather, it was about receiving, by faith, His gracious gift of love in Jesus and consequently the power of His Holy Spirit as a necessary precursor.  John put it this way:

 

And this is His commandment: that we should believe (trust) on the name of His Son Jesus Christ and love one another, as He gave us commandment.  (1 John 3:23)

Yes, it is God’s gift, His Spirit, that gives us the power to trust and to Love:

 

Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us.  (Rom 5:5)

So of course, we are still to love God supremely, but the commandment alone couldn’t do it in us.  The same was true of all the Law, even circumcision:

 

For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision (that is, the Law) avails anything, but faith (trust) working through love.  (Gal 5:6)

This verse also tells us what does matter… faith working through love. You have faith? Wonderful; but it must be faith working through love. If your faith doesn’t function, it isn’t real faith. If it doesn’t function through love, it isn’t real faith. But your love alone isn’t enough; your love must also have faith: an abiding trust in Jesus and what He did for us. – Guzik/Dickey

 

So, in short, the fulfillment of God’s great Command comes not through any human effort or formula or even doctrine.  It’s God’s Spirit which you can ask for and expect:

 

“If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him!”  (Luke 11:13)

 

 

Noah and Lot

 

"And as it was in the days of Noah, so it will be also in the days of the Son of Man:

"They ate, they drank, they married wives, they were given in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, and the flood came and destroyed them all.

"Likewise, as it was also in the days of Lot: They ate, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they built;

"but on the day that Lot went out of Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven and destroyed [them] all.

"Even so will it be in the day when the Son of Man is revealed.                (Luke 17:26-30)

Christ used two examples for us to discern the coming of the Son of Man.  Noah and Lot. Specifically, the days of Noah and the days of Lot.  They both have something in common and they also have important differences. Let’s consider both of them and what it means for us.

 

First, what did they share in common?  Both of them were called righteous by the Lord (see Gen 7:1 and 2 Pet 2:7).  Both of them had families and both of them along with their families were delivered miraculously by God from catastrophe.  Both of them were ostracized by the society in which they lived, and both showed their desperate need for God’s grace and mercy (see Gen 9:20-27 and Gen 19:30-36).

 

For both of them, God’s judgement on the society came suddenly and the populace was clueless.   And in both instances, the judgement on the society “destroyed them all”.

 

But now, what about the differences?  We can note differences in the scriptures that describe the ‘days of Noah’ and the ‘days of Lot’ and we can note the distinctions between them in the verses above in which Jesus instructed His followers. 

 

We can see that the society in which Noah lived before the catastrophe was filled with sexual amorality and ubiquitous violence:

 

 Now it came to pass, when men began to multiply on the face of the earth, and daughters were born to them, that the sons of God saw the daughters of men, that they were beautiful; and they took wives for themselves of all whom they chose.  (Gen 6:1,2)

The earth also was corrupt before God, and the earth was filled with violence. So God looked upon the earth, and indeed it was corrupt; for all flesh had corrupted their way on the earth.  (Gen 6:11,12)

Lot’s society in Sodom had become so perverse that the men craved to have sex with the angels that came to save him. (see Gen 19:5)  In addition, they had become so wealthy that they were filled with pride, laziness and lost all compassion:

 

“Look, this was the iniquity of your sister Sodom: She and her daughter had pride, fullness of food, and abundance of idleness; neither did she strengthen the hand of the poor and needy.”  (Eze 16:49)

Now, what about the opening verses?  What are the distinctions, and do they have any relevance to us?  First, for Noah’s days, Christ focused on the marital relations which is ‘code’ if you would, for sex.  For Lot’s days, Jesus alluded to their business dealings. 

 

We should also note that Noah was saved in the midst of judgement whereas Lot was saved out of judgement. 

 

So why did Christ use the two men and two judgements along with their similarities and distinctions?  I’ll suggest that it is because there will be two groups of people, God’s people, who will be saved from or in the midst of catastrophe in the last days. 

 

Who are these two groups?  One group will be snatched up when Christ comes for His bride, the church:

 

Behold, I tell you a mystery: We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed-- in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.

For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal [must] put on immortality.  (1Cor 15:51-53)

 

For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first.

Then we who are alive [and] remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord.  (1 Thes 4:16,17)

 

With them, the Holy Spirit be taken out of the way and will cease restraining evil in this world:

 

For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work; only He who now restrains will do so until He is taken out of the way. (2Thes 2:7)

Christ warned this group:

 

"Likewise, as it was also in the days of Lot: They ate, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they built;

 

And He added:

 

"But take heed to yourselves, lest your hearts be weighed down with carousing, drunkenness, and cares of this life, and that Day come on you unexpectedly.  (See also Rev 3:3)

"For it will come as a snare on all those who dwell on the face of the whole earth.

"Watch therefore, and pray always that you may be counted worthy to escape all these things that will come to pass, and to stand before the Son of Man."  (Luke 21:34-36)

 

The other group is ‘born’ soon after the first group is taken.  This is pictured in Rev 7:

 

Then I saw another angel ascending from the east, having the seal of the living God. And he cried with a loud voice to the four angels to whom it was granted to harm the earth and the sea, saying, "Do not harm the earth, the sea, or the trees till we have sealed the servants of our God on their foreheads."

And I heard the number of those who were sealed. One hundred [and] forty-four thousand of all the tribes of the children of Israel [were] sealed:  (Rev 7:2-4)

 

Note: “children of Israel” means children of Israel and “sealed” means anointed or empowered with the Holy Spirit. 

 

Yes, after the dispensation of the “church age” is concluded, God’s attention returns to His chosen people.  And as the Apostle Paul wrote:

 

For I do not desire, brethren, that you should be ignorant of this mystery, lest you should be wise in your own opinion, that blindness in part has happened to Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in.

And so all Israel will be saved, as it is written: "The Deliverer will come out of Zion, And He will turn away ungodliness from Jacob;

For this [is] My covenant with them, When I take away their sins."

Concerning the gospel [they are] enemies for your sake, but concerning the election [they are] beloved for the sake of the fathers.

For the gifts and the calling of God [are] irrevocable.  (Rom 11:26-29)

 

Indeed, God is faithful and will save His people even in the midst of Tribulation – His anointed remnant will become a massive harvest of souls for immediately following their “sealing”, we read:

 

After these things I looked, and behold, a great multitude which no one could number, of all nations, tribes, peoples, and tongues, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, with palm branches in their hands, and crying out with a loud voice, saying, "Salvation [belongs] to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!"

 

All the angels stood around the throne and the elders and the four living creatures, and fell on their faces before the throne and worshiped God, saying: "Amen! Blessing and glory and wisdom, Thanksgiving and honor and power and might, [Be] to our God forever and ever. Amen."

 

Then one of the elders answered, saying to me, "Who are these arrayed in white robes, and where did they come from?"

 

And I said to him, "Sir, you know." So, he said to me, "These are the ones who come out of the great tribulation and washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.  (Rev 7:9-14)

 

So, there you have it – Lot, representing the mostly gentile church is symbolic of the first group and Noah, representing the children of Israel remnant and their proselytes is symbolic of the second group.  Of course, you might think that we’ve got the groups reversed since Christ’s warning mentions Noah first and Lot second.  However, Jesus also told us in His parable of the workers in the vineyard:

 

“So, the last will be first, and the first last.”  (Mat 20:16)

 

And the times are imminent so be sure your heart belongs to Christ!

 

 

The Struggle With Status

 

Then little children were brought to Him that He might put [His] hands on them and pray, but the disciples rebuked them.

But Jesus said, "Let the little children come to Me, and do not forbid them; for of such is the kingdom of heaven."  (Mat 19:13,14)

If you do a study of the topic of “child” or “children” in the Old Testament, something stands out – at least it begins to after several hours.  ‘Kids back then had no cred’.  It’s amazing how little mention there is of notable children.  Of course, there are the few notable exceptions like Moses and Samuel but only because they became notable adults. 

 

Jesus was different.  To the contrary, one of the few times He actually got angry was when the disciples attempted to keep the little children away from Him.  And when He spoke of children, He said things like

 

“Assuredly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God as a little child will by no means enter it.”  (Mark 10:15)

and said to them, “Whoever receives this little child in My name receives Me; and whoever receives Me receives Him who sent Me. For he who is least among you all will be great.”  (Luke 9:48)

“Take heed that you do not despise one of these little ones, for I say to you that in heaven their angels always see the face of My Father who is in heaven.”  (Mat 18:10)

“In his ministry, as it is recorded in the NT, Christ has several great experiences with children. It is amazing that He not only blessed them, He used them as an example for adults who were desiring to enter the kingdom of heaven. How ironic that the lowest subjects in a society would be honored with such respect, and even by Jesus Himself! I thoroughly enjoy studying about the way that Christ overturned the traditional views of the day and totally blew the minds of his listeners. I can only imagine the confusion of the disciples as Jesus used a little kid in their midst as a description of who is the most important in heaven, or the anger of the Pharisees at Jesus' words about the futility of their religious prayers.”

“Jesus blessed the children in Mark 10 not because of anything they had done; not because they knew the Law or because they fasted and offered sacrifices, but because of their simple hearts. What an example for us! We cannot enter the kingdom of heaven without the simple faith that is pure and not complex in nature.”

“The elements that come so naturally to us, adults, such as worry and attachment to possessions, are unnatural for little kids. It is a challenge to live out this sermon that Jesus preached, but perhaps it is because we lack the characteristic of dependence that comes so easy to children. In a culture that honors individuality and independence, it is so difficult to humble ourselves to become like weak, dependent children, but it is with our Heavenly Father's help that it can become possible.” -- Maryana Misula

After all, children were considered to hold the lowest status in society in the ancient world (Barton and Muddiman 907). Instead of conforming to this societal norm, however, Jesus contradicted the disciples' expectations and became angry at his followers for not allowing the children to come to Him.

“Okay, so what was Yeshua talking about here? Well, it was about social status and not about mythical childlike qualities. Children had no legal rights and no honor status of their own to speak of. In general, children were neither seen nor heard and stayed at home with their mothers until the sons were old enough to work and the daughters were old enough to marry. They weren’t out playing kick the can—for more reasons than just the obvious.”

“You have to be like this little guy. You have to be willing to be nothing. You must be willing to have zero status in this world because my Kingdom isn’t about exalting the rulers of this world, but in giving dignity and life to the least of these. Heck, why do you even think I was spending time with you guys? Because of your innate leadership abilities, warrior skills, and education? Don’t you get it yet? I am not interested in what the world values and what the world sees in people. I am interested in the people themselves.”

“That is the verse in all those “become like a child” passages that gets lost in all our idealism. Humbling ourselves like a child, becoming nothing the way a child was nothing in the ancient world, precious only to his own family members. But again, we have these romantic ideas about childlike faith, childlike innocence, childlike honesty.”

“Children weren’t like they are today, all full of ideas about their rights and armed with the phone number to social services if they get spanked after going at the side of their parents’ new car with lava rocks, but I don’t want to think about that right now.”

“Like children in the ancient world, we must consider ourselves to be so lowly and socially insignificant that we will not dare get all prideful and huffy and puffy when people oppose us, ridicule us, or walk over us. A child would depend on his father to take care of any slights to the family—and so must we. It was the father in the ancient world who had all the respect and standing and responsibility to protect the family members and not the children.” – quotes from Tyler Dawn Rosenquist, the Ancient Bridge

I’ve been a pastor, and I know a good number of very godly pastors.  It is, however,  my observation that some if not many ministers are fundamentally concerned about their status – status among the congregation, status in the community, status amongst their peers.  And this concern influences their relationship with the Lord, the flock and those who would benefit from their ministry.

 

Now, I could say, oh what’s the big deal.  I mean people are naturally status oriented, right?  Does Jesus honestly expect believers to live-out Mark 10:15?  

 

I think the answer is Yes.

 

 

Can't Touch This!

 

Then Jesus put out His hand and touched him, saying, “I am willing; be cleansed.” Immediately his leprosy was cleansed.  (Mat 8:3)

Then Jesus, moved with compassion, stretched out His hand and touched him, and said to him, “I am willing; be cleansed.” As soon as He had spoken, immediately the leprosy left him, and he was cleansed. (Mark 1:41,42)

Then He put out His hand and touched him, saying, “I am willing; be cleansed.” Immediately the leprosy left him.  (Luke 5:13)

This incident was deemed so important by the Holy Spirit that it is recorded in all three of the synoptic Gospels.  (One of twenty-one such miracles.)

Now, Jesus healed other lepers but His methodology with this man is very important.  The Lord had just come down from the mountain where He had preached the Beatitudes, Salt and Light, and many other weighty lessons when this poor man, probably clothed in rags, approached Him, worshipped Him and said with desperate hope in His lonely heart, “If you are willing, You can make me clean.”

 

Jesus did not hesitate.  The stench did not deter Him, the filth did not stall Him.  He did not lecture the man for failing to cover his mouth and cry “unclean!”  He did not back away or cringe in disgust. 

 

Jesus did not in any way retreat nor protect His purity but rather reached forward and touched the man.  He touched Him.  Did you get that?  He touched him! 

 

Now, other people touched Jesus – Mary wiped His feet with her hair, John laid his head on Christ’s chest, Mary Magdelene clung to His feet upon His resurrection, Peter grabbed His hand while sinking under the waves.  One woman, sick for twelve years just touched the hem (tassel) of His garment while in a large crowd and Christ said she had touched Him.

 

But with this disfigured man, carrying a disease that would seemingly have made Jesus the Son of God, the spotless Lamb of God unclean, Christ did not hesitate.  You see, His purity was not of the flesh.  His inner being was perfectly pure and clean before Father God.  Nothing physical could taint that.  The devil had tried to stain Him in the wilderness and failed.

 

So, Jesus took on himself the sickness He saw and shared with this man the power of His own purity and the man was cleansed:

 

“He Himself took our infirmities
And bore our sicknesses.”  (Mat 8:17, Isa 53:4)

 

This is so powerful when you consider how often and terribly we all fail and fall short of God’s perfection but in humble surrender to God’s indwelling Spirit we also find “cleansing from all unrighteousness”.  (1 John 1:9)

 

So, touch is an interesting topic.  It was a part of the first ‘mistake’ of mankind:

 

“but of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God has said, ‘You shall not eat it, nor shall you touch it, lest you die.' ” (Gen 3:3)  -- Eve speaking to the serpent.  God said nothing about not touching the tree.

 

When a woman was having her menstrual period, she was considered unclean and she was not allowed to touch anything holy. (see Lev 12:4)  And how ironic in contrast to this story that it was Satan who challenged God to ‘touch’ Job saying that he would curse Him (Job 1:11 and 2:5).

 

The Apostle Paul reminded the church in Corinth what God had said concerning their moral conduct in that ungodly city:

 

Do not be unequally yoked together with unbelievers…

“Come out from among them
And be separate, says the Lord.
Do not touch what is unclean,
And I will receive you.” (2 Cor 6:14,17, Isaiah 52:11; Ezekiel 20:34, 41)

 

Jesus touched the blind, the deaf, the mute, but although He healed other lepers by His word, this is the only time we know of in which He touched a leper even though cleansing the leper was one of the six attributes He cited for validation of His ministry. (Mat 11:5) 

 

So, you can see that it was indeed a big deal that Jesus touched this man.  Consider that he had probably not been touched by anyone for as long as he had the disease.  He had likely forgotten was that kindness even felt like.  His family, his friends, were far away and people generally scattered when he approached.

 

But this was God’s Son, the One Who showed us the character, the person of the Father – He did not hesitate to touch the leper, take the disease, carry the sin and impurity, heal, and take that horrible darkness to hell with His divine purity intact, perfectly intact. 

 

Someday, if you ever feel like you’ve made a horrible mess, that you are surely as unclean as a leper’s rags, remember the Son of God.  Remember that when you’re saved, you are IN HIM and His purity is unphased by your failures.  Remember His touch, remember His kindness.  And you can tell Satan, “You can’t touch this! I’m His!”

 

 

 

What Do They See?

 

Before the age of earth, they witnessed the creation of the cosmos both seen and unseen.  They saw how the Almighty created, nurtured and ruled all things.  They beheld His indescribable beauty and light, His wonderful kindness and power, His glory.  This and much, much more they experienced, they witnessed, for untold eons in an environment without time – a spiritual existence.

 

They beheld the discovery of Lucifer’s sickness, sin, and his utter demise to become Satan, the deceiver and destroyer.  They watched around a third of their fellows become ensnared and enslaved to him.

 

They watched God’s patience and mercy.

 

They saw God’s beautiful creation become corrupted and completely formless with darkness everywhere, turbulent seas covering all.  They viewed from ‘front row seats’  the redemptive, creative power of the triune God as He made the earth new.

 

They watched God’s patience and mercy.

 

Then with the creation of mankind, they  observed the beginning of the execution of God’s plan for redemption and reconciliation.  They watched the Father, the Word and the Spirit make man in the image of the Godhead.  A new species, designed for fellowship with the Almighty.  They saw Adam and Eve listen to the destroyer and break faith with God, they saw the terrible devolution of mankind into violence darkness and death. 

 

They saw the flicker of holy light with Enoch who walked with God, the crushing dearth when evil angels left their first estate and took ‘wives’ on earth to toxify the entire  race of human beings. 

 

They may have cheered with the advent of the “one who comforts” – Noah; and watched with intensity as God shut him in the ark.  They learned how sin leads to death in many ways and brings catastrophe.

 

Then God continued His redemption plan when He chose one man from a place called Ur and led him from there to Haran and then to the land that He promised to give him.  They watched the Lord make surprising choices and make outlandish promises to Isaac, Jacob and then wildly unexpected promotions to Joseph and then Moses. 

 

They watched God’s patience and mercy.

 

They saw Him birth, nurture and develop a separate nation intended to display God’s character to the world but which perpetually failed to do so.  Over and over and over, the Lord sent His prophets, kings, and servants to rescue them from the brink, but they chose to head over the brink.  He disciplined them, scattered them, regathered them, reassured them, and all the while the angels watched.

 

They watched God’s patience and mercy.

 

Then came the time established from before the beginning.  God’s messenger brought the promise of the long, long desired Savior.  He placed Himself in a frail, human body and was born to a young maiden, Mary, a virgin.  He lived His life in a perfect manner, without sin and at the right time began to teach about God, demonstrating God’s character with kindness, holiness, love and holy power.  The heavenly host saw Him suffer and die a most cruel death rejected by His own people, while accepting the weight, the horrible burden of ALL our sin, forsaken by the Father, crushed and condemned to hell where He took all the hellish darkness He carried for us and dumped it there.

 

They watched God’s judgement on Himself.

 

Then they saw God raise His servant, His Son, Jesus Christ, from the grave and exalt Him to His own right side and with that they watched the birth of a Bride, a new spiritual nation living with the Spirit of God within each member.  They observed the faithfulness and faithlessness of this new nation and learned that God’s grace and love never fail, never fail.  This why the Apostle Paul wrote:

 

To me, who am less than the least of all the saints, this grace was given, that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ,

and to make all see what the fellowship of the mystery is, which from the beginning of the ages has been hidden in God who created all things through Jesus Christ;

to the intent that now the manifold wisdom of God might be made known by the church to the principalities and powers in the heavenly places,  (Eph 3:8-10)

 

God wants the angels to look in on what He does in the church, and the idea is that the angels are bending over with intense interest and desire to learn. -- Guzik

 

I’m convinced that it is not about us, it’s about God.  Oh, they may be interested in us but the eternal lessons they desire are all on the holy character of their Creator, the Almighty.

 

The main idea behind holiness is not moral purity but it is the idea of “apartness.” The idea is that God is separate, different from His creation, both in His essential nature and in the perfection of His attributes. But instead of building a wall around His apartness, God calls us to come to Him and share His apartness. He says to us, “Be holy, for I am holy.”  -- Guzik

 

Thus, how God deals with the Bride demonstrates His perfect attributes and is forever fascinating to all the heavenly host.

 

 

Many More Things - Part 2

 

To me, who am less than the least of all the saints, this grace was given, that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ, and to make all see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the ages has been hidden in God who created all things through Jesus Christ; to the intent that now the manifold wisdom of God might be made known by the church to the principalities and powers in the heavenly places, according to the eternal purpose which He accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord,  (Eph 3:8-11)

 

God wants to reveal this wisdom to the church. Yet in the big picture, God doesn’t use the angels to reveal His wisdom to the saints, but He does use the saints to reveal His wisdom to the angelic beings, both faithful and fallen angels. This reminds us that we are called for something far greater than our own individual salvation and sanctification. We are called to be the means by which God teaches the universe a lesson, and a beautiful lesson.

 

We are surrounded by invisible spiritual beings, and they intently look upon us. Here, Paul draws back the invisible curtain that hides these beings just as Elisha prayed at Dothan, LORD, I pray, open his eyes that he may see (2 Kings 6:17). These angelic beings see us perfectly and know us far better than we know them. -- Guzik

 

“What then have they to learn from us? Ah, they have to learn something which makes them watch us with wonder and with awe. They see in us indeed all our weakness, and all our sin. But they see a nature which, wrecked by itself, was yet made in the image of their God and ours. And they see this God at work upon that wreck to produce results not only wonderful in themselves but doubly wonderful because of the conditions.” (Moule)

 

“In his immortality, never touched by one drop of our cold river, it is instructive to him beyond all our thought to see his God triumphing over pain and death in some sufferer in the fire of martyrdom, or in the torture of cancer, or in the shipwreck, or just in the silent awe of any form of our departure from the body… They see these fallen and mortal beings, this Community of the lost and saved, not only bearing and doing for God here on earth, but spiritually present with Him in the Holy of Holies above.” (Moule)

 

Sometimes Christians get the crazy idea that God saved them and works in their life because they are somehow such great people. The angels see right through this. We might believe that it is because of us; the angels know better. We may think our lives are small and insignificant; the angels know better. We may doubt our high standing, seating in heavenly places; the angels see this spiritual reality with eyes wide open. – Guzik

 

Beyond this, they witness the power and value of God’s love.  They see that because of God’s love in and through us, for unlike the angels, we are graciously united in one with Him and they witness that God chooses to make His home with us:

 

"At that day you will know that I am in My Father, and you in Me, and I in you.

"He who has My commandments and keeps them, it is he who loves Me. And he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and manifest Myself to him."

Judas (not Iscariot) said to Him, "Lord, how is it that You will manifest Yourself to us, and not to the world?"

Jesus answered and said to him, "If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home with him.  (John 14:20-23)

 

Do you think God is glorified by your successes? Your goodness, your righteousness, your wisdom?  It’s a subtle, sneaky thing and yet that’s kind of what Job thought.  God spoke to him:

 

Have you an arm like God? Or can you thunder with a voice like His?

Then adorn yourself with majesty and splendor, And array yourself with glory and beauty.

Disperse the rage of your wrath; Look on everyone who is proud and humble him.

Look on everyone who is proud, and bring him low; Tread down the wicked in their place.

Hide them in the dust together, Bind their faces in hidden darkness.

Then I will also confess to you That your own right hand can save you.  (Job 40:9-14)

 

Or perhaps it’s the other way around – you may think that you’ve failed miserably, that you’re a mess, or that you’re too insignificant for God’s attention – like dust on the scales.

 

Either way, you’re caught up in self-righteousness.  You think you’re the one who can judge yourself. And you figure that God’s love has limits, after all.  Job faced this realization about himself:

 

Then Job answered the LORD and said:

"I know that You can do everything, and that no purpose of Yours can be withheld from You.

You asked, 'Who is this who hides counsel without knowledge?' Therefore I have uttered what I did not understand, things too wonderful for me, which I did not know.

"I have heard of You by the hearing of the ear, but now my eye sees You.

Therefore, I abhor myself and repent in dust and ashes." (Job 42:1-3,5,6)

 

Yes, the principalities and powers in the heavens will learn lessons from our Holy Savior as He works in and through us, loving us forever.

 

 

 

Many More Things to Say

 

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ,

just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love,

having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will,

to the praise of the glory of His grace, by which He made us accepted in the Beloved.

 

In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace

which He made to abound toward us in all wisdom and prudence,

having made known to us the mystery of His will, according to His good pleasure which He purposed in Himself,

that in the dispensation of the fullness of the times He might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven and which are on earth--in Him.

 

In Him also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestined according to the purpose of Him who works all things according to the counsel of His will,

that we who first trusted in Christ should be to the praise of His glory.

In Him you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation; in whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise,

who is the guarantee of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, to the praise of His glory.  (Eph 1:3-14)

 

For hundreds of years, there’s been much debate on the issue of predestination but that is not my intent herein.  I do take great comfort in the repeated use of the past tense verbs I’ve highlighted.  That’s because God is not a gambler – he’s not asserting something based upon a hunch or a prediction.

 

God is a Spirit and lives in the spiritual realm; it’s dynamics are totally foreign to us so consequently we read verses like the ones above and say, “God knows the end from the beginning.” Or, “God has foreknowledge.”

 

That’s because those explanations are the only things that makes sense to our limited minds.  You see, God is far greater than we have the ability to imagine.  He’s not a soothsayer; He’s not looking forward in time.  He’s not just knowing all things; all things exist in and because of Him.  He uses past tense because in Him, they are past  tense.  He chose whom He chose before the creation of the earth.  He exists in past, present and future at the same ‘time’ because for Him, there is no time. 

 

 Believers are chosen by God, and they are chosen before they have done anything or have been anything for God. …The reasons for God’s choosing are not capricious, nor are they random. Though they are past our finding out, we know that they are altogether wise and good, but the reasons are all in Him, not in us. His choosing is according to the good pleasure of His will…. For believers, Jesus is not a judge, but the One in whom we have an inheritance. – Guzik (emphasis mine)

 

Now, “In Him we have redemption…” is not past tense but rather present tense and I’ll call it ‘eternal present tense’ -- that’s because it’s NOT outside of Christ but rather IN Him and He is eternal.

 

With all that, don’t be too concerned if you’re kinda lost.  Jesus told His disciples, “I still have many more things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. But when He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all the truth;”  (John 16:12,13)

 

What He was saying is that He had things to share that were just too heavy for them but that His Spirit would guide (lead the way) into all the truth. i.e. it’s a journey.  This is like a ‘life verse’ for me.  Of course, I would like ‘McKnowledge’ or ‘McSpirituality’ – but “all the truth” doesn’t come that way.  To the contrary, I expect that it, the journey, will never end.

 

 

Warming at the Enemy's Fire

 

Then the servant girl who kept the door said to Peter, “You are not also one of this Man’s disciples, are you?” He said, “I am not.”

Now the servants and officers who had made a fire of coals stood there, for it was cold, and they warmed themselves. And Peter stood with them and warmed himself.  (John 18:17,18)

Only a couple of hours earlier, Peter had vowed, “Even if I have to die with You, I will not deny You!” Emotions get us in trouble sometimes.  They are flippant, fragile, they rise, they crash and much of the time they are not really truthful.  What we feel is generally a slippery path to tread.

 

That’s because the human heart is like a swamp.  Intense feelings can be utterly empty of follow through.  Many, if not most of the people who “go to the altar” because of an emotional response to a call leave with a sense of dutiful response but are essentially unchanged because you cannot become a ‘new creature’ spiritually because of something you did.  It is always because of what God does.  Just ask Saul, stunned and blinded, laying on the ground, late for his appointment in Damascus. 

 

Of course, God doesn’t treat us all the same way, but Peter in our verse above is a perfect example of noble intentions but with no power to follow through.  I’ve been there; how about you?  One moment, he’s slashing his enemies (ineptly) with a sword and the next, he’s warming himself at their fire, lying about his relationship with Jesus.  Really, he pictures our whole human race.

 

With his last denial, Jesus looked at him and Peter wept bitterly – he wasn’t the man he wanted to be, brave, noble, full of integrity.  He was an emotional man, filled with emotional energy.  He didn’t stumble because of Jesus, He stumbled because of his failure.  Christ didn’t ‘fail’ him, he failed himself.  How many believers do the same thing.  They don’t measure up to some personal standard labelled “Me”.  Too many are caught up in what they think is a noble pursuit of excellence spiritually but in reality they are simply self-obsessed, trying to be like Christ, like God.

 

However, the only one in the Bible who asserted that obsession was Satan:

I will ascend above the heights of the clouds,
I will be like the Most High.'  (Isa 14:14)

Jesus knew Peter and his emotionally charged character, which btw did not disqualify him.  But He knew it would lead his disciple to stumble so He said,

"Simon, Simon! Indeed, Satan has asked for you, that he may sift you as wheat. But I have prayed for you, that your faith should not fail; and when you have returned to Me, strengthen your brethren."  (Lu 22:31,32)

I suspect that it was his shame which prevented Him from fully returning until on the shore of Galilee Jesus ministered to him His three challenging questions.  Loving Jesus meant, and still means, humble obedience to His will. 

 

But is that obedience accomplished through trying harder?  No.  It’s obedience born out of love, God’s love in you.  That means you simply need to trust God to live in and through you – that’s His work:

 

 Then they said to Him, "What shall we do, that we may work the works of God?"

Jesus answered and said to them, "This is the work of God, that you believe (trust) in Him whom He sent."  (John 6:28,29)

 

Whenever it dawns on you that you’re trying harder but actually just warming yourself by the enemy’s fire, remember what Peter learned.  Remember Christ’s love.  Remember this life, called Christianity, is NOT about you, your reputation, your glory, your ‘ministry’, your efforts.  It’s simply a matter of trusting obedience to His will.

 

 

Heavenly and Holy

 

"If I have told you earthly things and you do not believe, how will you believe if I tell you heavenly things?

"No one has ascended to heaven but He who came down from heaven, that is, the Son of Man who is in heaven.  (John 3:11-12)

How the spiritual realm operates is a completely different construct than the physical world.  Here, the Son of Man is speaking with Nicodemas and He is also in heaven having descended from and ascended to it.  This reality is a “heavenly thing” according to Jesus.  And here’s another one:

 

“He who has My commandments and keeps them, it is he who loves Me. And he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and manifest Myself to him.”

Judas (not Iscariot) said to Him, “Lord, how is it that You will manifest Yourself to us, and not to the world?”

Jesus answered and said to him, “If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home with him.  (John 14:21-23)

Jesus had just told his disciples that upon His resurrection honest believers would know “that I am in My Father, and you in Me and I in you.” 

 

Now, one of the laws of physics basically states that no two fermions (protons, electrons, etc.) can occupy the same time and space (See Note). 

 

So clearly, He was referring to a spiritual unity – we, that is the Son, Jesus, the Holy Spirit Who is in us when we get saved, and each of us – we are in unity, spiritual oneness with the Father.

 

And gloriously, this doesn’t happen by way of our trying or efforts.  When you love Him and keep His word (hold on to, trust) Jesus said that He and the Father will come to you and make their residence with you and of course, when you are saved, the Holy Spirit, by Christ’s promise, is already in you so in the end you will be at home with the whole Triune God. 

 

Isn’t it mind boggling that our Lord Creator chooses to make each of us as believers His home, His residence.  Now, for the present, Paul encouraged us with:

Who hath also sealed us, and given the earnest (guarantee, down payment) of the Spirit in our hearts.  (2 Cor 1:22)

…ye were sealed with that Holy Spirit of promise, Who is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory.  (Eph 1:13b,14)

God’s Holy Spirit is present in us but that’s not all.  There’s more to come.

For that reason, I’m so looking forward to the marriage of the Lamb to the church (Rev 19:7) which will fulfill the mystery of which Paul spoke:

 

For we are members of His body, of His flesh and of His bones.

"For this reason, a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh."

This is a great mystery, but I speak concerning Christ and the church.           (Eph 5:32)

Aren’t you glad that Christ is eternally good and loving?  This is an eternal union, which as far as we know is not offered to the angels and it may even be what was behind the plan for man from the beginning:

 

Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness;”  (Gen 1:26)

You see, in the beginning, the first Adam looked over all the creatures God created, naming them, but none was found that was suitable for his mate.  So, God made his mate from his own body. 

 

Could it be that the last Adam (Jesus-1 Cor 15:45) found none of the beings of the cosmos suitable for His mate and thus His Father created His Son’s mate, the Church from Christ’s body – His body broken for us and His Blood shed for our sins, both of which we take in – i.e. believe.

 

If so, that would suggest that the fulfillment of making man in “Our image” was not Adam and Eve but rather the Church – the body of believers in eternal submission and perfect unity with the Godhead. 

 

Heavenly things indeed!

 

Note : In quantum mechanics, the Pauli exclusion principle that two or more identical particles with half-integer spins (i.e. fermions) cannot simultaneously occupy the same quantum state within a system that obeys the laws of quantum mechanics.

 

 

Torrents

 

On the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, saying, "If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink.

"He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water."

But this He spoke concerning the Spirit, whom those believing in Him would receive; for the Holy Spirit was not yet given, because Jesus was not yet glorified.  (John 7:37-39)

Clearly, the rivers here (also torrents, floods) of living water represent the Holy Spirit, but most believers think of the Spirit as being received as in verse 39.  However, Jesus spoke of it as pouring out of our heart as a torrent or flood.  So, it’s a gift to us and a gift through us.  Let’s consider both these actions to see what we can glean.

 

One of my favorite passages in the Old Testament speaks to both actions.  Let’s look at Ezekiel 47:1-12.  In this section of scripture, a ‘guide’ is leading the prophet alongside a supernatural river which proceeds out of the temple. 

 

Then he brought me back to the door of the temple; and there was water, flowing from under the threshold of the temple toward the east, for the front of the temple faced east; the water was flowing from under the right side of the temple, south of the altar.

He brought me out by way of the north gate and led me around on the outside to the outer gateway that faces east; and there was water, running out on the right side. (V1,2)

Remember as we look at this passage that it is prophecy and as such it is focused upon the Jewish people even though there is application for all believers.  So, the water starts out small flowing from the east gate.

 

And when the man went out to the east with the line in his hand, he measured one thousand cubits, and he brought me through the waters; the water came up to my ankles.  (V3)

Now a cubit is a distance measurement from the elbow to the tip of the middle finger.  After 1000 of these cubits the water was ankle deep. 

 

Again, he measured one thousand and brought me through the waters; the water came up to my knees. Again, he measured one thousand and brought me through; the water came up to my waist.  (V4)

So, the second set of 1000 cubits presents water that is knee deep and the third set of 1000 cubits presents water that is waist deep.  We’ll soon see that this water is indeed “living water” thus I suggest that we can glean something from the symbols here – ankle deep could speak to our ‘walk’, knee-deep could speak to our ‘worship’ and waist deep could speak to our ‘prayer’ as the waist is our core and where the ancients considered our inner being to reside.  I think this speaks to the progressive influence of the Spirit in the life of the believer, but there’s more. 

 

You see, the river at this point is still passable.  The ‘crosser’ is still in control, so to speak.  But the guide is not finished.

 

Again, he measured one thousand, and it was a river that I could not cross; for the water was too deep, water in which one must swim, a river that could not be crossed.  (V5)

So, after the fourth set of 1000 cubits, the river is over the head of the prophet.  He is not longer ‘in control’ but must swim and go with the flow. I suggest that this could picture the believer being fully submitted, being in unity with the river, the living waters.

 

And I’ll suggest a prophetic picture for the Jewish people as well.  Cubits can be representative of years in some passages such as Joshua 3:4.  In like manner, this passage in Ezekiel mentions 4000 cubits followed by a full immersion in the living waters of the Holy Spirit.  Since it has been about 4000 years since the call of Abram unto today and since we read of a holy anointing seal (the Holy Spirit) coming upon the 144,000 Jews in Revelation 7:3-8, this prophecy could be pointing to them.

 

Whether that’s the case or not, there’s something here for all of us as well.  Jesus spoke of believers receiving the Holy Spirit and thereby providing torrents of living waters from within.  Ezekiel speaks of a temple being the source of a river of living water that starts small and becomes a flood.  Is there a connection?  Absolutely:

 

Do you not know that you are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you?  (1 Cor 3:16)

Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own?  (1 Cor 6:19)

So, what’s the outcome of this outflow?  Life and fruit:

 

Then he said to me: “This water flows toward the eastern region, goes down into the valley, and enters the sea. When it reaches the sea, its waters are healed.  And it shall be that every living thing that moves, wherever the rivers go, will live.  (V8,9a)

“Along the bank of the river, on this side and that, will grow all kinds of trees used for food; their leaves will not wither, and their fruit will not fail. They will bear fruit every month, because their water flows from the sanctuary. Their fruit will be for food, and their leaves for medicine.”   (V12)

Living waters indeed!

 

 

Life Food

 

Then Jesus said to them, "Most assuredly, I say to you, Moses did not give you the bread from heaven, but My Father gives you the true bread from heaven.

 

"For the bread of God is He who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world."

 

Then they said to Him, "Lord, give us this bread always."

 

And Jesus said to them, "I am the bread of life. He who comes to Me shall never hunger, and he who believes in Me shall never thirst.  (John 6:32-35)

 

Bread and water – Jesus showed Himself to be the source of both spiritually.  To one group who were Jews He offered the bread of life, but they were so preoccupied with the flesh that His ‘eat My flesh and drink My blood’ lesson freaked them out.  Even his carnally minded ‘disciples’ deserted Him.  When they thought it meant free food, they said, "Lord, give us this bread always."  But in reality, they couldn’t ‘digest’ the truth.

 

To the second ‘group’ who were Samaritans He offered living water. He started with a woman drawing water at the town’s well:

 

Jesus answered and said to her, "Whoever drinks of this water will thirst again, "but whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst. But the water that I shall give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life."

The woman said to Him, "Sir, give me this water, that I may not thirst, nor come here to draw."  (John 4:13-15)

Now this woman by the well was, well let’s say a little loose in her marital commitments as she had had five husbands and the one she was currently with wasn’t her husband.  Surprisingly, she had an openness to the truth and perceived that Jesus had divine understanding. 

 

She brought up the topic of Messiah and Jesus told her that He was Him.  She was so excited she went to tell the people in town about Him and just left her water bucket at the well.

 

She said, “Come, see a Man who told me all things that I ever did. Could this be the Christ?”  (John 4:29)

 

The result was that the whole town came to believe.  They drank in the truth for two days and rejoiced in it.

 

Bread and water or more accurately, the Bread of Life and Living Water - John’s Gospel which is where these two stories are found, was written (according to John) so…

 

…that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in His name.  (John 20:31)

Important because believing is indeed taking in – it’s the eating of the Bread and drinking of the Water.  The carnally minded didn’t understand that. 

The Jews therefore quarreled among themselves, saying, “How can this Man give us His flesh to eat?”  (John 6:52)

So, what the Holy Spirit is teaching us in this is that it is critical to ‘take in’ Jesus, to take Him into our souls, our inner man.  It’s a spiritual lesson!  That is to become one with Him so that you don’t just follow Him and try to be like Him; living is when you actually submit your whole self to Him.  He told us:

 

“He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood abides in Me, and I in him.”  (John 6:56)

“At that day you will know that I am in My Father, and you in Me, and I in you.”  (John 14:20)

That does NOT mean you try harder.  On the contrary, it means you trust Him absolutely.

 

“Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me (takes Me in) has everlasting life.  I am the bread of life.”  (John 6:47,48)

Selah.

 

 

Burning Hearts

 

Now it came to pass, as He sat at the table with them, that He took bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to them.

Then their eyes were opened, and they knew Him; and He vanished from their sight.

And they said to one another, "Did not our heart burn within us while He talked with us on the road, and while He opened the Scriptures to us?"                 (Luke 24:30-32)

On the road to Emmaus, two disciples got a ‘Bible study’ from the risen Lord Whom they did not recognize.  At the end of the day, they urged Him to stay with them and the verses above show what transpired. 

 

Now there are many lessons here for us but notice the two ‘openings’ Christ gave them; He opened their eyes and earlier in the day He opened the Scriptures, and two things happened to them as a result – when their eyes were opened, they knew Him.  And when He opened the Scriptures, their hearts burned within.

 

Maybe you understand that burning – it wasn’t the ‘translation’ He used; it wasn’t His oratory skill necessarily, but they couldn’t deny what His words did to them or just casually accept what He said.  Earlier, they had mocked His apparent ignorance of the recent events concerning their “prophet” from whom they expected ‘Messianic’ outcomes.  And yet now, their hearts burned and leaped for joy at what He shared.

 

Those burning hearts told them this Man was their Savior even before their eyes did. 

 

So, what does this teach us about Jesus?  What can we learn about our hearts?  What about the scriptures?

 

Jesus wants us to discover Him, to come to a realization that grabs our heart.  He patiently taught these men truth about Himself from Genesis to Malachi.  This was not however a rote Bible school lesson.  Discovery and realization are the result of God’s Spirit at work and that’s the burning just as with Moses and the burning bush. 

 

We know that this discovery is important because He did something similar with Mary at the garden tomb, with the ‘boys’ who were fishing on Galilee, with Paul on the way to Damascus.  Jesus wants to grab our heart’s attention and thereby birth surrender to Him.  We need to get this – we’re not talking about simply acknowledging Who Jesus is or what He’s done – this is full submission to and union with Him.  As with these guys on the way to Emmaus, He’s not interested in satisfying our ‘messianic’ expectations which are usually misguided anyway – just ask John the Baptist.

 

He wants a burning heart.  He’s looking for a heart filled with joyful discovery of Who He is and the solid, everlasting realization of His Being.  Apart from this ‘burning’, our hearts simply cannot have that because they are corrupt and carnal – just ask Paul.

 

Today’s churches are at least in some manner teaching their congregants the scriptures, but like Laodicea they are turning out only tepid hearts, not burning ones.  Jesus is talked about, but He is not revealed.  Why?  What’s the difference?  After Jesus’ encounter, these two disciples hurried back to Jerusalem to share the news.  After today’s ‘encounter’ at church, the common response is to hurry off to Sunday brunch or the football game.

 

The difference is the genuine discovery and realization birthed by God’s Holy Spirit.  The hard truth is that even holy words are just words unless they are imparted by the Holy Spirit.  There’s a huge difference between knowing the Word and being honestly submitted to the Giver of those Words.  King David expressed this when he sang:

 

My heart was hot within me; While I was musing, the fire burned. Then I spoke with my tongue:

"And now, Lord, what do I wait for? My hope is in You.  (Psa 39:3,7)

 

 

Where Are the Nine?

 

There were ten lepers who stood at a distance from Jesus pleading for His help.  In response, He told them to go the priest and as they went, they were all healed.  However only one of them returned to Christ to praise God and thank Him.  The other nine were ‘in the wind’.  (Luke 17:12-19)

 

Thankfulness, especially thankfulness toward God is pretty much an alien concept to the human mind.  I suspect that that is because such thankfulness is an integral part of the heavenly experience. 

 

Jesus clearly understood that and demonstrated thankfulness to the Father; not because it was obligatory but because He genuinely was thankful, it is simply a part of His divine character:

 

 In that hour Jesus rejoiced in the Spirit and said, “I thank You, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that You have hidden these things from the wise and prudent and revealed them to babes. Even so, Father, for so it seemed good in Your sight.  (Luke 10:21)

Then they took away the stone from the place where the dead man was lying.  And Jesus lifted up His eyes and said, “Father, I thank You that You have heard Me.  (John 11:41)

That thankfulness displays a focus on the goodness of God and thus a selflessness.  And the good news is that once you are born anew, this attribute of Christ can be your focus as well as you submit your mind to Him (remember, He is in you, and you are in Him – John 15:4).  It is the heart of the Psalmist:

 

Oh, that men would give thanks to the LORD for His goodness,

And for His wonderful works to the children of men!  (Psa 107 – 4X)

 

Enter into His gates with thanksgiving,

And into His courts with praise.

Be thankful to Him and bless His name.  (Psa 100:4)

 

Conversely, since the beginning, evil men have been existing in a vile darkness:

 

because, although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened.  (Rom 1:21)

 

“And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.”  (John 3:19)

 

And that’s why Paul exhorted all of us to make thankfulness a part of EVERYTHING we say and do:

 

And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.  (Col 3:17)

 

Think of it this way.  If you will ‘practice’ this now, when you get to heaven you’ll fit right in:

 

All the angels stood around the throne and the elders and the four living creatures, and fell on their faces before the throne and worshiped God, saying:

“Amen! Blessing and glory and wisdom,
Thanksgiving and honor and power and might,
Be to our God forever and ever.
Amen.”   (Rev 7:11,12)

 

 

Rejoicing Savior

In that hour Jesus rejoiced in the Spirit and said, “I thank You, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that You have hidden these things from the wise and prudent and revealed them to babes. Even so, Father, for so it seemed good in Your sight. All things have been delivered to Me by My Father, and no one knows who the Son is except the Father, and who the Father is except the Son, and the one to whom the Son wills to reveal Him.”  (Luke:10:21,22)

Unique things in the scriptures are usually filled with wonderful lessons.  Here’s one.  “This is the only occasion in the gospels where it is specifically said that Jesus rejoiced. It stands alone.” (Spurgeon) 

 

Geldenhuys says that the ancient Greek word for rejoiced is “referring to exceptional rejoicing and exultation.” Jesus rejoiced strongly; but He also rejoiced deeply (in the Spirit). (Guzik)

 

And that rejoicing led to a declaration of an amazing truth:

 

“…no one knows who the Son is except the Father, and who the Father is except the Son, and the one to whom the Son wills to reveal Him.”

During His ministry as the “Son of Man”, Jesus labored in a divine anonymity.  Only Peter, Martha and a few of the fearful demons declared, “You are the Christ.”  But that is why, when Peter declared Jesus as the Christ, he was told:

 

“Jesus answered and said to him, “Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah, for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but My Father who is in heaven.”  (Mat 16:17)

And note, that general blindness continued until He rose from the dead and the subsequent gift of the Holy Spirit Who gave people the divine ability to believe, truly believe in Him.  In addition, what Jesus said to Peter about the Father revealing the Son is true for each one of us who believes – Father God, God Almighty, reveals His Son to all whom He calls:

 

“All that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will by no means cast out.”  (John 6:37)

“No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him; and I will raise him up at the last day.”  (John 6:44)

Then there’s the other part, knowing who the Father is.  Jesus explained:

 “Most assuredly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of Himself, but what He sees the Father do; for whatever He does, the Son also does in like manner.”  (John 5:19)

That is, the Father reveals the Son and the Son reveals the Father:

"If you had known Me, you would have known My Father also; and from now on you know Him and have seen Him."

Philip said to Him, "Lord, show us the Father, and it is sufficient for us."

Jesus said to him, "Have I been with you so long, and yet you have not known Me, Philip? He who has seen Me has seen the Father; so how can you say, 'Show us the Father'?”  (John 14:7-9)

So, Jesus rejoiced and not only was that rejoicing unique in the Gospels but also in the whole Bible.  Check it out.  God just doesn’t seem to rejoice, at least not like Jesus did here, but there are countless commands and promises for God’s people to rejoice.  And that’s understandable even for a lame-brain like me for you see, Jesus, His only Son was slain from  before the beginning:

 

All who dwell on the earth will worship Him, whose names have not been written in the Book of Life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.    (Rev 13:8)

 

So, throughout man’s story from Eden until today, I suggest that God has saved His own rejoicing for a feast, a wedding feast. 

 

And as the bridegroom rejoices over the bride,

So shall your God rejoice over you.  (Isa 62:5b)

 

This is significant because Christ’s bride is a whole city full of saved people -

 

I will rejoice in Jerusalem,

And joy in My people;  (Isa 65:19)

 

Then one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls filled with the seven last plagues came to me and talked with me, saying, “Come, I will show you the bride, the Lamb's wife.”

And he carried me away in the Spirit to a great and high mountain, and showed me the great city, the holy Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God, (Rev 21:9,10)

 

And this is when we will all know Who God is, for He will be ‘all in all’.

 

The LORD your God in your midst,

The Mighty One, will save;

He will rejoice over you with gladness,

He will quiet you with His love,

He will rejoice over you with singing.” (Zeph 3:17)

 

Let me offer this for your consideration. I think Jesus’ rejoicing over His beloved disciples was unique because it was a foreshadow of the Father’s rejoicing over the Bride of Christ with singing and gladness. 

 

“Let us be glad and rejoice and give Him glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and His wife has made herself ready.”  (Rev 19:7)

 

Sounds like a wedding feast to me!  Everyone, Rejoice!

 

 

Stumbling Block

 

Now it happened, the day after, that He went into a city called Nain; and many of His disciples went with Him, and a large crowd.

And when He came near the gate of the city, behold, a dead man was being carried out, the only son of his mother; and she was a widow. And a large crowd from the city was with her.

When the Lord saw her, He had compassion on her and said to her, "Do not weep."

Then He came and touched the open coffin, and those who carried him stood still. And He said, "Young man, I say to you, arise."

So, he who was dead sat up and began to speak. And He presented him to his mother.

Then fear came upon all, and they glorified God, saying, "A great prophet has risen up among us"; and, "God has visited His people."

And this report about Him went throughout all Judea and all the surrounding region.

Then the disciples of John reported to him concerning all these things.

And John, calling two of his disciples to him, sent them to Jesus, saying, "Are You the Coming One, or do we look for another?"   (Luke 7:11-19)

 

The whole concept of Messiah as revealed in scripture has two distinct characteristics.  On the one hand, He is a conqueror and mighty ruler defeating every evil form of opposition. But also, He is a redeemer and a healer, a proclaimer of the gracious good news of salvation – a suffering servant.

 

So, which is He?  He is both, because mankind needs both. We need to be freed from the ruthless  death-grip of sin, and we need be freed from the tyrannical death-grip of Satan. 

 

Now, God Almighty chose to accomplish these two liberations Himself by way of His beloved Son.  He chose to send Him first as the Healer, Redeemer, Teacher, Sacrificial Lamb and yet the King.  And to announce this, He sent prophets with messages such as:

 

Messiah would be born of a virgin (Isaiah 7:14)

Messiah would inherit an everlasting kingdom (2 Sam. 7:12–13; Psalm 89:29; Isaiah 9:7)

Messiah would proclaim good news to the poor (Isaiah 61:1; Micah 3:8)

Messiah would offer physical healing (Isaiah 35:5-6; 42:7-18; 53:5)

Messiah would ride a donkey (Zechariah 9:9)

Messiah would be betrayed (Psalm 41:9; Zechariah 11:12-13)

Messiah would provide atonement for sin (Isaiah 52:13-53:12; Malachi 3:3)

Messiah would be a suffering servant (Isaiah 53)

 

And all these things we witnessed in the person of the Son of Man/Son of God, Jesus Christ as recorded in the Gospels.  But this was a stumbling block of sorts too because although what Jesus did in fulfillment of these prophecies was clearly seen, the freedom from sin that He provided is spiritual first in nature and thus invisible, intangible to flesh and blood. 

 

Some people can appreciate, accept and enjoy this freedom by faith, which is itself, a gift from God.  But ‘New Testament’ faith was not easy for many of the Jews to grasp.  They wanted to see, they wanted signs, and they looked for the Messiah to be first the Conquering King.  They have always been more inclined to see their Messiah as God is described in:

 

The God of Israel is He who gives strength and power to His people.  (Psa 68:35)

 

And they were counting on the fulfillment of promises such as:

 

In Psalm 110, we find a direct Messianic reference, “My Lord is a King-Priest, who has a throne appointed by God, a priestly office that no one else has fully occupied, which is to be filled by the King-Priest in perpetuity, with a kingdom and sphere of service that is worldwide.”  There is also mention of a complete final victory over every evil form of opposition.

 

In Psalm 68, the King Messiah and his conquering army are accompanied by the tribes of Israel. The Psalmist prays that Zion will be strengthened, and all the Messiah’s enemies will be destroyed (vv. 28-35). 

 

“He will rule these nations with an iron scepter and treads the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God Almighty” (Isa. 63:1-6.) He is the Messiah, divinely chosen conqueror of all.

 

The Messiah will come as “the conqueror that will break the nation’s yoke and release her from bondage to other lords” (Jer. 30:8). 

 

Now back to our opening passage; there are ten resurrections recorded in the Bible and Jesus performed three of them not including Himself.  Mind-boggling miracles.  Here, in the town of Nain, Messiah showed up as a healer and:

Then fear came upon all, and they glorified God, saying, "A great prophet has risen up among us"; and, "God has visited His people."

 But immediately following this, John the Baptist, tossed the ‘wet blanket’ on the situation when he sent his own disciples to ask Jesus, "Are You the Coming One, or do we look for another?"

 

John, like virtually all of Israel, was apparently looking for the Conqueror, not the Healer, not the Lamb.  And of course, God knew that this would be the stumbling block:

 

For Jews request a sign, and Greeks seek after wisdom;

but we preach Christ crucified, to the Jews a stumbling block and to the Greeks foolishness,

but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God.  (1 Cor 1:22-24)

 

Samaria got offended by the locals when they didn’t receive Him. 

 

…when His disciples James and John saw this, they said, “Lord, do You want us to command fire to come down from heaven and consume them, just as Elijah did?”

But He turned and rebuked them, and said, “You do not know what manner of spirit you are of.

“For the Son of Man did not come to destroy men’s lives but to save them.”  (Luke 9:54-56)

 

Even Jesus’ inner circle, after all the miracles and teaching they witnessed, still looked for the Conqueror.

 

So, we can’t fault John the Baptist.  His expectation was scriptural, but his timing was wrong.  And that’s the way it is with our human expectations.  We can know the ‘what’ but the when… we are often impatient and self-willed.  Nevertheless, we can’t let it become our stumbling block or our frustration.

 

We must learn the lesson of trust.

 

 

Tough Crowd

 

Then He said, “Assuredly, I say to you, no prophet is accepted in his own country.”  (Luke 4:24)

 

Interesting, to say the least, that Jesus said this in his hometown.  Just before this He had been baptized by John, driven into the wilderness by the Holy Spirit, and tested by Satan.  After those 40 days, He headed north to Galilee and along the way, well let’s let the Bible speak for itself:

 

Then Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit to Galilee, and news of Him went out through all the surrounding region.  And He taught in their synagogues, being glorified by all.               (Luke 4:14,15)

Christ’s teaching was an instant hit in the surrounding region but when …He came to Nazareth, where He had been brought up… as His custom was, He went into the synagogue on the Sabbath day and stood up to read. 

The passage was from Isaiah 61:

 

“The Spirit of the LORD is upon Me,

Because He has anointed Me

To preach the gospel to the poor;

He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted,

To proclaim liberty to the captives

And recovery of sight to the blind,

To set at liberty those who are oppressed;

To proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD.”

 

As you can see, it was very ‘up-beat’ and consequently,

…all bore witness to Him, and marveled at the gracious words which proceeded out of His mouth. And they said, “Is this not Joseph’s son?”  (Luke 4:22)

 

The locals were initially marveling, but Jesus wasn’t there for the ‘strokes’, He proceeded to expose some very uncomfortable truth:

 

"… I tell you truly, many widows were in Israel in the days of Elijah, when the heaven was shut up three years and six months, and there was a great famine throughout all the land; but to none of them was Elijah sent except to Zarephath, in the region of Sidon, to a woman who was a widow.  And many lepers were in Israel in the time of Elisha the prophet, and none of them was cleansed except Naaman the Syrian."  (v 25-27)

This really angered his audience there at home.  At first they ‘marveled’ but now they contemplated ‘murder’:

 

So, all those in the synagogue, when they heard these things, were filled with wrath, and rose up and thrust Him out of the city; and they led Him to the brow of the hill on which their city was built, that they might throw Him down over the cliff.            (v 28,29)

Wow!  Touchy people!  But Jesus was giving them a foreshadow of the move of God’s Kingdom.  He was basically forecasting that the Lord was going to go where He would be received – to the Gentiles.  Consequently, the home towners became a very unwelcoming ‘hood’.

 

And ultimately, Israel became an unwelcoming nation to the Gospel.  And this attitude was not limited to the Son of God but included God Himself for in their hypocritical religiosity, they treated many if not most of God’s messengers the same way.

 

Among the violent deaths described in the ancient apocryphal accounts of the lives of the prophets are those of Isaiah by being sawn in two, Jeremiah by stoning, and Ezekiel by a similar execution.

 

And not only Israel, but the whole world was complicit, for the disciples of Christ also experienced this treatment as they carried the message.

 

Peter and Paul

Both were martyred in Rome about 66 AD, during the persecution under Emperor Nero. Paul was beheaded. Peter was crucified upside down at his request since he did not feel worthy to die in the same manner as his Lord.

 

Andrew

He went to the "land of the man-eaters" in what is now the Soviet Union. Christians there claim him as the first to bring the gospel to their land. He also preached in Asia Minor, modern-day Turkey, and Greece, where he is said to have been crucified.

 

Thomas

He was probably most active in the area east of Syria. Tradition has him preaching as far east as India, where the ancient Marthoma Christians revere him as their founder. They claim that he died there when pierced through with the spears of four soldiers.

 

Philip

He possibly had a powerful ministry in Carthage in North Africa and Asia Minor, where he converted the wife of a Roman proconsul. In retaliation, the proconsul had Philip arrested and cruelly put to death.

 

Matthew

He was the tax collector, and writer of a Gospel ministered in Persia and Ethiopia. Some of the oldest reports say he was not martyred, while others say he was stabbed to death in Ethiopia.

 

Bartholomew

He had widespread missionary travels attributed to him by tradition: to India with Thomas and back to Armenia, Ethiopia, and Southern Arabia. There are various accounts of how he met his death as a martyr for the gospel.

 

James

He was the son of Alpheus and is one of at least three James referred to in the New Testament. There is some confusion as to which is which, but this James is reckoned to have ministered in Syria. The Jewish historian Josephus reported that he was stoned and then clubbed to death.

 

Simon, the Zealot

As the story goes, he ministered in Persia and was killed after refusing to sacrifice to the sun god.

 

Matthias

He was the apostle chosen to replace Judas. Tradition sends him to Syria with Andrew and to death by burning.

 

John

The only one of the apostles generally thought to have died a natural death from old age. He was the church leader in the Ephesus area and is said to have taken care of Mary the mother of Jesus in his home. During Domitian's persecution in the middle '90s, he was exiled to the island of Patmos. There he is credited with writing the last book of the New Testament--the Revelation. An early Latin tradition has him escaping unhurt after being cast into boiling oil in Rome.  (Christianity.com)

 

Does this sound like a ‘walk in the park’ message?  Clearly, the answer to that depends upon the condition of your soul.  Fundamentally, the Gospel is all about the mind-boggling love of God as demonstrated in Christ and if your heart is in the right place so to speak, you know that.   But if you know that, you’re going to live like that, and just like Jesus Himself:

 

Yes, and all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution.           (2 Tim 3:12)

 

Yep, ALL of us that live that way will come to know this.  But…

 

Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?  (Rom 8:35)

… in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us.  For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.               (Rom 8:37-39)

 

 

More Than Wonderful

 

Now a leper came to Him, imploring Him, kneeling down to Him and saying to Him, "If You are willing, You can make me clean."

Then Jesus, moved with compassion, stretched out His hand and touched him, and said to him, "I am willing; be cleansed."

As soon as He had spoken, immediately the leprosy left him, and he was cleansed.

And He strictly warned him and sent him away at once, and said to him, "See that you say nothing to anyone; but go your way, show yourself to the priest, and offer for your cleansing those things which Moses commanded, as a testimony to them."

However, he went out and began to proclaim it freely, and to spread the matter, so that Jesus could no longer openly enter the city, but was outside in deserted places; and they came to Him from every direction.                      (Mark 1:40-45)

At the time of this miracle, there was nothing more socially vile and abhorrent than a leper.  Being contagious and unclean persons, lepers were supposed to isolate themselves from others, demonstrate their impurity and warn people of their illness.  For this poor man to approach Jesus and get close enough to be touched, he could easily have been stoned to death or at the very least driven violently out of town.

 

Now, Jesus could have simply spoken the cure as he did with the centurion’s servant or even with Lazarus being raised from the dead.  But:

 

Jesus, moved with compassion, stretched out His hand and touched him, and said to him, "I am willing; be cleansed." (v41)

And the leper’s first statement together with Christ’s response tell us something more than wonderful about the character of our Savior and out God.  You see, to touch the man would have immediately made Jesus “unclean” but His perfect purity could not be tainted; rather, it overwhelmed the leprous man with divine virtue, cleansing him completely. 

 

And the “more than wonderful” part is that He didn’t just heal the man but took upon Himself his illness as in:

 

When evening had come, they brought to Him many who were demon-possessed. And He cast out the spirits with a word, and healed all who were sick, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Isaiah the prophet, (Isa 53:4) saying: "He Himself took our infirmities and bore our sicknesses." (Matthew 8:17)

Think about this – Jesus was pure of heart, perfectly pure; and He was also sinless, absolutely sinless.  Jesus went everywhere doing good, blessing, healing, teaching.  As the Son of God, the God Man, He perfectly matched the prophetic picture of the Old Testament sacrificial spotless lamb but even more than that, He reached out to this poor diseased man – He reached out to us.  He touched us in our filthy wicked hearts.  Our hearts?  Yes, you see:

 

“For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies.”  (Matthew 15:9)

That’s what He does when He saves you, and when that happens, just as with this leper, you are instantly made clean, perfectly clean, no residue.  And the kicker is that you are thenceforth clean because He took your filthiness, your sins and disease on Himself.

 

That’s just like the Old Testament goat that was taken out of the camp into the wilderness:

 

"Aaron shall lay both his hands on the head of the live goat, confess over it all the iniquities of the children of Israel, and all their transgressions, concerning all their sins, putting them on the head of the goat, and shall send [it] away into the wilderness by the hand of a suitable man.”

"The goat shall bear on itself all their iniquities to an uninhabited land; and he shall release the goat in the wilderness.”  (Lev 16:21,22)

You see, contrary to modern ‘theology’, Jesus wasn’t just a good man, wasn’t just a prophet, wasn’t even just a Savior;  the power of His love and purity was so great that He did all that we could see with our eyes that was miraculous AND what we couldn’t see - He carried all of our sin (and its consequences) with Him to hell (where it belongs). 

 

So, as you can understand, He’s not just wonderful; He’s more than wonderful.  He’s our everlasting and ever-loving Savior.

 

 

Rats

 

Then all the disciples forsook Him and fled.  (Matt 26:56b)

I think we all have admiration for the devotion of the apostles of Christ.  I mean they all died as martyrs of the faith.  But these folks weren’t apostles; not yet.  They were disciples (learners).  You see, Christ was not yet risen from the dead; the Holy Spirit was not yet given to them.  So, in the darkness, as Jesus’ enemies were assaulting Him, they deserted Him like rats fleeing a sinking ship.

 

I’m not really intending to be ‘tough’ on them; I’d have done the same thing and so would you.  It was God’s divine plan:

 

“Awake, O sword, against My Shepherd,
Against the Man who is My Companion,”
Says the LORD of hosts.
“Strike the Shepherd,
And the sheep will be scattered;  (Zech 13:7)

 

And Jesus knew it was going to happen:

 

Then Jesus said to them, “All of you will be made to stumble because of Me this night, for it is written:
‘I will strike the Shepherd,
And the sheep will be scattered.'  (Mark 14:27)

For more than three years, people had gathered around Jesus; they loved His words, His works.  They even praised Him as He entered Jerusalem for the last time:

 

Then those who went before and those who followed cried out, saying:
“Hosanna!
‘Blessed is He who comes in the name of the LORD!'  (Mark 11:9)

But God intended to isolate Him.  To make Him forsaken by all, even His Father.  Maybe you’ve felt that way as well.  Now, we’ve been conditioned to think that the most ‘godly’ people gather the largest crowds, suffer the least and have the most notoriety.  Those are the ones you’ll likely see at important events and honored among the very important people.

 

But in reality, the most godly people tend to be those who know first hand rejection, isolation and forsakenness;  Jesus identifies with them, not the popular, not the powerful, not the pompous.

 

In fact, through all the isolation, torture, brutalizing and death by crucifixion, Christ never ‘played the victim card’ so to speak.  Just the opposite – with His heart fixed on God, He never blamed God for His trials; He even forgave US all.  Unfortunately, today’s believers are so soft and clinging to comforts, that when something dire happens they blame God and play the abused victim, even walk away. 

 

Now, not everyone behaves this way, but many do because we aren’t edifying each other in the faith.  Many of us don’t even know how.  Sorrow of isolation is honest, but anger at God is dishonest and simply reveals the influence of Satan’s lies.  Jesus, Himself was a “man of sorrows and acquainted with grief” but He never blamed His Father.

 

We need to recognize when our brothers are broken or alone and with understanding compassion, love and comfort them, encouraging their faith.  That’s what Jesus did there on the shore of Galilee after His resurrection, specifically with Peter.  Although He was the victim of victims, the ultimate victim of all  time because He was faulted for all our sins.  But He never acted like a victim because He knew He was the Victor, the Victor over death and He used that status to minister mercy and grace to Peter. 

 

Jesus will tell you – forsakenness is NOT the end of the story, not when your trust is in Him.

 

 

Touched

 

When they had crossed over, they came to the land of Gennesaret and anchored there. And when they came out of the boat, immediately the people recognized Him, ran through that whole surrounding region and began to carry about on beds those who were sick to wherever they heard He was.

Wherever He entered, into villages, cities, or the country, they laid the sick in the marketplaces and begged Him that they might just touch the hem of His garment. And as many as touched Him were made well.  (Mark 6:53-56)

There’s something very interesting and instructive for us here.  In our previous devotion, we looked at a dear woman who had for twelve years endured the plague of an issue of blood and had tried to get healed by numerous doctors; at least she had spent all her money to no avail.  Because of it, she was likely a social outcast, alone and emotionally broken.  Then, one day, she heard the noise of a large crowd and learned that the teacher, Jesus was there. 

 

Somehow, in her heart, her inner being, she knew, she just knew that if she could get close to Him, just touch His tassel, the tassel on the hem of His garment, she would be healed.  Yes, it was superstitious; yes, if she told anyone, they would think she was nuts.  But she was an outcast; there was no way the teacher would speak to her, let alone heal her.  So, she had to try.

 

Her disease was so embarrassing; she knew she stunk, and as she pushed her way to the proximity of Jesus, her goal was in sight.  She could see the tassel, but He was on the move, following the leader of the synagogue.  She may have reached out more than once, being pushed aside by the crowd.  But, at last, as she bent way down, she gently touched… and Boom!  Something wonderful happened.  There was no noise, but she knew, she just knew her prayer was answered.  She knew the bleeding had stopped; the odor disappeared.

 

And Jesus stopped too.  There was confusion among the disciples and the crowd as Jesus said, “Someone touched Me.” 

 

But His disciples said to Him, “You see the multitude thronging You, and You say, ‘Who touched Me?' ”  (Mark 5:31)

What did she touch?  The word used in the Greek for “hem” referred to a tassel, but in two accounts, Jesus specified “Me”.  That is, Christ knew she had contacted Him, His inner being, not simply His garment.  He explained,

 

“Somebody touched Me, for I perceived power going out from Me.” (Luke 8:46)

And furthermore,

 

He said to her, “Daughter, be of good cheer; your faith has made you well. Go in peace.”  (Luke 8:48)

Now, this is a difficult concept for some, even some translators.  How do you touch the inner person of Christ?  How can anyone touch the spiritual deity of the Creator?  How did she touch Him?  Jesus clearly sensed it as He perceived power or virtue going out from Him. 

 

Many times, Jesus touched others; but this is the first time anyone had truly touched Him and He immediately noticed.  He didn’t scold her or shy away but encouraged her to be cheerful and revealed the answer to our questions.

 

Now faith is not tangible, and you cannot manufacture it so many of the people in that crowd in all likelihood left with the impression that she was healed because she touched the tassel – the magic tassel.  And word spread far and wide, “Just touch His tassel!”  We can fairly safely presume this because not long after, the scene described in our opening verses transpired.

 

Everyone brought their sick friends and/or loved ones and they all just wanted to touch the hem (tassel) on His garment.  Kudos to those who translated this passage in Mark; I think they sensed what the Holy Spirit was saying and used “Him” instead of “it” because just like the woman who was sick for twelve years, the ones who touched HIM were healed and as we just came to understand, that was because of their faith in Him.

 

And thus, it is today as well.  As Paul wrote:

 

For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek.  For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, "The just shall live by faith."  (Rom 1:16,17)

Salvation is truly the ultimate healing – trusting and consequently touching the Savior – by faith alone.

 

 

Help, Lord!

 

I’ve written on the following lesson before many years ago, but the Lord put it on my heart to re-address it.  It’s all about how we approach the Lord in our time of need.  There’s a story recorded in all three of the synoptic Gospels – Jesus had just left the area where He had cast out a legion of demons from one or possibly two plagued men.  In response, the residents of the area had insisted that Jesus depart.  But here on the other side of the sea, crowds welcomed Him.

 

As He and His disciples negotiated their way through the crowd, a ruler of the local synagogue (i.e. an important man) came to Jesus and:

 

…he fell down at Jesus’ feet and begged Him to come to his house, for he had an only daughter about twelve years of age, and she was dying.          (Luke 8:41,42)

Of course, Jesus responded and followed the man, but the crowd thronged Him.  In the midst of this scene:

 

…a woman, having a flow of blood for twelve years, who had spent all her livelihood on physicians and could not be healed by any, came from behind and touched the border of His garment. And immediately her flow of blood stopped.

And Jesus said, "Who touched Me?" When all denied it, Peter and those with him said, "Master, the multitudes throng and press You, and You say, 'Who touched Me?' "

But Jesus said, "Somebody touched Me, for I perceived power going out from Me."

Now when the woman saw that she was not hidden, she came trembling; and falling down before Him, she declared to Him in the presence of all the people the reason she had touched Him and how she was healed immediately.

And He said to her, "Daughter, be of good cheer; your faith has made you well. Go in peace."             (Luke 8:45-48)

Now, both these folks had great faith in Jesus for healing, but their needs were very different, and their approaches were as well.  The man was a ruler of the synagogue; almost by definition, he was a leader in the community and probably wealthy.  He approached Jesus head-on.  People may have even just gotten out of his way.  He fell at Jesus’ feet and begged for help.

 

The woman was penniless, and her condition made her ‘unclean’ and a person to stay away from; no man would touch her and if she ever had a husband, he was almost certainly long gone.  She was desperate, broken, isolated and or forsaken and without any means.  She approached Jesus from behind, hiding in the throng.  When she got close enough, she bent or stooped or fell to the ground to touch the hem of Christ’s garment.

 

Immediately, her flow of blood stopped and so did Jesus.  Spiritually, she had touched the Creator – it had shocked her, surprised Jesus and it gave her new life. 

 

But as desperate as her situation was, surely the ruler of the synagogue felt the same or even more so.  Those of you who have lost a child can relate – there is no greater pain, no greater catastrophe to a parent. 

 

One of the gospel accounts tell us that when they finally did get to the ruler’s home, the people gathered there basically said, “It’s too late.” And some even ridiculed Jesus.  What an enormous, crushing challenge this must have been to the faith of the man.  Jesus knew this and He said, “Do not be afraid; only believe, and she will be made well.”

 

In a few moments, Jesus raised her from the dead showing plainly that the man did indeed have faith, and Jesus gave his little girl new life.

 

Irrespective of your life’s circumstances, rich or poor, leader or loser, exalted or expelled, if you come to Christ, He will respond to you.  You may actually touch Him from behind or worship Him before His face and He will respond. 

 

But importantly, we must notice, both these dear people had faith, faith in the Lord. There was no ‘show’, no pretense, no act.  You may think that this disqualifies you but hear me on this, faith is not something you work up; it is a gift from God:

 

For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God,     (Eph 2:8)

Study this carefully, salvation is indeed a gift, but it is the ‘indirect’ gift from God.  The direct gift is faith for new life, faith in the finished work of Christ.  It is the same gift, the same faith God gave to the man and woman in this story – faith for new life – new life in, through and from our amazing Lord Jesus.  So, if you lack faith,  ask God.  Peter knew this principal as he healed a lame man, and it led to his declaration at the temple:

 

“And His name, through faith in His name, has made this man strong, whom you see and know. Yes, the faith which comes through Him has given him this perfect soundness in the presence of you all.”  (Acts 3:16)

I suspect that few if any of us are ‘giants’ of faith but even small faith is meaningful:

 

and God has chosen the weak things of the world to put to shame the things which are mighty;                  (1 Cor 1:27b)

For though He was crucified in weakness, yet He lives by the power of God. For we also are weak in Him, but we shall live with Him by the power of God toward you.  (2 Cor 13:4)

Just come to Jesus; He won’t turn you away.

 

 

Perspective

 

Undoubtedly, God preserved the stories we read in the scriptures for many reasons.  Of course, we have prophecy, admonition, instruction, history, praise and light or guidance pertaining to our relationship with the Lord and how we live.

 

But by design, the stories leave you with a ‘moral’ or lesson that depends upon your spiritual perception.  Now, truth is truth but the lesson that touches you most deeply for any given story is the one you relate to.  Here’s an example:

 

Many of us recall he story in Daniel chapter six – Daniel and the Lion’s Den and herein are many lessons for us including courage, faithfulness, the power of God, etc.  But if you had to identify one ‘take-away’, what would it be?

 

Let’s review the story in summary – Daniel was one of three top advisors to the king, Darius, who admired Daniel deeply and was considering a promotion for him to be his ‘number one’.  This infuriated Daniel’s peers, and they plotted to undermine him.  They looked for any fault with which they could accuse him but finding none decided they could only attack his faith.  They knew that Daniel prayed to God every day and so they tricked the king to sign a binding law that made praying to any god (note the small ‘g’) or man other than the king would be punished by death in the lion’s den.

 

Of course, this probably flattered the king, and he thoughtlessly signed the decree after which it could not be changed.  Well, if you know the story, you know that Daniel was unphased by the new decree; he continued to pray daily to God – no rebellion.  He just kept doing what he always did and that’s what his enemies were counting on.  They nabbed him in the act and came before the king and said:

 

And they went before the king, and spoke concerning the king’s decree: “Have you not signed a decree that every man who petitions any god or man within thirty days, except you, O king, shall be cast into the den of lions?” The king answered and said, “The thing is true, according to the law of the Medes and Persians, which does not alter.”

 

So, they answered and said before the king, “That Daniel, who is one of the captives from Judah, does not show due regard for you, O king, or for the decree that you have signed, but makes his petition three times a day.”        (Dan 6:12,13)

 

Now, when Darius heard this, he probably slapped himself on the forehead and began trying to find a loophole for Daniel.  But the ‘bad guys’ told him:

“Know, O king, that it is the law of the Medes and Persians that no decree or statute which the king establishes may be changed.”    (Dan 6:15)

So, he reluctantly gave the command to throw Daniel into the den of lions but spent the whole night fasting and without sleep and in the morning rushed to the lion’s den.  He cried out, “Daniel, servant of the living God, has your God, whom you serve continually, been able to deliver you from the lions?” (Dan 6:20)  Daniel responded:

 

“My God sent His angel and shut the lions’ mouths, so that they have not hurt me, because I was found innocent before Him; and also, O king, I have done no wrong before you.”  (Dan 6:22)

So Darius was elated, Daniel was cool, but Daniel’s enemies were in hot water.  Daniel was pulled out of the den and all the other advisors who devised the scheme, along with their families, were thrown into the den of lions and were crunched before they even hit the ground.

 

So, what’s the moral of the story?  One friend of mine told me, “You don’t want to cross God.”  And he’s right but there’s another:

 

Now the king was exceedingly glad for him, and commanded that they should take Daniel up out of the den. So, Daniel was taken up out of the den, and no injury whatever was found on him, because he believed in his God.  (Dan 6:23)

The other moral of the story is ‘you can trust God’.  You see, the first one is for the bad guys so to speak.  The second is for those of us who believe and love God.

 

To confirm this principal, let’s look at one more story.  Jesus was in Jerusalem once again teaching.  Suddenly, a group of men – Pharisees and scribes – approached dragging a woman with them.  Shoving her to the front, they said, “Teacher, this woman was caught in adultery, in the very act.  Now Moses, in the law, commanded us that such should be stoned. But what do You say?” (John 8:4,5)

 

They cared nothing for true righteousness, for it was evident that they carefully arranged both the adulterous act and her arrest. They claimed that this woman was caught in adultery, in the very act — yet they did not bring the guilty man before Jesus. It’s possible that the man was one of them, and they simply used the woman as a weapon or pawn in their conflict against Jesus. – Guzik

 

You may remember the story.  Jesus simply stooped down and began writing in the dust.  I picture Him getting on eye level with the terrified woman.  Meanwhile the religious mob continued to question Jesus hoping to get Him to say something they could use to accuse Him. 

 

For a while He said nothing, but then He stood up, thus establishing eye level posture with the accusers.  Then He uttered His judgement:

 

“He who is without sin among you, let him throw a stone at her first.” 

And again, He stooped down and wrote on the ground.  (John 8:7,8)

 

Immediately, the crowd started thinning as the oldest of them vacated the scene followed by others until only the woman was left along with Jesus:

 

When Jesus had raised Himself up and saw no one but the woman, He said to her, “Woman, where are those accusers of yours? Has no one condemned you?” 

She said, “No one, Lord.” And Jesus said to her, “Neither do I condemn you; go and sin no more.”  (John 8:10,11)

 

So, what’s the moral of this story?  Again, it depends upon how you view God.

 

The religious accusers wanted Jesus to ‘side with Moses’ or go against the Law and dismiss the incident.  In either case, they were ready to execute the woman (and Jesus) because their view of God was as a harsh and terrible judge, intolerant of even the slightest misdeed.  They also thought their own misdeeds were, well, not so bad.

 

But Jesus manifested the perfect understanding of His own Father showing Him to be just but also loving and merciful.  So, the first moral might be, “Don’t sin cause God’s gonna catch you.”  And the second moral might be, “God loves you.  If you confess your sin, He is faithful and just to forgive you for your sin and to cleanse you from all unrighteousness.”

 

The earliest Greek manuscripts of the Gospel of John do not include this story of the woman caught in adultery.  In fact, church fathers and others do not mention the story until the twelfth century.  They thought that the passage reflected a lax view on adultery.  The church has historically had an easier time understanding a righteous standing before God because of good behavior than a righteous standing based on faith and trust in Him alone.  It's still the same way today. 

 

Both morals are true but one speaks to the person who believes in God but doesn’t really think of Him as loving. The second speaks to those who not only believe but totally love and trust Him.

 

 Thus it is with many of the lessons we have in the Bible.  Perspective is absolutely influential. 

 

 

 

Division

 

When the morning stars sang together,
And all the sons of God shouted for joy?  (Job 38:7)

 

Now, this verse is the Lord speaking to Job.  At the conclusion of his tribulation, God chided him, saying:

 

“Where were you when I laid the foundations of the earth?
Tell Me, if you have understanding.”  (Job 38:4)

 

So, from this, we can gather that at some point in the ancient past, ancient ancient past, all of God’s creation was in unity, a joyful unity. 

 

But something happened that God doesn’t give us a lot of information on.  One of His created angels called Day Star or Lucifer became rebellious and was cast out of the heavenly realm:

 

“How you are fallen from heaven,
O Lucifer, son of the morning!”  (Isaiah 14:12a)

 

For you have said in your heart:
‘I will ascend into heaven,
I will exalt my throne above the stars of God;
I will also sit on the mount of the congregation
On the farthest sides of the north;

I will ascend above the heights of the clouds,
I will be like the Most High.’   (Isaiah 12:13,14)

 

He wanted to be “like the Most High” and to rise above the angelic host.

 

Lucifer was certainly a glorious angel.  Yet, there came a time when despite all his beauty and glory, he departed from the heart of God by wanting to exalt himself above his peers. Instead, the heart of Jesus says, “The status of equality with God is not something to hang on to. I will let it go. I will give up My reputation, be a servant, live humbly among men, and even die an excruciating and humiliating death.” (Philippians 2:5-8) When Lucifer departed from this heart, he fell from glory. – David Guzik

Jesus told His disciples that He witnessed this event:

 

And He said to them, “I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven.”  (Luke 10:18)

Lucifer became prideful and lifted up in his heart:

 

“You were the seal of perfection,
Full of wisdom and perfect in beauty.

You were in Eden, the garden of God;
Every precious stone was your covering:
The sardius, topaz, and diamond,
Beryl, onyx, and jasper,
Sapphire, turquoise, and emerald with gold.
The workmanship of your timbrels and pipes
Was prepared for you on the day you were created.

“Your heart was lifted up because of your beauty;
You corrupted your wisdom for the sake of your splendor;  (Eze 28:12b – 17a)

 

Your heart was lifted up because of your beauty: Satan’s sin was prompted by pride. With a swelled heart, drunk on his own sense of beauty and splendor, he made himself an opponent of God, because God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble (Proverbs 3:34, James 4:6, 1 Peter 5:5). -- Guzik

“It is a strange paradox that nothing makes a being less like God than the urge to be his equal, for he who was God stepped down from the throne of his glory to display to the wondering eyes of men the humility of God.” (Grogan)

In Revelation, Lucifer/Satan is referred to as the dragon:

 

And his tail drew the third part of the stars of heaven and did cast them to the earth: And the dragon stood before the woman who was ready to give birth, to devour her Child as soon as it was born. (Rev 12:4)

 

And war broke out in heaven: Michael and his angels fought with the dragon; and the dragon and his angels fought, but they did not prevail, nor was a place found for them in heaven any longer.  (Rev 12:7,8)

 

So, the great dragon was cast out, that serpent of old, called the Devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world; he was cast to the earth, and his angels were cast out with him. (Rev 12:9)

 

Now, it seems that these passages span a great deal of time and culminate at the end of this age, but the point is not the chronology but rather the division Lucifer/Satan brought to the cosmos.

 

Why did Lucifer rebel? Perhaps because he rejected God’s plan to create an order of beings made in His image (Genesis 1:26), who would be beneath the angels in dignity (Hebrews 2:6-7a; 2 Peter 2:11) yet would be served by angels in the present (Hebrews 1:14; 2:7-8; Psalm 91:11-12) and would one day be lifted in honor and status above the angels (1 Corinthians 6:3; 1 John 3:2). Satan wanted to be the highest among all creatures, equal to God in glory and honor, and the plan to create man would eventually put men above angels.

If this is the case, it explains well Satan’s present strategy against man: to obscure the image of God in man through encouraging sin and rebellion, to cause man to serve him, and to prevent the ultimate glorification of man. -- Guzik

Also, from these Revelation verses, we can gather that a third of the stars (i.e. angels) were drawn into Satan’s sin.  It’s possible that they were the “sons of God” who had sexual relations with the “daughters of men” before the Noahic flood. (see Gen 6:2,4)  In doing so, they crossed over or left their own abode:

 

And the angels who did not keep their proper domain, but left their own abode, He has reserved in everlasting chains under darkness for the judgment of the great day;  (Jude 1:6)

All this background is simply to set the stage for a principal point – sin, and in particular, the sin of pride originates, undergirds and promotes all of the harmful division in creation.  It was first found in Lucifer when it blackened his being, and he infected both angels and men with it.

 

Mankind chose to rebel against his Maker and ever since has been awash in pride, thoroughly immersed in its toxicity and stench.  Consequently, we have absolutely no comprehension of the harmony and unity of His kingdom. 

 

Division is in the spiritual realm and in the physical.  We see it in wars, violence, divorce; it’s between nations, between family members, between religions, between sects and between people in general everywhere, all the time.

 

But God’s plan is to eliminate division with perfect oneness just as at the beginning:

 

… and not for that nation only, but also that He would gather together in one the children of God who were scattered abroad.  (John 11:52)

 

… having made known to us the mystery of His will, according to His good pleasure which He purposed in Himself, that in the dispensation of the fullness of the times He might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth—in Him.  (Eph 1:9,10)

 

Then comes the end, when He delivers the kingdom to God the Father, when He puts an end to all rule and all authority and power.

For He must reign till He has put all enemies under His feet.

The last enemy that will be destroyed is death.

For "He has put all things under His feet." But when He says "all things are put under Him," it is evident that He who put all things under Him is excepted.

Now when all things are made subject to Him, then the Son Himself will also be subject to Him who put all things under Him, that God may be all in all.          (1 Cor 15:24-28)

 

 

 

What Does It Take?

 

Then the other disciple, who came to the tomb first, went in also; and he saw and believed.  For as yet they did not know the Scripture, that He must rise again from the dead.  (John 20:8,9)

Now, I don’t want to be too hard on Peter and John but it kind of mystifies me that they could follow Jesus for over three years and still “not know the Scripture, that He must rise again from the dead.”

I mean Jesus repeatedly told them:

 

And He began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things, and be rejected by the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and after three days rise again.  (Mark 8:31)

 

And shall deliver him to the Gentiles to mock, and to scourge, and to crucify him: and the third day he shall rise again. (Mat 20:19)

 

And they shall mock him, and shall scourge him, and shall spit upon him, and shall kill him: and the third day he shall rise again.   (Mark 10:34)

 

And they shall scourge him, and put him to death: and the third day he shall rise again.  (Luke 18:33)

 

Saying, The Son of man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, and be crucified, and the third day rise again.   (Luke 24:7)

He was so vocal about it that even the chief priests told Pilate:

 

“Sir, we remember, while He was still alive, how that deceiver said, ‘After three days I will rise.'”    (Mat 27:63)

But you might think that perhaps they didn’t hear Him, or maybe they thought He was telling them another parable, or maybe they just couldn’t believe Him.  But, whatever the case,  they could have referred to the scriptures which say:

 

For You will not leave my soul in Sheol,
Nor will You allow Your Holy One to see corruption.       (Psa 16:10)

And

Come, and let us return to the LORD; For He has torn, but He will heal us; He has stricken, but He will bind us up.

After two days He will revive us; On the third day He will raise us up, That we may live in His sight.  (Hosea 6:1,2)

Commentator David Guzik writes about this latter passage:

In the prayer, there is a shadowy prophecy of Jesus’ resurrection on the third day. The context supports this wonderfully; on the cross Jesus was torn and stricken for our sake, yet He was also gloriously raised up on the third day.

 

So, I’m at least a little bit curious, “What were they thinking?!”  I mean they witnessed Jesus raise several people from the dead – Lazarus, the 12 year old girl, the son of the grieving widow. 

Nevertheless, it didn’t ‘click’.  Jesus’ own words, over and over, didn’t do it; the Old Testament scriptures evidently didn’t do it; His previous miracles didn’t do it.  You just have to scratch your head and wonder ‘What does it take for these disciples, these ‘learners’ and followers to believe?!’

 

And then, of course, I look in the mirror and I see my own stubborn heart.  Apart from the miraculous power of God’s Spirit, we are all caught, or should I say entangled in the web of carnal disbelief and thus we treat Christ casually, even rudely like Simon the Pharisee in Luke chapter seven.  It is God’s Spirit who brings us to faith and trust, who plants its seed in our being and who guides us and teaches us and inspires us.  Without Him, we won’t get it; it won’t click.

 

Even the empty tomb won’t do it.  And so it is with the shallow religious practices of today.  They put on a show so to speak; they can talk about the Spirit, about Christ’s resurrection, new life and so on but really, it’s mostly about attendance, budget, liturgy – business.  Pastors are usually simply managers of the business.  But a single word spoken by the Lord can change it all – your mind, your inner being, your entire life, just as with Mary – alone, broken-hearted, probably disillusioned:

 

Then the disciples went away again to their own homes.

But Mary stood outside by the tomb weeping, and as she wept she stooped down [and looked] into the tomb.

And she saw two angels in white sitting, one at the head and the other at the feet, where the body of Jesus had lain.

Then they said to her, "Woman, why are you weeping?" She said to them, "Because they have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid Him."

Now when she had said this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing [there], and did not know that it was Jesus.

Jesus said to her, "Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you seeking?" She, supposing Him to be the gardener, said to Him, "Sir, if You have carried Him away, tell me where You have laid Him, and I will take Him away."

Jesus said to her, "Mary!" She turned and said to Him, "Rabboni!" (which is to say, Teacher).  (John 20:10-16)

A single word from Jesus turned dear Mary from a weeper to a worshipper.  Of course, it was a spirit-filled word as are all the words from Christ.  In an instant, she was no longer feeling alone or forsaken.  Her Maker, her Love, her Redeemer was clearly alive.

 

And thus, Jesus is with you today if the Spirit opens your eyes, your soul to see.  He’s alive forever.  When John saw the empty linen graveclothes, he believed.  That’s what it took for him.  Peter had to be forgiven, that’s what it took for him.  Mary had to hear her name spoken by her Lord, that’s what it took for her. 

 

What will it take for you?  Where will God’s loving finger touch you?   His Spirit knows you and will truly open your heart to honest belief and trust when you let Him.  It doesn’t matter how long you’ve followed or listened or labored if you still lack honest life-changing belief.  Don’t be satisfied with the ‘empty tomb’.  There’s more!  Don’t be satisfied with shallow religion.  There’s more!

 

There’s  a risen, vibrant, glorified Son of God, Jesus Who, like with Mary, is right behind you desiring you to look into His loving eyes and realize His grace.

 

 

... of Life!

 

Ah, Life!  From the first chapter of Genesis to the last chapter of Revelation, it has some 870+ mentions (depending on version).  In the Old Testament, it is primarily an adjective used to describe something while in the New Testament it is one of two feminine nouns used to identify either the physical or spiritual (eternal) life.

 

But in both Testaments, Life is coupled with various sources which show that it is multi-faceted in its character.  And since it is of utmost importance to us, I’m going to examine these sources and what they say about the spiritual (eternal) quality of Life and then we’ll consider the ultimate nature or source of Life.

 

And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being.  (Gen 2:7)

Man was created, not evolved, from the earth – the dust of the ground.  First, God shaped the body and while it was still lifeless, He breathed into it the breath of life.  The word for breath is also translated spirit or inspiration.  Thus, the dust was enlivened by the spirit and man became a living being or soul.  So here, at the beginning, life for mankind came from the breath or Spirit of God and it should be noted that this life is the connection with God.

 

Next:

And out of the ground the LORD God made every tree grow that is pleasant to the sight and good for food. The tree of life was also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.  (Gen 2:9)

Even in the beginning, there was a distinction between life and eternal life (which was available via the tree of life – see Gen 3:22) and it was always a choice.  There was/is more to life than just living.  It’s important for us to note that before the disastrous ‘serpent event’ in which Adam and Eve ate of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil they never ate of the Tree of Life.  We know this because when they were evicted from the Garden, God specifically barred them from that tree:

 

“lest he put out his hand and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live forever”— (Gen 3:22)

In their state of sinless innocence, they could have eaten from it and lived forever, joyful and in God’s presence. But Adam’s sin of willful rebellion cost us all, and in mercy, God did not allow them afterwards to eat of the Tree of Life and live forever in the state of being dead, disconnected from the Lord.

 

So, from the beginning, man knew life (and death) but never the quality of eternal life.  How appropriate it is that another ‘tree’ would present to mankind both death and life, again a choice – the cross of Calvary:

 

“The God of our fathers raised up Jesus whom you murdered by hanging on a tree.”  -- Peter to the chief priests   (Acts 5:30)

Unlike the Garden of Eden, all men may freely approach this Tree of Life and choose to accept its fruit – eternal life.  That choice takes faith. 

 

Next:

You will show me the path of life;
In Your presence is fullness of joy;
At Your right hand are pleasures forevermore.  (Psa 16:11)

Yes, there is a path of life or most accurately, a Way of Life and that Way is a Person, Christ:

 

Thomas said to Him, "Lord, we do not know where You are going, and how can we know the way?"

Jesus said to him, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.  (John 14:5,6)

So that path or way is not a road that you follow to a destination.  It is a person who is Himself the One through whom you come to God.  It’s not His introduction to the Father you need; it’s Him.  You must be in Him and He in you:

 

“At that day you will know that I am in My Father, and you in Me, and I in you.”  (John 14:20)

The Way is the source of Life, eternal Life for the Way reconnects you to the Godhead:

 

“And this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent.”  (John 17:3)

And we know that the Son of God has come and has given us an understanding, that we may know Him who is true; and we are in Him who is true, in His Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God and eternal life.  (1 John 5:20)    

Next:

For with You is the fountain of life;  In Your light we see light.  (Psa 36:9)

Life is not sedate.  A fountain is a springing forth which reminds us of Jesus’ own words:

 

“but whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst. But the water that I shall give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life.”      (John 4:14)

Life that comes from the fountain that Jesus plants in us springs forth, it erupts from the Spirit of God within us.  Note that both here and in heaven Jesus gives it to those of us who thirst for it freely:

 

And He said to me, “It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. I will give of the fountain of the water of life freely to him who thirsts.   (Rev 21:6)

Next:

And Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life. He who comes to Me shall never hunger, and he who believes in Me shall never thirst.  (John 6:35)

Jesus is Life, He gives Life and He sustains Life forever.  In Him, there is no lack, no need, no hunger or thirst. 

Next:

Then Jesus spoke to them again, saying, “I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness but have the light of life.”  (John 8:12)

Jesus knew who He was/is.  He completely understood what he offered to mankind.  It was in Him – Life – and for us, it was unlike any radiance we knew:

In Him was life, and the life was the light of men.  (John 1:4)

 

Next:

 

Yes, He is Life, He gives Life, He sustains Life and He rewards Life:

Blessed is the man who endures temptation; for when he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him  (James 1:12)

Next:

 

And finally, there is a record in heaven of those who have this Life:

“He who overcomes shall be clothed in white garments, and I will not blot out his name from the Book of Life; but I will confess his name before My Father and before His angels.”  (Rev 3:5)

So this is Life.  It comes from the Spirit, the Tree (Cross), the Way, the Fountain, the Bread, the Light and the Crown but ultimately, it’s Jesus, it’s all Jesus.

For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death.  (Rom 8:2)

I hope that all of you are Living in His Light!

 

 

Living Waters

 

On the last day, that great [day] of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, saying, "If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink.

"He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water."

But this He spoke concerning the Spirit, whom those believing in Him would receive; for the Holy Spirit was not yet [given], because Jesus was not yet glorified.  (John 7:37-39)

Some passages of scripture just ‘stick’ with you.  I’ve thought about these for some 53 years or so and they still mystify and motivate me.  At this time, the Pharisees were actively trying to kill Jesus, yet here He is in Jerusalem amid a very large crowd, and He stands to cry out, "If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink.  He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water."

 

What did He mean?  Who was/is thirsty?  What is this living water? And how does it flow out of someone’s heart (inner being) as rivers (or floods)?

Of course, if you read verse 39, you note that He spoke concerning the Spirit.  But how many people do you know (unsaved) who seek the Spirit of God?  Probably close to zilch.  Yet Jesus announced this as if many or even most were actively seeking. 

 

The woman by the well in John chapter four got a lesson in living water also and when she heard some of the benefits, asked Jesus to give her some.  So really, Jesus was giving the temple crowd the same invitation that He gave to the Samaritan woman.  But unlike the Samaritans who warmly welcomed and believed in Christ, the Jews in this crowd just disputed with each other.

 

It seems that the living water didn’t interest them.  Now, you may think that they had no idea what living waters meant.  Maybe so, but anyone who had read/heard the book of Jeremiah in the synagogue would have heard this:

 

“For My people have committed two evils:
They have forsaken Me, the fountain of living waters,
And hewn themselves cisterns—broken cisterns that can hold no water.”  (Jer 2:13)

So clearly, they had a history of forsaking God and His living waters.  They’ve had no thirst for it.  David Guzik says, “Thirst is not anything in itself; it is a lack of something. It is an emptiness, a crying need.” And he adds, “To come to Jesus and to drink was essentially to put one’s faith into Him; to trust in, rely on, and cling to Jesus for both time and eternity.”

 

So, what is the person who thirsts spiritually looking for?  What do they sense that they lack?  Purpose, love, life, consolation, understanding, truth, wisdom,… many possibilities.  I’ll suggest that anytime a person senses that they are missing, lacking something inside, not money or power or any fleshly thing; but rather, they are missing something in the heart, they are thirsty. 

 

Of course, many people are never thirsty like this because they live completely ‘in the flesh’ and they chase after the fleshly things ferociously.

 

So, we understand who Jesus was addressing, who are the thirsty.  What about this living water?  If it is going to quench a spiritual thirst, it has to be spiritual in nature.  I’m convinced it is simply the Holy Spirit just as we see described in Ezekiel 47:1-12.

 

In this passage, the prophet was brought to the ‘house’, that is, the temple.  Most scholars consider this passage as pertaining to the millennial period yet among other things, it speaks of the sanctifying work of the living water of God’s Spirit. This mighty, life-giving river is a miracle in and of itself.  It starts as a small rivulet flowing from south of the altar of sacrifice and without any tributaries becomes a deep uncrossable river. 

 

The altar points to the shed blood of Christ and thus His gift of salvation – righteous standing before God.  But the stream, the flowing water (literally living waters) speaks of the Holy Spirit.  It’s a small rivulet to start with and typifies the deposit of God’s Spirit made in our hearts upon salvation.

   

But Ezekiel is led down this rivulet’s path for a thousand cubits and is escorted across it.  It’s larger now, and the water comes up to his ankles.  In like manner, as we follow the Son of Man, Jesus Christ, we are led to ‘walk the talk’ – ankle deep so to speak.  The Holy Spirit exerts His influence and begins to change us, and our walk is refreshed in His living waters.   

 

Next, the prophet is led another 1000 cubits further downstream and again crosses it.  Here, it is knee deep which speaks of humble worship and prayer.  As we grow in submission to the Lord, sincere worship and communication with Him become increasingly refreshing, cleansing and Spirit-led activities.   

 

After this, Ezekiel is brought another 1000 cubits and again across the river which is now up to his waist.  The mid-section of the body was always considered by the ancients as the seat of the soul, the inner man.  As such, this pictures the disciple’s life as progressing with the Lord to the point that he/she is surrendering the thoughts and intents of the heart to the Holy Spirit.  As David prayed “Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your sight, Oh Lord…” (Psa 19:14)   

 

Finally, he is brought another 1000 cubits and being led into the river, he finds it uncrossable – over his head.  Here, he is purely ‘in the flow’ -- submerged.  His guide brings him back to shore where he now finds the banks filled with fruit-bearing trees.  The river heals and brings life wherever it flows.   

 

At some point, full surrender, absolute emersion in the living waters is going to happen in the life of every true disciple of Christ – maybe here in this life, but absolutely in heaven.  That’s because the Spirit, given by Jesus to each believer, abides in you and you in Him.  Whether or not you realize it, the Lord is living in you as one, in perfect unity.  In God’s eyes, you’re perfect.  Don’t faint.  What He sees is Christ living out His life, expressing Himself in you and through you:

 

“At that day you will know that I am in My Father, and you in Me, and I in you.”  (John 14:20)

The living water gets deeper and deeper to the point where its current is uncrossable and that is the point at which we see its life-giving force.  Participating in God’s holiness gets to be more and more of a ‘current’ in the life of the sincere follower of the Son of Man.  Every action, every word, every thought fully submitted to its ‘flow’ is life-giving and healing.  You don’t cross it anymore; you can only go with it.

 

As you can see, this ‘flow’ is a flood and that’s how it comes from the innermost being of the sincere believer; it overflows.

 

 

The Eviction 

 

So, He drove out the man; and He placed cherubim at the east of the garden of Eden, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to guard the way to the tree of life.  (Gen 3:24)

The first eviction.  The language indicates that it was forceful.  And the follow up made it clear that there was no coming back to Eden and especially to the tree of life for God placed at least two powerful angels and an impassable flaming sword to guard the way.

 

The word used for this eviction is also used to describe a woman who is divorced, and this is really what happened – mankind was divorced, disconnected from God. 

 

“Evil can be undone, but it cannot 'develop' into good. Time does not heal it. The spell must be unwound...”  ― C. S. Lewis, The Great Divorce

Two angels (cherubim) brings to mind the garden tomb:

 

But Mary stood outside by the tomb weeping, and as she wept, she stooped down and looked into the tomb. And she saw two angels in white sitting, one at the head and the other at the feet, where the body of Jesus had lain.  (John 20:11,12)

And a flaming sword brings to mind our glorified Christ:

 

He had in His (Christ) right hand seven stars, out of His mouth went a sharp two-edged sword, and His countenance was like the sun shining in its strength.  (Rev 1:16)

So, as you picture these two angels in Christ’s empty tomb, one at the place where His head had lain and the other at the feet, recall the image of the mercy seat that rested upon the ark of the covenant.  There, we would have seen as well, two angels (Cherubim) at either end facing each other.  Between them was where the presence of God communed with Moses and Joshua.

 

Thus, we can see that the empty tomb of Jesus representing that Christ had risen, signified also that communion/connection with God was restored.

 

The sword reminds us of the Word of God:

 

For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.           (Heb 4:12)

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made.  (John 1:1-3)

By faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that the things which are seen were not made of things which are visible.           (Heb 11:3)

So, at the ‘end of the beginning’, the first Adam was evicted from paradise and prohibited from the tree of life but just as we pointed out, the imagery points to the empty tomb and the Word of God.  And that wonderfully illustrates the grace and truth of God shown in Jesus Christ:

 

For of His fullness we have all received, and grace for grace.  For the law was given through Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.  (John1:16, 17)

You see, there on the border of Eden, the fiery sword (symbolic of the Law) barred the way to the Tree of Life but when the living Word of God yielded up His spirit on the tree of death, angels that once barred the way then showed that the tomb was empty, that Christ had risen, that the way into the presence of the Almighty and Life itself was open, restored.

 

And upon Christ’s death, to announce this, God Himself tore open the veil of the temple from top to bottom:

 

And Jesus cried out again with a loud voice and yielded up His spirit.  Then, behold, the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom; …  (Mat 27:51a)

How could He be more clear – the way to Life, once barred was now open; the way to true fellowship with God, once disconnected was now reconnected and forever established in Jesus Christ; the flaming sword of the Law was fulfilled when it’s truth was combined with the holy grace of God in His Son.  The angelic guardians became angelic greeters. 

 

Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord God Almighty!

 

 

God's Talents

(Matthew 25)

 

None of us wants to be like the man who told his lord, “‘Lord, I knew you to be a hard man,…” and consequently buried his talent.  Driven by hubris and/or a drastic misperception, he did nothing with his talent.

 

Now, in the parable that Christ told, the lord doled out talents to three men, each according to their ability or literally power (inherent power, power residing in a thing by virtue of its nature, or which a person or thing exerts and puts forth – ‘dunamis’ in the Greek from which we get dynamite in English).

 

The first man was given five talents, and he says he ‘traded’ and obtained another five.  The word ‘traded’ is more appropriately translated ‘worked with’.  The second man was given two talents, and he said that he had ‘gained’ two more.  In the scripture, this word usually means to gain any one i.e. to win him over to the kingdom of God, to gain one to faith in Christ.  For example:

 

And unto the Jews I became as a Jew, that I might gain the Jews; to them that are under the law, as under the law, that I might gain them that are under the law;

To them that are without law, as without law, (being not without law to God, but under the law to Christ,) that I might gain them that are without law.

To the weak became I as weak, that I might gain the weak: I am made all things to all [men], that I might by all means save some.  (1 Cor 9:20-22)

So, it would appear that the trading (i.e. working) and gaining which the two first men experienced had to do with furthering the kingdom of God while the third grumbler was simply a ‘pew potato’ so to speak. 

But it is key to understand that this working and gaining is NOT by human effort.  It is entirely God’s Spirit at work in us and through us:

 

So then neither he who plants is anything, nor he who waters, but God who gives the increase.  (1 Cor 3:7)

And their results were in contrast to the ‘pew potato’ for you see, the third man was:

…not holding fast to the Head, from whom all the body, nourished and knit together by joints and ligaments, grows with the increase that is from God.  (Col 2:19)

But hear me on this.  This is NOT a lesson on ‘church’ growth; this is about body of Christ growth, both on an individual and corporate basis.  And it is always, always the increase that is from God not man, not human effort or schemes or business models or anything conceived by or for the flesh.

 

So, what is this increase?  More pew potatoes?  Louder ‘worship’?  Bigger donations?  More satellite congregations?  Let’s see what the scriptures say:

And may the Lord make you increase and abound in love to one another and to all, just as we do to you,  (1Thes 3:12)

Now may He who supplies seed to the sower, and bread for food, supply and multiply the seed you have sown and increase the fruits of your righteousness,  (2 Cor 9:10)

I’m very much inclined to see these talents as God’s Holy Spirit working and gaining in each of His children except of course for the one that was buried in the earth.  These are NOT human talents like music, speaking, or other skills.  Take heart, all of you who can’t sing or dance or orate.  PTL!

 

You may not even see your increase of talents or should I say treasure:

 

Jesus said to him, “If you want to be perfect, go, sell what you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me.”  (Mat 19:21)

“Sell what you have and give alms; provide yourselves money bags which do not grow old, a treasure in the heavens that does not fail, where no thief approaches nor moth destroys. (Luke 12:33)

So, every sincere believer who listens to the voice of God’ s Spirit in their inner being (all day, every day, any where) and obeys is like the two who increased their talents; it’s the in-dwelling, the communing and the obedience that results in the increase.  But the ‘spudster’ just buried his talent.  He separated himself and had nothing to do with it (Him). 

 

 

 

The Greatest

 

Jesus came as a teacher.  Of course, He came first to be our Savior, but what He did during His entire public ministry was teach.  Of course, He was a healer and prophet and other things as well but foremost, He showed Himself to be a teacher, and his followers were called disciples which means “learners”.

 

And He practiced a perfect style of teaching which we can also see throughout all of  scripture – that is, every lesson contained more than what was obvious on the surface.  It/They required you to think, to engage and ponder to really understand.

 

And there were some things that His ‘learners’ just didn’t seem to learn or at least let sink in.  Nevertheless, Christ was so patient with them.  I’ve been a teacher, and I know it’s tempting sometimes to just say, “What are you doing in this class?”  But Jesus didn’t do that.

 

One thing the boys just couldn’t let go of or understand was this notion of greatness.  Of course, greatness or being the greatest can apply to earthly things such as size or age or intelligence or talent or fame, etc.  And it seems like they were always arguing amongst each other who would be the greatest; clearly, they weren’t learning what God wanted them to learn from observing and hearing Jesus.  We read that even near the end of His earthly ministry He said,

 

"But he who is greatest among you shall be your servant.” -- Jesus  (Mat 23:11)

Because, over and over again, they disputed with each other:

But they kept silent, for on the road they had disputed among themselves who would be the greatest.  (Mark 9:34)

Then a dispute arose among them as to which of them would be greatest.       (Luke 9:46)

Now there was also a dispute among them, as to which of them should be considered the greatest.  (Luke 22:24)

James and John even approached Jesus and asked to be enthroned on His left and right in His kingdom.  Wow.

 

But they couldn’t agree with each other because they were not considering the display of Christ before their very eyes.  At one point, they came to Him with this perplexing issue:

 

At that time the disciples came to Jesus, saying, "Who then is greatest in the kingdom of heaven?"

Then Jesus called a little child to Him, set him in the midst of them,

and said, "Assuredly, I say to you, unless you are converted and become as little children, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven.

"Therefore, whoever humbles himself as this little child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.     (Mat 18:1-4)

Now, to be fair, every human being is tangled up in this issue – greatness or being the greatest.  We either strive for it or think we deserve it or think we absolutely do not.  In all cases, its specter haunts the human psyche, and the flesh taunts us with it as well. 

 

Politicians revel in it, celebrities revel in it, preachers revel in it, everyone except one – the child.  No, not teens, but little children.  And it’s absolutely critical to ‘get it’, to understand why.  Jesus told the boys that they weren’t even in His kingdom yet and they wouldn’t enter unless they changed, fundamentally changed.  They had to become like little children.

It’s the same message He gave to the ‘teacher of Israel’, Nicodemas.  To him, He said, “You must be born again” or literally, “procreated from on high”.  Here, He clearly implied that the needed change was humility.  Without humility, they could not enter, in fact they could by no means enter the kingdom of heaven.

 

So, we can conclude that being born again requires humility.  Doctrine won’t do, neither curiosity nor education nor birthright nor donations nor affiliation nor…  It’s childlike humility and that’s key to the whole issue of greatness in heaven because its antithesis, pride, is the foundational sin of humanity.

 

Which means that you simply cannot enter by any effort of your own because everything, everything will be polluted by pride somehow.  It takes a divinely originated change in you that you can ask for but never accomplish on your own. 

 

And then comes the ‘kicker’.  Jesus finished with:

"Therefore, whoever humbles himself as this little child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.”

Humility is the key to conversion, the key to entrance and the key to greatness in the Kingdom.  According to human perception (which is fouled by sin), it’s the opposite of what we would expect.

 

In addressing the ‘boys’ during one of their disputes on greatness,

 

… He sat down, called the twelve, and said to them, “If anyone desires to be first, he shall be last of all and servant of all.”  (Mark 9:35)

Now, this was not a warning of discipline but rather a promise of experiential training.  Who is the greatest in heaven?  God the Father, God the Son, God the Spirit.

 

Are you hearing Him?    

 

 

 

More on Hope

 

I just have to write some more about hope.  It is just so important to those of us who believe.  Here are just a few scriptures to consider:

 

Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us.  (Romans 5:5)

Literally, “disappoint” means dishonor so basically what this first phrase is telling us is that hope, that is, the expectation or anticipation of coming good, will not let us down.  But how interesting that this is because God’s love has been (note the past tense) poured out in our spiritual core by His Spirit who lives there with us in unity.  Hope comes through and satisfies our blessed expectation because love is in abundant supply in us.  Hope and love work together in perfect harmony.

 

Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.  (Romans 15:13)

John told us in his epistle that God is love and here Paul adds that another attribute of God is hope and because our Maker is infinite in His attributes, hope abounds, and this abundance is the work of His Spirit in us as is the blessed filling of joy, peace and trust.

 

You see, hope and trust are tightly linked to one another in the Lord:

 

For You are my hope, O Lord GOD; You are my trust from my youth.  (Psalm 71:5)

 

 Blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD, And whose hope is the LORD.  (Jeremiah 17:7)

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This hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and steadfast, and which enters the Presence behind the veil,  (Hebrews 6:19)

In this verse, although the writer of Hebrews is using a picture of the Hebrew temple, the truth applies to both Jew and Gentile believers.  Herein, the power of hope is described.  The veil is the name given to the two curtains in the temple at Jerusalem, one of them at the entrance to the temple separated the Holy Place from the outer court, the other veiled the Holy of Holies from the Holy Place.  The latter one was torn apart by the hand of God from top to bottom upon the death of Jesus.  As such it symbolized that the way to approach the Almighty was from that moment on, open.  The veil separated us from God until Christ, Who carried all our sin, died.  Thus, the veil served also a type or picture of our flesh which continues, in futility, to oppose our unity with God’s Spirit.

 

Also note that hope is the anchor of our soul.  It tethers us securely to the Lord and with it, we enter His Presence at the moment of salvation and enjoy His Presence even now.

 

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,           (1 Peter 1:3)

Even as God Almighty gave life to Jesus and raised Him from the grave, so also, He has birthed us with Him to literally an eternal expectation of coming good (that’s the living hope).  That means that in Jesus, we will never stop expecting or anticipating more and more goodness.  Eternity is filled with God’s goodness.

 

And everyone who has this hope in Him purifies himself, just as He is pure.         (1 John 3:3)

Don’t misunderstand here; you cannot purify yourself.  It is the hope in Him that purifies you.  It’s the same hope, given by God’s Spirit, that Jesus had/has in the Father.  You have it too.

 

So, as you can see, the hope in scripture is NOT the same word hope we so casually toss around today.  It’s a God-word, an Almighty-word and with it we hold to a forever anticipation of coming good.

 

The Leaven of the Pharisees

 

Then Jesus said to them, “Take heed and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and the Sadducees.”      (Mat 16:6)

At first glance, you might think that this lesson from Jesus to His disciples was a stand-alone thing.  Like many of His analogies, they didn’t understand it at first and assumed it was alluding to their failure to bring along bread on their journey.

 

“Do you not yet understand, or remember the five loaves of the five thousand and how many baskets you took up?  Nor the seven loaves of the four thousand and how many large baskets you took up?”, Jesus asked.           (Mat 16:9,10)

I imagine them looking at each other like deer in Christ’s headlights.  After a gentle rebuke:

 

 Then they understood that He did not tell them to beware of the leaven of bread, but of the doctrine of the Pharisees and Sadducees.  (Mat 16:12)

As we can see, Jesus’ warning was about leaven as a picture of the religionists’ doctrine.  He didn’t warn them about the religionists themselves but their teaching – why?  And why leaven?  In the scriptures, leaven is always a picture of sin. 

 

Was He just saying that their teaching was in error or sinful?  I think it is more than that.  You see, leaven, which is normally used in bread, has a characteristic that we should keep in mind here. 

 

Leaven is what is placed in bread dough to make the bread rise. It is placed in the dough and spreads throughout the entire lump.  As it ‘rots’ the dough, it gives off gas and puffs up the lump.  And that is the picture Jesus wanted them to consider – the doctrine of the religionists puffs up – makes one prideful.  Religious knowledge alone is indeed a ‘heady’ trip so to speak.

 

Paul echoed this when he wrote:

 

“We know that we all have knowledge. Knowledge puffs up, but love edifies.  And if anyone thinks that he knows anything, he knows nothing yet as he ought to know.”  (1 Cor 8:1,2)

And then in the verses immediately following Christ’s lesson on leaven, we find an example of what he meant:

 

When Jesus came into the region of Caesarea Philippi, He asked His disciples, saying, "Who do men say that I, the Son of Man, am?"

So, they said, "Some [say] John the Baptist, some Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets."

He said to them, "But who do you say that I am?"

Simon Peter answered and said, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God."

Jesus answered and said to him, "Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah, for flesh and blood has not revealed [this] to you, but My Father who is in heaven.

"And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it.

"And I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven."   (Mat 16:13-19)

Yes, Peter nailed it with his Son of the living God answer and may have felt pretty puffed up by the response Jesus gave him.  Clearly, he had gotten his special insight from God, but insight alone, even insight from God was not the ‘brass ring’.  Jesus demonstrated this to him.  I say that because in the very next passage we read:

 

From that time Jesus began to show to His disciples that He must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised the third day.

Then Peter took Him aside and began to rebuke Him, saying, "Far be it from You, Lord; this shall not happen to You!"

But He turned and said to Peter, "Get behind Me, Satan! You are an offense to Me, for you are not mindful of the things of God, but the things of men."    (Mat 16:21-23)

Evidently, Peter got so puffed up he was now rebuking his own Master, voicing the very words of Satan.  Wow!

 

Dear friends, if you’re a believer, it’s not what you know that matters most, it’s Who knows you.  Even scriptural knowledge as good as it can be, if it is not accompanied by a sincere surrender to Christ’s grace, that is, for the present, His indwelling Spirit, can act as a leaven and just puff you up.

 

Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees because doctrine alone doesn’t save, even God-given insight.  It is faith/trust in the risen Son of God – that means sincere relationship, real love, genuine on-going submission to Him.  And remember, this faith/trust is also the result of God’s grace.

 

 

A Future and a Hope

 

A friend of mine once asked me what my favorite word was in the Bible.  I knew immediately; I said, “Hope”.  He then asked me to describe this hope, and I had to think.  I told him, “It’s not the wimpy word that we hear thrown around like, “I hope so.” Or “There’s really not much hope.” Or “Hope you can make it.”

 

The hope I think of is an atomic bomb compared to these little firecrackers.  My hope anchors me to the Son of God as He lives His life out in me, in my soul.  This hope is like His yoke and His cord of love as He both plows patiently in my heart-soil and draws me like a Shepherd with His sheep, in and out of His own being - His own sheep-fold.  He draws me in for deeper fellowship and He draws me out for ministry.  This hope is His gift as is His trust and the two work in perfect harmony; trust knows, and hope expects.

 

The prophet Jeremiah, speaking to the rebellious house of Israel both in the homeland and those carried away to Babylon warned of terrible judgements that were on the way because of their rebelliousness.  Sadly, he could not identify a single penitent man in nearly 50 years of preaching to them. 

 

Speaking of those in Jerusalem, God told the prophet, “Behold, I will send upon them the sword, the famine, and the pestilence, and will make them like vile figs, that cannot be eaten, they are so evil.” And He added, “And I will persecute them with the sword, with the famine, and with the pestilence, and will deliver them to be removed to all the kingdoms of the earth, to be a curse, and an astonishment, and an hissing, and a reproach, among all the nations whither I have driven them:”

 

Sounds severe, doesn’t it.  But God wasn’t simply punishing them, He was disciplining them in order to get them to wake up spiritually.  You see, we would think, ‘God’s really mad at them.’ And in fact, you may think or expect God is mad at you.

 

But God doesn’t think like that; He doesn’t think like us.  He says,

 

“For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD.  For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.”                    (Isaiah 55:8,9)

Here’s how He thinks:

 

For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the LORD, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope.  (Jer 29:11)

Now in the original language, it appears that this verse says, “a hope and a future” but be that as it may, it is this God-given hope that draws us on into a wonderfully glorious future with Him.  Let’s consider this future. 

 

Literally translated, this word for future means an end and that makes sense since it implies an end goal or something worth hoping for and for us as believers it’s an awesome future – eternal life in the glorious presence of our Savior, a mind-boggling heavenly city filled with people who actually love God and love each other, a new body made for eternity and so much more.

 

So, when the whole world is going to hell around you and you’re taking punches in the gut and kicks in the butt figuratively, understand that there is a reason, a lesson, an Almighty God who can and will deliver you when you honestly turn to Him.  Don’t get caught up in the mindless group-think of evil men who always hate and blame God for what they bring upon themselves.  Just set your mind on Him for His thoughts toward you are of peace and not evil.  If you will submit your life to Him, He will give you a future and a hope.

 

 

Sin and Death

 

I mentioned in an earlier article that I suspect that something akin to a genetic factor might be involved in the transgenerational nature of sin.  I don’t want to ‘pound that table’ too hard because sin is first spiritual and then physical.  Nevertheless, it’s interesting to note that Jesus was, as we know, sinless and he was born of a virgin.  A legitimate question is, was the virgin birth necessary for His sinless condition?  Does the sin we are born with transfer by way of the man?

 

Remember, David said,

“Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, and in sin my mother conceived me.”                                          (Psalm 51:5)

Spiritually, that would make sense since it was Adam who God held accountable for disobedience:

 

Nevertheless, death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over those who had not sinned according to the likeness of the transgression of Adam, who is a type of Him who was to come.  (Romans 5:14)

This occurred to me as I was considering the lineage of Jesus given to us in both Matthew chapter one and Luke chapter three.  Matthew looks forward in time from Abraham to Joseph, Mary’s betrothed while Luke looks backward in time from Jesus to Adam to God.  Both lineages, of course, include David but then there’s a difference for it was David’s son Nathan whose lineage brings forth Mary and it is David’s son Solomon whose lineage brings for Joseph.  But keep in mind, Joseph was NOT Jesus’ father, God was.

 

Now, it could be that the Holy Spirit’s impregnating Mary caused Christ to be sinless; that’s probably the case.  But it may be also that though Mary, like all of us, had sin, she did not transfer sin to Jesus’ body.  Perhaps it was both.  That determination is WAY above my ‘pay grade’.  Whatever the case, Christ was born perfect, sinless, and He maintained that all the way through the cross.  Hallelujah!

 

Now, as many of us learned in high school biology, when humans mate, the woman’s XX chromosomes combine with the man’s XY and as it turns out we have a recently revealed problem therein.  That’s because the Y chromosome is decaying and has actually already decayed 97%.  Yes, I said 97% and this is clearly an existential threat. 

 

For with no more Y chromosome, no more men and the human race disappears. 

 

“Despite their shared evolutionary origin, extensive genetic decay has resulted in the human Y chromosome losing 97% of its ancestral genes while gene content and order remain highly conserved on the X chromosome. Five ‘stratification’ events, most likely inversions, reduced the Y chromosome’s ability to recombine with the X chromosome across the majority of its length and subjected its genes to the erosive forces associated with reduced recombination.” – Nature, Published: 07 February 2020

 

“The Y chromosome is a fundamental component of male biology. It carries the SRY gene, which triggers the development of male characteristics, including the formation of testes and the production of male hormones. This genetic marker is unique to males, passed almost unchanged from father to son, allowing researchers to trace paternal lineage across generations. Its stability has made it a valuable tool for studying human ancestry… The Y chromosome is not just about sex determination; it also plays a role in male fertility. Certain genetic conditions linked to the Y chromosome can affect a man’s ability to father children, underlining its importance in reproduction… If the Y chromosome were to vanish without a replacement mechanism, it could threaten the survival of men and, by extension, the human species.”—The Times of India, Aug 28, 2024

 

“As men age, some of their cells lose the very thing that makes them biological males—the Y chromosome—and this loss hampers the body’s ability to fight cancer, according to new research from Cedars-Sinai Cancer. “ – Cedars-Sinai Jun21,2023

 

Of course, with the disciplined training of evolution, scientists predict it will be some 4 - 11 million years till extinction happens but when you understand that mankind hasn’t been around evolving for millions of years, the timeline of this degradation is radically different.

 

I’m convinced that this degradation is the direct result of sin.  You see, as the Bible has told us, the wages of sin is death and with this information we witness that it is not only death for the individual but death of the entire species. 

 

For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.  (Romans 6:23)

Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus!  (Rev 22:20)

 

Choose Life!

 

Perhaps the most basic of our responsibilities ever since our creation has always been – choice.  The Most High created a beautiful garden and placed our original ‘parents’ there and implicitly presented to them – choice.  Two trees; one gave life and the other brought death.

 

You all know the story.  Eve made a choice and Adam made a choice. The choice that doomed us all to die was Adam’s.  You see, Eve was deceived by the serpent, but the Bible tells us that Adam was not deceived. 

 

Effectively, he chose Eve.  He chose fellowship with her over fellowship with God or he chose to disobey God along with her or he chose to die with her.  Whatever the case, he chose Eve. And later we discover that he never chose life – before his fatal error, he never chose to eat of the tree of life.  Afterwards, God prevented that to protect them.

 

How could the original perfect, sinless man make such choices?  What ever the reason, it set the stage for thousands of years of death, destruction, misery, grief, darkness – doom.  I’m inclined to believe it possibly instituted a genetic change that has been passed from generation to generation.  Whether or not that is the case, we know it brought a spiritual detachment from the Almighty.

 

And though the disastrous effects were transgenerational, they were also immediate.  They lost the ability to perceive correctly good and evil; for the first time, they had pride and fear of their Creator rather than fellowship.  Living became difficult, for the creation was cursed for the sake of mankind. 

 

Later, as mankind became fatally vile and violent, God Himself chose to begin again with the godly man, Noah who chose to obey God fully.   After the devastating flood, mankind again declined into vile and abominable practices, so God chose to begin again with the godly man Abram who chose to fully obey God.

 

Do you see a pattern?  As we might expect, Abram/Abraham’s progeny became warped in their beliefs such that they, at first opportunity, in Moses’ absence, built a golden calf idol and danced in worship around it.  In response, God was ready to start again when Moses stood in the gap if you would, and God mercifully waited. 

 

However, in giving Moses the Law, He told the people to make the right choice:

“I call heaven and earth as witnesses today against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing; therefore, choose life, that both you and your descendants may live;”      (Deut 30:19)

But unfortunately, mankind perpetually makes bad choices.  Even when we suffer terribly for those choices, we still come back to them over and over and over.  Just look at history.  And of course, God knew this would be the case from before the beginning for as He had planned, He sent His only begotten Son, Jesus to provide the real answer – He paid the price for all our sin and left us with one final choice.  Choose to accept His gift of Life, choose to accept Him.

 

So, as you can see, God repeatedly presents to man this one thing – choice.  Of course, He looks as well for the consequent obedience or submission to His will as well but understand, those things are His doing, His work, the action of His Spirit in you.  You can’t take the credit.

 

Most people don’t get this.  The effects of mankind’s first choice has been ‘hard-wired’ into our psyche so that we are convinced that to rise above our meager existence we must strive, we must work to be ‘like God’.  Either we crave rebellion as a form of coping with this drive or we crave to be considered noble, good, better.  But both of these drives are fueled by our original sin, pride, which resulted from our original choice.

 

Many people ask, “So what is our part?”  The answer – choice. 

 

You see, choice is not just wanting or wishing or even willing.  Those things are essentially passive.  Making a choice is an active mental/spiritual engagement that is like taking the first step in the direction.  That’s the one thing God requires.  Choose Him, choose Christ, choose Life.

 

Am I overly simplistic?  Maybe, but the ‘final choice’ is the key to which God unlocks faith/trust in Him and eternal life.  Afterwards, your life, your service, your everything is first His choice.

     

A final note on this.  Although the ‘final choice’ is indeed a one-time event for each of us, choice itself continues to be an ongoing reality, for moment by moment, God wants us to learn, to grow, to produce good fruit, and thus He continually allows us to choose to obey Him and submit to His will.

 

This brings us to the dichotomy that Paul realized in Romans chapter seven when he wrote, “For the good that I will to do, I do not do; but the evil I will not to do, that I practice.” And, “But now, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells in me.”  You see, even after the ‘final decision’, your dead flesh is still ‘hard-wired’ by Adam’s original choice.  The good news is that your soul is joined in one with Christ, His Holy Spirit and even the Father.  You are no longer to identify with that dead body:

 

Likewise, you also, reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord.  (Romans 6:11)

Therefore, if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.  (2 Cor 5:17)  That is, you have a new identity.

Yes, you are still housed, temporarily, in that dead body; and that dead body still acts out, but when it does, you simply confess to God that you momentarily stopped trusting Him (that’s sin) and because your identity is no longer that dead body but rather it’s your living soul which is one with Christ, He forgives you and cleanses your conscience from all unrighteousness.

 

Yes, choice is a wonderful responsibility and privilege.  God doesn’t want robots, He desires children and wonder of wonders, if you’re saved, He chose you.

 

Growth

 

The whole of scripture from Genesis through the New Testament is filled with references to growth.  Jesus even explained spiritual growth in one of his many parables to his disciples:

 

“When anyone hears the word of the kingdom, and does not understand it, then the wicked one comes and snatches away what was sown in his heart. This is he who received seed by the wayside.  (Matthew 13:19)

Here, the heart is shown to be like the soil on which the seed, or Word of God, is planted.  Depending upon the conditions of this heart-soil, the seed will bear fruit or not.  Herein, only the soil that is broken up and deep and weed free yields a crop.

 

As Christians, we desire to please the Sower of the Seed and bear much fruit, but without understanding the Word of the Kingdom, we can mistakenly focus on trying to bear ‘fruit’ by eliminating sin in our own strength/efforts.  We neglect the fact that upon the cross of Calvary ALL sin was paid for in full.

 

Here, the Greek word for heart means the central core, physically and spiritually, of any person.  With the unsaved, it is only deceitful and desperately wicked.  With those who are saved, it represents both the dead fleshly heart and the living soul.  Now, when the wicked heart, with hard or shallow or rocky ground receives the Word, the thoughts, the misunderstandings it creates are those that tell us we need to ‘be like God’ and they push us to try, try, try to do that; but did you know that there is only one individual in the Bible that made the confession of that obsession?  It was Satan. He said:

 

I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High.   (Isaiah 14:14)

So clearly, that aspiration, though it may sound noble is anything but.  What God is looking for from the good heart-soil is understanding, humility and obedience/submission all of which are the gifts of His Spirit.  Christ demonstrated this for us:

 

Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus:

Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God (He didn’t ‘try’, He trusted):

But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men:

And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.  (Philippians 2:5-8)

Which takes us back to the notion of seeds and good soil and fruit because Jesus also said:

 

“Most assuredly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it produces much grain.”              (John 12:24)

So you see, pleasing God means death to self, death to that deceitful heart and thus an abundance of good spiritual fruit:

 

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness (or faith), gentleness, self-control.  (Galatians 5:22,23a)

So, God is very much into growth.  He’s into the growth of His Seed in your heart which will bear fruit for all eternity.  You want to please Him?

 

...grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ    (2 Pet 3)

and...

speaking the truth in love,… grow up in all things into Him who is the head—Christ  (Ephesians 4)

A friend of mine likes to say, “Stop trying and start trusting.”  Amen.  That’s God’s work in you  and the growth He desires.  It bears the good fruit of love.  Paul put it this way:

 

We are bound to thank God always for you, brethren, as it is fitting, because your faith (trust) grows exceedingly, and the love of every one of you all abounds toward each other,  (2 Thes 1:3)

 

 

 

Thinking

 

Has it ever occurred to you that there is something that you’re doing all the time?  Every moment of every day it is with you.  Even when you sleep, you can only slightly escape it and then when you wake, there it is again.  Sometimes, it’s superficial; sometimes it’s profound.  It’s your thoughts, your thinking, your mind and/or heart.

 

It is the engine or energy of your actions and your speech.  And from the beginning, it has been the target of our enemy for at the very moment of her interaction with the serpent, Eve and then Adam were changed in their thinking and trapped by sin.  Ever since, mankind’s thinking has been twisted, prideful, turned inward and completely futile.

 

There are a couple of important terms we read about in the Bible – heart and mind.  They are similar and definitions of the two overlap somewhat, but you can consider the heart as the “inner man”, the once – living spirit of man that has been corrupted unto death by sin while the mind is the soul, the self, and when saved, the living part of each person.

 

Because of sin, the heart of mankind is a treacherous thing.  The prophet Jeremiah wrote, “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?”  (Jeremiah 17:9)The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?

 

Jesus spoke of this very clearly:

 

But Jesus, knowing their thoughts, said, “Why do you think evil in your hearts?  (Matthew 9:4)

"For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lewdness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness.  All these evil things come from within and defile a man."  (Mark 7:21-23)

 

Now, God’s word enlightens us concerning our thinking and ultimately gives us hope.  Let’s consider (think) about what it has to tell us.

 

“As for you, my son Solomon, know the God of your father, and serve Him with a loyal heart and with a willing mind; for the LORD searches all hearts and understands all the intent of the thoughts. If you seek Him, He will be found by you; but if you forsake Him, He will cast you off forever.              (1 Chron 28:9)

OK, let me emphasize first that no one is born again by a simple intellectual assent to the grace of God.  If you are a child of the Most High, it is His gift to you, accomplished by His Holy Spirit birthing in your soul triumphant faith/trust in what Christ did for you – forgiveness, life and union.  We commonly say that it’s matter of the inner man not simply the head.

 

When sin entered mankind’s existence in the garden of Eden, our spirit, which God had created, died.  That is, it was separated from God.  After that point, (and prior to Calvary) our soul which came about by God’s Spirit breathing life into a lifeless body, was left with the dominant influence of the flesh:

 

And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground (i.e. his flesh) and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life (i.e. his spirit); and man became a living being (literally, soul).  (Gen 2:7)

The Bible does not talk about saving the spirit of man (though it mentions prior to Jesus, lifting up or retaining the spirit of man); rather, it says that Christ saved our souls.  That’s because when we are saved, His Spirit takes up residence in us, in our soul.

 

In Chronicles, we see that David told his son, Solomon, that God wants both our heart and mind.  That’s because your thoughts originate from both places – the ‘dead’ part of you, the heart, and the living part of you, the mind/soul. 

 

I, the LORD, search the heart,
I test the mind,
Even to give every man according to his ways,
According to the fruit of his doings.  (Jeremiah 17:10)

 

Now, the thoughts of the heart are vain or futile:

 

The LORD knows the thoughts of man,
That they are futile (coming from the word meaning emptiness or vanity; figuratively, something transitory and unsatisfactory .      (Psalm 94:11)

But possibly as a foreshadowing of the ‘work’ of salvation, Proverbs declares:

Commit your works to the LORD,
And your thoughts will be established (that is, to be firm, be stable).  (Proverbs 16:3)

Fortunately, and contrary to us, God’s thoughts are absolutely pure, perfectly and eternally pure:

 

"For My thoughts are not your thoughts, Nor are your ways My ways," says the LORD.

"For as the heavens are higher than the earth, So are My ways higher than your ways, And My thoughts than your thoughts.”  (Isaiah 55:7-9)

For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the LORD, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope.  (Jeremiah 29:11)

And He knows our thoughts, good and bad:

 

You know my sitting down and my rising up;
You understand my thought afar off.  (Psalm 139:2)

 

I say good and bad because even though we are saved in Christ, God has temporarily left us in a body of ‘dead’ flesh; and both our new living soul as well as our dead fleshly heart are sources of our thoughts.  I suggest that this is to teach us humility which will be to our benefit in heaven.  And until we are there, we do battle spiritually with the dead flesh simply because it is incongruent with our new life as it tries to poison our thinking. 

 

Now the battle is the Lord’s – He is our shield, our defense, our ‘high tower’ and the unbeatable victor Who uses these battles to teach us many things:

 

For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ…  (2 Corinthians 10:4,5)

This obedience is not obedience to Christ but rather the obedience of Christ – the obedience He displayed to us in obeying the Father’s will all the way to the cross, to the grave and to the throne of heaven – submitted, perfect, humble obedience.

 

And Paul wrote of this battle even in his own life:

 

But I see another law in my members (the flesh), warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members.  O wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death?  I thank God--through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, with the mind I myself serve the law of God, but with the flesh the law of sin.  (Romans 7:23-25)

With all this in ‘mind’, the scriptures leave us with hope and guidance concerning our thoughts:

 

And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind (the work of God’s Spirit), that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.  (Romans 12:2)

Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind (honest, Godly humility) let each esteem others better than himself. 

Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men.  (Philippians 2:3, 5-7)

Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth.  (Colossians 3:2)

Therefore, gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and rest your hope fully upon the grace that is to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ;  (1 Peter 1:13)

And the good news is that in thinking (or being) this way, you gain perfect peace:

You will keep him in perfect peace,
Whose mind is stayed on You,
Because he trusts in You.  (Isaiah 26:3)

 

 

The Glory of God

 

I have become fascinated by the topic of God’s glory.  For years, I thought I knew what it was (or sort of knew) but recently I’ve realized it is just so much more.  Let’s look at what the scriptures have to say about it.

First, there is the manifestation of the glory of God which we can recognize:

 

The sight of the glory of the LORD was like a consuming fire on the top of the mountain in the eyes of the children of Israel. 

                                                    (Exodus 24:17)

This and many other scriptures  show us that God’s glory is like a brilliant light which illuminates:

 

The (heavenly)city had no need of the sun or of the moon to shine in it, for the glory of God illuminated it. The Lamb is its light. 

                                                       (Rev 21:23)

“The sun shall no longer be your light by day,
Nor for brightness shall the moon give light to you;
But the LORD will be to you an everlasting light,
And your God your glory. 

                                                      (Isaiah 60:19)

But then there’s also its sanctifying (or purifying) power:

“And there I will meet with the children of Israel, and the tabernacle shall be sanctified by My glory.”  

                                             (Exodus 29:43)

And there are the promises of God concerning His glory:

“but truly, as I live, all the earth shall be filled with the glory of the LORD—”  

                                          (Numbers 14:21)

The glory of the LORD shall be revealed,
And all flesh shall see it together;
For the mouth of the LORD has spoken.” 

                                                 (Isaiah 40:5)

And gloriously (no pun) there are those things we read concerning our Lord Jesus Christ:

 

“And now, O Father, glorify Me together with Yourself, with the glory which I had with You before the world was. 

                                                   (John 17:5)

“For the Son of Man will come in the glory of His Father with His angels, and then He will reward each according to his works. 

                                              (Matthew 16:27)

Now after six days Jesus took Peter, James, and John his brother, led them up on a high mountain by themselves; and He was transfigured before them. His face shone like the sun, and His clothes became as white as the light.                             

                                               (Matthew 17:1,2)

And we learn that the glory of God gives life.  (Spoken to Martha concerning her dead brother Lazarus whom Jesus rose from the dead):

 

Jesus said to her, “Did I not say to you that if you would believe you would see the glory of God?” 

                                                (John 11:40)

So also is the resurrection of the dead. The body is sown in corruption, it is raised in incorruption.

It is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory. It is sown in weakness, it is raised in power.                                                                                                                                          (1 Cor 15:42,43)

And then there’s the glory of God that concerns us as believers in Christ.  Jesus spoke to the Father:

 

“And the glory which You gave Me I have given them, that they may be one just as We are one:  

                                               (John 17:22)

And Paul wrote to the believers:

 

Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. 

                                               (Romans 6:4)

When Christ who is our life appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory.  

                                                  (Col 3:4)

Before Calvary, the glory of God was too much for a man to behold and live. Ask Moses:

 

Then Moses said (to the Lord), "I pray You, show me Your glory!"

And He said, "I Myself will make all My goodness pass before you, and I will proclaim the name of Yahweh before you; and I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and I will show compassion on whom I will show compassion."

But He said, "You cannot see My face, for no man can see Me and live!"

Then Yahweh said, "Behold, there is a place by Me, and you shall stand there on the rock;

and it will come about, while My glory is passing by, that I will put you in the cleft of the rock and cover you with My hand until I have passed by.

"Then I will remove My hand, and you shall see My back, but My face shall not be seen."

                                            (Exodus 33:18-23)

But after Calvary, because of the grace of God in the person of Jesus Christ, it’s the opposite – the Glory of God in the face of our Savior is exactly what we need to live:

 

But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord. 

                                                  (2 Cor 3:18)

For it is the God who commanded light to shine out of darkness, who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. 

                                                    (2 Cor 4:6)

And perhaps the most wonderful thing about God’s glory, for us, is that in heaven we get to receive it and also to release it back to Him:

 

and when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the crown of glory that does not fade away. 

                                                  (1 Peter 5:4)

Whenever the living creatures give glory and honor and thanks to Him who sits on the throne, who lives forever and ever, the twenty-four elders (representing believers) fall down before Him who sits on the throne and worship Him who lives forever and ever, and cast their crowns before the throne, saying:

"You are worthy, O Lord, To receive glory and honor and power; For You created all things, And by Your will they exist and were created."

                                                   (Rev 4:9-11)

This is fascinating because it is usually the Lord who is giving or shining forth His glory, but here in the heavenly scene, it seems like He receives glory.  Who does this?  I suggest that it is coming from those who cast their crowns (of glory) before Him in acknowledgement of His ultimate worthiness. 

 

I know this is a lot of information so let me summarize.  God’s glory illuminates with radiant brilliance.  Wherever it exists, it sanctifies, while the Blood of Christ purifies, which is awesome because He promises to fill the earth with it.  It’s this light, this Glory that we ‘walk’ in:

 

But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin. 

                                                     (1 John 1:7)

For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light 

                                                 (Ephesians 5:8)

And then there’s Jesus and with Him the glory of God is expressed in even more wonderous ways.  He asked for and received the most indescribable glory that He had shared with the Father before the creation, before time, existed.  The Bible says that that Glory raised Him from the dead. 

 

He also shared that Glory with us who believe specifically to bring us into the same unity with Him that He and the Father know – a total perfect union.  That Glory gives us life, newness of life and makes us new creations and scripture tells us we can witness it/Him transforming us into the glorious image of our Savior.

 

You might think a lot of this sounds like the Holy Spirit and there is indeed a very strong connection because it is the Spirit that works with and enables us to behold God’s Glory – just ask Stephen:

 

But he, being full of the Holy Spirit, gazed into heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God, 

                                                         (Acts 7:55)

So, as you can see, the Glory of God seems to be a nexus of sorts for the light, the life, the power, the sanctifying, the worship, the people and more.  I encourage all of you to learn more.

 

 

 

Child of God

 

You know one of the main arguments supporting abortion is for a woman to say, “It’s my body; it’s my health so I can do what I want.”  Now if that were true, I’d see no incongruity but it’s blatantly false.  By definition, pregnancy means there is more than one person involved.  There are two or more people occupying one body and abortion terminates the life of the innocent child. 

 

Having said that, I don’t intend to make this about abortion but rather about procreation and the awesome parallel we see spiritually when someone is “born again” or literally “procreated from on high”.  I’ve spoken before on this wonderous process and if you heard it, you may remember the part on gestation which precedes expulsion.

 

Gestation is the longest part of the procreation process – 38 to 42 weeks for humans; during this time, a fertilized cell becomes a zygote, then a morula, then a blastocyst, then an embryo, and then a fetus. The zygote contains all the genetic information needed to become a baby.  It’s truly amazing to consider that this is how the Son of God came into the world:

 

And the angel answered and said to her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Highest will overshadow you; therefore, also, that Holy One who is to be born will be called the Son of God.  

                                                          (Luke 1:35)

Mary, impregnated by the Holy Spirit, carried Christ as a zygote, then a morula, then a blastocyst, then an embryo, and then a fetus and delivered her baby in a feed trough.  And though that is wildly amazing, there is a spiritual process going on in you right now, if you are born again, that mirrors this very process.

 

When you are born again, Christ places His Holy Spirit IN you and He unites with your dead human spirit, giving new life – you become a new creation, a spiritual zygote so to speak and the spiritual gestation continues until the moment you are set free, gloriously free, from your sin-filled corpse.  Jesus told Nicodemus about this when He said:

 

"That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.

"Do not marvel that I said to you, 'You must be born again.'

"The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear the sound of it, but cannot tell where it comes from and where it goes. So is everyone who is born of the Spirit." 

                                                        (John 3:6-8)

Recall, before He died on the cross and rose again, Jesus told His disciples:

 

"A little while longer and the world will see Me no more, but you will see Me. Because I live, you will live also.

"At that day you will know that I am in My Father, and you in Me, and I in you.

                                                      (John 14:19,20)

That’s because after He rose, He gave them the Holy Spirit:

 

So, Jesus said to them again, "Peace to you! As the Father has sent Me, I also send you."

And when He had said this, He breathed on them, and said to them, "Receive the Holy Spirit.” 

                                                                       (John 20:21,22)

 

So, like the pregnant mother, as a believer, your body carries another one spiritually – you, in utter union with Christ, His Holy Spirit and Father God.  How amazing is that!

 

And your spiritual gestation period is all in God’s control – it may be a day or many decades.  And when you are born into Heaven, what a joyous freedom you’ll know as a Child of God.

 

 

 

Healing the Soul

 

Most of us know some about the life of King David.  One of the things I’ve always appreciated about him is his confidence, his trust in the Lord.  We remember his trust when he ran at the giant Goliath with only a sling shot and a stone.  We can learn from him about trust at his low points – slobbering before a foreign king thus pretending to be insane, looking at the devastation of the town Ziklag where his family and the families of his men were kidnapped and the men were ready to stone him.  We are impressed with his trust as he is forced to flee Jerusalem with his own son, Absalom seeking his life.

 

So many events in his life were clearly tests of his trust in his Lord but all of them were ‘outside’.  And of course, we all face outside circumstances that challenge us similarly.  But the greatest exhibition of trust we witness in David’s life is one dealing with his soul.

 

His very being was being destroyed, his soul was sick and he knew it.  The turmoil of illness put him in a sickbed and whether real or imagined, he seemed to have enemies all around.  It’s possible that this was the fall-out of his adulterous affair with Bathsheba and that some of the enemies were Ahithophel, his once trusted friend and advisor, and Absalom, his son who wanted the throne.

 

Whatever the case, we read in Psalm 41:

 

I said, “LORD, be merciful to me;
Heal my soul, for I have sinned against You.” 

                                                                                                                                (Psalm 41:4)

 

Notice that he understood why his soul needed healing; it was due to sin.  He also recognized that his sin was against the Lord.  And this is critical for all of us to understand.  Sin attacks the soul and brings spiritual (and physical) disease.  Then notice that as he asks for healing, he confesses his sin.  The Bible tells us:

 

If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 

                                           (1John 1:9)

As long as the King was silent about his sin and his wounded soul, his condition worsened:

 

When I kept silent, my bones grew old
Through my groaning all the day long. 

                                          (Psalm 32:3)

But as the Holy Spirit, which the Bible tells us never left David, reestablished his trust, he became confident of his wholeness, his completeness in God for he claims:

 

As for me, You uphold me in my integrity,
And set me before Your face forever. 

                                          (Psalm 41:12)

That word integrity means completeness and implies innocence.  And being set before the Lord’s face forever is eternally enjoying His favor.

 

So, we can see that David’s life, his words are given to us not simply as history but for our learning – the Spirit in his life is teaching us to trust, to confess to God our sin and to be upheld in completeness and to be set in His beautiful presence forever.

 

 

Ransom

 

And forgive us our sins,
For we also forgive everyone who is indebted to us.
And do not lead us into temptation,
But deliver us from the evil one.”

                                                                                (Luke 11:4)

 

Notice the connection between sins and debt.  A couple hundred years ago, a common notion about God was that He was angry with all of us and that He was ready to ‘blast’ us.  The fear of that drove many to become believers and to adhere strongly to a religious lifestyle.  More recently, a common notion about Him is that He is loving and forgiving.  Acceptance of that has led many to become believers and to adhere to a loosely religious lifestyle.  I know I’m being overly simplistic but..

 

The question all people struggle with is, “Who is God?”  “What is His Name or nature?”  Is He the One Who deals out the judgements we read about in the Old Testament or the One Who graciously sent His only begotten Son to die in our places? 

 

You can get either impression if you overly focus your reading of the scriptures in one part of the Bible or the other.   This is especially true when you don’t have God’s Holy Spirit in your heart because He is the One Who teaches us. 

 

It is  not folly to desire to know Him, but it is folly to think you can know Him entirely.  He tells us,

 

“For as the heavens are higher than the earth,
So are My ways higher than your ways,
And My thoughts than your thoughts. 

                                                               (Isaiah 55:9)

 

Now, when we become sincerely born again in Christ, He gives us the precious gift of His Spirit in our inner being to abide in us and for us to abide in Him – it’s not just a familial relationship that results but a unity with the Lord.  Fortunately, His Spirit is gentle.  Thus, He nurtures in us a willingness on our part to submit to His wisdom and ways. The more we do that, the more unity we experience.

 

So, what about the question?  The answer is that we can know some things about Him from His Word, His Son, His Spirit like He is love, He is truth, He is life, He is holy, He is perfect, He is just and righteous, He is forgiving, He is patient and longsuffering, He is good, He is merciful, He is all-knowing, all powerful and eternally existent.  On and on it goes.

 

Hopefully you get the picture that His revealed nature is completely wonderful and infinite in far more ways than we can comprehend.  So, the God of the OT is the God of the NT and is the Almighty perfect creator of everything seen and unseen. 

 

Having said that, let me admonish you - don’t get caught in the mindset that tells you God wouldn’t do such and such because He is love or that God would never be merciful to me because He’s truthful and just.  We mustn’t try to box God into the limitations of our human intellect.  The good news is that you can, as His child, always ask and expect forgiveness and trust Him.

 

I think some theologians have their learned heads on backwards so to speak. They read in scripture, in clear black and white:

 

“For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.” 

                                                       (Mark 10:45)

 

In fact, Matthew records the same thing.  And in the book of Hosea:

 

"I will ransom them from the power of the grave; I will redeem them from death. O Death, I will be your plagues! O Grave, I will be your destruction! Pity is hidden from My eyes." 

                                                        (Hos 13:14) 

And still they deny the Gospel, they deny that Jesus was a ransom – but that’s because they jump to the assumption that the ransom was paid to Satan.  Wrong thinking!

 

This is why I started with the big question of ‘Who is God?’  Part of His revealed character is that He is just and righteous; He is Holy and He is indeed angry with wickedness:

 

God is a just judge,
And God is angry with the wicked every day. 

                                                        (Psalm 7:11)

You see, all the way back in Eden, as mankind embraced sin and turned away from God, God saw the tragic consequences that brutalized His children.  In addition, every wicked act offends His holy character and trashes His lovingkindness. Consequently, God ordained that the wages of sin is death.  That is, as we sin, the wage we OWE or the debt we owe, is our lives.  

 

Now, understand, no one owes a life to Satan, the debt is owed to God but it is a debt, a ransom, that only He Himself could redeem.  So much of God’s character is all about redemption.

 

   Back in the garden of Eden, mankind ‘forfeited’ his property rights.  In willful rebellion against God, he effectively forfeited his soul and became the servant of sin.  From that point, Satan was given a sort of stewardship and only a very specific price and time of redemption could apply to that property.  The price of redemption was one sinless man, an Adam for an Adam, so to speak. 

 

We learn more about this in Revelation 5:   

   

And I saw in the right hand of Him who sat on the throne a scroll written inside and on the back, sealed with seven seals. Then I saw a strong angel proclaiming with a loud voice, “Who is worthy to open the scroll and to loose its seals?” And no one in heaven or on the earth or under the earth was able to open the scroll, or to look  at it.
   So I wept much, because no one was found worthy to open and read the scroll, or to look at it.

  As the Apostle John is watching, a scroll is in God’s possession.  What could possibly be in this scroll that’s so confidential and so important?   No one in the created order, seen or unseen, can open it or even look upon it.  As he describes it, there are seven seals upon it and writing both inside and on the outside of it.

 

   Some have suggested that this is the title deed to planet earth and initially that sounds good, but there’s a problem with that – the earth is already the Lord’s forever.  Psalm 24:1 says, “The earth is the LORD'S, and the fullness thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein.”  For this reason, I think there’s a better explanation. 

 

   In the book of Leviticus 25:25 – 31, we find a very interesting law laid down by God pertaining to redemption.  In short, if someone loses possession of his land, he can redeem it from the new owner at the appropriate price.  If he that lost the property is too poor to redeem it, he must wait till the year of Jubilee at which time it will once again become his possession.  However, there’s a different rule for houses in walled cities.  If someone losses possession of this type of property (i.e. man made) and cannot redeem it within the allotted time (one year) because of poverty or indebtedness, that property forever becomes the property of the new owner.  It can never be redeemed again.

 

   All that is to say that this is a picture!  The land, the earth, is redeemable, but that which pertains to man can only be redeemed by the appropriate price within the specified time.

 

   When Satan tempted Jesus in the wilderness, one of the temptations included this man-made property.  In Luke’s account,

 

The devil led Him up to a high place and showed him in an instant all the kingdoms of the world. And he said to Him, "I will give you all their authority and splendor, for it has been given to me, and I can give it to anyone I want to. So, if you worship me, it will all be yours."

                                                           (Luke 4:5-7) 

Jesus did not contest this point, He simply refused to worship him.

 

   Therefore, I submit that this scroll in the hand of God represents the encumbered inheritance of God’s people (the Hebrews) and all the kingdoms of man whom God would redeem for the price of one sinless man.  Of course, John wept bitterly, for when he learned that no one was found worthy to take and open the scroll, it meant that this inheritance would forever become the stewardship of Satan – eternally unredeemable.

From Revelation Five:

 

   But one of the elders said to me, “Do not weep. Behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has prevailed to open the scroll and to lose its seven seals.” 

 

The mighty Lion of Judah was found worthy – the resurrected, glorified Son of God, Jesus Christ.  He paid the debt we all owed/owe.  It’s wholly a past tense situation for the honest believer.  For everyone else, the debt, though paid by Christ, is as yet fully burdensome because of disbelief. 

 

So, who received this ransom?  Did Satan get ‘paid off’?  No!  His so-called stewardship taken from Adam was stripped away by the blood of Christ and with that sacrifice God the Son paid God the Father.  God’s justice was satisfied and the devil was condemned, not enriched.

 

In fact the Psalmist spoke of the futility of man trying to redeem his brother but note Who would receive the ransom…

 

None of them can by any means redeem his brother, nor give to God a ransom for him— 

                                                            (Psalm 49:7)

So, in heaven, we read that the redeemed sing to the Lamb:

 

   And they sang a new song, saying:
   “ You are worthy to take the scroll,
   And to open its seals;
   For You were slain,
   And have redeemed us to God by Your blood
   Out of every tribe and tongue and people and nation,
   And have made us kings and priests to our God;
   And we shall reign on the earth.”

                                                                                                                                                                                  (Revelation 5:9,10)

 

 

 

 

My God, My God

 

My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?
Why are You so far from helping Me,
And from the words of My groaning?

                                                                           (Psalm 22:1) 

 

Words of David and more importantly, words from Christ.  This prophetic psalm just explodes with meaning concerning our Messiah and it opens abruptly with this startling cry.  He doesn’t cry out “God, God” but  rather “My God, My God”.  His sense of forsakenness thunders in His heart as the One with Whom He has had intimate relationship from eternity past is separated from Him.

 

Did Jesus not know?  Was it hidden from Him as part of His incarnation, his human condition? Did He know and yet the shock, the reality, the meaning – did that erupt into this heart cry?

 

We don’t get the impression that the weight of all mankind’s sin for all time – His “groaning”, was as disastrous to Him as was the turning away of the Father.

Jesus knew that He was born for this.  He spoke of it often. He wept in the garden bloody tears, but He continued on.  He bore the lashes; He bore the mockery and beating; He bore the cross and the crucifixion.  He bore it when all men – His friends, His disciples, His relatives – forsook Him.

 

But His Father?  How cataclysmic is that “Why”. 

 

How many of us have cried out in a similar fashion as truly minor echoes of this blast that resounded throughout the cosmos and perhaps throughout all time.

 

Was this a point in which He could not see the ‘other side’?  The Bible tells us, “who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross…” What did He hold on to as He let go of His life?

 

Many bulls have surrounded Me; Strong bulls of Bashan have encircled Me.

They gape at Me with their mouths, Like a raging and roaring lion.

I am poured out like water, And all My bones are out of joint; My heart is like wax; It has melted within Me.

My strength is dried up like a potsherd, And My tongue clings to My jaws; You have brought Me to the dust of death.

For dogs have surrounded Me; The congregation of the wicked has enclosed Me. They pierced My hands and My feet;

                                                               (Psalm 22:12-16)

Demonic attack is described as bulls and lions and dogs encircling. His strength, His heart has melted.  The congregation, the throng of the wicked enclosed Him; they pierced Him. 

 

Still, He never surrendered His trust:

 

But You, O LORD, do not be far from Me;
O My Strength, hasten to help Me!

                                                                                               (Psalm 22:19)

 

And finally, at a point only the Father knows, the heart of Christ knew:

 

You have answered Me.

                                                             (Psalm 22:21b)

So, when Jesus had received the sour wine, He said, “It is finished!” And bowing His head, He gave up His spirit.

                                                                                                  (John 19:30)

 

And ultimately Jesus knew His forsakenness was temporary, and because He held on to His trust, He could lay down His life and with that He saved us all:

 

For He has not despised nor abhorred the affliction of the afflicted; Nor has He hidden His face from Him; But when He cried to Him, He heard.

                                                                                                (Psalm 22:24)

 

When your own “Why?” rings out, never stop trusting.  God hears you.  He loves you and He will deliver you.  Jesus proved it.

 

 

 

What Are You Looking For?

 

We can read in several places that the disciples bickered amongst themselves about who would be the greatest in the Messiah’s coming kingdom.  John the Baptist preached that He would bring fiery judgement (Matthew 3:12).  Even Gamaliel reminded the chief priests about men who tried to form militias to take down the Roman rule (Acts 5).

 

It seems that the prevailing perception of the coming Messiah was as a violent and overwhelmingly powerful leader – I mean, who else could throw the Romans out?  But Jesus preached to love your enemies and turn the other cheek; do good to all men. 

 

But to be fair, the Jewish people got their mistaken impression from the scriptures. For example:

 

Behold, the day of the LORD is coming,
And your spoil will be divided in your midst.
For I will gather all the nations to battle against Jerusalem;
The city shall be taken,
The houses rifled,
And the women ravished.
Half of the city shall go into captivity,
But the remnant of the people shall not be cut off from the city.

Then the LORD will go forth
And fight against those nations,
As He fights in the day of battle.
And in that day His feet will stand on the Mount of Olives,
Which faces Jerusalem on the east.
And the Mount of Olives shall be split in two,
From east to west,
Making a very large valley;
Half of the mountain shall move toward the north
And half of it toward the south.
Then you shall flee through My mountain valley,
For the mountain valley shall reach to Azal.
Yes, you shall flee
As you fled from the earthquake
In the days of Uzziah king of Judah.
Thus the LORD my God will come,
And all the saints with You.

And this shall be the plague with which the LORD will strike all the people who fought against Jerusalem:

Their flesh shall dissolve while they stand on their feet,
Their eyes shall dissolve in their sockets,
And their tongues shall dissolve in their mouths.
It shall come to pass in that day
That a great panic from the LORD will be among them.
Everyone will seize the hand of his neighbor,
And raise his hand against his neighbor’s hand;
Judah also will fight at Jerusalem.
And the wealth of all the surrounding nations
Shall be gathered together:
Gold, silver, and apparel in great abundance.
Such also shall be the plague
On the horse and the mule,
On the camel and the donkey,
And on all the cattle that will be in those camps.
So shall this plague be.                                                                                 (Zech 14:1-5,12-15)

So…

when the Roman armies surrounded Jerusalem in A.D. 70 a mistaken assurance from prophecies like this made the Jews utterly confident that the Messiah would return from heaven and wipe out the Roman armies surrounding Jerusalem. They could not see that the Messiah must first be rejected and the nation brought to repentance as Zechariah mentioned in 11:12-13 and 12:10.                                                                                   --David Guzik

The result was the near-obliteration of the Jewish race and eradication from the land of Israel.  You see, what we look for, even from scripture if we receive the message only selectively based on our own desires or expectations, can lead us astray.  We absolutely must listen to all of God’s Word and keep our own ‘context’ out of it.

 

Now, I am absolutely looking for the physical return of Jesus Christ; once for the rapture and resurrection and then again to destroy the REAL oppressor of humanity – Satan and his unholy spawn. 

 

But there are many, many people today who are confused and are confusing others so adherence to sound doctrine is more important than ever.  Many are only attempting to gather a crowd and build their own ministry by claiming special understanding of prophecies. 

 

In this age, it is oh so very important to seek God fervently for His help in discerning the truth from the deception.  To truly know the truth, first, be born anew in Christ, be lead by His Holy Spirit and be in fellowship with others who are ‘like-minded’.  Study the scripture such that you ‘live in the pages’ so to speak and obey it-that is obey Him.

 

Now when He was asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come, He answered them and said, "The kingdom of God does not come with observation;

"nor will they say, 'See here!' or 'See there!' For indeed, the kingdom of God is within you."                                                             (Luke 17:20,21)

The Pharisees ‘lived in the pages’ of scripture but they were blind to the truth because their own agendas.  The word “observation” in the verse above implies hostile questioning and “within you” is better translated “in your midst” or “among you”. 

 

Jesus told the Pharisees that their hostile, doubting eyes were unable to see or receive the kingdom of God… The kingdom of God was among them because the King was among them. – Guzik

So, what do we look for?  You may wonder if the conditions are ready in the present day for the revelation of Jesus, both in delivering His people and judgment upon a world that rejects Him. Along with Guzik and other Bible scholars, we can say this confidently: The Bible describes certain political, economic, spiritual, social, and military characteristics regarding what the world will be like before His return. It is fair to say that the conditions exist today, and the stage is set.

 

 

Something Sudden

 

There’s something wonderfully sudden when we recognize and accept Jesus Christ as God’s Son and our Savior.  The Old Testament has many instances of sudden judgement, but the New Testament shows us over and over the sudden realization of the Son. 

 

I believe that’s because you can’t just grow into being a Christian – not the born-again kind.  You can’t ‘back into’ it rationally or approach it cautiously.  You must be ‘touched’ or empowered so to speak to see Him by the Spirit of God.  Even Christ’s disciples had no clue, no real understanding of Jesus, His Words, His mission or His identity until after they were empowered by the Spirit. 

 

And this suddenness is always about Jesus:

 

Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward Him, and said of him, "Behold, an Israelite indeed, in whom is no deceit!"

Nathanael said to Him, "How do You know me?" Jesus answered and said to him, "Before Philip called you, when you were under the fig tree, I saw you."

Nathanael answered and said to Him, "Rabbi, You are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel!"                                                                                                                                   (John 1:47-49)

Nathanael’s world was suddenly rocked by the first words he heard from Jesus because he truly ‘heard’ Him.

 

Now Thomas, called the Twin, one of the twelve, was not with them when Jesus came.

The other disciples therefore said to him, "We have seen the Lord." So he said to them, "Unless I see in His hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and put my hand into His side, I will not believe."

And after eight days His disciples were again inside, and Thomas with them. Jesus came, the doors being shut, and stood in the midst, and said, "Peace to you!"

Then He said to Thomas, "Reach your finger here, and look at My hands; and reach your hand [here], and put [it] into My side. Do not be unbelieving, but believing."

And Thomas answered and said to Him, "My Lord and my God!" 

                                                  (John 20:24-28)

Thomas had listened to Jesus for years, but he became disillusioned and angry when he was ‘left out’ or so he probably thought.  After that, he had to touch the scars but the result was sudden and lifelong.

 

Then Saul, still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest

and asked letters from him to the synagogues of Damascus, so that if he found any who were of the Way, whether men or women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem.

As he journeyed, he came near Damascus, and suddenly a light shone around him from heaven.

Then he fell to the ground, and heard a voice saying to him, "Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?"

And he said, "Who are You, Lord?" Then the Lord said, "I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. It [is] hard for you to kick against the goads."

So, he, trembling and astonished, said, "Lord, what do You want me to do?" Then the Lord [said] to him, "Arise and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do."                                                                                                  (Acts 9:1-6)

Saul, later called the Apostle Paul, was an outright enemy of Jesus and everything He stood for.  He persecuted the first believers ardently until the light of Christ knocked him to the ground and empowered him to see the Lord in His glory.  In Paul’s own account, he says,

 

“Now it happened, as I journeyed and came near Damascus at about noon, suddenly a great light from heaven shone around me.”       

                                                           (Acts 22:6)

Now, it may not happen to you exactly the way it did for these guys.  But the truth is that until the Holy Spirit empowers you to desire, recognize and receive Jesus, you will at best be religious.  But don’t fret – you can ask for that empowering!

 

“If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him!”                                                                                                                                        (Luke 11:13)

Jesus told Nicodemus, the ‘teacher of Israel’ about this suddenness:

 

Jesus answered and said to him, "Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God."

Nicodemus said to Him, "How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother's womb and be born?"

Jesus answered, "Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.

"That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.                                                                                                                                                             (John 3:3-6)

Now, “born again” is literally, “procreated from on high” and though procreation itself is not necessarily sudden, the final part which we call birth is sudden. 

 

So, why all this focus on suddenness?  Is that really the big deal?  No, it’s just that God wants our attention. Spiritual growth is not sudden but rather requires patience, but the pre-requisite spiritual birth is. You see, the big deal is the change, the new life, the new creature, the new relationship with God. 

 

And we who believe should be aware that something very sudden is on the horizon for many if not most of us:

 

Behold, I tell you a mystery: We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed--in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. 

                                        (1 Corinthians 15:51,52)

Yes, spiritual birth brings spiritual change, and the day is coming in which Christ will complete the change to include all our being – soul, spirit and body!  Hallelujah!

 

 

 

The Invitation

 

So, in my last post, I concluded with the invitation of John 14:6.  That’s because it is Jesus Himself, the Way, the Truth and the Life, Who lives in all of us who are saved graciously.  And as a consequence, we are His church, His bride.  He loves us purely and eternally, and we love Him.

 

Now you may attend a religious institution periodically or regularly or you may work in some fashion to help those who do, and you may think I’m ‘down’ on these institutions.  Not so.  If you are born again, we are all part of His family and my heartfelt desire is for all of us to intimately relate to our Lord, to know His heart and voice, to grow and revel in His presence together. 

 

We must learn to abide in Him, submit to Him, not week by week or day by day, not even hour by hour but moment by moment.  His life is not on-again, off-again.  His life, His Spirit, does not share you with the world. This is the danger of religion.  When we gather, He is in our midst, individually and corporately.  Buildings, denominations, liturgies, are irrelevant – not necessarily bad, just irrelevant and they can get in the way of the learning. 

 

We need each other and we need to gather but we need to know Him more than anything else.

 

You can think of the invitation like this – God’s Spirit brings us to the Way and in this Way we learn and come to understand the Truth, but what He wants is to bring us fully into His Life, His perfect, pure, eternal Life that is in His Father, Himself and His Spirit.

 

So, the compromise with the world that we call religion, is, as you can see, a poor substitute, stuck within the confines of the compromise.  As believers, we need to enter and abide in Jesus.  He is real, He is uncompromising, He is Himself the Invitation and the only way to relationship with God.

 

 

The Great Compromise

 

I’m convinced that one of the reasons the Church as a whole today is so ‘shallow spiritually’ is because we have compromised with the world on the whole notion of ecclesia (ekklesia).  Our “churches” are trapped in this routine, this compromise.  Pastors are trained to maintain the compromise rather than to pastor.  They learn to speak to a crowd and manage the business.  Worship is emotional entertainment that may elate but is focused on the worshipers and not the One worshipped. 

 

The whole way ‘church’ is practiced today is evidence that we don’t even recognize the compromise and that we are blind to the possibility of anything other than the compromise.  Author Chip Brogden penned some thoughts that echo my own.  Presented below are parts of his essay "Escape from Churchianity".

                                           ____________________________________________________________

 

An intellectual Christianity is what Organized Religion brings. It cannot impart Life. What do I mean by an intellectual Christianity? It is the ABC Gospel. Perhaps you have heard it. Salvation is obtained in three easy steps: “A” stands for “admit you are a sinner”; “B” stands for “believe on the Lord Jesus to save you”; and “C” stands for “confess Jesus as your personal Savior.” What is wrong with that? Simply this: there is no Life there. “ABC” will not save us. With “ABC” there is no encounter with Jesus, Who alone is Life. There is only an intellectual acceptance and affirmation of what is presented as “Three Easy Steps”. I believe this, I say that, and that makes me a Christian, right? No, it just makes you religious. There are many people who “get religion”, but they don’t get Jesus.

 

Organized Religion can bring doctrine, teaching, and belief. Some of it may be morally excellent and good. Some of it may even sound Biblical, like “Three Easy Steps”. Nevertheless, Organized Religion cannot impart Life. Why? Because it has no Life to give. Jesus Christ is the Life. And Jesus does not live within the matrix of Organized Religion. 

 

The Church, the Lord’s Ekklesia, is the synthesis of individuals who have the Revelation of Jesus and have come to Him to receive Him as their Life. Here is where the confusion begins. We glibly use the term “church” to describe things which are not The Lord’s Ekklesia. A building devoted to religious meetings is called “the church”. Attending a religious meeting is called “going to church.” Hearing a good message or good music during the religious meeting is called “having church” (a popular tune says “crank up the music, let’s have church!”). Becoming a member of the non-profit organization which owns the building devoted to religious meetings is called “joining the church”. Taking responsibility as the founder or being voted in as the director of the non-profit organization which owns the building devoted to religious meetings is called “pastoring the church”. Making additions to the building devoted to religious meetings or to the membership list of the non-profit organization which owns the building is called “church growth”.

 

But the reality is that everything which makes up the Ekklesia is spiritual, and thus, it is invisible to the naked eye. It is non-corporeal. It cannot be measured by dollars and statistics.

 

 This invisible Life is the characteristic of the Ekklesia. When you can capture the wind in a bag then you can stuff Christians into a building and call it “church”.

 

So, from our vantage point here on earth, Organized Religion can be easily seen, felt, touched, experienced, quantified, denominated, characterized, categorized, analyzed, and explained. We can chart its progress and hang the data up on the wall, point to it and say yep, we’ve got this many million converts here, and this many million members there. Church growth is up (or down), we collected this many billions of dollars last year, and in relation to the rest of the world’s religions we rank number whatever. We’ve got this many thousands of churches in this part of the world, we have this many thousands of pastors and Christian workers, and we’ve translated the Bible into this many different languages.

 

Meanwhile, what drives the Real Church, the Ekklesia, is invisible, spiritual, ethereal, in the world but not of the world, hidden, veiled, hard to describe in terms we can understand.

 

If God would grant you a moment by His side and allow you a fleeting glance at His Church you would at once understand what a pitiful substitute we have in Organized Religion. There is no vanity so deep as religious vanity, nothing more sickening and diametrically opposed to the heart and ultimate purpose of God.

 

And we who are in Christ Jesus ARE seated with Him in heavenly places (Ephesians 2:6).

                             ____________________________________________________________

 

In his book Mere Christianity, author C.S. Lewis wrote: “…the Church exists for nothing else but to draw (humankind) into Christ, to make them little Christs. If they are not doing that, all the cathedrals, clergy, missions, sermons, even the Bible itself, are simply a waste of time.”

 

Christ loves His Church relentlessly.  When He said, “I am the way, the truth and the life” He referred to His infinite and eternal being and offered it as an invitation.  Don’t be trapped in the compromise of churchianity; live in the moment by moment vitality of life in, with, through our mighty Savior.

 

 

What's In It for Me?

 

And when Jesus saw that he became very sorrowful, He said, "How hard it is for those who have riches to enter the kingdom of God!

"For it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God."

And those who heard it said, "Who then can be saved?"

But He said, "The things which are impossible with men are possible with God."

Then Peter said, "See, we have left all and followed You."                                        (Luke 18:24-28)

A rich man, intrigued by Jesus, asked what he could do to ‘get into heaven’.  He was confident in his moral conduct and told Christ as much.  But Jesus gave him a challenge –

 

“You still lack one thing. Sell all that you have and distribute to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me.”    (Luke 18:22)

This was a curve-ball, in the strike zone, that the seeker couldn’t hit.  He shuffled away, or so I imagine, sorrowful.  This is where we have picked up.  Jesus followed up with those who could hear with the camel statement making it clear that riches are a hindrance to entering the kingdom of God, a seemingly impossible hindrance.

 

And a whole lot of sermons, good teachings, have launched off from this.  But again, I want to look at a different aspect of the event.  To the Jewish mind of the time, being rich and successful meant the best seats in the synagogue, shoulder-rubbing with the religious elite, and virtually guaranteed hearty welcome at heaven’s door.

 

Peter, and presumably the rest of the disciples, were shaken.  They exclaimed, "Who then can be saved?"

 

Jesus answered with a truism that no Jew would dispute, "The things which are impossible with men are possible with God."  But this was utterly insufficient for Peter; he seemed to be focused, along with the rest of the disciples, upon the fact that they were just not seeing what they expected to see, what the hoped to see, from the Messiah. 

 

They loved Jesus and they wanted heaven, but if even the rich were kind of going hitless (pardon my baseball analogies) and they themselves were basically penniless – well:

 

Then Peter said, "See, we have left all and followed You."            

The unspoken but clear implication was, “So then, what’s in it for us??” 

 

Now, Jesus knew his heart.  These guys were thinking about the expected riches and positions of importance in the Messiah’s new kingdom.  But Christ graciously promised:

 

"Assuredly, I say to you, there is no one who has left house or parents or brothers or wife or children, for the sake of the kingdom of God, who shall not receive many times more in this present time, and in the age to come eternal life."                                                                              (Luke 18:29,30)

So, we cannot help but think that this promise must have refocused them on Christ and His mission.  But that does not appear to be the case.  Just following this “What’s in it for me?” questioning, Jesus tells them what’s coming, what to expect:

 

Then He took the twelve aside and said to them, "Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem, and all things that are written by the prophets concerning the Son of Man will be accomplished.

"For He will be delivered to the Gentiles and will be mocked and insulted and spit upon.

"They will scourge [Him] and kill Him. And the third day He will rise again."

                                                     (Luke 18:31-33)

Wow!  If the camel-needle talk alarmed them, this forecast surely brought a freak-out, right?  Nope. 

 

But they understood none of these things; this saying was hidden from them, and they did not know the things which were spoken.          (Luke 18:34)

They were clueless.  I suggest that the ‘what’s in it for me’ mindset, which pollutes every human mind, caused them to miss it.  They were blinded by their own self-focus.  And this blindness continued even through the crucifixion.

 

This so common among believers today as well – people in the pulpit and people in the pews.  Sincere followers, but who are expecting something other than that which Jesus promised:

 

Then Jesus said to His disciples, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me.”        (Matthew 16:24)

Today’s Churchianity is all about pleasing the ‘what’s in it for me?’ perspective.  It is self-focused. 

 

The disciples needed to see Christ crucified, resurrected, and to receive the Holy Spirit in order to start understanding; Thomas had to touch the scars.  We all need the same thing spiritually.  As long as we keep asking “What’s in it for Me?” rather than “What’s Your Will, Lord?” we won’t understand the beauty and wisdom of our God.

 

 

A Thought on Thanks

 

Then as He entered a certain village, there met Him ten men who were lepers, who stood afar off.

And they lifted up [their] voices and said, "Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!"

So, when He saw [them], He said to them, "Go, show yourselves to the priests." And so it was that as they went, they were cleansed.

And one of them, when he saw that he was healed, returned, and with a loud voice glorified God, and fell down on [his] face at His feet, giving Him thanks. And he was a Samaritan.

So, Jesus answered and said, "Were there not ten cleansed? But where [are] the nine?

"Were there not any found who returned to give glory to God except this foreigner?"

And He said to him, "Arise, go your way. Your faith has made you well."                                                

                                                                                                                                 (Luke 17:12-19)

 

I was raised in a ‘different time’.  I was taught to always show appreciation for others kindness and that’s the way I raised my own kids.  Now, there are still people who have this ethic but increasingly I hear from others that this thankfulness is not so common anymore.

 

In Jesus’ day, if you had leprosy, you were treated as a non-person.  You were shunned and despised.  Of course, there was no cure so as your disease progressed, your body rotted away and became terribly disfigured, and you mostly hid from the rest of the world.  It’s hard to conceive of just how horrible your life would have been.  Perhaps those children who are sold into sex slavery and the endless horrors therein could relate.  My heart breaks for them.

 

Now, none of Christ’s encounters were by chance.  He headed through Samaria for a reason, and it may have been to meet this small group of desperate people plagued with leprosy.   As I read the above verses this morning, the part that caught my attention was, “And so it was that as they went, they were cleansed.”  It was a test of their faith and a testimony to the priest(s).

 

I wondered; did it happen suddenly or gradually?  Did it happen to one and then another and another or to all of them simultaneously?  Did they shout for joy or cry?  Did they dance together or run off in different directions?  Did some just sit down and pray?

 

There was only one of them that came back to thank Jesus.  What does that say?  Christ was clearly surprised and probably disappointed. 

I suspect that few of us have had to deal with this plague of leprosy but many of us, myself included, deal with the plague of indifference to God’s goodness at times. 

 

Now, and I’m sure you’ve seen this for yourself, indifference to God’s goodness is sometimes accompanied by a sense of prideful entitlement.  Perhaps it’s just the natural regression of the ‘disease’.  Sick minds and dark hearts develop when people are unthankful.

 

For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness,… because, although they knew God, they did not glorify [Him] as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened.                                                                                                       (Romans 1:18,21)

But thankfulness is the natural condition of the hearts filled with God’s Spirit.   The Psalmist declared:

 

To the end that [my] glory may sing praise to You and not be silent. O LORD my God, I will give thanks to You forever.                                              (Psalm 30:12)

Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, [And] into His courts with praise. Be thankful to Him, [and] bless His name.                             

                                                   (Psalm 100:4)

Speaking of Christ, the apostle Paul wrote:

 

Thanks [be] to God for His indescribable gift! 

 

                                      (2 Corinthians 9:15)

 

And in the midst of God’s judgements upon devil-ruled planet we call earth, the twenty-four elders in heaven who sat before God on their thrones fell on their faces and worshiped God,

 

saying: "We give You thanks, O Lord God Almighty, The One who is and who was and who is to come, Because You have taken Your great power and reigned.                                                                                                        (Revelation 11:17)

And speaking of heaven, those closest in proximity to God are continually offering heartfelt worship

 

saying:
“Amen! Blessing and glory and wisdom,
Thanksgiving and honor and power and might,
Be to our God forever and ever.
Amen.”                                                                                                                      (Revelation 7:12)

 

You see, the disease of indifference is born out of pride, the pride that all dark hearts are controlled by, and even enlightened hearts have to continually overcome by trusting in God’s grace and goodness.

 

As we have read, all ten lepers had the faith to be healed but only one welcomed God’s light into his heart and became thankful.  He was healed physically AND spiritually – I bet we’ll see him in heaven.

 

 

Where Are You From?

 

It is so sobering to think that you could be so mistaken in your assumptions as to believe that heaven’s door will be open to you and then you hear from Jesus, “I do not know you…”.  Then you step back and claim, “But we ate and drank in your presence…” all to no avail.

Here are the warning verses:

 

"When once the Master of the house has risen up and shut the door, and you begin to stand outside and knock at the door, saying, 'Lord, Lord, open for us,' and He will answer and say to you, 'I do not know you, where you are from,'

"then you will begin to say, 'We ate and drank in Your presence, and You taught in our streets.'

"But He will say, 'I tell you I do not know you, where you are from. Depart from Me, all you workers of iniquity.'                               

                                                                   (Luke 13:25-27)

 

I’ve taught many times from these scriptures about the need for us to know Jesus.  Not just know about Him but know Him. 

 

But there’s more, and Jesus mentions it twice for emphasis – “where you are from.”  This word where can refer to a place or to a condition or origin or source even author.  You see, where you are from spiritually, is directly related to whether or not Jesus knows you. 

 

If you are born again, by God’s Spirit, you are from Him.  He is your origin or source.  He is your Father.  It’s not a matter of the condition of your flesh.  Jesus once told the Jews:

 

“You are of your father the devil, and the desires of your father you want to do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own resources, for he is a liar and the father of it.” 

                                                              (John 8:44)

They were so proud to be of the lineage of Abraham; so, this truly upended their world.  At heaven’s doorway, eating and drinking with Him didn’t make the cut; hearing his teaching didn’t do it either.  If He knows where you are from – your Source, your Origin, your Author even – then He could say, “I know you.” 

 

The Jews at the time truly thought their goodness, their guarantee of salvation was their flesh, their lineage.  But even Paul who claimed to be a super-Pharisee said,

 

“For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh) nothing good dwells;…”   

                                                                                                                                                  (Romans 7:18a)

 

Friend, if you are not sure that you are born again by faith in Jesus, do not continue with a false and deadly assumption of eternal life.  It’s all based on where you are from – who is your Father; not church attendance, not good deeds, not people you know.  Surrender your heart, your will to God’s Spirit.  Ask Him to forgive your sins, for the faith to always trust in Him.

Even Pontius Pilate knew how important this notion of origin was:

 

Therefore, when the chief priests and officers saw Him, they cried out, saying, "Crucify [Him], crucify [Him]!" Pilate said to them, "You take Him and crucify [Him], for I find no fault in Him."

The Jews answered him, "We have a law, and according to our law He ought to die, because He made Himself the Son of God."

Therefore, when Pilate heard that saying, he was the more afraid, and went again into the Praetorium, and said to Jesus, "Where are You from?" But Jesus gave him no answer. 

                                                            (John 19:6-9)

When you know you are from the Lord, you can know that He knows you.

 

 

 

Heaven's Lost and Found

 

“for the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost.”                                                                                 (Luke 19:10)

 

God ‘lost’ something many, many years ago.  Now, He always knew where it was and actually, He ‘let it go’ as an essential part of His grand plan.  As we consider the three parables Jesus taught concerning this, you may have always thought they were about evangelism but I’d like to see them afresh and with a desire to know our LORD.

 

I along with many others have used these lessons to teach about God’s patience, His desire to find the one who is lost and that’s all valid.  But we need to understand some things first – in each one, someone or something is lost and in each one someone searches or waits patiently to find what is lost.

 

The lost are you and me, and in fact, all of mankind.  The One who searches is Jesus.  Let’s look at each parable and consider the lesson(s).  First, there is a lost sheep.  Roaming the hills, searching for good pasture and clean water, a shepherd knew each of his flock and developed an attachment to them individually and as a group.  Now, Jesus said:

 

"What man of you, having a hundred sheep, if he loses one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the wilderness, and go after the one which is lost until he finds it?

"And when he has found [it], he lays [it] on his shoulders, rejoicing.

"And when he comes home, he calls together [his] friends and neighbors, saying to them, 'Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep which was lost!'

                                                                   (Luke 15:4-6)

So, he’s got 100 sheep, and one wanders off.  He leaves the 99 to go after the one who is lost but where does he leave them – in the wilderness.  His total focus is on the one.  Oh, he loves the 99 and presumably has an under-shepherd to care for them in the wilderness, but our lesson is that he is consumed with caring about the lost one.

 

And what does he do when he finds it?  Does he smack it with his rod or staff?  Does he kick it and yell, “You stupid sheep!”  No.  He carries it on his shoulders, absolutely delighted and he celebrates with friends. 

Jesus sums this tale up-

 

"I say to you that likewise there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine just persons who need no repentance.            

                                                             (Luke 15:7)

This story is about JOY, the joy in heaven.  And the joy, there, over one person repenting of his/her sins exceeds the joy over the faithful 99.  Why is that?  Hang with me – I’ll tell you why.

 

So, then Jesus follows with another parable:

 

"Or what woman, having ten silver coins, if she loses one coin, does not light a lamp, sweep the house, and search carefully until she finds [it]?

 

"And when she has found [it], she calls [her] friends and neighbors together, saying, 'Rejoice with me, for I have found the piece which I lost!'

 

"Likewise, I say to you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents." 

 

                                                          (Luke 15:8-10)

 

Now a shepherd with his sheep speaks of responsibility and caring while this woman and her coin(s) speaks of something valued.  She lights a lamp, sweeps the house and searches diligently.  Again, as with the first parable, when she finds the lost item, she rejoices with her friends.

 

And again, the repentance of one and the consequent joy in heaven is described.  Then, for the third time, Christ brings home the lesson with the well-known parable of the prodigal son:

 

Then He said: "A certain man had two sons.

"And the younger of them said to [his] father, 'Father, give me the portion of goods that falls [to me].' So he divided to them [his] livelihood.

"And not many days after, the younger son gathered all together, journeyed to a far country, and there wasted his possessions with prodigal living.

"But when he had spent all, there arose a severe famine in that land, and he began to be in want.

"Then he went and joined himself to a citizen of that country, and he sent him into his fields to feed swine.

"And he would gladly have filled his stomach with the pods that the swine ate, and no one gave him [anything].

"But when he came to himself, he said, 'How many of my father's hired servants have bread enough and to spare, and I perish with hunger!

'I will arise and go to my father, and will say to him, "Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you,

"and I am no longer worthy to be called your son. Make me like one of your hired servants." '

"And he arose and came to his father. But when he was still a great way off, his father saw him and had compassion, and ran and fell on his neck and kissed him.

"And the son said to him, 'Father, I have sinned against heaven and in your sight, and am no longer worthy to be called your son.'

"But the father said to his servants, 'Bring out the best robe and put [it] on him, and put a ring on his hand and sandals on [his] feet.

'And bring the fatted calf here and kill [it], and let us eat and be merry;

'for this my son was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.' And they began to be merry.  

                                                     (Luke 15:11-24)

This parable displays repentance, compassion, forgiveness and relationship.  Now, the first two tales gave us the perspective of the searcher – Jesus. This one shows us the familial perspectives of the lost son and the gracious father.  But in this parable, like the first two, there is rejoicing when the one lost is found.

 

And there is more to this story because there is someone who is not joyful:

 

"Now his older son was in the field. And as he came and drew near to the house, he heard music and dancing.

"So, he called one of the servants and asked what these things meant.

"And he said to him, 'Your brother has come, and because he has received him safe and sound, your father has killed the fatted calf.'

"But he was angry and would not go in. Therefore, his father came out and pleaded with him.

"So he answered and said to [his] father, 'Lo, these many years I have been serving you; I never transgressed your commandment at any time; and yet you never gave me a young goat, that I might make merry with my friends.

'But as soon as this son of yours came, who has devoured your livelihood with harlots, you killed the fatted calf for him.'

"And he said to him, 'Son, you are always with me, and all that I have is yours.

'It was right that we should make merry and be glad, for your brother was dead and is alive again, and was lost and is found.' "

                                                       (Luke 15:25-32)

While the whole household is dancing and joyful, there is still one sourpuss.  The other son who was angry because of self-righteousness.  He claims that he has never transgressed.  But his transgression, which is more serious than his brother’s prodigal living, is that he thinks he is worthy of his father’s grace.  This is the treachery of religion – it despises the father’s goodness and envies those with true relationship.

 

You see, the father’s all about demonstrating his profound love for the lost.  He doesn’t love the faithful but self-righteous son any less but the joy of heaven, the joy of the Lord is His redemption, His reconciliation because it show everyone His character.  Heaven rejoices more for the one lost who is then found because that ultimately demonstrates the gracious loving character of our God.  That is what makes heaven joyful for all of us who are there.

 

The faithful son could rejoice along with everyone else but chooses to be in a funk because his faithfulness he attributes to himself so he is stuck in funkville.

 

Friends, we need to get this down.  It’s all about our Lord – His goodness, His work, His will, His grace, His love, His mercy and forgiveness, all of it, everything!  It’s for Him, by Him, to Him and we get to join Him in joy if we recognize this.  Rejoice!

 

 

Faith That Doesn't Fit

 

We learn a lot about the character of God by watching how Jesus acted with those who didn’t fit in.  You have to realize that the Jewish society of His day was utterly steeped in the notion of who was considered ‘IN’ and the who was ‘OUT’ – who was accepted and privileged and who was not included, considered filthy or supremely insignificant. 

 

In Luke chapter seven we meet two people who were definitely on the outside; one a gentile soldier and the other a “sinful” woman.  It’s also an interesting setting, that is, Capernaum, for although Jesus did many miracles there, He also condemned the place (Matthew 11:23) for their lack of true repentance.

 

And a certain centurion's servant, who was dear to him, was sick and ready to die.  So, when he heard about Jesus, he sent elders of the Jews to Him, pleading with Him to come and heal his servant.                                                                                                                        (Luke 7:2,3)

A centurion was a Roman officer in charge of 100 soldiers.  If anyone was an outsider to Jewish society, it was a Roman, a gentile, and indeed a gentile who was a part of the oppressive army that dominated the nation. 

But this centurion, being very much attached to one who served him, when he heard about Jesus, sent some of the Jewish elders (the ‘IN’ crowd) to plead for Christ’s help.  Of course, this was more than a little unusual; it was amazingly unusual, mind-bogglingly unusual, even scary unusual.

 

And when they came to Jesus, they begged Him earnestly, saying that the one for whom He should do this was deserving,

"for he loves our nation, and has built us a synagogue."                                                                         (Luke 7:4,5)

Nevertheless, they genuinely implored Jesus on behalf of the officer noting that he was deserving and why.  Did they really believe it or were they scared that he could order his men to tear down the synagogue and more if rebuffed?  Can’t say.

 

And we should note that Jesus said on another occasion, to a gentile woman, begging for help for her child, that to help her would be inappropriate saying,

 

“It is not good to take the children's bread and throw it to the little dogs.”                                        (Matthew 15:26)  

 

Meaning that His mission and ministry was to the Jews, not the gentiles (not yet).

 

So, this request could easily have gone south, so to speak, but,

 

…Jesus went with them. And when He was already not far from the house, the centurion sent friends to Him, saying to Him, “Lord, do not trouble Yourself, for I am not worthy that You should enter under my roof.  Therefore, I did not even think myself worthy to come to You. But say the word, and my servant will be healed.  For I also am a man placed under authority, having soldiers under me. And I say to one, ‘Go,’ and he goes; and to another, ‘Come,’ and he comes; and to my servant, ‘Do this,’ and he does it.”                                                                                                                                                         ( Luke 7:6-8)

To say that this kind of behavior from a roman officer was unexpected would be an understatement;  it was amazingly unusual, mind-bogglingly unusual, even scary unusual.  But how did it affect Jesus?

 

When Jesus heard these things, He marveled at him and turned around and said to the crowd that followed Him, “I say to you, I have not found such great faith, not even in Israel!”                                                                                                                                                      (Luke 7:9)

There are only two occasions in all of the Bible that say Jesus marveled.  This is one.  Christ marveled at great faith from an “OUTsider” and as a result:

 

…those who were sent, returning to the house, found the servant well who had been sick.                                                                                                                                                                                           (Luke 7:10)

And then there was another occasion in which Jesus dealt with “OUTsider” who was actually  inside a Pharisee’s home.

 

Then one of the Pharisees asked Him to eat with him. And He went to the Pharisee’s house and sat down to eat.

And behold, a woman in the city who was a sinner, when she knew that [Jesus] sat at the table in the Pharisee's house, brought an alabaster flask of fragrant oil,

and stood at His feet behind [Him] weeping; and she began to wash His feet with her tears and wiped [them] with the hair of her head; and she kissed His feet and anointed [them] with the fragrant oil.                                                                  (Luke 7:36-38)

Jesus was attractive, like a magnet, to OUTsiders.  Here, a woman who was morally repulsive to Simon the Pharisee entered his house at great risk and put on a display of love and humility that was amazingly unusual, mind-bogglingly unusual, even freakishly unusual. 

 

I’m inclined to believe that she did not go in intending to wash His feet with her tears but, on her knees, finding Him accepting of her, she broke forth in tears.  His love was unexpected, and she wept.  Then seeing that His feet were wet, she used what she had, her hair, to wipe them and she kissed them in humble admiration and thankfulness.  Then she used her costly fragrant oil on the spots that would soon be pierced with a stake to the cross.

 

Now when the Pharisee who had invited Him saw [this], he spoke to himself, saying, "This Man, if He were a prophet, would know who and what manner of woman [this is] who is touching Him, for she is a sinner."                                                                                                   (Luke 7:39)

The INsider was offended.  In his cold, hardened heart, he saw nothing to be impressed by.

 

And Jesus answered and said to him, "Simon, I have something to say to you." So he said, "Teacher, say it."

"There was a certain creditor who had two debtors. One owed five hundred denarii, and the other fifty.

"And when they had nothing with which to repay, he freely forgave them both. Tell Me, therefore, which of them will love him more?"

Simon answered and said, "I suppose the [one] whom he forgave more." And He said to him, "You have rightly judged."

Then He turned to the woman and said to Simon, "Do you see this woman? I entered your house; you gave Me no water for My feet, but she has washed My feet with her tears and wiped [them] with the hair of her head.

"You gave Me no kiss, but this woman has not ceased to kiss My feet since the time I came in.

"You did not anoint My head with oil, but this woman has anointed My feet with fragrant oil.                                                                                                                                                                                        (Luke 7:40-46)

The rudeness of the INsider was exposed.

 

"Therefore, I say to you, her sins, which [are] many, are forgiven, for she loved much. But to whom little is forgiven, [the same] loves little."

Then He said to her, "Your sins are forgiven.”                                                                                     (Luke 7:47, 48)

The faith of OUTsiders doesn’t fit in the established religious order.  INsiders only approve of other INsiders:

 

And those who sat at the table with Him (the other INsiders) began to say to themselves, “Who is this who even forgives sins?”

Then He said to the woman, “Your faith has saved you. Go in peace.”                                                (Luke 7:49,50)

The centurion’s faith made Jesus marvel and this  woman’s faith brought His blessing.  You see, Jesus is deeply affected by the unusual, crazy unusual faith of the OUTsiders and He responds to their need.  This is what we learn – religion is all about ‘coloring inside the lines’ while Jesus is all about real (even if unusual) faith and love.  The former does not displace the latter.

 

 

 

Doubting Has Consequences

 

But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind.                                                                       (James 1:6)

So much has been written about faith, but this verse is really about doubt and its consequences.  The one who doubts the Lord has himself no stability, no foundation.  He/she rises and falls over and over and is easily influenced by the “prince of the power of the air”:

 

And you [He made alive], who were dead in trespasses and sins, in which you once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience, among whom also we all once conducted ourselves in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, just as the others.                                                                                                                                      (Ephesians 2:1-3)

Let’s see what we can learn from some notable characters in the scripture who experienced doubting the Lord and the resulting consequences.  Of course, we all know about Adam and Eve because we all are living (or dying) with those consequences but let’s fast forward to Moses and Aaron.  In the book of Numbers we read:

 

Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying,

"Take the rod; you and your brother Aaron gather the congregation together. Speak to the rock before their eyes, and it will yield its water; thus you shall bring water for them out of the rock, and give drink to the congregation and their animals."

So Moses took the rod from before the LORD as He commanded him.

And Moses and Aaron gathered the assembly together before the rock; and he said to them, "Hear now, you rebels! Must we bring water for you out of this rock?"

Then Moses lifted his hand and struck the rock twice with his rod; and water came out abundantly, and the congregation and their animals drank.

Then the LORD spoke to Moses and Aaron, "Because you did not believe Me, to hallow Me in the eyes of the children of Israel, therefore you shall not bring this assembly into the land which I have given them."

                                                                 (Numbers 20:7 – 12)

Moses, in anger, doubted the Lord about speaking to the rock.  Instead, he hit it twice.  His anger caused him to doubt that just speaking to the rock would cause water to come forth.  You see, earlier, at Horeb, God had instructed him to hit the rock and the water that the people needed would come out.  There, he obeyed and the miracle occurred.

 

And his obedience had hallowed or honored the Lord because this event was indeed a picture of Christ, our Rock, being struck at God’s command on Calvary and spiritually out poured the gracious water of Life that we who believe in Him have received.

 

But this second time, Moses was supposed to speak to the Rock, just as we pray, for Christ suffered ONCE.

 

For Christ also suffered once for sins, the just for the unjust, that He might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive by the Spirit,                                                                                                 (1 Peter 3:18) 

So, Moses and Aaron blew it and dishonored God.  Of course, they probably did not understand the prophetic message that they messed up but that was secondary; their doubt and consequent disobedience was the primary issue and as a consequence, they both died on mountain tops before the people entered the promised land behind Joshua.

 

Wow.  Bummer.  Moses had labored for 40 years to bring his people across the Jordan.  But doubt has its consequences.  I’m speechless.

 

And speaking of speechless, let’s fast forward again to a dear old priest, Zacharias who after a lifetime of service as a priest was picked to burn incense to the Lord.  Now, he and his wife Elizabeth were quite elderly and childless.  This was a disappointment to be sure and a humiliation to Elizabeth.  However, it was God’s time, a time that the nation had waited for, and prayed for, for many hundreds of years.  It was Messiah time and time for His forerunner.

 

As Zacharias was going through his duty with the incense, a mighty angel appeared to him in the temple.  Here’s what transpired:

 

There was in the days of Herod, the king of Judea, a certain priest named Zacharias, of the division of Abijah. His wife [was] of the daughters of Aaron, and her name [was] Elizabeth.

And they were both righteous before God, walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless.

But they had no child, because Elizabeth was barren, and they were both well advanced in years.

So it was, that while he was serving as priest before God in the order of his division, according to the custom of the priesthood, his lot fell to burn incense when he went into the temple of the Lord.

And the whole multitude of the people was praying outside at the hour of incense.

Then an angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing on the right side of the altar of incense.

And when Zacharias saw [him], he was troubled, and fear fell upon him.

But the angel said to him, "Do not be afraid, Zacharias, for your prayer is heard; and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you shall call his name John.

And Zacharias said to the angel, "How shall I know this? For I am an old man, and my wife is well advanced in years."

And the angel answered and said to him, "I am Gabriel, who stands in the presence of God, and was sent to speak to you and bring you these glad tidings.

"But behold, you will be mute and not able to speak until the day these things take place, because you did not believe my words which will be fulfilled in their own time."                                                                                                 (Luke 1:5-13,18-20)

 

Wow.  Bummer.  Zacharias doubted God’s messenger and goes speechless for nine months.   Yes, doubt has its consequences.  Kind of gives you a sinking feeling, huh?

 

But lets fast forward again to a boisterous, confident fisherman, in his element – that is on the water.  Peter and his cohorts were in their boat and the sea was rough.  Jesus had stayed behind, or so they thought.  Suddenly, they saw someone WALKING ON THE WATER.

 

Here’s the story:

 

Now in the fourth watch of the night Jesus went to them, walking on the sea.

And when the disciples saw Him walking on the sea, they were troubled, saying, "It is a ghost!" And they cried out for fear.

But immediately Jesus spoke to them, saying, "Be of good cheer! It is I; do not be afraid."

And Peter answered Him and said, "Lord, if it is You, command me to come to You on the water."

So He said, "Come." And when Peter had come down out of the boat, he walked on the water to go to Jesus.

But when he saw that the wind [was] boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink he cried out, saying, "Lord, save me!"                                                                                                                         (Matthew 14:25-30)

Yes, Peter actually walked on the water.  He must have been elated, excited to the max.  But he took his eyes off Jesus, and being freaked out by the wind, he doubted and started to sink.

 

Wow.  Bummer.  It was miracle-day for Peter, but it turned into an extra helping of humble pie.  Doubt has its consequences.

 

But with God, consequences are not necessarily the end.  In fact, we often see Him showing amazing compassion and grace.  Consider Peter:

 

And immediately Jesus stretched out His hand and caught him, and said to him, “O you of little faith, why did you doubt?”                                                                                                                                  (Matthew 14:31)

Jesus did a one-arm curl and Peter was saved from drowning.

Consider Zacharias:

 

So, they made signs to his father--what he would have him called.

And he asked for a writing tablet, and wrote, saying, "His name is John." So, they all marveled.

Immediately his mouth was opened and his tongue [loosed], and he spoke, praising God.                                                                                                                                                                                             (Luke 1:62-64)

And furthermore:

… Zacharias was filled with the Holy Spirit, and prophesied, saying:

"Blessed [is] the Lord God of Israel, For He has visited and redeemed His people,

And has raised up a horn of salvation for us in the house of His servant David,… 

                                                             (Luke 1:67-69)      

And much more.

 

Zacharias named his son John just as the angel had instructed and suddenly, he could speak.  His son became the greatest of all the prophets and his own prophecy is one of the longest in the New Testament.

 

Consider Moses:

 

Moses actually did make it into the promised land – on the mount of transfiguration.

 

Now after six days Jesus took Peter, James, and John his brother, led them up on a high mountain by themselves; and He was transfigured before them. His face shone like the sun, and His clothes became as white as the light.

And behold, Moses and Elijah appeared to them, talking with Him.                                                (Matthew 17:1-3)

Isn’t God gracious! 

 

The point is, sure, doubting does have its consequences.  We should never ever doubt our Creator and Savior.  However, when our God deals with us, we can trust Him to be merciful and gracious when we repent. 

 

A friend of mine says unrighteousness is simply not trusting God.  I think he’s right.  Let’s repent, moment by moment if necessary, of our distrust and doubting our Father in heaven.  Remember:

 

If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.                                                                      (1 John 1:9)