 
A Moment With God – Year 5

Samuel R. Hall

Copyright 2018 By Samuel R. Hall

Smashwords Edition

ISBN:

Title: A Moment With God - Year 5

Author: Samuel R, Hall

Publisher: Smashwords, Inc.

All Scripture Quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the NIV (New International Version)

THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

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Dedication:

To My Lord, to my wife Tina, to my loving family. In memory of my father, Eugene S. Hall and my nephew Joseph W. Hall, my brother-in-law Justin D. Mikkelsen, my mother-in-law Olivene A. Mikkelsen and father-in-law Richard D. Fitts who preceded us to glory – the reunion will be wonderful!

## Table of Contents

Author's Note

Introduction

Son of David, Son of Man......01/02

The Good News: The Kingdom of God!......01/05

The Kingdom of God and Heaven......01/06

The Kingdom And Relationship With The King......01/07

The Poor In Spirit Receive The Kingdom......01/08

Clothed For The Wedding Feast......01/10

Kingdom Secrets......01/11

His Kingdom and Weeds......01/12

The Kingdom and Healing......01/14

The Kingdom Isn't About Rules......01/15

The Kingdom of God and Power & Authority......01/16

Being His Cloak......01/18

When Prayers Fail......01/25

That Which is Hidden......01/26

He Will Never Love Us Less!......01/29

Disappointed? Change of Perspective.........01/31

Salt Us With Peace, Love and Unity......02/02

"Not One of Us"...... 02/03

Musings from the Night Watch / The Invitation of God......02/04

My Flow of Thought During Prayer......02/05

Our New Self, Hidden in Him......02/06

When Jesus Moves...His Will Is Accomplished......02/09

When the Lord Intends to Visit......02/11

Proclaim the Kingdom, Bring Nothing.........02/12

Just Ask, The Father Intends to Provide......02/13

The Kingdom Is A Gift We Have Been Given......02/14

The Fire is Kindled......02/15

Jesus Puts People First...... 02/17

New and Old / Wine, Cloth and Paradigms......02/18

The Impact of Effective Ministry......02/19

Thinking About and Seeking God......02/21

Lord, Visit Your People......02/22

Chosen, Loved and Delighted In!......02/23

The Gift of Faith In Action......02/24

Called, Prepared, Prayed-In, Released......02/25

Our Motivation In Worship...... 02/26

Why Are We Worried About Bread?...... 02/27

Use Your Gifts To Serve Others......02/28

Are We An Amos or Jonah?...... 03/01

Dealing With Our Hearts and Minds - Worship and Belief......03/02

Greatness In The Kingdom & Children's Ministry......03/03

The Proof Of The Pudding Is IN The Eating...... 03/04

Relying On The Lord To Confirm Their Words.........03/05

Power For Change - Our Response To Miracles......03/06

Morning Interaction With The Lord......03/08

Faith To Persevere When The Lord Doesn't Seem To Respond......03/09

Our Name, Identity and Purpose in Him...... 03/10

A Love Letter From God...... 03/11

Threatened By The Miraculous......03/12

Sin, Sickness, Thoughts and Beliefs...... 03/13

Today IS A New Day!......03/14

The Gifts Are For The Common Good.......03/16

Healed, Transformed, and Saved......03/17

Revealing the Father......03/18

Of Sin, Righteousness and Judgment (John 16)......03/19

If You Are Thirsty, Come......... 03/20

Heaven's Reality On Earth......03/21

God Our Healer......03/25

Imparting Spiritual Gifts......03/26

"Be With Me Where I Am".....03/27

Dealing With Regrets......03/29

The Father Qualifies Us!......03/30

React or Respond......03/31

It Is Finished......04/03

When Hopes Are Dead And God Is Silent......04/04

The Resurrection - Proof Jesus Was Victorious!......04/05

Trusting In The Goodness Of God......04/06

Service With A Smile......04/08

A Place of Rest, Realization, Revelation and Relationship......04/09

Compassion For The Lost.....04/10

Hearing The Lord......04/11

Releasing The Light......04/13

Hearing The Word And Doing It......04/14

The Right Place At The Right Time......04/15

Can God Use Sinners?......04/16

When God Looks At Us, What Does He See?......04/17

Today Is The Day Of The Lord's Favor!......04/18

Living A Life Of Favor......04/23

Favor And Upgrades!......04/23

Reflections On The Greatness Of God.......04/24

The Way IS Open, The Sacrifice Has Been Made!......04/25

God's Awesome Love......04/26

Loving And Serving The Body Of Christ......04/30

Love Is Foundational......05/01

Glorifying God In Our Normal Lives......05/02

The Lord IS Good!......05/05

New Clothes, Gold, Healing And The Throne!......05/10

Our Value To The Lord!......05/11

An Interesting Thought...I Wonder?......05/13

Love and Compassion - Jesus' Mindset...... 05/15

Prophetic Voices And Their Fruit......05/17

The "Power" Of The Holy Spirit......05/18

Make Way For The THEN.........05/19

Love That Is Sincere / In Action And Truth......05/20

Sinners and Lost Sheep......05/21

Prayer and Responsibility......05/23

Our Invitation Is Here Now!......05/24

Cover Ourselves With Love......05/26

Pray AND Love......05/27

Believe, Love And Live......05/28

Our Identity And Nationality In Christ......05/29

The Future Of The Kingdom......05/30

The Importance of Eschatology......05/31

Knowing The Father And Glorifying Him......06/02

Stepping Into God's Purposes......06/03

Living An Uncommon Life......06/06

To Know God More.........06/07

What Is Eternal Life?......06/08

ALL Are Justified Freely...Really Good News!......06/09

Obedience Over Popularity......06/10

Stepping Into God's Love And Favor!......06/14

Today Is A New Day...There Is Always More!......06/15

Extended Kindness And Love / And The Gospel......06/17

No Penalty For Staying Behind......06/18

God Is In Love, Not Angry!......06/19

Living A Life Of Significance And Purpose!......06/21

Representing The King......06/22

The Humility Of Christ......06/24

God IS Light!......06/25

The One Body Of Christ......06/26

I AM the Light Of The World (John 9:5)......06/27

Finished And Paid!......06/28

Embracing Trials......06/29

Following The Lord......07/01

Reminded Whose We Are: The Lord's......07/02

Standing Against Fear and Intimidation......07/03

Reflections On Sin......07/06

The Barren Fig Tree......07/08

The Gospel of Grace!......07/09

Preserved Through The Storm......07/10

Mercy, For the Sake of His Name......07/12

When The Church Is Attacked......07/13

More On Sin......07/14

Does Sin Lead To Punishment?......07/15

Thoughts on Prophecies of Judgment......07/16

Seeing Jesus, We See the Father......07/18

Comfort and Suffering......07/19

The Unrelenting Love of God!......07/20

God Isn't Human......07/21

The Kingdom Within......07/23

Prayer, Perseverance and Faith......07/24

Practical Wisdom From Paul......07/25

Working Out Our Salvation? (Phil. 2:12)......07/27

Pressing Forward To Know Jesus......07/30

Reflecting on God's Love and Faithfulness......07/30

Grace and Peace: Awesome Gifts from God!......07/31

The Path to Peace......08/01

Do I Believe God Loves Me?......08/02

How Should I Live If He Loves Me? Part 1......08/03

How Should I Live If He Loves Me? (Part 2)......08/08

How Should I Live If He Loves Me? (Part 3)......08/10

How Should I Live If He Loves Me? (Part 4)......08/11

Filled With Compassion, Pouring Forth Love......08/12

An Introduction That Is Life Changing......08/13

A Good Return on His Investment......08/15

When The King Comes...He Cleans and Restores!......08/16

Being the Lord's Bethany......08/17

To Know God = Eternal Life......08/18

Extending Mercy......08/19

Knowledge vs. Love......08/21

Changing Our Mindset - A Great Challenge......08/23

Accept One Another, As Christ Accepted You......08/26

Relationship Over Rules......08/26

He Is The Way, Demonstrates The Truth, and Invites Us to Share The Life.......08/27

Judgment and Humility......08/29

Of Love and First Things......08/31

Live By the Spirit, Not the Flesh......09/01

Walking Side by Side......09/03

Sowing and Goodness......09/08

He IS What We Need......09/09

Experiencing Mercy, Leads to Worship and Transformation......09/10

The Wave of Revival and the Response of Leaders......09/11

An Apology......09/13

Embracing Repentance......09/13

Suffering - A Different Perspective......09/14

My Life, In Short!......09/15

Our Thoughts - Standing Firm......09/17

Being Content In All Things......09/18

Don't Judge or Condemn, Rather Forgive and Give......09/20

Of Worry and Peace......09/21

The Old Covenant is Obsolete (Heb 8:13)......09/23

Wait For The Lord!......09/24

Of Sin and Selfishness.........09/25

His Harvest of Righteousness......09/26

The Signs Affirm the Truth!......09/30

Our Significance & Purpose......10/01

The Joy of Revelation......10/05

Proclaim the Kingdom!......10/07

Dealing With Frustration......10/08

Pursuing That Which Matters......10/11

Love God = Love One Another......10/13

10 Questions to Think On......10/16

Finishing His Work in Me - Help Needed......10/18

Our Posture Before the Lord......10/19

Believe In Yourself, In Him!......10/21

The Fruit of Repentance......10/23

My Dad - His Motivation and Legacy......10/31

Fruitfulness and The Kingdom......11/01

Of Death, Separation and Eternal Destiny......11/03

Seeking the Lord in the Midst of Pain......11/10

That Which Really Matters......11/11

My Heart's Condition & Finances......11/12

Wealth and Our Heart's Focus......11/16

A Love Note From Your Heavenly Father......11/18

Making Every Effort to Grow.........11/18

Yes, I Know You.........11/20

Dealing With Doubt......11/22

The Kingdom of God - Jesus' Foundational Message......11/23

Walking In The Light......11/30

Blessed Forgiveness......12/02

More on Sin, and God's Response......12/03

The Father's Heart Towards Sinners......12/05

Jesus Our Advocate and Propitiation......12/06

Living As Jesus Did.........12/07

Manifest Presence and Pageantry......12/09

Secure in Your Love......12/15

Revival Fire & God's Glorious Move......12/17

Power & Authority......12/18

Carrying God's Presence......12/21

Does Sin Cause Sickness?......12/23

God Moves in Unexpected Ways......12/24

Christmas Meditation......12/25

Water From the Rock......12/26

End Things

### Author's Note:

I am so blessed that you have taken time to even dip your toe into this book, my fifth volume which was authored over the course of the year 2015. These entries come directly from my time before the Lord, excerpts from my prayer journal. I pray they are encouraging, possibly enlightening, and hopefully they draw you deeper into relationship with Him.

I will take a moment to say that I am not a theologian, nor have I been formally trained in pastoral ministry. I am a husband and father, and I work in the telecommunications industry. I have worked in youth and men's ministry on and off through the years, but these journals do not come out of those times. I have been journaling and taking personal prayer, for the most part daily, since the early 1980s. I didn't always write as much nor have nearly as much time as I have now days. These journals reflect the daily interaction and conversations I have with the Lord. I have left the original dates of the entries as a date of reference, and possibly as a sign-post for you on a particular day.

As I normally take my prayer time early in the morning (5:15am is the rule these days) my mind is often not fully functioning, so my writing suffers. Also, as this is a prayer journal, often times my expressions to the Lord do not flow out in perfect English, but rather in the heart-felt language I normally speak, write or think. This being the case, I ask that you forgive my lapses of correct English and occasional fragment or run-on sentence, but I decided to leave them in, for I know the Lord doesn't mind. He is after my heart not my writing.

Finally, I ask your pardon for another slight of proper English, but throughout my journals I always try to capitalize You or He, or the variants when referring to the Lord. It is a form of respect I started many years ago when journaling by hand, and I find it a habit I choose not to break.

May God Bless you and reveal to you His intimate love for you and your significance to Him!

If you are interested in following the next book in the series as it is being written, my blog can be found at: http://amomentwithgod-srh.blogspot.com/.

Peace,

Sam

### Introduction – Establishing a Moment With God in Your Life

It is God's desire that we each have an intimate relationship with Him. John 17:21 I know it's amazing to think that God would want a relationship with you, but it is VERY true.

So the question is whether it is possible to have a real relationship with God? By real relationship, I mean talking, sharing, communicating - the same things that make up a normal human to human relationship. For a relationship to work there must be two-way communication and time together. I like to think that if God wants us to do something, He will provide the way.

History is full of people who talk about prayer time, prayer, quiet time, and their conversations with God. It is here that we find examples of how to have a relationship with God! For all of these people, you will generally find four things in common:

  1. They know how to quiet themselves

  2. They talk to God in their own words

  3. They read the Bible (God's written Word)

  4. They know how to listen and discern God's voice speaking into their lives at that moment

So how does one start all this? Simply develop these same four things in your life. Start simple, dedicate a little chunk of time and try these steps. Establish a moment with God in your daily life.

  1. Learn how to quiet yourself - turn off the TV, Computer, Cell-Phone, etc. Try to stop the constant flow of thoughts for just a few moments. It takes a little practice - but is worth it!

  2. Some people feel awkward praying to God in their own words, having been taught to pray in church by reciting rote prayers. Others feel weird talking to God at all. I like to think the conversation internally - imagining the words I would say. God can hear our thoughts, so that is just fine with Him. Whatever you do, God is not worried about how you might sound, or the words you might say - He wants to know what is on your heart!

  3. Start reading the Bible even a few minutes every day. When I started reading the Bible, I was in 9th grade and would read maybe a paragraph a night, right before going to bed. I would recommend starting with the Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke and John). One other technique I use is to just open the Bible and start reading. I am amazed at how often what I read is directly related to something I just prayed to God about!

  4. Finally, learning how to discern God's voice, as He is speaking to you, is probably the most difficult. The good news is that God REALLY wants you to learn, and will help you. When I first started, I found God's voice pretty easy to pick out - it was almost like He was shouting. I would read from the Bible and a sentence would almost jump off the page, or I would silently pray something, and within a short period of time I would hear someone repeat my thoughts with an answer.

God is very capable of speaking, we just need to be aware that He is speaking. The more we practice the better we get. The Bible is full of God speaking to people, sometimes in dreams, sometimes visions, other times with an audible voice (I haven't had that experience yet), sometimes through other people, or often through His written Word. One thing that is very constant - God is always speaking!

A couple of encouragements:

  * Start simple and easy - maybe 5 Minutes a day

  * Don't give up, try to develop this into a habit

  * Don't think it has to be all spiritual, candles lit, darkened room, etc. I take my time with God in the morning, with a cup of coffee, sitting on the couch

  * The more time you take, the more you will want to spend - a relationship with God is live changing and life giving!

If you want a great resource to help you get started pick up Bob Sorge's book "Reset". It is available at  https://oasishouse.com/pages/reset-20-ways-to-a-consistent-prayer-life

God does want a real relationship with you!

Blessings! Sam

### Son of David, Son of Man

## 01-02

Yesterday morning I was reading through Luke 18 when a few verses caused me to stop and think. Here are the verses - Luke 18:35-38 NIV:

[35] "As Jesus approached Jericho, a blind man was sitting by the roadside begging. [36] When he heard the crowd going by, he asked what was happening. [37] They told him, "Jesus of Nazareth is passing by." [38] He called out, "Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!"

What caused me to stop was the fact that the Blind man was using a purely Messianic and Kingly title for Jesus. Jesus had time and time again chosen to not specifically say He was the Son of David, but rather the Son of Man. In fact, later in the Gospel, after His triumphal entry in Jerusalem, when the title was used freely by the people, He specifically addresses this title as follows - Luke 20:41-44 NIV: "Then Jesus said to them, "Why is it said that the Messiah is the son of David? [42] David himself declares in the Book of Psalms: " 'The Lord said to my Lord: "Sit at my right hand [43] until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet." ' [44] David calls him 'Lord.' How then can he be his son?"

The Baker's Evangelical Bible Dictionary has the following entry for "Son of David":

"Son of David. We can trace two lines of interpretation regarding the Son of David (Gk. hyios Dauid) in the Old Testament, one that draws attention to a direct successor during the united monarchy (2 Sam 7:12-16), and the other that applies the earlier promises to the coming of a future individual (Isa 9:6-7). Both are crucial to understanding the title for Jesus in the New Testament."

"Mention of the Son of David begins in the Old Testament with the oracle the prophet Nathan delivers to David (2 Sam 7:12-16). God promises David offspring to succeed him. God "will be his father, " and David's house and kingdom will be established forever. Numerous psalms highlight the same excitement over the continuation of the Davidic line (89:3-4; 110; 132). Even after the collapse of the united monarchy, the line of David remained significant for describing a future leader for the covenant people. Isaiah, for example, looks to the future for a child to be born who will reign on David's throne (9:6-7; cf. 55:3-4; Jer 23:5; Eze 34:2."

Baker's has this entry about "Son of Man":

"Son of Man. The term "Son of Man" occurs sixty-nine times in the Synoptic Gospels, thirteen times in John, and once in Acts. All but three occurrences come from the lips of Jesus. In John 12:34, the crowd, equating the Son of Man with eternal Messiah, was puzzled at Jesus' prediction that he would be "lifted up" and inquired about the identity of the Son of Man. The dying martyr Stephen said he saw "the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God" (Acts 7:56). Jesus frequently refers to the Son of Man in the third person, causing some to assume he was not speaking of himself. Nevertheless, the term seems to be not only a self-designation, but Jesus' favorite one."

And finally Baker's has this to say in summary of the terms and the way Jesus addressed His role:

"Jesus was in constant danger of being forced into limited or illegitimate messianic role (John 6:15). In response to Peter's confession (Mark 8:29-31) he accepted the title "Messiah, " equated it with Son of Man, and linked his work with that of the Suffering Servant. In the Judaism of Jesus' day "Messiah" was frequently understood as a political-military leader whose primary concern was for the welfare of Israel. Jesus' usage seems to be an extension of the portrayal of the Son of Man in Daniel and the intertestamental literature. With the term Jesus dissociated his nature and mission from purely earthly, nationalistic notions. He is a transcendent, preexistent person whose mission is primarily a spiritual one that originates in heaven and whose concern is with all peoples, nations, and languages."

It appears to me that there was an underlying belief among the people and the countryside that Jesus was the Messiah. This term, specifically, relates to the expected Kingly role that the Messiah would fulfill as prophesied by Nathan, and several psalms. Jesus, on the other hand, chose a term that more closely identified Him as a man who served all men. As I read this I immediately thought of Paul's letter to the Philippians 2:6-8 NIV:

[6] "Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; [7] rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. [8] And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death---even death on a cross!"

Personally, I find this a very interesting scenario, as we have Jesus, clearly the Messiah, the anointed one, the very Son of God, essentially refusing to let others title Him. Titles are so defining, and although they were all true, they also carry with them a set of expectations of behavior and role fulfillment. Jesus was so much more than what the Israelites were looking for in a Messiah, and I think that as such He knew that title would be defining and limiting. He was being sent to the chosen people, but also to all men. Being seen as just the Messiah of the Jews, would have made His sacrifice unacceptable to those who were not Jewish. Instead, Jesus embraced a lowly designation, "Son of Man" choosing instead to be identified with any, and all men. He specifically chose the humble title and the servant mentality it brings.

In our own lives and specifically within the church, we are always wanting to know titles, roles, etc. They are important for the understanding of our roles and responsibilities, and as such helpful. However, we must be careful to embrace only those that the Lord calls us, otherwise we are pursuing pride and vanity. We want to have the same mindset as Christ (Phil 2:5) and embrace humility, service and love for each other. It is possible to operate as a prophet without being titled a prophet, the same is true for any title or role. It is especially important that we do not allow others to assign us titles that are not in line with how the Lord sees us. It is probably good to just use the lowest term, the simplest designation. I have been to several conferences where the introduction of the individual is effusive and lengthy, I have also seen those that refer to themselves in puffed up and inaccurate ways. It is sad to see the church giving in to the worldly ideals of titles and roles and such. It is clearly good to honor those in leadership and authority, but it is also dangerous to allow such accolades to be the source from which we start to form our own opinion of ourselves. Oh, that we would take Jesus example to heart and choose instead to just be a 'son of man'.

###

### The Good News: The Kingdom of God!

## 01-05

This morning I felt like reading from Luke. I love reading from the Gospels, as I can't ever get enough of the life of Jesus. The verses for this morning are Luke 9:1-6, 10-11 NIV:

[1] "When Jesus had called the Twelve together, he gave them power and authority to drive out all demons and to cure diseases, [2] and he sent them out to proclaim the kingdom of God and to heal the sick. [3] He told them: "Take nothing for the journey---no staff, no bag, no bread, no money, no extra shirt. [4] Whatever house you enter, stay there until you leave that town. [5] If people do not welcome you, leave their town and shake the dust off your feet as a testimony against them." [6] So they set out and went from village to village, proclaiming the good news and healing people everywhere.

[10] When the apostles returned, they reported to Jesus what they had done. Then he took them with him and they withdrew by themselves to a town called Bethsaida, [11] but the crowds learned about it and followed him. He welcomed them and spoke to them about the kingdom of God, and healed those who needed healing."

I was struck by a couple of things when reading these passages. First, the theme of their proclamation was the Kingdom of God. This was their message, first and foremost. The rest of the charge given to the twelve was related to proving that the Kingdom of God was actually present through the healing of diseases and driving out all demons. This is a classic proclamation and demonstration model, and one we would be well counseled to follow. If you can't prove what you are saying by demonstration, the acceptance rate by your audience is very low.

Second, it was because Jesus gave them the power and authority to proclaim and prove what they were saying that the twelve were successful. As I read that, I thought about how Jesus would a have given them the power and authority. Based on John 20:22 where Jesus breathed on them and Luke 4:40 where Jesus laid His hands on the people and healed them, I believe that the transference of authority and power was accomplished in this same way. The twelve went out and ministered effectively, and thus were both convinced by the impartation they had received and by the results of their ministry.

I come back to this often, as one would expect that if we are called to continue to represent Jesus' ministry on the earth, called to proclaim the Good News of the Kingdom of God to the whole world (Mark 16:15-18), then the accompanying signs and proofs would also need to be available to us, as Jesus said they would. If we look at His early ministry, that is exactly what Jesus did - proclaim the good news of the Kingdom of God, then demonstrate the reality of His proclamation by casting out demons and healing every disease. Here is a description of His early ministry - Matthew 4:17, 23-24 NIV: "From that time on Jesus began to preach, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near." [23] Jesus went throughout Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom, and healing every disease and sickness among the people. [24] News about him spread all over Syria, and people brought to him all who were ill with various diseases, those suffering severe pain, the demon-possessed, those having seizures, and the paralyzed; and he healed them."

My prayer is that I, and all the church, would be equipped and empowered to continue this ministry of Jesus, proclaiming the Good News of the present reality of the Kingdom of God, and then demonstrating this reality with the authority and power of The Holy Spirit. Lord, help us to be strengthened and empowered to fulfill Your plan for us. We cannot possibly accomplish this on our own under our own power. We pray that You would breath on us and give us authority, power and the maturity to represent You correctly. We want to proclaim the Good News of the Kingdom of God, and back up that proclamation with proofs.

Amen!

### The Kingdom of God and Heaven

## 01-06

Yesterday morning the Lord reminded me of the importance of the Kingdom of God, namely that the coming of the Kingdom to earth was the primary Good News that Jesus proclaimed. In fact, one could say that other than speaking of the Father and revealing Him, that the Kingdom was Jesus' primary message. The authors of the Gospels use two different terms for the Kingdom, Matthew calls it the Kingdom of Heaven, and Mark, Luke and John and the rest of the epistles refer to the Kingdom as the Kingdom of God. The reality is that the coming of the Kingdom that Jesus announced is accurately described by both terms. It is both the Kingdom reign that God established in Heaven and that Kingdom was being established on earth.

Jesus began His ministry proclaiming the message of the Kingdom. In Matthew, Mark and Luke His first message was that the Kingdom of God had come near.

Matthew 4:17 NIV: "From that time on Jesus began to preach, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near."

Mark 1:14-15 NIV: "After John was put in prison, Jesus went into Galilee, proclaiming the good news of God. [15] "The time has come," he said. "The kingdom of God has come near. Repent and believe the good news!"

Luke 4:14-15, 43 NIV: "Jesus returned to Galilee in the power of the Spirit, and news about him spread through the whole countryside. [15] He was teaching in their synagogues, and everyone praised him. ...[43] But he said, "I must proclaim the good news of the kingdom of God to the other towns also, because that is why I was sent."

In the Book of Acts it is recorded what Jesus taught about during his last days on earth, after His resurrection. Acts 1:1-3 NIV: "In my former book, Theophilus, I wrote about all that Jesus began to do and to teach [2] until the day he was taken up to heaven, after giving instructions through the Holy Spirit to the apostles he had chosen. [3] After his suffering, he presented himself to them and gave many convincing proofs that he was alive. He appeared to them over a period of forty days and spoke about the kingdom of God."

So we have Jesus beginning and ending His earthly ministry on earth speaking about the Kingdom of God, thus one can conclude this message, and the reality of what He is saying, is of utmost importance. This message and the demonstration of this reality were the key components of the Good News as preached by the Apostles. We see two good examples in Acts.

Acts 8:12-13 NIV  
[12] "But when they believed Philip as he proclaimed the good news of the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women. [13] Simon himself believed and was baptized. And he followed Philip everywhere, astonished by the great signs and miracles he saw."

And at the very end of Acts it speaks about Paul's topic of teaching - Acts 28:30-31 NIV: "For two whole years Paul stayed there in his own rented house and welcomed all who came to see him. [31] He proclaimed the kingdom of God and taught about the Lord Jesus Christ---with all boldness and without hindrance!"

Paul spoke regularly about the Kingdom, and demonstrated the reality of it through signs and wonders and miracles. He understood and taught that the proclamation must be accompanied by power - 1 Corinthians 4:19-20 NIV: "But I will come to you very soon, if the Lord is willing, and then I will find out not only how these arrogant people are talking, but what power they have. [20] For the kingdom of God is not a matter of talk but of power."

The Greek word used by Paul in this verse is Dunamis with the following definition:

Definition  
1. strength power, ability  
a. inherent power, power residing in a thing by virtue of its nature, or which a person or thing exerts and puts forth  
b. power for performing miracles  
c. moral power and excellence of soul  
d. the power and influence which belong to riches and wealth  
e. power and resources arising from numbers  
f. power consisting in or resting upon armies, forces, hosts

This is clearly not the power of persuasive words, but rather power that can affect change. This power was coupled with the proclamation, because God is powerful, and His reign and sovereignty is achieved through His power. If we proclaim that His Kingdom is present, but are unable to demonstrate that reality, how do we know it exists, or is indeed present? When the Germans invaded countries in WW2, they used impressive demonstrations of power to prove that they were the new power, the new authority.

In the same way, Jesus came proclaiming the establishment of the Kingdom of God and Heaven here on earth, and proved it by the demonstrations of power and authority. He banished those things that were not allowed in God's Kingdom, namely sickness, disease and demons. Jesus was demonstrating that the Kingdom of God on earth had the same characteristics as the Kingdom of God in Heaven, and the authority of God was sovereign over all. He taught us to pray specifically that God's Kingdom would come and His will would be done on earth, just as it was in Heaven. (Matt 6:10)

While He operated in a geographical region, and generally within a specific people group, the Kingdom was not established over either, but rather was established inside of the people. Jesus spoke of this reality in Luke 17:20-21 NIV: "Once, on being asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come, Jesus replied, "The coming of the kingdom of God is not something that can be observed, [21] nor will people say, 'Here it is,' or 'There it is,' because the kingdom of God is in your midst (literally within you)."

So, in summary, the Kingdom of God is established on earth in us. It is demonstrated through the power and authority that is shared from the Father. Since His Kingdom on earth is like His Kingdom in Heaven, the demonstration of this is best accomplished through the demonstrations of the power and authority of God as they exist in Heaven, now come to earth. If we are to be bearers of this Kingdom, and share in the ministry of the proclamation of this good news, we must also be able to demonstrate the reality of the Kingdom. I, for one, will not settle for anything less than the fullness of the Good News as proclaimed and demonstrated by Jesus, and passed down to the apostles and the early church. Come Lord Jesus and help us!

### The Kingdom And Relationship With The King

## 01-07

This morning I was thinking more about the Kingdom of God, and the fact that one of the primary reasons Jesus came to earth was to reveal the Father. In essence, He was revealing the character of the King, for Kingdoms take on the character of the King. Jesus was the perfect representation of the Father, so what we see in Him, in His life, is what the Father is truly like. Bill Johnson says it this way, "Jesus is perfect theology".

The author of the letter to the Hebrews said this - [1] "In the past God spoke to our ancestors through the prophets at many times and in various ways, [2] but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom also he made the universe. [3] The Son is the radiance of God's glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word. After he had provided purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven." (Hebrews 1:1-3 NIV).

Jesus said it this way in John's Gospel - [6] "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. [7] If you really know me, you will know my Father as well. From now on, you do know him and have seen him." (John 14:6-7).

Thus, as we understand Jesus we understand the Father and we understand the character of the King, and His Kingdom as well. It is in knowing, in relationship, that we best understand and can grasp these truths. Religion would say that we can learn the character of the King and reflect His nature by following rules, but Jesus came to reveal the Father and reestablish our relationship with Him, and anything less than that is dealing in partial truths.

One of the only things that Jesus was really upset about while on the earth, at least as it is recorded in the Gospels, is the way the religious leaders of the day portrayed the character of the Father, through their lives and actions. In fact, I can't think of a single time where He was angry with those that were sinners or lost. Instead His harsh words were directed at the Pharisees who espoused 'religion' above all else. As a note, this religion is not related to worship of God, but rather is rules of men (Is 29:13). Jesus had several discourses against these 'teachers' and warned His followers against following them, for they kept people from entering the Kingdom. In Matthew 23:13, Jesus said: "Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You shut the door of the kingdom of heaven in people's faces. You yourselves do not enter, nor will you let those enter who are trying to."

Instead, Jesus showed us the Father, and His character, and invited us into relationship with Him. Everything Jesus did and said originated with the Father. Jesus said the following - [19]... "Very truly I tell you, the Son can do nothing by himself; he can do only what he sees his Father doing, because whatever the Father does the Son also does. [20] For the Father loves the Son and shows him all he does. Yes, and he will show him even greater works than these, so that you will be amazed." (John 5:19-20).

He desired us to be in relationship with Him and the Father - "that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me." (John 17:21). Later, John would write of the purpose of sharing the Gospel as such - "We proclaim to you what we have seen and heard, so that you also may have fellowship with us. And our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ." (1 John 1:3).

So, let us endeavor to enter into this fellowship with the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, that we might know them, their character, and thus understand their Kingdom. Let us dive into relationship rather than rules for living righteously, for those are only a shadow of the truth. It is only out of relationship that we have righteousness at all, that which Jesus extends to us.

### The Poor In Spirit Receive The Kingdom

## 01-08

This morning I thought I would go back and reread the Sermon on the Mount, for that is considered by many as the formative thought regarding the Kingdom, some even call it the Kingdom Declaration, akin to our Declaration on Independence. Jesus starts out speaking about the Kingdom - "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven." (Matthew 5:3 NIV).

David Guzick has the following to say about this verse in his commentary:

(3) "The foundation: poverty of spirit.

"Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven."

a. Blessed: Jesus promises blessing to His disciples, promising that the poor in spirit will be blessed. The idea behind the ancient Greek word for blessed is "happy," but in the truest, godly sense of the word, not in our modern sense of merely being comfortable or entertained at the moment.

b. The poor in spirit: This is not a man's confession that he is by nature insignificant, or personally without value, for that would be untrue. Instead, it is a confession that he is sinful and rebellious and utterly without moral virtues adequate to commend him to God.

c. The poor in spirit recognize that they have no spiritual "assets." They know they are spiritually bankrupt. With the word poor, Jesus uses the more severe term for poverty. It indicates someone who must beg for whatever they have or get.

i. Poverty of spirit cannot be artificially induced by self-hatred; it is brought about by the Holy Spirit and our response to His working in our hearts.

d. For theirs is the kingdom of heaven: Those who are poor in spirit, so poor they must beg, are rewarded. They receive the kingdom of heaven, and poverty of spirit is an absolute prerequisite for receiving the kingdom of heaven, because as long as we harbor illusions about our own spiritual resources we will never receive from God what we absolutely need to be saved.

e. The call to be poor in spirit is placed first for a reason, because it puts the following commands into perspective. They cannot be fulfilled by one's own strength, but only by a beggar's reliance on God's power."

From this point forward Jesus is speaking of the Kingdom. He makes it very clear that this is a spiritual kingdom, and its affects are initially internal. This is a kingdom that we must rely on Him to bring about, hence the call to recognize our own spiritual poverty. God will provide us everything we need to enter into, and fulfill our purpose in His Kingdom.

The message was also very important for the Jews, for they were expecting a national resurgence, and reestablishment of the Kingdom of Judah and Israel, like they experienced under David and Solomon. In fact, even after three years of Jesus teaching and trying to set expectations correctly, the apostles were still thinking worldly kingdom, right up to Jesus' Ascension, as described here in Acts 1:6 NIV: "Then they gathered around him and asked him, "Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel?" This idea of the natural Kingdom was so firmly ingrained that apparently it wasn't until after Pentecost and the outpouring of the Holy Spirit, to teach and guide them, that the Apostles and disciples finally understood the reality of the Kingdom of God, of which Jesus spoke.

Let us pray for understanding and insight as well, for in my opinion the church is not doing a good job, at least in America, of representing and expanding the Kingdom. Let us pray for poverty of spirit to come to us, for we NEED His Spirit, not our own efforts, ideas or natural abilities. His Kingdom is not founded on, nor dependent on any of those things. His Kingdom flows out of His own sovereignty, His own power, His own ability. We must recognize our own lack, and His abundance, and embrace this. When we do, then "theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven".

Amen!

### Clothed For The Wedding Feast

## 01-10

This morning I was thinking through some ideas about the Kingdom of God and found myself thinking about the parable of the Wedding Feast. One of the things that always bothered me was the one guy who showed up without the appropriate wedding garb. Here is the story as told by Jesus in Matthew 22:8-14 NIV:

[8]"Then he said to his servants, 'The wedding banquet is ready, but those I invited did not deserve to come. [9] So go to the street corners and invite to the banquet anyone you find.'

[10] So the servants went out into the streets and gathered all the people they could find, the bad as well as the good, and the wedding hall was filled with guests. [11] "But when the king came in to see the guests, he noticed a man there who was not wearing wedding clothes. [12] He asked, 'How did you get in here without wedding clothes, friend?' The man was speechless. [13] "Then the king told the attendants, 'Tie him hand and foot, and throw him outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.' [14] "For many are invited, but few are chosen."

As I was thinking about this story this morning, I realized that the issue was that this individual had refused the wedding clothes that had been prepared for him. All the others were appropriately garbed, and they had come from the same place that he had, and had been lately invited, yet they had the appropriate clothing. I was reminded of this verse from Isaiah as I was thinking this through:

Isaiah 61:10 NIV: "I delight greatly in the Lord; my soul rejoices in my God. For he has clothed me with garments of salvation and arrayed me in a robe of his righteousness, as a bridegroom adorns his head like a priest, and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels."

It was the King who provided both the invitation and the clothing, and all the man needed to do was accept both. This is symbolic of grace, and salvation through faith. God sent His son Jesus to pay for our sins, to extend salvation to all, and then invited us into relationship. We are called of His initiative, not because of something we have done, we are saved through His sacrifice, not through something we have accomplished. The wedding garb is symbolic of salvation through grace, of being clothed in the righteousness of Christ Jesus, and this man had refused the offer. Paul speaks about us being clothed in Christ is his letter to the Galatians 3:26-29 NIV: [26] "So in Christ Jesus you are all children of God through faith, [27] for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. [28] There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. [29] If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise."

Thus, the King was justified in His response, for He clearly symbolizes the Father who has given His greatest gift, the Son, that we might be clothed in salvation and righteousness. This man symbolizes, in his refusal to wear that which is provided and for which was paid the greatest cost, one who rejects the gift of salvation and righteousness available in Christ Jesus. One could say that he has preferred his own cloths (works) to those provided (grace). Oh Lord help us to rightly receive Your greatest gift, and recognize that it is not our works but through Your grace (unmerited favor, free gift) that we can partake.

###

### Kingdom Secrets

## 01-11

I am continuing my study of things related to the Kingdom of God, and this morning I felt like reading from Matthew 13:10-23 NIV:

[10] "The disciples came to him and asked, "Why do you speak to the people in parables?"

[11] He replied, "Because the knowledge of the secrets of the kingdom of heaven has been given to you, but not to them.

[12] Whoever has will be given more, and they will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what they have will be taken from them. [13] This is why I speak to them in parables: "Though seeing, they do not see; though hearing, they do not hear or understand. [14] In them is fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah: " 'You will be ever hearing but never understanding; you will be ever seeing but never perceiving. [15] For this people's heart has become calloused; they hardly hear with their ears, and they have closed their eyes. Otherwise they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their hearts and turn, and I would heal them.'

[16] But blessed are your eyes because they see, and your ears because they hear. [17] For truly I tell you, many prophets and righteous people longed to see what you see but did not see it, and to hear what you hear but did not hear it.

[18] "Listen then to what the parable of the sower means: [19] When anyone hears the message about the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what was sown in their heart. This is the seed sown along the path. [20] The seed falling on rocky ground refers to someone who hears the word and at once receives it with joy. [21] But since they have no root, they last only a fleeting time. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, they quickly fall away. [22] The seed falling among the thorns refers to someone who hears the word, but the worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth choke the word, making it unfruitful. [23] But the seed falling on good soil refers to someone who hears the word and understands it. This is the one who produces a crop, yielding a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown."

The key verses that caught my attention this morning were verses 11 and 19, this whole story is about the Kingdom of God. Jesus is speaking about the secrets of the Kingdom, and the parable is specifically a message about the Kingdom. When Jesus is explaining the parables, He is providing key insight into Kingdom realities.

In essence, His whole message is concerning the proclamation of the Kingdom, and our reception of it, having eyes to see and ears to hear, and not letting our hearts be callused so that we can respond. The message is about the Kingdom of God being present and being real. It is possible to either totally miss this message or to have this message produce an abundant blessing in our lives, and it depends on how we listen and respond.

How we listen and respond is affected by two things, time and pressure. The longer we hold onto the message about the Kingdom of God, the better the chance of it bearing fruit. Secondly, the more we embrace the reality of the Kingdom, the more we are able to resist the pressures of the world. This is such an important truth, for we want to live in a simple and logical world, and the Kingdom is Spiritual, and as such requires a different mindset to embrace it fully.

The rules of the Kingdom, and the operation of it flow along relational lines and we must learn to see ourselves with the right identities to fully embrace the message and become fruitful. Jesus says the one who hears and understands the message will be fruitful (Mt 13:23), and the Greek word that is translated 'understands' literally means to put together the pieces in one's mind. I like that image of taking the components of the message and putting them together in my mind. The primary components in this case relate to our identity (His sons and daughters), God's present sovereignty, and our ability to walk in His Authority, representing Him.

In the preceding days, Jesus had demonstrated His authority over demonically possessed (Matt 12:22), creative miracles (Matt 12:13), and had the Apostles demonstrate that His authority was transferrable by sending them out to heal, cast out demons, raise the dead, and cleanse lepers (Matt 10:8), and had called anyone who did the will of His Father in Heaven His brother, sister and mother (Matt 12:50). He had shown them His kingdom authority, and shown them that because of their relationship with Him, they too could minister with the same authority. The hearing and understanding is about this simple message, we become representatives of the Kingdom when we join ourselves to Him.

Thus, the secrets of the Kingdom that Jesus was revealing have to do with these same realities. We are called and invited to demonstrate to the world the reality of the Kingdom of God, and it all flows out of relationship with Him. Our fruitfulness will depend on our own understanding and embracing this reality, and mindset. Amen Lord, help us!

### His Kingdom and Weeds

## 01-12

I am continuing my reading from Matthew's Gospel. It seems the whole of the thirteenth chapter is about the Kingdom of God, and Jesus is speaking in parables about its characteristics and value. Again, the good news is about the Kingdom of God being established in their midst and was one of the core messages of Jesus, so it is worthwhile spending considerable time understanding His teachings about it.

This morning I am considering the other parable of the sower, Jesus' next teaching on the Kingdom - Matthew 13:24-30 NIV:

[24] "Jesus told them another parable: "The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field. [25] But while everyone was sleeping, his enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat, and went away. [26] When the wheat sprouted and formed heads, then the weeds also appeared.

[27] "The owner's servants came to him and said, 'Sir, didn't you sow good seed in your field? Where then did the weeds come from?'

[28] " 'An enemy did this,' he replied.

"The servants asked him, 'Do you want us to go and pull them up?'

[29] " 'No,' he answered, 'because while you are pulling the weeds, you may uproot the wheat with them. [30] Let both grow together until the harvest. At that time I will tell the harvesters: First collect the weeds and tie them in bundles to be burned; then gather the wheat and bring it into my barn.' "

This is such an interesting parable, for it is clearly demonstrates how unlike man God is. First, from a purely kingdom perspective, what King would ever knowingly allow His enemies' lies and false fruit to exist and grow in the same territory of His kingdom? Most earthly kingdoms are about territory and geography. The kingdoms have very specific boundaries and those borders are usually the focus of much discussion and even conflicts of force. Here the King cares more about the new little plants than He does about His borders or appearances of His kingdom. One would think that allowing the weeds to grow would seem to be weakness on the part of the King, but He chooses mercy over judgment. He was clearly not concerned about His ability to have a pure and fruitful harvest.

Secondly, what man would choose to wait until the harvest to separate or deal with the weeds? From a farming perspective, allowing the weeds to grow, means that resources that should be available to the good seed are being used by the weeds, this is one of the reasons that farmers pretreat for weeds then spray again once the plants are mature enough to deal with the weed-killer. The way to maximize the yield of the harvest is to minimize anything else growing in the same field, as early as possible. The King again chooses to trust in His seed's fruitfulness and in His ability to separate weeds from good seed at the harvest.

Finally, Jesus explains the parable as follows - Matthew 13:37-43 NIV:

[37] "He answered, "The one who sowed the good seed is the Son of Man. [38] The field is the world, and the good seed stands for the people of the kingdom. The weeds are the people of the evil one, [39] and the enemy who sows them is the devil. The harvest is the end of the age, and the harvesters are angels.

[40] "As the weeds are pulled up and burned in the fire, so it will be at the end of the age. [41] The Son of Man will send out his angels, and they will weed out of his kingdom everything that causes sin and all who do evil. [42] They will throw them into the blazing furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. [43] Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Whoever has ears, let them hear."

A few last thoughts, the Kingdom is clearly defined as being about people, not specific territory. This is one of the reasons the Jews, in general, couldn't grasp the message. They were looking for a national kingdom with territory, government and a King on earth, and the Kingdom of God is found in people. Jesus said the Kingdom is within us. Second, this is somewhat parallel to the story of Noah, except the promise is to not destroy the world or the people, but to bring them to a point of final judgment. Third, we see God's heart for people. He would rather allow confusion and misperception than bring judgement upon us all. He truly desires all to come to a point of fruitfulness (salvation). Fourth, the separation or judgment will be related to the fruit that is produced. It will be that which distinguishes wheat from weed. Finally, one thing that is unique here, and although not mentioned by Jesus, something we know to be true, namely that weeds can become wheat. It is a matter of faith and belief that causes a weed to become wheat, and as such allowing the weeds to grow all the way to the harvest provides the most merciful response to that which the enemy has sown in lies and deceit.

Lord, thank You for Your great mercy and Your absolute faith in Your ability to produce a bountiful harvest in and through our lives. I pray that You will continue to provide deep understanding of Your Kingdom realities in our lives.

### The Kingdom and Healing

## 01-14

So, this morning I am continuing to read from Matthew's Gospel. I came across an interesting set of verses, which demonstrate a significant reality about the Kingdom of God, namely that healing exists and occurs in the Kingdom of God, even without prayer, or the laying on of hands. Here are the verses -

Matthew 14:34-36 NIV:

[34] "When they had crossed over, they landed at Gennesaret. [35] And when the men of that place recognized Jesus, they sent word to all the surrounding country. People brought all their sick to him [36] and begged him to let the sick just touch the edge of his cloak, and all who touched it were healed."

I find these verses interesting because people were figuring out the reality of what the Kingdom of God brought to them. Proclaiming the Kingdom of God present, was one of Jesus' most significant messages and the demonstration of that included healing, miracles and the like. The idea being that if the Kingdom of God was present, then the authority of God was present, and His will would be accomplished. Jesus regularly demonstrated healing, and the people were grasping the idea that this healing was available to them in the Kingdom, as represented by Jesus, even without His direct involvement, simply touching His cloak was enough. At some point, likely after the woman touched his cloak and was healed as described in Matt 9:20-21, this became a widespread understanding as evidenced by the passages above. All the people had to do was touch His cloak, "and all who touched it were healed!" I find that simply amazing! Jesus doesn't pray for them or lay hands on them, or likely even look at them directly, yet they are healed.

As I was thinking about this a couple of interesting questions came to mind. First, did Jesus have to start wearing longer more flowing cloaks so that more people could touch his cloak? Did touching His cloak bring healing, even if He wasn't wearing it? Did Jesus have to speak about the Kingdom or proclaim it prior to the cloak touching? It's funny how quickly we can get caught up in the 'what if' scenarios, and suddenly find we have created some religious rules about this Kingdom reality. I could see a whole cloak touching ministry team, a rating system for effectiveness related to where on the cloak you touch, or what color the cloak was and how that relates to the effectiveness of the healing. We could get so caught up in this that we lose sight of the actual thing that Jesus and His Father were communicating, namely that in the Kingdom of God, healing is available to all, and it doesn't take some special intervention by God to occur.

In the early church, they would demonstrate this reality even further, and expand their understanding to include the sending of handkerchiefs and aprons - Acts 19:11-12 NIV: "God did extraordinary miracles through Paul, so that even handkerchiefs and aprons that had touched him were taken to the sick, and their illnesses were cured and the evil spirits left them." They even came to realize that this Kingdom reality didn't even require physical touch, as at some point the people realized that it only took the shadow crossing over someone for them to experience healing - Acts 5:12, 15-16 NIV: "The apostles performed many signs and wonders among the people... [15] As a result, people brought the sick into the streets and laid them on beds and mats so that at least Peter's shadow might fall on some of them as he passed by. [16] Crowds gathered also from the towns around Jerusalem, bringing their sick and those tormented by impure spirits, and all of them were healed."

For most of us this would probably really stretch our idea of how things are supposed to work. If we believe healing can occur, then it generally occurs when you bring the elders, have them anoint the sick person with oil and pray for them (James 5:14-15) and then maybe they receive healing. This whole shadow passing over someone or hankies and aprons being sent to a sick person would be seen as highly questionable and a bit "out-there" and practiced only by weird Christians. We don't really want to think about the fact this it was Peter and Paul who were practicing this stuff. We also might believe that it was only Peter or Paul that could do this type of stuff. Both perspectives are incorrect, for it wasn't Peter or Paul who had healing in them, but rather the reality of the Kingdom of God as proclaimed and demonstrated by them. This is the same Kingdom of God that is present today, and the reality of the Kingdom that was true back then is still true today, for clearly God has not changed nor has He lost any power or authority.

So, the question is why we don't see this demonstrated more widely in the Body of Christ? I can think of several reasons, but I think the primary reason is lack of faith and proclamation of the Kingdom of God. I am not pointing fingers, only calling for a revisiting of our thinking and understanding of the Kingdom of God, and what that really means. We need to proclaim the good news of the Kingdom of God and believe that the demonstration of that reality will occur, and continue pressing into that reality as described and demonstrated by Jesus and later by the Apostles, disciples and fellow Christians. We need to proclaim that Healing is one of the demonstrations of the Kingdom of God and it is available to all and does not require special interaction with God, it is freely available. Amen.

###

### The Kingdom Isn't About Rules

## 01-15

This morning I am back-tracking a little in Matthew's Gospel, starting in his twelfth chapter. Although still focused on the Kingdom, I am seeing a different twist this morning, more of a looking at what the Kingdom of God is not. Here are the verses I am considering - Matthew 12:1-2, 9-14 NIV:

[1] "At that time Jesus went through the grain fields on the Sabbath. His disciples were hungry and began to pick some heads of grain and eat them. [2] When the Pharisees saw this, they said to him, "Look! Your disciples are doing what is unlawful on the Sabbath."

[9] Going on from that place, he went into their synagogue, [10] and a man with a shriveled hand was there. Looking for a reason to bring charges against Jesus, they asked him, "Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath?"

[11] He said to them, "If any of you has a sheep and it falls into a pit on the Sabbath, will you not take hold of it and lift it out? [12] How much more valuable is a person than a sheep! Therefore, it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath."

[13] Then he said to the man, "Stretch out your hand." So he stretched it out and it was completely restored, just as sound as the other. [14] But the Pharisees went out and plotted how they might kill Jesus."

So the chapter starts out with a conflict over rules. I was thinking about how the Pharisees were really the keeper of the rules, under the law, and how Jesus comes along and basically thumbs His nose at many of the laws that the Pharisees were most concerned with upholding. Both conflicts described in these verses have to do with doing work on the Sabbath, a highly defined set of religious rules. The Pharisees had developed a complete list of what constituted work, and what didn't, so they could be sure they were righteous according to the Law. For an understanding of the modern Sabbath rules, please go to the following link:  http://www.chabad.org/library/article_cdo/aid/95907/jewish/The-Shabbat-Laws.htm/mobile/false

The actual command from the Law was to keep the Sabbath holy, and was the fourth and longest of the Ten Commandments. Here is the actual commandment from Deuteronomy 5:12-15 NIV:

[12] "Observe the Sabbath day by keeping it holy, as the Lord your God has commanded you. [13] Six days you shall labor and do all your work, [14] but the seventh day is a sabbath to the Lord your God. On it you shall not do any work, neither you, nor your son or daughter, nor your male or female servant, nor your ox, your donkey or any of your animals, nor any foreigner residing in your towns, so that your male and female servants may rest, as you do. [15] Remember that you were slaves in Egypt and that the Lord your God brought you out of there with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm. Therefore, the Lord your God has commanded you to observe the Sabbath day."

The commandment is quite clear about not working, and thus they had spent years defining exactly what work was, how many steps they could walk, etc. Jesus and His disciples were picking grain on the Sabbath, that was work (harvest) and thus not allowed. Jesus was demonstrating the Kingdom paradigm of relationship as the basis for the Kingdom and caring for His friends, and they were coming up against those who guarded the old paradigm of a rules-based understanding of the Kingdom of God.

Jesus must have just drove the Pharisees crazy because they set traps constantly and He just never fell into them. His perspective was completely different, and His answers were out-side the bounds of how they thought. They were all focused on rules and laws and such, and He was focused on the people. That is a really good Kingdom principle, "it's about people not rules". They were trying to trap him, and in both cases he uses the scripture and their own practices against them.

In the first example Jesus talks about the Priests and their requirement to "work" on the Sabbath. In the second, He uses their own escape clauses from their countless lists of what constituted work. While work on the Sabbath was outlawed, there were allowances for saving lives, crops and animals should something happen on a sabbath. God required your rest, but not that you lose possessions or money. However, healing for the sake of healing, when it wasn't life threatening clearly crossed over into being classified as work. What I think really irked the Pharisees is that Jesus didn't actually do any work - He apparently didn't touch the man, didn't say a prayer, didn't go through any healing ritual, He just had the man stretch out his arm, something that was completely allowable under the "work" definition. So even though Jesus addressed their concerns and proved them wrong in their thinking, He didn't even break the law. It must have drove them crazy.

Finally, the real conflict was that Jesus was proclaiming the Kingdom of God, something the Pharisees thought they understood completely, and as Jesus proclaimed and demonstrated it was radically different. This is a great example of a new wine skin, or a new paradigm (using modern language). The Pharisees were the experts on the old, and Jesus comes along and completely upsets their world and understanding. The Pharisees maintained their power because of their demonstrated knowledge of the Law, not because of power or authority. Jesus demonstrates that He has all three - power, authority and a better knowledge of the Law. He was directly confronting their power base, and defeating them at every turn. Rather than listen to what Jesus was saying and seeing what He was clearly demonstrating as definitions of the Kingdom, they refused any redefining, and chose instead to reject everything new. They could not transition from being rule-based to relationship-based in their thinking and thus failed to recognize who Jesus was and what He was proclaiming.

In our own lives we want to look at our own understanding of the covenant we are under, the precepts and realities of the Kingdom of God as demonstrated by Jesus, and make sure we are not stuck in a rules-based mindset. As I have written many times before, we are no longer under the old covenant, but are instead partakers in the new covenant established by Jesus. He fulfilled all the requirements of the Law (Old Covenant) and set us free from them. The new covenant is established by His blood, and we join ourselves to it when we accept the salvation that He has purchased for us. This is the message of grace, that we didn't earn it, rather that He did and He gives it freely to all. Since we didn't earn it, nor can we earn it, we do not focus on works (rules) of righteousness but rather on the One (relationship) who has given us this great gift of righteousness.

Amen. Help us Lord.

###

### The Kingdom of God and Power & Authority

## 01-16

I am continuing my dive into the Kingdom of God, and this morning I am still in the twelfth chapter of Matthew's Gospel. Jesus is discussing the fact that His acts prove that the Kingdom of God is present. Here are the verses \- Matthew 12:22-28 NIV:

[22] "Then they brought him a demon-possessed man who was blind and mute, and Jesus healed him, so that he could both talk and see. [23] All the people were astonished and said, "Could this be the Son of David?"

[24] But when the Pharisees heard this, they said, "It is only by Beelzebul, the prince of demons, that this fellow drives out demons."

[25] Jesus knew their thoughts and said to them, "Every kingdom divided against itself will be ruined, and every city or household divided against itself will not stand. [26] If Satan drives out Satan, he is divided against himself. How then can his kingdom stand? [27] And if I drive out demons by Beelzebul, by whom do your people drive them out? So then, they will be your judges. [28] But if it is by the Spirit of God that I drive out demons, then the kingdom of God has come upon you."

I like these verses because they show Jesus' own proving that the Kingdom of God exists by His own demonstration of authority over demonic powers. His ability to deliver the afflicted man into healing and freedom, proved that He had authority. Although not specifically mentioned here, most all the times we see Him dealing with demons, He commands them to come out and they must bow to His authority and respond accordingly (see Mark 1:25 or Mark 5:8 for examples).

The people understood authority and power, and Jesus was clearly demonstrating both in this case. He specifically tied His authority and power to the reality of the Kingdom of God. What He means in verse 28, is that the power and authority that He personally demonstrated came directly from the authority and power of the King (Father God) who He is representing. They were proof that the power and authority of the King, was greater than the demonic power He confronted.

Jesus described his greater power and authority by using an analogy as follows - Matthew 12:29 NIV: "Or again, how can anyone enter a strong man's house and carry off his possessions unless he first ties up the strong man? Then he can plunder his house." The only way to tie up a strong-man would be to over-power him, because you are more powerful. Jesus describes Himself as doing exactly that, but in this case the possessions are people that He is setting free. He (Jesus) is plundering the enemies house, setting people free, restoring them to freedom and health.

Lord, we look to Your continued demonstration of Your power and authority in our lives. Help us to faithfully represent You and Your kingdom reality in our lives.

### Being His Cloak

## 01-18

This morning, I was thinking about and praying for my nephew Joe who has terminal cancer, and was thinking about how we just need the presence of God or specifically the presence of His Kingdom to touch Joe, much in the same way the woman touched Jesus' cloak. As I was thinking about that I realized that in some ways that is what we are - Jesus' cloak (actually His Body but in this case, it is imagery that is helpful), and that I might have faith to be that. His Spirit clearly lives inside of me, in much the same way that His Spirit permeated His clothing.

Here is the story of the woman from Mark 5:24-34 NIV:

[24]"So Jesus went with him. A large crowd followed and pressed around him. [25] And a woman was there who had been subject to bleeding for twelve years. [26] She had suffered a great deal under the care of many doctors and had spent all she had, yet instead of getting better she grew worse. [27] When she heard about Jesus, she came up behind him in the crowd and touched his cloak, [28] because she thought, "If I just touch his clothes, I will be healed." [29] Immediately her bleeding stopped and she felt in her body that she was freed from her suffering.

[30] At once Jesus realized that power had gone out from him. He turned around in the crowd and asked, "Who touched my clothes?"

[31] "You see the people crowding against you," his disciples answered, "and yet you can ask, 'Who touched me?' "

[32] But Jesus kept looking around to see who had done it. [33] Then the woman, knowing what had happened to her, came and fell at his feet and, trembling with fear, told him the whole truth. [34] He said to her, "Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace and be freed from your suffering."

I was thinking about this story, and thought about the fact that Jesus, in His earthly ministry had laid down His divinity, emptying Himself to become fully man (Phil 2: 6-8), and that His healing ability came through the Power of the Holy Spirit, who was present on Him and in Him (Luke 3:21-22, Luke 4:1). It was the Holy Spirit that worked the will of the Father through Jesus, and Jesus was obedient to do what He saw the Father doing, as shown Him by the Holy Spirit.

Actually, as I am thinking about that, I just realized that Jesus teaching on the Holy Spirit was really based on His own experience. He was filled by the power of the Holy Spirit, and ministered out of the power of the Holy Spirit, as described by Luke 4:1, 14 NIV: "Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, left the Jordan and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness, [14] Jesus returned to Galilee in the power of the Spirit, and news about him spread through the whole countryside." His was a Holy Spirit led and empowered ministry. Thus, when He spoke about the role of the Holy Spirit in our lives, once He ascended to Heaven (John 14-16) He was speaking from His own personal experience. Anyway, not a major point, but one had I never thought of before, and one worthy of more thought and research.

Anyway, part of what got me thinking about this whole situation was the fact that Jesus was ministering as a man, and thus, although highly in tune with the Father and the Holy Spirit, He was not experiencing the same level of unity and oneness as He normally did as a part of the Trinity, as evidenced in this story. It was clear that the woman had some inspiration (in Spirit-ation) and the thought about touching Jesus cloak was not her own. I can almost see the Father and the Holy Spirit conspiring to surprise Jesus in this situation. He wasn't shown the woman, wasn't aware of her need, and even after the power went out from Him, not sure who she was (He might have been asking as a way for her to exercise her faith, but that is another topic).

I think the Father and Holy Spirit were just loving on the woman and having a little fun with Jesus at the same time. They purposely didn't make Him aware of what they were doing, and Jesus was apparently caught unaware. He was focused on the other situation (Jairus's daughter who was sick) and apparently distracted by the whole crowd of people following Him. He might have missed what the Father was doing with this woman who was suffering bleeding, but I think it is more likely she was hidden from His view and foreknowledge (for He clearly operated in all the fullness of all the gifts of the Holy Spirit) and that He was surprised by her healing.

His reaction, as recorded by Mark and Luke, shows that the sudden outflow of power caught His attention, and stopped Him. Here is Luke's recording of it - Luke 8:44-46 NIV: She came up behind him and touched the edge of his cloak, and immediately her bleeding stopped. [45] "Who touched me?" Jesus asked. When they all denied it, Peter said, "Master, the people are crowding and pressing against you." [46] But Jesus said, "Someone touched me; I know that power has gone out from me." The fact that everyone denied touching Him indicates some passage of time, as He scanned the crowd around Him. I can almost see the Father and the Holy Spirit, smiling at each other, having pulled a fast-one on Jesus. He was clearly not aware of who had touched Him and yet she had been healed completely. She had been inspired to get close and touch Him, having the thought placed into her mind by God, and when she did touch His cloak the Holy Spirit flowed out of Jesus to such an extent that He felt it and stopped. He wasn't angry, nor was he upset over the interruption, but He wanted to make sure to finish the deal, and speak life to the woman. He clearly wanted in on the fun, and wanted to bless the woman too.

Anyway, just a funny little perspective. The point here is that in the same way that the power of the Holy Spirit saturated Jesus so thoroughly that even His clothes were saturated. We have the same Holy Spirit in our bodies. We are much better vehicles and conduits for His presence and power than cloth could ever be, so we can assume and believe that we are the bearers of at least the same healing power and authority.

Lord, help us to turn to You, and entrust our lives to You and ask for Your presence to touch those who are sick around us.

###

### When Prayers Fail

## 01-25

This morning I thought I should read Matthew 17:14-20 NIV:

[14]"When they came to the crowd, a man approached Jesus and knelt before him. [15] "Lord, have mercy on my son," he said. "He has seizures and is suffering greatly. He often falls into the fire or into the water. [16] I brought him to your disciples, but they could not heal him."

[17] "You unbelieving and perverse generation," Jesus replied, "how long shall I stay with you? How long shall I put up with you? Bring the boy here to me." [18] Jesus rebuked the demon, and it came out of the boy, and he was healed at that moment.

[19] Then the disciples came to Jesus in private and asked, "Why couldn't we drive it out?"

[20] He replied, "Because you have so little faith. Truly I tell you, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there,' and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you." (some manuscripts add the following - "This kind can come out only by prayer. " - Mk 9:29)

I like these verses for a couple of reasons. First, this is the only time we see the disciples failing at healing someone (that I remember anyway). It is good to know that in their ministry they saw failure. I am not wishing failure on anyone, but only saying that their lack of success should help us to realize that when we pray and people don't get healed that is part of the learning process.

Second, Jesus points to the reason the boy wasn't healed initially, and it is because they had little faith. In Mark's version, Jesus calls it unbelief (Mk 9:19,23). Their initial failure was not the result of a lack of faith on the part of the person receiving prayer, nor was it a lack of power to heal in the Kingdom, nor was it because it wasn't God's will to heal this boy - all of which are commonly proclaimed as reasons people don't get healed when we pray.

Jesus laid the lack of power and faith/belief clearly on the people doing the praying and said it was due to their unbelief or little faith. So, let us correctly align our belief system with Jesus' demonstration and teaching here. When people don't get healed when we pray it is due to those of us who are praying. Also, we must not allow this failure to stop our ministering, but rather to drive us deeper into experience with the Lord, that our faith and belief would grow and mature.

If we look at the addition that is from Mark 9, Jesus gives us the prescription for growing in faith and belief - more prayer. Prayer is the relationship building communication that we are all needing. The result of prayer is understanding God's heart and mind (as much as we can) and having a pathway for communication. The more time we spend in prayer, actually communicating with the Lord rather than just rote recital of form prayers, the more we will be able to understand and discern His voice in all situations and circumstances. The more intimacy we have with the Lord, the more we will walk in His authority and power. Jesus demonstrated that His level of authority, due to His intimacy with the Father, and power flowing through Him by the Holy Spirit, was sufficient to vanquish the demonic source of this child's seizures. Because Jesus did heal the boy we also know that it was the Father's will all along to heal the boy, just the authority and power to do so were missing in the disciples.

Additionally, one of the early manuscripts adds fasting to Jesus' explanation of what was needed to drive out this type of spirit. So, looking at Jesus description of the lack being in the disciples, we can see that fasting is to help us change, not change God's mind, or cause Him to do something. Fasting is about getting things out of us and helping us to see ourselves more clearly. One of my favorite teachers, Bill Johnson, says that he hates fasting because it always brings out the worst in him. In other words, it is in fasting that he sees those things in him that are not of God, and understands more clearly the work that remains in his life as he endeavors to become like Christ. Fasting, for us, should have the same focus, not some sort of super-prayer that causes God to notice us, but rather a refining and purifying of our own lives that enables us to be more in touch with God.

Lastly, it is important to not take Jesus' words in verse 17 personally. It was to the teachers of the law (Pharisees) that Jesus was directing those words. In Mark's Gospel, He reports that there was an argument that was going on between the teachers of the law and the remaining disciples (Mark 9:14). They were clearly arguing about the disciple's inability to heal the boy, for that is what Jesus addresses and does. It is in private, not in public, that He speaks to the disciples and gives them instruction (see verses 19&20 above) not a rebuke. He was not rebuking the disciples for trying and failing, but rather the Pharisees for doubting. Jesus ends His instruction of the disciples with this encouragement - "nothing will be impossible for you!" Let us take heart in Jesus words and desire for us! He doesn't want to see us fail, but rather desires that we all walk in the power and authority that He demonstrated.

Let us desire to grow in faith, belief and intimacy with the Lord. He is the way the truth and the Life (John 14:6). It is in Him that we will learn to walk in authority and power and nothing will be impossible for us as we walk in His will. Let us pursue the Lord, and relationship with Him! He desires us to succeed, and see our prayers answered every time.

Amen!

### That Which is Hidden

## 01-26

This morning I am meditating on two examples that Jesus used in describing the Kingdom of God, as recorded in Matthew 13:44-46 NIV:

[44} "The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field. When a man found it, he hid it again, and then in his joy went and sold all he had and bought that field.

[45] "Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant looking for fine pearls. [46] When he found one of great value, he went away and sold everything he had and bought it."

In both examples, Jesus says that the Kingdom of God is hidden. Such and interesting reality that the Kingdom of God is hidden. Here is the sovereignty of God, the creator of the universe, and it is hidden from plain view. Really, that is such a surprising revelation about the Kingdom of God. One would think that if the all-powerful God of the Universe would come to earth, He would do so in such a way that no one will miss Him, nor have any mistake about who He was and what He was capable of doing. Instead, Jesus says the Kingdom of God is hidden in a field, or hidden in an oyster.

This is one of the reasons that so many people miss the significance of Jesus, of the church, of the Kingdom, because it is hidden from plain view by God. We look for an all-powerful God to demonstrate His power, and instead we are given Jesus as the perfect representation of the Father (Heb. 1:3). For example, the Jews were looking for the Kingdom of God to be reestablished like the Kingdom of David or Solomon, through military might and magnificence and splendor, or earthly riches. Instead Jesus comes, hidden from view for 30 years, and when He does start His ministry He does not follow the path one would expect. He chooses the lowly path, the simple life, the obscure and humble paths and towns. Jesus is not the sort of King the Jews were waiting to receive, nor was the Kingdom He demonstrated the type of Kingdom they wanted restored. Thus, they rejected Him.

In the same way, we must understand that the Kingdom is not what we would think it should look like, but rather it is generally hidden from view, and found by those who seek it. The Kingdom is not one of fanfare, and earthly splendor and riches, but rather of relationships and people. The Kingdom of God is one of power and authority, but the use of both are directed to setting people free and restoring relationship and worship. His power and sovereignty is established over individual lives, not usually over geographic regions. His Kingdom is unlike any human kingdom, or rule or organization. We must not reject the Kingdom because it appears different than we expect.

One of the other things that Jesus focuses on is the value of the Kingdom being exceedingly great! It is worth pursuing, worth trying to find, and of greater worth than everything else we own. The cost is high, but the value is greater. This is one of the stumbling blocks for many people, the call to be sold out for the Kingdom of God. It is important to note that Jesus gave this teaching about the Kingdom to His disciples in private. I believe He was specifically addressing their own lives and their concerns about what they had given up to follow Jesus. Regardless, our call is the same, to pursue the Kingdom and in joy embrace it with our whole life.

So, let us pray for understanding and insight into the Kingdom of God. Let us pursue Him, and His Kingdom. Let us pursue Him knowing that we will encounter that which is of greater worth than everything else! Let us find that which is hidden, and rejoice!

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### He Will Never Love Us Less!

## 01-29

Yesterday I was thinking about sin and purity and how the Lord, very rarely talked about those things. Paul spoke about them regularly, but the Lord not so much. I was thinking about the focus of so many of being pure and holy and such, and it seems that the focus of that is to make oneself more pleasing to God, to attract Him in some way. The point that I think many miss is that Lord already loves us beyond belief, loves us perfectly, even in our sinfulness.

This is not an excuse to sin, but rather an effort to break a works mentality that is woven into the holiness and purity mindset. Our desire to please God should come out of the place of intimacy and affection for Him. We are called to relationship first, then to obedience. In the same way that I don't want to hurt my sweetheart, because I love her and treasure her, and understand her heart, we are invited to love, know and honor the Lord.

In my life, my relationship with my sweetheart developed over time, and as my affection for her grew, my life became more and more focused on our relationship. As that happened, other things that were not affirming of that relationship were shed, most of the time without effort or much thought. It was my affection and love that drove my behavior not some set of rules that my sweetheart handed me when we first dated.

The difference in this example, is that my honey has a finite perspective, and a finite amount of love and finite capacity to love. God sits in Heaven, outside of time, sees me as I am now, and as I will be both here on earth and in Heaven. He loves me perfectly and infinitely and eternally. He has paid for all my sins, and set me free from any debt associated with them, and He has hidden me in Christ. His love is immeasurable, and overwhelming. We can spend our life-time pursuing a greater understanding of His love and affection for us and never reach full knowledge. God's glory is ever increasing, and His love for us is part of His glory - see the following three verses:

2 Corinthians 3:18 NIV: "And we all, who with unveiled faces contemplate the Lord's glory, are being transformed into his image with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit."

Psalm 115:1 NIV: "Not to us, Lord, not to us but to your name be the glory, because of your love and faithfulness."

2 Peter 1:17 NIV: "He (Jesus) received honor and glory from God the Father when the voice came to him from the Majestic Glory, saying, "This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased."

Putting these verses together - God's Glory is ever increasing and we are participants in that increase. His Glory involves His love and Faithfulness for us. Jesus received Glory from the Father's love for Him, and His Glory is eternal and ever increasing. If the Father's glory is ever increasing, and includes His love for us, His love for us is ever increasing (infinite and eternal). He views us from this perspective, and thus He can never love us less.

Wow, do you get that? He can never love us less!

He already sees who I am in my perfection as I am hidden in Christ (Col 3:3). He can't love me any less than how He loves Christ, because I am hidden in Him. His love for me is part of His Glory which is ever increasing, never decreasing.

I am just overwhelmed by this reality! I can't earn Your love, I can't change Your love, I can only love you in return. You first loved me (1 John 4:19), infinitely, perfectly, with an ever-increasing intensity and passion. How can I ever do anything but love You in return? My heart swells with love for You Lord, as I meditate on this reality! You can never love me less!

###

### Disappointed? Change of Perspective...

## 01-31

As I was thinking about being disappointed and how that affects the way I think, I was reminded of these verses from Matthew 6:8-13 NIV:

[8] "Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.

[9] "This, then, is how you should pray:  
" 'Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name,  
[10] your kingdom come, your will be done,  
on earth as it is in heaven.  
[11] Give us today our daily bread.  
[12] And forgive us our debts,  
as we also have forgiven our debtors.  
[13] And lead us not into temptation (testing),  
but deliver us from the evil one. '

There is just so much good to think on in this example of how to pray. First, we should turn our mind and thoughts to our Father in Heaven. He sees us, sees our situation, sees the solution, sees who we become, and He loves us greatly. He is always good, always faithful, always compassionate, merciful and loving. We need to first turn our thoughts to Him, and realize that He "knows our need before we ask Him."

Second, we need to think about His Kingdom as it exists in Heaven. His Kingdom in Heaven, has been established on earth by Jesus, and increased by His church. We need to think about how Heaven is, and realize that is His will for how things should be on earth. His Kingdom, means the dominion of the King. The dominion is the area over which He has control, authority and power. It means the King has the ability to exert His will over that which He rules. Thus, we are asking that in the same way God exerts His rule and will over Heaven, that He would do that on earth. Jesus came and proclaimed this, and demonstrated this. It is good for us to change the way we think and begin to realize that this is what God wants to do, and when we understand the realities of heaven, we can ask for those realities here.

Third, He desires to provide for us. Notice the focus is for the day (present day not future day) and it has already been allotted. The Greek actually reads something like this - This food, this daily provision, give to us this very day." It is part of the Kings rule to distribute to all as He sees fit, for the King owns all. It says in another place that all the silver and all the gold is God's, all things in Heaven and Earth are His. He can and does distribute as He wills. We are right to ask Him and know that He will provide.

Fourth, there is a reconciling of relationships, a reflection on debts we believe we are owed by others, and the requirement to forgive. We are to apply the same forgiveness to others as we ask of the Lord. We could say it like this - "Do unto others as you would have the Lord do unto you." Unforgiveness is a form of unbelief. It is requiring repayment for wrongs, rather than trusting the Lord to cover you and provide for you and deal with the other who hurt you. The Lord said that vengeance is His, not ours to exact. We are called to love our enemies (Matt 5:44) in the same way that God loved us and forgave our sins when we were still sinners (Rom 5:8).

Finally, we should be asking to be saved from testing, and the plans of the evil one. Testing is not so that God sees what we have in us, for He knows all things and even our thoughts. The testing of our character is established to help us see what we have in us. Testing helps us to see where we are and how far we have to go. Additionally, the plans of the enemy try to derail us from God's purpose and plans in our life, and try to convince of His unconcern or anger towards us. The Lord understands all this, and part of us praying this is to remind us of it too.

So let us receive this teaching and direction from Jesus and learn to set our hearts and minds, our mindset, in line with the Father. Let us learn to look at our life from His perspective. Let us believe that He is good, His plans are good, and that He knows our need and wants to meet our need. Let us believe that He is for us, always. As we change our mindset and take on His, we will learn to see our lives in a new light, and we will become world changers!

Amen!

###

### Salt Us With Peace, Love and Unity

## 02-02

This morning I have continued my reading from Mark's Gospel. I often times will read a verse where the meaning takes a bit of study to understand. This morning I was doing a bit of research on the last verses of Mark's ninth chapter, and have included a couple other verses to set context - Mark 9:33-35, 49-50 NIV:

[33] "They came to Capernaum. When he was in the house, he asked them, "What were you arguing about on the road?" [34] But they kept quiet because on the way they had argued about who was the greatest.

[35] Sitting down, Jesus called the Twelve and said, "Anyone who wants to be first must be the very last, and the servant of all."

[49] Everyone will be salted with fire. [50] "Salt is good, but if it loses its saltiness, how can you make it salty again? Have salt among yourselves, and be at peace with each other."

Verses 33-35 speak of the situation that Jesus was addressing in verse 50. The disciples were arguing about their importance and this talk was causing division and strife, as it always will do. This type of conversation is somewhat understandable, as the preceding verses included Jesus taking Peter, James and John with Him up on the mountain where He was transfigured. One would think that this would have caused those three to think of themselves as favored by the Lord. This conversation had changed to argument, and Jesus, who apparently was aware of their argument but who had not intervened at that moment, was not going to allow discord to settle into the group, so He addressed it when they were in private.

In verse 50, Jesus speaks of the disciples having salt in themselves and peace with each other. To explain that a bit more I have included the following note is from the John Gill Expository of the Bible - "Salt is an emblem of firm union, concord, and agreement: hence the covenant of peace is called a covenant of salt, (Numbers 18:19)". In other commentaries, salt is also compared to grace. Jesus is encouraging them to strongly embrace servant leadership and do away with pride among themselves, which leads to division and strife. Once division occurs, it is very difficult to reestablish unity and peace, and this is what Jesus was describing in salt that has lost its saltiness.

Taking that thought a bit further, if the symbols of our following Him are our love for each other (John 13:35) and unity, then if they are not present, the witness of our following Him is called into question. In John 17:23 Jesus specifically speaks of the fruit of unity - "I in them and you in me---so that they may be brought to complete unity. Then the world will know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me." The unity was supposed to show the world that Jesus was from the Father and that He loves us. Without unity, these things are not readily apparent.

It was this love and unity that set apart the early church. We see this described in the following two sets of verses.

Acts 2:42-47 NIV:

[42] "They devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. [43] Everyone was filled with awe at the many wonders and signs performed by the apostles. [44] All the believers were together and had everything in common. [45] They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need. [46] Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, [47] praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved."

Acts 4:32-35 NIV:

[32] "All the believers were one in heart and mind. No one claimed that any of their possessions was their own, but they shared everything they had. [33] With great power the apostles continued to testify to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus. And God's grace was so powerfully at work in them all [34] that there were no needy persons among them. For from time to time those who owned land or houses sold them, brought the money from the sales [35] and put it at the apostles' feet, and it was distributed to anyone who had need.

As we look at these verses, it is apparent that love for each other and unity were present. As it was recounted in Acts 2:47 - there was favor among the people for this behavior. Luke writes that this was due to God's grace (salt) working powerfully in them (Acts 4:33).

In stark contrast, as we look at the church of today, we see a largely disjointed body, rife with disagreements and strife. We see churches competing with each other for members, disagreements over doctrine and teaching, distrust and rejection of those experiencing anything we have not experienced. We see the constant fragmenting and splitting of congregations. We see brothers and sisters attacking each other over disagreements concerning teaching, practice, or theology, rather than attacking the enemy and taking ground from him. We have allowed our opinions and thoughts about ourselves to become more important than love and unity in the Body of Christ. Is it any wonder that the impact of the church is weak, especially here in America?

Oh Lord, have mercy! We need Your salt, for in many places we have lost our saltiness. We have not guarded our peace, unity or love like we should have. Lord, we need Your help! Salt us with fire, the Holy Spirit, and purify and unify us once again.

###

### "Not One of Us"

## 02-03

This morning I felt led to continue reading from Mark 9. I thought I had already mined that chapter pretty well, but the Lord apparently has other ideas. That is His option. He is the Lord. :-)

So the verses I am thinking about this morning are the following - Mark 9:38-41 NIV:

[38] "Teacher," said John, "we saw someone driving out demons in your name and we told him to stop, because he was not one of us." [39] "Do not stop him," Jesus said. "For no one who does a miracle in my name can in the next moment say anything bad about me, [40] for whoever is not against us is for us. [41] Truly I tell you, anyone who gives you a cup of water in my name because you belong to the Messiah will certainly not lose their reward."

This is a very interesting set of verses, because apparently someone else, who was not one of the disciples, had come to understand that the name Jesus had authority on earth, and was walking under that authority and casting out demons. He was demonstrating the Kingdom reality that Jesus came to proclaim and demonstrate, but he wasn't part of Jesus' team.

Oh, that the Church would take on this same attitude towards those other denominations and congregations other than our own. We need to recognize that those who are not against Jesus, are with us! We are on the same team, working towards the same goal, just with different methods or training. It is a wide swath of acceptance that Jesus swings here. Anyone who is doing miracles in His name, anyone who is advancing the Kingdom, anyone who is not against Him, is for Him! We need to pray for the same heart and mind as Christ.

So often the disagreements are over method or teaching, and this man might have watched Jesus, but he certainly wasn't trained by Him, nor was he one of the disciples at any time, as evidenced by John's statement. It's apparent that the issue being addressed by Jesus here is pride. John was apparently suffering from the malady of pride again, for they had just been arguing who was the greatest in the verses immediately before the verses above. You have to give John credit for his persistence down a path, even if it's wrong. They had just been instructed by the Lord concerning pride and positioning for His favor, and John switches to a discussion around the topic of someone who didn't belong in the elite club of apostles, doing ministry like Jesus. He was embracing pride, but this time for the sake of Jesus' reputation, at least that is probably how he rationalized it. His goal was to shut down any ministry that wasn't officially sanctioned. Boy does that sound like religion.

Finally, let us embrace the last verse where Jesus speaks of showing kindness to those ministering in His name. The gift of something as small as a glass of water catches His attention. Let us choose to bless and not attack our fellow ministers in the Name of the Lord. We may not like their methods or training but if they are effectively ministering in His name, let us bless them and give thanks for them, because the Kingdom is advancing.

Amen!

###

### Musings from the Night Watch - The Invitation of God

## 02-04

Recently, one of the things I have been thinking about again is the 30 years of hiddeness that Jesus experienced. I was thinking about how He lived in Nazareth, and had to watch people become sick, had to watch them die, had to walk by blind men, had to remain obedient to the Father's timing. I can barely imagine His heartache, seeing people in difficult straits, but being hidden.

I imagine He had many heartfelt discussions with the Father, asking pleading, desiring, in His humanness, to step in and release the Kingdom. There is definitely a perfect time and season for the Lord's anointing to be released, and waiting for that perfect time doesn't indicate anything about the Lord's desire or heart. The Father loves us all equally, every last man, woman and child. He desires to touch our lives, to reveal himself to us, and to have us enter into relationship with Him. Period! That is who He is.

He, however, does have plan, purpose and timing for every move, every revelation, every promise fulfilled. We are so limited in our understanding and perspective. We, in our humanness, would never had made Jesus wait 30 years so that He only actively ministered for 3 years. When we see gifting, and anointing we want to jump right in and release everything we have, or have seen. Not so the Father. He has a perfect plan that involves billions of people, celestial beings (angels) and purposes that fulfill His plan. Not only that, but He can adjust on the fly for any glitch, mistimed, or plain missed opportunity. We are not just chess pieces that He moves around, but rather all of us have free will and can change to follow His direction or not, and regardless of what we choose, He can deal with it. He is operating both in time and outside of time, and from that vantage point everything is possible for Him.

The Lord whispered something to me this morning that is quite profound - "He is not bound by space or time!" In other words, He operates freely inside and outside of both. His Kingdom is not just earthly, but also eternal, spiritual and heavenly. On earth, there are time and space limitations most of the time, but then we see how He transports Philip 40 miles in an instant (Acts 8:40) and how Jesus healed the woman's daughter from a distance (Matt 15:21-29). He clearly is free to do what He wants, where He wants, and when He wants. That is why it is so important to gain His perspective. Jesus said that He only did what the Father was doing (John 5:19). He had learned in His years of hiddenness to discern the Father's plan, and activity. He made Himself perfectly obedient to the Father, and because of that He was the perfect representation of the Father (Heb 1:3).

Our invitation is to enter into this same stream of awareness and discernment of the Father's will, through relationship with Him. Jesus said that as His friends (relationship) we would be told His Father's plans (paraphrase of John 15:15). What an invitation, what an opportunity! We just need to press into relationship with Him, as His friends, and He will reveal the Father's plans to us through the Holy Spirit (John 16:12-15). As we become adept at hearing and seeing what the Father is doing, we will see more and more glorious wonders. Jesus said we would do greater things than He did (John 14:12). The reality of this is really beyond our understanding and logic, but it is true. I go back often to the verses from Isaiah 55:8-9 NIV: "For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways," declares the Lord. [9] "As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts."

That is good news! Who would want to worship a God that is little better than man! Again, the invitation is to enter into this world of mystery, majesty, relationship and revelation! The Lord desires that we would continue His ministry to the ends of the earth, and the only way to do that is to walk in the will and purpose and timing of the Father, just as Jesus did while here on earth.

Let us accept this invitation and press into relationship with the One who loves us, who created us and who has an awesome plan that we can join ourselves too.

Amen!

###

### My Flow of Thought During Prayer

## 02-05

Last night I was thinking about how we want to step under Jesus authority when we are ministering. We are hidden in Christ (Col 3:3), and from that place we can minister just as Jesus demonstrated, for we are ministering as Jesus. Bill Johnson speaks of hosting the Presence of God, and this is that. It is not like we put on the Holy Spirit like a cloak, rather we step into Him, and become hidden in Him. We step into His presence, come under His authority and minister as His representative. We don't really want to be like Him, but rather we want to learn be Him, learn to be hidden in Him. I clearly don't grasp this reality Lord, but I pray that I would come to know and understand this in the fullest measure possible.

I was just thinking some more about this verse from Revelation 21:4 NIV: "'He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death' or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away." I was thinking about the fact that the old order that is passing away is the order that was established in Genesis, with the creation of Adam.

Paul writes of Christ being the second Adam in this text from 1 Corinthians 15:45-49 NIV:

[45] "So it is written: "The first man Adam became a living being"; the last Adam, a life-giving spirit. [46] The spiritual did not come first, but the natural, and after that the spiritual. [47] The first man was of the dust of the earth; the second man is of heaven. [48] As was the earthly man, so are those who are of the earth; and as is the heavenly man, so also are those who are of heaven. [49] And just as we have borne the image of the earthly man, so shall we bear the image of the heavenly man."

Thus since Christ came as the second Adam, and established a new covenant through His sacrifice, He is the beginning of the new order of things. In Revelations, we see Him coming and establishing His supreme rule over all the earth. Here are a couple of sections from Revelations.

Revelation 19:11-16 NIV  
[11] "I saw heaven standing open and there before me was a white horse, whose rider is called Faithful and True. With justice he judges and wages war. [12] His eyes are like blazing fire, and on his head are many crowns. He has a name written on him that no one knows but he himself. [13] He is dressed in a robe dipped in blood, and his name is the Word of God. [14] The armies of heaven were following him, riding on white horses and dressed in fine linen, white and clean. [15] Coming out of his mouth is a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations. "He will rule them with an iron scepter." He treads the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God Almighty. [16] On his robe and on his thigh he has this name written:  
king of kings and lord of lords."

Revelation 21:5-7 NIV  
[5] "He who was seated on the throne said, "I am making everything new!" Then he said, "Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true." [6] He said to me: "It is done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. To the thirsty I will give water without cost from the spring of the water of life. [7] Those who are victorious will inherit all this, and I will be their God and they will be my children."

More on Being His cloak - I was just thinking about the fact that we really just want to be like His cloak, that we would allow the Power of the Holy Spirit to flow through us and out to those that come to Jesus for healing. The cloak was merely an avenue or conduit through which power ran, and our lives can be much the same. He is the one moving, and we are, in essence, that which covers Him, that which the world sees. It is His power, nothing that we possess, His will and purpose. There is a realness to the prayer of less of me and more of You in this model, for we want to be translucent so that people can see all of Jesus when they meet us, and very little of us. Lord, help me to learn to be so in alignment with You that I am just like Your cloak.

###

### Our New Self, Hidden in Him

## 02-06

This morning I am reading out of Paul's letter to the Colossians 3:9-14 NIV:

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

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

This whole concept of being a new creation, a new man in Christ is hard for many of us to grasp. Paul's foundational statement concerning this is found in Colossians 3:3 NIV: "For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God." He is speaking of the spiritual reality. We have died with Christ, and been raised to life in Him, as a new creation, with a new self. Some of us experience this radical change when we come to Christ, becoming a radically new person. Others of us, not so much, but it is no less true for all of us. When we unite ourselves to Christ, receiving His salvation which He purchased through His suffering and death, we become united with Him. Whether we feel this transaction or not, it is true for all of us who have come to Christ Jesus.

Paul understood that we also participate in making this spiritual reality a natural reality. We can choose to embrace and encourage ourselves to live in this new reality. We can put on a new self (the Greek here means to put on like clothes), clothing ourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, forgiveness, patience and love. We can pursue further renewal of our minds, of our self, as we pursue Him. In doing so, we join in with the work our Savior is about in our lives. He is renewing our new self in knowledge in the image of our creator (that is Christ Jesus). In verse eleven, Paul says that Christ Jesus is us, and is in us all. In other words, this renewing of self into His image is because we have joined ourselves fully to Him and He, to us. Our lives are so hidden in Christ that the Father, when looking at us, sees His Son Jesus.

In the same way, Paul is encouraging us to have the same attitude externally, to those around us. His encouragement is that when people run into us, it is like running into Jesus. The daily clothing ourselves in the good things listed above, enables us to become one with Christ Jesus, so that we exude from our lives, His.

Oh Lord, help me, for that is my desire, to become Like You, hidden in You!

###

### When Jesus Moves...His Will Is Accomplished

## 02-09

This morning I was reading from Luke's Gospel. The seventh chapter has several significant stories., however I wanted to spend some time discussing the first story of the chapter, the cure of the centurion's servant. Here are the verses - Luke 7:1-10 NIV:

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

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

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

I like this story for several reasons and am encouraged today by reading it. First, the fact that Jesus was moved by the requests of others on the Centurion's behalf is significant. We often ask people to pray for us or for situations, and here we see that being demonstrated. The Centurion asks people to go and intercede for him with the Lord. He isn't Jewish, and in reality, it probably didn't even matter that He was a good man, only that He asked for Jesus' help.

Second, Jesus does respond and starts walking towards his house. We should be encouraged by the fact that when the Lord gets engaged, it is as good as accomplished, because His movement never was frustrated by failure or refusal to act once He is on site. The Centurion had probably given instructions that if Jesus were to start coming to his house, that he should be notified immediately so that he could send the second message. He was clearly just waiting and hoping to see that Jesus responded at all to his earlier request. Again, once he knew Jesus had responded and started to his house, he knew that his servant would be healed.

Thirdly, he understood authority, and must have studied Jesus ministry and knew that He had authority over sickness, disease, demons and even death. Authority means the power and the ability to act, and the ability to enforce and enact one's will. That was what the Centurion depended on both for his livelihood, for the enforcement of Cesar's will was his job, and his ability to command his troops. He had been given authority over his men and over a region, and in both arenas, he had complete authority. He had witnessed, or studied Jesus demonstrating His own authority in the realms of sickness, disease, spiritual oppression and death, and knew that He was always successful. There was no doubt in His mind that if Jesus decided to act His servant would be healed.

Finally, Jesus was moved by His faith, without even meeting him. We often times associate the Centurion's faith with the fact that his servant was healed, but Luke doesn't make that correlation. He just reports the facts, and Jesus commented on His faith, and then as far as we know, turned around and went back home. He didn't say anything about the servant being healed, or that the reason He was healed was because of his faith. I go back to my second point, the fact that Jesus responded meant the servant was going to be healed, nothing else in the story really mattered. The fact that Jesus started in His direction meant that He had seen this was the Father's plan and started walking, and that signified His decision to heal.

As I was writing that last bit I was reminded of the story of Lazarus from John's Gospel. We see that Jesus knows the Father's will and does not respond to the summons, for to do so would have likely meant that He would have healed Lazarus, rather than raised him from the dead (see verses 4 & 6).

John 11:3-7 NIV:  
[3] "So the sisters sent word to Jesus, "Lord, the one you love is sick."

[4] When he heard this, Jesus said, "This sickness will not end in death. No, it is for God's glory so that God's Son may be glorified through it."

[5] Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. [6] So when he heard that Lazarus was sick, he stayed where he was two more days, [7] and then he said to his disciples, "Let us go back to Judea."

It is so interesting that John wrote in verse 5 that Jesus loved Mary, Martha and Lazarus, and then followed it with verse 6 - so he waited two more days before responding. We would normally associate the delay with a lack of concern or interest, but John said it was because He loved them that He waited two more days. I think that John was really focused on the fact that it was dangerous for Jesus to go back to Judea because of the recent death threats, but the way it reads is that it was because of His love, and the Father's and His glory that He delayed.

Lord, help us to be encouraged this day, that when You being to move, we know that Your will is to heal. Let us not be discouraged by any delay, for it is Your love and for Your and the Father's Glory that You delay.

Amen.

###

### When the Lord Intends to Visit

## 02-11

Last night I actually read my Bible a little before sleeping. It's been a while since I did that. I was reading from Luke 9 and specifically was thinking about the story of how the Samaritans rejected His plans to visit their town. Here are the specific verses - Luke 9:51-56 NIV:

[51] "As the time approached for him to be taken up to heaven, Jesus resolutely set out for Jerusalem. [52] And he sent messengers on ahead, who went into a Samaritan village to get things ready for him; [53] but the people there did not welcome him, because he was heading for Jerusalem. [54] When the disciples James and John saw this, they asked, "Lord, do you want us to call fire down from heaven to destroy them?" [55] But Jesus turned and rebuked them. [56] Then he and his disciples went to another village."

My first thought when reading this was that this probably could go down in the history of bad decisions, as near the top. Jesus wants to visit and spend time in your town and you tell him no thank you. The one who heals all the sick, deals with all the demonized, cleanses lepers, heals the blind, and whose visit brings hundreds of people who buy food and need shelter (revenue) and you say no. Just not very smart in my opinion.

It says they rejected Him because He was headed to Jerusalem, and this is definitely one reason for rationalizing their decision. The Jews and Samaritans had a long-standing feud over where to worship, how to worship, and they did not welcome each other in general. We know from other stories in scripture that Jews traveling from Galilee to Judah would go around Samaria, and Jesus even told the surprising story of the "Good Samaritan" where the help of a Samaritan was completely not expected. Anyway, suffice it to say that there were significant religious differences.

As I read this story, I thought about how many times we might have rejected Jesus ourselves, in our own lives, because of where we thought He was going (as in leading us)? I know personally more than a few churches that have basically rejected the presence of God manifesting in their congregation because where that would lead them. They weren't in favor of being labelled, of being infested with crazy Jesus people, or even worse being visited by those who act out in the Spirit and all sorts of craziness. They chose the need to be in control over the presence of the Lord. Sad.

I also know that there have been several times in my own life where I have backed away from things I felt the Lord was saying, because I didn't like where I thought it would lead me. I know there are also many of us who don't want to follow Jesus whole-heartedly because we don't like the thought of the changes we think He would require in our lives, like things we would have to stop doing that we like. It is a sad reality that we often choose to not have Jesus visit us because of selfishness or fear, religious differences or inconvenience.

On the positive side, I also found it interesting that the Lord sent messengers ahead of Him to get things ready. When I read that, I immediately thought of those intercessory forerunners for every single revival that has occurred in history. There are always those whose are called/sent to prepare the way for the Lord, sowing prayer sometimes for years prior to the Lord's visitation. Let us be encouraged if the Lord has called us to such an endeavor.

I am also convinced that the Lord signals His intent about what He is planning to come and do, and that if we are listening we will hear His messengers. Often times I have seen the hearts of a group of people moved around certain unrealized promises. These are things or themes that several people in an area or church hold in common and are waiting for expectantly, usually something that each has heard personally from the Lord. In our present church, we all have this deep desire for more of the Lord, and especially the experience of His healing as a part of the Kingdom proclamation. It is my belief that these common messages, that we hold onto and are believing for, are from the Lord signaling His intent. If we have a welcoming heart, He will visit as He intends.

Lord, it is my prayer that we will always welcome Your visitation, regardless of how scary, inconvenient or messy it might appear. We want You in our life, and we are willing to be visited.

Amen.

###

### Proclaim the Kingdom, Bring Nothing...

## 02-12

This morning my Bible opened to the following passages - Luke 9:1-6, 10-11 NIV:

[1] "When Jesus had called the Twelve together, he gave them power and authority to drive out all demons and to cure diseases, [2] and he sent them out to proclaim the kingdom of God and to heal the sick. [3] He told them: "Take nothing for the journey---no staff, no bag, no bread, no money, no extra shirt. [4] Whatever house you enter, stay there until you leave that town. [5] If people do not welcome you, leave their town and shake the dust off your feet as a testimony against them." [6] So they set out and went from village to village, proclaiming the good news and healing people everywhere.

[10] When the apostles returned, they reported to Jesus what they had done. Then he took them with him and they withdrew by themselves to a town called Bethsaida, [11] but the crowds learned about it and followed him. He welcomed them and spoke to them about the kingdom of God, and healed those who needed healing."

Every time I read passages like these my heart is quickened to Jesus' message about the Kingdom and His demonstration of the Kingdom by healing. The two are completely connected. He proclaimed the Kingdom and healed the sick (verse 11). He sends out the twelve and tells them to "proclaim the Kingdom of God and heal the sick" (verse 2). Proclamation AND demonstration are essential to the advance of the Kingdom, and the church, for that matter.

Secondly, when I read these verses this morning I was thinking about verses 3-5, for they are an interesting command in relation to the proclamation of the Kingdom. There is a simplicity to this call which goes against most of our natural inclinations. He didn't want them to be overly prepared, or even marginally prepared. They were to set out with nothing. This simplicity, I think, underlies the importance of humility in the proclamation of the Kingdom. It is the exact opposite of what an earthly King would command his ambassadors to do, for when they traveled it was usually with some sort of royal retinue. Jesus is providing a stark contrast for all to see. Humility and simplicity are some of the characteristics of the proclamation of the Kingdom. The good thing about this command is that it qualifies everyone to be sent, at least from a materials perspective. There can be no material excuse, no reason to hold back from going if you are to bring nothing.

Another perspective is that this command required them to depend on the Father, in faith, for their provision and place of rest. This is also not in line with our natural inclination, at least I know it isn't for me. I am a fairly capable individual, and I am a planner. To go on a trip with nothing, no food, no money, no extra clothes, no bag, nothing would never be my choice. I have means to provide all that for myself, so to do anything different would require some serious faith. I can just imagine them getting all pumped up when Jesus gives them authority and power to drive out demons and cure diseases, and then the utter confusion when Jesus tells them to take nothing. I like these human moments, for they show how well Jesus knows us. We need to learn to rely totally on the Lord for the power and authority to do what He has called us to do, but also for the mundane things like daily food and shelter. God is fully capable of providing both, and sometimes the miracles that stand out most are the ways He meets even our simplest needs like food.

I am reminded of a time where the Lord was introducing me to this concept, and He asked me to ask Him for my food. One Sunday I was out of food and rather than going to the store I prayed, asking God for my food. I was stepping out in faith just a little bit, and within 5 minutes a friend of mine called me and asked if I wanted to come over for steaks. I couldn't believe how the Lord had provided so easily. This friend had never before called me to ask me if I wanted to come over for dinner, nor had we even discussed anything somewhat related. It was completely unanticipated and unexplainable, other than to know that Father wanted me to understand His ability to provide.

I believe this is part of the message of the Kingdom - we can proclaim it, but we bring nothing, He provides everything. Too often we are tempted to add our ideas and baggage to the message of the Kingdom, and the Lord wants it pure and simple. He doesn't want people wowed by our cars, our clothes, our lifestyles, our abilities. He wants people wowed by the reality of the Kingdom.

Oh Lord, I pray that the simplicity and pureness of this example would be rediscovered by Your church. Help us to learn to lean into You, to rely on You, and to reveal You, Your Kingdom and Your power and authority to all. Lord help us to learn that the Kingdom is best advanced by proclamation AND demonstration, and help us to walk in Your authority and power to do so.

Amen!

###

### Just Ask, The Father Intends to Provide

## 02-13

I am continuing my reading from Luke's Gospel, this morning moving over to Chapter 11. This section is where Jesus teaches the disciples to pray.

Luke 11:2-13 NIV:

[2]He said to them, "When you pray, say: " 'Father, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come (some manuscripts add: "your will be done on earth at it is in heaven") [3] Give us each day our daily bread. [4] Forgive us our sins, for we also forgive everyone who sins against us. And lead us not into temptation. ' "

[5] Then Jesus said to them, "Suppose you have a friend, and you go to him at midnight and say, 'Friend, lend me three loaves of bread; [6] a friend of mine on a journey has come to me, and I have no food to offer him.' [7] And suppose the one inside answers, 'Don't bother me. The door is already locked, and my children and I are in bed. I can't get up and give you anything.' [8] I tell you, even though he will not get up and give you the bread because of friendship, yet because of your shameless audacity he will surely get up and give you as much as you need.

[9] "So I say to you: Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. [10] For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened. [11] "Which of you fathers, if your son asks for a fish, will give him a snake instead? [12] Or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? [13] If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!"

I like these verses from Luke for they expand upon the teaching on prayer. The Lord didn't just teach them what we call the Lord's prayer, but continued on giving them greater understanding of their situation and the Father's heart. In fact, you could almost look at this, starting at the end.

Starting at the end of the story, the understanding that Jesus points to is that what we really need is the Holy Spirit. The one who can meet this need is our Father in heaven. He is like our own earthly fathers in that when He gives us gifts, He gives us that which we need and ask for, but He is much more good than our earthly fathers. He will meet our needs, He will answer if we ask, He will open if we knock, He will be found if we seek Him.

He will provide us with what we lack (story of the man and the bread). He will reward our shameless audacity. I did a study of this previously and the focus of His story is the heart of the one asking, not the reluctance of the one who is in bed. The one who asks for bread has nothing, but he knows where to get it, that is why he goes to his neighbor. This is about need and knowledge of where to go to get the need met. The Father is much more good, exceedingly beyond comprehension better than the man in the story. He has what we need (The Holy Spirit), so we can go to Him and ask Him, no matter how late.

Finally the purpose of this whole exercise was to teach them how to pray, how to converse with God the Father. The focus of our prayer should be to bring the Father Glory, acknowledging His awesomeness, and to ask for His will to be done here on earth, as it is already done in Heaven, an expansion of His Kingdom come to earth. We can't do this on our own, we need the Father to act, and we NEED the Holy Spirit to empower us. Because He is good, we can go to Him with expectant faith (shameless audacity is the same thing basically) and ask, knowing that He will provide what we need.

So let us be encouraged to pray, to seek, to ask, to knock, to go to the Father requesting more of the Holy Spirit, that we might see His Kingdom come to earth! He has instructed us how to pray, which means that He is waiting to meet us in this prayer. He instructed us to pray this way! Why? Because He intends to answer in this way.

I was just thinking of an example. I think that this is like the Father instructing us to ask Him for the $100 bill He is holding in His hand in front of our face. He instructs us to ask Him, and when we do He will give us what He is holding directly in front of us. It is clear what His intention is - to give us the $100, since He is holding it in plain sight. Which of us, in this example would doubt the will of the Father?

We don't need to perform, or change or do anything other than ask, and He will give us what He intends to give us. This is exactly what Jesus was teaching here, that the Father is just waiting to pour out the Spirit to those that ask.

Amen Lord, I am asking!

###

### The Kingdom Is A Gift We Have Been Given

## 02-14

I continue on, working through Luke's Gospel. Today I was reading form Luke's twelfth chapter and I ran across these familiar verses - Luke 12:27-34 NIV:

[27] "Consider how the wild flowers grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you, not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. [28] If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today, and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, how much more will he clothe you---you of little faith! [29] And do not set your heart on what you will eat or drink; do not worry about it. [30] For the pagan world runs after all such things, and your Father knows that you need them. [31] But seek his kingdom, and these things will be given to you as well.

[32] "Do not be afraid, little flock, for your Father has been pleased to give you the kingdom. [33] Sell your possessions and give to the poor. Provide purses for yourselves that will not wear out, a treasure in heaven that will never fail, where no thief comes near and no moth destroys. [34] For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also."

My eyes and my heart were drawn to verse 32, especially since my recent focus has been on the Kingdom of God. I love this verse -"The Father has been pleased to give you the kingdom". It is spoken in past tense, meaning the gift has been given already. This is not some future event, but the continuation of Jesus' proclamation and reality. The Kingdom was established here on earth, and our inclusion in the Kingdom is pleasing to the Father. If He is pleased to give it to us, that means two things - 1) we don't need to ask or beg or wonder 2) the Kingdom is for us! I mean, think about it, if we have already received a gift, we don't need to ask for it again, or wonder if it is ours to possess. If we have been given a gift, it is for us. We might share it with others, but it is meant to bless us. This is true of the Kingdom of God! Wow!

I also love the fact that the Lord encourages us to focus on the Kingdom, rather than on our stuff and our needs. The reason He does that is that He knows those are guaranteed in the Kingdom. The Father, who is the very definition of good, knows our needs and has all resources at His finger-tips. He knows our need and will meet it.

So often we are tempted to live in the state of unbelief - belief that God doesn't love us, isn't capable of freeing us, isn't paying attention to us, or has it in for us. None of these is true, but many of us hold some variant of these in our fearful hearts, and these thoughts come out when we are under duress. Jesus calls us to focus on His kingdom, looking to heaven rather than our earthly situation. We are encouraged to look heavenward, recognizing that the all the blessing and awesome things we experience here, are as nothing compared to the eternal glory that awaits us in heaven.

Let us be encouraged today that the Kingdom is for us, and it has pleased the Father to give it to us! His intention is clearly that we experience the blessings of His kingdom, and invite others to join us.

### The Fire is Kindled

## 02-15

This morning I continued reading from Luke. I was stopped by the following verse - Luke 12:49 NIV: "I have come to bring fire on the earth, and how I wish it were already kindled!"

The following verses are important as they continue His thought around this first statement. Here they are for reference - Luke 12:50-53 NIV:

[50] "But I have a baptism to undergo, and what constraint I am under until it is completed! [51] Do you think I came to bring peace on earth? No, I tell you, but division. [52] From now on there will be five in one family divided against each other, three against two and two against three. [53] They will be divided, father against son and son against father, mother against daughter and daughter against mother, mother-in-law against daughter-in-law and daughter-in-law against mother-in-law."

Going back to verse 49, this is such an interesting verse, one where Jesus is pointing to the time after His death and resurrection. In the next verse, He speaks of having to undergo a baptism, and that this fire comes after the baptism. The baptism He speaks of is definitely His agony and death. So, what is this fire?

I think it is one of two things, or both. He is speaking either of the Holy Spirit or of the church. There is no doubt that when the Holy Spirit fell on Pentecost that He fell as tongues of fire. However, the language Jesus uses in the following verses indicate He was speaking about people being divided and struggling. The Holy Spirit, while all powerful, brings peace, joy and unity (Romans 14:17, Eph 4:3). There are those who argue about the role of the Holy Spirit, those that don't trust the Holy Spirit, those that fear association with people who move in the power that comes from the Holy Spirit, but that all came later. I really don't think He was speaking of the Holy Spirit here.

So, the alternative is that the fire Jesus speaks of is the Church. That would not be the way I would describe the church of America today. In many ways, the church's fire has been reduced to barely above the level of the pilot light. Jesus says He came to bring this fire to earth, and He wishes it were kindled. The Greek here is the word Thelo whose Definition is: 1) to will, have in mind, intend; 2) to be resolved or determined, to purpose; 3) to desire, to wish; 4) to love; 5) to like to do a thing, be fond of doing; 6) to take delight in, have pleasure.

So, it is clear that Jesus is looking forward to this fire being kindled. He takes great delight in this thought. If you look closely at the following verses, He does not take delight in the division that will come, but only in the fire. The division He speaks of will occur and was seen in the early church, as it came under persecution. Thus, it is my belief that He speaks of the church as a fire!

It takes a bit of an adjustment of my thinking about the church to think of it as a fire. As I said earlier, it seems that much of our fire has been reduced presently, but that was not always the case. There were great fires of revival that spread across this land, where people were set on fire for the Lord. It is my prayer that once again the church might be this very fire, this raging inferno of passion for Him. The church is Jesus' delight, let us delight in Him and shine forth His light to all the world. The fire has been kindled, it is time for it to burn once again!

Amen!

###

### Jesus Puts People First

## 02-17

I am continuing to work through the Gospel of Luke this morning. I love this story of Jesus healing a women - Luke 13:10-17 NIV:

[10] "On a Sabbath Jesus was teaching in one of the synagogues, [11] and a woman was there who had been crippled by a spirit for eighteen years. She was bent over and could not straighten up at all. [12] When Jesus saw her, he called her forward and said to her, "Woman, you are set free from your infirmity." [13] Then he put his hands on her, and immediately she straightened up and praised God.

[14] Indignant because Jesus had healed on the Sabbath, the synagogue leader said to the people, "There are six days for work. So come and be healed on those days, not on the Sabbath."

[15] The Lord answered him, "You hypocrites! Doesn't each of you on the Sabbath untie your ox or donkey from the stall and lead it out to give it water? [16] Then should not this woman, a daughter of Abraham, whom Satan has kept bound for eighteen long years, be set free on the Sabbath day from what bound her?"

[17] When he said this, all his opponents were humiliated, but the people were delighted with all the wonderful things he was doing."

As I am reading this story I imagine a couple of things, based on the text. It appears that it was while Jesus was teaching that He saw the women and called her forward. The temple was a busy place and I am wondering if He was teaching in one area and happened to see her walk by, all bent over. I think this is totally the way Jesus would have been, for He always had time for the individual. Anyway, without any hesitancy or fear, He calls her over and without any statement of faith on her part, any comment from Jesus on her sin or anything, He sets her free. He just lays hands on her and immediately she straightens up.

So often we think we need to negotiate with the Lord for our healing, or get our lives right, or fast or pray, or whatever. Here we have a lady who Jesus calls forward and heals without so much as a question or comment, other than the statement from Jesus concerning her healing. I love the simplicity of this encounter, and the fact that the women immediately understood what had happened and praised God.

This may not seem like a huge miracle, but it was significant enough that it was repeated long enough for Luke to be able to write about it some 30-50 years later, depending on your dating of the gospel of Luke. Recently I had a knee injury where I couldn't straighten my knee out for 2 weeks. This injury required that I completely change many things in my life to accommodate the injury. I was so ready to be able to straighten it out after surgery. Imagine being bent over for 18 years. Sleeping, standing, sitting, carrying, cooking, anything and everything was affected by this infirmity. Muscles and bones would adjust over time to the point she probably couldn't have straightened, even if whatever was causing it was removed. In an instant Jesus did just that, but also healed her muscles and bones and joints, for she immediately stood up straight. Imagine being able to look people in the eye for the first time in 18 years. Wow!

The fact that the synagogue leader immediately stood up and told the people that they could come on other days for healing tells me there was probably already a line forming in front of Jesus with people wanting to be healed. It is amazing that this leader was so worried about the religious duties of the temple that he missed the importance of the women being set free. The temple was supposed to be a place where people worshipped God, and she breaks into wild praise, and he tries to shut it down. While this might seem farfetched, I wonder how many churches would do the very same if someone interrupted the pastor's preaching or the program flow to get healed and start praising God?

Jesus will have nothing to do with this stupid attitude and brings the focus back to the women. Don't for a moment think that God is more concerned about a worship service than He is about each and every individual in the room. Jesus tells the story of the man who leaves the ninety-nine to go find the one that is lost (Luke 5:4-7), and that is His heart. He Loves our worship, but not because its good music, but rather because we are expressing individually our love for him. God does not love programs or preaching more than people, and it is my prayer that we, as the church, start demonstrating this aspect of the Father's heart.

Finally, it is my prayer that the people would once again be delighted by the wonderful things that the Lord is doing in their midst. The Lord desires to touch us, heal us and set us free, and the church is supposed to be the vehicle through which that occurs. We are His representatives, and we are called to do the same things that He did. Lord, help us to once again, through the power of the Holy Spirit, do wonderful things.

Amen!

### New and Old - Wine, Cloth and Paradigms

## 02-18

I was reading some scripture last night before going to sleep and ran across these familiar verses in Luke 5:36-39 NIV:

[36] "He told them this parable: "No one tears a piece out of a new garment to patch an old one. Otherwise, they will have torn the new garment, and the patch from the new will not match the old. [37] And no one pours new wine into old wineskins. Otherwise, the new wine will burst the skins; the wine will run out and the wineskins will be ruined. [38] No, new wine must be poured into new wineskins. [39] And no one after drinking old wine wants the new, for they say, 'The old is better.' "

I was thinking about that last line - "no one after drinking old wine wants the new." I think this is so insightful, and speaks of the paradigms that we have become familiar with in our lives, and especially in our faith. Jesus does not say there is anything wrong with the old, or the new, but He is speaking about two things - the need to change, and our choices.

He introduces, both in talking about the cloth and the wine, the fact that the old is unable to change to accommodate the new. In both cases the new and the old become ruined. It is only the new wineskins, and new cloth that is capable of supporting the amount of change the new wine or cloth brings. The old is fine, and leaving it to itself will continue to serve its purpose, but the new requires new.

When I read this, and think about this, I am led to look at our modern model for large congregational churches. Sorry, that is just where my mind goes. Having been a part of several very good churches, I am familiar with the good this model for church produces, and for the vast majority of Christians in America, this is our paradigm of church. However, there are also limitations to this model, and it is not that the model is bad, just not flexible enough to meet all the felt needs of all the people. I, like many others, have grown hungry for something different. I know many who have bounced from church to church looking for something that they are missing or hungry for in their Christian walk. I believe that the Lord, is giving some people a taste for new wine. The old wineskins and old cloth (models for church life) cannot change enough to meet their needs, but those seeking change often don't see any alternative.

This is the very thought that has lead me choose the small, home church model that we are presently working out and investing in with our lives. There is a level of connectedness, a level of flexibility, an ability to practice and experiment that is not possible in a larger congregation. There is the ability to sow into, to encourage, to mature the spiritual giftings in all. There is a flexibility to chuck all and follow the flow of the Spirit rather than the liturgical program. There is a richness to the times of fellowship that are not just happenstance, but rather a planned part of our gatherings. There is the opportunity to process and discuss aspects of our faith, and the teachings of Jesus and the Apostles, that allows us to apply that which we learn to our lives. There is a level of trust and intimacy that develops that makes our times both safe, and flexible.

Finally, the real goal of all of this is to experience more of the Lord, and His manifest presence, in my life. I am not satisfied with my level of intimacy with the Lord, my knowledge of the Lord and His ways, my ability to represent the Lord to others. I realize there is so much more and that is the hunger that has not been sated. There have been times of glorious encounters with the Lord, both in the large congregational settings as well as in my own daily prayer, but I am hungry for more, both for me and for those that I love and share life with. Our faith journey is all about growing in relationship with the Lord and with each other, and I believe for me this will most easily be accomplished in a smaller and more intimate setting.

It is my prayer that as we grow and pursue the Lord, we will all mature into a healthy and strong body of Christ. It is my prayer that we will learn to build new wine skins for the new wine. It is also my prayer that we of the new wine appreciate and value the old wine and wine skins, for they are good! It is also important that we all recognize the new wine and new cloth and make allowances for them to change and mature.

Amen!

###

### The Impact of Effective Ministry

## 02-19

This morning I am continuing to work my way through Luke and came across these verses - Luke 6:17-19 NIV:

[17] "He went down with them and stood on a level place. A large crowd of his disciples was there and a great number of people from all over Judea, from Jerusalem, and from the coastal region around Tyre and Sidon, [18] who had come to hear him and to be healed of their diseases. Those troubled by impure spirits were cured, [19] and the people all tried to touch him, because power was coming from him and healing them all."

I like when there are specific towns and cities listed, for that helps me understand the scope of Jesus' impact. The area listed above is close to 10,000 square miles depending on how you measure it! I live in Kansas City, and this metro area is about 8000 square miles. While KC is not so well known, this area would be larger than the Dallas/Ft. Worth, Atlanta or Denver metro areas (all less than 9000 sq. miles). That is a huge area, and people were coming to Jesus, traveling for days to find Him. It is also clear that the whole region must have taken notice of Him. I was wondering why it seemed that there were always Pharisees present, but when I think about the regional impact He was having, it makes sense.

I was also thinking about the drive that these people had to see him. There was no fast way to travel back then, maybe if you were really rich and had a chariot, but otherwise camel or donkey, or walking were the common methods of travel. A healthy human might be able to cover 20+ miles in a day, armies of fit and trained men in the Roman army were required to be able to march 25 miles with a quick march while carrying a load, but we are talking about sick people, people who needed healing. I imagine it took many of them a week of travel to catch up with Jesus. I imagine that for many of them, this type of travel drained their health further and their savings every bit as much. They were desperate, and willing to do what they needed to do to be touched by God.

It is also interesting that Luke states they came to hear Jesus AND be healed of their diseases. As I have mentioned previously, Jesus proclaimed the Kingdom and then demonstrated the reality of the Kingdom by healing the sick, casting out the demons, etc. We see this same pattern alluded to here. The people were hungry for both, and His teaching was unlike anything they had heard before (Matt 7:28, Mark 1:22, Luke 4:32).

Finally, as described in some of my recent journaling, by this point in His ministry, the power flowing out of Jesus, just by touching Him, was enough to heal people. This was not an increase in the power of Jesus, but an increase in the faith of the people. It was also much more expedient. I also find it interesting that other than the sending out of the apostles and the 72, we don't see any indication that the healing ministry was accomplished by anyone other than Jesus when the huge crowds gathered.

I was rereading some of the stories about William Branham who was a healing evangelist here in the US during the 40s and 50s. He used to have thousands gather nightly for his revival meetings, and there were several stories of people who followed him from meeting to meeting, stretching over weeks of time, trying to get into his healing lines. He would pray for people 4-5 hours straight, night after night and still was unable to pray for everyone who needed healing. I imagine that for Jesus it was much the same, for we see, over and over, thousands of people gathering around Him. By this time in His ministry, power was flowing out from Him and healing people without His active interaction, other than hosting the presence of the Holy Spirit. People were being ministered to in the thousands, and ALL were being healed.

Oh, for these days to return to the church. Oh, for the Lord to be glorified in this way. That whole cities, whole metro areas might be ignited with hunger for the Lord, and thousands would flock to those places where His presence is manifest, where the Kingdom is proclaimed and people are healed by the thousands. Lord, please visit Your church with this type of effective ministry once again!

###

### Thinking About and Seeking God

## 02-21

This morning two of my good friends and I were talking about some of the popular things people think and how, if they followed through what they were thinking to the logical conclusion, they would see the beliefs they hold as being wrong. I think that much of the problem is that we don't think for ourselves anymore. We like holding onto thoughts and beliefs that sound good, but haven't actually sat down and thought through what we say we believe. We don't want to be bothered with pondering, but rather just want somebody to give us what we want without effort. We were talking about how we have become more and more reactive to the news, and apparently stopped thinking for ourselves.

We see this same thing in church, where we just want someone to tell us what we should believe. We don't want to be bothered with thinking things through for ourselves. I think that it is a rare place that is OK with the fact that people can have different opinions and thoughts than the leadership. We have created a bunch of non-thinking people, whose only relationship with God is based on what someone tells them about, not real experience, not having worked things out on their own, having read and pondered and asked. We have ceased self-feeding and thinking and instead want everything delivered in short edible chunks. The problem is that God is found by those who ask, seek and knock, and wants to have a personal relationship with us. He wants us to know Him personally. We would prefer the wholesale generic relationship of the masses. Lord, help us to understand the great value there is in You and our relationship with You! Here are some good verses that speak about seeking the Lord.

Isaiah 55:6 NIV: "Seek the Lord while he may be found; call on him while he is near."

Matthew 6:33 NIV: "But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.?

Matthew 7:7-11 NIV:

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

Lord, help us to seek You and find You. We want to know You, and be known by You. A.W. Tozer, one of my favorite authors, said this: "Sound Bible exposition is an imperative must in the Church of the Living God. Without it no church can be a New Testament church in any strict meaning of that term. But exposition may be carried on in such way as to leave the hearers devoid of any true spiritual nourishment whatever. For it is not mere words that nourish the soul, but God Himself, and unless and until the hearers find God in personal experience they are not the better for having heard the truth. The Bible is not an end in itself, but a means to bring men to an intimate and satisfying knowledge of God, that they may enter into Him, that they may delight in His Presence, may taste and know the inner sweetness of the very God Himself in the core and center of their hearts." Tozer, "The Pursuit of God"

Amen!

###

### Lord, Visit Your People

## 02-22

This morning I was reading a little from Matthew 8:14-17 NIV:  
[14] "When Jesus came into Peter's house, he saw Peter's mother-in-law lying in bed with a fever. [15] He touched her hand and the fever left her, and she got up and began to wait on him.

[16] When evening came, many who were demon-possessed were brought to him, and he drove out the spirits with a word and healed all the sick. [17] This was to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet Isaiah: "He took up our infirmities and bore our diseases."

I was just thinking that this is exactly what we want Jesus to do, to come visit this house! We want You Jesus, present in our midst. We love the stuff You do, but we are more interested in You than in the stuff. We know that when visit You will be Yourself, and as a result of that we will see healings and deliverance, for they flow out of who You are.

In line with the previous verse, I felt lead to these verses from Isaiah 64:1-4 NIV:

[1] "Oh, that you would rend the heavens and come down, that the mountains would tremble before you!  
[2] As when fire sets twigs ablaze and causes water to boil, come down to make your name known to your enemies and cause the nations to quake before you!  
[3] For when you did awesome things that we did not expect, you came down, and the mountains trembled before you.  
[4] Since ancient times no one has heard, no ear has perceived, no eye has seen any God besides you, who acts on behalf of those who wait for him."

Yes Lord, this is what we pray! That You would come down and visit us with Your very presence. That You would do great and awesome things that we did not expect, that Your name would be glorified in all the nations. Lord, that the people would know that You and You alone are the God who loves them, who has redeemed them, and who desires real relationship with them.

Yes Lord, visit Your people!

###

### Chosen, Loved and Delighted In!

## 02-23

This morning I was reading from Matthew 12:15-21 NIV:

[15] "Aware of this, Jesus withdrew from that place. A large crowd followed him, and he healed all who were ill. [16] He warned them not to tell others about him. [17] This was to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet Isaiah:

[18] "Here is my servant whom I have chosen,  
the one I love, in whom I delight;  
I will put my Spirit on him, and he will proclaim justice to the nations.  
[19] He will not quarrel or cry out;  
no one will hear his voice in the streets.  
[20] A bruised reed he will not break, and a smoldering wick he will not snuff out,  
till he has brought justice through to victory.  
[21] In his name the nations will put their hope."

This is a significant verse for me, as these verses from Isaiah are some of my core life-calling verses, verses the Lord has spoken to me over and over again. I love the fact that there is a gentleness and lack of self-promotion in Jesus' ministry. These are verses that I have tried to live by and embrace in my life.

The message of being chosen, loved and delighted in, is significant for us all, for it is true of us all. The Father has chosen each of us, has fashioned us and purposed destiny for each of us (Ps. 139:13-16). He loves us with an intensity that we cannot comprehend, and takes delight in us. He doesn't withhold His love or acceptance until we get our life together and cleaned up, but rather loves us in our sin, our wretchedness and our brokenness, even in our pride and stubbornness (see Luke 15:11-31 for a great example of the Father's love). He takes delight in us, which means that He likes us, enjoys us, enjoys spending time with us, likes our uniqueness, and that we make Him smile.

As I write these truths I am reminded of some verses from Paul's letter to the Ephesians 2:4-10 NIV:

...[4] "But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, [5] made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions---it is by grace you have been saved. [6] And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, [7] in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus. [8] For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith---and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God--- [9] not by works, so that no one can boast. [10] For we are God's handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do."

Going back to the verses from Matthew, we see that it is from the Holy Spirit on Him and in Him, that He entered into His ministry. We see this earlier in Matthew's and Luke's Gospels, as the details of His baptism and trial in the wilderness make it clear that it was the Holy Spirit who led Him and empowered Him, after His baptism (Mattt. 3:16-17, Matt 4:1, Luke 4:14). He was fully a man (Heb 2:17, Phil. 2:6-8), and fully God, yet He had emptied Himself and became a servant, relying on the Holy Spirit, in the same way that we all are invited to do. He did marvelous things, but invited us to do those very same things and greater still (John14:12), also through the power of the Holy Spirit.

Additionally, Jesus ministered in humility and gentleness. He did not act as if He was better than everyone else, He did not lord it over His followers, but rather led them and guided them, feeding them and helping them to mature. He was the good shepherd (John 10:11). He loved and protected, spoke into and called his followers into their destinies. He encouraged and trained, explained and provided correction when needed. He did not reject them for their mistakes or misunderstandings, but called them forward to do better and to understand His heart more thoroughly. He did not self-promote His ministry, instead choosing to minister in the remote areas, the countryside and in towns of common people. He did not look for the stage, ask everyone to look at Him, or try to glorify Himself. When people started talking about making Him their leader, He purposely walked away so that He could maintain a humble servant based ministry (Matt 8:18, John 6:15). He ministered to the crowds, fed them, taught them and healed them, and yet he had time to minister to the one.

He entrusted His ministry to His disciples, and encouraged them to go out and proclaim what He had proclaimed and demonstrate the truth of their proclamations. One could argue that He did this because He knew His time was short, but I believe that in addition to this reason, Jesus did this because that is the nature of the Father. The Father gives us good gifts (Matt. 7:11), in fact all good things come from Him, and He desires that we enjoy them and use them, and further His Kingdom by doing so. He desires that we each step into our destiny, our purpose in Him. We are all called, all chosen and all significant in the Body of Christ (1 Cor 12:1-31) and given good gifts for the common good of all.

So let us learn from Jesus. Let us emulate Him and serve. Let us not promote ourselves or our ministries. Let us minister with humility and gentleness, recognizing the significance of each and every individual we meet. Let us love well, for we are all chosen, loved and delighted in by our Father.

Amen!

###

### The Gift of Faith In Action

## 02-24

This morning I felt like reading through the ninth chapter of Matthew's Gospel, and it is fully loaded with great verses for meditation. Sometimes when I read verses that are very familiar, I must slow down and really read and think about what I am reading, otherwise I just skim over the words, because I know them so well, and potentially miss something. This morning I noticed something I hadn't seen before, or thought about before. Here are the verses that caught my eye \- Matthew 9:18-19, 23-26 NIV:

[18] "While he was saying this, a synagogue leader came and knelt before him and said, "My daughter has just died. But come and put your hand on her, and she will live." [19] Jesus got up and went with him, and so did his disciples."

[23] "When Jesus entered the synagogue leader's house and saw the noisy crowd and people playing pipes, [24] he said, "Go away. The girl is not dead but asleep." But they laughed at him. [25] After the crowd had been put outside, he went in and took the girl by the hand, and she got up. [26] News of this spread through all that region."

What stopped me this morning was what the synagogue leader said to Jesus in verse 18 - "My daughter has just died. But come and put you hand on her, and she will live." When I read those verses I started wondering if Jesus was already known for His raising of dead people, or if this was a moment where we see the gift of extreme faith in action? Basically, I wanted to know why this guy had the idea to ask Jesus to raise his daughter from the dead.

So doing a little research and quickly breezing over the earlier passages in Matthew (Chap 1-8) we see Jesus doing several awesome healings and deliverances, but no mention of Him raising anyone from the dead. We know there were a few times in the Old Testament where God worked through one of the Prophets to raise someone who had died. In 2 Kings 4:8-37 Elijah restores the Shunamite's son to life after he had died, and this is probably the best example. Anyway, since there is some previous scriptural precedence it may not be quite so surprising of a request, but there is no doubt that this was an infusion of faith from the Father. To have the certainty to approach Jesus, and make such a request required great faith.

Think about the family situation and practice of grieving that was prevalent at that time. I am not super familiar with their practices, but we can tell something by reading the rest of the story. They get to his house and there is a crowd of people, a noisy crowd, likely wailing and weeping, people playing pipes, etc. I can just imagine how his wife felt when he took off to find Jesus, leaving her with the ensuing crowds. I can imagine the crowds wondering where the father of this child had gone? The man left everything and everyone, regardless of the customs, and went to find Jesus! Maybe he had heard Jesus was back in town, for this took place in Capernaum, which was where Jesus moved once He started His public ministry. Reading the verses closely, it is possible that he found Jesus in Matthew's house, and that would be interesting since it was clear that there were many sinners present (Matt 9:10) and to enter there could cause the synagogue leader to be unclean, but apparently, he didn't care.

Anyway, we see that Jesus responds immediately, and His disciples do as well. They begin making their way to his house, and a woman gets healed on the way by touching Jesus' cloak. I love that at a critical time like this, where they are likely hurrying to the man's house, Jesus stops and interacts with the woman who touched him. He always has time for the one. Anyway, back to the story of the dead girl, Jesus confronts immediate unbelief at His statement when He enters the crowd, which, when you think about it, was to be expected. The people knew she was dead, they had all seen death before, they knew what it looked like and smelled like, and the girl was clearly dead, not asleep. I think the Lord, actually enjoyed that setting because it was so clear that He had worked an astounding miracle. The people (other than the girl's father) had absolutely no faith for what Jesus was about to do, and thus when Jesus did it, it was that much more impactful. It was such a significant miracle that news of that specific incident spread throughout all the region. I can just imagine the faces on all the people when the father and mother brought the girl outside, alive and well! That must have been fun!

So back to the original theme - the gift of faith that the man was operating in to go find Jesus. It is clear that the Father was stirring this faith in the man, and he responded to this faith that was rising up in him. He likely had a thought enter his mind, 'if I can just find Jesus, he can come and lay his hand on my daughter and she will live!' or something like that. Rather than rejecting such an apparently foolish thought in the face of his daughter's death, he responded and began seeking Jesus. He left his home, the rest of his family, and the growing crowd of people and set out, driven by the hope this thought had instilled in him. When he sees Jesus he just blurts it all out, and his faith and hope are hanging out there for everyone to see. He wasn't concerned how strange it might have sounded. He wasn't worried if it was Jesus' will or not. He probably didn't stop to make sure his hair and everything was in order. Nope, He just went right in and professed his faith, and requested very specifically what he wanted Jesus to do. He was clearly motivated by his own emotions and love for his daughter, but he was also just as clearly operating in the gift of faith, for there was no doubt or question expressed in his words to Jesus.

Jesus immediately responds, and as I wrote previously, once He moves the outcome is already known. He didn't say, "well let me give it a try." As soon as He started walking towards the man's house the miracle was as good as done. He knew the Father's will and was on His way to fulfill it.

So, my encouragement this morning is to pray for two things, the gift of faith and the response of Jesus. With either of these we know the outcome will be in perfect alignment with the Father's heart and will. The gift of faith is to help us push past our own experience and knowledge into the unknown areas that the Father wants us to explore. He calls us into that place, not to frustrate us or disappoint us, but to see how much He loves us and how great He is. We can be confident that if we have such a God inspired gift of faith that the Lord plans on fulfilling the hope it instills - because the thought and hope came from Him in the first place.

Lord, I pray that You will pour out the gift of faith to all of us who are in need.

###

### Called, Prepared, Prayed-In, Released

## 02-25

This morning I was continuing my reading from Matthew's Gospel, and saw something interesting I hadn't realized before. Here are the original verses I was thinking about - Matthew 9:35-38 NIV:

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

I was thinking about this very familiar passage, and the pattern that Jesus once again demonstrates, preaching the good news of the Kingdom, then demonstrating the reality of the Kingdom, by healing every disease and sickness. What is unique about this section is the comment about there not being enough workers - and the command to ask the Lord of the harvest to send out more workers. I was thinking about that statement and the natural outcome of the prayer being to send out the twelve apostles. When I turned to the next chapter, for these are the last verses of chapter nine, that is exactly what Jesus did, He sent out the twelve.

Now, that might not be a surprise too many, but my Bible application only puts one chapter at a time on the screen, effectively compartmentalizing the chapters. Also, I have always tended to read my bible that way, usually focusing on a single section. I more rarely will read large sections together and thus, in my daily reading sometimes miss these transitional occurrences. I also don't have much scripture memorized and thus am often surprised by what I read next, as was the case this morning. Anyway, that's my rationalization for being surprised by Matthew 10:1, 5-8 NIV:

[1] "Jesus called his twelve disciples to him and gave them authority to drive out impure spirits and to heal every disease and sickness."

[5] "These twelve Jesus sent out with the following instructions: "Do not go among the Gentiles or enter any town of the Samaritans. [6] Go rather to the lost sheep of Israel. [7] As you go, proclaim this message: 'The kingdom of heaven has come near.' [8] Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those who have leprosy, drive out demons. Freely you have received; freely give."

My whole realization this morning is this simple principle we can extract from these passages. Jesus will speak about and call people to pray about something before He moves in a significantly new manner. In Mt 9:38 He tells the disciples to ask the Lord to send out workers, and in Mt 10:1 He sends them out to be workers. We may miss the significance of this transition, for in these two verses Jesus completely transforms His ministry and the speed at which He was able to share the Gospel. Previously all ministry was effectively carried out by Him, as the primary teacher, healer and minister, at least according to the scriptural record we have received. He had indicated His intention of having the disciples join in active ministry when He called them (Mt 4:19), at least we know that was true of Peter and Andrew, yet we see no real record of them participating in ministry, other than as subjects who Jesus was teaching.

So, if we put this all together, we have an initial call to ministry, a training period and time of preparation, a call to pray for the needs of the mission field for workers, and then a release of workers into the mission fields. It is nice to see that the Lord will provide direction and guidance over a period of time. I think many of us have some fear that God will call us to drop everything and go be missionaries or work in some ministry role tomorrow. God is not in the business of seeing people fail because of being ill-prepared. He doesn't just change His mind one day, and the next send an individual out to minister. He is the Lord of all things, He is outside of time and sees everything, knows every thought and desires of our heart. He has our entire lives to prepare us for all that is before us, so why would He ever do anything without plenty of warning and preparation?

Also, of note, when He is going to change things up, He calls us to prayer. There are many historical examples of great revivals breaking out around the world, and in each and every instance, that I have read about, there has always been a call made by God to pray prior to His releasing the fire of revival. There are always some number of people that have been specifically tasked with interceding for the move of God over a particular region or people. Sometimes they prayed for months or even years. In this case, Jesus specifically told the disciples to pray for the release of more workers. We don't know how much time transpired between 9:38 and 10:1, but it may have been a few days, possibly even weeks, but Matthew understood the two events were directly connected.

Finally, let us be encouraged in any areas where the Lord has called us, but not released us yet. Let us be encouraged if we are in a time of training and preparation, or even if we are just recently joined to the followers of the Lord. He does have plans and purpose for each of us, and He will direct us and guide us down the appropriate paths of preparation. He will give us insight and understanding as we grow and mature. We may not always understand His plan, purpose or path, but He is THE GOOD SHEPHERD and He will not lead us astray. He will let us know when change is coming, and ultimately, He will give us everything we need to be successful, including power and authority (Mt. 10:1). He will give us the message and the proof that the message is true. We need not fear that we are or will be unprepared, for the Lord is the most prepared individual in the Universe, in fact one could argue that He is the ONLY really prepared individual in the whole universe. Let us entrust ourselves to Him, and join Him in whatever He is calling us to today!

Amen!

###

### Our Motivation In Worship

## 02-26

So I managed to slumber through most of my time allotted for my daily prayer, it amazing I can sleep so well sitting up. I am grateful that the Lord doesn't have a problem with my slumbering in His presence. I used to love it when my kids slept in my lap or on my chest when they were very small. On the prayer side of things, I was, however, reading and meditating on Mark 7 when I slid into my slumber. There are a few verses that are good for reflection - Mark 7:5-7 NIV:

[5] "So the Pharisees and teachers of the law asked Jesus, "Why don't your disciples live according to the tradition of the elders instead of eating their food with defiled hands?"

[6] He (Jesus) replied, "Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you hypocrites; as it is written:  
" 'These people honor me with their lips,  
but their hearts are far from me.  
[7] They worship me in vain;  
their teachings are merely human rules.'"

These verses from Isaiah have been an important reflection point for me many times. For they help me check the state of my faith. I have always remained active in my congregation, but many times my heart has been disengaged. My desire is that I not only honor Him with my lips, and in actions, but do so out of true affection for Him.

I grew up in a denomination that had a very refined liturgy, and many of the things we did were empty of meaning to me, but I did them because that is what we learned to do. It was later, as I grew in my relationship with the Lord, that I started understanding the meaning behind many of the liturgical acts, and chose to do them out of relationship, not out of training. It is this transition of heart motivation that the Lord is after, and is commenting on concerning the Pharisees. They loved their religious rules and requirements more than God, to the point where there was no real love for God in their hearts. Worship is supposed to flow out of relationship, and their worship was following rules, thus their worship was in vain.

I heard a great definition of worship once that still is my operating definition. The individual said worship should be like a child running into the arms of their loving father. In this simple act, the child speaks volumes about their relationship, and the father clearly responds in like manner.

So let us examine our hearts and our motivation for participation in worship in whatever congregation we belong to. The Lord is interested in our hearts much more than He is our liturgical excellence. He is about relationships, not rules. Let us pursue Him who loves us and is waiting for us with open arms.

###

### Why Are We Worried About Bread?

## 02-27

This morning I continued my reading of Mark's Gospel. I saw some things that caught my attention in the following verses - Mark 8:11-21 NIV:

[11] "The Pharisees came and began to question Jesus. To test him, they asked him for a sign from heaven. [12] He sighed deeply and said, "Why does this generation ask for a sign? Truly I tell you, no sign will be given to it."

[13] Then he left them, got back into the boat and crossed to the other side. [14] The disciples had forgotten to bring bread, except for one loaf they had with them in the boat. [15] "Be careful," Jesus warned them. "Watch out for the yeast of the Pharisees and that of Herod."

[16] They discussed this with one another and said, "It is because we have no bread."

[17] Aware of their discussion, Jesus asked them: "Why are you talking about having no bread? Do you still not see or understand? Are your hearts hardened? [18] Do you have eyes but fail to see, and ears but fail to hear? And don't you remember? [19] When I broke the five loaves for the five thousand, how many basketfuls of pieces did you pick up?"

"Twelve," they replied.

[20] "And when I broke the seven loaves for the four thousand, how many basketfuls of pieces did you pick up?"

They answered, "Seven."

[21] He said to them, "Do you still not understand?"

This is an interesting section for a couple of reasons. First, the warning that Jesus gives about the Pharisees and the Herodians. The Pharisees are a pretty common theme in the Gospels, and their focus on the rules of man, versus relationship with God is pretty clear. They had their power base in religion, and Jesus was clearly upsetting their apple-cart. When I read Jesus' warning this morning, the fact that he included the Herodians caught my attention as they are rarely mentioned. Most of the dealings with Herod are found at the beginning of Jesus life (three magi ) and the end of His life (interview during Jesus trial), and surrounding the death of John the Baptist, but otherwise very little coverage.

My thinking is that the Herodians were concerned about a few things. First, Jesus did come from royal lineage, and He had an incredibly large base of followers. The Herodians were clinging to the vestiges of the former glory of the Kings of Judah. They longed for a king, relished the grandeur of that individual, and his trappings. They weren't big fans of religion, but held an uncomfortable truce with them, for each required the other, but anything or anybody that threatened their power base was a problem. Jesus came and started proclaiming a new Kingdom, and in reality, a new King. He was directly confronting their whole power base, for everyone knew what happened when a new King took over from an existing King, usually there was a bloody purge of the old King's family and friends. On top of that, Jesus was talking about the Kingdom of God, and that meant that Herod was not God's king. Since the time of Saul, the Jew's had a king, in one form or another, and this position was supposed to be chosen by God, as Saul, David and Solomon were chosen. For someone to be proclaiming a NEW Kingdom of God, had to be very unsettling to the Herodians. Their sole connection to power had to do with the kingly position of Herod, and his "royal" title. They had very little actual power to rule, or govern, but that little they had they clung to passionately.

So the yeast of the Pharisees was religion and religious practices, and the yeast of the Herodians would appear to relate to the royal position and throne and power to govern. Both of these have the ability to control people, and as such are attractive to those who would desire such power. Jesus came as a servant, not as a ruler. He had authority and power, but He used it to free people from sickness, disease, demons and religion. He was warning the disciples to not give themselves to the way of thinking that desires power for the advancement of one's self, or to have power over others.

The second thing that I found interesting was the logic behind Jesus' correction of the disciples. His main point was that they were thinking about the wrong thing. They were thinking about their own stomachs, and thought He was also thinking the same way. He wanted them thinking about the bigger picture, the purpose and practice that go hand in hand, and they were thinking about their next meal. He was warning them about dangerous paths to tread in life and they were missing the point because they were hungry.

What I thought was particularly interesting was the fact that Jesus was basically telling them that if they were ever hungry that He could do the same thing - multiply the food. His question at the end - "Do you still not understand?" was directed specifically at His ability to provide more than enough food through the miracle of multiplication, apparently whenever He would need to do it. Jesus talked only a few times about multiplying the food, and it was usually in response to people asking Him for a sign (food). He didn't take kindly to this prosperity focus, for many of the people were interested in following Him so they didn't need to pay money to provide food for themselves. They missed the point of what Jesus was doing, because they were focused on themselves. I guess that is a main topic this morning.

Back to Jesus' statement about multiplying food, Jesus was saying that if we are in relationship with Him, in this Kingdom reality that He was proclaiming and demonstrating, that there is no need to worry about our provision. He can, and will provide. He could have multiplied that one loaf and fed them all. He spoke about this several times, and the disciples were still not grasping the essence of what He was saying. In Matt 6: 25-34, Jesus directly addresses the topic of provision of food, clothes and drink, and says that we should seek first His Kingdom, and then these things will be given to us as well. We don't need to worry, to scheme, to run after power and authority so that we can turn those positions into more for ourselves, for He will provide all we need. The key thing we should be worried about is relationship with Him, and having His heart and mind and focus of ministry. We don't need to worry about our bread (provision).

So, this morning I am encouraged to reflect on my life, my focus, my relationship with Him. Am I more worried about my food and drink, my daily provisions than I am about relationship with Him? Am I following Him for what I can get in terms of power, authority and prestige? Is my heart and mind focused on the Kingdom, or am I focused on myself? Do I have an unhealthy attraction to religion or human establishments that provide power?

Lord, my desire is relationship with You first and foremost. Help me break away from my selfish pursuits and focus. Help me to be concerned about more than my bread!

Amen!

###

### Use Your Gifts To Serve Others

## 02-28

This evening I am taking some time to pray, as I didn't take time this morning. I was reading through Peter's first letter, and just really like this section from chapter 4 - 1 Peter 4:7-11 NIV:

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

It was verse 10 that stood out to me as I read through that paragraph. The idea that we, each of us, should use the gifts that we have received to serve others is a bit foreign to many people. We have a predominant church model that holds up the gifts of a few leaders and often overlooks the gifts of the congregation, unless someone wants to work in the children's ministry. We are ALL supposed to use whatever gift(s) we have received to serve others. No matter the gift, the focus in supposed to be outward toward others not inward. The gifts are also meant to serve the body of Christ, not elevate one's stature.

Gifts which are not used for service to others become twisted and unhealthy, even stunted. As I was thinking about this, I was reminded of the Asian practice of binding feet in girls when they were infants. The feet of these little girls become misshapen and stunted after a few years. This is what can happen to people who are unable to practice and use their gifts to serve others. Without the ability to practice and use their gifts, people become unsure of their gifts, even forgetting they have them. The Body of Christ needs everyone to be operating in their giftings.

I am drawn back to verse seven, for this statement is truer today than when Peter penned it. We are nearer to the end of all things, and we must pray. One of the things we should be praying for is the release from anything that binds us or causes our gifts to become stunted or fruitless. We must pray that all the gifts would be used! We should pray for environments of love and compassion and grace where we can practice the use of our gifts. We should pray for the gathering in of the Body of Christ, for many brothers and sisters are outside of regular fellowship. The church, for too many, has become empty, tired and lifeless. We need to pray for all the members to be united, flowing in the proper use of their gifts and serving each other. Let us pray, let us speak freedom and let us provide freedom.

Amen!

### Are We An Amos or Jonah?

## 03-01

This morning I am delving back into the Old Testament prophet Amos. Here are the verses I am focused on this morning - Amos 7:1-8 NIV:

[1] "This is what the Sovereign Lord showed me: He was preparing swarms of locusts after the king's share had been harvested and just as the late crops were coming up. [2] When they had stripped the land clean, I cried out, "Sovereign Lord, forgive! How can Jacob survive? He is so small! " [3] So the Lord relented. "This will not happen," the Lord said.

[4] This is what the Sovereign Lord showed me: The Sovereign Lord was calling for judgment by fire; it dried up the great deep and devoured the land. [5] Then I cried out, "Sovereign Lord, I beg you, stop! How can Jacob survive? He is so small! " [6] So the Lord relented. "This will not happen either," the Sovereign Lord said.

[7] This is what he showed me: The Lord was standing by a wall that had been built true to plumb, with a plumb line in his hand. [8] And the Lord asked me, "What do you see, Amos? " "A plumb line, " I replied. Then the Lord said, "Look, I am setting a plumb line among my people Israel; I will spare them no longer."

I always thought these verses were an interesting and excellent guide to how to intercede for the church, and the world. Although Amos was called to prophesy to the people of Israel, called to confront the things that were outside of God's will and purpose, his heart was always for Israel. In these passages God shows him the judgements that He is intending to bring, and in each case Amos cries out for mercy, rather than judgment. He doesn't necessarily disagree with the Lord's view, but understands how the people will be affected, and thus cries out for mercy.

One of the things that saddens me is that there are many prophetic voices in our church today crying out for judgement. They may be warning the people correctly, but rather than crying out for mercy, they are crying for judgment. They are voices like Jonah, who wanted to see judgment fall on Nineveh. He was angry when the Lord relented of the punishment He had warned He would send. Here are the verses - Jonah 3:10 - 4:4 NIV:

[10] "When God saw what they did and how they turned from their evil ways, he relented and did not bring on them the destruction he had threatened."

Chapter 4 [1] "But to Jonah this seemed very wrong, and he became angry. [2] He prayed to the Lord, "Isn't this what I said, Lord, when I was still at home? That is what I tried to forestall by fleeing to Tarshish. I knew that you are a gracious and compassionate God, slow to anger and abounding in love, a God who relents from sending calamity. [3] Now, Lord, take away my life, for it is better for me to die than to live."

[4] But the Lord replied, "Is it right for you to be angry?"

Jonah tells the Lord that he is angry that He had relented and had mercy. He was wanting to see judgment fall on all those people and was disappointed when God extended mercy. Many of the voices in the church, crying out against the injustices they see, seem to have this same attitude. There is almost a joyful anticipation of the coming judgment of God. There appears to be a desire to be proved right, showing the world that God will judge certain behaviors, certain sins. There is apparently limited love or concern for those that would be affected by God's judgments.

Here is what the Lord said to Jonah - "And should I not have concern for the great city of Nineveh, in which there are more than a hundred and twenty thousand people who cannot tell their right hand from their left---and also many animals?" Jonah 4:11 NIV.

God desires salvation and relationship with all of us, good and bad, sinner and saint. He longs for all to come to know Him, for all to be saved (1 Tim 2:3-4). He does not take joy in judgment, but is rather "gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in love." (Jonah 4:2). He loves His church, but He also loves every man, woman and child who has not yet been introduced to Him. Jesus perfectly demonstrated the Father's heart when He came to earth. He ministered to the sinners, befriending them, interacting with them, calling them into relationship, introducing them to the loving Father (Matt 9:12-13 is a great example). He had very little time and harsh words for those who considered themselves righteous, and judged the "sinners".

Let us examine our hearts and see if we are an Amos or a Jonah? Let us pray for mercy not judgment. Let us be seeking for the Lord to have mercy, compassion, and forgiveness for us all. Let us intercede for the lost, and pray that the Lord would give us His heart for them. Let us be a light of God's love to those around us, especially the "sinners". Let us accept the plumb-line of the Lord in our own lives, looking first to plank in our own eyes before speaking about the speck in someone else's eye (Matt 7:3-5).

###

### Dealing With Our Hearts and Minds - Worship and Belief

## 03-02

This morning I am reading from Paul's letter to the Colossians 3:5-10 NIV:

[5] "Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry. [6] Because of these, the wrath of God is coming. [7] You used to walk in these ways, in the life you once lived. [8] But now you must also rid yourselves of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language from your lips. [9] Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices [10] and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator."

I am meditating on these verses this morning and thinking about the differences between the first list (verse 5) and the second list (verse 8). The first list appears to have to do with our earthly nature, some would also call this our flesh. They have to do with unhealthy, unnatural and uncontrolled appetites. These things, if they are allowed to persist, become idols to us. We worship them with our lifestyles, our thoughts and our actions, giving ourselves to them in an intimate embrace. Our hearts are affected by our flesh, and our desires line up with the flesh, rather than God's.

The second list, seems to me, has to do with unbelief and selfishness. In my limited experience, the cause of many people's internal anger is a form of unbelief. They have not connected with God's unconditional love for themselves, have not understood His favor, grace, mercy and compassion. Deep down, they believe they have been cheated, wronged, neglected, or wounded by God, or that He has allowed these things in their lives. They are hurt and feel terrible about themselves, and the only thing that makes sense to them is to pass that hurt onto others. It's as if they are lonely in the bottom of their well of self-pity and pain and want to bring others down with them.

I think this has to do with unbelief, or wrong belief, because what we believe about God is key to our own view of ourselves and the world around us. If we believe that God is an angry God, just waiting to judge us for our wrong behavior, then we think He has made us bad, and is just waiting to slap us down. We see life as a negative experience, like walking through a mine-field. If we think God doesn't like us, then we have a very hard time liking ourselves and often times invest in behavior to prove to ourselves we are unlikable. If we have no relationship with God, then we see religion as a bunch of constricting rules meant to punish us and take away anything good or fun. All of these mindsets are types of wrong belief or unbelief. They are counter to the revelation of the Father found in scripture, and reflected in Jesus' life. They are often the result of believing lies and accusations against God, as pushed by many these days.

Going back to the verses, Paul is saying that it is not enough to deal with the outward expressions, and internal affliction of our hearts, but we must also address the issues of our thoughts and beliefs about God. Our "old self" needs to be dealt with and replaced by the "new self" available through relationship with Jesus. Paul writes about this in his second letter to the church in Corinth - 2 Corinthians 5:17 NIV: "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!'

It is like we have been given a new car, but we keep driving the old. Let us choose to leave the old self in the garage and embrace our new self, our new creation and walk in that reality every day.

Amen - help me Lord.

###

### Greatness In The Kingdom & Children's Ministry

## 03-03

This morning I am thinking about the following verses from Mark 9:30-37 NIV:

[30] "They left that place and passed through Galilee. Jesus did not want anyone to know where they were, [31] because he was teaching his disciples. He said to them, "The Son of Man is going to be delivered into the hands of men. They will kill him, and after three days he will rise." [32] But they did not understand what he meant and were afraid to ask him about it.

[33] They came to Capernaum. When he was in the house, he asked them, "What were you arguing about on the road?" [34] But they kept quiet because on the way they had argued about who was the greatest.

[35] Sitting down, Jesus called the Twelve and said, "Anyone who wants to be first must be the very last, and the servant of all."

[36] He took a little child whom he placed among them. Taking the child in his arms, he said to them, [37] "Whoever welcomes one of these little children in my name welcomes me; and whoever welcomes me does not welcome me but the one who sent me."

There is a bunch of stuff happening in these few verses, and it all seems to be focused on trying to teach the disciples, drawing them slowly forward in their understanding and faith. Sometimes, you just have to wonder at their apparent denseness, as Jesus is clearly speaking and they are just not picking it up. We, of course, have the advantage of hind-sight, while they were walking through all these revelations and experiences in real time. I am encouraged by their humanness, and by their failures, for that means the Lord has seen it all before and will likely treat me with the same heart when I am dense.

The disciples traveled with Jesus for close to three years, and still did not pick-up everything He was trying to teach them. He was working hard to establish a completely new paradigm in their minds and hearts. They had grown up in a very religious, works based system, and the Lord was trying to replace that with a relational model. They were used to a model where the leaders had the power and authority and let everyone know it, and He was teaching them about humility, hiddenness and servant leadership.

Here Jesus spends time specifically teaching them, and working with them. I think this is so important that we all take time to be with the Lord, for our own sake. Sometimes the demands of ministry can make it almost impossible to spend much alone time with the Lord, but that is essential for remaining on track and establishing and maintaining a correct mind-set.

As I mentioned before, the disciples seemed quite resistant to Jesus teaching, and one of the areas where this was specifically true is their own personal position in the Kingdom. On this journey back to Capernaum they were arguing about who was the greatest. Another time James and John had their mom ask Jesus to make them His number one and two assistants when He sat on the throne (Matt 20:20-22). When Jesus had risen from the dead and returned to them and was just about to ascend to Heaven, they were still asking about the earthly Kingdom being restored (Acts 1:6) and were likely thinking similar thoughts of the glorious positions they would have in this Kingdom, under a King who could no longer die.

Taking a moment to reflect on the church of today and the pastor worship that is prevalent, it seems we have generally missed the same point that Jesus was teaching the disciples. The goal of joining Jesus in continuing His ministry should not be personal glory, international recognition, adulation, personal wealth, or power over others. I don't know the hearts of most famous pastors or teachers, and so am just observing externally that often they seem to be ok with the personal glory and power, certainly the riches and wealth. The fancy suits, fancy homes, nice cars, huge staffs, huge churches were never the focus or desire of Jesus' ministry. I think that having such a mindset clearly muddies the purpose and practice of one's ministry, as compared to Jesus. We can rationalize the need to connect to more and more people, and thus the celebrity position seems to be the answer. Again, I can't judge anyone, I just know that in my life all of that would be very dangerous and thus I must reject any of that as it pertains to ministry. I am seeking to emulate Jesus' statement in verse 35 - " Anyone who wants to be first must be the very last, and the servant of all."

My last reflection has to do with Jesus' last statement in verse 37, the welcoming of children in His name is the same as welcoming the Father. The Father looks with great favor on any that welcome Him, and any who welcome His son Jesus, and any who welcome little children in His name. That puts a whole different light on children's ministry. So often the children's ministry is one where the leaders have to beg others to participate, and here we have Jesus describing the personal favor that the Father has on such people. If we grabbed hold of this mindset as a church we would have to turn children's workers away. In Matthew's Gospel, this thought is expanded a bit by Jesus, as follows - Matthew 10:40-42 NIV:

[40] "Anyone who welcomes you welcomes me, and anyone who welcomes me welcomes the one who sent me. [41] Whoever welcomes a prophet as a prophet will receive a prophet's reward, and whoever welcomes a righteous person as a righteous person will receive a righteous person's reward. [42] And if anyone gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones who is my disciple, truly I tell you, that person will certainly not lose their reward."

Look at the logic of verse 41, if you welcome a prophet you receive a prophet's reward. It is clearly the Father who rewards the one who welcomes the prophet. So what reward would be given to those who welcome the Son of God, following the same logic? The answer is stunning - they would receive the Son's reward! Going back to Jesus statement in Mark 9:37 whoever welcomes one of the little one's welcomes the Son and the Father. Wow! We ought to be lining up to welcome and work with the little ones! Even more so, this is Jesus' response to the disciples arguing about who was the greatest, in essence pointing the way to greatness in the Kingdom - namely welcoming the children. Children's ministry might seem like a hidden thing in most churches, but the Father has His eyes clearly on those who are working and welcoming and serving in such a way, and there is great reward in this Kingdom reality!

Amen!

###

### The Proof Of The Pudding Is IN The Eating

## 03-04

This morning I jumped back to Matthew's Gospel for a little. The following verses are worth thinking about - Matthew 11:2-6 NIV:

[2] "When John, who was in prison, heard about the deeds of the Messiah, he sent his disciples [3] to ask him, "Are you the one who is to come, or should we expect someone else?"

[4] Jesus replied, "Go back and report to John what you hear and see: [5] The blind receive sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosy are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the good news is proclaimed to the poor. [6] Blessed is anyone who does not stumble on account of me."

I love how Jesus answers John's question. He answers with experiences, and activity reports. He doesn't go into the theology, the prophesies, or scripture to build a case to state who He is, He merely states what He has demonstrated. This is the exact same approach He used for the proclamation of the Kingdom, proving what He said was true by demonstrating it. Wouldn't that be an interesting way to describe church, if we could?

It is my belief that this is the call of the church, to continue the ministry of Jesus, for we are His Body. How can we for a minute be satisfied with anything less than the full ministry as described by Jesus? The world needs to see that the Kingdom of God is real and present. They need to see that we are more than talk and good intentions and programs. They need to see the reality of the Kingdom of God present on the earth, as demonstrated by healing, signs and wonders and miracles.

Jesus came to seek and save the lost. He came to fulfill the law, and open a way for us to have relationship with the Father. He came to represent the Father. He came to pay for our sins, and break the power of sin, death and the evil one in this world. He came to establish the Kingdom of God which was the demonstration of everything I just listed.

As I write this, I am reminded of an old English saying - 'the proof of the pudding is in the eating'. We have shortened this in our day, but the meaning is quite clear. It is in the experience that one evaluates or tests the claims made. The best hamburger in the world can only be decided by eating one, after trying many others. In the case of a hamburger, the rating would be subjective and highly dependent on one's preferences. This is not the case with Jesus' proclamation of the Kingdom of God, or His role as Messiah, or His identity as the Son of God. Anyone can say these things about themselves, but only One can offer the proof. That is what we are called to continue to do, to offer the proof of what we believe. How else will the world be able to determine which of the competing messages is true?

Jesus understood this completely, and that is why His answer to John is so perfect. There were many who had claimed to be the messiah, but only Jesus was able to demonstrate this claim with proof. There were many rumors of things that were amazing, so He offered fact to put rumors to rest. His list of miracles, healings and signs and wonders are part of His glory - for they illuminate Him for who He is. They are meant to be part of the glory of the body of Christ, as well, for how else could the Body of Christ be rightly discerned.

So let us pray that we could once more demonstrate the truth of what we believe by experiential proofs. Let us pursue the truth in the saying - 'the proof of the pudding is in the eating'! Our invitation will truly be - 'come and hear and see'.

Amen!

### Relying On The Lord To Confirm Their Words...

## 03-05

Last night before going to bed, I was reading from Acts 14 and was once again captured by the fact that the Lord confirmed Paul's words with signs and wonders. Here are the verses - Acts 14:1-3 NIV:

[1] "At Iconium Paul and Barnabas went as usual into the Jewish synagogue. There they spoke so effectively that a great number of Jews and Greeks believed. [2] But the Jews who refused to believe stirred up the other Gentiles and poisoned their minds against the brothers. [3] So Paul and Barnabas spent considerable time there, speaking boldly for the Lord, who confirmed the message of his grace by enabling them to perform signs and wonders."

I love verse 3, for that is such a clear description of the way I believe the Lord wants to work. It was the signs and wonders that confirmed their message. The signs and wonders weren't the message, the message was about Jesus and who He was, and what He did. The message was about the Kingdom of God being established by Jesus (that was one of the primary messages of Paul \- see Acts 28:31 which is the last verse in Acts). The signs and wonders were to confirm what Paul and Barnabas said was true.

The Greek word here translated 'confirmed' is Martureo and it is defined as follows:

1. to be a witness, to bear witness, i.e. to affirm that one has seen or heard or experienced something, or that he knows it because taught by divine revelation or inspiration  
A. to give (not to keep back) testimony  
B. to utter honourable testimony, give a good report

That is a perfect verb for what the Lord, through the power of the Holy Spirit was doing through Paul and Barnabas. He was affirming that people had both heard and seen something that was divinely inspired. In other words, only God could do such things, and thus they must be His messengers. So their message about Jesus was provided an experience that the people witnessed that proved what they (Paul and Barnabas) said was true.

In the following verses, we see an example of the Holy Spirit empowering them to work a miracle and the people who witnessed it were convinced about the divine nature of the miracle. This happened in the next city they visited after Iconium.

Acts 14:8-12 NIV  
[8] "In Lystra there sat a man who was lame. He had been that way from birth and had never walked. [9] He listened to Paul as he was speaking. Paul looked directly at him, saw that he had faith to be healed [10] and called out, "Stand up on your feet!" At that, the man jumped up and began to walk. [11] When the crowd saw what Paul had done, they shouted in the Lycaonian language, "The gods have come down to us in human form!" [12] Barnabas they called Zeus, and Paul they called Hermes because he was the chief speaker."

This is a perfect example of a normal response to a miracle - people think it must come from God. Now these people were raised with Greek thought and religions, so when they saw the miracle, they knew it was only possible for a god to do, and thus thought that Zeus and Hermes had come to visit. They came to right conclusion about the divine nature of the miracle, just had the wrong god.

So, going back to the previous verses, we see that Paul and Barnabas spoke for considerable time there, and the Lord confirmed their message of His grace by enabling them to perform miracles. The message of His grace is clearly outlined in Paul's letter to the Ephesians, chapter 2. As an aside, the message of grace is really quite astounding, when compared to the works and sacrifice based Greek religion. The people don't have to earn God's favor, or sacrifice to Him to stay on His good side. There isn't a whole group of gods that one has to be constantly worried about, but just one God, the only true God. This God loved them so much that He did everything they needed for salvation, including forgiving their sins, and all they needed to do was believe in Him and enter into relationship with Him. He would visit them personally in the form of the Holy Spirit and empower them, all as a free gift, because He loved them! That must have been very interesting to hear for the first time.

Back to Paul and Barnabas, in the New American Standard translation their mission in Iconium was described as follows: "Therefore they spent a long time there speaking boldly with reliance upon the Lord, who was testifying to the word of His grace,..." Acts 14:3 NASB. I like the addition of the fact that they were relying on the Lord, who was testifying to the word of His grace. They didn't just preach, but they relied on the Lord to testify that what they were saying was true. They didn't primarily rely on the logic of their arguments to prove that what they said was true, rather they relied on the power of the testimony of signs and wonders. Wouldn't that be a refreshing change to our Sunday sermons?

Lord, our desire, as Your church, is to walk in this same ministry with integrity. Our desire is to see You confirm our message about Your grace and Your Kingdom, not for our sake, but for Yours and the sake of the people who have not met You, or who have not understood how good You really are. Empower us and encourage us to proclaim Your message to all the world.

Amen!

###

### Power For Change - Our Response To Miracles

## 03-06

It appears that my prayer and study focus continues to be the signs and wonders and their purpose in Jesus' ministry. This morning I am reading from Matthew 11:21, 23 NIV:

[21] "Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the miracles that were performed in you had been performed in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes."

[23] "And you, Capernaum, will you be lifted to the heavens? No, you will go down to Hades. For if the miracles that were performed in you had been performed in Sodom, it would have remained to this day."

These verses are an interesting study, for Jesus is speaking about the miracles He has worked and the impact they should have in one's life and in life of the greater community. It is important to think about miracles both individually and corporately, for they impact both, and are obviously meant to. Miracles are meant to drive people to relationship God, to confront their issues of unbelief, and to bring about repentance. Repentance means to change the way you think, and to change the way you act because of this new way of thinking.

When we are confronted by the miraculous, we must deal with it in some way, we must respond. We can deny it happened. We can nod our head and think 'how nice'. We can try to explain it away. We can realize that there really is a God and He is affecting someone's life right here on earth. We can have any of these responses or several others, but we must respond. These towns had responded, but had not repented or changed the way they thought about God, or acted towards Him.

I find it interesting that Jesus didn't mention the messages that He had preached in these towns. He didn't fault the people for their lack of response or repentance to His messages, but rather took them to task over their response to the miracles. The point is, anyone can talk and preach good messages, but it is miracles, signs and wonders, healings and deliverances that distinguished Jesus' ministry. As I have covered before, they were the proof that what Jesus said was from God, for only God could do those things. Jesus said in John 14:10-11 NIV: "Don't you believe that I am in the Father, and that the Father is in me? The words I say to you I do not speak on my own authority. Rather, it is the Father, living in me, who is doing his work. [11] Believe me when I say that I am in the Father and the Father is in me; or at least believe on the evidence of the works themselves."

As I was thinking about these verses I was reminded of an earlier verse that speaks about the Kingdom advancing with power or violence (Matt 11:12). Jesus is the one who was advancing the Kingdom, and the violence was not evil, but rather the power of God defeating and banishing disease, sickness, woundedness, and the demonic. He was confronting these and unbelief with power and authority. We don't necessarily classify this as violence, but to the sickness and demons, it was very violent, for they were cast out and banished. The first definition of violence reads: "marked by extreme force or sudden intense activity" Webster's Dictionary. That is exactly what Jesus was doing, exerting extreme (Divine) force or power. The force requires a response - that is a basic physics equation, but also true in the Spiritual realm.

This force requires or elicits response and that is one of the reasons I believe that He presented the Good News about the Kingdom of God and then demonstrated it with power. His words set the stage for a change in the way the people thought, and the miracles, signs and wonders, were the power that forced a response. It is our choice how we respond to things, and these people were no different. That is exactly what Jesus was commenting on, the response was not repentance, or changing the way they thought. He had provided the understanding and then the proof, and they had not changed.

I am more and more convinced that the Lord fully intended us to minister in the same way He demonstrated. What kind of a loving God would tell us to continue His work, and then not empower us to do the work effectively. We can choose how we go about the work, with power assist or not. I would choose the power assisted model. When sawing through a tree I can use a hand powered saw or I can use a gas-powered chain saw. I choose the chainsaw, the one with power assist. In the same way, our ministry can make room for and expect the power assistance available to us through the Holy Spirit (chainsaw), as promised by Jesus, or we can slog away using just our words and logic (hand powered saw). I prefer the version that introduces divine force for change and repentance.

Lord, only You can provide the power.

###

### Morning Interaction With The Lord

## 03-08

When I woke up this morning, I was thinking about worship. I was thinking that really all we are doing is responding to the Lord. As Graham Cooke says, we don't have any thoughts about God that He didn't initiate, so really worship is just learning to respond to that which He is initiating. I had this thought as I was thinking about the need to draw near to Him, so that He will draw near to us, but was gently corrected. He is already near, He is already drawing us, and HE is previous (the initiator). I guess the way to say it is we can't surprise God, because He is always there before us preparing the way.

I have been thinking much about the pressing in the Lord has me doing concerning healing and ministry in the power of the Holy Spirit, Kingdom proclamation and Kingdom demonstration. Lord in our vernacular, You are painting me into a corner, as I cannot conceive of any other way to move forward, which is good, but which leaves me in a dependence wholly on You, for I can do nothing, except the proclamation, and even that is weak. You must show Yourself strong, as I have nothing in me, besides You that has power.

I feel a little like Elijah and the prophets of baal, for his dependence was fully on You. You either showed up or You didn't and if You didn't, he was dead. As scary as that position is, I would rather be there than anywhere else, because You are faithful, and loving, compassionate and merciful, full of grace, and the God who provides, and Lord, You know how bad we need Your provision. Lord, help me to walk in complete humility, understanding how You are wholly responsible for everything, and I am basically just an empty vessel if I were to extract everything that You have given me.

I am reminded of two things from yesterday. My friend's conversation with his employee, showing how little he has accomplished when he took away all the accounts my friend had given him. That is like us, if we extract everything that was given us by the Lord, we have nothing left. This should lead to us being very humble in our ministry and relying on Him wholly. His desire is that He be glorified in everything we do, so that we are shining light on Him in our actions, in our words. He is the reason, He is the origination, He is the giver, He is our source. It is extremely prideful to take credit for anything, for it all comes from Him. We can revel in what He has given us, enjoy what He has given us, show off what He has given us, but take no credit.

Secondly, I was walking through Hy-Vee yesterday and when I arrived the majority of the store was partially lit, as much of the power was off due to a problem somewhere in Liberty. They were trying to cover all the coolers, and wouldn't open them so that people could purchase the refrigerated goods. They had whole sections blocked off, for they were trying to keep the cool inside the coolers, just like if you lose power at home, you aren't supposed to open the refrigerator or freezer. I was almost done shopping when the power was restored, and the manager made sure it would stay on. Once that indication was given, he gave the order to tear down the coverings. One of the guys remarked to me, how much more fun it was tearing down than putting it up. As I was walking toward the register, I felt the Lord say something incredible. (It might also just be my own pride). He said this happened (the power being restored) because I was in the store. I had to laugh a little, but on further reflection I get what He was really showing me.

This was a giant image of what the condition of the church is. The church is supposed to be a place to come and buy food (Isaiah 55:1-2) from the Lord without money. Without real power, there is only so much available. Nothing fresh. The church, in her theological and religious efforts to cover for her lack of power, has blocked us from actually even experiencing much of what is available in Him. There are whole sections of what the Lord desires for us, presently blocked. I have nothing I can do to actually restore the power; the power is coming from its point of origination. God can, through me and my presence, restore power, open up areas once blocked, and restore freshness to that which we can receive. This is true for all of us. He wants to restore power to the church! He wants us to be able to receive all that nourishes us and gives us life. He doesn't want a partially powered church, some dry goods only place for people to come. He wants to restore access to all that He has for us, He wants us to fully enjoy His gifts, His provision, His life!

As I am sitting here, the Lord is opening my eyes to all the prophetic imagery He sows into my life. Here are a few examples:

1) The people yesterday who were waiting for my son and I to take the elliptical apart and load it in our truck. They thought they had been waiting way too long, but in reality, it was 20 minutes, which was really fast in my estimation. We had barely gotten in our truck and they were leaving the house, they had somewhere else to be. How often is this our same approach to God? We don't want to wait for Him to do that which needs to be done, because we have someplace else to be.

2) Josh carving wood, an old dry piece of wood takes much more effort and time to carve. Fresh wood, is soft, and pliable and much simpler to fashion and carve. We want to be fresh, have His life flowing through us, connected to the source of life so that we are malleable, able to fashioned and formed.

3) One of the other things I was thinking about was how sickness and injury is pressing into our group recently. It is interesting that we (at least me) are pressing into the areas of healing and the proclamation of the Kingdom of God, where His dominion drives away sickness, disease and heals everything. It is almost like the enemy is pressing in, trying to discourage us, trying to make us fear him, fear proclaiming anything that defeats him, because of his counter-attack. We must rest in the Lord, and let Him enter the battle on our behalf, when He enters the battlefield the battle is over. I am reminded of my dream of spiritual battle. In this dream the battle was raging all around, angelic and demonic forces, engaged. When He was carried onto the battlefield in His litter, the enemy was completely vanquished, He didn't even raise a finger, his sovereignty was just extended over the battlefield. Jesus said He has "strong confidence". We could rest in His presence, even with the presence of the enemy all around us.

Thank You Lord, for speaking to me and encouraging me.

###

### Faith To Persevere When The Lord Doesn't Seem To Respond

## 03-09

This morning I am reading from Matthew 15:20-28 NIV:

[21] "Leaving that place, Jesus withdrew to the region of Tyre and Sidon. [22] A Canaanite woman from that vicinity came to him, crying out, "Lord, Son of David, have mercy on me! My daughter is demon-possessed and suffering terribly."

[23] Jesus did not answer a word.

So his disciples came to him and urged him, "Send her away, for she keeps crying out after us."

[24] He answered, "I was sent only to the lost sheep of Israel."

[25] The woman came and knelt before him. "Lord, help me!" she said.

[26] He replied, "It is not right to take the children's bread and toss it to the dogs."

[27] "Yes it is, Lord," she said. "Even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their master's table."

[28] Then Jesus said to her, "Woman, you have great faith! Your request is granted." And her daughter was healed at that moment."

This is such an interesting story, for in the telling of it, it seems that Jesus is cold-hearted towards her. He actually ignores her first several pleas, as noted by the disciples. This is the only time, that I am aware of, that Jesus acts this way, so it's important to understand why.

First, when examining such a scripture, it is important to review this in light of all the other revelation also found in scripture, and not create some theology based on this single set of verses that is in conflict with rest of the scriptural revelation. We know that Jesus died for the sins of all men and women. We know that He loves each of us, regardless of our national heritage. We know that He healed everyone that came to Him. We know that He had great compassion, mercy and grace. We know that He was obedient to the Father in word and deed.

We also know that there were several other incidences where Jesus ministered outside the people of Israel, (e.g. Samaritan Woman - John 4; The Centurion's son - Matt 8:5-13) and in the story of the Centurion, Jesus makes a special point of talking about those outside the nation of Israel taking their place at the heavenly feast. Thus, we know that Jesus statement here is not to be taken literally, but has another purpose.

I believe we see some of that purpose in the continuing conversation between Jesus and the woman, as Jesus even allows her to correct Him (look closely at verses 26 & 27). There is something else going on here, and we can learn from this interaction. I believe the Lord was testing the faith that the women apparently was exhibiting, in obedience to the Father, and He was waiting on the Father's release.

She had faith, that much was evident, but the motivation of the faith could have been in question. It seems to me that the Lord is testing her to see her real motivation and level of faith. Many times, we hear something that we would like to have or experience, but our hearts are not fully engaged, or our motivation is not right. The Lord, in His love for us, and for our own maturation, will draw these issues to the surface, so that we can see what is in our heart, and repent of any wrong understanding or behavior. We know nothing about this woman, but the Father knew everything. The Father was directing Jesus in how to respond, how to answer, and was thus after something.

We must never forget that the Lord deals with each of us individually, sometimes uniquely. He loves us perfectly, and wants the best for us. Maybe this woman lacked any real perseverance in her life, and thus the Lord was drawing her into a place of need where she discovered the fruits of perseverance. It is really impossible to know exactly what the Lord was doing in her heart, and we must remember that as well about our fellow brothers and sisters. We can easily judge a situation, believing we know exactly what the Lord is after in a person's life, but in reality, we know nothing unless the person tells us, or we receive some very direct prophetic understanding. Even then we must be careful not to judge. Maybe He was correcting a wrong perspective that she had about the Love of God and how it would apply to her daughter and herself. We will never know for sure this side of heaven.

At the very least, we can learn from this story the benefits of perseverance. We can see her pursuit of the Lord, in spite of resistance from those close to the Lord. We can see she is unrelenting, even when the answer the Lord gives seems to indicate His will is to not respond. We can see her challenging His statement back to her, refusing to believe that God would not move and act on her behalf. I am reminded of stories from the ministries of Smith Wigglesworth and John G. Lake, where they prayed throughout a night, or for many days before seeing breakthrough for a particular individual. One wonders how often the Lord is inviting us to grow in perseverance and we don't want to go there because of the personal cost or effort?

Lord help us to rightly discern Your purpose and intention in our lives for our present situation. Help us to hold onto the truth that we know about you, and not create a theology to explain our present experience, or apparent lack of activity on Your part. Let us learn to persevere, understanding that when You place in us faith for something, You intend to draw us deeper into dependence on You, and deeper into relationship.

Amen.

### Our Name, Identity and Purpose in Him

## 03-10

This morning I am thinking about Peter, and his highs and lows, as evidenced in this chunk of Matthew's Gospel. Peter is one of my favorite Apostles, and that is probably due in part to the greater visibility we have into his life and mind. Here are the verses - Matthew 16:15-23 NIV:

[15] "But what about you?" he asked. "Who do you say I am?"

[16] Simon Peter answered, "You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God."

[17] Jesus replied, "Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by flesh and blood, but by my Father in heaven. [18] And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it. [19] I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven." [20] Then he ordered his disciples not to tell anyone that he was the Messiah.

[21] From that time on Jesus began to explain to his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things at the hands of the elders, the chief priests and the teachers of the law, and that he must be killed and on the third day be raised to life.

[22] Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. "Never, Lord!" he said. "This shall never happen to you!"

[23] Jesus turned and said to Peter, "Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to me; you do not have in mind the concerns of God, but merely human concerns."

First, when Peter proclaims Jesus as Messiah, that must have been a very significant moment, for it was when Jesus gave him his name Peter (Rock). Jesus was clearly pleased, and in His response, says some awesome stuff. He blesses Simon, says that he could only have known this because the Father showed him and was thus commenting on the favor of the Father, and then signifies his importance in the coming church. Jesus gives him a new name and in scriptural history, receiving a new name from the Lord was on the level of Abraham and Jacob. It meant there was significant destiny and purpose that was being released by the Lord, this was huge. This was not some little nickname, but key to the transformation of Peter into the leader of the church.

I am sure the significance of this was not lost on Peter. The Lord saw in Him such purpose and such a calling and destiny that He gave him a new name. The name Simon in Hebrew mans that 'he has heard'. Peter on the other hand means 'stone or rock'. It is interesting that it was because 'he heard' from the Father that Jesus proclaims him the 'rock'. Peter was to become the 'rock' upon which Jesus would build His church, talk about a huge responsibility. New purpose, and new destinies require new understanding, encouragement and empowerment. From this point onward, Peter was called so, and this helped remind him of the destiny that the Lord had planned, and who he really was. His identity in Christ was solidified.

In the same way, each of us has significance to the Lord. Our identity, first and foremost, is as a son or daughter. Secondly, when the Lord looks at us, He has specific purpose and destiny planned for each of us. Coming into relationship with Him, helps us to understand who He says we are, and when He speaks about that we need to listen. I am convinced that many of us never even think to ask that simple question - Lord, who do you say I am? One of the other things I have learned is that just like most earthy father's the Lord has nicknames for us, that are signs of our endearment to him. I have special nicknames for both of my children, and my use of them, while not significant to their purpose and destiny, signifies my love and affection for them. The Lord does the same for us.

One of my favorite authors and speakers is Graham Cooke, and he introduced me to this concept. In his relationship with the Lord, he is aware of the fact that Lord calls him different names. The Lord calls him Gray when He is speaking with him from a point of affection and love, and He calls him Graham when He is speaking about other things. This opened up a whole level of intimacy to me that I never knew existed in the Lord. It caused me to press into relationship in a way I had never understood was possible. The Lord wants us all to understand how much we mean to Him, and if we go to Him and ask, I am confident He will speak His nickname for each us. He wants us to discover and understand our identity as sons and daughters.

Continuing on with the scripture, we find that it is a very short time before Peter oversteps his new-found identity. One of the things that Lord DOES want us to do is try out new levels of authority as He calls us into them. It is like when you get a new car, you take it for drive to see what it drives like. If you are like me that usually means pressing it into previously uncharted territories of experience. Peter, confident in his new identity, decides it is time to act like the leader Jesus thinks he is. Peter had probably been dreaming grand and glorious Kingdom dreams and was shocked to hear Jesus talking about suffering and dying. I can just see Peter thinking it best to take Jesus aside and correct the Him, for surely He was mistaken when He was just speaking the other day about building His church, and had selected Peter to help Him. It wasn't just Peter who didn't comprehend what Jesus was saying, apparently all the Apostles thought the same thing. They thought Jesus was here for the long-term and it was just a matter of time before His kingdom was going to be established, with all of them a part of the leadership team. They were probably pushing Peter to have the "talk" with Jesus and set things straight. Peter has the "talk" and it doesn't go the way he thought it would. Yikes!

What I find significant is the fact that Jesus, while He rebukes Peter sternly, still calls him by his new name. Peter's huge miss does not impact his relationship or destiny. How often have we shut people down, or walked away from them when they have really messed up, or maybe demoted them at the very least? This is NOT how the Lord operates. He shuts down the talk immediately, for as He indicates, Peter is a stumbling block to Him. In other words, the idea that Peter was voicing was possibly the very temptation that satan was pounding on Jesus with every day - the temptation to set himself up as an earthly ruler. We know that this was part of His temptation during His forty days in the wilderness (Matt 4: 8-9). Anyway, Jesus would not allow that talk to continue, and then He provides the correction to Peter. He tells Peter that he is thinking like a man, not like the Father God. I, for one, can't fault Peter for this miss, nor do I think does Jesus. His correction, while sometimes direct and even stern, is meant to keep us on track and continuing forward in our purpose and destiny. Peter was thinking like a man, and as Jesus' representative, and as the 'rock' he needed to be thinking like God.

Jesus didn't demote Peter, didn't take back anything He had previously said, but instead told him he needs to stop thinking and start listening. We know that Peter was not punished for this mistake, for Jesus goes from here to the mount where He is transfigured, and Peter is one of the three companions He brings. I am sure that after the rebuke, Peter had to rethink what Jesus said, and spend time listening more intently to the Lord. He realized that his first idea of what this purpose would look like was wrong, so He started listening and trying to think like God. Correction from the Lord is meant to do exactly that, draw us back to Him, cause us to listen, cause us to change the way we think (repent) and begin to think like God. Correction does not mean we have been disqualified.

The other thing that Jesus said was "get behind me". I know that often I can find myself pressing into areas without being led by the Lord. I think this is exactly what Jesus was saying - "get behind me Peter and follow my lead, and trust me because I know what I am doing!" I know that I have heard many people say, "this isn't what I signed up for..." as in things didn't turn out the way they thought it would. Anytime we deal with the Lord, following after and trying to understand His words to us, we will likely run into this same thought. I am pretty sure that was what Peter was thinking, or at least some derivation. He needed to learn His place (servant leadership directed by the Lord) and trust that the Lord knew exactly what He was doing and that He was operating at a whole different level. He was missing the bigger picture, because he was thinking about himself, and his own concerns.

So, this morning I am encouraged to press into the Lord to find out who He says I am, in Him. I am encouraged to uncover my identity in Him, my purpose and destiny. I am encouraged to listen more and plan and strategize less, unless under the guidance of the Lord. I am encouraged to press in, but also allow the Lord to lead me. I am encouraged that the Lord will not treat me like other men, He will not punish me or demote me when I mess up or miss what He is saying. I am encouraged that the Lord loves me, and has an affectionate nickname for me.

Thanks You Lord for your personal love and direction. You are so good to me!

###

### A Love Letter From God

## 03-11

Last night I was reading from Isaiah and came across a few verses that are worth meditating on today. Isaiah 43:1-7, 10-13 NIV:

[1] "But now, this is what the Lord says---  
he who created you, Jacob, he who formed you, Israel:  
"Do not fear, for I have redeemed you;  
I have summoned you by name; you are mine.

[2] When you pass through the waters, I will be with you;  
and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you.  
When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze.

[3] For I am the Lord your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior;  
I give Egypt for your ransom, Cush and Seba in your stead.

[4] Since you are precious and honored in my sight,  
and because I love you,  
I will give people in exchange for you, nations in exchange for your life.

[5] Do not be afraid, for I am with you;  
I will bring your children from the east and gather you from the west.

[6] I will say to the north, 'Give them up!' and to the south, 'Do not hold them back.'  
Bring my sons from afar and my daughters from the ends of the earth---

[7] everyone who is called by my name,  
whom I created for my glory, whom I formed and made. "

[10] "You are my witnesses, " declares the Lord,  
"and my servant whom I have chosen,  
so that you may know and believe me and understand that I am he.  
Before me no god was formed, nor will there be one after me.

[11] I, even I, am the Lord, and apart from me there is no savior.

[12] I have revealed and saved and proclaimed---  
I, and not some foreign god among you.  
You are my witnesses, " declares the Lord, "that I am God.

[13] Yes, and from ancient days I am he.  
No one can deliver out of my hand.  
When I act, who can reverse it?"

I love the personal aspect of these verses. If you ever want to read a nice 'love letter' from the Lord, these verses suffice nicely. Just look at all the things the Lord promises and says about His people (we are part of that people through Christ). Here is my extract of those things:

HE created us  
HE formed us  
HE has redeemed us  
We don't need to fear  
HE will protect us  
HE will sustain us  
HE has called us by name  
We are His (Children)  
HE will be with us  
HE will protect us  
HE is our savior  
We are precious in His eyes  
We are honored in His eyes  
HE loves us  
We don't need to fear  
HE is with us  
HE calls us by His name (we are His family members)  
He created us for His Glory  
He formed us and made us  
HE chose us as His witnesses  
HE chose us as His servants (this is the same term He used when speaking prophetically about Jesus - Is 42:1)  
HE is the only God  
He is the only Savior  
We can know Him  
We can understand Him  
HE reveals  
HE saves  
He Proclaims  
HE is the only God  
No one can take anything out of His Hand (We are in His hands, we are the work of His hands, He has inscribed our names in his Hand)  
When He acts, no one can reverse it, no one can undo it.

We could just sit and think about any of these short phrases, for each of them has deep ramifications for us. The very last verse, for example, really got me thinking. Sometimes we think that there is a back and forth battle that occurs between God and the evil forces. We think the enemy is able to win ground, to enact some sort of defeat on God's plan or purpose. This is clearly not so, according to this statement God makes about Himself. When He takes hold of something or someone, nothing in this world, seen or unseen, can break His grip. When He does something, anything, it is completed and finished, and unchangeable. He will never be defeated, will never lose, will never even be challenged. He alone is God.

A quick caveat - while the above is true, when we come to the Lord, He never constrains us or coerces us into relationship. Our free-will is precious to Him because we are precious to Him. He wants us to understand His love for us, all the things He will do for us, but He will not have us in relationship if we are unwilling. He will not hold us prisoners. He, however, is always waiting, willing and loving. We are His very creation, brought into being because of His love for us.

We have an awesome, loving God. Let us entrust our lives into His hands - for there isn't a safer place in all the world! He truly loves us!

###

### Threatened By The Miraculous

## 03-12

This morning I felt like I should read from John 11. The primary feature of this chapter is the raising of Lazarus from the dead. That is an incredible story and one worth of much reflection. However, this morning I am going to look at the responses to this clear miracle. Here are the verses - John 11:45-48 NIV:

[45] "Therefore many of the Jews who had come to visit Mary, and had seen what Jesus did, believed in him. [46] But some of them went to the Pharisees and told them what Jesus had done.

[47] Then the chief priests and the Pharisees called a meeting of the Sanhedrin. "What are we accomplishing?" they asked. "Here is this man performing many signs. [48] If we let him go on like this, everyone will believe in him, and then the Romans will come and take away both our temple and our nation."

It is amazing to me that after such a great miracle, that there would be those whose focus was on themselves. These few people, after they witnessed the great miracle, went immediately to the Pharisees and told them about it. It wasn't that His raising Lazarus from the dead was bad or anything, it was the fact that this was causing more and more people to follow Jesus. This was a blow to the power base and position of the Pharisees, and they could not sit idly by and let it happen. Their statement really says what the real issue was, they were afraid they would lose the people, and then "their" temple.

I find it interesting how they claimed the temple as "ours". The temple was the Lord's and yet over time these people had come to think of it as theirs, as if God had bowed to them and given control and ownership over to them. I have a feeling that this is the case with many in church leadership today. They serve God, but the ownership and control of their church is in their hands, at least in their minds. Any time power, politics and position start making their way into the church, there is a dangerous belief about the transfer of control and ownership going on.

The church universal is the Body of Christ, with Him as our head, and over every part of the body (Eph 4:15-16). The Holy Spirit is in control, and provides leadership and guidance (as evidenced in the Book of Acts). The church, and every congregation is the Lord's, first and foremost. He has entrusted the shepherding of the flock to us, but it is His flock. The following verse makes it all very clear - Acts 20:28 NIV: "Keep watch over yourselves and all the flock of which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers. Be shepherds of the church of God, which he bought with his own blood."

I think that many of the attacks originating inside the church against ministries that see signs and wonders, healings and deliverances, are similarly motivated. They see people flocking to these ministries, drawn by the opportunity to really experience the touch of God in their own physical bodies, and lives. The attacking ministries will raise charges of cult-like behavior, heretical teaching and the like, but the root cause is fear of losing control and power. It is a sick individual who desires power and control over others, yet many pursue exactly that in the name of the Lord, but they certainly aren't representing Him. The spirit of religion is running strong in these individuals for their religion is made up of rules of men, designed to control and give those in leadership power over those in their care.

Lord, help us to realize in our own hearts and minds any way in which this spirit of religion has invaded and set itself up. Help us to recognize such an influence and help us to repent wholeheartedly. Let us welcome miracles, signs and wonders, and deliverance as a normal part of the Body of Christ. Let us give people the grace to recognize their unique place in Body of Christ without trying to lord over them. Let us be grateful that each of us has a role and responsibility within the Body. Let us repent for any way in which we have misrepresented the Lord to the rest of the Body of Christ. Let us not be threatened when we hear the Spirit of Lord is breaking out somewhere else, but rather rejoice that the Lord is being glorified.

###

### Sin, Sickness, Thoughts and Beliefs

## 03-13

This morning I felt like reading from the Book of Malachi, as one Christian comedian said "the only Italian prophet". These verses have always been interesting to me - Malachi 3:13-15NIV:

[13 "Your words have been harsh against Me," says the LORD, "Yet you say, 'What have we spoken against You?'

[14] You have said, 'It is useless to serve God; what profit is it that we have kept His ordinance, and that we have walked as mourners before the LORD of hosts? [15] So now we call the proud blessed, for those who do wickedness are raised up; they even tempt God and go free.' "

The reason these verses have been interesting, is that these are the types of thoughts I hear when I run into a rough patch in life. These are the type of thoughts that I hear running through my mind - "what good is it to serve God, if this stuff happens?" I say they are running through my mind, rather than me thinking them, because I believe their source is not my mind, but rather they emanate from the enemy, the deceiver, the accuser of God. I love God, and my heart is turned toward Him. I know the truth of His love, affection, mercy, grace, faithfulness and forgiveness. I know His character. Yet when difficult things occur in my life, these thoughts immediately rise up. I know these don't originate in my mind, because the difference between these thoughts and my normal thoughts are too great.

Looking at this from another example, I love my wife with my whole heart. Every day I am grateful to be in relationship with her, and thankful for our life together. I do not immediately say it is useless being faithful to her, loving her, living my life in relationship with her, the moment I have a rough day. I don't love her to get something, I love her because of who she is. I do not throw aside 28+ years of loving thought towards her in a moment. So, if I am able to maintain this type of consistency of thought in my relationship with my wife, why wouldn't I be able to do the same in my relationship with the Lord?

The answer is quite simple, I can, but I must learn to discern the origination of my thoughts. Jesus says the following about our enemy, (John 8:44 NIV)..."He was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies." These types of thoughts are clearly lies about the character and nature of God, thus they must come from the 'father of lies'. It is our agreement with these 'thoughts' that allows them to continue to spin within our mind and grow in strength. Understanding our thoughts, the way the enemy lies to us in our mind, and discerning the origination of thoughts, is key to us being able to walk out our Christian life in peace and joy.

Secondly, these thoughts, should we grab onto them and believe them, set up to become false beliefs. The premise these thoughts work on is that when we entrust our lives to God, only good things will happen, the more we serve Him the better our life becomes. This is one of the roots of the prosperity gospel, the belief that the more you love God, the more stuff He will bless you with in your life, and that if you are bad, God will take things away. Our relationship with God should not be based on what we get out of the relationship, but rather based on the character and love from God.

As I said before, I don't love my wife because of what I get, but because of who she is. The enemy wants us to believe that the things that God has promised us, because of His love for us, is what we should focus on, rather than on Him, His love and character. If a woman only marries a man because he is rich, we call her a 'gold-digger'. If a man only marries a younger woman for her looks, we say he has a 'trophy' wife. These are sad relationships, where true love likely does not exist. The same could be said, for people who only 'love' God because of what they can get. If the wealthy man loses his money, his 'gold-digger' wife is quick to find the door, and the divorce attorney. If the 'trophy' wife becomes unattractive, the husband does the same thing, he quickly finds a new 'trophy'. This is the same spirit of thought behind these verses from Malachi, and it is clearly sick, twisted and selfish. Yet, many of our Christian friends have some of this thinking in their belief system.

Let me give a quick example, when my wife was diagnosed with cancer, many people were shocked that something like that would happen to her, for she is such a wonderful, loving, and faith-filled individual. What is the root of that thought? Namely that if someone is good, loving and loving of God, that nothing bad can happen to them, which as I said before is the root of thought for the prosperity gospel. Others were wondering why she would get cancer, and their thoughts were that there might be some secret sin in our lives, or unrepented generational sin, thus blaming the sickness on bad behavior. Again, the root of this thought is the same - only good things happen to good people, if bad is happening then you must be bad. Another time, I had a herniated disk in my neck, the long-term result of a car accident I was in when I was 13, and I had well intentioned friends say that they thought I was suffering because I was "stiff-necked" towards the Lord, meaning my bad behavior was causing my bad situation. The root of all of this thinking is the same, and it is wrong belief about God, and wrong belief about what our relationship with God is really about. It is based on the lies the enemy spews about God, and it is as old as man (go back to the story of Adam and Eve for the original story of the lies and deception and character assault on God).

When we encounter these types of thoughts in our own mind, we must recognize them for their origination and reject them. When we encounter them in others, we must love those who speak them, understand they have been taught incorrect information, and have grace for them, but at the same time not align ourselves with their beliefs.

I know that all the people who were expressing these thoughts during my wife's cancer, and my neck problems, were actually well intentioned. They thought that we were unaware of the cause of our sickness and situation and were trying to help us identify the cause. They loved us, saw our pain and wanted to enable us to get free, which were admirable intentions. I don't fault them for their wrong beliefs, in the same way that I wouldn't fault someone who was taught wrongly about fractions. I do, however, have the freedom to not believe the same way as them. There may well be those who read this and disagree with my thinking, and that is OK, as I am sure I don't have everything figured out, and likely have several areas of erroneous belief hidden in my belief system.

For His part, God will continue to show His true character, as He revealed through His Son Jesus (Heb 1: 1-3). He will reveal Himself correctly in all our lives, for He is more than capable of defending His Name and character. I just need to continue to reveal the Lord in my life, and share Him with others as I know Him.

He loves me. He has good plans for me. He provides for me. He is compassionate, merciful and gracious to me. He is slow to anger, and forgiving towards me. He desires relationship with me. He guides me. He speaks to me. He corrects me, but not with harsh judgment or affliction, but rather with loving counsel and direction. He helps me to grow and mature. He gives me awesome gifts. He is the greatest, most loving individual I know. He encourages me to grow into the likeness of His Son Jesus, and helps me daily.

For my part, I love God for who He is, and that is enough!

###

### Today IS A New Day!

## 03-14

Today as I was praying, I felt like the Lord said, "Today is a new day!"

That might not sound like a big deal, but with the Lord, a "New Day" is very significant. I was reminded of several 'new' verses:

Isaiah 42:9 NIV: "See, the former things have taken place, and new things I declare; before they spring into being I announce them to you."

Lamentations 3:22-24 NIV:  
[22] "... for his compassions never fail. [23] They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. [24] I say to myself, "The Lord is my portion; therefore I will wait for him."

Joel 3:18 NIV: "In that day the mountains will drip new wine, and the hills will flow with milk; all the ravines of Judah will run with water. A fountain will flow out of the Lord's house and will water the valley of acacias."

Amos 9:11, 13-15 NIV  
[11] "In that day "I will restore David's fallen shelter---I will repair its broken walls and restore its ruins---and will rebuild it as it used to be,

[13] "The days are coming," declares the Lord, "when the reaper will be overtaken by the plowman and the planter by the one treading grapes. New wine will drip from the mountains and flow from all the hills, [14] and I will bring my people Israel back from exile. "They will rebuild the ruined cities and live in them. They will plant vineyards and drink their wine; they will make gardens and eat their fruit. [15] I will plant Israel in their own land, never again to be uprooted from the land I have given them," says the Lord your God."

Acts 2:14-18 NIV  
[14] "Then Peter stood up with the Eleven, raised his voice and addressed the crowd: "Fellow Jews and all of you who live in Jerusalem, let me explain this to you; listen carefully to what I say. [15] These people are not drunk, as you suppose. It's only nine in the morning! [16] No, this is what was spoken by the prophet Joel: [17] " 'In the last days, God says, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your young men will see visions, your old men will dream dreams. [18] Even on my servants, both men and women, I will pour out my Spirit in those days, and they will prophesy."

This "new day" is a day of announcement from the Lord, when He speaks new things into existence. A day when we experience the new compassions of the Lord. A day when we experience the provision of the Lord. A day of rebuilding and acceleration for His purpose and timing. A day of fulfillment of purpose and a pouring out of the Holy Spirit, bringing forth God's word through prophecies, dreams, visions and understanding.

If you have been needing a "new day" in your life, today is that day! Lay hold of the promise of the Lord, allow Him to show you what He is doing, for His plans are glorious. He desires you to know His goodness. He desires to free you out whatever dark situation you find yourself in. The Lord is releasing "newness" to the earth, into His people, into our lives. Let us look with expectant eyes, and listen with expectant ears, and trust with expectant hearts, for the new is coming.

Amen Lord!

###

### The Gifts Are For The Common Good.

## 03-16

This morning I am thinking on the following verses from 1 Corinthians 12:4-11 NIV:

[4] "There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit distributes them. [5] There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord. [6] There are different kinds of working, but in all of them and in everyone it is the same God at work.

[7] Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good. [8] To one there is given through the Spirit a message of wisdom, to another a message of knowledge by means of the same Spirit, [9] to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by that one Spirit, [10] to another miraculous powers, to another prophecy, to another distinguishing between spirits, to another speaking in different kinds of tongues, and to still another the interpretation of tongues. [11] All these are the work of one and the same Spirit, and he distributes them to each one, just as he determines.

The first verse to catch my eye in this set is verse 7, for this is the foundational basis for all of Paul's next writing. All the gifts of the Holy Spirit are given for the common good. They are given so that they may be experienced by the Body, enjoyed by the Body, and serve the Body. All the gifts are given for the same reason. All the gifts are distributed among all the believers, everyone has them, and we need them to be evident to be experienced and shared in for the common good. This is not a full list of the Spiritual gifts, he added others later in this same chapter. The point in they are all for the common good, the good of everyone. For the Body to grow and mature, we must recognize and nurture those gifts so that we might mature as a body and enjoy the fullness of the gifts.

If all the gifts are given for the same reason, then all gifts are equally important to the life of the Body. Paul goes into the analogy of the Body in the next section, and it is so important we grasp this idea. All parts and every part is necessary and is important. Thus, we must invest in the strengthening and maturation of each part and each gift. If I am exercising, but only exercise one part of the Body, I would grow abnormally and without the proper balance in my body. For example, I might have huge biceps, but the rest of the arm and body would not be able to support these huge biceps. My shoulders and upper back would ache constantly, and that would impact my overall ability to do anything.

No, we must recognize each of our parts, and make room for everyone to exercise their gifts. We must allow for practice and trying out these gifts. Our normal life as a body must include opportunities for exercise, and trial and error. No one who has never played baseball is going to be able to pick up a bat the first time and hit pitch after pitch into the bleachers. It will take time to grow into the skills required to be successful. In the same way, we must enter into, and understand that Spiritual gifts are good, and thus it will take practice and perfection. So, let us not get tangled up in rating the gifts, ranking the gifts, or putting the focus on just one gift. We need them all. As a church, let us take this approach, recognizing and investing in all the gifts in all the people.

The Holy Spirit has distributed them according to His determination. He is the one who is investing His gifts into all the people. We should trust Him, and work to fulfill that which He has determined is for our good. The good of us all.

Amen!

###

### Healed, Transformed, and Saved

## 03-17

This morning I was reading through John, specifically his ninth chapter which is a great story about the healing of a man born blind. I love this story because of the richness of the details that John includes. It sure seems to me to be an eye-witness account. Anyway, towards the end of the questioning the formerly blind man says something is very true - John 9:30-33 NIV:

[30] "The man answered, "Now that is remarkable! You don't know where he comes from, yet he opened my eyes. [31] We know that God does not listen to sinners. He listens to the godly person who does his will. [32] Nobody has ever heard of opening the eyes of a man born blind. [33] If this man were not from God, he could do nothing."

I believe this formerly blind man, who clearly was not schooled formerly, lays out the basic belief of people concerning the miraculous. They believe that if something miraculous occurs that God was involved. Now in our "modern" society that may be less so, as we explain away many things, but when confronted with an honest, unexplainable miracle we tend to believe God was involved. This is clearly the point that Jesus made at the beginning of this story when asked about whether sin was the cause of the man's blindness. He said, "Neither this man nor his parents sinned, but this happened so that the works of God might be displayed in him." (John 9:3NIV). The miraculous are the works of God, things that God can do that no one else can do.

In this story Jesus spits in the dirt makes mud and spreads it on the eyes of the man born blind. I like to think this is just a follow through of creation, when He formed man out of dust (Gen 2:7), probably with a bunch of spit...Ha! Anyway, a person born blind is usually missing some part or component in the eye, and I think Jesus might just have fashioned him new eyes out of the mud. What exactly he did doesn't really matter, what does matter is that the man received his sight, and was transformed. He was so transformed that his neighbors, who had probably seen him every day for years, weren't even sure it was him, and they had to get his parents to verify it really was him. I love how God touches one part of him, but transforms all of him.

God is in the business of transforming lives, all of our lives. His touch in one area, will spread to other areas as He gently leads us and speaks to us. I know people who have had radical transformations, like this blind man, and I have known those whose transformation has been slow and steady. We are all being changed into His likeness if we are His followers, some of us are just more resistant to change.

Back to the formerly blind man, I think it is also very interesting that even though he had been touched and healed by Jesus, he didn't know who He was (or what he looked like). When Jesus came and found him, he didn't recognize Jesus. It was only when Jesus revealed himself that the man came to know Jesus and worship Him. The Greek word used here literally means to kneel down and kiss the hands and I can see that exact thing happening here when the man figured out that the one talking to him was the one who healed him. This also is a normal response to the experience of God's saving and transforming power.

Lord, we pray that we might truly know You! We want to know your healing, saving and transforming power in our lives. We want to know and experience the goodness of God, and helps others to know You in this way as well.

###

### Revealing the Father

## 03-18

I was just reading from John's Gospel out of the seventeenth chapter. This is really an amazing chapter, where Jesus is speaking very clearly about things, in essence, lifting the veil so that we can see clearly. The following three verses have caught my eye - John 17:6-8 NIV:

[6] "I have revealed you to those whom you gave me out of the world. They were yours; you gave them to me and they have obeyed your word. [7] Now they know that everything you have given me comes from you. [8] For I gave them the words you gave me and they accepted them. They knew with certainty that I came from you, and they believed that you sent me."

These three verses really capture well the ministry of Jesus towards the Apostles. He is speaking to the Father, in the hearing of the Apostles, to help them understand. First and foremost, He revealed the Father to them, and through them to us. Everything He did and said came from the Father.

In Hebrews 1:3 is says He was the exact representation of the Father. That is an amazing thing to think about - the life of Jesus on earth as recorded in scripture was the exact representation of the Father. Everything He said and did was what the Father would do. It was because of what He said and did, that the Apostles believed He came from the Father. Yesterday I was writing about the man who was born blind, but healed by Jesus, being able to believe that Jesus was from God, because of what He did. In the same way, Jesus is reflecting here and pointing to His words and actions as the basis for the Apostles faith and belief that He came from the Father.

As we reflect on our lives, we are called to reflect and continue the ministry of Jesus, to represent Him, and through Him the Father, here on earth. I look at my own life and there is so much that does not fit the example of Jesus. My words, my actions, and my thoughts are often the result of my own selfish perspective, rather than the Father's. My desire Lord is to operate with Your perspective and clarity. My prayer is that I might, more and more, reflect You, Your love and Your heart to those around me. Lord it is my desire that through my words and actions they might give the glory to You, and that I might faithfully reveal the Father to the world.

###

### Of Sin, Righteousness and Judgment (John 16)

## 03-19

This morning I am going to be meditating on a few passages from John's Gospel that have always been ones that make me go, huh?

John 16:7-11 NIV

[7] "But very truly I tell you, it is for your good that I am going away. Unless I go away, the Advocate will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you. [8] When he comes, he will prove the world to be in the wrong about sin and righteousness and judgment: [9] about sin, because people do not believe in me; [10] about righteousness, because I am going to the Father, where you can see me no longer; [11] and about judgment, because the prince of this world now stands condemned."

These verses are surprising to me, in that I read Jesus' answers, and they don't seem to make sense to the way I think. The first verse is quite clear - Jesus is talking about the Holy Spirit coming. He said that it is for our good that He goes so the Spirit can come. That is such a critical statement for us to understand. We can understand it in some ways, for the Spirit can be everywhere at one time, while Jesus was somewhat limited in His physical body. We understand the role of the Holy Spirit a bit because Jesus had spoken a bit about Him earlier, in Chapter 14, and calling the Holy Spirit our Advocate makes sense in that context. In Greek the word, here translated advocate, is Parakletos, whose definition is:

1. summoned, called to one's side, esp. called to one's aid  
A. one who pleads another's cause before a judge, a pleader, counsel for defense, legal assistant, an advocate  
B. one who pleads another's cause with one, an intercessor  
(1) of Christ in his exaltation at God's right hand, pleading with God the Father for the pardon of our sins  
C. in the widest sense, a helper, succourer, aider, assistant  
(1) of the Holy Spirit destined to take the place of Christ with the apostles (after his ascension to the Father), to lead them to a deeper knowledge of the gospel truth, and give them divine strength needed to enable them to undergo trials and persecutions on behalf of the divine kingdom

So, in the wider sense the Holy Spirit is our helper, our assistant, called for our aid, our intercessor, and our legal defense. It could take quite a while to think through those terms and understand more of what the Holy Spirit is doing in our life. I mean the fact that He could be defined as our helper and assistant, just messes with my mind.

Continuing with the verses, Jesus says that He (Holy Spirit) will prove the world wrong about sin, righteousness and judgment. Initially that doesn't seem too unusual, but is Jesus' next comments that make my mind tilt, for I think I know how He would define His thoughts around verse 8. I believe that I am not alone, for imagine the people who heard this, whose only paradigm was the law.

So Jesus says the Holy Spirit will prove the world wrong about sin because they do not believe in Him. Not because of what they do, or what they have done, but about their belief. We know repentance really means to change the way we think, and in this case, sin is closely connected to how we think. How we think is what drives our actions, so Jesus is actually going to the foundation of sin, namely our beliefs and thoughts. The Law was so focused on "doing" that many people missed the point that it was really about "belief". The whole foundation of the Law was the belief in God, that He cared for His people. It wasn't just a set of rules to follow, but rather an introduction to God, and relationship with Him. So here Jesus defines sin as primarily wrong belief. Apparently, one of the Holy Spirit's jobs is to point out to us where we believe wrongly, so we can change the way we are thinking and acting. Sin is not really about actions! (Boy that just makes the little religion that remains in me just upset). So according to this definition, it is possible to do the right thing, but have the wrong belief and thus, still be a sinner.

Back to the verses - in verse 10 Jesus says the Holy Spirit will prove the world wrong about righteousness because He was going to the Father. My first thought is, 'what does going to the Father have to do with righteousness'? Certainly, this area would have confused the normal Jew, for righteousness was defined within the law, and it had to do, once again, with actions and sacrifices. If one always kept the Law and fulfilled the required sacrifices, one could be considered righteous.

Jesus instead, connects righteousness to His actions. Again, He is setting the foundation, righteousness is about Him not us. It is because He has fulfilled the Law perfectly and gave Himself as the sacrifice that we are righteous. Our actions, other than believing, have no real impact on our righteousness. The world has it all wrong, and the Holy Spirit was going to show that was the case. Later through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, Paul and specifically the author of the Letter to the Hebrews, would bring much more clarity on this subject. So again, our actions are not the issue, and the Holy Spirit will show us the truth.

Finally, in verse eleven, Jesus speaks about judgment. His statement is that the prince of this world stands condemned. In other words, there was already a trial, and a conviction and judgment issued. His statement says the world gets this wrong, and thinks judgment is about something or someone else. Jesus does say that He will come and judge us all, and that day is known as the "judgment day". We see this day mentioned in Matthew (11&12), Paul's letter to the Romans, Chapter 2, Peter (2 Peter 2 & 3), John (1 John 4) and Jude (6). Taking this statement to the logical conclusion, it appears that prior to that day of judgment, the Holy Spirit's work of judgment is to show the enemy is already condemned. He is primarily not focused on us, which is what I think the world generally thinks.

As I think about this, it seems the best way to show the enemy is condemned and has been stripped of any authority is to destroy his works, and set his captives free. Our goal, in joining ourselves to the work of the Holy Spirit, should be to do that very thing, under His power and authority. We are not called to judge each other, we are called to enact judgment on the enemy and his works. Again, this does not sit well with the spirit of religion, for the spirit of religion is all about judgment and criticalness, especially of others. However according to Jesus, we are not the judge and we are not the jury.

So I am encouraged this morning to look at my beliefs and understanding, to make sure they align with these statements of Jesus. My goal is to be taught by the Holy spirit, and to repent where necessary to bring myself into alignment. Lord, thank You for Your mercy, faithfulness and grace.

### If You Are Thirsty, Come...

## 03-20

This morning I was reading through scripture and felt I should read from John 7. Just like every chapter in the Gospels, there is much to think about in this chapter. However, after reading through the whole chapter, these following verses stood out to me. That is one of the ways the Lord directs my thoughts, by emphasizing something when I read over it. It is almost like the volume of the words is increased in my mind, or sometimes it is that when I finish reading a section my mind goes back to certain verses. Here are the verses -

John 7:37-39 NIV:

[37] "On the last and greatest day of the festival, Jesus stood and said in a loud voice, "Let anyone who is thirsty come to me and drink. [38] Whoever believes in me, as Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them." [39] By this he meant the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were later to receive. Up to that time the Spirit had not been given, since Jesus had not yet been glorified.

The words that specifically caught my attention were when Jesus issued the invitation to come and drink. It seems like this is an invitation He is renewing today. We thirst for many things in our lives, and my belief is that at the root of it all is a thirst for Him. We chase after significance and power, identity and acceptance, comfort and peace, full life and excitement. These things can be found in Him, and are most fully realized in relationship with Him. We turn to many things, and even to each other, to quench our thirst, but we always end up just as thirsty, if not more so.

Jesus is our source for life. He is our anchor for identity. He has called us for purpose and we are significant to Him. He has all power and authority. He is full of love, mercy and compassion. He has paid for our sins and forgiveness, and offers us freedom from that which binds and sullies our lives. He desires that we might receive the Holy Spirit as our guide, our advocate and our helper, our teacher and our source of life.

If you are thirsty for any of these things, the answer is to come to Jesus, to believe in Him, enter into a relationship with Him and receive that which flows out of Him and the Father, namely the Holy Spirit. He will not provide just enough to quench our thirst, rather He will fill us up to overflowing. He desires that others get splashed by that which He fills us with.

So let us come to Jesus and drink deeply and be refreshed and filled.

###

### Heaven's Reality On Earth

## 03-21

This morning as I was sitting down to pray, I was reminded of some lyrics from a newer Christian song by David Crowder. In the song he sings, "Earth has no sorrow that Heaven can't heal." I love that reminder that there is a place where God's Kingdom is unsullied by sin, and a perfect representation of His goodness. In Heaven there is no sorrow, no sadness, no disease, no injury, no incompleteness, no loneliness, no emptiness, no hunger, no thirst, no greed, no anger, no bitterness, no mourning, no harsh words, no wounded hearts, no sin, and no death. All is whole and all is perfect. What an amazing reality that will be!

While that reality awaits us eternally, the Lord is intent on bringing that reality to earth, now in this present day. Jesus taught His disciples (and us) to pray - Matt 6:9-10 "This, then, is how you should pray: " 'Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven." In simple words - let earth be like heaven.

This is supposed to be how we pray, and what we proclaim. Jesus told His disciples in Matthew 10:7-8 NIV: "As you go, proclaim this message: 'The kingdom of heaven has come near.' [8] Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those who have leprosy, drive out demons. Freely you have received; freely give." We are called to fulfill this same ministry.

This was the ministry of Jesus, as described in the Gospels, and specifically in Matthew 4:23 NIV: "Jesus went throughout Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom (of heaven), and healing every disease and sickness among the people." After He was crucified and resurrected He passed this ministry officially into the hands of His followers. Jesus said in John 20:21NIV: "Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you."

So I am encouraged this morning to pray down and proclaim the reality of Heaven, God's perfect will, here on earth, as it exists in Heaven. I am encouraged that He has demonstrated this reality in the past, and will continue to demonstrate this reality in my life and the lives of those around me. There is still sin and sickness, evil and death in this world, but He has overcome them all, and will continue to overcome them (John 16:33), for they are all defeated, for He sits on His throne at the right hand of the Father (Heb.12:2).

Amen and Amen!

Here are the Lyrics to David Crowders Song:  
"Come As You Are"

Come out of sadness  
From wherever you've been  
Come broken hearted  
Let rescue begin  
Come find your mercy  
Oh sinner come kneel  
Earth has no sorrow  
That heaven can't heal  
Earth has no sorrow  
That heaven can't heal

So lay down your burdens  
Lay down your shame  
All who are broken  
Lift up your face  
Oh wanderer come home  
You're not too far  
So lay down your hurt  
Lay down your heart  
Come as you are

There's hope for the hopeless  
And all those who've strayed  
Come sit at the table  
Come taste the grace  
There's rest for the weary  
Rest that endures  
Earth has no sorrow  
That heaven can't cure

So lay down your burdens  
Lay down your shame  
All who are broken  
Lift up your face  
Oh wanderer come home  
You're not too far  
So lay down your hurt  
Lay down your heart  
Come as you are  
Come as you are  
Fall in his arms  
Come as you are  
There's joy for the morning  
Oh sinner be still  
Earth has no sorrow  
That heaven can't heal  
Earth has no sorrow  
That heaven can't heal

So lay down your burdens  
Lay down your shame  
All who are broken  
Lift up your face  
Oh wanderer come home  
You're not too far  
So lay down your hurt  
Lay down your heart  
Come as you are  
Come as you are  
Come as you are

###

### God Our Healer

## 03-25

This morning I felt directed to go back to John 9 and reread the story of the healing of the man born blind. Here are the verses - John 9:1-7 NIV:

[1] "As he went along, he saw a man blind from birth. [2] His disciples asked him, "Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?"

[3] "Neither this man nor his parents sinned," said Jesus, "but this happened so that the works of God might be displayed in him. [4] As long as it is day, we must do the works of him who sent me. Night is coming, when no one can work. [5] While I am in the world, I am the light of the world."

[6] After saying this, he spit on the ground, made some mud with the saliva, and put it on the man's eyes. [7] "Go," he told him, "wash in the Pool of Siloam" (this word means "Sent"). So the man went and washed, and came home seeing."

There are a few things running through my mind this morning as I meditate on this story. First, the blind man didn't go looking for Jesus, wasn't seeking healing, basically had no real interaction with Jesus before He was healed. Jesus and disciples were talking about him, and I am sure he was used to that. I always find it interesting how we will treat those with disabilities as if they are not real, or don't have feelings. Many people just try to ignore people like this man. It is so much easier to ignore them, than actually see them as people just like ourselves, with real needs and real feelings. We don't want to engage them in conversation or interact with them because we don't know what to say, or how to treat them.

Secondly, I was thinking that the man wasn't even thinking about being healed, probably never even entered his mind that it was possible. In other words, he had absolutely no hope or faith, but that wasn't a problem for Jesus. Jesus apparently doesn't require either of them to heal a person, regardless of what we might have heard. So here is a man, no hope, no faith, not even asking for healing and Jesus heals him. I was thinking that this man is probably like many people who have lifelong conditions, terminal illnesses, and the like - no hope of healing, not even a glimmer, just living with the reality of the situation, trying to get through the day the best they can. There is a darkness that covers such people, a darkness of hopelessness. Not that they are depressed necessarily, just that there will never be a hope for change. However, Jesus is the light of the world, and when He shows up, He brings His own light, His own faith, His own hope. Light will always dispel darkness, and in this case, He dispels the darkness of an irreversible condition, with a little dirt, spit and water. With Jesus, there is always hope, there is always the possibility of His touch.

Thirdly, the understatement of the final sentence - "so the man went and washed, and came home seeing" is astounding. Imagining the reaction of the man who can now see, I am sure he didn't just 'come home seeing'. I am sure it was unbelievable to him, walking back towards home, seeing what had been around him all those years, but that he only knew from touch and hearing. He had heard of colors, but now He was seeing them. Everything was new to him, as the Lord opened his eyes and revealed to him the realm of sight. It must have been glorious.

Recently on the internet there are videos of people who can hear for the first time, thanks to modern developments in technology and understanding the way we hear. Those videos are so awesome to watch, for joy just erupts. Those are just a small example of what this must have been like.

Finally, Jesus doesn't wait around for the man to come back after washing. It is only later that Jesus finds him and introduces himself, and the man worships Him (see verses John 9:35-38). Jesus had complete confidence in the Father, and knew that in the place of obedience to the Father, that what the Father desired to do, would be accomplished. Oh, to have His discernment and knowledge of the Father's will. This is what the gift of faith brings, discernment and knowledge of the will of the Father.

Most of the time we are pressing into God, with the general belief that He can heal, but without any specific knowledge of His actual intent. God is the God who heals (Exodus 15:26) and He is unchanging. If He is the healer, Yahweh Rapha, then He is always the Healer. He always wants to heal, always heals. If He is the healer, then He is not the source of disease, sickness or anything that would contradict who He has revealed himself to be. God doesn't cause sickness, otherwise He would be the God who makes you sick, not the God who heals you. We can rely on His character for it is unchanging, and lay hold of His character as if it was a promise. So, it is always right to ask for healing, always right to believe that He will heal. However, His timing and definition of healing are sometimes not understood. When God speaks, His words are perfect, and our understanding of those words is at best just a glimmer of what they really mean, for His words are perfect in Eternity. His timing is not based on our understanding but on His perfect understanding. Jesus walked in this knowledge of the Father's intent and timing. Lord, help me to better understand both.

So in summary, Jesus is the Light of the World, and in His light, is hope for the hopeless, healing for the sick and ill, and unchanging faithfulness. Let us press into Him to know Him better and understand the timing and intent of the Father. Let us turn to Jesus, for his invitation is unchanging. He says the following Matthew 11:28-30 NIV:

[28] "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. [29] Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. [30] For my yoke is easy and my burden is light."

Amen.

###

### Imparting Spiritual Gifts

## 03-26

Last night I was reading from Paul's letter to the Romans, and was pondering the following verses - Romans 1:11-12 NIV: "I long to see you so that I may impart to you some spiritual gift to make you strong--- [12] that is, that you and I may be mutually encouraged by each other's faith."

The fact that Paul was conscious of his ability to impart a spiritual gift made me stop and think. I did a little research into the original language and in Greek, the translation in completely accurate, and relates well to other places where Paul is writing about the spiritual gifts. I read a couple of commentaries and for the most part they just glossed over this verse, or equated it with Paul's preaching to them. Matthew Henry did mention that he thought that maybe this had to do with the church's lack of leadership or apostolic beginnings.

When I read this verse, especially after the recent study of Spiritual gifts, I believe the best meaning is the one conveyed directly. Paul intended to impart gifts of the Holy Spirit. He had seen this before, and His other writings discuss this as a normal happening in the Body of Christ (2 Tim 1:6 & Rom 8:18). They had seen the effectiveness of praying over someone and had experienced the Holy Spirit imparting gifts at that time. The gifts are imparted, as Paul continues, to make them strong. Paul was completely convinced that he was walking in synch with the Holy Spirit, and knew (expectant faith) that when He laid hands on the church members that the Holy Spirit would impart gifts. He lists the different gifts of the Spirit in several locations, and is of the opinion that the Church is meant to operate with the full engagement of the gifts.

This brings me back to our need for each other to operate fully in the gifts that they have been given us by the Holy Spirit. The gifts are for our common good (1 Cor 12:4) and they strengthen us. Paul continues this same thought in verse 12 (above) for not only do the gifts strengthen us, but their use encourages us in our faith. As we operate in our gifts, and see the fruit, we become encouraged, and likewise the rest of the Body of Christ is built up and strengthened. To copy a modern marketing campaign - Spiritual gifts does our Body (of Christ) good!

So let us pray for each other, lay hands on each other and invite the Holy Spirit to impart gifts to each other. The gifts are given to strengthen us and encourage each other in our faith.

### "Be With Me Where I Am"

## 03-27

This morning I was reading a very appropriate verse for today - John 17:24 NIV: "Father, I want those you have given me to be with me where I am, and to see my glory, the glory you have given me because you loved me before the creation of the world."

Some other helpful verses - 2 Corinthians 4:16-18 NIV:

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

\- and -

2 Corinthians 5:1, 5-10 NIV:

[1] "For we know that if the earthly tent we live in is destroyed, we have a building from God, an eternal house in heaven, not built by human hands."

[5] "Now the one who has fashioned us for this very purpose is God, who has given us the Spirit as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come."

[6] "Therefore we are always confident and know that as long as we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord. [7] For we live by faith, not by sight. [8] We are confident, I say, and would prefer to be away from the body and at home with the Lord. [9] So we make it our goal to please him, whether we are at home in the body or away from it. [10] For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each of us may receive what is due us for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad."

Yes Lord, I am so encouraged that You have a place set aside for us in eternity. We do recognize that this earthly existence is just temporary, and what awaits us is eternal. Lord, I pray that we will let this truth wash over our hearts and souls, that we might rejoice in our eternal inheritance, knowing that You call us to be with You where You are, and some you call sooner than others.

###

### Dealing With Regrets

## 03-29

So I felt like the Lord wanted to address regrets this morning. I slept pretty poorly and all night long, as well as yesterday, and even Friday this has been the theme running through my head. I was asking the Lord for some verses and additional information to work with and He delivered.

Here are the primary verses He gave me - Philippians 3:13-14 NIV:

[13] "Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, [14] I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus."

\- and -

2 Corinthians 7:10 NIV: "Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation and leaves no regret, but worldly sorrow brings death."

The way the Lord explained it is that regrets are used by enemy to chain us in the past. We focus on our regrets and can't move past them. We develop tunnel vision in certain areas and can't see the truth or life outside of the view we are focused on. Basically, regrets are unforgiveness of ourselves. It is fine to be sorrowful, even grieving of missed opportunities and missed people, but allowing these regrets to overwhelm us, or cause us to constantly think about the past, will end up running and ruining our lives.

We think "what if I had done this differently"; "why did I do this and not that"; "if only I had said this"; "if only I had loved better"; "if I would have prayed more"; "if I was more pure"; "If I hadn't said that"; etc. These are all accusations against ourselves that the enemy injects into our mind and none of them is based on fact or reality, for what is done is done, the past is gone and unchangeable. Thoughts like these are useful only in producing change in us, not in stirring up guilt, and self-punishment.

I didn't exactly remember the verse from 2nd Corinthians, but the Lord spoke a very similar word to me. He said that 'regrets and sorrow are supposed to lead to repentance'. Repentance is learning from our mistakes, changing the way we think about and during those situations, and then changing the way we act. The Lord doesn't hold us in bondage over missed opportunities, and He doesn't expect us to act that way either.

Thinking about Paul, he definitely had a few things he could have regretted in his life, like being present at the stoning of Stephen, or jailing other Christians, but he didn't allow regret from those situations to disqualify him from what the Lord had purposed for him. He forgot the past, was forgiven of the past, and moved forward. In the same way, we are called to move past our mistakes and missed opportunities and press forward, having learned to think and act differently.

We will always have unfinished things to do in our life, missed opportunities, and the like, but we must learn from them, and press onward. When Jesus Ascended to Heaven, He left a huge task completely unfinished, namely building the Church. We must learn to depend on others, those people the Lord has brought into our lives, and press forward into the things the Lord has called us to do. We must break the chains of past regrets and unforgiveness and push into the mercy and forgiveness of the Lord. Let us repent and change and do better the next time. Let us leave the past in the past and press forward today, at peace with our past.

Amen!

###

### The Father Qualifies Us!

## 03-30

This morning the word that was in my mind, as I started praying, was qualification. Yesterday the Lord took me through the whole theme of regrets and unforgiveness towards ourselves. One of the things we tend to do, when we live in these regrets, is disqualify ourselves, thinking that we have messed up so bad or for so long that we no longer are trustworthy or even welcomed by the Lord. This morning the Lord lead me to Colossians 1:9-14, 21-22 NIV:

[9] "For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you. We continually ask God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all the wisdom and understanding that the Spirit gives, [10] so that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God, [11] being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience, [12] and giving joyful thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of his holy people in the kingdom of light. [13] For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, [14] in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins."

[21] "Once you were alienated from God and were enemies in your minds because of your evil behavior. [22] But now he has reconciled you by Christ's physical body through death to present you holy in his sight, without blemish and free from accusation---..."

Starting at verse 12, Paul makes a powerful point that it is the Father who has qualified us. Our qualification has nothing to do with us, or our actions. We don't earn our qualification, we don't pay for our qualification through sacrifice or good works or holy living. Our qualification comes from God the Father. If He has qualified us, who are we to say that we are disqualified? Can our sin erase the work of Christ, His blood's cleansing power, His forgiveness or His death? If we believe this, then we either have a greatly exaggerated notion of our importance and power, or we have believed the lies of the enemy.

The truth is that Jesus worked for us and redeemed us while we were still in sin. His salvation is for sinners, in other words those who are still sinning. If it was our job to qualify ourselves, through our own works or holy living, this would not be the case. Paul expanded this message later in the letter - Colossians 2:13-14 NIV: "When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins, [14] having canceled the charge of our legal indebtedness, which stood against us and condemned us; he has taken it away, nailing it to the cross."

Again, if this is what the Lord did for us while we were still dead in our sins, can we cancel this work through sin? I think not, for that was the exact state we were in when He forgave us. If our sin didn't disqualify us initially, it cannot succeed a second time. Jesus did not die for just our first bunch of sins, and give us one certificate of redemption that can only be used once. No, He died for all of our sins, every one of them. "He forgave us all our sins."

So let us embrace this message, recognizing that Christ has paid the price for all our sins. Because of Jesus' actions, not ours, the Father has qualified us. Let no one convince us of any other message, for clearly anything else is a lie. Let us embrace this wonderful grace (unmerited favor) and in thankfulness commit ourselves to Him who loves us, even while we were sinners. Let us be filled with wisdom and understanding and His wonderful power given to us to bring Glory to Him. Let us throw off the chains of regret and unforgiveness and live our life in the freedom Jesus purchased for us.

Amen!

###

### React or Respond

## 03-31

Last night, I had some dream where I was talking about the difference between responding and reacting. As Christians, when we respond we should take a minute to actually analyze a situation, refer to scripture if necessary, understand how we should view the situation, then decide how to respond. When we react, we are generally doing none of these, and going with our gut, whether it makes sense, or is just driven by emotion. In my opinion, as a mature Christian, we are called to respond rather than react, as this provides us time to gain the Lord's perspective on our situation, and enables us to choose how we will act.

I notice in my life that if I just pause and let the initial wave of reactive urges pass, I am much more likely to respond in a Christ-like manner. My own selfishness will almost always rise up, if I react. It is in responding and turning to the Lord that I am able to bring my heart to a place of peace and ask for His guidance and direction and then choose how I will respond. In that momentary pause, I resist the thoughts and temptations that are pumped into my brain by my flesh and the enemy, and they generally become silent, allowing me to hear the Lord.

I am reminded of a couple of verses -

Ephesians 2:3 NIV: "All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our flesh and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature deserving of wrath."

Philippians 3:18-20 NIV:  
[18] "For, as I have often told you before and now tell you again even with tears, many live as enemies of the cross of Christ. [19] Their destiny is destruction, their god is their stomach, and their glory is in their shame. Their mind is set on earthly things. [20] But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ,.."

James 4:7 NIV: "Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you."

Philippians 3:15 NIV: "All of us, then, who are mature should take such a view of things. And if on some point you think differently, that too God will make clear to you."

Lord, I pray that You will help me to respond, rather than react. Help me to be like You in everything, in every way. Help me to gain control over my life and reactions and bring them in line with Your perspective.

###

### It Is Finished

## 04-03

For today, two scriptures to meditate upon -

John 19:28-30 NIV:  
[28] "Later, knowing that everything had now been finished, and so that Scripture would be fulfilled, Jesus said, "I am thirsty." [29] A jar of wine vinegar was there, so they soaked a sponge in it, put the sponge on a stalk of the hyssop plant, and lifted it to Jesus' lips. [30] When he had received the drink, Jesus said, "It is finished." With that, he bowed his head and gave up his spirit."

1 Peter 2:21-24 NIV  
[21] "To this you were called, because Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in his steps. [22] "He committed no sin, and no deceit was found in his mouth." [23] When they hurled their insults at him, he did not retaliate; when he suffered, he made no threats. Instead, he entrusted himself to him who judges justly. [24] "He himself bore our sins" in his body on the cross, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; "by his wounds you have been healed."

Jesus suffered and died for us all. He endured it all for each of us, bearing our sins. When He uttered the words, "It is finished" He knew that He had completed all that He had been given to do here on earth.

Thank You Lord!

###

### When Hopes Are Dead And God Is Silent

## 04-04

Today is Holy Saturday, a day of anticipation for the celebration of Jesus' resurrection. However, this morning I am meditating on the first occurrence of this day, the day when it really happened. Jesus died on Friday around 3pm (the ninth hour) and was buried later that day. Here are the verses describing his burial from Matthew 27:57-61 NIV:

[57] "As evening approached, there came a rich man from Arimathea, named Joseph, who had himself become a disciple of Jesus. [58] Going to Pilate, he asked for Jesus' body, and Pilate ordered that it be given to him. [59] Joseph took the body, wrapped it in a clean linen cloth, [60] and placed it in his own new tomb that he had cut out of the rock. He rolled a big stone in front of the entrance to the tomb and went away. [61] Mary Magdalene and the other Mary were sitting there opposite the tomb."

Those are the last verses of chapter 27, and verse one of chapter 28 starts with the first hours following the sabbath. We find the same thing in all four Gospels, no real mention of the day after Jesus death (Saturday or the Sabbath). I have spent quite some time thinking about those days and years in Jesus' life where there is no Gospel commentary, and I think it is important for us to at least go there in our thoughts, for these days (and Holy Saturday especially) represent those days when God is silent.

I find the silence of God quite unsettling, and I am sure the Apostles and disciples were greatly troubled that Sabbath. All their ideas, thoughts, hopes and dreams about what the Lord was going to do appeared to have died when Jesus died on the cross. They knew He was the Son of God, or at least the Apostles did, and yet He died. They truly had not grasped what Jesus had been trying to tell them, that He had to suffer and die. We are told repeatedly in the Gospels that the disciples did not understand what Jesus meant when He was talking about his coming death. I believe that is an indication of what they were dealing with that Saturday, as remembered by them when they wrote the Gospels. I believe they were experiencing complete and utter despair, complete confusion, grief, fear, failure, and even betrayal. If they gathered for the Sabbath, which it appears they did, for they were all together the following day, then it was likely a very quiet gathering, each caught up in their own thoughts and sorrow.

I wonder if they went through the motions of celebrating the Sabbath? The Sabbath was a day of sacred assembly, considered holy to the Lord. They were not to do any work, cook or even light a fire in their homes. They were to be reminded that the Lord created the world in six days and on the seventh day rested. They were to turn their eyes and hearts to God. Instead, I can just imagine them gathered together and feeling like everything they believed was now in question. Jesus had come proclaiming the arrival of the Kingdom of God, demonstrated the reality of that Kingdom by healing the sick and diseased, raising dead people, cleansing lepers, healing the blind and deaf and casting out demons. They had been convinced by all these signs that He was the Son of God, the Messiah, and their paradigm and thoughts of the time of the Messiah didn't have any room for Him dying and leaving them alone. Yet He was dead.

It is amazing how much changed in just a few short days. They had witnessed Jesus' triumphant arrival in Jerusalem, riding on a donkey, people shouting, "Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord!" (Luke 19:38). Less than a week later, Jesus was dead, and they "were together, with doors locked for fear of the Jews." (John 20:19). They were afraid that the same thing might happen to them as happened to Jesus. One of their own had betrayed Jesus, Peter had denied Jesus, they had almost all abandoned Jesus when He was crucified. It was not a happy or joyful group of people. All their hopes appeared dead, laying in the tomb. All the personal sacrifices they had made to follow Him were probably now running through their minds. They were likely thinking that they hadn't signed up for this, and wondering how they could go back!

I think at times we can just gloss over these events and days, because we know Easter is coming, we know that Jesus rose from the dead the very next morning. It is great to read stories when you know the ending, not nearly as much fun to live through the midst of the story without the benefit of knowing how it will turn out. I think if we are honest with ourselves, none of us ever wants to go through these types of times, and we don't like to be around people who are going through them, for they are painful to behold and experience. We don't like pain, and yet we all deal with it. It is so much easier to just ignore the pain in other people's lives, than to wade in and be there with them in their pain. Personally, we tend to try to escape our pain, either trying to deaden it, run away from it, or stuff it so far down in our hearts that is doesn't show up for months or sometimes years.

The point, in going here in our minds, is that Easter (and by Easter I mean the victory of the Lord over sin and death, and the opening of the way to the Father) really does occur, in our own lives as well as it did that first Easter. No matter where we find ourselves, or what sorrow we are dealing with, Easter will occur. Jesus is alive and will show Himself strong. He has vanquished the enemy and will destroy his works in our lives. It is when God is quiet that all Heaven is about ready to break loose. God will not abandon us, forsake us, betray our trust or leave us. He will come. He will rescue us. He will pour out His Holy Spirit. He will break the chains that bind us. He will walk right into the rooms where we are hiding with the doors locked. He will breath on us. He has a better plan than we can ever imagine. We have likely greatly underestimated His ability to do good in our lives.

So let us be encouraged when God is silent, because He is coming, and He has something great planned. Let us not give into despair, but rather put our hope in the one who has paid the ultimate price for our lives. Let us be with our friends and family who are in pain and sorrow, whose hopes and dreams and lives appear destroyed and dead. Let us console them with this truth - Easter is coming. Let us wait for Easter morning together.

Amen!

###

### The Resurrection - Proof Jesus Was Victorious!

## 04-05

Yesterday I meditated on the first Holy Saturday and the experience the Apostles and disciples had that day after Jesus died. I titled it "When Hope is Dead and God is Silent". Shortly after posting it, I felt like the Lord gave me some additional perspective. I really should have titled it "When Hope Seems Dead and God Isn't Talking". He reminded me of the biblical and historical perspective on what He was actually doing Holy Saturday. In other words, even though it seemed like nothing was happening, He was at work moving mightily. In the same way, I believe that this is the case in our lives. When the Lord isn't speaking, He is at work in hidden ways, moving mightily on our behalf.

The first view we have concerning what happened when He died is seen in Matthew's Gospel 27:50-53 NIV:

[50] "And when Jesus had cried out again in a loud voice, he gave up his spirit. [51] At that moment the curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. The earth shook, the rocks split [52] and the tombs broke open. The bodies of many holy people who had died were raised to life. [53] They came out of the tombs after Jesus' resurrection and went into the holy city and appeared to many people."

I find it interesting that at the very moment He died all this happened, rather than at the moment of Jesus' Resurrection. The curtain that was in the temple separated the Holy of Holies, where God dwelt, from the rest of the temple and all the people. The tearing of this curtain represented Jesus opening the way to the Father. The earth shaking and quaking speaks of the power that was released at that moment, into the earth. In other words, Jesus death didn't just have spiritual ramifications, but also ramifications in the natural realm. Third, the many people who were raised from the dead speaks of Jesus' victory over death. At the very moment when Jesus died, death was defeated! That is the exact opposite of how we would normally think.

Peter adds some additional perspective, as directed by the Holy Spirit, regarding Jesus' actions immediately after His death. Here are the verses -1 Peter 3:18-20 NIV:

[18] "For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God. He was put to death in the body but made alive in the Spirit. [19] After being made alive, he went and made proclamation to the imprisoned spirits--- [20] to those who were disobedient long ago when God waited patiently in the days of Noah while the ark was being built. In it only a few people, eight in all, were saved through water,..."

Two things of note here, it was immediately after His death that the Spirit of Jesus was made alive (Peter's words). We know that we are three-part beings, made up of mind, body and spirit. It was only Jesus' body that died, and when that occurred His Spirit was freed from the physical confines of His body and He was immediately at work. Peter says that He went and made a proclamation to the imprisoned spirits. Many believe this was to Abraham's bosom or side (Luke 16:22) which was a place where those who died in relationship to God, prior to Jesus' coming, were held waiting the opening of the way to The Father in Heaven. Paul writes in his letter to the Ephesians 4:8 that when Jesus Ascended "He took many captives", and this is understood to be those that He rescued from Abraham's side.

Finally in Revelations 1:18, Jesus proclaims to John, "I am the Living One; I was dead, and now look, I am alive for ever and ever! And I hold the keys of death and Hades." It is from this verse that we understand that Jesus defeated death, defeated the enemy and now held the keys, which signify His complete authority over both. Jesus was far from idle those three days, but rather was at work in the Spirit, defeating all His enemies, opening the way to the Father, freeing captives, and fulfilling that which the Father had given Him to do.

Jesus' Resurrection was really the final proof of all that Jesus did after He died. He now held the keys of death, having defeated death, and was restored to life! He is now alive, forever and ever. His Spirit was reunited with His body, which was changed into its new form (1 Cor 15:50-57), and released from the tomb!

So, hope only seemed to die, and although God was silent, He certainly wasn't at rest, but rather was working mightily on our behalf. Jesus was raised from the dead, in the fullness of time, as described by Himself (many times in the Gospels) and prophetically through the prophets of old. God is always able to fulfill His promises and His perfect timing. He may be moving in ways we cannot see, but rest assured He is moving on our behalf! We may not understand the timing, but it is perfect.

It is right that we celebrate Jesus' Resurrection, for it is proof that He has accomplished everything He was asked to do. He was victorious over all His enemies. In His words, "It is Finished."

The Apostle's hopes and dreams didn't die with Jesus, in fact they were transformed into much more than they could have ever imagined!

Amen!

### Trusting In The Goodness Of God

## 04-06

This morning I am looking at some verses from the letter of James. He has such an interesting perspective and way of thinking, very different than Paul. Here are the verses - James 4:2-10 NIV:

[2] "You desire but do not have, so you kill. You covet but you cannot get what you want, so you quarrel and fight. You do not have because you do not ask God. [3] When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures."

[4] "You adulterous people, don't you know that friendship with the world means enmity against God? Therefore, anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God. [5] Or do you think Scripture says without reason that he jealously longs for the spirit he has caused to dwell in us ? [6] But he gives us more grace. That is why Scripture says: "God opposes the proud but shows favor to the humble."

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

Yesterday we were talking about humility and how the Lord blesses the humble. It is such an interesting way of thinking and so counter-intuitive. We tend to choose people who are strong, who are capable, and able to stand on their own, and the Lord is looking for us to exhibit the opposite behavior. I said yesterday that in some ways this is just un-American, for we value an independent spirit, those that are self-made, and the strong. It is important that we see God's heart in this all.

The thing the Lord is after is our thoughts, our mind-set. In verse 3 above, James is addressing a motive of selfishness. At its core, selfishness is self-centered thought. We are not thinking about others and their needs, but instead our own needs and wants. We want things and don't want to wait, or trust or believe that the Lord has our best interests in mind, so we figure out ways to get what we want. Almost all of marketing and advertising is focused on our selfish motives.

It is not that the Lord doesn't want us to have nice things, or enjoy our lives. In verse 6 above James quotes Proverbs 3:34 when he says that God shows favor to the humble. God loves to shower blessings on us, loves to give us gifts, and has given us the greatest gift in His Son Jesus. God's generosity is beyond anything we have ever seen, but we don't trust or believe that He is good. The funny thing is that He is the only one who is really good, according to Jesus. Here is a quote from Luke 18:19 NIV: "Why do you call me good?" Jesus answered. "No one is good---except God alone."

Humbling ourselves is basically changing our mindset to look to God rather than ourselves. The original Greek word means to lower ourselves to the ground, and when we do that before the Lord, He will lift us up. We are all sons and daughters of God, and as such He will not allow us to remain bowed down. However, our status comes from Him, not from our achievements or own efforts. This is the key to walking in humility, being able to recognize that everything we have, and who we are, is a gift from God. Humility is roughly equivalent to gratitude, recognizing that all that is good comes from another source, namely God.

Lord, I pray that You will help us to trust in You, to believe that You have a better perspective for guiding our lives. Help us to understand and experience Your goodness, for You alone are good. Let us entrust our lives and our needs and wants to You. Let us recognize that You are the source of all good things, and as such, the One we should look to. Help us to resist the evil one, our flesh and the world, all of which are trying to get us to take our eyes off You. You are good, and everything You do is good.

###

### Service With A Smile

## 04-08

This morning I am meditating on a few verses from John's Gospel, speaking about servant leadership. Jesus sets such a clear example of how leadership should serve, I find it difficult to think how we could have any other mind-set. Here are the verses - John 13:12-17 NIV:

[12] "When he had finished washing their feet, he put on his clothes and returned to his place. "Do you understand what I have done for you?" he asked them. [13] "You call me 'Teacher' and 'Lord,' and rightly so, for that is what I am. [14] Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another's feet. [15] I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you. [16] Very truly I tell you, no servant is greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him. [17] Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them."

I am astounded when I read these verses. I mean, here is the Son of God, second member of the Trinity, creator of the world, the very Word of God made flesh, and He is washing His disciple's feet. He didn't just humble himself and take on the form of man (Phil 2:6-8), but He humbled Himself as a man, doing the tasks of the lowliest servant - washing the feet of the guests. He was the guest of honor, the only one worthy of honor in comparison with the rest of the attendees and yet He was washing their feet, deeming them worthy of His service.

He says very clearly (verse 15) that He was setting an example for us, so that we would do what He has done. I am amazed that in the Body of Christ our leaders so often expect to be served, rather than be served. In Hebrews 1:3 it says Jesus is the perfect representation of the Father, and these verses are covered in that statement. The Father, even though He is the God Almighty, cares for us and blesses us and is showing us His heart through Jesus' actions and words. His heart is to serve and bless, to be a servant leader. That is such a completely different approach than what you would think. The world is full of god's and leaders that demand service and adoration, and never interact with the common people

Jesus says very clearly in verse 16, that none of us who follow him are greater than Him, and as such we should do that which He demonstrated. Each and every person is worthy of our service. We are not above, or better than anyone, for aside from Jesus sacrifice, death and resurrection, we are all sinners whose lot should be death. Jesus provides a stellar example of how we should behave and consider ourselves in the context of one of His followers. If we follow and want to become like Him, we should act like Him.

Finally in verse 17, Jesus lays the responsibility on us. He says, "Now that you know these things..." In other words, we can no longer claim ignorance. We see Him living a simple life, loving and serving others, and we are called to do the same. We can no longer claim ignorance or have any other attitude.

Lord, help us to humble ourselves and embrace a servant's mindset. Help us to serve all people well, never believing ourselves better than anyone we meet. Let us emulate You and enjoy the blessing of service. Let us serve others with a smile.

###

### A Place of Rest, Realization, Revelation and Relationship

## 04-09

This morning I felt directed to Matthew's Gospel and the following verses - Matthew 11:27-30 NIV:

[27] "All things have been committed to me by my Father. No one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal him."

[28] "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. [29] Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. [30] For my yoke is easy and my burden is light."

First, a word about my reading schedule. I believe that the Lord greatly desires to communicate with me daily, so I always ask Him, in prayer, where I should read. Sometimes I hear in my mind specific verses (book, chapter, verse), sometimes page numbers, sometimes I just open my Bible and start reading, but I am always expecting the Lord to speak out of His Word. Sometimes, He will have me read through a book, working verse by verse, chapter by chapter, other times it will be more along a particular theme. Regardless of the flow, I expect that the Lord will speak every day, because His Words are life and light to me. I believe the Lord wants to speak to all of us with equal passion and intimacy.

Secondly, the verses today speak about the Lord's heart in His communication to us. He is revealing the Father (verse 27) and teaching us (verse 29). For this to occur, we only need to come to Him and let Him guide us to a place of rest. I find it is much more difficult to hear the Lord during the hustle and bustle of my daily life of work and life. That is why I spend time each morning coming before Him, and taking time to rest, listen and read. It is in those times that the Lord speaks the most clearly and consistently. As I have learned to hear His voice in these times of quiet, I have been better able to hear Him throughout the day, as well. My times with Him are not primarily spent in passionate prayer through lists of names and issues, beseeching Him for answers and needs, but rather in listening and conversing from my heart, learning who He is and what He has to say to me. My relationship is not one of works and effort, but one of deep interaction and affection.

I love verses 28 & 29 for that is how I experience Him daily. He frees me from the effort of religion and brings me into the rest of relationship. As we spend time, I am able to unburden myself, entrusting my concerns to Him, gaining His perspective and direction. As I do so, I realize that there has been an exchange of burdens, for I am guided into His concerns and direction, and my concerns have been lifted. Intimate relationship with the Lord is a wonderful thing, and something He desires for all of us. We are each significant to Him, and as such, He will continue to invite us to this place of rest, realization and revelation through relationship.

Finally, it is in this place of relationship that He reveals the Father to me. As I have quoted many times before, Jesus is the perfect representation of the Father (Heb 1:3) and as I come to know Him, I come to know the Father. The significance of our interactions is that He has chosen to reveal the Father to me (verse 27). If the Lord desires relationship with me, then so does the Father. I am so aware of my absolute unworthiness to have relationship with Jesus, the Holy Spirit and the Father, and yet I recognize that they have chosen me, as one with whom they want relationship. That is just mind-blowing! Sometimes we can feel that we must earn this choice, or work hard to be noticed by the Lord, but that just isn't true. The Lord chose me while I was still a sinner and unaware of Him, thinking only of myself (Rom 5:8 and 1 Thess 1:4). If He chose me before I even knew Him while I was still a sinner, what makes me think that now that I know Him, He will load me up with requirements for relationship?

So, let us be encouraged that the Lord loves us, has chosen us and wants relationship with us. We can go to Him and He will meet with us, give us rest, teach us and reveal the Father to us.

Amen!

###

### Compassion For The Lost

## 04-10

This morning I am continuing my reading from Matthew's Gospel. The verses of interest are the following - Matthew 9:35-38 NIV:

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

As I read these verses I had a strong impression of the Lord's heart for those who don't know Him. The crowds that Matthew speaks about were people who had heard something about Him, and were coming to see Him. What they were really hungry for was God! They were a people who had understanding of God, but who didn't have real relationships with Him, and were hungry for Him, for the truth He spoke, and for the power of His touch. The nation of Israel was in a spiritual drought and they were thirsty for the Lord's interactions and proofs of His Divinity, for they longed for a true visitation.

In the same way, I believe there are millions, if not billions, of people with this same hunger today. There are those in churches who have understanding of God, but have never seen Him move in power, have never been introduced to His personal touch. There are those outside of the church, people who hunger for a sense of purpose, direction, love, and understanding of their own lives. They hunger and thirst for something to fill them, chasing after anything that promises to satisfy their appetites, but they are never truly filled. They are hungry for God, they just don't know Him. I believe the Lord has great compassion for all these people. They are truly sheep without a shepherd, looking for food and drink to satisfy their deep longings.

Jesus calls Himself the Good Shepherd in John 10:11. The good shepherd knows how to lead them to good food and drink that will finally satisfy them. He is the source of life, the light for all men (John 1:4). If we turn to Him, He will guide us to a place of rest, a place of refreshment, and He will fill us. He is what we all are longing for, what we hunger and thirst for in our lives. Many just don't know that is the case.

Jesus' final statement in these verses was to His disciples, that they should ask that more workers be sent into fields for the harvest. The very next verses in Matthew's Gospel are Jesus sending out the Apostles to do the exact same thing He had been doing (Matt 10:1-7). They were to be the workers that were sent out to gather the harvest. This is our call too, to go to the lost, hungry and thirsty (the lost sheep of this age) and introduce them to the Good Shepherd.

I pray that the Lord would stir our hearts like His heart is stirred for the lost around us! There are crowds of people who need to be introduced to the One who Loves them and laid down His life for them - the Good Shepherd, Jesus.

### Hearing The Lord

## 04-11

This morning I was continuing my reading from Matthew's Gospel and ran across a couple of related verses in the midst of Jesus' discourse on some of the future times that they were going to experience. Both verses have to do with hearing and speaking.

Matthew 10:19-20, 27 NIV:

[19] "..., do not worry about what to say or how to say it. At that time you will be given what to say, [20] for it will not be you speaking, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you."

[27] "What I tell you in the dark, speak in the daylight; what is whispered in your ear, proclaim from the roofs."

I love the fact that in these verses the Lord is promising that He will speak to and through us. The context of these verses is one of struggle and difficulty societally, but I don't believe these verses are only true for such times. My experience with the Lord is very similar, and I believe the Lord wants us all to have such an experience. As I wrote a couple of days ago, the Lord desires to speak to us all, and it is not just a privileged few that He speaks to.

Part of what I believe the Lord is about, in my times of prayer with Him, is filling me with His word and His heart. As I go throughout my life and interact with others and find myself sharing with someone, I am often reminded of things I have heard in my prayer time, things I have read, thoughts and impressions of the Lord's heart. I think this is very much like what Jesus describes in verses 19 & 20. The Lord calls things to my mind, drawing them out of the deposit that He has been putting in place for the last 30+ years, or that last couple of days. I am amazed at how often the thing I read and reflected upon in the morning comes up in someone else's conversation, later that day. At times, I feel like the Lord is pre-loading His word in me for others I will meet so that I can distribute it at the right time, with His guidance.

The other verse where He speaks of speaking things in the dark, or whispering in our ear, is also very accurate to my experience. I have learned to pay attention when I wake up in the night, or first thing in the morning, for often the Lord will take that moment when I am not distracted by anything else and speak to me. He speaks to me through dreams at times, impressions, Scripture verses He calls to mind, or just a single thought or two that I know is from Him. Again, I am amazed at how often what I hear whispered to me at these times is relevant in that day, coming up in conversation, sometimes multiple times.

I think the description of Him whispering in my ear is also appropriate, for Lord is not often loud, at least to my hearing. I know some people have experienced hearing the audible voice of the Lord, I have not had that experience, but have had very 'loud' or strong impressions from the Lord. Most of the time, though, it is like He is whispering in my ear. I am usually pretty in tune with my train of thought and when the Lord whispers to me, it is most often not related to the present trains of thought running through my mind. I have been trained to pay attention to these seemingly random thoughts, for they are often from the Lord. I will also receive impressions, almost like I am imagining something, that are completely unrelated to my existing thoughts. I am not saying every random thought I have is from the Lord, nor that I am perfect in hearing what He is saying, but I am still humbled and amazed at how often He chooses to speak to and through me.

When I get a word or impression, the first thing I do is stop and reflect if it is related to my previous line of thinking. I try to trace the root of the thought and if I can't identify it in my own thoughts, then I evaluate if it might be from the Lord. The enemy can use this same technique of whispering thoughts, so many times I can immediately identify if it is not from God, and just toss the thought aside. If it isn't from me or the enemy than I pay attention and usually ask the Lord for more clarity and/or information. Sometimes, like when I am in prayer, I will get a Bible verse or page number and I will then stop and read those verses, or pages in my Bible and see if there is something for me in the Word. As I pursue this thought or theme, the Lord will often give me more understanding and clarity. Much of the time the Lord is speaking to me about me, and I try to understand His words and apply them to my life. Often times, it is for me and someone else, which I usually find out through conversation with them. Whatever the case, I am trying to hear Him and really listen, and put His words into effect in my life.

So today, I am encouraged to listen more, to continue to practice active listening throughout the day and night. I am encouraged to speak the things I hear, for often they are for others as well as myself. Help me Lord to hear!

###

### Releasing The Light

## 04-13

This morning I felt led to read again from John 9. I felt like I should spend some meditating on Jesus' statements at the beginning of the chapter. Here are the verses - John 9:3-5 NIV:

[3] "Neither this man nor his parents sinned," said Jesus, "but this happened so that the works of God might be displayed in him. [4] As long as it is day, we must do the works of him who sent me. Night is coming, when no one can work. [5] While I am in the world, I am the light of the world."

I love Jesus' response to the question about the cause of the man's blindness. His blindness, although it had lasted his lifetime, was not a curse brought on by sinfulness, but was rather present as an opportunity for the Father's glory to be revealed. Jesus has such a different perspective, His is that of the Father, and we would be well served to pursue the same.

In our world, and especially this present age, we call such things as blindness and other afflictions unfair, or sad, and that is a wholly human response. We imagine ourselves with such an affliction and are overwhelmed by the loss of health, capabilities, etc. Our thoughts are on ourselves and we can take such afflictions and their diagnosis as sentence of fear, sorrow and suffering. Jesus, on the other hand, sees in this man's affliction the opportunity for the Father to be glorified. He represented the Kingdom of God, constantly proclaiming it and demonstrating it. In the Kingdom of God, blindness does not exist, and so Jesus demonstrated this reality by healing him.

Jesus said this was one of the works He had been assigned to do by the Father. I believe it is both a personal assignment (this particular blind man) and an overriding work assignment (heal blindness when You confront it). He only had so much time on earth in His physical form and during that time He had been given specific things to demonstrate and do, and this was one such task. In the same way, we are entrusted with opportunities to extend God's Kingdom and bring Glory to Him. Our invitation is to be open and obedient and act in faith when opportunities are presented. The Lord wants us to both understand the reality of His Kingdom, as well as our identity as sons and daughters of His in that Kingdom. He also wants us to understand that He sees thing completely differently than we do. We tend to look at things from our limited human perspective, He looks at the same situation and sees the opportunity for His Glory to be revealed.

It is in the revelation of His Glory that His light is shined to this world that is dark. I love the following verses from Isaiah 60:1-3 NIV:

[1] "Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord rises upon you.  
[2] See, darkness covers the earth and thick darkness is over the peoples, but the Lord rises upon you and his glory appears over you.  
[3] Nations will come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your dawn."

We are called to shine His light to those around us, to reveal His Glory. People will be drawn to the Light of Christ as He shines out of us. When we start to demonstrate His Kingdom reality to our world, they will begin to see God's touch in their lives. Christ is still in the world, through His Spirit alive in us. It is time for us to release this light into the darkness around us.

So let us be encouraged to let His light shine, for He is the light of the world. Let us be encouraged to release His light within and through our lives. Let us arise and shine.

###

### Hearing The Word And Doing It

## 04-14

This morning I felt like I should read from the letter of James. He takes a very different approach than Paul does in most of his letters, and though I love Paul, there is a practical side of James that I enjoy as well. This morning I was praying and thinking about a decision I need to make and just don't have clarity (there are more than a few good options) so I was asking for direction. When I turned to James, the first thing I read is the following verse - James 1:5 NIV "If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you." Thank You Lord for confirming You heard me and will answer my prayer.

This past Sunday we were talking about hearing God in our lives. We were talking about the fact that when God speaks it is because He is interacting in our lives and has perspective that we need or someone else around us needs. He wants us to know that He is intimately aware of us, and wants to interact with us in a regular manner. We shared different ways the Lord has spoken to us and showed us His love and care. It is so good to be reminded of His love and how He is alive!

This morning I was continuing to read James and came across the following verses (not that I hadn't read them before) that is in line with this theme of hearing God's voice (Word).

James 1:22-25 NIV:  
[22] "Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. [23] Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like someone who looks at his face in a mirror [24] and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. [25] But whoever looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues in it---not forgetting what they have heard, but doing it---they will be blessed in what they do."

The straight-forward statement James makes to start this section is perfect. How often do we deceive ourselves with just listening and nodding our heads, thinking about the wonderful message we have heard, but neglecting to actually change our lives by applying the message to our lives? I know that I am the master of agreement, and relatively a laggard in application. When the Lord speaks a word to us, whether it is directive, new understanding, or refreshing something we heard before, it is for our benefit.

His words in our lives should often lead us to repentance (changing how we think and act). Not that the Lord is constantly punishing us or anything, but rather He is giving guidance and help. My experience of the Lord's correction and guidance is one of patience and gentleness. He converses with me in the place of love and acceptance and asks me how things went and how I might do things better going forward. Sometimes He is in agreement with me concerning my recognition that I didn't do well, but He is never harsh or negative towards me. He is always encouraging to me, knowing that I can do better. His encouragement is meant to help me change the way I think and act, becoming more like Him.

So, my encouragement today is to listen to the Lord and do what He encourages me to do, for in doing so I will be blessed. Indeed, I will become more and more like Him.

###

### The Right Place At The Right Time

## 04-15

This morning I am reading from Acts 17:24-28 NIV:

[24] "The God who made the world and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth and does not live in temples built by human hands. [25] And he is not served by human hands, as if he needed anything. Rather, he himself gives everyone life and breath and everything else. [26] From one man he made all the nations, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he marked out their appointed times in history and the boundaries of their lands. [27] God did this so that they would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from any one of us. [28] 'For in him we live and move and have our being.' As some of your own poets have said, 'We are his offspring.'"

The verse that has always stood out to me from this selection is verse 26. My older version of the NIV translation reads a bit differently - "From one man he made every nation of men, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he determined the times set for them and the exact places where they should live." I like that perspective, that the Lord has determined and set our times (when we live) and exact places where we should live. Our lives are not random, and where we live is significant to the Lord. He has placed us here and now with purpose, and if we will let Him, He will guide our steps to make us the most effective during our lives.

Looking back at my life, I can see the Lord's hand all over my life, guiding and directing me, putting me in the right place at the right time. I remember one such incidence from last summer. I was flying from DC back to KC, and flying through Atlanta. My flight was delayed and so I decided to get some ice-cream. I made a quick stop by my gate and then started walking towards the ice-cream store. As I was walking, a man walked across my path and I realized I recognized him. He was an old friend from MN, who still lived in MN. I couldn't believe that we just "happened" to run into each other in one of the busiest airports in the world. As we quickly caught up, he said he was flying back from a job training for a new position He was taking in AL, and was unsure about whether that was the Lord's will. In general, he was in a tough place having been laid-off for close to a year. As we were talking, I had a sense the Lord wanted to bless him with a better job and even received a word of encouragement for him. I asked him if we could pray and did right there and then. As I prayed over him what I had heard, it was clear that the word of encouragement was exactly what he needed to hear at that moment. I then was reminded of a specific scripture and quoted it to him and He just beamed, and told me that was the very scripture that he had been holding onto for the last year, quoting it to himself and his wife as verse to hold onto in the midst of their great struggle! He and I both walked away from that experience greatly encouraged! He ended up getting another job offer that was far better for him and his family, and I knew that the Lord had used me in a significant way.

As I reflect on that occurrence, I am convinced that I was directed by the Lord to be there at exactly that moment, in the B terminal in Atlanta to meet my old friend. I might not have been cognizant of the Lord's directing hand, but there cannot be any coincidence in my meeting him and having the perfect word of encouragement. It was because God loves my friend so much that He wanted him to know that He knew exactly where he was, and had a perfect plan for his life. God loves each of us this way, and we will encounter His love in amazing ways as we open ourselves up to seeing, hearing and understanding His ways.

More recently, we were blessed to be able to be a part of God's intimate touch in another friend's life. The Lord had been setting up this little surprise for years, and neither of us knew that was the case, but at just the right time and place, we were able to bless this friend with something the Lord put in his heart back when He was a kid! This surprise from the Lord spoke deeply to our friend and was a concrete confirmation of the Lord's plans to move him into a new season. The Lord knows exactly what we need, and when we need it! It is so awesome to see Him orchestrate our lives to bring blessing and encouragement in our lives and the lives of our friends and families.

So, this morning I am more encouraged by the intimate Love of God in my life. He loves to bless and encourage each of us. I am further convinced that my life and purpose and the place I am is part of God's beautiful plan and all orchestrated by Him. He clearly has set my times and exact places where I live. He has me at the right place at the right time!

Amen!

###

### Can God Use Sinners?

## 04-16

This morning I was lead back to John's Gospel and the story of the man born blind, who was healed by Jesus. There is an interesting question being discussed in the midst of that story that I need to think more about. Here are the verses of focus- John 9:13-17, 24-27, 30-33 NIV:

[13] "They brought to the Pharisees the man who had been blind. [14] Now the day on which Jesus had made the mud and opened the man's eyes was a Sabbath. [15] Therefore the Pharisees also asked him how he had received his sight. "He put mud on my eyes," the man replied, "and I washed, and now I see."

[16] Some of the Pharisees said, "This man is not from God, for he does not keep the Sabbath." But others asked, "How can a sinner perform such signs?" So they were divided. [17] Then they turned again to the blind man, "What have you to say about him? It was your eyes he opened."

The man replied, "He is a prophet."

[24] A second time they summoned the man who had been blind. "Give glory to God by telling the truth," they said. "We know this man is a sinner."

[25] He replied, "Whether he is a sinner or not, I don't know. One thing I do know. I was blind but now I see!"

[26] Then they asked him, "What did he do to you? How did he open your eyes?"

[27] He answered, "I have told you already and you did not listen. Why do you want to hear it again? Do you want to become his disciples too?"

[30] The man answered, "Now that is remarkable! You don't know where he comes from, yet he opened my eyes. [31] We know that God does not listen to sinners. He listens to the godly person who does his will. [32] Nobody has ever heard of opening the eyes of a man born blind. [33] If this man were not from God, he could do nothing."

So the question(s) is whether or not it was a sin to break the Sabbath, and whether someone who was a sinner could be used of God to do great things like healing a man born blind? Although we don't usually put this question in these simple terms, we find that this type of thinking is actually quite prevalent in the church. We know that Christ never sinned, so it's not really a question as to whether or not He is a sinner, but it is clearly a question that is significant for every other Christian, for scripture makes it clear that we are all sinners.

The first question was whether or not it was a sin to do "work" on the sabbath. The Sabbath was created by God, and the basic law came from Him (see Ex 31:14-16 for an example). However, the definition of work and the religious observance of the Sabbath had mostly been developed by man. The purpose of the Sabbath was to cause the Israelites to cease from their own labors, and reflect and recognize that it was the Lord God who made them Holy, set them apart and provided for them, and all of that was not due to their own works. Here is Jesus, representing the Father and showing the people that God was still present, providing for them and interacting with them, and they couldn't get past the religious mind-set that was created by man teaching man's interpretations of God's laws (religion). Jesus was embracing the very definition of the Sabbath and so clearly not sinning.

The proper definition of sin is doing something that is outside of the will of God. The term used most frequently speaks of missing the mark. It was a term associated with archery, and I know that whether I miss the target completely, or only by inches, I still have missed the mark. Jesus lived His life in perfect obedience to the Father's will. Every word He spoke, every action He did was coming from the direction of the Father. He was sinless, in other words He was always hitting the mark in everything, every moment of every day! No one else that has ever lived is sinless, so we are all "sinners" (Rom 3:23). If we are all sinners than we know that if God wants to continue to do His work on earth through us, then He must use sinners.

The second question is very interesting and although we might agree to the statement above, that God has no choice but to use sinners, we tend to believe that God's choice to do powerful works through someone is a sign that this person is Holy, and some would argue, not in sin. This is not true if we are all sinners, and the proper definition of sin is anything that is not in the perfect will of God. I have said this before, but it is worth revisiting, having read the lives and writings of many people who we would consider Holy, even saintly, everyone one of them was more and more and more convinced of their sinfulness the closer they came to being like the Lord. One could say that in the light of Christ, all sin becomes exposed and as you draw closer to Him, the more every little speck of sin is exposed by His increasing light. Now, these people lived exemplary lives, but from their own perspective of looking to Christ, they saw their own weakness and sin, and were never convinced of their own purity and holiness.

This would be the opposite of the thinking that is being presented in this story and that is prevalent in the church. It is common to see an equating of a person's holiness and purity with their ability to do miraculous works. This can get us, and the people who God is using powerfully, into some trouble if we start believing the results are a sign of their purity and sinlessness. I have seen some people convinced that their ability to do mighty works is a sign that there is no sin in their lives, and God is thus using them. The problem with this thinking is that it isn't true! (Look to scripture for plenty of examples of people doing mighty works, while having sin, or plenty of wrong ideas in their lives - all sinners by definition). If we hold this view about someone else, we will be convinced that everything they are doing and saying is from God, even things that would normally be considered questionable, and this is very dangerous. If we are the person God is using, we can become convinced that as long as God is doing mighty works through us, that we aren't sinning, and everything in our lives is ok by God, and this is very dangerous, as well.

We see the results of this type of thinking regularly in our churches. It is unfortunate how many great ministers, representatives of God who are doing great things, having significant areas of sin exposed publicly. The interesting thing is that their ministry did not seem affected by their sin, which is what this type of thinking that we are examining this morning would require. Often times the minister is seeing significant moves of God occur through them, and because of that they think they are not sinning, or maybe that God isn't applying the same rules to them as to everyone else. The people who follow them are shocked, and then wonder if God was actually even at work, since these ministers were clearly sinful. That is the exact same thing the Pharisees and teachers were arguing about Jesus, they thought He couldn't possibly be representing God, because He was clearly sinning.

By no means am I saying that our obedience to the Lord is of no consequence, nor that we shouldn't pursue purity and holiness. I am saying that we cannot assume the state or condition of one's heart (even our own) before God looking purely at one's actions and God's apparent blessings in their lives, as evidenced by the works He does through them. Some of the greatest saints who have ever lived, ones that saw amazing miracles worked through their prayers, have also been convinced of their absolute unworthiness and sinfulness. Back to the analogy of sin, even the best archers in the world are upset when they miss the bulls-eye, even if it's just by a hair. In the same way, these saintly individuals did not dwell on the fact that the majority of their former sinful tendencies are gone, but rather that in the light of Christ they still had much they could improve upon.

Two things that I take away from this discussion:

1) God uses sinners and if I am a sinner I can't disqualify myself from being used by God, even in miraculous ways.  
2) I need to guard my heart and thoughts from prideful, unbalanced and potentially dangerous thinking like this that would convince me that sin isn't sin if God is doing awesome stuff through me, or others.

Lord help us all!

Just a couple of things for further consideration -

1) Look at the spirit of pride that was evidently in the Apostles hearts, even while they were healing the sick, cleansing the lepers, opening blind eyes and raising the dead - see Luke 9.

2) Look at Mark 10:13 - the Disciples are keeping the little children from coming to Jesus, and He is indignant (clearly, they missed the mark)

3) Peter was rebuked by Paul because he was acting wrong (sinning) concerning the message of grace - Gal 2:11-16

###

### When God Looks At Us, What Does He See?

## 04-17

This morning I am reading from Paul's letter to the Roman's. He is talking about Israel and the fact that they were unable to achieve righteousness on their own. This really is a continuation of my meditation yesterday, on whether God uses sinners. Here are the verses of focus - Romans 9:30-32 NIV:

[30] "What then shall we say? That the Gentiles, who did not pursue righteousness, have obtained it, a righteousness that is by faith; [31] but the people of Israel, who pursued the law as the way of righteousness, have not attained their goal. [32] Why not? Because they pursued it not by faith but as if it were by works. They stumbled over the stumbling stone."

Paul sums up nicely the difference between faith and religion, for religion is what Israel practiced - works based righteousness. Religion does not lead to righteousness, nor can it. It is only through faith that true righteousness is available to us. If works (religion) could achieve righteousness, Christ would not have needed to come and offer Himself and perfectly fulfill the requirements of the law. Paul says earlier, "...no one will be declared righteous in God's sight by the works of the law; rather, through the law we become conscious of our sin." (Rom 3:20) All the Law and works did was make us aware of our sin and our own inability to achieve righteousness.

If this is the case, if our own works (religion) are unable to earn for us righteousness, why would we think that they count, or earn for us anything, now that we have experienced salvation? Our sins are all forgiven in Christ, by His sacrifice, not ever by our actions. It is through faith in Him that we are considered righteous, because as we come under His blood (which purchases our forgiveness) His righteousness gets applied to us (Heb. 9:22). It is never our actions, but always His that achieves our righteousness. This is the message of grace. It is through faith in Him that His sacrifice is applied to our lives, and we become hidden in Him (Col. 3:3)

Thus, when the Father looks at us, He sees Jesus' righteousness applied to our lives, and we are righteous in His sight. This never changes. We don't become more righteous because of our works, more favored in His sight because of our sacrifices or good deeds. When the Father looks at us, He sees us for who we are in Christ, righteous. In other words, He doesn't see our sins, He sees Jesus sacrifice. That is just mind-blowing. This is the reason that God uses sinners, because He doesn't see them as sinners. He sees them for who they are in Christ, His righteous children (2 Cor 5:21)

Concerning religion and works, an analogy that just popped into my head is one of pole-vaulting (I used to do that in my younger days). It is like this - Jesus qualified us and His best is applied to our lives. It is as if He jumped 100ft. (attained righteousness) and we all get the same jump height assigned to us in the record books. Yet, somehow we believe that by doing works (religion), jumping our little 15ft. jumps we achieve something more than what Jesus already did for us. Paul writes about this thinking in his letter to the Galatians (Chap. 3-5). He even calls them foolish for trying to attain their goal (righteousness) by human effort (Gal 3:3). If we have already been awarded 100ft as our jump height, why do we keep trying to earn the right to claim that height? Or if we have already been rewarded with Jesus righteousness, why do we keep trying to earn it through our works?

Lest we get carried away, this does not negate the effects of sin in our lives, nor the call to purity in our lives. The point of all of that is that we are called to be like Him, through relationship with Him. The more we know Him and relate with Him, the more we see areas in our lives where we aren't like Him, or see that we are doing things that are apart from His will and purpose. This is through relationship, entered through faith. Our lives should be lived in such a way as to show gratitude for this incredible gift of grace and mercy, and in relationship with the One who gave these gifts. The Lord doesn't want to an anonymous donor, He wants relationship with us all. It is in the place of relationship that we are encouraged by Him to change the way we think about ourselves and the way we act, (repentance) to enable us to experience the optimal joy and life available to us. He so much desires relationship with us that He empowers us through the Holy Spirit, and makes His dwelling with us.

Let us embrace the Lord, this awesome gift (salvation) that He has purchased for us through His blood, and believe through faith that we are seen as righteous in the Father's eyes. This really is the Good News, we have been redeemed and set free all by the works of Jesus. We can cease our striving through works and instead embrace relationship with the One who loves us, and in whom we are hidden. We are God's righteous ones, and that is how He sees us.

###

### Today Is The Day Of The Lord's Favor!

## 04-18

This morning I had an interesting experience. As I was just waking up, I must have been asking for God's favor, and I felt like He said the following - "Unless I tell you otherwise, it is safe to assume that you are always under my favor!"

I asked for some greater understanding, and felt like He replied - "You don't really understand my favor, it is much greater than you think. You are thinking in human terms about favor, and I am not human. As my sons and daughters, you are always under my favor. I don't have favorites like human's do, you are all my favorites."

I asked him about repentance that often times precedes or is a part of revivals - He said, "Repentance happens when they see themselves, compared to me. It is not a sign of my displeasure. It allows people to come into right relationship with Me."

It is like in the Book of Esther - when she approaches the King, and he extends his scepter, indicating she had his favor.

Esther 4:11 NIV  
"All the king's officials and the people of the royal provinces know that for any man or woman who approaches the king in the inner court without being summoned the king has but one law: that they be put to death unless the king extends the gold scepter to them and spares their lives. But thirty days have passed since I was called to go to the king."

Esther 5:1-3 NIV  
[1] "On the third day Esther put on her royal robes and stood in the inner court of the palace, in front of the king's hall. The king was sitting on his royal throne in the hall, facing the entrance. [2] When he saw Queen Esther standing in the court, he was pleased with her and held out to her the gold scepter that was in his hand. So Esther approached and touched the tip of the scepter. [3] Then the king asked, "What is it, Queen Esther? What is your request? Even up to half the kingdom, it will be given you."

Notice the favor of the King is indicated by His willingness to have Esther approach His Throne. When she arrives at his feet, He is ready to give her up to half of his kingdom! Talk about extreme favor!

We always have the Lord's favor, if we are in relationship with Jesus, for we can always approach His throne of Grace with confidence knowing that we are in His favor. Hebrews 4:14-16 NIV says:

[14] "Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has ascended into heaven, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess. [15] For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are---yet he did not sin. [16] Let us then approach God's throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need."

The earliest use of favor in scripture is from Genesis 6:7-8 NIV:

[7] So the Lord said, "I will wipe from the face of the earth the human race I have created---and with them the animals, the birds and the creatures that move along the ground---for I regret that I have made them. " [8] But Noah found favor in the eyes of the Lord."

The Hebrew word used here is Chanan, its Definition is the following:  
1) to be gracious, show favour, pity  
2) (Qal) to show favour, be gracious  
3) (Niphal) to be pitied  
4) (Piel) to make gracious, make favourable, be gracious  
5) (Poel) to direct favour to, have mercy on  
6) (Hophal) to be shown favour, be shown consideration

When we think about Noah, we must understand what God did for Noah, not focus on the rest of story. He saved Noah in the midst of the whole world. He saved Noah's family. He made Noah the ruler of the earth (battle field promotion). He was given dominance over all. Here are the verses where God's favor is recognized, after the flood recedes - from Genesis 9:1-3, 8-11 NIV:

[1] "Then God blessed Noah and his sons, saying to them, "Be fruitful and increase in number and fill the earth. [2] The fear and dread of you will fall on all the beasts of the earth, and on all the birds in the sky, on every creature that moves along the ground, and on all the fish in the sea; they are given into your hands. [3] Everything that lives and moves about will be food for you. Just as I gave you the green plants, I now give you everything."

[8] "Then God said to Noah and to his sons with him: [9] "I now establish my covenant with you and with your descendants after you [10] and with every living creature that was with you---the birds, the livestock and all the wild animals, all those that came out of the ark with you---every living creature on earth. [11] I establish my covenant with you: Never again will all life be destroyed by the waters of a flood; never again will there be a flood to destroy the earth. "

God effectively gives Noah the whole earth, dominion over all living things, and makes a covenant with him. That is what God's favor looks like. That is a picture of His favor to us. He saves us out of a sinful world, He extends His favor over our families, He invites us into His covenant (the new covenant) and relationship.

Here are some other significant verses dealing with God's favor -

Romans 2:10-11 NIV: "but glory, honor and peace for everyone who does good: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile. [11] For God does not show favoritism."

In other words, He shows favor to us all.

2 Corinthians 6:2 NIV: "For he says, "In the time of my favor I heard you, and in the day of salvation I helped you." I tell you, now is the time of God's favor, now is the day of salvation."

Amen to that!

James 4:6 NIV: "But he gives us more grace. That is why Scripture says: "God opposes the proud but shows favor to the humble."

The humble here, are those that come to Jesus and receive His salvation. It is in relationship with Him, and because of Him that we receive God's favor. When He looks at us, He sees His children, hidden in Jesus. How can He do anything but show us favor?! Recognizing and living in this reality is what we are invited into through relationship with the Lord. Really, experiencing the Lord's favor is directly related to our understanding our identity in Him, as His sons and daughters.

As an added confirmation of this theme, when I opened up my bible and the first chapter it opens to is James 2 - titled favoritism is forbidden - James 2:1-9 NIV:

[1] "My brothers and sisters, believers in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ must not show favoritism. [2] Suppose a man comes into your meeting wearing a gold ring and fine clothes, and a poor man in filthy old clothes also comes in. [3] If you show special attention to the man wearing fine clothes and say, "Here's a good seat for you," but say to the poor man, "You stand there" or "Sit on the floor by my feet," [4] have you not discriminated among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts?

[5] Listen, my dear brothers and sisters: Has not God chosen those who are poor in the eyes of the world to be rich in faith and to inherit the kingdom he promised those who love him? [6] But you have dishonored the poor. Is it not the rich who are exploiting you? Are they not the ones who are dragging you into court? [7] Are they not the ones who are blaspheming the noble name of him to whom you belong?

[8] If you really keep the royal law found in Scripture, "Love your neighbor as yourself," you are doing right. [9] But if you show favoritism, you sin and are convicted by the law as lawbreakers."

As brothers and sisters in the Lord, we are encouraged to practice the same attitude towards each other that the Lord has towards us, no favorites, but rather everyone enjoying His favor equally. Our treatment of each other is supposed to mirror or reflect His attitude towards us.

So let us be encouraged, today and every day is the day of the Lord's favor. Now, is the time of the Lord's favor in our lives. Let listen to His words in our hearts and embrace them, for we truly are His sons and daughters, each and every one of us.

###

### Living A Life Of Favor

## 04-23

I woke up yesterday morning thinking about being in the Lord's favor. I know this is a really significant message for me, and really for all of us. It is about our true identity in Him.

Lord, I ask that You will lead me in this area and fill me with understanding of what this all means. It is so critical that we all understand who we really are! Lord, I know that You desire more than anything that we would walk in this, for when we do, we effectively represent You to the World.

I understand, ever so slightly, that favor has to do with authority, and access. I imagine that learning to walk in my true identity means I will have greater responsibility, but also greater authority and reach. You desire sons and daughters who can effectively and accurately represent You here Lord. As Your Kingdom increases, You need Kingdom representatives to guide and direct and bring the new members of the Kingdom to a place of maturity (kind of like how a company, when they open up new territory, needs to have representatives cover that new territory).

I also understand that much of the demonstration of the Kingdom realities comes from a place of identity, having faith in the authority that has been given, and understanding how to operate within, and with that authority. Authority without a proper heart attitude leads to abuses of that authority. That is where the servants heart comes in, authority is supposed to be for service, not ruling over a group. Authority and representation are all about the care and nurturing of our fellow brothers and sisters, bringing them to a place of maturity. It is not to boss them around and make them do stuff. It is not to create mini-me's, but rather sons and daughters after the heart of the Father.

I go back to Jesus' statement in Mark 10:42-45 NIV:

[42] "Jesus called them together and said, "You know that those who are regarded as rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them. [43] Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, [44] and whoever wants to be first must be slave of all. [45] For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many."

Also His statement about children in Matthew 19:13-15 NIV:

[13] "Then people brought little children to Jesus for him to place his hands on them and pray for them. But the disciples rebuked them. [14] Jesus said, "Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these." [15] When he had placed his hands on them, he went on from there."

And the explanation of the 5-fold ministries in Ephesians 4:11-16 NIV:

[11] "So Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, [12] to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up [13] until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ."

[14] "Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of people in their deceitful scheming. [15] Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will grow to become in every respect the mature body of him who is the head, that is, Christ. [16] From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work."

It is for works of service that we are called to a place of maturity (V12). We are all called to a place of service, but not as servants, but as sons and daughters. Think of it like this, we are helping the Father run the family business. We are supposed to represent Him, and His primary characteristics, to those around us. He is a God of mercy, compassion, love and faithfulness (Ex 34:6). He loves sinners and had sent His Son to redeem them, that all might be reconciled and restored to rightful relationship with Him (John 3:16-17, Rom 5:10) . We are His representatives in this endeavor - His ambassadors of reconciliation (2 Cor 5:20).

Amen Lord! Help me to fully grasp and live this in my life!

###

### Favor And Upgrades!

## 04-23

So, I am continuing to press into understanding the Lord's favor, and how that should be experienced and lived out in my life, and more importantly what He really means when He speaks about His favor.

It is a common prayer in my portfolio to ask for favor with the people whom I meet or work. Favor provides an avenue to do things, and acceleration for things that normally take longer, and the ability to overcome difficulties that does not exist without it (favor). Being in favor means that I am liked and that the people I am with want to help me. In the business world, favor is huge. It is built on trust, truth and demonstration. In other words, the individual(s) understands that they can trust you because you are telling the truth, and you do what you say you will do. Another word for this might be integrity.

I find this is also very critical in the Body of Christ. I believe the Lord is looking for those that He can trust with His Truth and authority. Those who can walk in integrity with great authority and responsibility. The Lord uses the example of the talents (bags of gold in my new NIV) in Matt 25:14-30 to convey His Father's thinking about entrusting responsibility to someone. The focus is on that which was entrusted to the servants, and what they did with it. Those that prospered it, and managed it well received more. In Jesus' words this is how the master (Father) responds to those that have managed well what they have been entrusted, "His master replied, 'Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master's happiness!' Matthew 25:23 NIV.

When I hear those words "well done, good and faithful servant" I hear the Master expressing His favor. It is interesting to note that the response is to entrust more to the one who has found favor in the Master's eyes. It is also interesting to note that servant was acting in a way they knew the Master would act, and thus faithfully representing Him. I believe this is exactly what the Father looks for in us, and when He finds it, He extends His favor!

Again, going back to my time with the Lord this last Saturday, His favor is really much greater than we can possibly imagine. So, when I look at the Lord extending His favor, that is a very significant occurrence! When He extends His favor, He is also inviting you to a place of greater responsibility and authority. In Luke 19:11-27 Jesus provides a similar story (it might be the same, just remembered differently) and here He speaks of rewarding the one who has managed His money well with a position of authority over 10 cities. That is a huge increase in responsibility and authority. Here is the King's statement - Luke 19:17 NIV: "'Well done, my good servant!' his master replied. 'Because you have been trustworthy in a very small matter, take charge of ten cities.'"

Wow - that is HUGE favor. As my friend Byron Easterling ( http://www.byroneasterling.com/) would say, "he just got upgraded"! The individual the master is speaking to goes from being a servant in the master's household, to being the ruler over ten cities. I am convinced that the Lord, wants us all to walk in and experience this kind of favor! He wants to promote us and upgrade us! He wants to be able to entrust more and more to us, because we are faithfully representing Him, and embracing His heart for His children.

Again, when the Lord is speaking about favor, He is speaking in His terms, not ours. My normal thought would be if the servant did well, he might get the rest of the day off, or maybe a nice bonus check, but he would still be a servant. This is not the way the Lord thinks, and we need to understand that. I have a good friend who faithfully managed a group of housing maintenance workers who got upgraded to being a pastor! He went from toilets and plumbing to pastoring a vibrant church. That is a small example of the way the Lord grants favor.

Heidi Baker is another who has experienced His extreme favor. She and her husband faithfully worked in the mission fields of Mozambique for years, with very little fruit. However, one day the Lord extended His scepter of favor over her and asked if she wanted the nation of Mozambique. After He powerfully filled her with the Holy Spirit, she went back to Mozambique and has now planted 10,000+ churches and seen more than one million people converted to Christ, including wondrous miracles and signs and wonders. That was a significant upgrade. For more on her experience and ministry you can go to https://www.irisglobal.org/.

The Lord is about releasing His favor in unprecedented ways, and I, for one, want to be found to be one of His faithful servants who experience His favor! It's not that I want greater responsibility or authority, but I want His favor! I want to be found faithful in everything I do because I love Him and take joy in serving Him. Whether I get upgraded or not, I want to share in His happiness (Matt 25:23).

Amen!

###

### Reflections On The Greatness Of God.

## 04-24

Last night I was talking about the Lord with one of my best friends, which is always a great way to spend a Thursday evening. One of the things He was talking about was the counter-intuitive nature of the Lord.

The Lord is not like us, so trying to figure Him out is challenging in our life. For example, it is not through striving or working hard, but rather through surrender that we see Him move more powerfully in and through our lives. It is not through our hard work or service that He gives us gifts, if He did then they would be called wages. Instead He gives us gifts, just because we are His sons and daughters and He loves us.

Continuing this counter-intuitive theme, I think these verses where Jesus speaks of losing one's life make good sense - Matthew 10:38-40 NIV: "Whoever does not take up their cross and follow me is not worthy of me. [39] Whoever finds their life will lose it, and whoever loses their life for my sake will find it. [40] "Anyone who welcomes you welcomes me, and anyone who welcomes me welcomes the one who sent me."

We spoke of the fact that being flesh and blood, with little sensitivity to the spiritual realm, we have a very hard time grasping the realities of God. His love is beyond comprehension, understanding or even expression. Whatever we have experienced is such a small part of the reality, there is always more. Paul wrote about that in his letter to the Ephesians 3:16-19 NIV:

[16] "I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, [17] so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, [18] may have power, together with all the Lord's holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, [19] and to know this love that surpasses knowledge---that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God."

Continuing that thought, Paul adds the following verses - Ephesians 3:20-21 NIV:

[20] "Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, [21] to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen."

I like that - "immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine". God is indeed not like us, nor can we fully grasp how great and good and full of love He is! When He speaks a word, He is speaking from His point of reference, His perspective. We understand His words from our perspective. Between the two perspectives there is a huge difference. There are so many people, who in their judgement of God (not a good idea ever), think they have figured out His motivations or actions and find Him guilty of some human limited way of thinking or acting. That is really laughable, for He is beyond any of our comprehension, or even the combined comprehension of us all. The words of Isaiah are so true here - Isaiah 55:8-9 NIV: "For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways," declares the Lord. [9] "As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts."

Really, when we look at God, even those things that He has revealed in His Word, we don't fully comprehend His meaning. His words are perfect in Eternity, for He is perfect and that is where He dwells. At our very best we somewhat grasp the notion of eternity, but never can grasp perfection within that reality, this side of eternity. His Words provide us endless revelation, for we can never grasp the fullness of His meaning in them, but we can grow in our understanding of His meaning. His Words are a fountain of life. I am reminded of a few verses. The first set come from Psalm 36:5-9 NIV:

[5] "Your love, Lord, reaches to the heavens, your faithfulness to the skies.  
[6] Your righteousness is like the highest mountains, your justice like the great deep. You, Lord, preserve both people and animals.  
[7] How priceless is your unfailing love, O God! People take refuge in the shadow of your wings.  
[8] They feast on the abundance of your house; you give them drink from your river of delights.  
[9] For with you is the fountain of life; in your light we see light."

The second set come from Proverbs 13:14 NIV: "The teaching of the wise is a fountain of life, turning a person from the snares of death." Jesus spent His time here on earth revealing the character and nature of God, representing Him in word and deed, and we are well served to meditate and reflect on His words and teaching, for they are a fountain of life!

So I am encouraged today to pursue greater revelation and understanding of God. He is so much bigger, so much grander, so much more loving than I can ever imagine. He is worthy of my constant attention and even my life.

Amen!

###

### The Way IS Open, The Sacrifice Has Been Made!

## 04-25

This morning I felt led to read from Leviticus, an unusual place for me to read, to say the least. I have read all of the Bible, and once in a while read from the major prophets or Psalms, but rarely the Pentateuch. Anyway, I was reading and the following verses caught my eye \- Leviticus 9:22-24 NIV:

[22]"Then Aaron lifted his hands toward the people and blessed them. And having sacrificed the sin offering, the burnt offering and the fellowship offering, he stepped down.

[23] Moses and Aaron then went into the tent of meeting. When they came out, they blessed the people; and the glory of the Lord appeared to all the people. [24] Fire came out from the presence of the Lord and consumed the burnt offering and the fat portions on the altar. And when all the people saw it, they shouted for joy and fell facedown."

This chapter records the first time the Aaron and his sons offer the sacrifices as described by Moses, who received them from the Lord. The significance for us of all of those sacrifices was that they were a foreshadowing of the sacrifice that Jesus offered on our behalf. The letter to the Hebrews goes through all of that in much greater detail (Chapters 7-10). The following verses from Chapter 10 summarize this well - Hebrews 10:1-7 NIV:

[1] "The law is only a shadow of the good things that are coming---not the realities themselves. For this reason it can never, by the same sacrifices repeated endlessly year after year, make perfect those who draw near to worship. [2] Otherwise, would they not have stopped being offered? For the worshipers would have been cleansed once for all, and would no longer have felt guilty for their sins. [3] But those sacrifices are an annual reminder of sins. [4] It is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins.

[5] Therefore, when Christ came into the world, he said: "Sacrifice and offering you did not desire, but a body you prepared for me; [6] with burnt offerings and sin offerings you were not pleased. [7] Then I said, 'Here I am---it is written about me in the scroll---I have come to do your will, my God.' "

\- and -

Hebrews 10:11-18 NIV:

[11] "Day after day every priest stands and performs his religious duties; again and again he offers the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins. [12] But when this priest [Jesus] had offered for all time one sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God, [13] and since that time he waits for his enemies to be made his footstool. [14] For by one sacrifice he has made perfect forever those who are being made holy."

[15] "The Holy Spirit also testifies to us about this. First he says: [16] "This is the covenant I will make with them after that time, says the Lord. I will put my laws in their hearts, and I will write them on their minds."

[17] "Then he adds: "Their sins and lawless acts I will remember no more."

[18] "And where these have been forgiven, sacrifice for sin is no longer necessary."

The point of this all is that the sacrifice HAS been made for us, by Jesus. Our sins are forgiven, and any sacrifice for sin is NO LONGER necessary. In other words, to quote Jesus, "It is finished!" (John 19:30). This never needs to be revisited, redone or added to, it is complete.

The real point I felt the Lord make this morning is what happens immediately following the first sacrifice, "the Glory of the Lord appeared to all the people" (Lev. 9:23). If the Glory of the Lord appeared to all the people after that first sacrifice, how much more after Jesus' perfect sacrifice. We see that first expression in the outpouring of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost. Interestingly the Holy Spirit appeared as flames of fire, much the same as the Presence of God in the first sacrifice.

It seems to me there is some significance in that. The fire consumed the sacrifice in the first ritual, but at Pentecost, the perfect sacrifice had already been made, and the fire just rested on and empowered the people. The people were filled with the Holy Spirit, and although it does not say it specifically, I am sure they were over-joyed. In fact, in Acts 2:13 some people accused them of being drunk - sounds like they were filled with joy to me.

Anyway, back to the main point, after the sacrifice, God visited His people! God wants to visit His people, and show Himself real! Imagine the relief when the fire came from the presence of God and consumed that first sacrifice! Imagine the relief and joy of the people gathered in that upper room, when God visited them with power! God wants to show Himself real, and He wants to empower us, and He wants to be present to us. With the sacrifice of Jesus, the way is open, never to be shut again! Our sins have all been paid for, His sacrifice completed the work, and the way is open.

God desires to visit us, to show Himself real, to invite us into His joy and life. He made Jesus the perfect sacrifice so that everyone of us would have every opportunity to experience His presence, and be in relationship with Him. His desire to show Himself real is every bit as strong today as on the day of the first sacrifice, or the day of Pentecost!

As the author of the Letter to the Hebrews writes - Hebrews 10:19-25 NIV:

[19] "Therefore, brothers and sisters, since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus, [20] by a new and living way opened for us through the curtain, that is, his body, [21] and since we have a great priest over the house of God, [22] let us draw near to God with a sincere heart and with the full assurance that faith brings, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water. [23] Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful. [24] And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, [25] not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another---and all the more as you see the Day approaching."

Amen!

###

### God's Awesome Love

## 04-26

This morning I felt like reading from Romans, chapter 8. What a great chapter! There is so much in this single chapter, we could probably spend the better part of a year, working through and understanding everything that Paul writes about in this chapter. I am going to focus on the end of the chapter this morning as this is very much in line with the main theme of my prayer lately, namely God's favor. Here are the verses - Romans 8:31-39 NIV:

[31]"What, then, shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? [32] He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all---how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things? [33] Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies. [34] Who then is the one who condemns? No one. Christ Jesus who died---more than that, who was raised to life---is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us. [35] Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? [36] As it is written: "For your sake we face death all day long; we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered."

[37] "No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. [38] For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, [39] neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord."

In the verses before this section Paul was talking about how God chose us and justified us. His logic continues into these verses, if God chose us and justified us, who can possibly stand against us and bring accusations? The term justification that He uses is speaking of the law which Jesus fulfilled completely. Since He effectively cancelled the law's effects on us, how can anyone go back to that law and bring charges or accusations?

Paul continues to drive this point home, as the whole of this discussion is founded on God's love for us. Earlier in the chapter he talked about the Father putting into us the spirit of adoption, and how He sees us as His sons and daughters, His heirs. He has done everything for us, because of His love for us. His love is what holds onto us, not the other way around. His love is greater than anything else in the world.

I love verse 32, "He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all---how will he not also, along with him (Jesus), graciously give us all things?" When we think about God's favor, it is evident in Jesus' love! His love for us, indicates His favor, His grace, His mercy, His compassion, His choice and His justification. It is His love for us that is foundation for everything else.

If God Loves you, who can be against you? The biggest hurdle many of us face is our own inability to believe this message. We try to disqualify ourselves for any number of reasons, but in truth, none of those reasons stands a chance against the love of Christ. Let us work to still the lies and accusations in our own minds and hearts that are counter to this message of God's love.

Face the facts, He loves us, each and every one of us. He died on the cross and by His blood purchased for us forgiveness from every one of our sins. If He loved us that much while we were still sinners, how would He ever love us less now that we know Him? It is all about His awesome love.

###

### Loving And Serving The Body Of Christ

## 04-30

This morning I continued reading through Paul's letter to the Romans.

If you don't ever read large sections of scripture, I would suggest that you try doing that with Paul's letter to the Romans. There is so much depth in the individual verses that we can become a bit myopic, just focusing on one or two verses. I remember the first book in the Bible I really read all the way through was this very letter. I remember having a completely different perspective upon finishing, as if I had really understood Paul's thought process and grasped it in a way I never had before. This morning, I was reminded of that as I read chapters 7-12 in this letter.

I wanted to think a bit more about the following verses, for they capture well Paul's idea about how we should live and serve each other in the Body of Christ, something that is good to think upon.

Romans 12:3-16 NIV:

[3] "For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the faith God has distributed to each of you. [4] For just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, [5] so in Christ we, though many, form one body, and each member belongs to all the others. [6] We have different gifts, according to the grace given to each of us. If your gift is prophesying, then prophesy in accordance with your faith; [7] if it is serving, then serve; if it is teaching, then teach; [8] if it is to encourage, then give encouragement; if it is giving, then give generously; if it is to lead, do it diligently; if it is to show mercy, do it cheerfully."

[9] "Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. [10] Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves. [11] Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord. [12] Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. [13] Share with the Lord's people who are in need. Practice hospitality."

[14] "Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. [15] Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn. [16] Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud, but be willing to associate with people of low position. Do not be conceited."

For me the most significant parts are as follows:

1) We all belong to the same Body of Christ - there is only one.  
2) Many of us have different gifts, different functions, but we are all supposed to work together.  
3) No one gift is better than any other.  
4) Each of us belongs to all the others.  
5) We are called to love and serve each other, and thus serve the Lord.  
6) We are called to walk side by side with each other, rejoicing with those rejoicing, mourning with those that are mourning, being there for each other.  
7) We are called to love and serve all, showing no favoritism, willing to associate with everyone.

Lord, help me to live my life this way! I want to serve You and the rest of Your Body, to whom I belong. Help me to faithfully function as You have called me, and increase my faith that I might serve more effectively.

Amen!

###

### Love Is Foundational

## 05-01

This morning I am continuing my reading from Paul's letter to the Romans 13:8-12 NIV:

[8] "Let no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to love one another, for whoever loves others has fulfilled the law. [9] The commandments, "You shall not commit adultery," "You shall not murder," "You shall not steal," "You shall not covet," and whatever other command there may be, are summed up in this one command: "Love your neighbor as yourself." [10] Love does no harm to a neighbor. Therefore love is the fulfillment of the law."

[11] "And do this, understanding the present time: The hour has already come for you to wake up from your slumber, because our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed. [12] The night is nearly over; the day is almost here. So let us put aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light."

One of the things that I really like about Paul is the way he understands the Law, and how he is able to convey the Gospel of Grace more effectively because of that knowledge. The Law was focused so much on works, and the New Covenant is focused on relationships. As Jesus said, "A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another." John 13:34. Jesus fulfilled all the requirements of the Law so we don't need to, but Law pointed us in the right direction, and that seems to be Paul's point here. Loving one another is basically fulfilling what the intent was of the law. We are called to love each other in such a way that others know we are His followers (paraphrase of John 13:35).

Our relationships with the Lord and with others is, and should be, the primary focus of our life in the Body of Christ. So often we are called to participate in programs, in services, in different activities, all of which are good but certainly not a substitute for our foundation of relationships. If that is the case, then our church should be focused primarily around relationship not around services or sermons. I think in many ways we have lost that familial or body mentality in our churches. We are all sons and daughters of Him, so that should make us all part of the same family. How different would our church experience be if it felt like we were hanging out with our brothers and sisters?

Paul's last encouragement, was that this should increasingly be our focus, as the Day of the Lord approaches. We must understand that our lives matter and so do our relationships with others. Normally if one thinks the end is near, the focus is directed towards that which is most important, that which matters most, and to Paul that is our relationships with one another.

So let us love well! Let us invest in our relationships in the Body, building the foundation. Let us care for one another, loving each other well. Let us show the world the love that sets us apart. John 13:35 NIV: "By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another."

Amen!

###

### Glorifying God In Our Normal Lives

## 05-02

Over the last few days I have been reading a great book by A.W. Tozer called "The Pursuit of God". He is one of my favorite authors, and although He wrote in the 50s and 60s, his writings are very appropriate for today. If you haven't read any of his books, I would highly recommend them.

Anyway, yesterday I was reading a section where he was talking about living our lives in such a way that everything we do brings glory to God. Here is an excerpt - "Paul's exhortation to "do all to the glory of God" is more than pious idealism. It is an integral part of the sacred revelation and is to be accepted as the very Word of Truth. It opens before us the possibility of making every act of our lives contribute to the glory of God. Lest we should be too timid to include everything, Paul mentions specifically eating and drinking." (Tozer, The Pursuit of God).

As I was reading this I was reminded of Jesus' early life of hiddenness. We so often focus on His times of ministry, but the truth is that everything Jesus did and said was from the Father, even His life prior to His ministry. Here is what Jesus said - John 8:28-29 NIV: "So Jesus said, "When you have lifted up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am he and that I do nothing on my own but speak just what the Father has taught me. [29] The one who sent me is with me; he has not left me alone, for I always do what pleases him." He always did what pleased the Father, and only spoke what the Father had taught or showed Him. That is an amazing statement, and true of His times of ministry, as well as the times prior to ministry.

We see one little glimmer of insight into His early life, when He stayed behind in the temple, during His families yearly visit to Jerusalem. In Luke, chapter 2:49 Jesus says in reply to His earthly parents, "Why were you searching for me?" he asked. "Didn't you know I had to be in my Father's house?" (Luke 2:49NIV). Other translations have His reply, "Didn't you know I had to be about my Father's affairs (business)." Even at that young age (12) He was cognizant of His Father's will and purpose and did and said what the Father showed Him. The VAST majority of His life, that perfect obedience was living life completely hidden from the notice of most people, and silent in the field of ministry. Yet, His complete life brought Glory to the Father and was one of perfect obedience. We can conclude that His normal everyday life, working, eating, sleeping, interacting with His family and neighbors and friends was in the perfect will of the Father, and brought Him Glory.

So often we think to do great things for God, or to please Him, we need to be in the mission field, working with hundreds or thousands of people. While that does bring Him pleasure and glory, so does normal human life, lived with our eyes on Him. A.W. Tozer had a whole section about maintaining our gaze upon the Lord, and that is what pleases the Lord, what draws us into relationship with Him. Our day to day busyness often makes us think that we can't live our lives for His glory unless we are in ministry, but that just isn't the case according to model of Jesus' life. When our lives are lived in relationship with Him, we are able to bring Him glory in everything we do. He called us while we were "normal" people working normal jobs, and He does not immediately require us to drop everything to serve Him once we enter into relationship with Him. Occasionally He calls someone to change life vocations, but I believe that is fairly rare in the overall body of Christ. He likes us right where we are, doing what we are doing. He has the opportunity to touch others through us right where we are today.

So I am encouraged to look to the Father, in intimate relationship, and to try and follow Him right where I am today. I don't need to stop what I am doing to become a minister, there is plenty of ministry available all around us, in the lives of our friends, family, and co-workers. Help me Lord to bring You Glory right here and right now.

Amen!

###

### The Lord IS Good!

## 05-05

I felt like I should spend some time thinking about Psalm 107 this morning. It is such a good psalm as it speaks of the Lords repeated mercy, forgiveness, grace and provision. Over and over He has heard the cries of His people and rescued them. Here are some of the verses -

Psalm 107:1-2, 8-9, 15-16, 20-21, 28-32 NIV:

[1] "Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his love endures forever.  
[2] Let the redeemed of the Lord tell their story---those he redeemed from the hand of the foe,

[8] Let them give thanks to the Lord for his unfailing love and his wonderful deeds for mankind,  
[9] for he satisfies the thirsty and fills the hungry with good things.

[15] Let them give thanks to the Lord for his unfailing love and his wonderful deeds for mankind,  
[16] for he breaks down gates of bronze and cuts through bars of iron.

[20] He sent out his word and healed them; he rescued them from the grave.  
[21] Let them give thanks to the Lord for his unfailing love and his wonderful deeds for mankind.

[28] Then they cried out to the Lord in their trouble, and he brought them out of their distress.  
[29] He stilled the storm to a whisper; the waves of the sea were hushed.  
[30] They were glad when it grew calm, and he guided them to their desired haven.

[31] Let them give thanks to the Lord for his unfailing love and his wonderful deeds for mankind.  
[32] Let them exalt him in the assembly of the people and praise him in the council of the elders."

The Lord is so good to us, so good to all who cry out to Him. He always provides an answer and provides for us, for we are His children. He has redeemed us from whatever situation we have found ourselves in, ministering grace and compassion all around him. Neither hunger, thirst, chains, gates and bars, sickness, storms, nor the wrong thinking of man is sufficient to stop the Lord from intervening.

Let us give thanks for His amazing love and blessing. He has personally taken an interest in each of our lives, and blessed us abundantly. His blood was shed for each of us. What other god has ever done such a thing?

Thank You Jesus!

###

### New Clothes, Gold, Healing And The Throne!

## 05-10

I am finally able to get back to the theme I started thinking about back on Wed. evening when I was reading from Revelation 3:17-22 NIV:

[17] "You say, 'I am rich; I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing.' But you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked. [18] I counsel you to buy from me gold refined in the fire, so you can become rich; and white clothes to wear, so you can cover your shameful nakedness; and salve to put on your eyes, so you can see.

[19] Those whom I love I rebuke and discipline. So be earnest and repent. [20] Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with that person, and they with me.

[21] To the one who is victorious, I will give the right to sit with me on my throne, just as I was victorious and sat down with my Father on his throne. [22] Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches."

Talk about loaded verses, these each could take a few days to unpack. I was drawn to the statement Jesus makes that He counsels them to "buy from me gold refined in the fire". That is such an unusual verse that it got me wondering exactly what Jesus was referring to with this imagery. The first mention of refined gold is from 1 Chron. 28:18, where David is giving Solomon the instructions for the temple, and everything is listed as gold, or pure gold, but the altar of incense is to be made of refined gold. The idea appears to be that the refined gold has no impurities, so nothing can taint the burning incense. The burning of incense is mentioned in Revelations, as well, and there it is considered the prayers of the saints (Rev. 5:8).

In Psalm 12, the psalmist mentions refined gold - Psalm 12:6 NIV: "And the words of the Lord are flawless, like silver purified in a crucible, like gold refined seven times." Here the refined gold is compared to the Word of the Lord, and its perfect perfection. I think that makes more sense concerning what we should purchase from the Lord. We need His word in our lives, we need His direction.

Reading it more closely He counsels us to buy from Him - gold refined in the fire, white clothes, and salve for our eyes! Each of these images is so very interesting. The white clothes, I believe refers to His righteousness which we receive from Him as we join ourselves to Him, through faith, receiving forgiveness for our sins and His perfect righteousness instead. The salve for our eyes is interesting, as this is the only time in scripture that phrase is used. It is clear that it is related to their spiritual blindness, and supposed to help them see (spiritually).

As I think more about the salve, the Greek word used means a cake of various materials that is used to sooth sore eyes. Jesus made such a mix of materials with His own spit and dirt, applying this to the eyes of a man born blind, and He was healed (John 9:1-7). Scientifically speaking, saliva actually contains chemicals that enable us to start to digest that which we eat. In this case is comes from Jesus, the very Word of God, and is mixed with dirt, a sign of our humanity, or one could say humility, and brings healing. Saying it another way - as we begin to digest the word of God in our lives and allow it to nourish us, and combine that with humility, we start to rightly see. We see ourselves from His perspective and gain insight into our own lives. That may not be exactly what Jesus meant in this verse in Revelations, but it works for me today! I certainly need more of His word in my life. I need to digest it and be nourished by it, and I need to see myself through His eyes. Oh Lord, heal me and open my eyes.

The other thing I think about is when the Lord opened the eyes of Elisha's servant. Here are the verses - 2 Kings 6:15-17 NIV:

[15] When the servant of the man of God got up and went out early the next morning, an army with horses and chariots had surrounded the city. "Oh no, my lord! What shall we do?" the servant asked. [16] "Don't be afraid," the prophet answered. "Those who are with us are more than those who are with them." [17] And Elisha prayed, "Open his eyes, Lord, so that he may see." Then the Lord opened the servant's eyes, and he looked and saw the hills full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha."

I am reminded by these verses that there is a spiritual reality that exists all around us and most of us are completely unawares. Our western mindset tends to trivialize the spiritual realm, but it arguably more real than the natural realm, for it exists in eternity. Anyway, there are spiritual realities all around us and Jesus calls us to have our eyes opened that we might see. That is one thing I definitely want to start seeing, the spiritual realities in which I live and am surrounded.

Finally, probably the most significant of all the verses is verse 21. This is one of the most audacious statements I believe that Jesus makes in all of scripture. He says that those who are victorious (overcomers) will get to sit on His Throne, with Him! This is definitely something we need to stop and think about. Let that thought permeate your heart and soul. We are called or invited to sit on Jesus' Throne with Him!!!!!!!!!!!!!

There are no words available to express the absolute awesomeness of that statement.

I am sure that we all immediately want to disqualify ourselves from that statement. Jesus couldn't possibly be talking about me. He doesn't really mean that. It is not possible....etc.

First let me quote the Apostle John, from his first letter - 1 John 5:4-5 NIV: ..."for everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith. [5] Who is it that overcomes the world? Only the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God."

So, WE are those that overcome, those who are victorious if we are born of God, if we believe that Jesus is the Son of God. That is true for all of us who have accepted salvation from Jesus. The Greek word used by John in his first letter is the exact same word used by him here in Revelations.

Secondly, a few other scriptures of interest -

Colossians 3:1-4 NIV:  
[1] "Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. [2] Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. [3] For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. [4] When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory."

Look at these verses logically, in light of Rev. 3:21 - set your mind on things above (spiritual), where Jesus is seated at the right hand of the Father, and we are hidden in Him, while He is seated on the throne. In other words, we are all in Him, with Him, on His throne! The throne is the seat of power and authority, where He rules the whole world. Jesus wrested control of the world away from the enemy into whose hand's Adam had handed it. We are invited to share this throne with Him.

Talk about extreme favor! We go from being sinners, condemned to death and eternal punishment, to sitting on Jesus' throne with Him. Like Graham Cooke says, "the Good News is too good to be true, but it is!" This is absolutely astounding! This is way beyond the story of Cinderella, rags to riches, "The Princess Diaries", and story where someone of low rank is suddenly elevated to the throne of some imaginary or even real kingdom. We are talking about an eternal Heavenly reality that is present here on earth, for that is exactly what Jesus came proclaiming, the Kingdom of God has come upon us (Matt 12:28)!

Another couple verses -

Romans 8:37-39 NIV:  
[37] "No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. [38] For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, [39] neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord."

Paul is writing about the future glory that will be revealed to us, after writing about the fact that we have been given a spirit of adoption and invited into the family of God, and we are His sons and daughters. The enemy tries to convince us otherwise, by saying the struggles of this world are proof that God does not love us, or that we have not been chosen by Him as His son or daughter. Paul draws us back to foundation of everything. It is not because of us, but because of God's love for us that we will be conquerors, not because of our human effort, but because of the supreme effort of Jesus, the one who died to set us all free!

If nothing can separate us from His love for us, and we are now hidden in Him even as He sits on His throne, then His prophecy in Revelations 3:21 will indeed be true and even is true now.

Wow, just wow!

Lord, help me to grasp, and more importantly, experience this reality in my life! I want to purchase gold refined by fire, the white robe and salve for my eyes! I want to be victorious and be with You where You are!

###

### Our Value To The Lord!

## 05-11

This morning, before heading out to the airport I was reading from John's Gospel. I was reading the section where Jesus was talking about being the Good Shepherd. It is actually a pretty amazing statement that He makes regarding His role. Here are the verses - John 10:11-16 NIV:

[11] "I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. [12] The hired hand is not the shepherd and does not own the sheep. So when he sees the wolf coming, he abandons the sheep and runs away. Then the wolf attacks the flock and scatters it. [13] The man runs away because he is a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep.

[14] "I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me--- [15] just as the Father knows me and I know the Father---and I lay down my life for the sheep. [16] I have other sheep that are not of this sheep pen. I must bring them also. They too will listen to my voice, and there shall be one flock and one shepherd."

Jesus' statement about laying down His life for His sheep, while very familiar, still grabs me every time I read it. In verse 12 He says that hired man runs away because he doesn't own the sheep, in effect saying that there is no value to him in the lives of the sheep. However, to the owner, every sheep is valuable and significant. It is this value that He places on His sheep, being willing to lay down His own Life, that is astounding!

I mean think about that statement - Jesus, the very Son of God, puts our lives in the same value category as His own, since He is willing to lay down His own life that we might live. He sees such value in our lives that He is willing to exchange His life for ours. That is simply unfathomable. I could understand it if maybe it was the most important person in the whole world, but it certainly makes no sense when talking about sinners, pathetic followers, weak and broken people. Yet, that is exactly what He means. It just as true for you and me, as it is for any man that has ever lived. We are all that valuable to Him.

I love the promise of verse 14, that He knows us and we will know Him. I know that there is an invitation to knowing the Lord deeply, and this promise is that. We can come to know Him, His voice, and join ourselves to Him, as our shepherd. He sees such great value in us that He is willing to lay down His life for each of us, no exceptions. This is not some scenario where we don't qualify because of something we did, for it is our very sins, every sin that He has already laid His life down for, and the very thing that He paid for. He sees our value, He paid for us all. He is going home to the Father with everyone who will accept His payment for their sins.

To quote Bill Johnson, "wow, wow, wow, wow, wow!" It is too good to be true, but it is!

### An Interesting Thought...I Wonder?

## 05-13

This morning I am reading from John's Gospel, Chapter 19, and found myself wondering about the following statement made by John, and eye-witness to Jesus crucifixion - John 19:25-27 NIV:

[25] "Near the cross of Jesus stood his mother, his mother's sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. [26] When Jesus saw his mother there, and the disciple whom he loved standing nearby, he said to her, "Woman, here is your son," [27] and to the disciple, "Here is your mother." From that time on, this disciple took her into his home."

Here are a very similar set of verses from Matthews Gospel - Matthew 27:55-56 NIV:

[55] "Many women were there, watching from a distance. They had followed Jesus from Galilee to care for his needs. [56] Among them were Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James and Joseph, and the mother of Zebedee's sons."

In both sections we see two other Mary's (Mary Magdalene, and one listed as Mary wife of Clopas, the other as Mary, mother of James and Joseph. It would seem possible that the latter Mary was indeed the same person, The wife of Clopas and the mother of James and Joseph. So, that leaves the other woman - named as Mary's sister by John, and named as the mother of Zebedee's sons by Matthew. John was Zebedee's son (Luke 5:10). If both of these sets of verses are talking about the same woman, then that would make the mother of Zebedee's sons, the sister of Mary, and would make James and John, Jesus' cousins! How is that for conjecture? I wonder if it might be true?

I also thought that would make some sense to verse 26 & 27 where Jesus tells John to take His mother as His own, for John would be inviting his Aunt into his house. I also think that might have to do with the protection that was over John, for James was killed early on, but John survived to be an old man. Jesus clearly cared for His mother, and placed her into John's care, and would have likely ordained her protection as well.

Finally, there always seemed more to the story of Peter and Andrew and James and John, their calling and immediate response. If James and John were Jesus' cousins, isn't it likely that Jesus had spent some time in His childhood years at His cousin's house? We know Mary was close to her relative (cousin) Elizabeth, mother of John the Baptist, and visited her at her home (Luke 1:39-44). Elizabeth lived in Judea and Mary lived in Galilee which is quite a trip. Capernaum, the city which is where Jesus moved to when He began His ministry was located in Galilee, not that far from Nazareth.

Anyway, it makes little difference to the Gospel, but it is an interesting conjecture. I believe the Lord is very interested in family, relationships and relations. They are the God ordained organization in which we find our key identities and as such, there is blessing that flows through and within them. There are whole families that are assigned certain roles in the Temple, the family of Aaron were priests (Ex 29:), the family of Asaph were singers and prophets (1 Chron 25:1-8) the whole tribe of Levi set apart for service to the Lord (Num 3:6-9), and Aaron was Moses' brother. Clearly the Lord works in and through family relations and thus I am encouraged that Jesus might have surrounded Himself with at least a few cousins.

For me, I am encouraged to look more closely at my own family, and the generations that have gone before me, and those who follow after me, my own son and daughter and nieces and nephews. There is a familial blessing that the Lord does pour out, and I believe a familial anointing for certain types of ministry. Over the last few years, through deep conversations with my father, I have seen how the Lord has put very similar hearts in both of us. I am very much my father's son.

Lord, I pray that you will open my eyes and my heart to understand the special blessing that is our family and how you see us, for you clearly know us all and have plans for us all. Help us to embrace the blessings, and encourage one another in Your purpose for us individually and corporately. I pray also for those of us that have been wounded and rejected by family to find in the Body of Christ, a welcoming family to which they can connect and experience blessing and calling.

### Love and Compassion - Jesus' Mindset

## 05-15

This morning I was reading from Paul's letter to the Philippians 2:1-7 NIV:

[1] "Therefore if you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any common sharing in the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, [2] then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and of one mind. [3] Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, [4] not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others."

[5] "In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus: [6] Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; [7] rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness."

Recently I have been very aware of this repeating theme of service to the Body of Christ. When Paul writes of the mindset of Christ, He is speaking of this very theme. For Jesus in teaching and demonstration showed and modeled servant leadership. He showed the Apostles and disciples the value of service, and in that service the value of the individual, the lowly, afflicted and lonely. His example of humility and service in no way devalues himself, but is rather something spurred from deep love and compassion. it is in unity with Him, The Holy Spirit, and the Father that these characteristics are most fully expressed and exhibited.

Love and compassion were two of the things Jesus most consistently demonstrated in all His dealings with those He encountered. Those characteristics were two of the main characteristics that the Father revealed to Moses when He showed Himself. Here is the verse from Exodus 34:6 NIV: ..."And he passed in front of Moses, proclaiming, "The Lord, the Lord, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness,..." In embracing this call from Paul, we are entering into the character of God, revealing His nature through our actions and demonstrating His heart.

Let us learn to treat each other as the Lord treated us. Let us embody His love, compassion, graciousness, faithfulness and forgiveness. Let us lift each other up, joining ourselves to Him. As we all do so, we will be directed and guided into unity and like-mindedness, for if we all have His mindset, then we will have the same mind. If we pursue His heart and embrace Him, we will be united, for that is His very heart as a member of the Holy Trinity. As we learn to live our lives for the Body of Christ, rather than for ourselves, we will naturally begin to look to others, looking for ways to lift them up, encourage them and help them grow and mature in Christ. As they do so, the whole Body of Christ is built-up. This is our call and invitation.

Lord, we pray that You will help us all to embrace these verses and live our lives for each other and for You. Amen!

### Prophetic Voices And Their Fruit

## 05-17

This morning I was reading through some of Matthew's Gospel, and the following verses caught my eye - Matthew 7:15-20 NIV:

[15] "Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves. [16] By their fruit you will recognize them. Do people pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? [17] Likewise, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. [18] A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit. [19] Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. [20] Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them."

As I was reading through these verses, which Jesus spoke as a warning to His disciples, I thought about the call of the New Testament prophetic ministry. I thought about the fact that so many "prophetic" voices seem to focus on doom and destruction, sowing fear and calling out judgment. I find this very interesting fruit, when one considers the following verses from 1 John 4:11-18 NIV:

[11] "Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. [12] No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us."

[13] "This is how we know that we live in him and he in us: He has given us of his Spirit. [14] And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent his Son to be the Savior of the world. [15] If anyone acknowledges that Jesus is the Son of God, God lives in them and they in God. [16] And so we know and rely on the love God has for us."

"God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in them. [17] This is how love is made complete among us so that we will have confidence on the day of judgment: In this world we are like Jesus. [18] There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love."

God's call is to love! The fruit of love is not fear, it is the antithesis of fear, according to John. What is the good fruit that Jesus says we should see coming from those that minister by the Holy Spirit? Quite simply the fruit of the Spirit as described here by Paul in his letter to the Galatians 5:22-23 NIV: "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, [23] gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law." I believe that as we look at the fruit of the "prophetic" voices, we can tell which of them speak from the direction of the Holy Spirit.

Paul, further described the purpose of the prophetic ministry in his letter to the Ephesians 4:11-16 NIV:

[11] "So Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, [12] to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up [13] until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ."

[14] "Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of people in their deceitful scheming. [15] Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will grow to become in every respect the mature body of him who is the head, that is, Christ. [16] From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work."

The purpose of these ministries, including the prophetic, is the building up of the Body of Christ, and the equipping of the Body for works of service, aiding the members of the Body to grow and mature and stand strong against the winds and waves of alternative teaching. If the words coming out of someone's mouth are not building up the Body of Christ, are not loving, then we can tell by the fruit that they are not faithfully representing the ministry of the Jesus.

Finally we do see that there were prophets in the New Testament who foretold things, but it was for preparation and provision for the Body of Christ that these prophecies were made, not to incite fear or call down judgment upon a fallen society (see Acts 11:27-30). The result of this particular prophecy was that people helped others in the church. There is no mention of judgment, just direction and action, allowing the Body to strengthen itself and prepare.

So, let us be wary of the voices we listen to, the voices that take scripture and use them to incite fear, panic, judgment, pride or anything else that is not a fruit of the Holy Spirit. We are called to love the Lord and each other, and by this love to be a light to the lost. The fruit of the prophetic should be in line with this core call, and by the fruit we can recognize those that are false (Matt 7:16).

###

### The "Power" Of The Holy Spirit

## 05-18

This morning I felt that I should read a bit from 2 Timothy. It really is pretty amazing that two personal letters from Paul to Timothy are part of our canon, for they were so significant in content and teaching that the Church felt they should be included alongside the other letters from Paul. He truly was an incredible witness to Christ, and a tireless evangelist. The few verses I am focusing on today are as follows - 2 Timothy 1:6-12 NIV:

[6] "For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands. [7] For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline. [8] So do not be ashamed of the testimony about our Lord or of me his prisoner. Rather, join with me in suffering for the gospel, by the power of God. [9] He has saved us and called us to a holy life---not because of anything we have done but because of his own purpose and grace. This grace was given us in Christ Jesus before the beginning of time, [10] but it has now been revealed through the appearing of our Savior, Christ Jesus, who has destroyed death and has brought life and immortality to light through the gospel. [11] And of this gospel I was appointed a herald and an apostle and a teacher. [12] That is why I am suffering as I am. Yet this is no cause for shame, because I know whom I have believed, and am convinced that he is able to guard what I have entrusted to him until that day."

There are several things that stand out to me as I read these verses. First, the fact that the Spirit of God gives us power, love and self-discipline. The Holy Spirit is not a weak spirit, or barely noticeable in His efforts. He is powerful, bringing us gifts and understanding, the ability to love others and control our own bodies. His gifts and charisms are life changing and critical to the life of the Body of Christ. There is an empowering that changes lives, changes our perspectives, and changes the world.

I have heard the Holy Spirit described as basically a conscience infused with God's Wisdom that helps us make wise decision. This description of the Holy Spirit pretty much limited Him to that role in our modern-day church. I think Paul would have a very different perspective. All Paul's ministry was Holy Spirit powered. This was not some gift that enabled Paul to be wise and follow God's leading, but rather was His very life, His source of strength, and the demonstrated reality of God's interaction with us. Paul spoke of the Power of God, the Power of the Holy Spirit 70 times in His letters. He said radical things like the following -

[4] "My message and my preaching were not with wise and persuasive words, but with a demonstration of the Spirit's power, [5] so that your faith might not rest on human wisdom, but on God's power." (1 Corinthians 2:4-5 NIV)

"For the kingdom of God is not a matter of talk but of power." (1 Corinthians 4:20)

"...because our gospel came to you not simply with words but also with power, with the Holy Spirit and deep conviction..." (1 Thessalonians 1:5)

"I will not venture to speak of anything except what Christ has accomplished through me in leading the Gentiles to obey God by what I have said and done--- [19] by the power of signs and wonders, through the power of the Spirit of God. So from Jerusalem all the way around to Illyricum, I have fully proclaimed the gospel of Christ." (Romans 15:18-19 NIV)

Paul, from the moment of his first encounter with Jesus, through the Holy Spirit, was aware that there was power and authority available to those that believed, and he relied upon the infilling of Holy Spirit (Acts 9:1-18). Paul understood that the Holy Spirit was present to demonstrate the reality of the Kingdom of God to those who did not believe. He relied upon the Holy Spirit's power to convince people of the truth that he spoke, not trusting in his own words, but rather in the indelible workings of the Holy Spirit. He wanted people's faith to rest upon the power of God, not his words (1 Cor 2:5). Oh, that we would step back into this understanding and practice.

Paul also recognized that the Holy Spirit empowered him to love others with a supernatural ability, loving those that hated him, persecuted him, and beat him. He understood that is ability to stand in the midst of suffering was because of the power of the Holy Spirit. Paul writes the following - "I have worked much harder, been in prison more frequently, been flogged more severely, and been exposed to death again and again. [24] Five times I received from the Jews the forty lashes minus one. [25] Three times I was beaten with rods, once I was pelted with stones, three times I was shipwrecked, I spent a night and a day in the open sea,.." (2 Corinthians 11:23-25 NIV). All of these experiences were survived through the power of the Holy Spirit giving life to his earthly body. In spite of all of this suffering, he continued to burn with passion for the Lord, and love all he encountered. Clearly this is not the strength of a natural man.

My final thought concerning these verses from Paul's letter to Timothy are that Paul also understood his selection had nothing to do with his own efforts or works. In fact, it was the exact opposite, he had done what he could to destroy the church, attacking the believers of Jesus and throwing them into prison, standing by while Stephen was stoned, and doing all he could to put an end to the ministry of the other Apostles. None of those actions earned him the right to become Jesus' chosen herald (which shouldn't be surprising), yet the Lord chose him. Paul put it like this - "not because of anything we have done but because of his (Jesus) own purpose and grace."(2 Tim 1:9). If anyone understood the message of grace, and forgiveness of sins, it was Paul. He understood that the Lord had chosen him, had forgiven him, had showed him unmerited favor, had given him power and authority far beyond anything he had ever experienced, and loved him in spite of all of his own sins and shortcomings. He embraced the Lord, embraced the gifts and lived his life to bring Glory to Jesus.

So, this morning I am encouraged to lean into the Holy Spirit, expecting and relying upon His power. I am encouraged to fan into flame the gifts the Lord has poured into me, that I might in some small way pay back the Lord by bringing Glory to His name. Nothing I have ever done, nor ever will do will be enough to earn me anything that comes close to what the Lord has already given me.

Thank You Lord for your amazing and unmerited blessings and gifts.

###

### Make Way For The THEN...

## 05-19

This morning I have been grazing on Paul's letter to the Romans. I love reading large swaths of scripture and just letting the word settle into my heart. I was reading over the following scripture and had a very simple thought enter my mind. Here are the verses - Romans 12:4-8 NIV:

[4] "For just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, [5] so in Christ we, though many, form one body, and each member belongs to all the others. [6] We have different gifts, according to the grace given to each of us. If your gift is prophesying, then prophesy in accordance with your faith; [7] if it is serving, then serve; if it is teaching, then teach; [8] if it is to encourage, then give encouragement; if it is giving, then give generously; if it is to lead, do it diligently; if it is to show mercy, do it cheerfully."

I have always read these verses as a description of some of the gifts the Lord distributes, and it is that. However, this morning the Lord highlighted something that was consistent across all the gifts, namely that they are meant to be used. If your gift is prophecy, THEN prophesy, serving THEN serve, teaching THEN teach, encouragement THEN encourage, giving THEN give, etc. The gifts are NOT given to sit on a shelf, they are meant to be used, and in the use of them, to become mature and more fruitful. If we have been given a gift THEN we are called to use the gift.

As the Body of Christ, we must provide opportunities for all to exercise their gifts, to practice, to mature. How else will we be built up and grow? Most churches provide opportunities to serve, some even provide opportunities for 10-20% of the members to exercise their gifts, but what about everyone else? It is my belief that the Body needs the gifts of all, functioning and mature. To enable this, we must embrace a culture that values all the people and all their gifts. Who are we to decide which gifts, given by the Lord, are more or less valuable. I think that if the Lord imparted them, then they must be extremely valuable and of great importance to the Body of Christ.

Let us pray for new paradigms and new perspectives in the Body of Christ that enable and invest in the gifts of us all. Let us work to develop and grow, using the gifts that we have been given, according to the grace given us, and our faith. Let us make way for the gifts of all to mature and grow. Let us make way for the THEN.

###

### Love That Is Sincere - In Action And Truth

## 05-20

This morning I was continuing my reading from Paul's letter to the Romans, and as I read the following verses was immediately reminded of something John wrote in his first letter. Here are the verses from Paul - Romans 12:9-13 NIV:

[9] "Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. [10] Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves. [11] Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord. [12] Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. [13] Share with the Lord's people who are in need. Practice hospitality."

And here are the verses from John - 1 John 3:16-18 NIV:

[16] "This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters. [17] If anyone has material possessions and sees a brother or sister in need but has no pity on them, how can the love of God be in that person? [18] Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth."

I guess the theme of being active and using our gifts for the benefit of each other continues. The Lord Jesus gave us a new commandment - to love one another (John 13:34) and everything that relates to the Body of Christ flows from that command. Our love is meant to be real and active and something we practice, not just talk about with good intentions. The use of, and growth in our gifts, must flow out of this love for one another. Our encouragement to each other and recognition of one another's significance in the Body of Christ should flow out of this love. True love, as defined by John, and Jesus in His actions, is sacrificial to ourselves. We are called to lift each other up by laying down our lives.

These words are relatively easy to write, but far more challenging to live out. It is not so much the actual loving each other that is hard, but rather the overcoming our selfishness and worldly perspectives. Our natural proclivity is to put ourselves first and look to our own needs and wants before we look to others. We believe that if we want to get ahead in life we need to invest in ourselves, build ourselves up, and look out for number one (ourselves). What Jesus demonstrated, and John calls us to, is the exact opposite.

I am sitting here writing this and looking at my life and realizing how far I have to go before I can truly say that I am living my life in such a way that my love is real and active. I could be overwhelmed by my own selfishness and lack of real evidence in so many areas of my life, but instead I recognize that the path forward is by taking small steps. I can choose to repent (change the way I think and then the way I act) and work at doing better in the big and small ways. The Lord is patient and loving (what a surprise) and willing to help me and encourage me over and over again. The Holy Spirit provides me the power, and love (2 Tim 1:7) and self-discipline to live my life in this way. All I need to do is choose to do so.

Lord, thank You for this encouragement today. Help me to live my life in such a way that I am loving others, just as You loved me. Help me to lay down my life that I might lift up my brothers and sisters in the Body of Christ. Help me to make my love sincere, in action and truth.

###

### Sinners and Lost Sheep

## 05-21

This morning I am reading out of Luke's Gospel. I find myself constantly drawn back to the Gospels, as I love to read about and meditate on Jesus, and His life and actions. He exactly represents the Father (Heb. 1:3), so as I understand Him, I understand the Father and the Holy Spirit.

Here are the verses I am thinking about today - Luke 15:1-7 NIV:

[1] "Now the tax collectors and sinners were all gathering around to hear Jesus. [2] But the Pharisees and the teachers of the law muttered, "This man welcomes sinners and eats with them."

[3] "Then Jesus told them this parable: [4] "Suppose one of you has a hundred sheep and loses one of them. Doesn't he leave the ninety-nine in the open country and go after the lost sheep until he finds it? [5] And when he finds it, he joyfully puts it on his shoulders [6] and goes home. Then he calls his friends and neighbors together and says, 'Rejoice with me; I have found my lost sheep.' [7] I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent."

As I read these verses and the rest of the chapter in Luke, it is clear that the Lord is addressing the issue of sin, sinners, and the Father's heart towards such as these. He is addressing the Pharisees, in front of the sinners and tax-collectors, and talking about the latter. If there ever was a teachable moment for the Pharisees, this was it. They were on the spot, in front of those they had judged sinners, and Jesus attempts to open their eyes to the Father's heart concerning sinners.

The Pharisees carried themselves above others, believing themselves righteous by their own works. They did everything they could to remain righteous, including separating themselves from the so-called "sinners". According to the law, to accidentally touch anything that was touched by one who was unclean would make them unclean (Num 19:22), and they couldn't risk that happening, so they effectively separated themselves from any interaction with sinners. This was one of their main issues with Jesus, for He actually hung out with sinners so He couldn't possibly be from the Father, who required only righteousness.

Jesus' actions and words completely rejected this notion and idea. This story is a great example, for the lost sheep represents the sinner, and the Father's heart is seen in the one who searches for the lost sheep. Rather than rejecting the sinner the shepherd goes in search of them, for there is value in that lost sheep. The people understood this story, if for no other reason than they understood the value of the sheep. Jesus tells the next story about a woman who lost a coin to illustrate the idea of the lost being valuable (see Luke 15: 8-10). Jesus makes it clear that the Father values those that are lost and rather than rejecting them, goes in search of them, and rejoices when they are found and brought home! This is such a different picture of the Father than the angry God waiting in Heaven to punish the sinner. The image of the angry God was an incorrect understanding of God popular amongst the "righteous" of Jesus time, and unfortunately a teaching that continues to be preached today.

Jesus tells the story of the lost son in this same chapter of Luke's Gospel, and one of the main point in that story is the Father's heart toward his son, who clearly sins against Him. The Father, rather than punishing him, welcomes him back and restores him to relationship and to his position in the family (see Luke 15: 11-32). This is such an amazing story of the Father's heart towards us, and it just like the lost sheep in this story, there is rejoicing when the lost returned home!

Finally, Jesus last statement in verse 7, about the ninety-nine righteous, is interesting and important to understand. He was speaking to the Pharisees who considered themselves righteous, and thus saw no reason or need to repent. Jesus was not talking about their value to the Father, for they all had equal value. Rather He was making a counter-point here, for the Pharisees would have said that statement exactly the opposite. They thought they were the ones that heaven would be rejoicing over, for they were the righteous (self-appointed). Jesus is describing the Father's heart toward sinners once more and He wanted the people to clearly understand that sinners were welcome. The Father, rather than rejecting the sinners, welcomes them and rejoices when they return home.

This morning I am encouraged to look to my own attitudes and actions towards "sinners", myself included. I am encouraged to look at my understanding of the Father and how I approach Him when I sin. I am encouraged to look at how we as a Church interact with the lost. I am encouraged to open my heart and welcome fellow "sinners". They need us to help them to understand the Father's heart towards them, for the enemy continues to try to convince us all that the Father is an angry God waiting to punish the sinners, and that just isn't the case!

###

### Prayer and Responsibility

## 05-23

The other evening, my good friend Dave asked an interesting question regarding providing spiritual covering. We talked briefly about it, but there really isn't much in scripture about that specific topic. Here are some scriptures I have found yesterday and this morning concerning our call and responsibilities towards each other. By no means is this an exhaustive look at this topic, but rather a quick coverage of the basic themes surrounding the topic, personal responsibility, our call as members of the Body of Christ, and Jesus' role.

The scriptures -

John 13:34 NIV  
[34] "A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another."

1 Peter 4:8 NIV  
[8] "Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins."

John 17:11-12, 15 NIV  
[11] "I will remain in the world no longer, but they are still in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, protect them by the power of your name, the name you gave me, so that they may be one as we are one. [12] While I was with them, I protected them and kept them safe by that name you gave me. None has been lost except the one doomed to destruction so that Scripture would be fulfilled."

[15] "My prayer is not that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one."

1 Corinthians 13:6-7 NIV  
[6] "Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. [7] It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres."

If I read this correctly, basically the love we have for one another, the care we give to each other is the covering. Jesus himself prays and prayed over us and provides us the protective covering by the power of His name.

There is an idea in the Church that in some way we are responsible to provide spiritual covering, and somehow are responsible for people under us, but I don't know that really fits into the reality of each of us being directly a son and daughter of the Lord, nor does it really have any New Testament scriptural basis that I can find so far. To be clear, by responsibility, I mean that we in some way are held accountable by the Lord for someone else's life and choices. There is certainly a part of that which is true for fathers and mothers of children, but once children are of age to make their own decisions, they begin having responsibility for their own decisions.

In the old testament, there are a few sections in Ezekiel that speak of responsibilities to stand in the gap and provide warnings to the people:

Ezekiel 22:30-31 NIV  
[30] "I looked for someone among them who would build up the wall and stand before me in the gap on behalf of the land so I would not have to destroy it, but I found no one. [31] So I will pour out my wrath on them and consume them with my fiery anger, bringing down on their own heads all they have done, declares the Sovereign Lord. "

Ezekiel 33:7-9 NIV  
[7] "Son of man, I have made you a watchman for the people of Israel; so hear the word I speak and give them warning from me. [8] When I say to the wicked, 'You wicked person, you will surely die, ' and you do not speak out to dissuade them from their ways, that wicked person will die for their sin, and I will hold you accountable for their blood. [9] But if you do warn the wicked person to turn from their ways and they do not do so, they will die for their sin, though you yourself will be saved."

\- and finally a section on how each person is responsible for their own sin...

Ezekiel 33:12-20 NIV  
[12] "Therefore, son of man, say to your people, 'If someone who is righteous disobeys, that person's former righteousness will count for nothing. And if someone who is wicked repents, that person's former wickedness will not bring condemnation. The righteous person who sins will not be allowed to live even though they were formerly righteous.' [13] If I tell a righteous person that they will surely live, but then they trust in their righteousness and do evil, none of the righteous things that person has done will be remembered; they will die for the evil they have done. [14] And if I say to a wicked person, 'You will surely die,' but they then turn away from their sin and do what is just and right--- [15] if they give back what they took in pledge for a loan, return what they have stolen, follow the decrees that give life, and do no evil---that person will surely live; they will not die. [16] None of the sins that person has committed will be remembered against them. They have done what is just and right; they will surely live.

[17] "Yet your people say, 'The way of the Lord is not just.' But it is their way that is not just. [18] If a righteous person turns from their righteousness and does evil, they will die for it. [19] And if a wicked person turns away from their wickedness and does what is just and right, they will live by doing so. [20] Yet you Israelites say, 'The way of the Lord is not just.' But I will judge each of you according to your own ways."

When I look at the earlier sections from Ezekiel, these roles, both one who stands in the gap to turn back judgement, and speaking to individuals - warning them of the dangers of their sin, are what the Lord does in each of our lives. He is the Lord, the only one capable of saving anyone. His blood covers us and protects us from the enemy and punishment for our sins. He sits at the right hand of the Father constantly interceding for us. He covers us, and hides us within Himself, providing us His righteousness. He is our primary intercessor, and He is our Savior. He alone. The following verse from the letter to the Hebrews speaks of His intercession and His priestly role.

Hebrews 7:24-25 NIV:  
[24] "...but because Jesus lives forever, he has a permanent priesthood. [25] Therefore he is able to save completely those who come to God through him, because he always lives to intercede for them."

The Holy Spirit, as part of the God-head also intercedes for us as described in the following two verses:

Romans 8:26-27 NIV:  
[26] "In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans. [27] And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for God's people in accordance with the will of God."

So, putting these verses together and looking at the sections of Ezekiel, we see that Jesus is our intercessor and our savior. He is the one we must turn to, each of us individually. Each of us bears the consequences of our own sin and decisions. We are each judged for our own ways. Thus, while we want to cover each other with love and prayer, each of us is truly responsible for themselves before the Lord.

After writing this and thinking a bit more about this, I felt like the Lord said that there is also legitimate role of intercessor in the church and one that we can be invited to partake in. This can be both a gift and calling. We are also called to pray for each other, and prayers are definitely effective. Praying for each other is part of our loving one another. Paul was constantly asking his fellow members of the Body of Christ to pray for him. He was constantly praying for all the churches and their members. We are encouraged to pray for each other constantly.

Here are just some verses on prayer and the role of intercession (as described but not mentioned specifically):

Romans 15:30-32 NIV:  
[30] "I urge you, brothers and sisters, by our Lord Jesus Christ and by the love of the Spirit, to join me in my struggle by praying to God for me. [31] Pray that I may be kept safe from the unbelievers in Judea and that the contribution I take to Jerusalem may be favorably received by the Lord's people there, [32] so that I may come to you with joy, by God's will, and in your company be refreshed."

That verse very clearly show the invitation to intercession in a place of prayer.

Acts 12:5 NIV:  
"So Peter was kept in prison, but the church was earnestly praying to God for him."

2 Corinthians 1:10-11 NIV:  
[10] "He has delivered us from such a deadly peril, and he will deliver us again. On him we have set our hope that he will continue to deliver us, [11] as you help us by your prayers. Then many will give thanks on our behalf for the gracious favor granted us in answer to the prayers of many."

Ephesians 6:18-20 NIV:  
[18] "And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord's people. [19] Pray also for me, that whenever I speak, words may be given me so that I will fearlessly make known the mystery of the gospel, [20] for which I am an ambassador in chains. Pray that I may declare it fearlessly, as I should."

James 5:16 NIV:  
"Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective."

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

So we are urged and encouraged to pray for each other, for the Body of Christ, for leaders, for nations, for salvation to come, for protection and effective ministry. Jesus told us to pray for God's Kingdom to come to earth. Prayer is one of the core pillars of the Church. It is vitally important and part of our call and invitation as a member of the Body of Christ. We are invited, but no where do I see the Lord say we are held responsible for specific prayers or covering someone in prayer.

So, let us pray for each other, love each other deeply and give ourselves to the Lord, our savior, redeemer and intercessor.

Amen!

### Our Invitation Is Here Now!

## 05-24

The other morning, I was thinking about what was the single most important verse in scripture, just wondering what the Lord would say? It is not a question I have an answer too, but something I have been pondering.

Jesus came to reveal the Father and make a way for all men to be able to go to the Father. His life message was the good news (literally the Gospel), the establishment of the Kingdom of God here on earth (Matt 4:23) and God's love and interaction by evidence of the miracles. I was reading in John yesterday and while probably not high in most people's list of the most important scripture passages, the following verses seem to me to encapsulate much of the Gospel.

John 14:8-14 NIV:

[8] "Philip said, "Lord, show us the Father and that will be enough for us."

[9] Jesus answered: "Don't you know me, Philip, even after I have been among you such a long time? Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, 'Show us the Father'? [10] Don't you believe that I am in the Father, and that the Father is in me? The words I say to you I do not speak on my own authority. Rather, it is the Father, living in me, who is doing his work. [11] Believe me when I say that I am in the Father and the Father is in me; or at least believe on the evidence of the works themselves. [12] Very truly I tell you, whoever believes in me will do the works I have been doing, and they will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father. [13] And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. [14] You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it."

Look at Jesus' statements, and the significance of each of them.

1) "Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father." There is no clearer statement by Jesus that He is representing the Father. The author of the letter to the Hebrews says Jesus was the exact representation of the Father (Heb 1:3). Jesus meant exactly what He said - He was doing exactly what the Father would do in the each and every situation and circumstance.

2) 'I am in the Father, and the Father is in me.' Following the point above, complete intimacy and unity of thought and action. This is actually similar to the unity they have as the Trinity, but obviously limited by Jesus humanity and His having emptied Himself of His divinity (Phil 2:6-8). This is a level of spiritual intimacy so significant that Jesus was saying we were seeing the Father when we saw Him.

3) "The words I say to you I do not speak on my own authority. Rather, it is the Father, living in me, who is doing His work." The very words Jesus spoke were also coming from the very mouth of God the Father. I guess that makes sense since Jesus is The Word of God. So, when we read the words of Jesus, as quoted in Scripture, we are hearing the Father speak. Not a single word of Jesus was incorrect or mistaken! We cannot ignore His words.

4) "Believe me when I say that I am in the Father and the Father is in me; or at least believe on the evidence of the works themselves." The miracles, healings, deliverances, signs and wonders were all meant to prove to us that what Jesus is saying here was indeed true. Those signs were always, throughout scripture, indications of God's active involvement, and are no less so now, except now He is operating through His Son, every day, all day long, speaking and acting, and showing Himself present and involved. Just think of the thousands of people that were healed, delivered, touched, and set free. Jesus' ministry was unlike anything they had ever seen in the entire history of their people, and this was meant to prove that Jesus was directly representing the Father.

5) "Very truly I tell you, whoever believes in me will do the works I have been doing, and they will do even greater things than these..." When Jesus says "very truly" the actual words He said were "Amen, Amen". I believe He said it twice for significance so that we wouldn't miss the point. The point was that "whoever believes in me will do the works I have been doing"! The Greek word used here means "To make" or "To do". That sounds quite a bit like creation. That is the point, we are called to do the same things that Jesus was doing, which are the same things the Father was doing, and He is the Creator. He is compassionate, gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love, and forgiving (Ex 34:6-7) and we know this by His actions among us. Amazingly, He invites us to do these same things, 'to make' or 'to do' as He shows us. This is not just an invitation to join Him in Heaven once we die, but rather and invitation to represent Him AND do His works here and now! Wow!

6) "I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son." This is another mind-blowing statement and it relates directly to the previous point. He will do, will make, whatever we ask in His Name. What He means by in His name is the same thing He meant when He said that everything He says and does is from the Father, in His Name (in which is embodied His character). This "in His name" is indicative of intimacy and authority, and active direction. It is supposed to be Jesus in us, doing His work, not us adding His name to something we want to do. When we enter into this level of intimacy and obedience He will work through us, bringing glory to Himself, and to The Father.

In summary, we are invited and called to the same ministry that Jesus demonstrated while here on earth, the representation of the Father to those around us. We are invited into intimacy with Him, so that we might know what He is doing, and do the same things. We are invited here and now!

Amen and Amen!

###

### Cover Ourselves With Love

## 05-26

This morning I am reflecting on the following passages from Paul's letter to the Colossians 3:9-14 NIV:

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

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

These verses seem to fall in line with the recent theme of covering ourselves and one another. Starting at verse 12, if I replace 'clothe yourselves" with 'cover yourselves' which is an equivalent statement, we see how love and the other virtues (or character qualities) are meant to cover us. What we cover ourselves with affects our interactions with one another. If I am covered with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and forgiveness then when I relate to others that is what they will experience. It is impossible to cover ourselves with those character qualities (virtues) and not have our mind and heart affected as well.

It is interesting that love is what binds all the others together in unity. As Paul wrote in his first letter to the Corinthians, if I don't have love than everything else is pretty much empty (paraphrase of 1 Cor 13:1-3). According to Paul, love is the outer garment or covering, the first thing that people should experience. How often do we reserve love as the last thing that people experience, only showing them love after they have proved themselves worthy?

As I was writing that I realized this is probably the one initial thing that made Jesus so attractive, He saw and reacted to everyone through love! Since God is love (1 John 4:8) and Jesus and the Father were one (John 10:30) then He must have been full of love. It is hard not to be attracted to one who loves you. When I know that someone loves me, I am not worried about whether they will accept me.

Going back to the first verses I quoted, Paul is basically saying as we embrace our new identity in Christ, all the labels we have used in the past disappear, both for ourselves and for all others in the Body of Christ. We are no longer allowed to label ourselves with any name except His. Christ Jesus "is all and is in all" who are united with Him in faith. I know that I have recently been shown my own judgmental ways, quickly labeling people I see before I ever even meet them. I am so quick to judge, and that is not love. If the first thing I do is judge, then the covering I am walking around in is judgment not love. Ouch!

Lord, I pray that You will help me to put off my old self and my judgmental ways and labels. Help me to put on my new self which is in the image of You. Help me to cover myself with love, and all the other character qualities that You possess in abundance. Help me to allow You to shine out of me through love, for You are love.

Amen!

###

### Pray AND Love

## 05-27

This morning I am continuing my following of the theme of prayer, and am thinking on the following verses from Paul's letter to 1 Timothy 2:1-6, 8 NIV:

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

[8] "Therefore I want the men everywhere to pray, lifting up holy hands without anger or disputing."

The list of actions that Paul urges us to seems to be a bit redundant in our translation - but each of those words was chosen specifically and have distinct meanings:

The NASB translates the list as follows - "entreaties and prayers, petitions and thanksgivings"

The Greek words are Deesis, Proseuche, Enteuxis, and Eucharistia.

The definitions are as follows:

1. Deesis - A) need, indigence, want, privation, penury B) seeking, asking, entreating, entreaty to God or to man - so understanding someone's needs and asking humbly for the need to be met.

2. Proseuche - A) prayer addressed to God - pretty self explanatory

3. Enteuxis - A) a falling in with, meeting with B) an interview C) a coming together D) a conference or conversation E) a petition, supplication - the sense here is that there is a deeper understanding and communication that occurs. The falling in with, meeting with and coming together denotes not just prayer for someone, but being with them where they are, really understanding their situation and circumstances. This involves engagement at a personal level.

4. Eucharista - A) thankfulness B) the giving of thanks - again, this is pretty self explanatory

I find it interesting that each of these can be directed to God, but only proseuche actually means prayer directly to God. So, if I understand this correctly, there is room in this verse for action beyond prayer to God, which is the most important, but also to include other sources (kings and others in authority). So, it would be right to pursue help for one another through the civil authorities, and Paul would encourage that apparently.

I also think Paul would echo these words from 1 John 3:17-18 NIV: "If anyone has material possessions and sees a brother or sister in need but has no pity on them, how can the love of God be in that person? [18] Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth." It is so easy to tell someone that we will pray for them, it is a whole other thing to actually do something for that person, meeting their need out of our own resources, or helping them to get real help, even if you can't provide the help yourself.

We are encouraged to pray, petition, intercede and give thanks for the authorities, and rulers. The whole idea of separation of Church and state does not exist in Paul's mind, in fact he calls us to active engagement on their behalf. He understands that by engaging and interacting and bringing God's perspective and blessing to these people, all people will be blessed and able to pursue God in peace. I am reminded of the story of Joseph, where God blesses the nation of Egypt through Joseph's wisdom, practical understanding and vision. Egypt was anything but a Godly nation, yet God blessed His people through Egypt.

Finally, our call is to pray above all else. This involves communication with God, conversation really, not a monologue of needs. It is OK to have lists that we pray, but we want to be listening to what God has to say in response to our petitions. In my experience God is very practical and very ready to provide direction and guidance, insight and perspective if I will only take time to actually listen to Him.

Let us pray for each other, for ourselves, for our communities and let us listen to what God has to say and be ready to take action. "This is right and pleases God" (1Tim 2:3). Our love is not meant to just be "words or speech but with action and truth."

Amen.

###

### Believe, Love And Live

## 05-28

This morning I am reading from 1 John 3:23-24 NIV:

[23] "And this is his command: to believe in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ, and to love one another as he commanded us. [24] The one who keeps God's commands lives in him, and he in them. And this is how we know that he lives in us: We know it by the Spirit he gave us."

Wow, talk about boiling the Christian walk down into its simplest form! I think John pretty much nailed it in these two verses.

We are called to believe in the name of His Son - Jesus Christ. It is by faith, not works that we enter into and experience the grace of the New Covenant. We believe that by His Name, and by His actions we are saved, through no work of our own (Gal 2:16).

We are called to love one another as He commanded us. It is not enough to believe, but this belief (faith) must show itself in our actions, or as James says, it is dead (James 2:17).

These are the two commands we are to keep - "believe in Jesus' name" and "Love one another". It is that simple. If we keep these commands then He lives in us (John14:20), and we live in Him, hidden in Him (Col 3:3). What a place of security and intimacy!

We know this is true, by the gift of the Holy Spirit! He is evidently present. In other words, we know He is present by the evidence of His empowering and gifts in our lives. When the Holy Spirit fell on people, all those around could tell, for there was evidence (see Acts 10:44-46 for an example). We want to make room for and allow the Holy Spirit to be evident in our lives and our life together. He is God in our midst! He brings far more than just inspired thinking or wisdom, He brings real power that is evident to all!

Lord, we pray that You will help us to embrace and live this simple, yet beautiful lifestyle. Help us to quiet the many demands that religion would put on us, telling us that it is faith plus works that is required. Help us to believe, love and live in You.

###

### Our Identity And Nationality In Christ

## 05-29

This morning I am plowing up some new ground for me, around the topic of our national identity as Christians. There are some popular themes in the body of Christ revolving around the coming punishment of certain nations because of that nation's sins. There is a certain amount of fear and plenty of judgment associated with these words of warning and impending punishment.

First, I would say that my personal belief is that these words come from a certain old testament mindset and understanding, but do not fully align with the revelation of God's character in the person of Jesus. Secondly, they are often strengthened by an interpretation of the Book of Revelations, and some of Jesus' words concerning days of judgment that were coming upon the Jews, which although popular, does not seem to align with the rest of the scriptural revelation. These are broad topics, and cannot be covered sufficiently here, but the topic of our national identity or citizenship is my focus today, which is an important topic in this arena.

Foundationally it is important to know that we Christians are all the same in Jesus Christ. What I mean is that we are all connected directly to Him, and find our identity in Him. Relationally, we are all directly sons and daughters of the Father, no grand-children here. We are all equally members of His family, members of the Church, members of the Body of Christ. There is a level of freedom available to us in this dispensation that allows us each to be in relationship with the Lord, and not aligned with a particular body, nation, tribe or people group, and taking our identity from that group. Thus, the idea of God punishing us for the sins of our previous national identity, would be incorrect on two counts:

1) Jesus took the punishment for all our sins - see Heb. 7:27. (If Jesus took our punishment, why would the Father dole out more punishment? Was the sacrifice of Jesus not enough to pay for the sins of all men?)

2) There is no national identity anymore in Christ -

Galatians 3:26-28 NIV: "So in Christ Jesus you are all children of God through faith, [27] for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. [28] There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus."

\- And-

1 Corinthians 9:19-20 NIV: "Though I am free and belong to no one, I have made myself a slave to everyone, to win as many as possible. [20] To the Jews I became like a Jew, to win the Jews. To those under the law I became like one under the law (though I myself am not under the law), so as to win those under the law."

The idea here is that if we can't be identified by our nationality anymore in Christ, then we can't be held responsible for punishment for crimes and sins committed by those nations, in God's eyes. This is really a theme that is related to the relationship of the individual to Christ, rather than through our people group, which was an old covenant model and mind-set. There is a much larger reality in this image of the Body of Christ, one that I don't think we fully grasp, at least I know I don't. This idea of being hidden in Christ (Col 3:3), being one in Him (Gal 3:28), means that our former identity is washed away, and we have a new identity in Him, solely in Him. There is a freedom from the law, freedom from the judgment that went with the law.

Here is another verse of similar thematic content: 1 Corinthians 12:12-14 NIV: "Just as a body, though one, has many parts, but all its many parts form one body, so it is with Christ. [13] For we were all baptized by one Spirit so as to form one body---whether Jews or Gentiles, slave or free---and we were all given the one Spirit to drink. [14] Even so the body is not made up of one part but of many."

The idea here is that we are all members of the same body, but each associated to our function in the body, not our identity prior to being part of the Body of Christ. We are a new creation and part of His body.

Paul writes in 2 Corinthians 5:16-17 NIV: "So from now on we regard no one from a worldly point of view. Though we once regarded Christ in this way, we do so no longer. [17] Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!"

\- And -

Ephesians 2:19 NIV: "Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and strangers, but fellow citizens with God's people and also members of his household,.."

\- And -

Philippians 3:20-21 NIV: "But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, [21] who, by the power that enables him to bring everything under his control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body."

\- And -

Colossians 3:11 NIV: "Here there is no Gentile or Jew, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave or free, but Christ is all, and is in all."

Peter writes something very similar - 1 Peter 2:4-5, 9-10 NIV:

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

[9] "But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God's special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. [10] Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy."

The Greek word that Peter uses here is Laos and it means - " a people, people group, tribe, nation, all those who are of the same stock and language". Before we did not all belong to a single nation or tribe, but now we all are the people (nation) of God.

I was reminded of the writing of one of the early Christian apologists who wrote to his pagan friend Diognetus an explanation of Christianity. This epistle was likely written between 150 and 225AD, and is one of the earliest written specifically to those outside the Body of Christ. As such, the author included much that would not be seen in normal writings from that time to members of the Body of Christ. Here is a quote - Epistle to Diognetus 5:1-6, 9-10

[1] "For Christians are not distinguished from the rest of humanity by country, language, or customs. [2] For nowhere do they live in cities of their own, nor do they speak some unusual dialect, nor do they practice an eccentric lifestyle. [3] This teaching of theirs has not been discovered by the thought and reflection of ingenious men, nor do they promote any human doctrine, as some do. [4] But while they live in both Greek and barbarian cities, as each one's lot was cast, and follow the local customs in dress and food and other aspects of life, at the same time they demonstrate the remarkable and admittedly unusual character of their own citizenship. [5] They live in their own countries, but only as aliens, they participate in in everything as citizens, and endure everything as foreigners. Every foreign country is their fatherland, and every fatherland is foreign....[9]They live on the earth, but their citizenship is in heaven. [10] They obey the established laws; indeed in their private lives they transcend the laws."

I don't include this as some scriptural level text, but rather as an example of the lifestyles of the early Christian brethren. The author was pointing Diognetus towards something that he could verify with observation. This was the way the early members of the Body of Christ lived. They were from every tribe, nation and tongue and yet they shared a common citizenship and perspective. They stood out, not for their dress or language, but by their attitude about their new nationality. The author went on to explain that it was this characteristic and by their love for each other that you could tell a Christian.

In summary, as Christians we have a new identity in Christ Jesus. In God's eye's we are no longer identified by our previous national or group membership, but are now members of His Body. We are called to pray for the nations and geographies in which we live (1 Tim 2:1-2), but our true citizenship transcends these boundaries and labels. We are free of all such ties, in God's eyes, so why would He punish us along with the rest of any nation, if He indeed were doling out punishment?

Instead of punishing, it seems to me that He wants to bless, and as members of His Body, we have access to all His blessing and goodness. God is not going to allow His Son to suffer the punishment for our sins AGAIN, and we are members of His body so we will not experience God's punishment for sins.

As Paul wrote to the Galatians 3:1-5, 26-29 NIV:

[1] "You foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you? Before your very eyes Jesus Christ was clearly portrayed as crucified. [2] I would like to learn just one thing from you: Did you receive the Spirit by the works of the law, or by believing what you heard? [3] Are you so foolish? After beginning by means of the Spirit, are you now trying to finish by means of the flesh? [4] Have you experienced so much in vain---if it really was in vain? [5] So again I ask, does God give you his Spirit and work miracles among you by the works of the law, or by your believing what you heard?"

[26] "So in Christ Jesus you are all children of God through faith, [27] for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. [28] There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. [29] If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise."

And finally, Paul writes to the Galatians 5:1 NIV: "It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery." The Law and its punishments no longer pertain to us, Christ has set us free from them, and that is the yoke Paul speaks of here. We live under the new covenant, established by the blood of Christ, one that gives us freedom and a new identity in Him.

### The Future Of The Kingdom

## 05-30

This morning I felt like I should read from the Gospel of Matthew. I love reading the Gospels, hearing what God is like through the life and example of His Son Jesus. This morning I am thinking about these verses - Matthew 13:24-30, 36-43 NIV:

[24] "Jesus told them another parable: "The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field. [25] But while everyone was sleeping, his enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat, and went away. [26] When the wheat sprouted and formed heads, then the weeds also appeared.

[27] "The owner's servants came to him and said, 'Sir, didn't you sow good seed in your field? Where then did the weeds come from?'

[28] " 'An enemy did this,' he replied.

"The servants asked him, 'Do you want us to go and pull them up?'

[29] " 'No,' he answered, 'because while you are pulling the weeds, you may uproot the wheat with them. [30] Let both grow together until the harvest. At that time I will tell the harvesters: First collect the weeds and tie them in bundles to be burned; then gather the wheat and bring it into my barn.' "

[36] Then he left the crowd and went into the house. His disciples came to him and said, "Explain to us the parable of the weeds in the field."

[37] He answered, "The one who sowed the good seed is the Son of Man. [38] The field is the world, and the good seed stands for the people of the kingdom. The weeds are the people of the evil one, [39] and the enemy who sows them is the devil. The harvest is the end of the age, and the harvesters are angels. [40] "As the weeds are pulled up and burned in the fire, so it will be at the end of the age. [41] The Son of Man will send out his angels, and they will weed out of his kingdom everything that causes sin and all who do evil. [42] They will throw them into the blazing furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. [43] Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Whoever has ears, let them hear."

So as I read these verses this morning, I realized (I am sure I have before as well) that Jesus is describing His perspective of the growth of the Kingdom of God, until the end of the age and judgement day. This is a very different picture than what is commonly taught in our churches these days concerning the end times. If we look at what Jesus said here, there is no significant increase of weeds until they take over most of the field. There is no description of end-times trials and plagues, just good and evil living together until the final judgment day. Make no mistake there will be a day of judgment, but it is not before the final end of the age.

Secondly, the Lord does not act in judgment until the end of the age. He allows the evil to co-exist with the good, knowing that if He brought judgment upon the evil the good would be hurt as well. In Genesis 18:16-33 we have the story of Abraham pleading for Sodom and Gomorrah, cities of exceedingly evil people. Here is God's final response to Abraham - Genesis 18:32 NIV: "Then he (Abraham) said, "May the Lord not be angry, but let me speak just once more. What if only ten can be found there?" He answered, "For the sake of ten, I will not destroy it." This is the heart of God, for the sake of 10 righteous people, he would not destroy a whole city of evil people, and that is before Jesus took upon Himself the punishment of every sin.

How is it then that we have developed a theology that says God will judge whole nations or cities for the sins of just some of its citizens?? I find that thought completely at odds with what Jesus teaches us here about His Kingdom which He established here on earth. The future of the world sounds very different in this version than in the version being preached in most western churches these days. Personally, I will believe Jesus' version as laid out here.

###

### The Importance of Eschatology

## 05-31

I started reading in 2 Thess. 1:5-10 this morning and realized this is a continuation of my reading and meditation yesterday. The verses I was reading were Paul's description of the end of the age, which is very similar to the description that Jesus gave in the story of wheat and the weeds (Parable of the Sower). I think this is a very good indication that what Jesus taught Matt 13 (Not Matt 24) was what was taught later by the Church regarding the end of the Age (world) and the final day of judgment.

Lately the Lord has had me thinking about and studying, in a small way, eschatology (the study of the end-times). Interestingly, this word was first used in 1844, according to Webster's Dictionary. So, although the teaching of the end of the world and judgment day has been around for a very long time (it was spoken of prophetically in the old testament), the actual study or at least the word is relatively new in the history of Christianity.

I found myself asking the Lord why He had me studying this theme lately and I felt that He gave me the following answer, "It is important, because it affects how you live your life out on earth." The more I thought about it the more I realized this was a true statement. Our idea of the end times does affect our faith and our life strategy as a Christian.

If we believe the presently popular Book of Revelations/ Matt 24/Luke 21 based view of the end-times, then every time we see something that looks bad, we start thinking that this is one of the birth-pangs that is signaling the beginning of God's judgments upon the earth. We tend to see everything from this judgmental perspective, believing that the judgments of God will become more and more severe, finally leading to the return of Jesus. Our focus is on the judgments, and as such, this becomes our message, 'God is judgmental and sinners are going to suffer, and are suffering for their sins'.

We see every natural disaster and every evil force as a validation of our perspective, and rather than praying for mercy, find ourselves hoping for judgment, because that gives credence to our message and hastens, or is a sign of the Lord's soon return. Our witness becomes one of being the herald of judgment, which to me does not sound like "good news" except for those waiting for Jesus return. We spend our time trying to save a last few people before the end of the world, rather than trying to advance the Kingdom of God, and see it increase continually.

The alternative is a perspective that was taught by Jesus (see Matt 13 - parable of the sower), and as I noted above, by Paul which was clearly modelled after Jesus' teaching. This perspective says that Jesus came and established the Kingdom of God/Heaven here on earth. His Kingdom continues to expand and increase in glory. At the end of the world there is a day of judgment, but until that day, good and evil people co-exist on the earth. Our life message in this perspective is supposed to be to love one another and to invite all to restoration of relationship with a loving Father, and a demonstration of the reality of the Kingdom of God through the gifts and power of the Holy Spirit.

In this perspective, our message is not focused on the end of the world, as Jesus' message was not focused on that, but rather on the Kingdom of God, present in our midst. We are called to advance the Kingdom of God, preaching and demonstrating through the power of the Holy Spirit, the truth. We are called to provide a witness to the Love of God, forgiveness for sins, and restoration of relationship with the Lord.

Paul spent his ministry spreading the gospel (good news) of the Kingdom to unbelievers everywhere (see the last verse of the Book of Acts - Acts 28:31), and the Kingdom of God/Heaven was Jesus' primary topic and message, and that which He spoke about after His resurrection and before His Ascension (See Acts 1:3). If the end times and coming judgment were supposed to be our primary message, I would think that Jesus, and after Him Paul would have spent their last days teaching about that message, rather than the message of the Kingdom.

In summary, we are called to be ambassadors of the Gospel "Good News" of Jesus Christ. He spent His years introducing us to the Father, revealing the Father's character and proclaiming and demonstrating the reality that the Kingdom of God/Heaven had been established and was in their midst. The "Good News" is that we are invited into this new life, and our way in has already been assured through Jesus' blood. Our participation and inclusion has nothing to do with our works or own righteousness, but is based on Jesus' love and sacrifice. All we need to do is enter by faith. The "Good News" is that God loves us and has established His Kingdom in our very midst and we can become members of His Kingdom, while still on earth. We don't need to wait for Heaven!

So, let us be ambassadors of the Love of God and relationship with Him, rather than His coming judgments.

Amen!

###

### Knowing The Father And Glorifying Him

## 06-02

This morning I have been reading from John's Gospel. I love his writings as there is such a personal perspective. The verses I am reflecting on today come from John 12:44-50 NIV:

[44] "Then Jesus cried out, "Whoever believes in me does not believe in me only, but in the one who sent me. [45] The one who looks at me is seeing the one who sent me."

[46] "I have come into the world as a light, so that no one who believes in me should stay in darkness. [47] "If anyone hears my words but does not keep them, I do not judge that person. For I did not come to judge the world, but to save the world. [48] There is a judge for the one who rejects me and does not accept my words; the very words I have spoken will condemn them at the last day. [49] For I did not speak on my own, but the Father who sent me commanded me to say all that I have spoken. [50] I know that his command leads to eternal life. So whatever I say is just what the Father has told me to say."

I really think that verses 45, 49 and 50 are such critical verses, ones that we need to fully understand and believe. I have written several times that Jesus is the perfect representation of the Father, and once again Jesus says basically the same exact thing. If we look at Him we are seeing the Father (Verse 45). If we listen to Him, we are hearing the words the Father would speak, for whatever Jesus said is just what the Father told Him to say (verse 49 & 50).

I don't think it can be said any clearer. Everything Jesus did and said was directly from the Father. He is the best revelation of the Father we will ever see this side of heaven. Much of what He said and did isn't recorded in the Scriptures (John 21:25), but what was recorded, by the direction of the Holy Spirit is a direct window into the Father. His words are the Father's, His actions are the Father's, and so we must, if we want to know the Father, understand His heart and hear His words, look to Jesus. That is why I spend so much time in the Gospels, for it is there that I am able to see and understand our God, as witnessed to us by Jesus. If Jesus said something or did something, then we know that the Father would say or do the same thing. Conversely, if I don't see Jesus doing something, then I know the Father wouldn't be doing it either.

For example, looking at verse 48 above, Jesus' statement about the reason He came, would possibly be surprising to many people. He said, "For I did not come to judge the world, but to save the world." (John 12:48b) There are many followers of Christ, many brothers and sisters in the Body of Christ, who are sitting under judgment from their leaders. There are many others who preach judgment to the unsaved, yet here we have Jesus, expressing the heart of the Father, and His heart is not for judgement, but rather for salvation. He didn't come to judge the lost, but to save them. Why then do we tolerate a message of judgment in our churches? Why do we allow our leaders to judge us? Jesus Himself said He wouldn't do that, but rather His words would be the judge. If Jesus didn't hold up His words to the lives of those around Him to judge them, then neither should we.

I guess lately I have been thinking deeply on the message of Jesus, and looking at the message flowing out of many of our churches and seeing a significant disparity, and that troubles my heart. I guess in some ways, my critique of other churches is embracing the very thing we are not to do, namely judging one another, and for that I am sorry and will endeavor to change the way I think and act.

The good news is that there are many places that are not preaching another Gospel, but are faithfully representing the ministry of Jesus, and thus the heart of God the Father, for they are the same thing. My prayer is that all the Church would cease its judgmental ways and instead focus on our key purpose - to save the world. Let us love one another, serve one another and reflect the ministry of Jesus and the Father in our daily walks. We are meant to be a light to the world, and by that light the world will be drawn to our Lord, and the Father's name will be glorified, rather than vilified.

Amen!

###

### Stepping Into God's Purposes

## 06-03

This morning I am thinking about an interesting passage from Luke's Gospel, where Jesus is talking about John. What really caught my eye was the note that Luke added concerning the Pharisee's and Lawyers. Here is the whole section for context - Luke 7:24-30 NIV:

[24] "After John's messengers left, Jesus began to speak to the crowd about John: "What did you go out into the wilderness to see? A reed swayed by the wind? [25] If not, what did you go out to see? A man dressed in fine clothes? No, those who wear expensive clothes and indulge in luxury are in palaces. [26] But what did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I tell you, and more than a prophet.

27] This is the one about whom it is written: " 'I will send my messenger ahead of you, who will prepare your way before you.'

[28] I tell you, among those born of women there is no one greater than John; yet the one who is least in the kingdom of God is greater than he."

[29] "(All the people, even the tax collectors, when they heard Jesus' words, acknowledged that God's way was right, because they had been baptized by John. [30] But the Pharisees and the experts in the law rejected God's purpose for themselves, because they had not been baptized by John.)"

I find Luke's comment in verses 29 & 30 insightful into the spirit of pride and religion. We know from Acts 19:4, that John's baptism was a baptism of repentance. In other words, the people who were baptised by John, were admitting to all they were sinners, and were vowing to change their behavior (See Luke 3 for more on John's message). The Pharisees though, believed they were righteous, and thus would not have been in need of repentance.

I like the way Luke says it - they "rejected God's purpose for themselves, because they had not been baptized by John." That is a very weighty statement. If we replace 'baptized by John' with 'repentance', I think we get to the heart of the matter. God's purposes for us require contrite hearts, humility and the willingness to change the way we think and act (repentance). He wants us to walk in His ways, and to do that we need to recognize that we aren't and we need to be willing to change.

I know in my life there have been many times that the Lord was doing stuff in me, and I had the opportunity to go forward during a church service and I chose not to go forward, because I didn't want to publicly acknowledge my need to change or need for help. The spirit of pride, which is closely aligned with the spirit of religion (not true religion) will keep us in our own sin, rather than enable us to step into freedom. The Pharisees and lawyers were the leaders of the people, and rather than embrace repentance, and step into God's purposes, they turned their backs and refused to even acknowledge that God was at work in their midst.

The good news in this is that this was not the only time the Pharisees and lawyers had an opportunity to change their minds and hearts, for Jesus interacted with them constantly, and unfortunately they constantly rejected Him. God will never give us just one chance to step into His purposes. That is a lie the enemy tells us, whispering that we missed that one opportunity, and have thus missed the whole thing. I am reminded of the parable of the laborers in the vineyard (Matt 20:1-13). The guys who started work at the end of the day got paid the same amount as those who started work in the morning. We can always step into God's purpose for us, for who are we to thwart the purposes of God?

So, this morning I am encouraged to embrace repentance, allowing God to show me where my thinking and actions need to change. I am encouraged to do this, because I know that He has purposes for me, and that by becoming more like Him (the purpose of repentance) I can more effectively represent Him. My desire is that His presence in my life becomes more and more evident as I continue to pursue Him with a humble heart, welcoming His direction and guidance.

God is good, and He has good things in mind for each of us. If we are willing to walk in His ways, we will find our places and purposes in the Kingdom, which is a great place to be.

Amen!

###

### Living An Uncommon Life

## 06-06

This morning I was reading through the Gospel of Mark and came across this list of things that the Lord said defiled a person.

Mark 7:20-23 NIV:  
[20] "He went on: "What comes out of a person is what defiles them. [21] For it is from within, out of a person's heart, that evil thoughts come---sexual immorality, theft, murder, [22] adultery, greed, malice, deceit, lewdness, envy, slander, arrogance and folly. [23] All these evils come from inside and defile a person."

The Greek word translated defiles is the word Koinoo, and its definition is as follows:

1) to make common

A) to make (Levitically) unclean, render unhallowed, defile, profane

B) to declare or count unclean.

It is interesting that the real word used here means literally means common, as in just like everyone else. This is one of the key messages God had for the Jews, they were His people, His nation, called by Him and walking in His favor and Blessing. They were not like any other nation, and His intention was that should be clear to the rest of the world, by their actions. He called them to be different, to be set apart for Him.

In the same way we are called to be Holy, which means set apart for God. The original Hebrew word is Qadash which means:

1) to consecrate, sanctify, prepare, dedicate, be hallowed, be holy, be sanctified, be separate

A) to be set apart, be consecrated

B) to be hallowed

The idea from God is that His people will act differently from the rest of the people because of their relationship with Him. So, my question this morning, is whether others can tell I am Christian by the way I act? Does the Church stand out in the world because she acts differently? Can people truly see God's character through us?

That is our call, to be a people set apart, called into relationship with the Lord, affected by that relationship so much that we take on His character(istics). That is what makes us Holy! In God there is no sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, greed, malice, deceit, lewdness, envy, slander, arrogance or folly, and that is why those characteristics and actions shouldn't exist in us!

We are called to embrace and take on God's character. We are called to be Christ-like in our daily lives, representing Him to the world. We are called to be different in the way we treat each other, loving one another as He loved us (John 13:34-35). All of this comes out of us, out of our heart. How we act is directly related to what is in our heart and mind. This is what Jesus is talking about in these passages.

If we are living our life in selfishness, it will be evident to all. If our life and heart is full of these things that Jesus lists here, then we need His help to cleanse our hearts. Left to our own human desires and actions most of us will embrace a selfish lifestyle in some way or other (meaning our eyes are focused on ourselves). The Lord invites us to live with our eyes on Him, instead of on ourselves.

Lord, I pray that I might be found, by my actions and life, a follower of You. I pray that I might rid myself of everything that is common (Koinoo) that I might accurately represent You to the world!

###

### To Know God More...

## 06-07

This morning I am reading from Exodus, reading about how Moses used to meet with The Presence of the Lord. That is such an amazing thing, and yet Moses was hungry for more of God, and asked to see His Glory. Here are the verses \- Exodus 33:8-9, 11, 18-23 NIV:

[8] "And whenever Moses went out to the tent, all the people rose and stood at the entrances to their tents, watching Moses until he entered the tent. [9] As Moses went into the tent, the pillar of cloud would come down and stay at the entrance, while the Lord spoke with Moses.

[11] The Lord would speak to Moses face to face, as one speaks to a friend. Then Moses would return to the camp, but his young aide Joshua son of Nun did not leave the tent.

[18] Then Moses said, "Now show me your glory."

[19] And the Lord said, "I will cause all my goodness to pass in front of you, and I will proclaim my name, the Lord, in your presence. I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion. [20] But," he said, "you cannot see my face, for no one may see me and live."

[21] Then the Lord said, "There is a place near me where you may stand on a rock. [22] When my glory passes by, I will put you in a cleft in the rock and cover you with my hand until I have passed by. [23] Then I will remove my hand and you will see my back; but my face must not be seen."

I love the fact that Moses was not satisfied in his relationship with God, but wanted to know Him more. He wanted to understand Him and knew that there was more to experience. This is one of the things that should be true of us all, that we hunger for more of God. His desire is that we know Him, and it pleases God when that is our prayer. We can never know God fully, but we can continue to grow in our experience and knowledge every day.

Like all relationships, revelation comes through interaction. Moses was blessed to interact with the Lord regularly. In the same way, the Lord invites us to meet with Him regularly, as it is in that place where we will grow in our understanding of Him. That is what times of prayer, times of quiet, times where we turn our hearts and minds towards God are designed to do, namely to help us know Him. It is through interactive communication, both speaking and listening, that we can grow. God allowed Moses to speak to Him, as one friend speaks to another, and that same invitation is available to us all. Since Jesus has come and fully opened the way to the Father, since the Holy Spirit resides within us, and Jesus us with us, we all have the same ability to speak to God as one speaks to a friend. We don't have to be some great leader or prophet, for we are all equally sons and daughters of Him.

So, let us reflect on our relationship with God. Are we longing for and desiring more of God in our life? Are we spending time with Him daily? Are we able to speak with Him as with a friend? Are we satisfied with our relationship? My prayer is that we would all develop a deep unquenchable desire for more of God, and pursue Him every day of our lives!

###

### What Is Eternal Life?

## 06-08

I was thinking about these verses from John's Gospel this morning.

John 17:1-5 NIV:

[1] After Jesus said this, he looked toward heaven and prayed:  
"Father, the hour has come. Glorify your Son, that your Son may glorify you. [2] For you granted him authority over all people that he might give eternal life to all those you have given him. [3] Now this is eternal life: that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent. [4] I have brought you glory on earth by finishing the work you gave me to do. [5] And now, Father, glorify me in your presence with the glory I had with you before the world began."

I think verse 3 is so essential, for Jesus equates eternal life with knowing Him. In other words, it is all about relationship. He is drawing us and leading us into relationship, and it is in that place that we experience eternal life. I think that most of us, if we were asked to describe eternal life, would have some comments about heaven, or living forever, but Jesus defines it as knowing Him. That really should cause us to stop and think...

The good news is that we can experience eternal life here on earth! It is through knowing Him, and entering into relationship with Him that we experience salvation. It is in continuing to pursue Him, to be in relationship with Him that we find our lives hidden in Him. It is in this place that we experience His favor and blessing and begin to taste the eternal life that is our reward, knowing Him, seeing Him move in our lives, experiencing His love and mercy. Our lives are meant to be lived in relationship with Him, every day, all day long. He is the greatest treasure, why would we want to live our lives any other way??

As we unite ourselves to Christ, He is glorified here on earth, for we begin to represent Him, and do the things that He would do if He was physically present. He is present, but within us, and we reflect that through our lives.

So, my encouragement is to embrace the gift of eternal life available to me today! Lord, I want to know You more!

Amen

###

### ALL Are Justified Freely...Really Good News!

## 06-09

This morning, I am reading from Romans 3. In this section is one of those verses that many of us have heard, but the verse that immediately follows it is rarely quoted, yet just as important. Here are the verses - Romans 3:21-26 NIV:

[21] "But now apart from the law the righteousness of God has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify. [22] This righteousness is given through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference between Jew and Gentile, [23] for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, [24] and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. [25] God presented Christ as a sacrifice of atonement, through the shedding of his blood---to be received by faith. He did this to demonstrate his righteousness, because in his forbearance he had left the sins committed beforehand unpunished--- [26] he did it to demonstrate his righteousness at the present time, so as to be just and the one who justifies those who have faith in Jesus."

It might just be me, but in my experience, most of us have heard verse 23 before, but how often has verse 24 been quoted right along with verse 23? I find it interesting that our focus so often is upon the sinfulness of all, rather than on the salvation that is available to all, freely available in Christ. This gift of redemption, the paying for our sins, is available freely to those who receive it through faith. It is available to all, but not everyone chooses to receive it, for the choice is ours. The gift has been given, but it needs to be received.

The really good news is that this gift is available to ALL, no exceptions. Just like ALL have sinned, the word really means ALL. There is no one who has done anything that disqualifies them from inclusion in the ALL. There are NO exceptions! God could have made exceptions. He could have specified a list of sins too heinous to be included in the ALL who have salvation available to them, but He didn't. Initially the church thought it was just the Jew who could be saved, but God made it clear through Peter's experience in Acts 10, that the gift of salvation was for Jew and Gentile alike. Jesus demonstrated this too through His ministry, for He healed those who were not Jews, touched the lives of several people who were not at all Jewish. Thus, this free gift is not available as part of our heritage, but rather is available to ALL.

The only difference between those that have received this gift of salvation and those that have not yet received the gift of salvation is belief. No examination of their lives, no holy behavior, no works of any kind, just simply belief. Belief is a choice we make, once we have been shown the truth.

I had a young girl ask me yesterday why some people believe what God says, and why some don't? That was such an awesome question, because it gets to the heart of the matter, it is our choice to believe God's word, or not. The enemy works hard to give us plenty of reasons to not believe God's word. He tries to convince us that we have disqualified ourselves, or been disqualified by something that has happened to us, or by our lack of purity, or whatever. We can choose not to believe, because the Good News of this free gift seems too good to be true. We can choose not to believe because we have had experiences with so-called Christians who are angry and mean and full of judgment. Whatever the case, the fact remains that it all comes down to belief, which is our choice.

So my encouragement this morning is to revel in this Good News that we all, every one of us, have been given this gift of salvation. It is available to us all, regardless of race, creed, gender, sinfulness, purity, goodness, kindness, experiences, or disappointments. It is all about God, and His mercy and justice. It is too good to be true, but it is!

### Obedience Over Popularity

## 06-10

This morning I was reading a bit in John's Gospel, and considering Jesus' attitude towards His ministry. Here are the verses I am thinking about - John 7:2-5 NIV:

[2] "But when the Jewish Festival of Tabernacles was near, [3] Jesus' brothers said to him, "Leave Galilee and go to Judea, so that your disciples there may see the works you do. [4] No one who wants to become a public figure acts in secret. Since you are doing these things, show yourself to the world." [5] For even his own brothers did not believe in him."

-and-

John 7:8-9 NIV:  
[8] "You go to the festival. I am not going up to this festival, because my time has not yet fully come." [9] After he had said this, he stayed in Galilee."

I find it interesting that Jesus' brothers did not believe in Him. I believe that part of the reason is highlighted in these verses, namely that Jesus didn't act the way they all thought a Messiah would act. He wasn't pursuing public recognition, or trying to increase His crowds. He wasn't trying to be popular, and that just doesn't make sense to our human mind-set.

From a human perspective, it would logically flow that Jesus would want to have as many followers as possible, that the Good News could be shared with all. Yet Jesus didn't act that way. Instead He chose to minimize His public image, going to the countryside rather than the bigger cities. He was constantly telling people who He healed to go home and not tell anyone what He had done. Jesus chose obedience to the Father over popularity. He did not pursue man's favor, or seek to ingratiate Himself with the leaders of the day.

I think that we would be wise to follow in His footsteps in this area. Clearly, we are called to obedience to the Father over popularity. Our goal should not be to increase the size of our churches so much as to be faithful to the specific ministry and people we are called to pursue. I think at times we can get so focused on the numbers, rationalizing the desire to increase our ministries as a path to seeing more salvations, that we lose sight of our original call. Sometimes that pursuit of increase is directly related to the increase of tithe, which can correlate to a better salary.

At the end of the day, I believe the key thing to consider is whose voice are we listening too when we are working to grow the ministry we have been given? Do we follow the voices of the people, trying to win popularity, or do we pursue obedience to God first? Do we judge our success on the number of people who attend the events of the weekend, or do we look to the Lord and see what He says about our ministries ability to represent Him correctly? Are we more interested in our job function, than we are in our personal relationship with Him? Do we have a sense of His timing and purpose and follow that rather than popular church-growth strategies and techniques? Are we OK with His Name being glorified over ours? Do we compromise our calling and His truth, for the sake of growing the ministry and touching more people?

I believe that if we are to continue Jesus' ministry on earth, than it should look very much like His ministry. I am not saying we shouldn't adapt or be creative as He directs, only that our hearts be united to His, and we pursue obedience over popularity. It is my desire to faithfully and accurately represent Jesus to all I meet.

###

### Stepping Into God's Love And Favor!

## 06-14

Last night I was talking about the Lord with my good friend Roger and our conversation flowed back to an earlier theme the Lord introduced to me concerning His favor. The more I think on this theme, the more I realize that I know next to nothing about God's favor, for it is so much more than we think. This morning I was reading from Mark's Gospel and came across the following two verses, which while not mentioning favor, are directly related to our experience of God's favor. Here are the verses - Mark 9:23-24 NIV:

[23] " 'If you can'?" said Jesus. "Everything is possible for one who believes." [24] Immediately the boy's father exclaimed, "I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!"

The context was there was a boy with a demon that the disciples could not cast out, and the boy's father had asked Jesus to help, if indeed He could help. This was Jesus' response, and like many of His responses, they are contextual, yet much larger in meaning. Jesus had just come down from the Mount of Transfiguration, where His Father had spoken of His Love and pleasure in Him (Mark 9:7, Matt 17:5). The Greek words used in Matthew's version can be translated "favorite one", or "to whom I am favorably inclined", if we used some of the secondary meanings, so you get the picture. God the Father is saying He Loves His Son, and acts that way towards Him.

Jesus comes down and addresses the disciples, for the comment was really addressed to them and the boy's father, "Everything is possible for one who believes." The question we should ask ourselves is "believes in what"? The answer is clear from the earlier context, the one who believes in God's love for them, and who understands God's favor (if I might add that, for the two are inseparable). Jesus understood the fullness of what His Father's love and favor meant, and was operating out of the reality of that relationship.

I love the father's response, "I do believe, help me overcome my unbelief!" I believe this gets to the heart of the matter for all of us. We have a hard time believing that God could actually love us the way He says He does. We believe it to some extent, but there are whole levels we don't dare step into, because we don't dare believe they are possible. Jesus says that "EVERYTHING is possible to the one who believes"! So, we are either believing that God doesn't love us as much as He says He does, or we believe we aren't worthy of His Love, which disqualifies us from the fullness of His love. Simply put, that is unbelief! We need to be praying exactly like the father here - help me overcome my unbelief!

God wants us to understand and step into the fullness of His love and favor, and to do that we will need His help! We must recognize our self-limiting thoughts and beliefs and confess them and pray for the ability to repent (change the way we think and then change the way we act in regard to the new thoughts)! God wants us to step into the fullness of our inheritance in Christ! It is our beliefs, or lack thereof., that is the limiting factor, for God is surely able.

The Lord put it to me this way Friday evening - He is calling us to a higher level (a HIGHway). The way to get to the HIGHway is through an on-ramp. This on-ramp is essentially us stepping into and believing His words (of love and favor). We can choose to be conservative (fear and unbelief limited) in our approach, barely stepping on the accelerator, not really thinking we can actually step into the fullness of His purposes. We tend to yield our position and opportunities to our fear and unbelief.

Instead, I feel that God is calling to us, and encouraging us (just like I used to when my children were learning to drive) STEP ON IT, ACCELERATE NOW! He has given us gifts and callings in our lives and we have choice to step into them or not!

We can struggle in unbelief or fear and slowly get there, yielding continually to our doubt so that we miss many of the opportunities to step into the higher level, or we can press into belief and trust in His love and favor. He wants nothing more than to see us living up to the potential He sees in us! He is the one who has put all that potential in us, and is just waiting for the day we realize it's there to be used and experienced! He has GREAT plans and purposes for every one of us. He really does Love us that much! He really does think we are worthy of His love, because Jesus made us worthy! He really means everything is possible to Him who believes this, embraces this and steps into it!

So, I am greatly encouraged today to step into His purposes for me. Lord help me to overcome my own unbelief and press into Your words to me, Your call to me, Your gifts and purposes! Help me to step on the accelerator and into Your favor!

###

### Today Is A New Day...There Is Always More!

## 06-15

This morning I am reading from Paul's letter to the Philippians, and it appears to be a direct continuation from yesterday's theme. Here are the verses -

Philippians 3:12-14 NIV:

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

Stepping back a bit into the historical context of Paul's writing, His letter to the Philippians is generally believed to have been written after his letters to the Romans, Corinthians, Ephesians and Thessalonians. In other words, later in his ministry, sometime later in his third missionary journey. It is in this context that we should read his comments, for if anyone could say they have fulfilled their calling and purpose it would have been Paul at this point. He had founded numerous churches, had defended the faith by writing the letters that most would consider his greatest works, and had personally evangelized much of the Roman world.

Instead, we see Paul pressing forward, straining with effort to press into the purposes and calling that he had in Christ Jesus. Paul understood that there was always more, always new levels and he did not rest on his previous achievements, nor disqualify himself because of his past mistakes. He forgot what was behind him and pressed forward into Christ, into his purpose, pressing towards the goal. We are all called to new levels in Christ, new opportunities exist every day, and with each day we should start anew in our pursuit of the Lord and the fulfillment of His purposes and callings in our life.

It is not that Jesus forgets what we have done, or accomplished and thus we have to start over. Rather, it is from a place of humility and loving relationship that we press forward. I have not stopped loving my wife effectively and in action, because I have successfully done so for 29 years, and have achieved that goal. I continue to renew my love for her daily, choosing each day to love her more than the day before. Similarly, our faith is about relationship, and relationships should always be growing, always becoming richer if there is positive daily interaction. The goal is oneness with Christ in Heaven, and anything short of that leaves room for growth and improvement.

We should not get down on ourselves if we have let years slide by with limited activity, or relational growth. Rather we should forget what is in the past and press forward into a new day of new opportunity. Think of it this way, you have an opportunity to reconnect with an old friend that you haven't seen in years, and rather than beating yourself up for the missed years, you embrace the opportunity to pick up where you left off and press forward, experiencing a richer and fuller relationship than you ever did before. That is the invitation found in Christ, for His mercies are new every morning, and His desire is for relationship now, regardless of what you experienced in the past.

So, I am encouraged this morning to look at today as a new day, with new opportunities to press into relationship with Jesus. He has invited me into relationship and it is a wonderful thing to discover the purposes and callings in my life, to see myself how He sees me. We can forget everything in the past and press forward today!

Amen!

###

### Extended Kindness And Love - And The Gospel

## 06-17

This morning I read through Paul's letter to Titus, which being all of three chapters is an easy read. Paul covers quite a bit in those three short chapters, but in chapter 3 he provides a very nice summation of the Gospel. Here are the verses - Titus 3:3-8 NIV:

[3] "At one time we too were foolish, disobedient, deceived and enslaved by all kinds of passions and pleasures. We lived in malice and envy, being hated and hating one another. [4] But when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, [5] he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit, [6] whom he poured out on us generously through Jesus Christ our Savior, [7] so that, having been justified by his grace, we might become heirs having the hope of eternal life. [8] This is a trustworthy saying. And I want you to stress these things, so that those who have trusted in God may be careful to devote themselves to doing what is good. These things are excellent and profitable for everyone."

There is much one could say, but really Paul pretty much nails it. We all have been, or are presently in the state of confusion that Paul describes in verse 3. None of us was ever worthy of salvation or forgiveness, yet because of the kindness, mercy and love of God, shown to us in Jesus, and through His death and sacrifice, forgiveness was extended to us all, everyone.

It is up to us to enter into salvation, through faith. When we do accept the fact that we need Him, and enter into relationship with Him, our lives are changed. We experience a washing and renewal that only can occur through the power of the Holy Spirit released fully into our lives. It is this seal (2 Cor 1:22), which is our promise of our future heavenly inheritance that brings us peace and joy (Rom 15:13). In addition, we get to experience some of that inheritance here on earth, as we are invited to experience the same things that Jesus did here on earth \- as Jesus described here in John 14:12 NIV: "Very truly I tell you, whoever believes in me will do the works I have been doing, and they will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father."

It is because of this great gift available to us all, and accepted by those of us who enter in through faith, that we are encouraged to devote ourselves to expressing gratitude through our lives. We are invited to do good, to love, to show mercy and compassion, to reflect back to the world that which we were shown and experienced in Christ Jesus. These things really are excellent and profitable for us all, every one of us. As we extend these truths to the world, to those who have yet to understand the grace and mercy available to them in Christ Jesus, they will see we are different and set free from the pursuits of the world, and our lives are full of the fruit of the Holy Spirit (Gal 5:22-25).

Our lives are meant to shine for God's glory (1 Cor 10:31), and that Glory is revealed in His Son Jesus (Heb 1:3), and we are His Body here on earth (1 Cor 12:12-27)! Let us think on these things and allow these truths to change the way we act and respond to the world around us. We were, at one time, in the same state as many in the world and God extended love and kindness to us, so let us do the same.

Amen!

### 

### No Penalty For Staying Behind

## 06-18

So, this morning I had a different Bible in my hands and was asking the Lord where to read, and I felt like I should open to page 232. That happens to be 1 Sam 30, in this particular bible. As I read the story of David recovering all that had been taken from him when the Amalekites attacked and destroyed Ziklag, I realized there was an important principle introduced by David, that is important for me to hear and understand.

The situation is that David and his 600 men were pursuing the Amalekites, and 200 of them were too tired to continue the pursuit, so they stayed as a rear-guard, and protect their supplies. The remaining 400 pursued the Amalekites and won a great battle, recovered everything they had lost, and recovered additional plunder from the Amalekites. That is the context for these next verses - 1 Samuel 30:21-25 NIV:

[21] "Then David came to the two hundred men who had been too exhausted to follow him and who were left behind at the Besor Valley. They came out to meet David and the men with him. As David and his men approached, he asked them how they were. [22] But all the evil men and troublemakers among David's followers said, "Because they did not go out with us, we will not share with them the plunder we recovered. However, each man may take his wife and children and go."

[23] "David replied, "No, my brothers, you must not do that with what the Lord has given us. He has protected us and delivered into our hands the raiding party that came against us. [24] Who will listen to what you say? The share of the man who stayed with the supplies is to be the same as that of him who went down to the battle. All will share alike. " [25] David made this a statute and ordinance for Israel from that day to this."

The key here is that David was thinking like the Lord, and the evil men and troublemakers were thinking like man. They were thinking that effort should be rewarded, and were thinking of themselves and the extra booty they would have to share with the 200 who had stayed behind. Mathematically, they would have ended up with 2/3 of what they would have if David didn't share the spoils with those that had stayed behind. They were counting the personal cost to themselves, rather than at the impact on the lives of the 200 and their families. The 600 men had lost everything, and here the 400 were saying that the 200 could have their wives and children back, but nothing else, and would be condemning them to poverty and loss of everything else. That is a very humanistic approach, selfishness and no compassion.

Davis had a different perspective and realized that even though the 200 that had stayed behind didn't fight this battle, they had fought in the other battles and were all part of the same team. Without their (200) previous efforts the 400 wouldn't have had the energy to fight, as they would have had to work 1/3 again as hard if the 200 were not with them previously. We are so quick to take credit for anything that is immediately in front of us, and tend to forget the work and effort of those that have gone before us, or worked side-by-side with us previously.

David understood this and recognized that the Lord had spared them, and given them a great gift of provision and it would be wrong to hold that back from anyone. In fact, later in the chapter he shares some of the bounty with other leaders who had nothing to do with the battle.

Here is the key spiritual principle, when one part of the body sees a victory, the blessings are shared with all, especially within the membership of that group, regardless of whether they were actively engaged, or had been a part of everything previous, or were sitting on the sidelines because of exhaustion. The Lord does not look down on those who are exhausted and have to rest.

It is interesting that the valley of Besor actually means the valley of the cheerful. It could symbolize a need to restore joy and cheerfulness to one's life. I know there have been many times in my exhaustion that I just don't have any joy, and cheer, any hope. The Lord is OK with us taking a break to be restored in this area, and He won't deduct anything from us. If we are the ones who have been on the front lines, we need to embrace this perspective, and freely share that which the Lord has given us, holding nothing back from those that had to sit out.

Secondly, if we were in a place of exhaustion or being worn slick, the Lord is ok with us being restored, and will not reduce our blessing or provision. The enemy would try to convince us that we missed the blessing because we weren't somewhere, or were too tired but that is clearly not true! It is the Lord's heart of mercy and compassion that drives His blessing and release of provision. He does not think like man, and we must realize that is true.

Finally, if we have lost much or everything to an attack of the enemy, the Lord will restore and bless. He is not satisfied with allowing us to suffer loss at the hand of the enemy and He will sustain us and help us.

I would say that this is a good word for today! Lord we thank You for Your blessing, Your gifts, Your provision and Your restoration. You are so good to us!

### God Is In Love, Not Angry!

## 06-19

This morning I felt like I should read from Paul's letter to the Romans. These verses are so significant that one really needs to just soak in them and let the truth of them saturate our heart and soul. This is the heart of God, this is what our God is like. Here are the verses - Romans 5:6-11 NIV:

[6] "You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly.  
[7] Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous person, though for a good person someone might possibly dare to die.  
[8] But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

[9] Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved from God's wrath through him!  
[10] For if, while we were God's enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his life!  
[11] Not only is this so, but we also boast in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.

I separated the paragraphs, so that each verse is its own line for a reason. When I read, I often just crank through a paragraph and pull the one or two things out that seem important and move on, but each of these sentences deserves our attention.

The Gospel truth is so important for us to get into our lives. While we were powerless and in sin, Christ died for us. He died for all the ungodly, all the sinners, everyone. He did this because of His love for us, no other reason. One could say His love compelled Him. Please get this though, He loved us when we were powerless and sinners, not once we were saved, but while we were still sinners! If He loved us while we were still sinners, why would he become angry with us now, if we have entered into relationship with Him?

God is not like some spouse that prior to marriage is all loving and caring and interested in your happiness, but after marriage turns into a controlling, angry, manipulative, spiteful person. God IS love (1John 4:16). God is not selfish, uncaring or desirous of all control in our lives, in fact, He considers our free-will one of the most precious gifts and one that He will never take away.

In fact, Paul continues this very thought, for if we have been freely justified by Jesus' precious blood, poured out for us while we are still sinners, how much more will we be saved from God's wrath (anger). I believe Paul was focusing primarily on eternal judgment for sin here, but his statement no less applies to sin we commit in our daily lives. If God loved us while we were sinners, and loved us enough to shed His blood, and wasn't willing to release His wrath on us at that point, why would He do so now, now that we are in relationship with Him? God is not angry with us, even when we sin! He doesn't release His wrath on us, when we are sinners, before salvation, why would He do so now, when we are in relationship with Him?

Paul continues that very thought in verse 10, if we were reconciled (restored to relationship) by His death (blood and sacrifice), how much more than that will we also be saved (the Greek word here is SOZO which means saved in body, mind and spirit) through His life at work in us now that we are in relationship. His life gets applied to ours, through relationship! Thus, as Paul says, our lives our hidden in Christ (Col 3:3). When God the Father looks at us, He sees us in His precious Son Jesus. We are now, in Jesus, free from God's wrath and judgment, that is our eternal position.

This really is something to boast about, a God who loves us so completely, who treats us so unfairly (unfair in the perspective that He has forgiven us every sin, paid the price for all our sin, and given us live and relationship, and we have not earned any of it) and so mercifully. God is the exact opposite of what much of the world, and especially the media, likes to portray Him as, an angry and judgmental God. He IS love! He is worth boasting about, better than we can possibly imagine or dream. He is so loving, so willing to restore relationship to us, that He did all this while we were still sinners, before we ever asked, before we ever had a thought about Him, before we turned our eyes and hearts towards Him. Jesus is the exact representation of the Father (Heb 1:3) both in His life and deeds while alive on the earth in human form, and in His sacrifice and death, setting us free from the Law and its penalties and punishments. The Father really is that Loving or Jesus would not be an exact representation.

So, let us free ourselves from the worry and doubt, wondering if we have done something to earn God's punishment or chastisement. Let us recognize His incredible love for us. Let us embrace His salvation through relationship! Let us boast of this God whose love knows no bounds! Let us boast of His love and mercy and compassion, for they are unparalleled and unmatched. Let us boast of His greatness and love. God is not angry, He is in love with us!

###

### Living A Life Of Significance And Purpose!

## 06-21

Yesterday morning I was thinking about God's call in my life. I know that call comes with a purpose and plan. I know that I need to start thinking that way, start acting that way, making sure that my life matches His call and purpose.

Lord, I don't know how it looks, ultimately, but I do know that Your plans are perfect, and I want to make sure I am maximised in my fruitfulness. You have put so much into me, and through me, and I want to continue to bear more fruit.

As I think about it, that is supposed to be our reality, fulfilling Your purposes to the best of our ability, because they bring about Your greatest glory and our greatest sanctification (likeness to You), and our greatest fulfillment. That is what we were made for, what is the perfect fulfillment of our life.

It really is somewhat paradoxical, to our human thinking. We would normally think that the only way we can experience perfect happiness and a full life, is to take control ourselves, and do the things we want to do, all the time. The problem is that we are limited in our understanding, our perception is selfish, and we tend to undervalue ourselves, and the value of others. Most of us do not see our importance and significance in the world, and thus our quest for happiness and fulfillment is very localized and selfish, specifically to our own little world.

Those of us who have realized there is more to our lives than us, learning to care for and live our lives thinking of others, seem to have a much richer experience. They know the joy that comes from seeing others blessed and lives made better. They seem to understand that they can have a real impact in their community and embrace that lifestyle, knowing they are giving away some of their selfish pursuits, but gaining more in the end. This is a more joyful and richer experience for the most part.

Finally, there are those who live selfless lives, who seem to rise above their own selfishness and embrace their significance, their ability to make a lasting impact on the lives of those around them, and around the world. These people understand that we are all related, our actions affect each other, and they recognize the greatest joy, the greatest fulfillment for they are living for a greater purpose, and with greater purpose comes greater impact and greater reward.

Our call as Christians, is beyond even that last category, into the Body of Christ. In the Body of Christ, we are all significant, each and every one. Paul understood this and wrote about it in his first letter to the Corinthians. We are all part of the greatest purpose, and our lives have eternal impact. Jesus talks about losing our lives for His sake, and thus finding our true lives - here are His exact words, Matthew 10:39 NIV: "Whoever finds their life will lose it, and whoever loses their life for my sake will find it." Viewing these verses from a life calling and purpose perspective gives us different insight. Jesus is talking about sacrifice, but He is talking about sacrificing our selfishness, to find our purpose in Him.

Jesus goes on to say the following, taken from Luke 9:25 NIV: "What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, and yet lose or forfeit their very self?" While He is talking about the sacrifice of our selfishness, for that is what I think taking up our cross daily means, He is really speaking about our significance and value. Look at the valuation in this statement - our soul's value is of greater worth than the whole world. This is the perspective of God! This is how He sees us. I have heard it said that even if it was just for me, Jesus would have hung on the cross and died, and I believe that is true. Not because of anything I have done, but because of His love for me, and the value He puts on my life. Jesus speaks about leaving the 99 sheep to find the one that is lost in Matthew 18:12-13, and the focus of that story is the value of the one. That is how He sees every one of us.

Let's revisit for a moment some of the basic truths we believe about God. He is the creator of all things (John 1:3). He created each of us (Ps 139:13). He is all knowing, and sees everything (1 John 3;20). He lives outside of time and sees and knows everything I will ever do and say and even think (Ps 139: 4,16). He loves us (John 3:16) and has a plan and purpose for us (Jer 29:11). If all this is true, then we can propose that in our creation, in our very inner being God has placed in us a desire and the gifts and talents to fulfill that purpose. We are purposefully and wonderfully made. It is in Him, in our relationship to Him, and His Body, that this purpose is meant to be fulfilled, for that is the way we were created.

Thus, it is in our daily lives of following Him, rather than our own selfish pursuits, that our true purpose and life calling is revealed and fulfilled. We can experience shadows of this in lives without Him, but it is in Christ, united to Him through relationship, connected to His Body that we can find complete fulfillment. It is not just for His sake, but for ours as well, for what person is not happiest when they are doing that which they were created to do! God really is that loving and caring that He would provide the perfect expression, the perfect opportunity to impact our world, and be fulfilled at the same time.

This is the Good News, that we belong, we have significance, we have purpose, we are loved, we are accepted, we are encouraged, we have been given everything necessary to succeed and fulfill our true life's calling and purpose. We have in God one who loves us unconditionally, one who has created us with gifts, talents and abilities, and desire to live out our purpose in fullness. We have one who is always with us, will never forsake us, will always forgive us, will always love us, will always provide for us, will always draw us and accept us. God wants relationship with us! God loves us! God really likes us because we are His perfect creation. He has been waiting for us since before the creation of the world.

###

### Representing The King

## 06-22

This morning I opened my bible to start reading where I left off yesterday, and I came across these three well known verses and started thinking about them in more depth than normal. As I have said before, I can tend to read something so many times that is no longer even resonates with my inner-self, and when I read it I don't spare barely a thought, because of my familiarity with it.

I guess the same could be said for every area of our life, especially with people. We are so familiar with some individuals that we lose sight of their uniqueness, their real character, etc. One of the big issues in many marriages is the loss of appreciation for the other spouse. People become comfortable, believe they understand or know the other individual completely and stop appreciating their unique attributes, and just co-exist in the same house. We no longer really look at the person, seeing them as we did when we were first married, appreciating almost everything about them, and willing to hope in change and experiencing excitement just in being with them. The Lord has so much for us, in and through marriage, and through one another, but to experience that we must truly engage with and experience our spouses, and not just co-exist.

OK, so off that bunny-trail and back to the verses I read this morning.

The verses I am thinking about are Matthew 18:18-20 NIV:

[18] "Truly I tell you, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven. [19] "Again, truly I tell you that if two of you on earth agree about anything they ask for, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven. [20] For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them."

The verse that most of us are familiar with is verse 20, and we use that verse to encourage each other that Jesus is present with us when we get together, even though we often don't feel His presence. This is all well and good, but there is a much more significant truth that Jesus intended that what is most commonly believed about that verse.

Looking at verse 18, we see some crazy statements, or at least they seem that way to me, if we believe that Jesus actually meant what He said. He starts by basically saying we have authority on earth and in heaven. The Greek term used here for bind, really means to bind in chains, as in a prisoner. In the same way the Greek word for loose, is basically the exact opposite, setting people free from the chains that bind them. We might believe we have the ability to set people free from things here on earth, but in heaven also? That we have authority in heaven is almost incomprehensible. Yet, since our lives in Christ are eternal, and we are present citizens of heaven (Phil 3:20) why wouldn't our present actions also be effective in heaven? There is a deep spiritual truth here, that more than likely we will only scratch the surface of here on earth. Jesus was not just speaking of salvation, but of forgiveness in the passages immediately preceding these, and thus we must believe that Jesus was still speaking in the same context and we can conclude that forgiveness can have heavenly impact.

The next statement is equally as wild, for He says if two on earth agree on something it will be done for them by the Father. So, the first thing I think of is whether "anything" really means anything. The Greek word used here is Pas, which can be translated into all, everything, anything, everyone. It is a very widely used word, and it does indicate that Jesus actually meant what we would believe from the English, that "anything" actually means anything. Most of us don't really believe this, or maybe believe it to some small extent. This verse can be misused by the those who preach the prosperity Gospel, the name-it and claim-it perspective that some people have pushed. I don't think we should be taking it out of the context in which it is referred, that of forgiveness and salvation.

That being said, recently the Lord has been speaking to me about our value to Him and His favor, and I believe there is much more to these verses than we presently understand, and it does include provision, blessing, mercy, compassion, guidance, direction, healing, deliverance, miracles, signs and wonders, etc. All those things that the Lord has promised, and is capable of delivering.

Finally, He says where two or three are gathered in His name, He is there present. Gathering in His name, is not just a simple statement but rather refers to us being His representatives. This carries with it the authority of the One in whose name you come. In history, when an ambassador speaks in the name of their king, or president, they are the legal representative, and capable of signing documents and treaties that are binding to their county.

Now we are getting to the heart of the matter, for if we read back and look at the two preceding verses, from the context of being a legal representative, we start to see there is more here than we previously thought. If we are His representatives, then we can do the things He would do if He was present. And, what do you know? He is present, as He says in verse 20. So when we gather in His name, as His representatives, operating under His authority, and representing His authority, we speak the very things that He would speak and thus experience the same results, for He is present.

As I wrote that verse I thought of the scenes from different movies where the King of some country is present, but because He speaks a different language, the person who does the speaking is the ambassador, who speaks both languages and is speaking for the King. The King is present, but the ambassador is speaking for him with His authority. I believe that is exactly what these verses mean. Wow! Jesus is present, and we are speaking as His ambassadors, His representatives, and as such we speak with His authority.

A final note, the obvious, at least I would think so, perspective here is that as the King's representative, we are speaking for Him for the good of the Kingdom. We are not speaking for ourselves, or our own benefit. We do benefit from the King's decisions, because He cares deeply for us, but He is not intent on loading us up with the stuff we want, but actually advancing His Kingdom. Thus, in my opinion, the focus of the prosperity gospel preachers is very selfish and shallow when we look at the deeper reality of these verses.

Lord, I pray that You will help us to understand the reality behind these statements and step into this reality in our lives. We pray that You will help us to be Your ambassadors, Your representatives, speaking Your heart with Your authority! You are good and are always advancing Your Kingdom! Let us believe fully these awesome verses, and live our lives accordingly.

Amen!

### The Humility Of Christ

## 06-24

Recently the theme I have been thinking about is the humility of Christ, and our call to be like Him. It is actually a relatively complicated matter, for we are also called to give glory to His name (Rev 19:7), to do greater things than He did (John 14:12), and to let our light before men (Matt 5:16). We are also called to love one another (John 13:34), to lay down our lives for one another (John 15:13), and to servant leadership (Mark 10:43-45), which seems a bit contradictory to the previous list, at least to our human minds. One set is very public recognition focused, the other is selfless and not attention seeking.

The key thing for us to realize is that both are possible at the same time, for the first one is really about God's Glory, not ours, and the other list is embracing humility and the significance of others. I started reading a few familiar verses this morning, and the Lord had me look at the verses in light of His humility. Here are the verses - Matthew 11:27-30 NIV:

[27] "All things have been committed to me by my Father. No one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal him."

[28] "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. [29] Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. [30] For my yoke is easy and my burden is light."

As I was reading these verses, I realized that they perfectly demonstrate the Glory and humility of Jesus. He is the only one in all of History that has been sent directly from the Father, who was one with the Father, who could reveal the Father perfectly. He was in a position, and sometimes dangerously close through the desires of others, to use the Glory of the Father for His own advantage. There were several times the people, after seeing the miracles He was doing, which were to give Glory to the Father, wanted to make Him their king. His response was always to walk away, to diffuse the situation rather than ride the swell of public affection into power.

Jesus wanted no Glory for Himself, rather He chose to direct all Glory to the Father. Instead, He served the people and ministered to them. He laid His life down for the poor, the destitute, the sick, the lame, the deaf, the blind, the leper, the demonized, the sinner, the ones who needed Him most. Make no mistake, a ministry of this sort is not a glorious adventure, but rather requires great personal sacrifice of time, energy and one's own desires, wants and needs. Imagine what it would take to touch and heal thousands of people. Imagine the demand on His time, the constant crowd that gathered around Him almost all the time, sometimes making it hard for Him even to walk. Imagine the hundreds of people just trying to touch His robes.

There were no means of mass communication, no news shows, talk shows, magazines, newspapers, internet or anything else. Every person touched by Jesus, was actually touched by Jesus, there was no real alternative. We do know that the news about Him spread all over the countryside, and even into far reaches of the Jewish people, for they came from everywhere to encounter Him and be healed. He had compassion on them, fed them healed them and ministered to them, telling them about the Kingdom, and the Father.

He purposely chose to stay out in the country, spending much of His time in the region of Galilee, which was the Hebrew version of the sticks. He didn't spend much time in Judea, in Jerusalem, in the larger cities, and I think He purposely did this so that He did not ignite a swell of popular opinion that would cause Him to be anointed King, even though there has never been one more qualified to be King in the history of the earth.

Instead, like in verses 28 & 29, we find Jesus reaching out to the weary and burdened, those too tired to go on. He lifts their loads, sets them free from that which binds them and invites them into relationship and rest. This is such a completely different style of leadership than what we see around us today. Rather than using the acclaim of those He helped to ascend to power, He just continued to minister to those He hadn't met yet. Jesus epitomized the role of servant leader. He was the greatest man to ever grace this earth, and yet He chose to serve the lowest, the rejected and the lost.

He called the people to Himself, not to bring Himself glory, but to give them rest. I have heard a teacher say that the yoke that Jesus speaks of in verse 29 is actually the sign of one who follows a teacher, literally a piece of cloth that would indicate who your teacher was or what school of thought you were aligned with. In higher education, upon graduation, people receive stylized hoods that represent their field of study and school of their degree. This particular teacher said that Jesus was inviting the weary and burdened to come to Him and learn from Him, and in so doing to be set free from the burdens of religion, the Law, and its constant demands. His yoke required one to embrace humbleness, gentleness and His teachings about loving one another. This was a significantly different message than the people were used to hearing.

Regardless of the meaning of the yoke, it is clear that the invitation is to relationship, and in that relationship, one would find rest for one's soul. What a great release that is, to find rest for one's soul; no striving, no working, no doubting, no worry, no payment required, no expectations to meet, just rest for one's soul.

I can almost imagine Jesus saying these three verses. Here He is saying that no one knows the Father, except Him, and who He chooses to reveal Him to. He is the one and only true Son of God, and He is interested in the weak and weary, those tired and burdened and wants to minister to them personally. What an awesome lesson in humility and servant leadership.

I am encouraged this day to embrace this same attitude and life-style, choosing to love all, to see the significance in all, and to serve all. Help me to choose to give any glory to Him who is worthy, my Lord. Lord, I pray that You would help us to embrace Your call to servant leadership, and compassion for all.

Amen.

###

### God IS Light!

## 06-25

God is Light!

I was reading through this book this morning "Incomparable, Explorations in the Character of God", and I really like what Andrew Wilson had to say here, so I thought I would post it. Great stuff!

John 1:4-5 NIV: "In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. [5] The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it."

1 John 1:5 NIV: "This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light; in him there is no darkness at all."

"Most opposites are fairly evenly matched. Take any opposite you can think of. White doesn't overcome black, nor does black overcome white, but the two blend together to make gray. Hollywood films endlessly show us the struggle between good and evil, and although the good usually wins, it's mostly a pretty fair contest until the end. Wealth hasn't conquered poverty, and poverty hasn't destroyed wealth. We could go on: laughter and sorrow, war and peace, disease and medicine. When opposites clash, you cannot be certain which will prevail."

"Light is different. No matter how many experiments you perform, you will never find darkness defeating light. If you flick the light switch in a dark room, the darkness disappears instantly. No amount of darkness, not even in pitch-black underground caves, can drown out the light generated by a small bulb in a head-torch. On a clear night, a candle on a hilltop can be seen forty-three miles away. Darkness prevails on earth when the sun is not shining on it, but as soon as it does, the darkness flees. When John says of Jesus, "The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it," he is stating the obvious. Of course darkness hasn't overcome light. It can't."

"So to say "God is light, and in him is no darkness at all" (1 John 1: 5) is to declare God's invincibility. In whatever context the light picture is used— and it sometimes means life, sometimes righteousness, and sometimes truth— it speaks of an area where there is no contest. In principle, it is possible for grace to be overcome by legalism, the holy tainted by the common, love spoiled by hate. But it is impossible for the light of God to be drowned out, diluted, or in any way challenged by darkness, any more than shadows can defeat a halogen lamp. God's light is invincible."

"As light conquers darkness, the resurrection life of Jesus conquers the tomb. Once the life and light of God have broken out in someone, there is nothing Satan himself can do to reinstate the rule and reign of death and darkness."

"Falsehood and truth, death and resurrection life, are not evenly matched, nowhere near. When the light appears, the darkness is sent packing forever. This is why an incredibly unlikely claim made by 120 uneducated Jewish people has spread throughout the world (Acts 1: 15). It is why the gospel thrives most when it is suppressed. It is also why suggestions that the church will fade are so foolish. God is glorious, permanent, and invincible light. And when the light shines in the darkness, the darkness cannot overcome it."

Quotes from Andrew Wilson, "Incomparable, Explorations in the Character of God"

###

### The One Body Of Christ

## 06-26

This morning I felt like I should read from Paul's first letter to the Corinthians, the following verses - 1 Corinthians 12:18-27 NIV:

[18] "But in fact God has placed the parts in the body, every one of them, just as he wanted them to be. [19] If they were all one part, where would the body be? [20] As it is, there are many parts, but one body."

[21] "The eye cannot say to the hand, "I don't need you!" And the head cannot say to the feet, "I don't need you!" [22] On the contrary, those parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, [23] and the parts that we think are less honorable we treat with special honor. And the parts that are unpresentable are treated with special modesty, [24] while our presentable parts need no special treatment. But God has put the body together, giving greater honor to the parts that lacked it, [25] so that there should be no division in the body, but that its parts should have equal concern for each other. [26] If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it."

[27] "Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it."

The message here is quite simple, we need each other! I love the analogy of the body, for as one body has many parts, each part is required to make the body whole. This is such a simple truth, yet one that often we do not embrace. In our humanness, we divide ourselves and think one division (ours) is better than all the other divisions. Whether this is denominational divisions, or gift based divisions, or congregational, the simple truth is that we are all part of the same body of Christ, and no one group is better than any other. We may have different functions within the body and, thus, some labels make functional sense, but the body is not whole without all members.

In verse 25 Paul simply states, "there should be no division in the body". Period. In our minds and hearts, we must learn to view all parts of the Body of Christ on earth as one body. We must open our eyes to the fact that the church down the street, or across town, or of another denomination, or in another nation is part of the same Body of Christ. He only has one body, and we are all part of it. Let us learn to embrace those who have different functions or labels for them themselves as members of the body. Let us learn to lift each other up in prayer and concern. Let us have equal concern for each other, not focused only on our little part. Let us open our hearts and our doors to each other. Let us look to our head, Christ Jesus, and endeavor to see His Body the way He sees it.

Amen!

###

### I AM the Light Of The World (John 9:5)

## 06-27

This morning I specifically felt like I should read from John's Gospel, Chapter 9. It is a very familiar chapter to me, and sometimes that makes it hard to discern what specific verses to focus upon. As I read and reread these verses, I was drawn to Jesus' statement in the first 5 verses. Here they are - John 9:1-5 NIV:

[1]"As he went along, he saw a man blind from birth."

[2] "His disciples asked him, "Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?"

[3] "Neither this man nor his parents sinned," said Jesus, "but this happened so that the works of God might be displayed in him. [4] As long as it is day, we must do the works of him who sent me. Night is coming, when no one can work. [5] While I am in the world, I am the light of the world."

I included the first few verses for context, for they help us to understand Jesus' response to the disciples. I could, and have written quite a bit about the issue of sin and the effects of sin in our lives, which is the theme of the initial question. What I want to focus on is Jesus' statement in verses 4 & 5.

I find His inclusion of these couple of sentences interesting, for they barely relate to the previous verses. I find that often Jesus takes a moment when He has the attention of His disciples, and He drops in a significant truth that somewhat relates, or could really stand totally on its own. I think He does this because He doesn't want them (or us for that matter) to miss what He is saying.

In this case Jesus is speaking about His earthly time, in His human form. There were many times where He speaks about His coming suffering and death, and no matter how clearly He said it, the disciples just didn't understand. Here he alludes to the night that is coming, and all the commentaries that I read indicate that this is clearly referring to His impending death. There is a clear sense that Jesus understood He only had so much time to minister, and had so much to do at the direction of the Father that needed to be accomplished during that brief window of physical ministry. In other words, He knew that He needed to make the most of every opportunity. He had a job to do, and He did it, perfectly!

I wish that I could say the same for me, but I know that the Lord in His mercy provides me ample opportunities to pursue Him and to fulfill His purposes for me. He does not expect me, or any of us, to be perfect, but rather expects us to be constantly growing in our relationship and understanding of His will. I want to be always growing in my ability to discern His will and maturing in my walk so that I can do those things that He asks me to do, without hesitation or fear.

Moving on, His last statement is such a beautiful truth. "While I am in the world, I am the light of the world."(Jn 9:5) The truth here is that He is still in the world, present through us, His very Body on the earth. He IS the light of the world. As His Body, we ARE the light of the world. The two are really interchangeable. Jesus is in us, and thus present in and through us. Jesus says in John 17:26 NIV: "I have made you known to them, and will continue to make you known in order that the love you have for me may be in them and that I myself may be in them."

So one last point, there are those that teach that the works of the Holy Spirit ended with the death of the last Apostles, a teaching that is commonly referred to as cessationism. These verses, while on the surface might make one think that they support cessationism (night is coming, when no one can work), clearly do not. If Jesus truly is still present in the world through us, then He continues to be the Light of the world. The night of His death, prior to His resurrection, is no longer in effect, for He rose from the dead. Jesus is no longer limited or bound by the limitations of His physical body, for He is present in us (John17:26), through us (2 Cor 13:3) and with us (Matt 18:20). If that is true, He must not be limited in His power, or else He is not truly present. He either is the Son of God or not, He does not show up in some limited form, like the ancient Greek gods. He is Jesus, Son of the Father all the time. All authority in Heaven and on earth has been given to Him (Matt 28:18). If He was capable of healing blindness, through the power of the Holy Spirit, while He walked the earth in His human form, then He certainly has the same power now!

So let us learn to walk as bearers of the Light of this world. Let us believe that Jesus is truly present in us, and through us and with us. He never changes and is capable of doing everything He did while on the earth, through us, His Body present on the earth. Let us press in, knowing that He loves us and encourages us, and does not require perfection, but has grace for maturation and growth in our ability to hear and do what He asks us to do.

Let us press in together to faithfully represent Him.

###

### Finished And Paid!

## 06-28

This morning I felt like reading from John 19:28-30 NIV:

[28] "Later, knowing that everything had now been finished, and so that Scripture would be fulfilled, Jesus said, "I am thirsty." [29] A jar of wine vinegar was there, so they soaked a sponge in it, put the sponge on a stalk of the hyssop plant, and lifted it to Jesus' lips. [30] When he had received the drink, Jesus said, "It is finished." With that, he bowed his head and gave up his spirit."

I have heard some great discussions around Jesus' last words, and thought it would be helpful for to remind myself of the finished work of Christ Jesus. Working backwards, the Greek word, here translated finished, is Teleo:

Definition  
1) to bring to a close, to finish, to end  
A) passed, finished  
2) to perform, execute, complete, fulfil, (so that the thing done corresponds to what has been said, the order, command etc.)  
A) with special reference to the subject matter, to carry out the contents of a command  
B) with reference also to the form, to do just as commanded, and generally involving the notion of time, to perform the last act which completes a process, to accomplish, fulfil  
3) to pay

This was not the cry of someone who had lost, but rather the cry of someone who had completed that which He had to do. He knew that everything He had been asked to do by the Father was now completed. What an amazing thought, dying and knowing that everything was accomplished. He had no regrets in that moment, had nothing left to say or do. It was ALL finished.

Secondly, the word can also be translated paid, and there is an absolute truth to that definition as well. Jesus had paid for all of our sins, with His blood, His body and His life. He was the perfect sacrifice, and His actions paid in full the debt we all owed, the debt of every man, woman and child that has ever lived.

This is a quote from David Guzick's commentary on this verse. I like the way he puts it: "It is finished! Jesus' final word (tetelestai in the ancient Greek) is the cry of a winner. Jesus had finished the eternal purpose of the cross. It stands today as a finished work, the foundation of all Christian peace and faith, paying in full the debt we righteously owe to God."

Finally, the statement John makes in verse 28, about scripture being fulfilled, is more likely His comment about why Jesus asked to drink than the motivation of Jesus. In Ps 69:21 it speaks of being given vinegar to drink, and this was one verse of prophecy that had not yet been filled by Jesus in His life, as far as John knew. The Greek word for finished in verse 28 is the exact same as in verse 30, and I believe John used it here to make sure that we didn't miss the point!

It is really important that we understand this "finished work of Christ". He accomplished it all Himself. He paid the price Himself. It is complete and paid for in full. In Isaiah 53:6b it says, "...and the Lord has laid on him (messiah) the iniquity of us all." In other words, all our sins, everyone's, were laid upon Him and paid for by Him. If that work has been finished, completed and paid, then we do not have to pay ever again. Jesus paid for this all. Isaiah 53:5 says it this way -"But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed." He paid with His suffering and death, that we might be cleansed and healed, and He paid every bit of the debt. There is nothing more that needs to be done, nothing to add, nothing that we can do!

So, let us embrace this truth of the amazing grace and mercy that has been given to us. Let us not believe any teaching that says we need to pay for our sins, or be punished for our wrong-doings. Jesus already paid, already suffered, already was punished. God will not ask us to pay, for there is no debt anymore. It was all accomplished by Jesus. No number of religious acts, no penance, no self-purging, no holy living will ever gain us anything more than what Jesus already accomplished for us. That is why it is called grace, it is unmerited favor! When the someone tries to make us think that something we have done disqualifies us from God's purposes, plans, or favor, we need to play the "It is finished" card, for the payment was already made, and we are qualified by Jesus' actions, not our own.

Amen!

###

### Embracing Trials

## 06-29

This morning I felt like reading from the letter of James. I am always challenged when reading His letter for he is very practical and has a very specific perspective. I am thinking about the following verses - James 1:2-8 NIV:

[2] "Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, [3] because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. [4] Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. [5] If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you. [6] But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. [7] That person should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. [8] Such a person is double-minded and unstable in all they do."

First, his opening sentence is one that I just don't like to read. I would like to be instantly mature and complete, and not go through any process of growing, for that is really what James is talking about. The testing and perseverance produce maturity and completeness and that is what happens when we grow, in the natural. The same process is used by the Lord to grow us, and while we generally think of trials as bad, I think we could easily replace trials with experiences and have exactly the same meaning. We can be tested by good things as well as by bad, especially as it relates to our faith and relationship with the Lord.

There is plenty of teaching out there that associates good things with God's approval, and bad things with God's punishment, but here James take a different approach. He says we should embrace trials of many kinds because they bring about our maturation, which is good. The point is that God uses many things to enable us to grow. Ultimately, what He wants is for us to gain His perspective, see our lives from His eyes. That is the wisdom that James is speaking about, the understanding of God's thoughts. He encourages us to ask, and says God will give wisdom to us generously. When we face a trial, rather than asking "why me?" maybe we should be asking "what are You wanting me to grow in?" It seems to me that this means trials are actually opportunities, which is a completely different mind-set than I usually have concerning trials.

Finally, the final three verses have to do with our belief God. He speaks of people being double-minded and unstable. It seems to me the area of doubt and questioning is related to what we think God is like. A. W. Tozer says that the most important thing is how we think about God. Our image of Him and thoughts about God color our whole outlook and perspective. If we think God is someone who punishes us for bad behavior, then anything that we don't enjoy in our life causes us to think that God is not pleased with us. However, the author of the Letter to the Hebrews had a completely different take on difficulties. Here are two verses taken from section on discipline - Hebrews 12:7-8 NIV:

[7] "Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as his children. For what children are not disciplined by their father? [8] If you are not disciplined---and everyone undergoes discipline---then you are not legitimate, not true sons and daughters at all."

Here we see that difficulties and hardship might actually be because the Father considers us his true sons and daughters. Rather than Him being angry, it's the exact opposite. He sees us as His beloved children and is giving us opportunity to grow and mature. He does this because He knows that we are capable of great things and wants us to have the character and strength of relationship to walk into great things and not lose our way. In fact, the author of Hebrews continues on with the following statement - "...God disciplines us for our good, in order that we may share in his holiness."(Heb12:10b) He has great plans for us!

So, let us not doubt God's love. Let us hold firmly to Him, trusting that all things are for our good and growth. God is good always, and He has good plans for each of us. He is not angry and does not punish us, for all punishment for our sin was already borne by Jesus. God desires us to grow and mature, learning to think like Him. He wants us to embrace life in all its fullness, recognizing that we are His beloved sons and daughters. Let us not be tossed about by fears and doubts, but let us believe our Father loves us.

Amen!

###

### Following The Lord

## 07-01

So, this morning I felt like I should read from the book of Numbers. That is a bit unusual, as I tend to spend most of my time in the New Testament. However, this morning I read an interesting section which is very straight forward, and directly related to something I was praying about and thinking about recently. Here are the verses - Numbers 9:15-23 NIV:

[15] "On the day the tabernacle, the tent of the covenant law, was set up, the cloud covered it. From evening till morning the cloud above the tabernacle looked like fire. [16] That is how it continued to be; the cloud covered it, and at night it looked like fire. [17] Whenever the cloud lifted from above the tent, the Israelites set out; wherever the cloud settled, the Israelites encamped. [18] At the Lord's command the Israelites set out, and at his command they encamped. As long as the cloud stayed over the tabernacle, they remained in camp. [19] When the cloud remained over the tabernacle a long time, the Israelites obeyed the Lord's order and did not set out. [20] Sometimes the cloud was over the tabernacle only a few days; at the Lord's command they would encamp, and then at his command they would set out. [21] Sometimes the cloud stayed only from evening till morning, and when it lifted in the morning, they set out. Whether by day or by night, whenever the cloud lifted, they set out. [22] Whether the cloud stayed over the tabernacle for two days or a month or a year, the Israelites would remain in camp and not set out; but when it lifted, they would set out. [23] At the Lord's command they encamped, and at the Lord's command they set out. They obeyed the Lord's order, in accordance with his command through Moses."

The main theme is very clear - follow the presence of the Lord! That was quite easy to do when you could see the cloud of His presence by looking out the front of your tent. However, we live under a new covenant and different dispensation, where we bear in our bodies the Holy Spirit, the very presence of God. The theme for us remains the exact same, we need to learn to follow the presence of the Lord.

Another point that is easily gleaned from the text is that the Lord is Lord, and He does not follow an apparent pattern of behavior. Sometimes the cloud lifted during the morning, other times it was at night, sometimes it was after one day, other times it was after a week or even a year. The idea we need to learn to embrace is that the Lord directs us according to His purpose and plan, not according to our comfort or schedule. There is always purpose in the Lord's moving and direction and we must learn to trust Him and follow Him.

Personally this is something that I think we all need to grow in, especially in our busy, highly scheduled lives. I tend to be very task oriented, and when I am focused on a task, it takes a significant force to interrupt me. When I was young I used to read books quite regularly and my mom would talk to me while I was reading, and even though I answered, I never actually stopped reading and would never remember what she had told me. Needless to say, that was not a popular response with my mom. Since then, I have learned to be interruptible, and that has made my life easier. It is also something that I have been working on with the Lord, being interruptible in my daily work and schedule. When I feel His presence moving, directing me to do something, I am learning to respond immediately. It is not often some significant change of course, sometimes it is just a quick call to someone who has been on my mind. Other times, it feels like the Lord is just checking if I am still listening, and paying attention to Him. Personally, I think that is awesome, because that means He actually cares about what I am doing, and thinking. Regardless, I am convinced the Lord has a daily plan for me, and whether I follow and fulfill His plans, as much to do with my interruptibility.

That doesn't mean the Lord will always require me to change my course or be interrupted, to be able to fulfill His purpose. I know that every day, part of His plan for me is to love my wife. Everything I do that cares for her and helps her, and expresses my love for her is in the Lord's will. I know that every day I am a dad, a husband, an employee of my present company, a co-worker, and a friend. Much of my interaction with these significant groups of people is within His overall purpose and plan, for He placed me here in these situations and circumstances. In Acts 17:26 it says that God has put us on the earth at a specific time and place (and that time and pace is here and now). There are those who are so focused on the grand and glorious calls, the future dreams and aspirations, they completely miss what the Lord could be doing through them in their present situation.

I have learned that the Lord has purpose and plan in everything, and if I am looking to Him constantly, I will see Him use me to encourage others, to bring hope and direction, counsel and guidance, and love and kindness to those around me. I am reminded throughout the day of people, and as the Lord brings them to mind I pray for them and ask the Lord to bless them, for we all need more of the Lord in our lives. I try to ask for guidance in even the simple things like which grocery store to visit, which way to drive into town, for I have seen that there are times where I am at the exactly right place at the right time. I like to say that God's middle name is coincidence, for He is always engaged in all our lives, and aware of our thoughts and actions. He knows where we all are, and what we are thinking. What could be more encouraging than to have someone walk up to you with an exact confirmation of what you were asking of Him?

Now, to be clear, I am a far cry from where I think the Lord would like me to be, but I am growing and learning constantly, and getting better. The Lord is pleased with my every effort and little step I make in the right direction. I am encouraged to keep working to follow Him in my daily life, to be a willing participant in His grand plan to interact with all of us.

So today, I am encouraged to pay close attention to the sense of His presence in my life, following closely when He directs me in a different direction, or interrupts my previously scheduled task. Lord, please help me to be sensitive and aware to your leading.

###

### Reminded Whose We Are: The Lord's

## 07-02

This morning I am reminded of a youth and high school aged camp we did years ago where the theme was the following set of verses.

Isaiah 44:3-5 NIV:

[3] "For I will pour water on the thirsty land, and streams on the dry ground; I will pour out my Spirit on your offspring, and my blessing on your descendants. [4] They will spring up like grass in a meadow, like poplar trees by flowing streams. [5] Some will say, 'I belong to the Lord'; others will call themselves by the name of Jacob; still others will write on their hand, 'The Lord's,' and will take the name Israel."

At this camp many of the youth literally wrote "The Lord's" on their hands. It was a very good season for many of these young people, and one where they felt the closeness of the Lord. I am not sure how many of them would still want to write that on their hand, and that saddens me. I am reminded of many friends and acquaintances who have had seasons of walking closely with the Lord, and now are struggling to find a place in their lives for Him, and that saddens me.

This is not some judgmental position, but rather a sorrow one would feel over a family member who no longer wants to relate with the rest of the family, whatever the reason. Our relationship with the Lord is our greatest treasure in our life and many have become convinced through circumstance, disappointment, struggle and hardship that God is no longer relevant, necessary or maybe even interested in their lives. Nothing could be farther from the truth, for the Lord has never turned His eyes away from us, has never forgotten or forsaken us, and is always waiting for us to turn to Him. He loves us with a love that is beyond comprehension, and has never changed His mind concerning us.

I am reminded of the Lord's story of the lost son, found in Luke 15, and His description of the Father's response to the son who has turned back towards Him. Luke 15:20-24 NIV:

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

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

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

[22] "But the father said to his servants, 'Quick! Bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. [23] Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let's have a feast and celebrate. [24] For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.' So they began to celebrate."

I love this story, for this so truly shows us the Lord's heart toward us. A few things to note:

1) The son was still a long ways off when the Father saw him and ran to the son. The Father must have been looking for the son every day since he left, he never forgot the son, nor stopped looking for the son to return.

2) The son tries to confess his sin and ask for penance, but the Father has no time or concern for that. He is overjoyed that His son has returned and immediately restores everything to His son, authority, relationship, and provision. He does not punish His son for his time away or any of his sins, but rather welcomes the son back with open arms and great affection.

The truth is simple and yet profound, God loves us and will always love us! He considers us His sons and daughters, and would never think of us otherwise, regardless of what we have done or how long we have been away. He never stops loving us, never stops looking for us, and never forgets us. While we might wash off of our hands our inscription "The Lord's", He can never wash our names off His hands, for He has engraved (literally carved) our names in His palm (Is 49:16).

So, my prayer this morning is for all those I know who have wandered away from relationship with the Lord. I pray that You would remind them of those times where they walked with You, that You might draw them back to You Lord, and help them to return to Your family and to Your loving embrace!

Amen!

###

### Standing Against Fear and Intimidation

## 07-03

This morning I felt lead to go back to one of the most famous stories from the Bible, the story of David and Goliath. As I was reading through the story a couple of things stood out, which gave me cause to think some more.

Here are some excerpts from the story - 1 Samuel 17:2-3, 8-11, 16, 23-24, 41 NIV:

[2] "Saul and the Israelites assembled and camped in the Valley of Elah and drew up their battle line to meet the Philistines. [3] The Philistines occupied one hill and the Israelites another, with the valley between them."

[8] "Goliath stood and shouted to the ranks of Israel, "Why do you come out and line up for battle? Am I not a Philistine, and are you not the servants of Saul? Choose a man and have him come down to me. [9] If he is able to fight and kill me, we will become your subjects; but if I overcome him and kill him, you will become our subjects and serve us." [10] Then the Philistine said, "This day I defy the armies of Israel! Give me a man and let us fight each other. " [11] On hearing the Philistine's words, Saul and all the Israelites were dismayed and terrified."

[16] "For forty days the Philistine came forward every morning and evening and took his stand."

[23] "As he was talking with them, Goliath, the Philistine champion from Gath, stepped out from his lines and shouted his usual defiance, and David heard it. [24] Whenever the Israelites saw the man, they all fled from him in great fear."

[41] "Meanwhile, the Philistine, with his shield bearer in front of him, kept coming closer to David."

So, my first thought was that this whole scene, the gathering of the armies on hillsides facing each other and having Goliath come out and challenge the Israelites, continued for 40 days. In fact, it is almost comical when you think about it, Goliath would come out and say his lines, and then the Israelites would all run away. I actually can't believe the Philistines didn't attack, after the Israelites showed their fear the first time.

Secondly, you have to wonder why the Israelites kept going out to the battle lines? You have to wonder if they were hoping the Philistines would get tired and just go home, or maybe Goliath would trip and fall and hurt himself and not be able to come out and fight? It was a very strange situation to say the least.

The situation just stinks of fear and intimidation, and I believe that is part of the main message. The enemies of God always try to cause fear and intimidation to keep us out of the fight. They threaten us, threaten our families, and do everything they can to strike fear into us. Fear causes paralysis and flight. The armies of Israel knew they couldn't back down and basically forfeit the battle, but they didn't have the heart, or belief that God would help them in the battle. They just looked at the threatening large opponent and ran away back to their tents.

What they all were waiting for was for one man to step up and take the challenge. The problem was that there wasn't that one man, until David, a mere youth showed up. What set David apart was his faith in God. His faith wasn't just something he had heard, but it was something He had experienced. He knew, through experience, that God was who He said He was, and that His promise of protection was real. He understood that his success didn't rely on his own strength or skill or armor, but rather in the Lord.

David reminded the Israelites, through his actions, that they served the living God. This God would not allow His name to be derided, nor His people destroyed, if they would believe in Him and trust in Him. David put his own life on the line, and put his beliefs into action. He stepped into the battle because he did not allow the fear and intimidation of the enemy to override his belief and faith.

Thirdly, I was wondering what happened to Goliath's shield bearer, who went in front of him against David. Historically, a shield bearer was also a warrior, one whose job was to guard the back of another while they were engaged in battle. There is no further mention of him, but clearly something occurred. One could conjecture that he lost all courage when Goliath, his hero, was struck down. That is often the way with those who gather around a bully, when the bully falls they all run. Another possible scenario is that David, dispatched him as he did Goliath. Whatever the reality, even against two to one odds (one could argue it was much worse than two to one), David was victorious.

So, let us take heart today that we serve a living God! Many of us are facing trials, struggles and attacks and we need to know that God is our Champion! Our faith in Him and belief that He is who He says He is are the most important things in our life. Our courage should not arise from our own strength, but rather from our experience of trusting in the Lord. If we don't have that experience, then it is time to ask the Lord to show each of us how He cares for us and strengthens us. It is time for us to step into our own battle-grounds leaning on Him, trusting Him. He loves us and has no intention of allowing the enemy to be victorious over us. All it takes is one man or woman to step up...and that is me and you.

Amen!

###

### Reflections On Sin

## 07-06

Yesterday I found myself thinking some more about sin, and had a couple of interesting thoughts that I will endeavor to line out in a rough form:

1) Sin is defined by the word usage in both Hebrew ( Chata') and Greek ( Hamartia) as missing the mark, missing, having no part of...  
2) Think of it as an archery term - missing the mark - bullseye. Any shot that misses the bullseye, whether by 1 inch or 1 foot or 1 yard is technically a miss (sin)  
3) Think of the bullseye as the perfect will of God. Anytime we miss the perfect will of God we are "sinning" by definition  
4) There is no sin in God because He never misses His will.  
5) Changes the thinking around Romans 3:23 NIV: "...for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,..." to fall short is a description of an archers shot  
6) The Glory of God is the perfect will of God, is the revelation of God's goodness, and character.  
7) God hates sin because it is outside His will, colors Him as less than He is, affects our experience of Him.

Deuteronomy 9:27-29 NIV  
[27] Remember your servants Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Overlook the stubbornness of this people, their wickedness and their sin. [28] Otherwise, the country from which you brought us will say, 'Because the Lord was not able to take them into the land he had promised them, and because he hated them, he brought them out to put them to death in the wilderness.' [29] But they are your people, your inheritance that you brought out by your great power and your outstretched arm. "

Deuteronomy 1:27 NIV  
You grumbled in your tents and said, "The Lord hates us; so he brought us out of Egypt to deliver us into the hands of the Amorites to destroy us.

God didn't hate them! They were His people whom He loved.

8) Story of Adam and Eve - they chose to live outside God's perfect will and provision because they believed a lie about God.

Genesis 3:4-5 NIV  
"You will not certainly die," the serpent said to the woman. [5] "For God knows that when you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil." The lie was that God didn't really love them and want the best for them...was hiding something good from them.

9) Jesus came and never sinned, because He always did exactly what the Father told Him to do, and said what He told Him to say.  
10) When Jesus lived, He perfectly revealed the Glory of the Father, was the Exact Representation of the Father (Heb 1:3).  
11) We tend to preach that we need to hate sin because God told us too, but have not really dealt with why God hates it.  
12) We focus on sin and not on God, rules rather than relationship, rules without knowing the why of the rules.  
13) Like when we tell our children, don't touch the stove top – it's a rule. the child initially does not realize the purpose of the rule is because we are trying to help them avoid pain and hurting themselves.  
14) It isn't that He hates people who sin, He hates the fact that sin causes people to experience less than what is best for them, causes them unnecessary pain and hardship...and makes them think God is not loving and compassionate.  
15) He hates sin because He sees someone He loves make a bad choice that results in their own pain - just like us as parents hate when our kids make bad choices  
16) He hates sin for the pain it causes  
17) He hates sin for the lack it causes  
18) He hates sin for the work it causes (go back the story of Adam and Eve and see what their disobedience causes)  
19) He hates sin because it causes people to have a wrong perception of who He is...  
20) God loves sinners - sent Jesus to save sinners, not condemn sinners (John 3:16-17), Jesus hung out with sinners (Matt 9:10-12)  
21) We tend to label people sinners, yet we are all sinners by the definition of the word.  
22) We have vilified sin and sinners, yet we are all sinners. We associate sin with being evil, yet by definition it is about trying and failing.  
23) We tend to be ashamed of our sin, yet we all sin - we all try and fail to attain God's perfect will for our lives  
24) The closer we get to the bullseye, and even hitting the bullseye in areas of our life, reveals to us the life God wants for us, it is glorious!  
25) The demonstration of the Kingdom of God by Jesus was in essence a revealing the goodness of God, and His attitude and love towards us sinners, life that is possible in Him.

There is much more to think about on this subject, as it relates to the New Testament teachings, etc. Lord, I pray that You will help us to develop a right perspective on sin, especially in Your church. You desire us to experience Your goodness and blessing, and have made a way for us to do so.

###

### The Barren Fig Tree

## 07-08

This morning I was reading through Luke's Gospel and was pondering the parable of the fig-tree that gave no fruit. It is one of those parables that is not immediately understandable, at least to me. Here are the verses - Luke 13:6-9 NIV:

[6] "Then he told this parable: "A man had a fig tree growing in his vineyard, and he went to look for fruit on it but did not find any. [7] So he said to the man who took care of the vineyard, 'For three years now I've been coming to look for fruit on this fig tree and haven't found any. Cut it down! Why should it use up the soil?'

[8] " 'Sir,' the man replied, 'leave it alone for one more year, and I'll dig around it and fertilize it. [9] If it bears fruit next year, fine! If not, then cut it down.' "

I spent some time reading a few commentaries and I think Matthew Henry's comments make the most sense. For a complete reading follow this link:  http://classic.studylight.org/com/mhc-com/view.cgi?book=lu&chapter=13&verse=6#Lu13_6

His perspective is that Jesus is talking about the Israel (God's People) and this analogy is a very short synopsis of God's history with them. He had planted them in the promised land, had given them blessing after blessing, caring for them throughout the centuries and they were not bearing the fruit He expected. The extra year that is requested is indicative of Jesus' ministry and demonstration of the love of the Father, and intercession on their behalf.

The chapter ends with Jesus' famous prophetic statement about Jerusalem, and also His statement about the coming judgment (see Luke 13:34-35). This judgment was seen in the years following, with the destruction of Jerusalem in 70AD.

The good news about the application of this parable is that there was fruit that was found and that would be the Church. It was not much fruit initially, 120 were found in the upper room after Jesus death and Ascension (Acts 1:15), but that quickly changed after Pentecost, when 3000 joined in a single day.

As I read think about all this a few things come to mind, and are encouraging if I were to apply this parable to my life. First, God's plans will come to fruition (bear fruit) whether they seem possible or not. He is the Lord of all things and if He purposed something it will occur. Second, Jesus has patience and a personal investment in our lives, and He will care for us and help us. He will remove those things that hinder our growth and fruitfulness and nourish us so that we will be able to bear fruit.

As I read this I am also encouraged that the Lord expects fruit. He looks for fruit in our lives, and expects that we would bear fruit. It is not enough to just exist in relationship with Him, but my life should bear witness (fruit) to my relationship with Him. This is something I have thought about regularly, am I bearing fruit in my life that is good and line with His purpose for me?

### The Gospel of Grace!

## 07-09

This morning I am reading from Paul's letter to the Galatians. This is such an important book for us today, as Paul is addressing the modification of the Gospel, as it was being pushed upon the Galatians. This modification was a mixing of the Gospel of Christ and the Law, adding to the Gospel some set of works or physical acts. I am looking at a few of his statements -

Galatians 1:3-5 NIV:

[3] "Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ, [4] who gave himself for our sins to rescue us from the present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father, [5] to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen."

Galatians 1:6-9 NIV:

[6] "I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting the one who called you to live in the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel--- [7] which is really no gospel at all. Evidently some people are throwing you into confusion and are trying to pervert the gospel of Christ. [8] But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach a gospel other than the one we preached to you, let them be under God's curse! [9] As we have already said, so now I say again: If anybody is preaching to you a gospel other than what you accepted, let them be under God's curse!"

Galatians 2:15-16 NIV:

[15] "We who are Jews by birth and not sinful Gentiles [16] know that a person is not justified by the works of the law, but by faith in Jesus Christ. So we, too, have put our faith in Christ Jesus that we may be justified by faith in Christ and not by the works of the law, because by the works of the law no one will be justified."

Galatians 2:20-21 NIV:

[20] "I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. [21] I do not set aside the grace of God, for if righteousness could be gained through the law, Christ died for nothing!"

I think it is pretty clear that Paul felt very strongly about this topic. He recognized the danger of adding to the Gospel, and in His words, that is "really no gospel at all", or in other words not good news at all. The Gospel is supposed to be GOOD NEWS! It is the good news of the grace of Christ Jesus, applied to our lives.

It was His sacrifice ALONE that paid the price for our sins.

NOTHING we do earns this gift (Grace) of forgiveness.

It is ONLY through faith in Him that we are justified.

It is ONLY through this grace and faith in Him that we gain righteousness, not by the law or works.

A somewhat quick definition of justification from the "ATS Bible Dictionary":

"The being regarded and treated as if innocent; or acquittal from the consequences of guilt before the tribunal of God. "Justification by faith" means that a person, on account of true and living faith in Christ..., will be delivered from condemnation on account of his sins; that is, his sins will be forgiven, and he be regarded and treated as if innocent and holy. Thus, besides the remission of sins and their penalty, it includes the restoration and everlasting enjoyment of the favor of God."

A somewhat quick definition of righteousness from "Baker's Evangelical Dictionary of Bible Theology":

"God the Father is righteous (just); Jesus Christ his Son is the Righteous (Just) One; the Father through the Son and in the Spirit gives the gift of righteousness (justice) to repentant sinners for salvation; such believing sinners are declared righteous (just) by the Father through the Son, are made righteous (just) by the Holy Spirit working in them, and will be wholly righteous (just) in the age to come. They are and will be righteous because they are in a covenant relation with the living God, who is the God of all grace and mercy and who will bring to completion what he has begun in them by declaring them righteous for Christ's sake."

One could say that the perfect work of salvation, by which we are justified and declared righteous was accomplished by Jesus, through His death. Nothing we do or say could ever add to this perfect work. There is no amount of good works, no right living, no following of rules, no embracing religion that will ever add anything to this perfect work.

There is a call to obedience to Christ, but that is after salvation has already been accepted and applied to one's life. Obedience to Christ is not the entry requirement. Good works are a sign of gratitude, not a way to earn favor, for that favor was already gained through our being declared just and righteous in Christ. Good works are the result of us being in relationship (right relation) with Him and becoming like Him, which is a process. Good works and obedience to Christ (learning to walk in the way He leads us) is not a sign of salvation, but rather the result of salvation, and a grateful response.

There are those that argue by being good, and doing good, that salvation is somehow earned, but works in any form could never earn our salvation. As Paul says, if that was the case then Christ died for nothing. There are those that argue that it is only by good works that we know if salvation has really occurred, and while there is some justification of that argument found in James' letter, in the truest sense of the Gospel, that is not required. It is through faith alone, in Christ alone, that we receive and experience salvation, justification and righteousness.

Likewise, there are those that preach that salvation can be lost by sinful lives, and that clearly is a misunderstanding of the perfect work accomplished by Christ Jesus, available by grace. If salvation comes through faith alone, how do we lose it by works? That would make sense if we earned it by works, and it was some balance that God kept where we needed to have so many good works, to earn our salvation. However, when salvation comes through faith in Jesus, and His perfect sacrifice is applied to our lives, and we are declared justified and righteous, how do our works cancel that declaration of God! All our sins are forgiven, even those we have yet to do. It sounds crazy, but it is true! As Graham Cooke says, "the Gospel is too good to be true, but it is!"

So, let us examine our lives. Let us look to our understanding of the Gospel (Good News) of Christ and let us hold onto the truth, and reject anything that is not in line with this clear Gospel of grace through faith. As Paul says, "It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery." (Gal 5:1). The yoke of slavery he mentions is the law, and its requirements (works and religion).

###

### Preserved Through The Storm

## 07-10

This morning I felt led to read from Acts 27. I didn't really remember what was in that chapter, so opened my bible and started reading. I was immediately caught up in the story of the storm and shipwreck (if you haven't read this chapter I would encourage you to do so, it is very engaging). I have attached a few of the critical parts here - Acts 27:9-15, 21-27, 36-37, 39, 41-44 NIV:

[9] "Much time had been lost, and sailing had already become dangerous because by now it was after the Day of Atonement. So Paul warned them, [10] "Men, I can see that our voyage is going to be disastrous and bring great loss to ship and cargo, and to our own lives also." [11] But the centurion, instead of listening to what Paul said, followed the advice of the pilot and of the owner of the ship. [12] Since the harbor was unsuitable to winter in, the majority decided that we should sail on, hoping to reach Phoenix and winter there. This was a harbor in Crete, facing both southwest and northwest.

[13] When a gentle south wind began to blow, they saw their opportunity; so they weighed anchor and sailed along the shore of Crete. [14] Before very long, a wind of hurricane force, called the Northeaster, swept down from the island. [15] The ship was caught by the storm and could not head into the wind; so we gave way to it and were driven along.

[21] After they had gone a long time without food, Paul stood up before them and said: "Men, you should have taken my advice not to sail from Crete; then you would have spared yourselves this damage and loss. [22] But now I urge you to keep up your courage, because not one of you will be lost; only the ship will be destroyed. [23] Last night an angel of the God to whom I belong and whom I serve stood beside me [24] and said, 'Do not be afraid, Paul. You must stand trial before Caesar; and God has graciously given you the lives of all who sail with you.' [25] So keep up your courage, men, for I have faith in God that it will happen just as he told me. [26] Nevertheless, we must run aground on some island."

[27] On the fourteenth night we were still being driven across the Adriatic Sea, when about midnight the sailors sensed they were approaching land.

[36] They were all encouraged and ate some food themselves. [37] Altogether there were 276 of us on board.

[39] When daylight came, they did not recognize the land, but they saw a bay with a sandy beach, where they decided to run the ship aground if they could. [41] But the ship struck a sandbar and ran aground. The bow stuck fast and would not move, and the stern was broken to pieces by the pounding of the surf. [42] The soldiers planned to kill the prisoners to prevent any of them from swimming away and escaping. [43] But the centurion wanted to spare Paul's life and kept them from carrying out their plan. He ordered those who could swim to jump overboard first and get to land. [44] The rest were to get there on planks or on other pieces of the ship. In this way everyone reached land safely."

So, a couple of comments and observations:

1) The Lord clearly warned Paul, and through him, the people in charge of the dangers before them. The Lord will guide us and warn us of impending danger.

2) The storm was not punishment from God for disobedience, but rather the natural consequence of a bad decision. God actually had mercy on them, in spite of the consequences of their decision, He saved them all. One could successfully argue that by the definition of sin (missing God's perfect plan) that this bad decision was sinful, yet the resulting storm was not punishment for that sin. God's response to their "sin" was mercy, not judgment.

3) So often we are quick to think that when bad things happen to people they are in some way responsible. There were 276 people on this ship and only 3 people made the bad decision (the Centurion, Pilot and ship owner), yet all suffered the consequences. Sometimes in our lives, when bad things happen, it is the result of bad decisions (sin) someone else has made, and they affect us. I can think of tons of examples, e.g. the economy, bad laws, wars, etc. They can be decisions on a large scale, made at the highest levels, or just personal decisions, but they can affect those of us who are innocent of any responsibility.

4) The Lord will speak to us in the midst of difficult situations and give us guidance that will save us and preserve us. Sometimes the message is to hang in there and wait on the Lord. We don't know how long it was between the angel visiting Paul and the final shipwreck, but it was likely a few days before they saw land. Regardless, the Word of the Lord proved true. We need to learn to listen to the Lord, in spite of the circumstances around us.

5) The purpose of the Lord will come to pass, regardless of the circumstances and/or bad decisions we or someone else has made. This is REALLY important for us to grasp, for the enemy would try to convince us that we have missed the purposes of God, or can't possibly fulfill God's perfect plan anymore because of the bad decisions we have made, or the terrible place we find ourselves, yet this is just not true! God is able to fulfill His promise and purposes.

6) The result of the trip was almost exactly what Paul had warned them about back in verse 10. The difference is that there was no loss of life, and that was a result of Paul's presence, prayer, warnings and encouragement. The Lord cared for each of the 276 people, and by heeding the warnings and guidance of Paul, all lives were saved. At any point, they could have continued to make bad choices and that would have resulted in lives being lost. When we find ourselves in a bad place (especially from our own bad decisions), we need to pay special attention to the Lord, stop making bad decisions, and trust in Him for He will guide us out with a minimum of damage.

7) They were in sight of land, and had somehow managed to survive days without food, huge waves, lashing winds, and yet at the very last moment the ship got stuck, and destroyed. The most critical time to hold onto the promise and trust in the Lord is when everything looks like it is being destroyed. It often immediately precedes God's deliverance! God is able to save us, no matter how bad it gets.

So today, I am encouraged in the Lord's ability to save! He cares for each of us and is able to reach into whatever storm we find ourselves in and preserve us and save us. Let us hold fast to Him and trust Him!

Amen!

### Mercy, For the Sake of His Name

## 07-12

This morning I felt like I should read from Ezekiel 19 and 20. Chapter 19 is an interesting lament about Israel's princes. What was more interesting to me was the theme of Chapter 20, which is God's purging of Israel. There is a very repetitive theme as Ezekiel recounts the history of Israel. Here is one section and God's statement about His actions towards Israel - Ezekiel 20:21-22, 44 NIV

[21] " 'But the children rebelled against me: They did not follow my decrees, they were not careful to keep my laws, of which I said, "The person who obeys them will live by them," and they desecrated my Sabbaths. So I said I would pour out my wrath on them and spend my anger against them in the wilderness. [22] But I withheld my hand, and for the sake of my name I did what would keep it from being profaned in the eyes of the nations in whose sight I had brought them out.

[44] 'You will know that I am the Lord, when I deal with you for my name's sake and not according to your evil ways and your corrupt practices, you people of Israel, declares the Sovereign Lord. ' "

The repeating theme is God warning them, but then relenting and treating them in such a way that His name would not be profaned. In other words, He treated Israel in such a way that people would not ascribe characteristics to God that were not true. In verse 44 God says He would deal with them for His names sake, NOT according to their evil ways.

Here is how the Lord described Himself to Moses - Exodus 34:6-7 NIV:

[6] "And he passed in front of Moses, proclaiming, "The Lord, the Lord, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness, [7] maintaining love to thousands, and forgiving wickedness, rebellion and sin. Yet he does not leave the guilty unpunished; he punishes the children and their children for the sin of the parents to the third and fourth generation."

So many want to ascribe to God punishment for guilt as His primary characteristic, yet God describes Himself very differently. He is compassionate, gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love, abounding in faithfulness, maintaining Love, forgiving wickedness, forgiving rebellion, forgiving sin. Those are the characteristics that we should be focused on, way before the punishment of guilt, for they give us a reference point and define what the last statement means. If God forgives wickedness, rebellion and sin, what is left to be guilty of?

When Jesus came to earth, He came to represent the Father, and show us exactly what the Father was like. Hebrews 1:3 says that He was the exact representation of the Father. John says it this way, "No one has ever seen God, but the one and only Son, who is himself God and is in closest relationship with the Father, has made him known." (John 1:18)

Jesus described His mission a bit later in John's Gospel - "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. [17] For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him." (John 3:16-17)

Rather than focusing on the coming judgment of God, His punishment, His warnings, let us focus on His whole character, and His specific statements regarding His love as His compelling characteristic. God is so much more than just a judge, waiting to judge. He is first of all loving, compassionate, merciful, gracious and slow to anger. In John's later letter he simply sates, "God is Love".(1 John 4:8) So, I am not sure why we, as members of His church, continue to present Him as first of all judging and angry, and only happy with a few of us pure and righteous followers.

Lord, we pray that You would deal with us mercifully for the sake of Your name, and NOT for our wicked and sinful ways. Help us to share with the world who you really are, not some judgmental God waiting to destroy us for our sin, but rather as one who is compassionate, gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness, forgiving wickedness, rebellion and sin.

Amen!

###

### When The Church Is Attacked

## 07-13

This morning I felt directed to read from Acts, Chapter 9. This is the story of Paul's conversion. It is a great example of how the Lord intervened for His church, and made one who was the primary enemy of the church into one of its greatest Apostles. I am going to start with a few verses from Chapter 8, for they set the stage - Acts 8:1-4 NIV:

[1] "And Saul approved of their killing him.

On that day a great persecution broke out against the church in Jerusalem, and all except the apostles were scattered throughout Judea and Samaria. [2] Godly men buried Stephen and mourned deeply for him. [3] But Saul began to destroy the church. Going from house to house, he dragged off both men and women and put them in prison.

[4] Those who had been scattered preached the word wherever they went."

Saul (Paul) is the chief enemy of the church. He is literally hunting the church from home church to home church, and throwing those Christians he found into prison. This persecution follows the stoning of Stephen, who was one of the leaders of the church, one of the seven chosen to serve the growing church. I think it is interesting that Luke, the author or the Book of Acts, writes that Saul began to destroy the church. This is no slight persecution, but one of great significance. The Greek word, translated as 'destroy', is the Greek word Lumainomai. The Definition of the word is:

1) to affix a stigma to, to dishonour, spot, defile  
2) to treat shamefully or with injury, to ravage, devastate, ruin

It is interesting that it appears this same thing is being accomplished here in America and in much of the western world, the Church is being affixed with a stigma and suffering dishonour and defilement. Christianity is being colored as biggoted, judgmental, hateful, hypocritical, stupid and self-righteous. Now, the truth is that there are congregations and individuals that fit many of these labels, but I believe that overall the characterization is untrue. There is a spirit at work trying to destroy the church, or at least its witness and significance. Instead of prisons, the church is being slandered and attacked in such a way as to make it irrelevant, and seen as a joke. It is being imprisoned in people's minds and thoughts, being seen as worthless and irrelevant.

Continuing the story, Paul is apparently so successful in Jerusalem that he moves on to other cities to hunt down members of church. We continue with Luke's account in Acts 9:1-2 NIV:

[1] "Meanwhile, Saul was still breathing out murderous threats against the Lord's disciples. He went to the high priest [2] and asked him for letters to the synagogues in Damascus, so that if he found any there who belonged to the Way, whether men or women, he might take them as prisoners to Jerusalem."

We see later in this chapter how successful Saul was in his persecution, for people in the church everywhere were afraid of him (Acts 9:13-14). I think it safe to say that the church was greatly affected by this attack. They continued to preach the Gospel, as we see from Acts 8:4, but they were afraid. One has got to believe that the general populace was afraid to join the ranks of the church, at least in the areas where they were being persecuted.

One thing that Saul and the others who were persecuting the church did not count on, for they clearly didn't believe Jesus was the Messiah, or that He had risen from the dead, was that Jesus would intervene for His church. They thought they were wiping out some aberrant group who followed some guy that was now dead. Instead, Saul found out the truth, and was forever changed. This is described in following verses - Acts 9:3-19 NIV:

[3] As he neared Damascus on his journey, suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him. [4] He fell to the ground and heard a voice say to him, "Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?"

[5] "Who are you, Lord?" Saul asked.

"I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting," he replied. [6] "Now get up and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do."

[7] The men traveling with Saul stood there speechless; they heard the sound but did not see anyone. [8] Saul got up from the ground, but when he opened his eyes he could see nothing. So they led him by the hand into Damascus. [9] For three days he was blind, and did not eat or drink anything.

[10] In Damascus there was a disciple named Ananias. The Lord called to him in a vision, "Ananias!"

"Yes, Lord," he answered.

[11] The Lord told him, "Go to the house of Judas on Straight Street and ask for a man from Tarsus named Saul, for he is praying. [12] In a vision he has seen a man named Ananias come and place his hands on him to restore his sight."

[13] "Lord," Ananias answered, "I have heard many reports about this man and all the harm he has done to your holy people in Jerusalem. [14] And he has come here with authority from the chief priests to arrest all who call on your name."

[15] But the Lord said to Ananias, "Go! This man is my chosen instrument to proclaim my name to the Gentiles and their kings and to the people of Israel. [16] I will show him how much he must suffer for my name."

[17] Then Ananias went to the house and entered it. Placing his hands on Saul, he said, "Brother Saul, the Lord---Jesus, who appeared to you on the road as you were coming here---has sent me so that you may see again and be filled with the Holy Spirit." [18] Immediately, something like scales fell from Saul's eyes, and he could see again. He got up and was baptized, [19] and after taking some food, he regained his strength.

Saul spent several days with the disciples in Damascus."

Reading this account I am struck by a couple of things:

1) The Lord is fully able to defend His church. He is personally involved, and will always be personally involved. He is capable of intervening on His own when necessary.

2) There is no one who is outside the reach of the Lord, and no one who is too far gone to not experience salvation and forgiveness.

3) The Lord looks at people completely differently than we do, for He saw in Paul his future super-evangelist, everyone else saw him as the chief enemy of the church.

4) The spirit behind the attacks on the church, probably thought things were looking pretty good, until Jesus completely flipped Saul, and the persecution completely died off.

5) Persecution does not weaken the church, it actually causes it to strengthen and spread.

6) It is possible for the greatest enemy of the church to become the greatest proponent, even in a couple of days. Maybe we should be praying for massive conversions of those fomenting the attack on the church, in addition to praying for protection from their attacks.

7) The persecution actually caused the church to fulfill Jesus' command, for prior to the persecution much of the focus of the church was on Jerusalem, and afterwards it spread to all nations. (Matt 28:19 and Acts 1:8).

In summary, we don't need to fear the attacks on the church, but rather we need to recognize that Jesus is still with us always, even to the end of the age. (Matt 28:20). He truly does have all authority in Heaven and on earth (Matt 28:18) and is capable of stepping into this world to protect His bride, the Church. We are called to love one another (John 13:34), and even to love our enemies and pray for those who persecute us (Matt 5:44). Let us entrust ourselves to Jesus, the Lord over all. He will lead and guide and intervene as necessary.

### More On Sin

## 07-14

This morning I read back over my journal entries from last Monday and Tuesday where I was contemplating the topic of sin. This subject really is complex, and not so simple to define or analyze. The idea of missing the mark is definitely part of the equation, and probably good in some ways, describing the effort to do good, but failing. However, it does not accurately describe the heart condition, for clearly sin can be rooted in rebellion and disobedience, and in those cases, there really isn't any desire to hit the bulls-eye. We can freely choose to sin, despite knowing some of the consequences. We can choose to rebel against the Lord, believing our perspective over His, all of which He allows in His unwillingness to take away our free will. There are even those that embrace a life-style of sin, reveling in their wickedness and sinful excesses, and God allows them to continue on that path. God's attitude towards us is so amazing, for He patiently waits for each of us to recognize our need for Him, and His love for us.

Another component to think on is the idea of the consequences of sin. As I mentioned before, I think part of the reason why God hates sin is that He sees the consequences of sin, and how that affects our image of Him and understanding of His character. The enemy is constantly accusing God of many things, in our minds and hearts, and blaming Him for the consequences of our actions. If we think about the story of Adam and Eve, as our first example of sin, the Lord described some of the consequences to disobedience prior to their eating the apple. He didn't describe them all, but the result of the actions are significant. Separation of relationship, relinquishing authority and rule, division between Adam and Eve, shame and guilt are all consequences of this initial disobedience and sin.

One of the problems with sin is that it starts us down a path of consequences, none of which we really want to experience. We can choose to get back up and try to do better (repentance), or we can just continue down the path we have started upon. The enemy would try to convince us that it is worthless to try and get back on the right path, and that our sin has lost for us the opportunity for experiencing God's best for us. Yet, the Lord, through Jesus' sacrifice, has made exactly that possible. It is forgiveness and the canceling of the debt of sin, that sets us free from the power of sin and enables us to start over.

Looking at a few well known situations from Scripture - Peter did not lose his place as an apostle when he denied Christ. He did not lose his place of primacy in the newborn church (John 21). Paul, through his attacks on the church did not disqualify himself from becoming an Apostle (Acts 8 & 9). Peter, in embracing the idea of requiring circumcision for believers, was clearly wrong (sin) and yet maintained his position and authority (Gal 2:11-13). In all of these instances, the Lord's forgiveness and repentance provide a restorative path. There were some consequences, that were experienced, but in the end, the plan and purpose of God were fulfilled in both Peter and Paul's lives.

Secondly, sin does not cancel God's love for us (John 3:16-17). He continues to bless us and do good to us and for us in spite of our sinful state (Matt 5:45). He is good and He does good (Ps 145:9). He is the Father of Lights, and every good gift comes from Him (James 1:17). Our sin does not affect His character. He loves us because He is love (1John 4:8). God continues to bless and pour forth His love on us, despite our sin, and the consequences of our sins.

I find myself realizing that my study of sin really leads me to understand God's mercy, compassion and love in a deeper way. Often times the impression I had received was that sin would only lead me to experience God's judgment, yet if one really looks at God's attitude towards sinners, as described in the New Testament, you cannot help but realize that God would rather extend mercy, compassion, forgiveness and love than judgment. He loves us and wants us to be with Him, in relationship with Him, and He is willing to wait our entire life, regardless of how many sins and mistakes we make, that we might turn to Him and enter into relationship with Him. He is an amazing God!

###

### Does Sin Lead To Punishment?

## 07-15

Last night I was reading from Luke's gospel, and had to stop and reflect on what Jesus was saying in the following verses - Luke 13:1-5 NIV:

[1] Now there were some present at that time who told Jesus about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mixed with their sacrifices. [2] Jesus answered, "Do you think that these Galileans were worse sinners than all the other Galileans because they suffered this way? [3] I tell you, no! But unless you repent, you too will all perish. [4] Or those eighteen who died when the tower in Siloam fell on them---do you think they were more guilty than all the others living in Jerusalem? [5] I tell you, no! But unless you repent, you too will all perish."

These verses are addressing the common belief that bad things happen to bad or sinful people. I have written about this topic previously, and it is always good to reflect upon this theme, as I believe that it is quite pervasive in the Church. Jesus breaks his comments into two parts, a comment about the cause not being sin and the second is about how we should live our lives, in light of such information.

First, He says very clearly that neither the level of sin nor guilt was the cause of those people being killed. Many people would associate such events with the judgment of God, for the sin in their lives. In John 9, the disciples ask Jesus if a man born blind was because of the man's sin or his parents sin. This illustrates the thought that the result of sin is punishment from God.

Jesus has every opportunity to address this and confirm that line of thinking, but instead He says that this is NOT the case. These people were NOT more guilty or greater sinners than others. He makes it clear that all are sinners and all are guilty. It is an indirect point of logic that Jesus uses here. His point is that if sin and guilt were the reason behind suffering and death, then you all would be experiencing exactly the same tragedies!

Many of us are quick to think that because we aren't experiencing sickness, tragedy, or natural disasters that we are somehow in better standing with God than those that are experiencing difficulty and trouble, as if the trouble was a sign of God's displeasure. Again, Jesus says this is NOT the case.

Some of our fellow Christians are quick to call down judgment upon countries or cities that are stepping away from Godly principles or laws, saying that God will punish them for their sinfulness. They believe that some natural disaster, or terrible event is being unleashed from God as a form of punishment. The problem with this thinking is that we are all sinners, we are all guilty of sin, every one of us, Christian and sinner alike. It is only through Jesus' blood applied to our lives, only through His sacrifice that our guilt is forgiven and our sins washed clean. Nothing we have done cleanses our guilt more than anyone else, for it is Jesus' application of His righteousness to our lives that makes us righteous. Jesus makes that exact point here, saying the people who died were no less sinful or guilty than everyone else!

Sickness, tragedy, death and difficulty are not signs of God's displeasure or judgment upon our lives.

Instead of unleashing punishment, natural disasters or tragedy on us to punish us for our sin, God sent His son Jesus, to save us from our sin (Matt 1:21). Jesus took upon Himself all our guilt, all of our sin, and paid for it all. He traded us righteousness for our sinfulness, love for our rebellion and sin, relationship for our disobedience. God extended to us mercy rather than judgment! Why would He act any differently today?

Finally, Jesus gives us all clear direction - it is through repentance that we will be saved. Repentance is translated from the Greek word 'Metanoeo', which basically means you change the way you act after you understand. Once we understand that we are all sinners and all guilty, we should be crying out for mercy, not judgment. Once we understand that God loves us in spite of our sin, and has made a way for us, we should cry out for His forgiveness and accept the salvation that is only available through Jesus! Once we understand that God sent His Son to save us from our sin, we should be grateful and gladly receive His salvation, and share this Good News with those around us.

So let us look with mercy and compassion, not judgment, upon those who are struggling through difficulty, sickness, death or natural disasters. Let us understand that God loves them no less than He loves us, and His response to our sin was to send His very best, His Son to save us all.

Amen!

###

### Thoughts on Prophecies of Judgment

## 07-16

So, this morning I was reading the Minor Prophet Nahum; reading his prophecy of Nineveh's destruction. As I was pondering this prophecy, I came up with a theory concerning the identification of the Lord's anger as the motivation for the crushing of Nineveh. In reality Nahum was just prophesying about Ninevah's coming destruction, and was foretelling that which would occur, the prophecy was accurate as far as the results, but I had some thoughts about the motivation of God. A few possibilities, not necessarily opposing ideas, popped into my mind to explain the language of the prophet, in light of the revelation of Jesus.

1) This is a great example of the progressive revelation of scripture. Nahum has not seen God's great compassion and mercy, not understood the Father's heart toward sinners, and thus ascribed His anger to the reason they are being threatened. Is it possible that God was warning them, much the same as He did through Jonah? Is it possible that their impending doom was the consequences of their own warring ways, and not God's anger?

2) The prophecy is not really much different than some of the few New Testament prophecies we see, just adding God's emotions as cause, rather than just foretelling Nineveh's destruction.

A) See Acts 11:28 - Agabus' prophecy about a coming famine

B) See Acts 21:10-14 Agabus' prophecy to Paul, that He was going to be bound and handed over to the Gentiles.

In both of these instances, Luke does not include any emotions concerning God's anger, yet in the Old Testament language there would have likely been some commentary on God's anger, striking the Roman world with famine, or Paul's something (maybe disobeying the Spirit's warning). But, this side of the revelation of Jesus, concerning the heart of the Father, there is no such inclusion.

3) Nahum's prophecy can't really be read and understood, without also viewing God's warning to Nineveh in the Book of Jonah. God's purpose in warning them was for them to repent, not to destroy them. Here we have Jonah's angry statement to God, and God's response - Jonah 4:2, 11 NIV:

[2] He (Jonah) prayed to the Lord, "Isn't this what I said, Lord, when I was still at home? That is what I tried to forestall by fleeing to Tarshish. I knew that you are a gracious and compassionate God, slow to anger and abounding in love, a God who relents from sending calamity."

God replied [11] "And should I not have concern for the great city of Nineveh, in which there are more than a hundred and twenty thousand people who cannot tell their right hand from their left---and also many animals?"

As I was writing this, I realized that more than ever we really need to read scripture backwards. We need to start with the revelation of Jesus, as He revealed to us exactly who the Father is, and what He is like. Once we have a firm grasp of the heart of the Father, then we can reread the Old Testament, and understand the writings through the filter of God's heart. The Father has never changed, never grown in His feelings, or become more in love, or angrier. He is unchanging (Heb 6:16-17) and He does not lie. If we look at Jesus, and understand that He would not have said something, then the Father wouldn't say it either, because Jesus was the exact representation of the Father (Heb 1:3).

Jesus did foretell of the coming destruction of the temple and Jerusalem (Matt 24 & Luke 21). He does not ascribe this coming destruction to the Father's anger, nor does He express anger with Jerusalem. In fact, He expresses compassion for Jerusalem in Matt 23:37. He effectively warns the people, and because of His warning and the warning of John, through The Book of Revelations, no Christian perished when Jerusalem was destroyed and more than a million Jews killed. Jesus says this destruction will happen to fulfill what was written (Luke 21:22). In other words, the prophecy was accurate, but He does not ascribe emotion or motivation to the Father, as the cause. Instead He says it is for 'Ekdikesis' (a Greek word that meant justice served, or vengeance served for previous acts). One could almost translate this as consequences of your previous actions.

This subject is a complex subject and obviously requires more study and understanding. I am encouraged to dig deeper into the Word, working to understand the heart of the Father, the revelation of Jesus, and the guidance of the Holy Spirit in regard to all this. The Father desires that we represent Him correctly to our fellow humans.

Lord, I pray that You would help me, for I desire to represent Your heart in all my ways.

###

### Seeing Jesus, We See the Father

## 07-18

This morning I opened my Bible back up to John's Gospel, to continue where I left off and saw these two verses, which I have clearly read before, but which really grabbed my attention, most likely because of some of the themes I have been thinking about lately.

John 12:44-45 NIV

[44] "Then Jesus cried out, "Whoever believes in me does not believe in me only, but in the one who sent me. [45] The one who looks at me is seeing the one who sent me."

That last statement is pretty amazing - when we look at Jesus, we see the Father! I don't know that I remembered Jesus saying this so clearly. He came to represent the Father, to show what the Father is like, to bring clarity to our incorrect perspectives, and ideas. When we look at Him, we see the Father. When we believe in Him, we believe in the Father. When we encounter Him, we encounter the Father!

I know that I believe all that about their Heavenly existence as the Trinity, three in one, all God, all one. I believe it is equally important for us to believe that about Jesus' earthly existence and ministry. Even though He emptied Himself and became man, putting His divinity behind His humanity, and choosing to live as a man, He was a perfect representation of the Father to us all. His embracing of our human nature required a limitation of His divine union, and in that limited state He demonstrated how we all could be one with the Father, through the ministration and guidance of the Holy Spirit. He still perfectly represented the Father's heart and thoughts, and actions. When we look at Him, we see the Father, perfectly portrayed, perfectly reflected.

Lord, help us to do two things. First, help us to dive deep into Your word, into the Gospels, and help us to really see You, and in seeing You see the Father. Second, help us to faithfully represent and reflect who You, the Father and the Holy Spirit are to those around us, just as You did.

Amen!

### Comfort and Suffering

## 07-19

This morning I was reading through Paul's second letter to the Corinthians. These verses are another set that rarely get preached in church, and should cause us to stop and evaluate our expectations about our lives as Christians. Paul writes the following - 2 Corinthians 1:3-7 NIV:

[3] "Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, [4] who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God. [5] For just as we share abundantly in the sufferings of Christ, so also our comfort abounds through Christ. [6] If we are distressed, it is for your comfort and salvation; if we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which produces in you patient endurance of the same sufferings we suffer. [7] And our hope for you is firm, because we know that just as you share in our sufferings, so also you share in our comfort."

The couple of things that are just uncomfortable to hear about are our sharing "abundantly in the sufferings of Christ" and sharing in their (Paul's) own sufferings. I don't know about you, but I really prefer a life with little or no suffering, and sharing abundantly in the sufferings of Christ, doesn't sound like that. My rationalization is that Paul was speaking primarily about him and his companions and that he couldn't be referring to all of us. This certainly sounds good to me, but I think it is incorrect.

When you look back at the sufferings that Paul and his companions endured, the vast majority of them were directly related to persecutions they were experiencing because of their faith and following of Jesus. In fact, Jesus warned His disciples about this very thing (Luke 21:12-19). There is no doubt that many of the sufferings of Paul were due to his willing obedience and ministry. Paul was not afraid of persecution, standing for His faith, or explaining his faith to unbelieving and even at times hostile groups. He recognized the reality of the times they lived in, and saw his endurance in the face of persecution something that would help others going through the same.

In our present-day culture which is quickly departing from Christian values and morals, as Christians, we will once again be faced with similar persecutions. So, let us set our hearts and encourage one another, recognizing that in these environments Christianity has flourished, and will continue to flourish.

We will learn the comfort of God in all our troubles. His comfort, His favor, His blessings will continue to be poured forth upon us, and His kingdom will continue to increase. So, let us not be surprised or discouraged if we are being persecuted individually or as a group, for Jesus experienced all and still had joy set before Him.

Amen.

### The Unrelenting Love of God!

## 07-20

This morning I read through the whole book of Hosea. This is such an interesting book, for it describes the unrelenting love of the Father, in spite of the unfaithfulness of His people. There is a constant desire from God, for the people to turn back to Him, to refrain from their evil and rebellious ways and return to the Lord. Some might read this book and conclude that God is angry and judgmental, based on the language of the sections where the Lord is speaking of their sin, rebellion and waywardness. However, if you read the beginning and the end, you see that the Father's heart has never changed towards His people. Here is how the book opens - Hosea 1:2, 10-11 NIV:

[2] "When the Lord began to speak through Hosea, the Lord said to him, "Go, marry a promiscuous woman and have children with her, for like an adulterous wife this land is guilty of unfaithfulness to the Lord."

[10] "Yet the Israelites will be like the sand on the seashore, which cannot be measured or counted. In the place where it was said to them, 'You are not my people,' they will be called 'children of the living God.' [11] The people of Judah and the people of Israel will come together; they will appoint one leader and will come up out of the land, for great will be the day of Jezreel."

There is a sense that God, despite His sadness and frustration over the people's constant pursuit of other gods, never stops loving them. He always longs for their return, longs to lavish them with His love. Despite His strong language and warnings, God's heart is always for them. Here is a set of verses that describe His heart very well - Hosea 11:8-11 NIV:

[8] "How can I give you up, Ephraim? How can I hand you over, Israel? How can I treat you like Admah? How can I make you like Zeboyim? My heart is changed within me; all my compassion is aroused. [9] I will not carry out my fierce anger, nor will I devastate Ephraim again. For I am God, and not a man---the Holy One among you. I will not come against their cities. [10] They will follow the Lord; he will roar like a lion. When he roars, his children will come trembling from the west. [11] They will come from Egypt, trembling like sparrows, from Assyria, fluttering like doves. I will settle them in their homes," declares the Lord."

In verse 8 the word here translated changed, actually means to be turned over or flipped over. I was thinking about this and I think it perfectly describes the heart of someone who is jealous for another's love. They are angry that they are not the object of the other's affection, but that anger is immediately replaced with an awareness of the incredible love they have for the other. It would almost seem like the heart is flipping back and forth, but the same emotion drives it - incredible love.

The last section of this book is a continued reflection of God's love for His people - Hosea 14:1-9 NIV

[1] "Return, Israel, to the Lord your God. Your sins have been your downfall!"

[2] "Take words with you and return to the Lord. Say to him: "Forgive all our sins and receive us graciously, that we may offer the fruit of our lips. [3] Assyria cannot save us; we will not mount warhorses. We will never again say 'Our gods' to what our own hands have made, for in you the fatherless find compassion."

[4] "I will heal their waywardness and love them freely, for my anger has turned away from them. [5] I will be like the dew to Israel; he will blossom like a lily. Like a cedar of Lebanon he will send down his roots; [6] his young shoots will grow. His splendor will be like an olive tree, his fragrance like a cedar of Lebanon. [7] People will dwell again in his shade; they will flourish like the grain, they will blossom like the vine---Israel's fame will be like the wine of Lebanon. [8] Ephraim, what more have I to do with idols? I will answer him and care for him. I am like a flourishing juniper; your fruitfulness comes from me."

[9] "Who is wise? Let them realize these things. Who is discerning? Let them understand. The ways of the Lord are right; the righteous walk in them, but the rebellious stumble in them."

The Lord desires nothing more than to love them freely. He desires to bless them and heal them, to prosper them and increase them. His desire is to overlook all their sin, rebellion and waywardness and show them His incredible love.

Our God is truly amazing in His capacity to love and forgive. As He said in chapter 11, verse 9, He is God, not a man. He will not respond like a man would, but will rather respond like only God could, with Love and mercy.

Thank You Lord for Your amazing love.

As I was thinking more about these verses and the whole context of the revelation of the Father through Jesus' life, I realized why it was so important to get this perspective, that seeing Jesus, we see the Father. Throughout the Old Testament the Father is described in terms that we never see Jesus embody. We don't see Him releasing judgment and destruction, we don't see Him expressing anger at the sinners. He does not treat us as our sins would require, and instead saves sinners, heals their diseases. He does not cause disease, He heals disease. He does not harden hearts, He softens hearts with Love and kindness. He does not express His anger, accept at those who color the Father wrongly and make people think God is all judgmental. He expresses the passion of the Father for His people! He celebrates the significance of each of the people He meets. He loves all, regardless of their sin, rebellion and waywardness. The Father is really just like Jesus showed us, and anything else that we hear is untrue.

Lord, please open our eyes, our ears and our hearts and minds to these truths. You really do Love us!

###

### God Isn't Human

## 07-21

So last night I was thinking about the fact that God isn't human. In Hosea 11:9 He says, "I am God, and not man". He is saying this because He does not act the way we humans act, and wanted to make sure that we understood that point. In the Book of Isaiah 55:8 He says this "For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways," declares the Lord." It is important for us to understand that God is not man. He doesn't act the way we act, and we don't think the way He thinks.

We are constantly trying to project our thoughts and emotions on God, trying to understand His motives. We use human emotions and thought patterns to try to explain God, but all are woefully lacking. While it is true that we are made in His image, being in the image of something does not mean it is exactly like the original. A hand drawn pencil caricature of me is an image of me, as is a photograph, as is a theatrical production based on my writings. All of these convey something about me, but none of them capture the fullness of me. In the same way, we are at best a shadow, an extreme subset of God. So, trying to explain God using our thoughts, words and emotions is bound to fall short.

I think this is where many people, especially the thinkers, stumble in their faith. They encounter something in life that makes no logical sense, or seems completely unfair, or just plain wrong, and their response is to blame God. They ascribe human characteristics or motivations to God as they try to make sense of the situation, and that will always fall short. God is not man, we don't think like Him, and He doesn't act like us. We desperately want to make God like us, so we can understand Him.

Thankfully, God understood our limitations and took it upon Himself to show us what He is like in human form so that we could better understand Him. He sent His Son Jesus, to reveal to us His character, His heart and His thoughts. He gave us what we want, God in Human form. The problem is that He doesn't seem to act the way we thought God would act. The old question, "what would Jesus do?" is actually a very pertinent question, for in understanding what Jesus would do, we see the heart and character of the Father revealed. When we don't understand something, our first thoughts should not be "why God?", but rather, "what would Jesus do or say?" We clearly don't have a record of everything Jesus said or did, but we have a good foundation of understanding recorded in the Gospels.

As we study the scriptures and read about Jesus' interaction with the people, His disciples, and the religious leaders of the day, we start to understand God's character, and some bit of His thinking. Jesus constantly perplexed those around Him, for He didn't act the way they thought the Messiah would act. He didn't seem to care about popularity, about offending the "so-called" religious leaders or rulers. He loved sinners, healed the sick, freed those bound by sin and the deception of the enemy, He had mercy and compassion on the poor and lowly, He did not judge, He did not punish, He served, He humbled Himself, He loved deeply, He touched lives, He saw the truth of people, He called people into their purpose, He taught, He opened our understanding to scripture and in all of this He revealed the Father.

In addition to Jesus, God Himself, as the Holy Spirit as come to us, to our very lives, as our advocate, guide, counselor, teacher and help (John 14:15-27; John 15:26-27; John 16:5-16) . We have inside of us, Him. He, again, doesn't act the way we think God would act if He were inside of someone. We would likely expect Him to be all powerful, possessing us for His purposes, overruling and directing, and making us slaves to His will, for that is how we portray people who are possessed of some other personality or will in movies and stories. Instead, the Holy Spirit is gentle and loving, willing to wait, never forcing, always subjecting Himself to our will within our lives, for that is the whole premise of our free-will.

Make no mistake, the Holy Spirit is full of power and strength, and certainly could take over our puny wills and minds. Instead He chooses to work through us, through those willingly allowing His power to flow through them. It is through people like you and me that the Holy Spirit has demonstrated awesome power in miracles and signs and wonders, healings, etc. He is not short of power nor constrained by our limited human bodies. He has healed people through Peter's shadow, through Paul's kerchief, through simple proximity. He has raised people from the dead, revealed people's hearts and hidden thoughts, and set prisoners free from jail. On His own, He has shaken houses, sent power in such a way that the whole town heard the sound of rushing wind, and enabled people to speak in languages they did not know. He is thoroughly capable of amazing things, whether working through people or on His own.

This is the mystery of God, He is all powerful, yet humbling Himself and respecting our free will. He works miracles and signs and wonders, and yet at times seems silent. He is the creator of the universe, yet He lives in us. He is perfect, yet He loves us in our imperfection. He hates sin, yet He loves us sinners. He is all knowing, yet He loves to hear us speak to Him and converse with Him in relationship. He is God of all, yet He chooses to become like us. I could go on and on, and I would never stop uncovering the Glory of God, nor His mystery. He clearly is not man.

So, let us press in and endeavor to know Him more. Let us not stumble over the things we cannot understand about God, but rather ask for insight, understanding and revelation. God desires to be known, desires to be loved, and desires to be represented as His is to this lost world. Lord God, help us!

###

### The Kingdom Within

## 07-23

This morning I was reading from Luke 17:20-21 NIV:

[20] "Once, on being asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come, Jesus replied, "The coming of the kingdom of God is not something that can be observed, [21] nor will people say, 'Here it is,' or 'There it is,' because the kingdom of God is in your midst."

The Greek word that has been translated 'midst' is 'Entos', and it literally means inside or within you. Another way to translate the last sentence would be, "The Kingdom of God (His authority and rule) is inside of your being (within you)." It is interesting that Jesus answered this question this way, for they were clearly thinking of the literal Kingdom of God being established over Israel, kicking out the Roman's and establishing themselves as a sovereign nation once again, under the Kingship of the Messiah. Jesus' answer must have been completely confusing to them, for their paradigm of God's Kingdom was completely different.

In some ways, I think our perspective is somewhat similar, in that we expect the Kingdom of God, as demonstrated by the Church, to have earthly influence. This is not a wrong expectation, for one would hope that Godly and faithful people would influence and be a part of the governments of the world, bringing influence and Godly perspective. It is possible for a nation to be dedicated to God, as our nation was at its inception. However, this is not a requirement for the Kingdom of God to prosper and increase. The Kingdom of God exists on a personal level, that is both below the boundary lines of politics, regions, and nations and yet transcendent over all.

What this means personally is that God desires to rule and reign in our lives, if that is where His authority and rule exists. This should have significant impact in our lives and the way we live. The Kingdom of God is not just to bring salvation to people, but to establish the rule and reign and authority of God in their life as well. For example, owning and wearing a T-Shirt with the name and official seal of another county does not make one a citizen. In the US, we require education on the rules and structure of the government, a pledge to follow those rules and laws, and a commitment to abide under and by the authority of the government.

I believe God's expectations are no less, for we are called to live our lives in relationship, unity and obedience to the will of the Father. Being a member of the Kingdom of God, is more than just calling ourselves Christians and being nice. There are millions if not billions of nice people belonging to every Nation in the world, and probably every faith. No, being a member of the Kingdom of God is active and volitional and related to His rule and reign. Since the Kingdom of God advances on the personal level, we have responsibility to live our lives as members of the Kingdom.

We are not some people whose national citizenship is decided for us, as would be the case in where one government decided to surrender to another, and as happened to the citizens of many nations due to war. No, our citizenship in the Kingdom of God is decided by us, and is a personal decision. Our living under the rule and authority of God is also a personal decision.

So, this morning, I am encouraged to look at my life, to consider whether the rule and reign of God is evident in my life? Have I embraced His authority and reign? Do I align myself under His rule, and do I obey His directives? Lord, my desire is to experience the fullness of Your Kingdom, so please help me to grow in my understanding and my ability to follow Your Kingship.

###

### Prayer, Perseverance and Faith

## 07-24

This morning I opened my Bible and started reading where I left off yesterday, in Luke 18. Jesus starts this chapter with an interesting parable - Luke 18:1-8 NIV:

[1] "Then Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up. [2] He said: "In a certain town there was a judge who neither feared God nor cared what people thought. [3] And there was a widow in that town who kept coming to him with the plea, 'Grant me justice against my adversary.'

[4] "For some time he refused. But finally he said to himself, 'Even though I don't fear God or care what people think, [5] yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will see that she gets justice, so that she won't eventually come and attack me!' "

[6] And the Lord said, "Listen to what the unjust judge says. [7] And will not God bring about justice for his chosen ones, who cry out to him day and night? Will he keep putting them off? [8] I tell you, he will see that they get justice, and quickly. However, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on the earth?"

I like the fact that Luke added the narrative to start the story, for one could wonder about the overall meaning without those comments. Jesus sometimes used comparisons to describe His Father, and this is one of those times. He was not saying the Father was like the judge, rather just the opposite. He was saying that if even a bad judge would issue the right decision if pressured enough, then how much more so will our Father in heaven, who is the very definition of good, and who needs no pressure, nor reminding.

It is interesting to compare this story to some of the other stories and discussion Jesus had about prayer, and the Father's heart. I am reminded of two specific sections:

Matthew 6:7-15 NIV:  
[7] "And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words. [8] Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him."

[9] "This, then, is how you should pray: " 'Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, [10] your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. [11] Give us today our daily bread. [12] And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. [13] And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one. ' [14] For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. [15] But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins."

-and -

Matthew 7:7-11 NIV:  
[7] "Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. [8] For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.

[9] "Which of you, if your son asks for bread, will give him a stone? [10] Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? [11] If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!"

When one reads these two sections, a different perspective on prayer and the Father's heart is communicated, than if one were to only read the passages from Luke. This is a great example of why we can't just extract one set of verses and create theological understanding or principles from that one section. We must read and understand the whole of the Bible, to rightly understand sections that might be questionable.

In a quick reading of Luke 18, in absence of the other sections from Matthew, one could think that Jesus was saying we must keep praying until we get our prayers met, as if God was like the bad judge and needed our prayers to move on our behalf. Yet we find Jesus giving the exact opposite direction in Matt 6 - don't be like the pagans who babble on with many words. He says the Father knows what we need before we ask Him. So, what would be the point of the story from Luke? Luke was recounting the story which had been conveyed to him by someone who remembered the story and was giving their interpretation of its meaning. I am not saying He wasn't guided by the Holy Spirit in his writing of the Gospels, but is it possible that some of the meaning was left out of the beginning narrative?

In understanding Jesus' comments we need to go back to some foundational truths. First, He is speaking about those in relationship with the Father (His chosen ones). The Father IS good, is loving, is faithful, is just, is our provider, is our healer, is all knowing, and is all powerful. The Father does not need to be reminded of our need, or our situation, so what is the point of crying out night and day? I believe the issue Jesus is trying to address is our faith in Him, which is the last statement He makes (Luke 18:8).

I believe the purpose behind encouraging the disciples to pray and not give up was that they might be reminded of the Father's character and promises. I know when I am feeling pressured or in difficult circumstances, what I need is to take my eyes off myself, and focus on the Lord. I need to gain His perspective, and when I do I am comforted and at peace. I need to be reminded of who He is, and what He is capable of doing on my behalf. I need to be reminded of His complete and right perspective, compared to my very limited and selfish perspective. When I am in prayer or communication with the Lord, He reminds me of these things, and I am comforted. My faith in Him is my anchor of peace. When things get really hairy, I find myself needing to be in constant remembering mode, otherwise I lose perspective.

So, in looking at the beginning narrative, I think I would add a bit about faith, for that seems to be what Jesus is actually discussing, and is actually what He closes the story with, a statement about faith. I would add something like the following - "... to show them that they should always pray and not give up, and remind themselves of God's faithfulness and love, stirring up their faith in Him."

God is good, is in control, and is not surprised or worried about our situation. He has a plan and it is good!

Amen.

### Practical Wisdom From Paul

## 07-25

This morning I was reading from 1 Timothy 4:7-14 NIV:

[7] "Have nothing to do with godless myths and old wives' tales; rather, train yourself to be godly. [8] For physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come.

[9] This is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance. [10] That is why we labor and strive, because we have put our hope in the living God, who is the Savior of all people, and especially of those who believe."

[11] "Command and teach these things. [12] Don't let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith and in purity. [13] Until I come, devote yourself to the public reading of Scripture, to preaching and to teaching. [14] Do not neglect your gift, which was given you through prophecy when the body of elders laid their hands on you."

As I look at these verses, I see some very practical guidance that Paul was providing to Timothy.

1) Physical exercise and training is good.  
2) Spiritual training and exercise is better and affects our life here and in eternity.  
3) The spreading of the Gospel is work, takes effort, but is valuable to all people.  
4) It is important to be intentional in our lives, to set examples for fellow members of the Body of Christ.  
5) It is important to remind ourselves of the calling in our lives, the things that God has said about us, and to press into those things.

One other thing that was interesting is Paul's statement in verse 10, about Jesus being the "...Savior of all people, especially of those who believe." The original language says exactly that, that God is the Savior of all people, especially the believers. The Greek words translated "all" and "people" are Pas and Anthropos, and both mean everyone. See the definitions below:

Pas:

1) individually  
A) each, every, any, all, the whole, everyone, all things, everything

Anthropos:

1) a human being, whether male or female  
A) generically, to include all human individuals

Some of the commentators say the usage of this language very rarely actually means every person, but is a general expression to mean most people. In many instances, I can see their point, but in this statement, I see no reason to believe anything other than what is written, that God is the Savior of everyone. Whether or not we accept His salvation is up to us, but it is apparently available to all people, through faith. This is would be a very non-Calvinist perspective, but I must believe in the justice and love of God, believing that His grace and mercy is available to every one of us, because we are all His creation. His saving grace is available to every man, woman and child, and those who believe especially experience the reality of this salvation.

### 

### Working Out Our Salvation? (Phil. 2:12)

## 07-27

This morning I am reading from Paul's letter to the Philippians 2:1-13, as a result of my good friend Mason asking a question concerning verse twelve. I love this chapter for there is so much covered by Paul, especially in these thirteen verses. I am going to focus on the last two verses, but the previous verses, all set the stage for those two verses, so I have included them. As my friend and former pastor John Brown says, "When you see 'therefore' in scripture, you should ask yourself what is it there for?" In every case, the following sections have established a foundation that is being built upon by that which follows the 'therefore'. So here are the verses - Philippians 2:1-13 NIV:

[1] Therefore if you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any common sharing in the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, [2] then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and of one mind. [3] Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, [4] not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others. [5] In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus:

[6] Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage;  
[7] rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness.  
[8] And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death---even death on a cross!

[9] Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name,  
[10] that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth,  
[11] and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

[12] Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed---not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence---continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, [13] for it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose.

The quick summary is as follows, drawing the basic theme from each paragraph:

1) Because of our relationship with Jesus, pursue oneness with your brothers and sisters in Christ, through humility.  
2) This humility was demonstrated to us by Jesus, who as God, humbled Himself and became just like us.  
3) Jesus, because of His sacrifice for our sin, was glorified by the Father.  
4) We should pursue this same humility and oneness, being like Jesus, and it will take work on our part, but God will help us.

If we were to read verse twelve on its own, it could confuse us regarding the Gospel of salvation through faith. Paul writes very clearly that works (following the law) could not lead us to righteousness in his letter to the Galatians (Gal 2:19-21) and other places as well (Rom 4 & 5), so what does he mean in verses 12 & 13 when he says, "work out your salvation"?

I believe that Paul is addressing our efforts to be like Christ. The Greek word that is translated 'salvation' here is speaking about one's present possession, not something yet to be acquired. In other words, Paul is not addressing our actual salvation, but the living in the place of being saved and following Christ. Humility and dying to one's self, putting other's interests before our own, being obedient to Christ are all things that require effort on our part. None of these is easy to do. We are being encouraged to die to ourselves. Jesus called it denying oneself and taking up one's cross daily (Matt 16:24) and that sounds like work to me.

We are encouraged to this way of life because Jesus called us to it. We are encouraged to this walk because the Father clearly favors it. We are capable of doing this, of embracing this lifestyle, because God will help us! It is Him, through the power of the Holy Spirit, helping us to will and act. It is our effort, but His impetus!

I have always been interested in Paul's statement 'with fear and trembling' as that does not seem particularly helpful. Why should I fear becoming like the one who loves me and has died for me? Here is a statement from Strong's Exhaustive concordance concerning the original Greek, that is translated 'fear and trembling': "[the phrase] with fear and trembling, [is] used to describe the anxiety of one who distrusts his ability completely to meet all requirements, but religiously does his utmost to fulfil his duty." That definition was very helpful in understanding this phrase, and Paul's use of it here in these verses. If I know anything, I know that I will not succeed well in denying myself and taking up my cross with just my own effort. Without the Lord's help, through relationship and encouragement, I have no chance of successfully walking this out.

Finally, the whole section follows Paul's description of his persecution and imprisonment due to his ministry. He says that the Philippians are experiencing the same, and are suffering for following Christ Jesus (Phil 1: 12-29). Paul is encouraging them, therefore, to press into each other, to pursue humility and oneness, to become like Christ, in the face of this suffering and persecution. My natural reaction is to pull back and separate myself during times of struggle and suffering and Paul is encouraging them to do the exact opposite.

In my mind, I just saw the image of a muskox herd, which when threatened form a circle with the helpless and young in the middle, and the mature and strong closing ranks with their horns facing outward. This is what Paul is talking about, versus the opposite reaction that antelope have when threatened, they all run away and the youngest and weakest are at risk and ultimately are the ones that get killed. Paul is encouraging us to press into each other, to protect each other, to carry each other, to serve each other. None of that is easy, and it requires that we deny ourselves and our proclivity to run and flee when threatened.

Lord, thank You for this encouragement and enlightenment! Help me to walk in Your ways, to deny myself and to love and serve others. Help us as Your church to learn from You and to press into each other, and help each other, especially in times of struggle and difficulty.

Amen!

###

### Pressing Forward To Know Jesus

## 07-30

This evening I am continuing my reading from Paul's letter to the Philippians, and have jumped over to the third chapter. This is one of those really well-known sections of scripture. I want to focus on it as it reflects the Good News, and Paul's understanding of the value of a life in Christ. I will share the verses first, then break them down.

Philippians 3:7-14 NIV:

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

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

The first thing I notice is that Paul is talking about his relationship with Jesus - the surpassing worth of knowing Him. His statement is quite simply that knowing Jesus is more valuable and of greater worth than anything else. In fact, in light of relationship with Jesus, all things are as garbage. He has lost all things willingly, laid them down, for they no longer have any real value in light of knowing Christ. Paul had power, knowledge, was well respected in the community, and was one of the movers and shakers, and he willingly lost all of that, because their value was surpassed in knowing Jesus.

I think this is one of the first things we need to focus on and learn to cultivate in our lives. For so many of us our faith is very little about relationship with Jesus, and more likely related to participation in a church, relationships with the people there, and participation in the programs and liturgies of that place. The great treasure is the Lord, not our church body or programs. If our primary focus lies anywhere other than Jesus, then we are missing the whole point of our Christianity - it is about relationships with the Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

Paul was so focused on the Lord, on becoming like Him, that he was willing to enter into Jesus' life, even sharing in the sufferings. He embraced Jesus through the glory and persecutions, knowing that in Him, and through knowing Him, the door to His purpose and eternal relationship would be opened. Paul seems to be taking on the personality and character of Christ, becoming like Him in all things, and that is His goal.

Secondly, Paul is willing to forget everything that is in the past, and willing to start each day with a new drive forward in the Lord. He was not satisfied with what He had experienced for he knew there was far more to experience and to understand, so He constantly pressed forward. He was not going to allow himself to be held back by wounds or injuries or even successes from his past. He knew that the Lord had a purpose in calling him out of his sin and deception and he had not yet seen it in its fullest. The Lord had a plan for His life that Paul strove forward to grab hold of, never satisfied in what he had attained so far.

Again, one wonders how many people in our churches have this hunger and drive? In the place of relationship and personal growth, it seems that we have inserted attendance and listening with very little interaction and actual relationship stuff. We spoon feed most of the people little bits and satisfy their dim hunger for another week and this is all they know. Once in a while we encounter someone truly hungry. They have this belief that there should be more to this life of faith. They are driving forward, desiring to be fed, and desirous of real relationship, and in that place, they want to understand more about their purpose and God's plan for their lives. This is really the heart of the Good News, that knowing our God is possible, that He has a plan, a good plan for Your life, and it is for the whole of your life, whatever your age. Yes, His plan is for every day of our life, we are never too young or too old.

So this evening I am encouraged that there is always more in Jesus, through relationship with Him, that I have yet to encounter. Lord, my desire is to know You and Your purposes for me. I want to experience such a relationship with You that it surpasses everything else in worth and value. Lord I desire some real understanding and experiences that completely break down my paradigms of what I think is possible.

Lord, we look to You, for You have everything we need! Amen!

###

### Reflecting on God's Love and Faithfulness

## 07-30

This morning I opened up to the Psalms, which I haven't done in quite a while. I used to always start with part of a Psalm, as I spent time in prayer, as so often my heart resonates with what the psalmist is expressing. This morning I am reflecting on Psalm 108:1-5 NIV:

[1] "My heart, O God, is steadfast; I will sing and make music with all my soul.  
[2] Awake, harp and lyre! I will awaken the dawn.  
[3] I will praise you, Lord, among the nations; I will sing of you among the peoples.  
[4] For great is your love, higher than the heavens; your faithfulness reaches to the skies.  
[5] Be exalted, O God, above the heavens; let your glory be over all the earth."

As soon as I read these verses, I was reminded of an old worship song based on this Psalm. It is interesting that for me the best way to learn or memorize scripture is through song lyrics. This particular song is from 30+ years ago, and I still remember the words and melody. I have tried many times to memorize scripture, but it just doesn't seem to stay with me the way songs do. I guess that is part of the whole purpose of the Psalms, for they are actually songs that were written and sung, and passed down. They were reflections of the psalmist's interactions with the Lord.

A few things strike me this morning as I reflect on these verses. First, David is moved to song by his reflections on the Lord. He spends time in the morning, singing and stirring his heart. What a great practice to have in one's life, to begin the day reflecting on the Lord. I am always blessed during my (mostly) daily ritual of waking to a time of prayer with the Lord. It does take time and discipline to continue to do this almost every day, but my relationship with the Lord is my greatest treasure.

Secondly, David is reflecting on the Lord's love and faithfulness. A love higher than the heavens is pretty large, in fact it would be infinite. My honey and I like to compare our love for each other to things in this world. She will say things like "I love you more than chocolate, or more than the ocean." I will replay that I love her more, most, and even mostest. This is the language of love, and here David is prophetically speaking about God and saying God's love for us is greater than the heavens. God uses the same kind of comparative language when speaking to us about His love for us. That is awesome!

Third, the topic of faithfulness comes up when David is reflecting on God's love. It appears that the two characteristics of God, His Love and Faithfulness are closely linked. It is impossible for God to love us, higher than the heavens, and not be faithful to us. I believe the imagery of faithfulness that reaches to the skies is related to the consistent appearance of the sun, moon and stars. We have learned that they and our path around and through them are mathematically predictable. I think David is describing a faithfulness that is consistent, never changing, always dependable. Webster's Dictionary defines faithfulness as follows:

1 obsolete : full of faith  
2 : steadfast in affection or allegiance : loyal  
3 : firm in adherence to promises or in observance of duty : conscientious  
4 : given with strong assurance : binding

I like that definition, and find it particularly helpful in thinking of God that way, in His affections for me. He is steadfast in His affections. In other words, He won't change His mind about loving me. He is firm in His adherence to His promises to me. He won't ever forget His promises nor will He forget about me. He gives us those promises with strong assurance. His promise to love us and be faithful to us is something He proved by sending us Jesus to save us all. He sent that which was most precious to Him, as a sign of His love and faithfulness.

Throughout history there are tales of epic love and faithfulness between men and women, husbands and wives. This story of God's love and faithfulness to us is really astounding! He has poured forth the greatest love in history, and lavished it on us!

Lord, I am so grateful for Your love and faithfulness! I look forward to the day that I will join the heavenly chorus proclaiming the glory of Your love and faithfulness! Your love is amazing! You truly love me the mostest! Amen!

###

### Grace and Peace: Awesome Gifts from God!

## 07-31

This early morning, I just opened up my Bible and started reading from Paul's letter to the Galatians. I was grabbed by the simplicity of his opening lines - Galatians 1:3-5 NIV:

[3] "Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ, [4] who gave himself for our sins to rescue us from the present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father, [5] to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen."

As I was just thinking about the line "grace and peace to you from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ" I had an image float through my mind that the "grace and peace" were gifts from God. I could almost see a big present labelled "grace" and another present labelled "peace". They are for us and they are from God!

Grace is best defined as unmerited favor. In other words, we did nothing to deserve it, nothing! It would be like I purchased a bouquet of beautiful roses and walked out of the store and gave them to a random woman that I had never seen before. That would be a great example of unmerited favor. Now suppose that I actually know the woman, although she doesn't know me. I know quite much about her life, her choices, both good and bad, and still decided to give her the roses. That is closer to an example of what God is presenting us with when He gives us grace. Now take it one step further and suppose that I have unlimited resources and in addition to giving the woman the bouquet of roses, I also pay all her debts off, every last one of them, her car, her mortgage, even all of her maxed-out credit cards. Now that is starting to sound like what God has done for each of us! Wow!

Now looking at the gift of peace, the word used here is the Greek word Eirene which is pronounced i-ray'-nay.

Definition:

1. a state of national tranquility  
A. exception from the rage and havoc of war

2. peace between individuals, i.e. harmony, concord  
3.security, safety, prosperity, felicity, (because peace and harmony make and keep things safe and prosperous)

4. of the Messiah's peace  
A. the way that leads to peace (salvation)

5. of Christianity, the tranquil state of a soul assured of its salvation through Christ, and so fearing nothing from God and content with its earthly lot, of whatsoever sort that is  
6. the blessed state of devout and upright men after death

There is much to this word, and one could believe that Paul actually meant them all (except maybe the last one, as He was addressing those who were alive). He was speaking to a persecuted people for the early Christian church was constantly under pressure and attack. It was only after Constantine's conversion in the 300's that the Christian church became a protected and non-persecuted entity. So, tranquility would be a great gift to the people of the church.

Secondly, peace between the members of the Body of Christ, the church in Galatia, would be a huge blessing. Peace in any house or organization is blessed, for the opposite is terrible to live through and experience.

Third, personal security and safety is always welcome. There is nothing so unsettling as to feel that you are in danger. Continuing on in the third definition - prosperity and felicity (great happiness) are certainly welcome in every home and heart. God is our provider, and understanding that allows us to turn to Him in our need, and unload our burdens that we are yoked with, instead taking up His yoke which is easy and light (Matt 11:28-30).

Fourth, peace is descriptive of our path to salvation. Jesus gave himself for our sins, to rescue us from this present evil age (Gal 1:4). He intends that we understand our salvation experientially.

Fifth, the knowledge of our salvation and God's blessing and His character provides a unique insight that many people do not understand or experience. Paul describes it elsewhere as a peace that passes understanding (Phil 4:7). There is a settled-ness in the soul of one who is saved. The early martyrs were amazing examples of possessing this peace and settled-ness in the face of terrible death. It was recorded that many faced their death at peace and worshipping God, singing while the wild animals attacked them (see Fox's Book of Martyrs). Many who watched were converted to Christianity by the simple observation of the peace and tranquility of those facing death.

All of this, the "grace" and the "peace" are meant to be real gifts that we open and experience! God knows us, and loves us and saves us! Jesus came to pay for our sins (debts) and save us from this evil age. His grace and peace are not a couple of nice sounding words, but rather are life-changing gifts of His love. Let us open them and enjoy them to our fullest expression.

Amen!

###

### The Path to Peace

## 08-01

This morning I am continuing in my reflection on peace. The following verses are quite inspiring - Philippians 4:4-7 NIV:

[4] "Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! [5] Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. [6] Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. [7] And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus."

I like the way Paul starts this section, "rejoice in the Lord". The whole idea is to recall to mind how good God is, how much He loves us, His faithfulness and provision, His forgiveness and mercy and His perspective. When we realize that God is in love with us and on our side, it is difficult not to rejoice, to express our joy over His grace in our lives.

Secondly, Paul encourages us to exude gentleness. This may seem out of place, but one of the best definitions of gentleness I have heard is "strength under control". In other words, one has control over their own emotions and actions, and chooses to act in ways that are beneficial to others, serving them, helping them and caring for them. When we can control our own actions, thoughts and feelings because we have God's perspective, we are going to experience peace.

Thirdly, Paul encourages us to bring everything to the Lord, especially anything that is causing us anxiety. The peace of God guards our hearts and minds, and anxiety attacks both. Anxiety tends to start in the mind, through self-focus, and slowly works its way into the heart as we allow those anxious thoughts to convince us of our need for change, to get us free of the anxiety causing circumstances. Viewing things from God's perspective helps us bring His reality to our thoughts, which helps us settle our hearts. When we recognize that God is in control, and has a plan, a really good plan, and surrender our need to understand everything (for who can fully understand the thoughts of God), our minds can rest and our hearts can receive His affection once again.

When I think about the way the enemy works in my life, he constantly tries to sow seeds of doubt about my decisions and God's love for me. He is constantly accusing God, trying to convince me that He doesn't love me or care for me the way He should. These doubts and thoughts are meant to drive me to fear, to cause me to go into self-preservation mode, trusting in myself rather in God. As I separate myself from God's protection and path, I am more and more in danger of the attacks and lies of the enemy. I know many people who get caught up in the swirl of their own thoughts, emotions and fear and seem to lose all sense of balance in their life and forget about God's power and love. This is why the peace of God guards our hearts and minds, for that is where the battle is waged in most of our lives.

The path to peace is through surrender into God's perspective. Peace that transcends all understanding is another way of saying that we gain God's perspective. God is never worried,anxious or fearful about His ability to do what He says He will do. He is never worried about the plans and attacks of the enemy for He is all powerful, has all authority. When we come to view things from God's perspective, we can see His peace established in our hearts and minds. Peace is a wonderful gift of God. He is our rock on which we can stand (Ps 40:2), our anchor in any storm (Heb 6:19), our counselor and help (John 14:25-27), and He loves us (John 3:16). Our path to peace is into God.

Amen!

###

### Do I Believe God Loves Me?

## 08-02

As I sat down to pray this morning, I felt like the Lord asked me this question, "If you know that I love you, how then should you live?"

I felt like it was a question for myself, as well as to have me look at how I treat others, for God's love is equally true for all, every man, woman and child. This really is a key heart issue in each of our lives, for this is the wound that the enemy tries to inflict on us all, that we are not loved, and not lovable certainly by God (because of our sin).

So, "if I know that God loves me how should I live my life?"

First question would be - do I know that God loves me? Do I truly believe deep down in my heart, and in the hidden parts of my mind that God loves me? Do I believe this like I believe my parents love me? Is there an assurance of His love regardless of whether I do what's right or not? Do I believe that He likes me, and desires to be in relationship with me? Do I struggle with knowing His love in real and practical ways? Is my idea of God's love for me more knowledge of what He has said in scripture, than it is experiential? In other words, do I think He loves me in sort of a general way, because I am included in His overall creation, and get grouped in with everyone and everything else, or do I believe that He actually knows me intimately, understands me specifically, sees everything about me, and loves me exactly as I am, uniquely and specifically me??

For most of us, I feel that the enemy has spent most of his time trying to convince us that God doesn't really love, and can't possibly love us. He points out all our failures, all of our imperfections, all our sins, has us compare ourselves to others constantly, and has us convinced that some part of us, or many parts of us are broken, flawed, ugly or unlovable. He strikes deep into our hearts and minds and tries to get us to the point of not loving ourselves, because if he can get us to that point, then it is easy to convince us that God doesn't love us, since we don't even love ourselves.

God on the other hand, is not like us, and doesn't think or act like us. We tend to look at the imperfections, comparing ourselves against others, and He looks at our uniqueness, seeing that we are purposely and perfectly crafted for His purpose and plans. He sees us as we will become, for He sees our abilities, our gifts, our talents, and everything in us. He loves us perfectly.

If you show a baker a pile of flour, eggs, milk, yeast, sugar, and other ingredients, he has the ability to see what the finished product will look like, knowing how the perfect mix of these ingredients will create exactly what He wants to create. He might desire cake, bread, cookies, whatever he can imagine, and knows how to put these ingredients together in a perfect combination to achieve his desire. The baker does not begrudge the baking, the mixing of the process, for he knows that is part of the art, part of the experience and part of what he loves to do.

In the same way, I think that when God looks at us He sees us for what we will become, and does not get worried if we are still in a raw state, or unfinished, for He knows who we are, what we have in us, and what His purpose is in our lives. God does not get angry with us in the process, for He knows that is part of the creating and fulfilling our purpose. He sees each of us in our uniqueness, and is perfectly satisfied and loves us just the way we are, for we are the result of His will, part of His creation.

God's perspective of us is from eternity. He is outside of time, and He loves us in that place and from that place. In grade-school we made time-lines and these are based on our understanding that time is linear. It is a line that starts somewhere and ends somewhere. I believe that outside of that line is eternity which is encompassed in God. I stray onto this topic, because it is important to know that God's love for us is eternal. He loves us from where He is, and in that place, He sees everything in time, and He still chooses to love us! He still believes in our value to Him, still chooses us and calls our name! He knows our every thought, every word, every day (Ps 139: 1-4, 13-16) and still loves us. His love for us is never changing, for He does not change His mind (Num 23:19). There is literally no change in Him (Ps 55:19). So, if God never changes His mind, never changes in His affection, how could His love for us change? If He has already seen everything we are going to do, every word we are going to speak, and has chosen to love us, then that is part of His unchanging character! He will never love us less!

Jesus came to demonstrate the Father's heart and mind to us, and to destroy the works of the enemy. It seems to me that this is the same thing. If the main work of the enemy is to convince us that God doesn't love us, then coming to earth and proving that the Father does love us destroys the enemies work, and shows us the Father's heart and mind to us. When we look at Jesus' example, he always ministered to the people individually, when He could. He touched them, spoke to them, loved them regardless of their sin, sickness, acceptability or beauty. He saw the uniqueness of each and every person He met and He loved them all as the Father loved them. He did not allow the judgments of others to influence His perspective. I can think of story after story where He demonstrated this - the woman at the well, Zacchaeus, blind Bartimaeus, the lepers, the Canaanite women, the widow of Nain, the man with the shriveled hand, the man born blind, etc. In each and every one of these stories, Jesus met the person exactly where they were at, touched their lives and revealed to them the Father's love. He rescued them from sin and unbelief, from wrong judgment of the Father, and showed them what the Father really felt about them.

Jesus, through the working of the Holy Spirit, desires to do that in each of our lives, showing us the Father's heart for us. He desires for us to understand and fully comprehend the Father's love for us. He wants us to know Him, to know His love and to be firmly founded on that Love. God is Love! (1 John 4:8) In fact, John says that perfect love casts out fear, for that is what is behind our belief that we are unlovable, a fear that this is true. If God is love, how can we, as His son or daughter be unloved, or unlovable? Jesus, in His personal touch and expression of love for each of the people I listed earlier, cast out fear from their lives. They were no longer afraid that God didn't love them, for they knew He did because of Jesus' love, compassion and mercy.

In each of those Bible stories, the people that were touched by Jesus were changed. The woman at the well became an evangelist, Zacchaeus become known for his generosity, Bartimaeus became Jesus' follower singing His praises to any that would listen, and on and on! God's love, when understood and embraced, becomes a mighty force of light an enlightenment. When we know that God loves us, we lose our fear of man, and our desire is to respond in love to God. In the same way that a woman who is newly engaged shows off her ring, the sign of another's overwhelming love for her, we are called to bear witness that our hearts are moved by God's love. This is not some command or work we are to do, but should be that natural result of the revelation of love. A newly engaged woman desires the same for all her friends, for there is something wonderful in knowing that she is loved. The same is true for men, if we would admit it! :-)

My prayer is that we would each have a revelation of God's overwhelming, unrelenting, unending, unchanging and intimate love! His love is truly amazing! He loves us from eternity into time, and desires that we know, understand and experience His Love.

If we are convinced that He loves us, how than should we live our lives?

More on this to come because clearly, I am just starting....

###

### How Should I Live If He Loves Me? - Part 1

## 08-03

This morning I am going to continuing my reflection on the question the Lord asked me yesterday, "If you know that I love you, how then should you live?"

Yesterday I spent most of my time thinking about the first part of that statement, do I believe that God loves me? This is such an important question, and really a key component to the Gospel, for without the motivation of Love, nothing that Jesus did makes sense. Personally, I am convinced of His love for me, and I know that I have come nowhere near full comprehension of what that means.

Yesterday at church we were talking about the Good News and one of our friends was talking about the fact that the ransom that is paid provides an understanding of the value of the individual that has been kidnapped. What the family of the kidnap victim is willing to sacrifice, and willing to pay shows the value to them of the person that is held prisoner. God showed our value to Him by allowing Jesus to come to earth, as our ransom. In other words, we are as valuable to God the Father, as His Son Jesus! His love for us was so great that He was willing to sacrifice Jesus. That statement is really unfathomable, but we get a sense of the incredible value that the Father has put on our lives. This value is based on His love for us.

We also talked about the love a parent has for their child. I remember the first time I held both of my children, an overwhelming love for them just filled my heart! They hadn't done anything, were barely minutes old, and yet my love for them was so strong that I would have gladly given my life for them! It was amazing to experience, and I think that is just a small picture of what the Lord feels for each of us!

So, since I am convinced of His love for me, how should I live my life? That is a great question, and one that is deeper than apparent at a first glance. The fact that I am loved by God is supposed to be one of the foundational principles in my life. A.W. Tozer says that most important thing we think is about God, and I would agree. Our understanding of God affects every other area of our life. If I really believe that God loves me than I need to believe a few other things about God:

1) I need to believe that God loves me, and even that He likes me, for He created me.  
2) I need to believe that God has a plan for me, for He created me with purpose.  
3) I need to believe that He will help me to fulfill this purpose, for His Glory and my greatest fulfillment.  
4) I need to believe that His promises are true, and His help is real, and the Holy Spirit is available.  
5) I need to believe that He is involved in my life, and He is intimately aware of my situation, and desirous of relationship with me.  
6) I need to believe that He has already paid for my sins, and thus my sins do not affect His love for me.

There are probably several more things I need to add to this list, but these are a good start. So, the first thing I need to do is believe that the rest of the list is true too. God does not love us from afar, and leave us as loved people who have to figure things out on our own. He is constantly reaching out to us and desirous of intimate relationship. Since relationship is a two-way endeavor, I think the second thing I need to do is learn how to be in relationship with the Lord.

Relationships, while unique to the individuals, all generally include the following components, conversation and communication, affection of some sort, shared history, and common or similar interests. Generally, we don't say we have relationships with people we don't like, for relationships are mutually embraced. We have relationships with those people that we desire to spend time with, that we enjoy and that we receive encouragement and care from in return. Being in a relationship requires interaction and conversation - for that is the primary language of relationship. So, for me to be in relationship with the Lord, I must be in conversation with Him, and conversation must be possible. In my life, I spend time every morning in conversation with the Lord, both speaking and listening. I spend time throughout the day reflecting, questioning, praying, and trying to stay in regular communication. I find that as I do so, I have begun to grow in my understanding of the Lord, His heart, His way of thinking, and His affection for me. It really is the same as it is for any other relationship.

In my life, I found that church attendance and listening to the sermons on Sunday was nowhere near enough time or interaction to effectively build a relationship with the Lord. In the same way that we could not have a real and meaningful relationship with someone that we only meet every Sunday in the lobby of the church, we can't have a deep relationship with God if that is the only time we talk, or we listen to Him. If we met someone we wanted to get to know we would likely decide to spend more time with them, maybe over lunch or dinner, visiting one another's house, etc. In the same way, we must invite the Lord into our lives. Regular times of prayer and conversation with the Lord have worked the best for me. Over the last 35+ years I have tried to carve out time daily, usually in the morning before I get started into the business of the day. This required a willingness to sacrifice some of my sleep, or in my case going to bed a bit earlier so that I could spend time with God. I had to work to make it happen. I am reminded of several people that I have an ongoing intention to get together but we never do, because neither of us actually follows through on our intentions.

The Lord will meet with us anytime and anywhere, but we must be intentional in turning our minds and hearts to Him. He has been present to me while mowing the yard, while driving my car, in the shower, when I first woke up, out in the woods while I was walking, but the most consistent time we have is in the morning, sitting on the couch and sharing a cup of coffee and conversation. I am amazed at His ability to always have something to talk about! I often start through reading scripture, but very quickly that turns into the Lord expounding on those scriptures and making them real in my life, applying them directly to me. Sometimes it is a little painful, as He gently points out areas where I am failing or misunderstanding His word, or believing wrongly, but always He is very encouraging, gentle, humorous, enlightening, merciful, compassionate, kind and loving. My time with the Lord is always interesting, always personal and enlivening to me.

As I have grown in my relationship with Him, I have found that as I get to know Him more, I am better able to talk about Him to the rest of my friends and acquaintances, for that is what we often do in any other relationship. I have friends from different circles in my life who know all about other friends of mine that they have never met yet, because I share about them. My wife knows about many of my co-workers, but has met very few of them over the years, but when she does she already has a foundational understanding of who they are and what they are like, because of what I have shared. Isn't that the basis of evangelism? I imagine that when the Apostles and disciples walked around after Jesus ascended, they were constantly talking about Jesus, what He was like, what He said, telling stories of their interactions with Him and recounting stories of Him. That is exactly what was the basis of the Gospels, the teaching and stories of the Apostles. In that same way, as we get to know Jesus and have life experiences with Him, we are invited to do the same as the Apostles, to share about our relationship with Him.

I think that for many of us, we shy away from evangelism because we have limited experience and relationship with the Lord. It is hard to introduce someone to our friends that we barely know. The good news is that Jesus is not afraid of crappy introductions. He is fully capable of interacting with each of us, and given an opportunity, He will make Himself known and real in our friend's lives. I know I need to grow in this area of my life, for I tend to shy away from conversations of depth and meaning. I am more comfortable in talking about the KC Royals than I am sharing my recent God stories, but through friendships and relationships with other believers, I am learning to become freer in my sharing of my relationship with God.

I am clearly just getting warmed up on this topic of how I live my life if I believe God loves me! I will continue the reflection tomorrow. For today, I am encouraged to continue to believe and work on areas of unbelief, to invest in relationship with the Lord, and to share about that relationship with others.

Lord, I pray that You will help me to grow and mature in my relationship with You. I pray that You will help me explore the riches of Your love and the fellowship of relationship.

Amen!

###

### How Should I Live If He Loves Me? (Part 2)

## 08-08

This past week I have been spending time reflecting on how I should live my life, if I really believe that God loves me. This is definitely one of those multiple day reflections, as it really should last the rest of my life. :-)

Today I wanted to spend some time thinking about my life attitude, if I believe that God loves me. I believe our heart attitude and mindset are key to our fulfillment and happiness, for they affect how I perceive things and approach things in my life. For Example, one of my favorite authors, Graham Cooke, says we should try to approach problems as possibilities, possibilities for God to show us His love and favor. Although that is a very simple suggestion, imagine if we actually started practicing that change of perspective in our daily life. Every problem that we encountered, we would stop and say to ourselves that this is a possibility for God to move in my life, to show me His love and favor. It is a possibility to grow personally, and become more like Jesus. If I started thinking that way, I believe I would see life quite differently.

My tendency is to complain when bad things happen. I don't like hardship or difficulty and so my likely response is to feel sorry for myself and complain to God about how bad I have it. I might slide into listening to the accusations of the enemy, accusing God of not paying attention to me, not caring for me, being angry with me, punishing me for something I did wrong. None of those things is true, and certainly wouldn't be true if God loved me. This type of reaction exposes my real beliefs about God. If I want to hold onto the belief that God loves me, then I need to learn how to recognize the lies of the enemy, and reject them with the truth!

The truth is that God Loves me, has a plan for me, has a good plan for me, and He never makes a mistake or is caught unawares or unprepared. All of my life is an opportunity to experience His love and interaction, every single day.

Another issue that many of us have is our earthly mindset. We are completely focused on this world around us, our stuff and possessions, and tend to relate everything to this material realm. In our western understanding of reality, we do not think much about the spiritual realm, unless it is for horror stories and the like. We spend very little time thinking about eternity or spiritual realities that exist all around us. We spend most of our time focused on the here and now. God's desire is that we change our mindset.

I find, after paying attention to my thoughts this week, that much of my thought life does not line up with a belief that God Loves me. There appear to be decades old patterns of thought which are not Godly, which I find myself traversing regularly. These represent mindsets that need to change. I find that for some they are my default thought pattern. I absolutely need to change these to align myself with the truth.

In Romans Paul says the following about our mindsets -

Romans 12:1-3 NIV:

[1] "Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God---this is your true and proper worship. [2] Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is---his good, pleasing and perfect will."

[3] "For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the faith God has distributed to each of you."

It is interesting that Paul says this renewing of our mind, precedes, at least in part, the transforming of our lives. I can definitely see that at work in my life. Our thoughts and thought patterns affect our actions and behaviors. They affect how we perceive and understand things. One author that I read quite a while ago calls this our grid of understanding, through which we filter everything we experience.

For instance, if we think that people don't like us, we perceive their actions in light of that thought. If we walk into a room and people are talking in a low voice, we immediately think they are talking about us, because they don't like us. If I don't think my father likes me, I will perceive his lack of attention, which might be caused by something at work, as proof that he doesn't like me. Our though life is critical in guiding and directing our attitudes and behaviors, and is thus critical to address in order for me to live my live in accordance with the truth that God loves me.

The other point of significance is that Paul lays the renewing of the mind in our laps. We actually can decide to be willing to change or not. We may not know how to change, but the first step is being willing. Paul starts that line of thinking by urging us to offer our bodies as a living sacrifice, this includes our thoughts. Surrendering our thoughts and thinking to God is the first step in transforming our minds.

I have been asking God for help in the arena for some years, and find that He gives me very practical help. He has indicated that what I choose to fill my mind with greatly affects my thinking \- which makes perfect sense. I love to read and the Lord has encouraged me to read things that will continue to build upon the truth, things that will encourage me in my walk with Him. I used to read for entertainment, almost all the time, now I read to build myself up in the truth. What I watch on TV also can affect my thought patterns, and I find myself watching less and less TV, due to the content of much of it. This is in small ways choosing to offer my life to Him, and it does affect the way I think.

Lord I know that Your truth needs to invade and to be established in every area of my life. I want my mindset, my thoughts, and thus my attitudes and behaviors to be transformed. Help me to renew my mind completely. As Bill Johnson says, "I cannot afford to have a thought in my head that is not in His (Gods)." Lord, I want to live my life that way, thinking the way You think, perceiving things the way You perceive them, and trusting in Your love, faithfulness and goodness.

Amen!

###

### How Should I Live If He Loves Me? (Part 3)

## 08-10

As I was waking up and preparing to come downstairs to pray, I was starting to think about my most recent topic - "How should I live if I believe God loves me?" The first thought that popped into my head was the fact that God loved Jesus, and said that very clearly at the beginning of His ministry, as recorded in Matthew 3:16-17 NIV:

[16] "As soon as Jesus was baptized, he went up out of the water. At that moment heaven was opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting on him. [17] And a voice from heaven said, "This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased."

This same thing is true for each of us, God loves us and is well pleased with us! That is, and should be an amazing reality! What that means to me is that Jesus' life of favor from God is a model for the type of life God the Father would have me live! Jesus' life was lived as a man, fully obedient to the Father, in intimate relationship with the Father, but still fully man. His life is meant to be an example of Kingdom life, of the reality that is available to each of us.

Jesus came to reveal the Father to us, and one of the primary things He revealed was that the Father loves us! In His famous line recorded by John, Jesus refers to God's love as the primary motivation for His coming to earth - John 3:16-17 NIV:

[16] "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. [17] For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him."

Love is and always has been God's primary motivation in relating to man. His desire is for relationship, and His expression is love. His love brings with it His provision and blessing, His interaction and His guidance. God never intended for us to live outside of the knowledge of His love, and desires for each of us to discover His abounding love. Once we discover His love, He desires us to walk in His love, in relationship with Him.

Jesus said it this way in John 17:20-23, 26 NIV:

[20] "My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, [21] that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me. [22] I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one--- [23] I in them and you in me---so that they may be brought to complete unity. Then the world will know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me."

[26] "I have made you known to them, and will continue to make you known in order that the love you have for me may be in them and that I myself may be in them."

Did you get that, verse 23, that the Father loves us even as He loved Jesus and demonstrated that to the world? He desires the same for us that He might be in us, and that He might give us His glory, and that in that way the world would see and believe! Jesus' life is meant to be an example to us, and we are supposed to live in a comparable way, that is the Father's desire! Paul wrote the following - Romans 8:28-29 NIV:

[28] "And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. [29] For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters."

We are predestined to be conformed to the image (example) of Jesus, and He is the firstborn of many brothers and sisters, in other words we are called to be just like Him! Amazing!

So my meditation this morning is that my life, in light of God's love for me, should take on conformity to the life of Jesus. I should love others like Jesus loved, I should serve others like Jesus served, and I should have a relationship with the Father like Jesus demonstrated. His healings, miracles and signs and wonders were all accomplished through the empowering of the Holy Spirit, in obedience to the Father through intimate relationship, and were meant to be a sign of God's love and desire to be known. We are invited into that same reality, because He loves us even as He loved Jesus. He loves each of us, even as He loved Jesus. His interaction and indwelling Holy Spirit is supposed to be our normal life experience. I am reminded of John 14:9-13 NIV:

[9] "Jesus answered: "Don't you know me, Philip, even after I have been among you such a long time? Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, 'Show us the Father'? [10] Don't you believe that I am in the Father, and that the Father is in me? The words I say to you I do not speak on my own authority. Rather, it is the Father, living in me, who is doing his work. [11] Believe me when I say that I am in the Father and the Father is in me; or at least believe on the evidence of the works themselves. [12] Very truly I tell you, whoever believes in me will do the works I have been doing, and they will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father. [13] And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son."

This morning I am encouraged to press into this life, this example of how my life should be. I am encouraged and confident because I know that God loves me, even as He loved Jesus. I am encouraged and confident in His ability to work in and through my life, because of His love. I am encouraged to press into the more that is available in His love, to not settle for simple head knowledge, but to press into experiential knowledge of His love and awesome power.

Lord, I desire more, and I know You want me to experience more!

###

### How Should I Live If He Loves Me? (Part 4)

## 08-11

I am thinking of continuing my meditation on the theme "How should I live if I believe that God loves me?" I guess in hind-sight this is not some amazing revelation, but I know for me it's been a very healthy reflection. God's love for me should affect the way I live, and should be foundational for everything else. My thought yesterday was related to the example of Jesus, as God's Son, living a life of favor and relationship with the Father, and how His life experience should be a model for me.

Today I want to spend some time thinking about the ramifications of this being true in everyone's life - that God loves everyone! It is wonderful that I start to comprehend this truth for my own life, but equally important that I be a bearer of this message to everyone else. I am not to just be a bearer of the message, but also demonstrating this truth through my life. When I look at Jesus' I see Him doing exactly that, demonstrating to everyone their worth and value and the Father's affection for them. He was confident in the Father's love, and that enabled Him to perfectly express the Father's love to everyone else.

When I read through the Gospels I see Jesus interacting with each person individually. He was willing to stop and listen and interact with the lowliest person, the crippled and sick, the social outcasts, all the sinners. His perspective was that each was valued and worthy of His attention. I mean, think about that, He is the Son of God, here to reveal the Father's love and defeat the works of the enemy, the most important person to ever walk the earth, and He stops and touches the leper, raises the widow's son back to life, gives sight to the blind and on and on. He took time from His precious three years of ministry to touch each of these people's lives, and in that we see the value that is given to them.

We have a saying that time is money, or maybe it would be better to say that time has value. So, what is the value of 5 minutes of the Son of God's time? There are people that have bid millions of dollars to have lunch with Warren Buffet, I can't imagine the value of lunch with Jesus.

So, if Jesus is expressing the value of the individuals He encountered, as a perfect representation of the Father's heart, should we not do the same? If our Father says all the people we encounter in our lives are valuable to Him and loved by Him, should we not treat them as such? If Jesus is the firstborn among many brothers and sisters (Rom 8:29) shouldn't we be treating those around us as our brothers and sisters? Jesus was demonstrating a lifestyle of loving service. Loving those who are loved by the Father and helping them to understand and experience the Father's love for them was a key part of Jesus' ministry. When I think back over the Gospels, I can't think of a time where Jesus wasn't operating in this mode.

I was thinking of some of the teachings of Jesus that are difficult to put into practice such as these verses from Matthew 5:16, 43-48 NIV:

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

When I think about these verses in light of my meditation, it makes sense that Jesus is teaching this, for that is exactly the Father's heart. He loves each of us, and desires each of us to understand His love for us. Jesus encourages us to be perfect as the Father is perfect, but what He was talking about was the Father loving everyone. We could rewrite verse 44 and 45 as follows, "But I tell you Love your enemies and love your neighbors, and pray for those who persecute you as well as those that you love, that you may all be children of Your Father in heaven." I don't think that is stretching His meaning too far at all. In this we begin to see the Father's heart, and represent His heart to those who don't know Him yet.

When I reflect on Jesus' example in all of this, I realize I have tons of room for growth and improvement. I am so quick to judge, so quick to form judgments, so quick to assume I know what a person is like before I ever even speak to them. I am quick to judge someone's motivation, their thinking and even their looks, and in this Jesus' example calls me to be more like the Father. He loved and ministered to them all, the lowliest and the rejected as well as the high and mighty, for He knew how much they were valued, treasured and loved, each and every one of them.

Lord, help me to live my life like You love me, and like You love those around me!

Amen!

###

### Filled With Compassion, Pouring Forth Love

## 08-12

I was just reading back through my last reflection on living a life of love, and knowing that I am loved. Thank You Lord for such a rich reflection! The last few weeks have been so personally insightful. I pray that You would help me to embrace and assimilate the depth of understanding into my life, and live in such a way that I am representing You to everyone I meet, all day long!

This morning I felt like I should read through Matthew's Gospel, chapter 9. This is such a rich chapter, it was hard to know where to start. When I run into this situation I just read through the text and see what catches my attention the most. Another way to say that is that some verses resonate in my spirit, and internally they are amplified and move me. This is one way I have found of discerning what the Lord is saying to me. This morning the verses in chapter 9 that my spirit responded most too were the following verses - Matthew 9:35-38 NIV:

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

These verses always pluck my heart-string, and they are especially poignant considering my reflection from yesterday concerning God's love for everyone, and the value that He has placed on us all. When I read these verses, I imagine Jesus as a one-man wrecking ball destroying unbelief and the lies of the enemy everywhere He traveled. He came representing the Father, establishing the Kingdom, proclaiming and demonstrating the reality of the Father's love, and reaching out to all He saw and encountered.

He was moved with compassion when He saw the crowds, and the language here means that He was moved deeply in His very depths. The Greek word used by Matthew is Splagchnizomai.

Definition:

1) to be moved as to one's bowels, hence to be moved with compassion, have compassion (for the bowels were thought to be the seat of love and pity)

It is my opinion that this description of Jesus' emotional response was from the observation of others, not from Jesus' statement about His feelings. I believe when it says in scripture that Jesus had compassion, or was moved with compassion, it was because people could literally see His compassion, see Him moved to His very depths.

If I read this section backwards, in verse 36 it says that Jesus had compassion on the crowds when He saw them. In verse 35, it says that He proclaimed the Good News of the Kingdom and healed every disease and sickness. I think that is part of His expressing compassion, when He encountered anyone who was sick or needed healing He stopped and touched them, each and every one! He didn't walk by those with colds, those with headaches, so he could just minister to the really needy, He went to each and every person who was suffering and touched them. He expressed God's love for them all, one person at a time!

He saw the overwhelming need and desperate spiritual condition of the crowds and He was moved, just as the Father is moved. He told the disciples to ask the Father to send more workers into the harvest field, and that, my friends, is us. We are both the harvest field and the workers. We need to know God's love and compassion, and we need to be those that bring that message to those around us that are still "harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd".

Lord, I pray that You would waken my heart, that You would fill me with compassion for Your children who are wandering around lost and hungry, wondering if they have any value or worth, starving for love and thirsting for relationship. Help me to represent You and be the instrument of the outflow of Your compassion! I want to be filled with Your compassion! I want Your love to flow out of me to all I meet.

Amen!

###

### An Introduction That Is Life Changing

## 08-13

This morning I felt like I should read from Mark's Gospel. I like his concise story-telling and descriptions. In light of some of the reflection I have been doing concerning the value the Lord demonstrates He has for us, I thought this story of the deaf and mute man interesting. Here are the verses - Mark 7:31-37 NIV:

[31] "Then Jesus left the vicinity of Tyre and went through Sidon, down to the Sea of Galilee and into the region of the Decapolis. [32] There some people brought to him a man who was deaf and could hardly talk, and they begged Jesus to place his hand on him.

[33] After he took him aside, away from the crowd, Jesus put his fingers into the man's ears. Then he spit and touched the man's tongue. [34] He looked up to heaven and with a deep sigh said to him, "Ephphatha!" (which means "Be opened!"). [35] At this, the man's ears were opened, his tongue was loosened and he began to speak plainly.

[36] Jesus commanded them not to tell anyone. But the more he did so, the more they kept talking about it. [37] People were overwhelmed with amazement. "He has done everything well," they said. "He even makes the deaf hear and the mute speak."

The reason I liked this story upon my first reading is that Jesus took the man aside, away from the crowd. Although the healings were spectacular, Jesus wasn't looking to cause a spectacle. He cared more for the individual, spending time directly with Him, than He did for the elation of the crowd. Jesus wanted some time alone with the man! The Son of God wanted some time alone with Him! The same is true for us all; He desires alone time with us!

Obviously the man was cared for by others for they brought him to Jesus. If we care for the hurt and lonely, the wandering or the wondering, the sick or wounded, the best thing we can do is bring them to Jesus. He is the one who loves them, who cares for them, who can heal them, and who values them greatly! Introducing someone to Jesus is as simple as talking about what He has done, or what we know He is like. Jesus cares so much for each of us and all of us that we can introduce Him and trust Him fully to take it from there! He knows the thoughts and heart condition of each of us, and He is infinitely gentle and loving. As the people exclaimed, "He has done everything well!"

So, let us be encouraged today to introduce those who don't know the Lord to Him. Let us not be afraid to talk about Him, His character, our relationships with Him, for in this way our friends and acquaintances will come to meet the one who loves them perfectly and the one who is just waiting for the introduction! This is one introduction that will change every life!

###

### A Good Return on His Investment

## 08-15

This morning I am reading from Luke's Gospel. I love it when I find something I hadn't really noticed before, as it gives me an opportunity to look at familiar scriptures with a new perspective. The verses I am looking at this morning are the following - Luke 19:11-27 NIV:

[11] While they were listening to this, he went on to tell them a parable, because he was near Jerusalem and the people thought that the kingdom of God was going to appear at once. [12] He said: "A man of noble birth went to a distant country to have himself appointed king and then to return. [13] So he called ten of his servants and gave them ten minas. 'Put this money to work,' he said, 'until I come back.'

[14] "But his subjects hated him and sent a delegation after him to say, 'We don't want this man to be our king.'

[15] "He was made king, however, and returned home. Then he sent for the servants to whom he had given the money, in order to find out what they had gained with it.

[16] "The first one came and said, 'Sir, your mina has earned ten more.'

[17] " 'Well done, my good servant!' his master replied. 'Because you have been trustworthy in a very small matter, take charge of ten cities.'

[18] "The second came and said, 'Sir, your mina has earned five more.'

[19] "His master answered, 'You take charge of five cities.'

[20] "Then another servant came and said, 'Sir, here is your mina; I have kept it laid away in a piece of cloth. [21] I was afraid of you, because you are a hard man. You take out what you did not put in and reap what you did not sow.'

[22] "His master replied, 'I will judge you by your own words, you wicked servant! You knew, did you, that I am a hard man, taking out what I did not put in, and reaping what I did not sow? [23] Why then didn't you put my money on deposit, so that when I came back, I could have collected it with interest?'

[24] "Then he said to those standing by, 'Take his mina away from him and give it to the one who has ten minas.'

[25] " 'Sir,' they said, 'he already has ten!'

[26] "He replied, 'I tell you that to everyone who has, more will be given, but as for the one who has nothing, even what they have will be taken away. [27] But those enemies of mine who did not want me to be king over them---bring them here and kill them in front of me.' "

Most people who read this story, myself included, will remember the theme of the 10 Minas, but what I find interesting is that it actually about a man of noble birth who becomes King, for that is what the opening and closing line is about. The middle section is about what happens while waiting for the man who becomes King to return, but the real story is that the man goes away for a while, and then returns as the King.

So, in light of that fact, should we change our perspective about the meaning of the Minas and the servant's responses? I think that Jesus is clearly speaking about the age of the Church, for he is clearly the man who is going away and returning (Matt 24:27-31). If that is the case, then the Jesus' command to his 10 servants to, "put this money to work, until I come back" is aimed at the Church, and more specifically His disciples, for they were His followers. A good question would be - what is the money Jesus is talking about? I look at what He actually left the church, and that is the Holy Spirit (John 14:16-21).

Following the logic just outlined, then what does it look like to "put this money to work"? Also, in this version, note that He never says that He gives the servants any more than anyone else, they just earn more with it. Also, of interest, He gave the money to 10 of His servants, but only talks about 3 in this example.

Anyway, I have thought about this before and the favor of the Lord is amazing towards the faithful servants, the one servant who returns 10 minas is given charge over 10 cities, which is a significant upgrade in authority and relationship. In the Lord's eyes, being "trustworthy in a very small manner" is very important! Again, what is the small matter that has been entrusted to this servant (following my logic)? Again, I believe it is the Holy Spirit, and specifically the gifts of the Holy Spirit. If this is the Mina or the small matter, then what we do with what the Lord has put in us, how open we are to the moving of the Holy Spirit, and how well we allow Him to guide and direct us, and operate through us is essential!

As a church, we probably should be very concerned with what culture we have put in place for the working out and exercising and investment of the gifts of the Holy Spirit! Do we allow for the investment and growth in gifts of the Holy Spirit? Are we allowing people to understand their gifts and callings and giving them ample opportunity to grow and mature in these gifts?

Secondly, if we look at the succession of the faithful servants, they go from individual responsibility to governmental responsibility. This is clearly at the direction of the King, and follows His return, so if I was totally in line with the guidelines of this story, this would only relate to what happens after the return of the Lord, and the Day of Judgment, for that appears to be the meaning of verse 27. However, Jesus did already return as King, after His resurrection, and we live in the time of His Kingdom established here on earth, even in our midst. So, is there applicability of verses 17 and 19 now? I would say yes, and I believe that the Lord does care greatly about our trustworthiness. He is looking for us to bear fruit in our lives, to return on the investment of the Holy Spirit that He has placed into us. We should make a sober review of our lives and look at our fruit. We are not called to hold onto what we have been given and just protect that one gift, but we are called to open up our lives and return to the Lord on His investment in us.

Again, as the church, we need to make room for this in the lives of our brothers and sisters. We need to see in our investing in other's lives, our investments from the Lord are multiplied. If anyone has ever studied network marketing, this is a perfect example. Those who invest early, and invest into others that are multiplying their investments, experience huge returns on their initial investments. Rather than making it all about having a "Big" church with hundreds or thousands of members, I would think we would rather have tens of churches, birthing hundreds of churches, which in turn birth thousands of churches. That is real multiplication. Secondly, the opportunity for real return on the investment of the Holy Spirit in people's lives is much easier to accomplish in smaller churches, so the quality of the return is much higher, and multi-generational.

Wow, who would have thought this parable was about a church growth and investment strategy in the gifts of the Holy Spirit! At least that is what I think.

Lord, I pray that You would help me to make a good return on that which You put in me! Help me to multiply that which You have placed in my care, and help me to release others into fruitfulness as well.

Amen!

### When The King Comes...He Cleans and Restores!

## 08-16

This morning I felt led to start reading from the Gospel of Mark, chapter 11, which is where he describes Jesus' coming to Jerusalem. As I was reading that, I realized I had read the parallel verses in Luke's Gospel. Here are the verses from Luke 19:28, 36-38, 45-46 NIV:

[28] "After Jesus had said this, he went on ahead, going up to Jerusalem.

[36] As he went along, people spread their cloaks on the road. [37] When he came near the place where the road goes down the Mount of Olives, the whole crowd of disciples began joyfully to praise God in loud voices for all the miracles they had seen:

[38] "Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord!" "Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!"

[45] When Jesus entered the temple courts, he began to drive out those who were selling. [46] "It is written," he said to them, " 'My house will be a house of prayer' ; but you have made it 'a den of robbers.' "

In both Gospel's Jesus enters Jerusalem, acclaimed as King, which He never allowed previously. Secondly, in both cases, His first real action in Jerusalem was to cleanse the temple courts, and drive out the money changers and those selling. He proclaimed that the purpose of that place was prayer!

I was intrigued by the fact that the first official act He did, after being proclaimed as King, was to cleanse the temple and restore it to its proper function, that of interacting with God. Since I read the same basic verses 2 days in a row, I felt like there was something the Lord was trying to say to me, as I find that He repeats Himself sometimes when I miss what He was saying the first time.

Without getting all dramatic, I would simply say this - I believe the Lord is saying that He is coming to restore the Church to her rightful focus and function! I don't think I need to be any clearer, as the Lord knows what that will look like, but we need to take his sovereignty seriously! It is His church, not ours, and I think that there is going to be some serious cleansing that will occur.

Finally, as I was reading these verses and thinking through them, I was reminded of Graham Cooke's comments around learning to manifest our spirit and faith through proclamation of God's sovereignty. There is something about shouting praises to God that causes us to enter into a place of real spiritual engagement. We want to engage our spirits and this is one of the ways we can do this. I know in my life that when I have stepped into that place during worship, it was a completely different experience and encounter with the Lord.

I am encouraged today to pray that the Lord would be held up as our King, within the church. I am praying that He will cleanse and restore His church to its proper function. I pray that He would teach us all to interact with Him in His house, and proclaim His identity on the streets and in our lives.

Amen Lord!

###

### Being the Lord's Bethany

## 08-17

This morning I am reading from John 11:1-3 NIV:

[1] "Now a man named Lazarus was sick. He was from Bethany, the village of Mary and her sister Martha. [2] (This Mary, whose brother Lazarus now lay sick, was the same one who poured perfume on the Lord and wiped his feet with her hair.) [3] So the sisters sent word to Jesus, "Lord, the one you love is sick."

Now one would think that in reading from this chapter that my thoughts would be on Lazarus, and how Jesus raised him from the dead, instead I find myself thinking about Bethany, and how it came to be special to Jesus. Sometimes it is interesting to dig into unusual themes, as the Lord did nothing that was trivial in His ministry.

There were a few significant things about Bethany, first it was from Bethany that Jesus traveled into Jerusalem (Mark 11:1) when He was acclaimed King (we celebrate this on Palm Sunday). When He cleansed the temple, he went back to Bethany (Matt 27:17). Bethany was less than two miles from Jerusalem, so it appears that this became Jesus' base of operations from where He ministered into Jerusalem.

Secondly, it was just outside of Bethany that Jesus ascended into Heaven (Luke 24:50-51).

Third, Jesus was anointed for burial when Mary (John 11:2) had poured the expensive perfume on His head (Mark 14:3), while he was at dinner at the home of Simon the Leper, who had obviously been healed, otherwise He would have been an outcast from society.

Fourth, He stayed with Martha and Mary previously (Luke 10:38-42) and clearly knew the family well. He obviously had spent some considerable time there, for John describes them again, as one who walked with the Lord, as loved by Jesus (John 11:5).

Fifth, this was where he raised Lazarus from the dead (John 11:1-44)

Finally, it was from Bethany that He entered into Jerusalem for the Last Supper (Luke 19: 29).

Thus, Bethany was a place Jesus knew well, a place where He stayed regularly, it was where He entered Jerusalem from, where He went to after cleansing the temple, where he entered Jerusalem from for the Last supper and where He entered Heaven from on the day of His ascension. I guess we could say that Bethany was quite significant.

My question is this, why Bethany? I can think of a few reasons, first it was somewhere that Jesus was welcomed over and over. He was so welcomed that it apparently became a regular stopping point. He was able to establish real relationships with Martha, Mary and Lazarus, and that was clearly part of His being welcomed. Finally, it was the stepping off place for really significant moments in Jesus ministry and life, and afterlife.

I think my reflection is this - if He is welcomed in a house, He will come and will establish significant relationship! He desires relationship and Jesus' life, which is an exact reflection of the Father (Heb 1:3), demonstrates this in having a lasting relationship with the three. One could make a case that Jesus stayed with them every time He was in town, and thus knew them and loved them deeply. I want my house to be such a place, where Jesus is welcomed regularly, and where relationship with Him runs deep. I want my house to be the base of His operations in this area! I want to see Him glorified (Palm Sunday), be a part of the sending and receiving back those in His ministry, and be a place where people can sit at His feet and learn from Him. I want my house to be a place where He is worshiped and adored, and His presence is welcomed always.

Additionally, Bethany literally means "house of figs" in Aramaic, so one would expect that Figs were plentiful there. It is interesting that it was from Bethany that Jesus was walking and came upon the fig tree that had no fruit, and thus cursed the tree. Although it was not the season for figs (Mark 11:12-14), Jesus was expecting fruit. I want my house to be known as a place of fruitfulness regardless of the season of life we are in.

Lastly, in dream language, one's house is symbolic of their life. In the same way that I would want my house to be a place where Jesus is welcomed, it actually starts with my life. He is after relationship with me, and my house in many ways just represents me. I want my life to be a place where Jesus is welcomed regularly, where He is free to minister from, and where He is constantly present.

Lord, You are welcome in my life, and my house, and I desire relationship with You. May this place be Your Bethany!

Amen!

###

### To Know God = Eternal Life

## 08-18

This morning I am reading from John 17:1-5 NIV:

[1] "After Jesus said this, he looked toward heaven and prayed:

"Father, the hour has come. Glorify your Son, that your Son may glorify you. [2] For you granted him authority over all people that he might give eternal life to all those you have given him. [3] Now this is eternal life: that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent. [4] I have brought you glory on earth by finishing the work you gave me to do. [5] And now, Father, glorify me in your presence with the glory I had with you before the world began."

I love these verses, because I think they explain the very core of eternal life, knowing God, as in relationship with God. The Greek work John used here is  
Ginosko. Its definition is as follows:

1) to learn to know, come to know, get a knowledge of perceive, feel  
a) to become known  
2) to know, understand, perceive, have knowledge of  
a) to understand  
3) to know Jewish idiom for sexual intercourse between a man and a woman  
4) to become acquainted with, to know

John's choice of a word is indicative of relationship, both knowing about, but also understanding and intimacy. This is what eternal life is all about. This is why we can experience this life here on earth. This is why Jesus taught the disciples to pray, "...your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven." (Matt 6:10). It is possible to experience this eternal life here on earth! Awesome!

Secondly, this is the result of Jesus becoming the perfect sacrifice, and by His death making a way for us to have relationship with God. In His death, He caused the way to become open to the Father, that we might experience His presence. The author of the Letter to the Hebrews wrote it this way. [19] "Therefore, brothers and sisters, since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus, [20] by a new and living way opened for us through the curtain, that is, his body,..." (Heb. 10:19-20).

This eternal life is something Jesus has given us, for the Father has given us all to Him (John 10:2), and given Him authority over all things, including us (Matt 28:18). This is the great gift, the great treasure, the pearl of great price (Matt 13:44-46). This gift comes in the form of a person, the Holy Spirit who takes up residence in our bodies (1 Cor 6:19). Not only the Holy Spirit, but since God is the Trinity, the Father and the Son are with us as well. Jesus said it this way, [22] "I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one--- [23] I in them and you in me---so that they may be brought to complete unity. Then the world will know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me." (John 17:22-23).

Finally, if this is the great gift, and its available even now, then it must be possible to experience and enjoy. His full intention is that we have the ability to be in relationship with Him, thus He must make it possible for us to experience this in our lives here, not just in heaven. I have written this many times, but it is no less true, if God wants us to be in relationship with Him, then He will make it possible. He does not hold back, stay on His Holy and Glorious throne in Heaven, but He wants to be involved in our lives, here and now, allowing us to know Him, and be in relationship with Him. He desires so much more for us, and desires to reveal Himself to us. Our choice defines our experience, for if we are satisfied with a surfacey, once a week polite visit with God, He will allow us to walk in that level of relationship. However, we cannot expect Him, who died for us and who gave His very life and blood for us, to be satisfied with us, if that is our approach to Him. As Jesus said in parables about the great treasure and the pearl of great price, the fullness of intimacy with God comes through pursuit of God, a pressing into Him to know Him and understand Him. That is His encouragement and call to us, to press into Him, even as He is drawing us and loving us.

So let us decide this morning to press into God, to seek Him, to run after Him that we might have a dynamic, life-filled, intimate relationship with Him. Let us not settle for anything less than eternal life in the here and now! God Loves us and wants us!

Amen!

###

### Extending Mercy

## 08-19

This morning I felt like reading about mercy, and the following verses are quite an interesting study in the subject of mercy.

Matthew 9:9-13 NIV:

[9] "As Jesus went on from there, he saw a man named Matthew sitting at the tax collector's booth. "Follow me," he told him, and Matthew got up and followed him.

[10] While Jesus was having dinner at Matthew's house, many tax collectors and sinners came and ate with him and his disciples. [11] When the Pharisees saw this, they asked his disciples, "Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?"

[12] On hearing this, Jesus said, "It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. [13] But go and learn what this means: 'I desire mercy, not sacrifice.' For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners."

This is Jesus' second statement about mercy, the first was during His sermon on the mount (Matt. 5:7). However, in this statement He adds some clarity that is good for us to think on. He equates mercy with reaching out to sinners, to those who are lost. In fact, the word is often times translated as compassion and Jesus expressed compassion when He saw the crowds of the lost (see Matt 9:36 or Matt 14:14).

When I read the word mercy I tend to think of doing something nice to someone who is down on their luck, or not treating someone as their behaviors deserve. I thought it would be interesting to take a look at a comparison of the original Greek compared to the English translation.

When we read the English word mercy, we would generally apply the following definition (Webster's Dictionary):

1 a : compassion or forbearance shown especially to an offender or to one subject to one's power; also : lenient or compassionate treatment   
b : imprisonment rather than death imposed as penalty for first-degree murder  
2 a : a blessing that is an act of divine favor or compassion  
b : a fortunate circumstance  
3 : compassionate treatment of those in distress

In the original Greek, the word that was translated mercy is Eleos.

Definition

1) mercy: kindness or good will towards the miserable and the afflicted, joined with a desire to help them  
2) of men towards men: to exercise the virtue of mercy, show one's self merciful  
3) of God towards men: in general providence; the mercy and clemency of God in providing and offering to men salvation by Christ  
4) the mercy of Christ, whereby at his return to judgment he will bless true Christians with eternal life

While the two definitions are similar, there is one major difference, as I read them, and that is the offer of salvation, through Christ Jesus. This is help for the soul, not just help for the physical needs.

The idea I think that Jesus is pressing into here is that mercy, from the Father's perspective, means the opportunity to receive salvation, and enter into relationship with Him. He does not just understand the sinner's situation, but has a desire to help them, and thus He sent His Son Jesus, not to just help them, but to know them as well. He is not after our sacrifices, or religious acts, but rather desirous of our extending His mercy and invitation to relationship to those we meet, to the lost and lonely, wounded and worried, the sinner, the rejected, the down-trodden.

I find it interesting that Jesus extends an invitation to Matthew, to follow Himself, and the first thing we see that He does is go eat dinner at Matthew's house. We don't know what Jesus said to Matthew in between the invitation and the dinner party, but the pursuit of relationship is evident. In fact, Jesus didn't just want to get to know Matthew, but wanted to know his whole family, and his friends. He operates in the same way in our lives, desiring to know us and enter into every area of our life.

Finally the original Greek word translated "sick" in verse 12, is the word Kakos, and this means miserable, to be ill or improperly, wrongly. I think the fuller meaning is more appropriate, as Matthew and his friends were not physically ill, but rather were thinking about themselves improperly or wrongly, and their souls were sick. Jesus was not after right action (sacrifice) but right identity and relationship, which when embraced brings health, healing and salvation. Jesus does not look down on them for having a wrong perspective of their identity, as the Pharisees would have, instead He comes into their lives and through interaction and relationship brings revelation and ultimately salvation.

In summary, we are invited and called to offer the same mercy to those around us who are in need. He is our source of power and stirs our hearts to have compassion, even as He is compassionate. Let us embrace His mercy in our own lives, and extend it to those around us, our family and friends.

###

### Knowledge vs. Love

## 08-21

This morning I am reflecting on an interesting set of verses from Paul's first letter to the 1 Corinthians 8:1-3 NIV:

[1] "Now about food sacrificed to idols: We know that "We all possess knowledge." But knowledge puffs up while love builds up. [2] Those who think they know something do not yet know as they ought to know. [3] But whoever loves God is known by God."

I am not focusing on Paul's commentary concerning food sacrificed to idols, but on his statement concerning knowledge and love. Although this is a bit of a generalization, I think there is much truth in what Paul writes, especially concerning God. We can spend our entire life trying to know God, and never come to an end of new revelation, for He is unfathomable. God speaks of this prophetically through the prophet Isaiah when He says, "For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways," declares the Lord. "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)

Paul's statement that "those who think they know something do not yet know as they ought to know" is saying exactly the same thing. Even when we think we know God, we don't really know Him fully. We are all on a journey of discovery, and He is infinite and Eternal, and we will never come to an end of Him. To think we know Him well enough is prideful, or puffing oneself up. In my thirty-plus years of following God, I feel like I am just starting to know Him, so I must agree with Paul. It is fine to recognize that we know Him, but we should never think we are an expert. :-)

Love, in contrast, is more constructive, or as Paul says, it "builds up". This could also be translated as edifies, and the sense is that it adds to, as in building a house. Paul says that knowledge puffs up, as in inflating a balloon. I think this is a good word picture, one builds a permanent addition, the other has the image of increase but very limited substance. Paul says that those who love God are known by God, and one could say the opposite is also true, they know God.

I think what Paul is speaking about here is relationship versus head knowledge. When someone is in relationship with someone, they know them in a way that all the studying of the facts concerning them, and reading their writings can never reveal. Part of that understanding comes from the dynamic exchange that occurs within a relationship. In real relationships, there is action and reaction, thoughts that generate responses, creative exchanges of ideas and thoughts, all of which are spontaneous, and new. Knowledge is based on past experiences, relationship has that but much more.

For example, I have been married to my sweetheart for 29+ years. I know her very well, yet I am constantly learning about her. When we talk, I gain insight and understanding, adding to my already extensive collection, but there is always something new, refreshing and alive about our conversations and discussions. In these exchanges, I am learning about her, she is learning about me, and I am growing in my love for her! If I had stopped learning about her after 10 years of marriage, Paul's statement about knowledge would have been very accurate, 'I think I know her, but I don't know her as I ought to know her' for clearly there was much more.

So, my encouragement this morning is to continue to press into relationship with God, into loving Him, and conversing with Him. I will never come to a place of knowing Him fully, but I can always be learning and expanding, building on what I have learned. He is equally desirous of relationship with me, and in that I take comfort, for relationship with Him is thus attainable.

###

### Changing Our Mindset - A Great Challenge

## 08-23

This morning I am continuing my meditation that started yesterday morning. I am reading from Paul's letter to the Philippians. I am quite familiar with this book, so sometimes it takes a bit of rereading to make it fresh and alive. This morning I saw something in the second chapter that is worth thinking about some more. Here are the verses, which are bookends to a thought Paul had - Philippians 2:1-5, 19-22 NIV:

[1] "Therefore if you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any common sharing in the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, [2] then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and of one mind. [3] Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, [4] not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.

[5] In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus:

[19] I hope in the Lord Jesus to send Timothy to you soon, that I also may be cheered when I receive news about you. [20] I have no one else like him, who will show genuine concern for your welfare. [21] For everyone looks out for their own interests, not those of Jesus Christ. [22] But you know that Timothy has proved himself, because as a son with his father he has served with me in the work of the gospel."

As I was reading this chapter, Paul's use of the phrase "own interests" in verse 4 and verse 21 is what caught my attention. I believe that we could replace that phrase with a more modern term "selfishness" which Paul uses in verse 3. In fact, as I look at the verses I have quoted, it is clear that we can have three areas of concern, for ourselves, for others and for Christ. Paul clearly encourages us to embrace concern for the latter two, while rejecting the first, self-concern.

This is a very unpopular theme in our modern day of self-focus and pursuit of pleasure. We are bombarded with marketing and sales pitches that appeal to our selfishness. One of my wife's favorite clothes catalogs has the following theme boldly proclaimed on its front cover, "my time. my place. my self." It is actually a nice catalog filled with beautiful clothes, but the message is very clear. They are appealing to the selfishness inherent in their audience. Burger King's sales pitch used to be "Have it your way". These are just a couple of examples of a widely used approach and Paul would tell us to reject them with our whole heart and with our whole mind.

Instead, he encourages us to "value others above ourselves" and "not looking to our own interests but each of you to the interests of others". I don't think this was an encouragement to watch reality TV or gossip, but rather an encouragement to change the way we think, to change our mindset. This is not a simple thing to do for our natural selfish instinct is alive and well at an early age. All we need to do is observe a couple of 2-year-olds and it will be clear that their concept of "mine" is already well developed.

So how do we go about changing our mindset, especially one that is so well established at an early age? I believe the answer is love. In fact, I would say it is love and relationship. I know in my life the single greatest change in my selfish perspective came when I got married. I had lived in a large family and had great relationships with my siblings and parents, but my self-focus was still alive and well. However, when I got married, I really had the opportunity to change the way I thought, and I am glad to say that I embraced that opportunity. I think that in the greater number of failed marriages, one of the biggest reasons for failure is selfishness. I am no expert in marriage or counseling, so this is based on observation, but I know our success in marriage so far is related to our ability to consider one another's interests as equal or of more value than our own. It is in laying down our own lives for each other that we become one.

In the same way, it is in loving one another the way Christ loved us (John 13:34), laying down our lives for one another (1 John 3:16) that we become like-minded, "being one in spirit and of one mind". It is impossible to be unified if we are unwilling to lay down our lives, for this is not about everyone becoming like me. In the same way, our call is to follow Christ to daily lay down our lives (Matt 16:24). We are called to become like Him, not the other way around.

While I was thinking more about this, I felt like the Lord said that part of laying down one's life is being transparent with one another. We tend to resist full disclosure of our lives because we fear rejection if we do. We hold back, and in doing so we limit the depth of our relationships. In our churches, we tend to put on our "Sunday best" our attitudes and images of having our lives together, of living right, of being holy, etc. If we only reveal that image to others, then our relationships will only be that deep, and based on that lie. As an example, I was talking with a pastor friend and He was bemoaning the fact that he can never have a real conversation with anyone in his church, because everyone is trying to keep up appearances. I find that statement completely accurate. It is only in the place of sharing life and walking together through good and bad, exciting and challenging, sickness and health, that we really know others. We are called to this in marriage, the best example of unity and oneness that we have, and we, I believe, are called to this same type of transparency in our relationships with our brothers and sisters in the Body of Christ.

I think that is probably one of the most personally challenging things I have ever written, for it goes against my strongly held desire for self-preservation. My fear of man causes me to believe that if I share who I am, I will be rejected and judged and the image I have projected will be destroyed. In thinking about that, I find it very interesting, for even the thought of destruction of the image I have projected comes against my desire for self-preservation, yet it is the destruction of something that is false. I think the root of this is pride and fear. We are unwilling to show our weakness, our need, our true self, and we do so to maintain a false image of ourselves to others. We want others to believe we are better than we are, thus we put on airs, we puff our-selves up, we act holy, all of which are focused on our self, and thus are defined as prideful. All the while we do this, we fear that someone will discover the truth, and know us as we really are, and reject us.

It is only in the context of love, that I believe we can break free of this false-image projecting life-style. I have plenty of relationships with people, some I work with, some I know through other means, and I would be hard challenged to lay-down my life for any of those people. They aren't bad or anything, it is just that I don't love them. Now, on the other hand, I wouldn't hesitate to lay down my life for my family or for my close friends, and the difference is the context of love. This is why it is so important to have both in the Body of Christ, relationships and love. That is why the Lord commands us to love one another as He has loved us (John 13:34). It is in the context of love, connected by love, trusting in love, that we are able to become one, even as He and the Father are one (John 17:21).

This is the path we must tread if we desire to change our mindset, to look to the concerns of others, to become "one in spirit and of one mind." In this, we become like Christ, and we take on His interests and concerns as well, for this is His prayer and His desire. Jesus prayed the following, [20]"My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, [21] that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me. [22] I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one--- [23] I in them and you in me---so that they may be brought to complete unity. Then the world will know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me." (John 17:20-23NIV)

In summary, I am greatly challenged this morning to love one another, to lay down my life, to be transparent with those people the Lord has given me relationship within the Body of Christ. I am greatly challenged to desire a changed mindset, a new way of thinking that is in stark contrast to the selfishness that is holed-up in my inner being.

Lord help me! It is only in You, in the safety of my identity in You, that I will ever have the courage and strength to truly lay down my life.

###

### Accept One Another, As Christ Accepted You

## 08-26

I am reading from Paul's letter to the Romans this evening. I started reading in chapter 14, and although there was good stuff there, I didn't feel the Spirit quickening anything to me. I turned the page and started on chapter 15 and immediately knew these were the verses I was being directed to. Here are the verses I am focusing on - Romans 15:1-7 NIV:

[1] "We who are strong ought to bear with the failings of the weak and not to please ourselves. [2] Each of us should please our neighbors for their good, to build them up. [3] For even Christ did not please himself but, as it is written: "The insults of those who insult you have fallen on me." [4] For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through the endurance taught in the Scriptures and the encouragement they provide we might have hope.

[5] May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you the same attitude of mind toward each other that Christ Jesus had, [6] so that with one mind and one voice you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.

[7] Accept one another, then, just as Christ accepted you, in order to bring praise to God."

Recently my wife and I were discussing the need to see people as God sees them, and these verses from Paul are a perfect follow-on to that conversation. Focusing in on verses 5 and 7, we see Paul praying for the Romans that they might have the same attitude of mind toward each other that Christ Jesus [had towards them]. In other words, he is encouraging them to look at each other the way Jesus looks at them. Jesus died for them while they were still sinners, because of His love for them - that is the attitude Paul is encouraging. What a radical, self-sacrificing love!!

Paul takes it one step further and tells them to "accept one another, just as Christ accepted you..." It is important to note once again that Jesus accepted us while we were sinners. He came to call sinners, and that is what He expects. Paul is encouraging us to do the same, to expect that when we meet people that they are sinners, and to not be put off by them when they are found to be so. I love the conversation of Brother Lawrence, who when he was confessing his sin to the Lord said something to the effect of, "I am sorry for sinning, but what do you expect, I am a sinner." There is such an honest assessment in his statement that would be beneficial to us all.

Now Paul is writing to the church in Rome, so one must believe that most of them were believers, but Paul's statements still are applicable even if someone was not a believer. Earlier in chapter 14 Paul was writing about not judging those who are weaker in their faith (Rom 14:1-13) and I think we could replace the phrase "weaker in their faith" just as easily with "younger in their faith". I am always amazed at the way some mature Christians expect new converts to immediately embrace all the things that took them years to learn. We can have such a judgmental attitude towards new believers, and I think that is part of what Paul is discussing here. We must learn to look at people the way the Lord looks at people.

When the Lord looks at us, He sees us as He created us, all the potential, all the gifts, every day of our life, and every thought and deed. He sees all the potential and all the goodness. When we entrust ourselves to His salvation, through faith, we become hidden in Him, and His gifts and character become the lenses through which He sees us. Imagine if we saw in each other what He sees in us. Wouldn't that be glorious?! Imagine if when we looked at people, every person we encounter, we saw them the way Jesus sees them. That is Paul's prayer for the Romans and for the whole church, which includes us.

Finally Paul says that we should please our neighbors for their good, to build them up. I think nothing pleases people more than when people see them for who they are, appreciate their talents, gifts and uniqueness. We have incredible blessings in our lives, and it is right to recognize them! Let us endeavor to be a church that sees people as Christ sees them, recognizing their value and worth to Him. Let us not just see them that way, but let us learn to treat them the way we see them. Jesus laid down His life for the joy that was set before Him (I think that was all of us) and we are called to lay down our lives for one another, through Love. Let us embrace, welcome and accept one another the way that Christ Jesus accepted us, while we were still sinners.

Amen!

###

### Relationship Over Rules

## 08-26

This morning I felt like I should read from John's Gospel, chapter nine. I am quite familiar with this chapter, so I was wondering if the Lord was wanting to review one of the main topics in this chapter. Instead I found myself wondering about the Sabbath regulations, for that is what the Pharisees were all upset about concerning Jesus' healing, for he had made mud on the Sabbath.

Here are the verses from John 9:1-7, 13-16 NIV:

[1] "As he went along, he saw a man blind from birth. [2] His disciples asked him, "Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?"

[3] "Neither this man nor his parents sinned," said Jesus, "but this happened so that the works of God might be displayed in him. [4] As long as it is day, we must do the works of him who sent me. Night is coming, when no one can work. [5] While I am in the world, I am the light of the world."

[6] After saying this, he spit on the ground, made some mud with the saliva, and put it on the man's eyes. [7] "Go," he told him, "wash in the Pool of Siloam" (this word means "Sent"). So the man went and washed, and came home seeing.

[13] They brought to the Pharisees the man who had been blind. [14] Now the day on which Jesus had made the mud and opened the man's eyes was a Sabbath. [15] Therefore the Pharisees also asked him how he had received his sight. "He put mud on my eyes," the man replied, "and I washed, and now I see."

[16] Some of the Pharisees said, "This man is not from God, for he does not keep the Sabbath." But others asked, "How can a sinner perform such signs?" So they were divided."

Apparently the Sabbath regulations were very limiting and the Pharisees were the ones who judged behavior and compared it to the book of Jewish law (Talmud). This book was based on the original scriptures (Torah), but then added clarity and additional refinement of the laws. Much of it is composed of questions and then discussions about the question. So, at some point after reading the original verses from Exodus concerning the Sabbath, someone asked the question, 'what exactly is work?' Here is the original verse - Exodus 20:10 NIV: ..."but the seventh day is a sabbath to the Lord your God. On it you shall not do any work, neither you, nor your son or daughter, nor your male or female servant, nor your animals, nor any foreigner residing in your towns."

Thus, when Jesus made mud, He must have been doing something that was forbidden according to the Talmud, after they had thoroughly defined work to include making mud. One can almost appreciate the concern of the Pharisees, for many of these extended laws had existed for centuries, and were widely held and embraced by the people. When Jesus comes doing amazing miracles, but doing some of them on the Sabbath, they were in a serious conundrum.

This whole situation causes one to wonder about the original intent of God, and the modification of that intent by man, expanding it and modifying it as it made sense to them. One wonders how much of today's Christian walk is comprised of similar expansions of God's original intent. This is a very slippery slope to walk upon, for the Holy Spirit clearly brought about new revelation after Jesus ascended, for that is His job, as described by Jesus (John 16:13), so we can't limit ourselves to just what Jesus said, and what is in the Old Testament. Neither can we just limit ourselves to that which is in the New Testament, for clearly not everything is covered, especially in this modern age. How do we discern God's intent and embrace the freedom that Jesus purchased for us (Gal 5:1)?

There are a couple of important things to consider. First, Jesus fulfilled the requirements of the Law so that we don't need to, and He has set us free from the Law (Rom 8:2). His blood purchased forgiveness for every sin under the law (Heb 9:15). Second, Jesus established a New Covenant (Luke 22:20) and gave us a new commandment (John 13:34). It seems the New Testament understanding of fulfilling the law was based on this "new" command - as Paul wrote - Galatians 5:14 NIV: "For the entire law is fulfilled in keeping this one command: "Love your neighbor as yourself." So, when we read about the Law in the Old Testament, they really don't apply to us anymore, as Jesus has freed us from them.

Jesus in His famous "Sermon on the Mount" (Matt 5:3 - 7:28) made it clear that the Father was more concerned about our hearts and minds than about external obedience. He was speaking for the Father (John 12:49), and describing for us the heart and intent of the Father. It is possible to perfect in works (Old Covenant), but completely lost in heart and mind, and that is what Jesus was addressing during this extended description of God's perspective. The Father is after our hearts, and desirous of our affection. He sent Jesus to demonstrate His character and heart - and when we see Jesus, we see the Father (John 14:9).

Jesus was doing exactly what the Father told Him to do when He healed the man born blind. He made mud because that is what the Father said to do. The Father was the author of the original Ten Commandments, and He knew exactly what He meant. He wanted the people to stop their work and rest and consider God's love and provision. What greater show of love and provision than to provide new eyes and a new life to one who had been born blind? The Sabbath was about honoring God, not about refraining from work, and that is where we so often get it wrong. We look at things from a 'don't do this perspective', rather than embracing a positive perspective change about God's love, faithfulness and provision.

I can almost see God trying to tell the people about His love and faithfulness, His mercy and compassion, and all the people wanted to know was what they couldn't do. They were more worried about the rules then they were about relationship. Thus, the new command was all about relationship - "love one another".

Thus, I am encouraged today to look at my heart and mind and see if I have missed the intent of God. Am I more concerned about obedience to rules, than I am about relationship? Am I pursuing relationship with God first? In our church, are we more concerned about programs than we are about people? Are we more focused on liturgy than on love for one another? Are we leading with love and relationship, or leading with rules and requirements?

Lord help me to focus on that which You are focused on. I want to have my heart in line with Your heart. I want to live my life fulfilling Your intent, and revealing Your intent to those around me. You are love, and so often we miss that because of our concern for the rules.

###

### He Is The Way, Demonstrates The Truth, and Invites Us to Share The Life.

## 08-27

This morning I opened up my Bible to John 14, which is where I was looking up a verse yesterday. Sometimes, as soon as I open the Bible it seems like it is exactly where and what the Lord would have me read, and that is how it felt this morning. Here are the verses for today - John 14:1-12 NIV:

[1] "Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe also in me. [2] My Father's house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? [3] And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am. [4] You know the way to the place where I am going."

[5] Thomas said to him, "Lord, we don't know where you are going, so how can we know the way?"

[6] Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. [7] If you really know me, you will know my Father as well. From now on, you do know him and have seen him."

[8] Philip said, "Lord, show us the Father and that will be enough for us."

[9] Jesus answered: "Don't you know me, Philip, even after I have been among you such a long time? Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, 'Show us the Father'? [10] Don't you believe that I am in the Father, and that the Father is in me? The words I say to you I do not speak on my own authority. Rather, it is the Father, living in me, who is doing his work. [11] Believe me when I say that I am in the Father and the Father is in me; or at least believe on the evidence of the works themselves. [12] Very truly I tell you, whoever believes in me will do the works I have been doing, and they will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father."

This set of verses contains some of the most quoted verses in all Scripture. As such, we can feel they are familiar and just pass on over without spending much time on them. I try to stop myself from doing that whenever possible, for they are significant for a reason.

Summarizing the first exchange - Jesus is going away, and He will come back and bring us with Him to the Father. He wants us to share in the life that He has with the Father, that is why He plans on bringing us to where He is. We already know the way (Him), but He is essential in the journey, for it through Him, through relationship with Him that we can come to the Father. I know I have devoted many entries to the core of our faith being relationships, and here we have a perfect example of why I focus on this theme.

Thomas was thinking that Jesus meant some specific place, somewhere that our actions could take us. Jesus corrected him and said quite simply that it was only through Him that we could come to the Father. If that is not a picture of relationship, I don't know what is? If I told you that I could introduce you to the Pope, or any other important person that you had no way of meeting on your own, it would be true that your relationship with me was your 'way' to meet this person. For this reason, we believe that the way to the Father is only through Jesus, through relationship with Him. It is not through being a member of a church that worships Him, it is through relationship with Him, for He is not concerned with our membership in an organization, but rather is desirous of personal and interactive relationship. The Name of Jesus is not a secret password that gains you access to Heaven or to the Father, it is through knowing Him, as Jesus clearly says in verse 7.

The second exchange is also very significant, for in it Philip is asking for the introduction to the Father that Jesus describes in verses 1-7, and again Jesus provides clarification. Philip asks to see the Father, and Jesus clearly states that everything He does is exactly what the Father is doing. If we have seen Him, we have seen the Father. His words and His actions are from the Father. This is what Jesus came to do, to reveal the Father to us. When He is speaking or ministering, He is doing so at the direction of the Father. In fact, He is in the Father and the Father is in Him (verse 11).

This is so significant, for Jesus was not some prophet speaking for God, nor was He some good and wise teacher speaking with better insight or more truth. He was and is the Son of God the Father, speaking the very words of God the Father, living in unity with God the Father, doing exactly what God the Father would do and is doing. He is the truth! We cannot just gloss over Jesus as being a nice man, who we might like or might think highly of, He was the exact representation of the Father (Heb 1:3) and He says so Himself right here. That fact alone should cause us to stop and think about our relationship with Him.

Finally, the other really important theme is that Jesus didn't just say these words, but He proved the truth of these words! It was through the healings, miracles, signs and wonders that He proved He was who He said He was! Not only that, but He will continue to prove that He is present with the Father, and continuing to be active in our lives through enabling us to do the very same things (healings, miracles, signs and wonders) that He did (verse 12). We are not meant to be just bearers of good words, or even the Good News, we are meant to be able to prove the truth of these words, through the same and greater things! Wow!

Paul understood this truth, and when he ministered, he made sure he removed his towering intellect from the equation, and instead relied on the power of Holy Spirit to present evidence. He said in 1 Corinthians 2:4-5 NIV: "My message and my preaching were not with wise and persuasive words, but with a demonstration of the Spirit's power, so that your faith might not rest on human wisdom, but on God's power."

This morning I am encouraged to press in further, into relationship with Jesus. I am encouraged to pursue knowing Him, and in knowing Him, knowing the Father. I am encouraged to press into His life that He shares with the Father, for that is His invitation. Finally, I am encouraged to continue to believe that we are called to present the same proof that He did, proving that He is with the Father, and He is the way, the truth and the life that we all seek.

Amen!

###

### Judgment and Humility

## 08-29

This morning I felt like I should read from the letter of James 4:4-12 NIV:

[4] "You adulterous people, don't you know that friendship with the world means enmity against God? Therefore, anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God. [5] Or do you think Scripture says without reason that he jealously longs for the spirit he has caused to dwell in us ? [6] But he gives us more grace.

That is why Scripture says: "God opposes the proud but shows favor to the humble."

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

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

It seems the theme the Lord has been expanding to me is judgment and acceptance. It is actually pretty interesting how often this whole topic is dealt with in the New Testament. The term is used 65 times in the New Testament, and at least half of those speak of the Day of Judgment. Jesus, Paul, Peter, James, Jude and the author of the letter to the Hebrews all write about judgment, so apparently it was a popular subject.

It is interesting the James includes statements about judgment immediately following his discussion of the need to be humble. Actually, I think that makes perfect sense for the one who judges takes a place above the one they judge, as if they have authority. Putting ourselves above another, is really an indication of pride. I saw somewhere recently a statement that pride is the chief weapon of satan. It was clearly his main downfall, and makes sense that it is the chief tool he uses to cause us to sin. At the core of this sin is the idea that we know better, and are better than those around us, and that can include God.

When we take Jesus' place as judge over someone, are we not saying effectively that we are a better judge than He is? Maybe we don't believe that He is doing a good job judging them, or punishing them for their obvious sin. Maybe we think that He is taking too long, and that He shouldn't be as merciful as He is. Whatever the vague thoughts or feelings we have when we step into the position of judgment, we are effectively taking Jesus' place. Lord have mercy on us!

Another attitude that seems to be common is when we assume the motives of someone else. We look at their life and we think we know what they are thinking, and judge them accordingly. Again, who knows our every thought, and the secrets of our hearts, it certainly is no one besides God. For us to assume that we know, is once again taking the rightful place of the Lord. He is the only one who knows everything, who understands the person's life, thoughts, emotions, sins and obedience and even their future. He is the Lord of their life, and is fully capable of being their Lord. He really doesn't need our help!

Additionally, as Jesus put it so eloquently, we need to deal with the plank in our own eye before we deal with the speck of sawdust in someone else's (Matt 7:3-5). In other words, we need to humbly review our own life, and submit ourselves to His Lordship first. If we humble ourselves, if we soberly view our own lives in comparison to Him, we will have a lifetime of opportunity to change ourselves. We will have so much to focus on (our plank) that we really will never need to review anyone else's life. If we think we have it all figured out, or that we are doing really well in an area, then we likely have the plank of pride to deal with. Every one of the Saints that I have read are convinced of their own sinfulness. In fact, it seems that the closer they get to Christ, the more aware they are of their own sinfulness. I have yet to read of a Saint, who thought they were a Saint. Every one of them was very aware of their own plank.

Finally, our decisions to be friends with the world (meaning we embrace the spirit of the world, and worldly attitudes and thoughts) puts us at enmity with God - yikes! The word enmity means a deep and unfriendly feeling. The word has the same root as our word enemy. I don't think that is where I want to be in relationship with God. Jesus came to reveal the Father (Luke 10:21-22), to destroy the works of the enemy (1 John 3:8) and to establish the Kingdom of God (Luke 4:43), anything that is not in line with these works is effectively working against Him. The world would have us focus on our own initiatives, our own priorities, our own wants and needs. I hate to say it but the root of that type of focus is pride. We are saying that we know better how to live our life, and what we need.

The good news in all of this is that God knows each of us, our depravity, our cluelessness, our sin, and our efforts to do good. He sees us in our need and rather than judge us, He gives us more grace (James 4:6). As I have written before, grace is unmerited favor. In other words, lest we be prideful about this favor of God, it is unmerited, or unearned, as in nothing we have done has earned us His favor. He loved us while we were still sinners. He loved us so much that He died for us, while we were still sinners. Nothing we did caused Him to extend this mercy, this forgiveness, this atoning sacrifice into our lives, yet He did. Praise God!

So, let us revel in His amazing grace, let us deal with our own planks and let us leave the judging and Lordship to Him. Amen and Amen!

### Of Love and First Things

## 08-31

This morning I am contemplating some verses from John's first letter. As compared to the rest of the New Testament, these were likely written almost 60 years after Jesus' death and ascension. Thus, they provide some insight into the thoughts that were prevalent in the church, a few decades after its founding. I have read many of the early Apostolic father's letters, trying to better understand the life and thought of the early church. In the same way that the Lord calls us back to our first love (first experiences of Him - see Rev. 2:4-5) I believe He calls us to make sure that our thinking and culture are aligned with what was originally put in place. The canon of scripture is so important for us to review and consider and compare our lives and experience to what they experienced, for it is meant to be a sort of measuring stick to which we compare our lives. This doesn't mean that there is no room for growth and maturation in the Body of Christ, but rather that we should constantly go back to these books and letters and compare ourselves to make sure we have not forgotten our founding principles and beliefs.

Going back to the verses from John, he is basically describing the core focus of the faith after 60 years of maturation within the church. Here are the verses - 1 John 3:16-18, 23-24 NIV:

[16] "This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters. [17] If anyone has material possessions and sees a brother or sister in need but has no pity on them, how can the love of God be in that person? [18] Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth."

[23] "And this is his command: to believe in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ, and to love one another as he commanded us. [24] The one who keeps God's commands lives in him, and he in them. And this is how we know that he lives in us: We know it by the Spirit he gave us."

These 5 verses summarize things quite nicely. First, we are called to believe in Jesus, and all that He did and proclaimed. Second, we are called to love one another. Third, we are called to an intimate, indwelling relationship with God, through the Holy Spirit. Fourthly, our love for each other is active.

I was reading an article this weekend about a young woman who had gone through an extensive search for truth, and had settled on the following definition for her faith, "Love God, love people. Love, period." (Reba Riley, KC Star Interview 8/30/2105). I find her summation of her faith pretty similar to what John lays out here. It seems to me that for many of us, our church experience is much more complicated. There are programs, and complex theologies, and arguments over specifics of eschatology, and the like, and we really could boil the basics down to a few simple things.

1) Love God and be in relationship with Him.  
2) Love one another and do so actively, the way Jesus did.

Obviously, there is much more that we can add to this, but I think these really are the two basic foundations for our faith. Jesus gave us a new command to Love one another (John 13:34) and said this is how people would know that we are His followers. Paul wrote later in his letter to the Galatians 5:14 NIV: "For the entire law is fulfilled in keeping this one command: "Love your neighbor as yourself." Both of these is predicated on the first foundation that we do this in response to our love for God, and relationship with Him.

I think we, members of the Body of Christ, would be well served to gather around those things that we hold in common, rather than allow ourselves to be divided by those things we can't come to agreement on. If we could learn to love one another the way Jesus loved us, we would find that the little and big disagreements are less important than one another! When we really lay down our lives for one another we begin to discover the significance and beauty of each other. When we love each other actively we experience and serve the true person, not some objectified individual that we have classified by belief or label. In the end, I believe this is the core of compassion, seeing each other for who we truly are, and in that, seeing one another's need for love and acceptance, mercy and forgiveness.

Lord, I pray that You will help me to love the way You loved! Help me to love my fellow brothers and sisters the way you loved me, in action. Help me to see the unique and significant value in everyone I meet, regardless of what they think, what they believe and what they think of me!

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### Live By the Spirit, Not the Flesh

## 09-01

This morning I have been spending some time in Paul's letter to the Galatians, specifically in chapter five. It is so nice to have commentaries and original language tools to help us to understand and think about the scripture. The verses I have been working on are the following - Galatians 5:13-26 NIV:

[13] "You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh; rather, serve one another humbly in love. [14] For the entire law is fulfilled in keeping this one command: "Love your neighbor as yourself." [15] If you bite and devour each other, watch out or you will be destroyed by each other.

[16] So I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. [17] For the flesh desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh. They are in conflict with each other, so that you are not to do whatever you want. [18] But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.

[19] The acts of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; [20] idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions [21] and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.

[22] But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, [23] gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. [24] Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. [25] Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. [26] Let us not become conceited, provoking and envying each other."

Now the first thing I want to point out is that Paul is writing this to the churches in Galatia. These verses are directed at the people who considered themselves to be part of the church. There apparently was a group of people who were saying that the freedom that was available in Christ made all things legal, and were using such an argument to approve and practice all sorts of fleshly activities. Paul wrote about similar thinking in his letter to the Romans (Rom 6-8). Here Paul is being very clear about what was in line with the freedom Christ purchased for us.

Much of my research this morning had to do with Paul's statement in verse 21 - "those who live like this will not inherit the Kingdom of God." This is very strong language and is often used to judge whether or not someone is saved, and it could be read that way. After doing some additional research and reading the original language, it seems to me that a few things are clear. First Paul wasn't talking about people who have this as a part of their life and are struggling to get free, but rather about people who said they were a part of the church yet actively practiced, regularly embraced and wholly agreed with these things. The original Greek uses the word Prasso whose definition is:

1) to exercise, practice, to be busy with, carry on  
a) to undertake, to do  
2) to accomplish, perform  
b) to commit, perpetrate

When I read that definition it is clear to me that this is not a random occurrence or something that is being done without specific thought and intention. Again, these are people in the church, and Paul is making it clear that such people who openly embrace these things are not operating under the Kingdom of God, nor would He (God) ever sanction or approve of such activity, as these individuals are trying to argue.

Looking at this another way, if the Kingdom of God is an extension of Heaven's reality here on earth, Paul is pointing to the reality that we would all believe that such things do not exist in Heaven, and thus they should not be thought to be approved by God here on earth.

Secondly, in summary, Paul makes the simple statement that proper Christian living would be to love each other as Christ loved us and be led by the Holy Spirit. If that is our life, these other things which are the fruit of selfishness and the seeds of the enemy will no longer be embraced and fed and will wilt and die. Paul uses language that describes putting a violent end to fleshly passions and desires by crucifying them. One could take this to mean an immediate severing of all things fleshly once we experience salvation in Christ. However, Paul also writes in Romans that this crucifixion was accomplished by Christ (Rom 6:6) and is thus an embracing and living out of a Spiritual reality. He encourages the Romans to offer themselves to God (Rom 6:13), and to embrace His grace and life. There may still be struggle with sin (Rom 7:7-25), but in Christ and through His power we will be "more than conquerors" (Rom 8:37) and experience that which God has purchased, that which He promised and that which He chose for us.

Personally, I am encouraged this morning to continue to press forward into Him. To look for opportunities to love and serve, and to endeavor to be led by the Holy Spirit in all things. I want to keep in step with the Spirit, and experience the fruit of the Spirit in my life. As I do so, more and more, my fleshly desires will have less and less attraction and influence in my life. I thank you Lord that You have extended grace, mercy and forgiveness to me and know that because of Your salvation I will be more than a conqueror.

###

### Walking Side by Side

## 09-03

This morning I am continuing my reflection on Paul's letter to the church in Galatia. His sixth chapter is interesting, and I want to spend some time working through it. I am starting with the first six verses - Galatians 6:1-6 NIV:

[1] "Brothers and sisters, if someone is caught in a sin, you who live by the Spirit should restore that person gently. But watch yourselves, or you also may be tempted. [2] Carry each other's burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ. [3] If anyone thinks they are something when they are not, they deceive themselves. [4] Each one should test their own actions. Then they can take pride in themselves alone, without comparing themselves to someone else, [5] for each one should carry their own load. [6] Nevertheless, the one who receives instruction in the word should share all good things with their instructor."

It is so interesting reading the English translation and then going back and reading the original language and seeing what if any differences there may be. In verse one, the word Paul used that was translated sin, was not the common Greek word Hamartia, which is defined as missing the mark, or having no share in (target), but rather the word Paraptoma, which is defined to fall beside or near something. The secondary definition is a lapse or deviation from the truth. The word translated restore is the Greek word katartizo which is defined as mending or making one complete, fixing something that is broken. The word translated temptation is the Greek word Peirazo which is defined as trying or testing whether something can be accomplished. Finally, the word translated caught is Prolambano which is defined to take before, as in taking hold of someone by the hand before.

When I put those words together I get an image of a brother or sister walking alongside another brother or sister, reaching out their hand to steady them or help them when they stumble or fall and helping them back to their feet, back to the path, helping them fix anything that might have been broken. Paul encourages them to do so gently, lest the one helping might also be drawn into the testing. I can almost picture two people walking together on a rough trail, steadying each other, both knowing they are the support for the other. What an awesome picture of how to help one another in our faith walk. Neither individual takes a judgmental position, but rather they are both acknowledging they are walking the path together.

This actually makes better sense as we shift into the second verse of bearing one another's burdens. Why would Paul write that if He was just talking about catching someone in their sin? If the image is of walking down a path together, it makes perfect sense, for in the natural we often times will offer to carry the burden of another as they traverse a difficult stretch or their strength is waning. When we are walking alongside another, we have an understanding of load each other is carrying, their strength and their needs. Paul says this is fulfilling the law of Christ, which I think relates back to the commandment that Jesus gave us to love one another as He loved us, laying down His life.

Imagine if we all were willing to walk alongside one another and were willing to help each other in their time of need and struggle, willing to lay aside our own concerns and attentions and instead look to them to help them. We see this type of behavior come out when we are confronted with major catastrophes, as in earthquakes, tornados, blizzards, etc. People are willing to help one another, laying aside their own concerns for a while, going to those who need help and providing whatever aid and assistance they can. It is in these times that we see the goodness in our neighbors and people around us. I believe Paul's encouragement this morning is to live this way all the time.

Paul's second theme is directly related to the first, and his encouragement is to not become prideful in comparing ourselves to others who are struggling with their own load. Paul says we should consider ourselves, test ourselves, see if we are indeed carrying our own load as we should.

As I write this I am reminded of a time I was snow-shoeing with a whole group of people. We were in snow that was more than waist deep, and I was in the lead cutting the trail through the woods, up a steep hill. I was pushing hard and thinking how strong I was compared to everyone else. However, at one point I just totally ran out of energy and had to stop and rest and while I was resting everyone in the line passed me by and at the end I couldn't even finish the hike, but had to turn back. I think this is a good picture of our life, if we get prideful and don't consider our situation and start comparing ourselves to others thinking more highly of ourselves then we ought, we will run into stuff that will stop us, and with that prideful attitude we won't have anyone to help us.

I am encouraged this morning to learn to walk alongside my brothers and sisters, learning to rely on their help and provide real help as well. I am encouraged to make this a lifestyle for every day rather than just during special times of extraordinary need. Lord help me and help us to have such an attitude towards one another.

###

### Sowing and Goodness

## 09-08

This morning I am picking up where I left off in Galatians. I had a nice long weekend visiting family and didn't have much if any time to sit with the Lord. I know that He is just fine with my spending time with people that are significant to me, but it is good to be back and conversing with Him. These next few verses are just too good not to spend some time reflecting on them. Here are the verses - Galatians 6:7-10 NIV:

[7] "Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows. [8] Whoever sows to please their flesh, from the flesh will reap destruction; whoever sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life. [9] Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. [10] Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers."

Starting with verse 7, Paul outlines a very simple natural and spiritual truth - we reap what we sow. He starts by saying don't be deceived, or more accurately, led astray or led aside from the right path. This is clearly in response to something others are teaching or saying. Earlier in his letter he was addressing those that were saying that they needed to follow the law and the Gentiles needed to be circumcised, and then others who were saying that their freedom from the law allowed them to do whatever they wanted. It is interesting that these two themes are both opposite ends of the same pendulum swing. The law and a works mentality are basically religion, and the push for complete lawlessness is anarchy, and while opposites, neither is correct according to Paul, and I would agree (not that my agreement means anything).

I think this is a good demonstration of the way the enemy works, always trying to distort and pervert the actual words and will of God. The Lord gave us very clear instruction and teaching and Paul is calling the Galatians back to that teaching and defending it as well. I think pulling in such a simple concept as reaping and sowing, is such a brilliant move. Everyone can understand this concept and its ramifications. If we plant grass seed, grass will come up, the same thing for each and every other type of seed, so why would we think this would be any different?

Taking this a bit further, if we want relationship with God we need to sow accordingly. If I want a relationship with someone I need to relate with them, which requires time and communication. If we want to see people healed through prayer, we need to sow prayer for healing. Randy Clark says that if you want to start seeing people healed through your prayer, then you need to start by praying for healing! He says that if you pray 1000 times in a year for healing, you will see healing! In the same way, if you want to see people come to know Jesus, you need to talk about Him. If we want to experience personal growth and greater spirituality, we need to sow accordingly.

Occasionally when you drive by a field planted with soy beans, you will see some corn-stalks poking up in random places. We always called that volunteer corn, and I think we see that occur occasionally in our walk with the Lord, unexpected fruit of something we haven't sown yet. I like to think of that like the taste testers in the supermarket, Him showing us what we could experience if we so desired. This should invite us into pursuing Him deeper, or as Paul says sowing to please the Spirit (Holy Spirit).

Paul says that sowing to please the Holy Spirit leads to eternal life, while sowing to please the flesh leads to destruction. We know from John's Gospel that eternal life is the same as knowing the Father and Jesus, His Son (John 17:3), and sowing to please the Holy Spirit will certainly lead us to Him. Sowing to the flesh (sinful nature) will lead us in the opposite direction, and our focus will instead be on us, and our selfish pursuits. Paul says that they will reap destruction from the flesh. In the fifth chapter of this letter, Paul lists some of the acts of this sowing to the sinful nature and they are all things that have destructive components and outcomes. The more we pursue them, the more likely we will enjoy the fruit they bring, which is destruction.

Finally, Paul closes these verses with the simple charge to do good, to never cease doing good. He clearly aligns this with his earlier statements about sowing and reaping and says that if we do good we will reap a harvest, and it's clear that it is a good harvest. I believe Paul actually correlates doing good with sowing to please the Holy Spirit. Doing good is such a widely welcomed and enjoyed personal practice. I don't know anyone that doesn't enjoy when someone does something good to them, or to someone close to them. Goodness is one of the fruits of the Holy Spirit (Gal 5:22) and one of the chief characteristics of God Himself (Ex 33:19).

In summary, I am encouraged to look at my life and see what I am sowing. If I am sowing my time and effort into goodness and to please the Spirit, I will reap eternal life!

Amen!

### 

### He IS What We Need

## 09-09

This morning I felt led to read from John's Gospel, the story of His raising Lazarus. I have included some excerpts - John 11:3-4, 11-15, 23-27, 40-44 NIV:

[3] "So the sisters sent word to Jesus, "Lord, the one you love is sick." [4] When he heard this, Jesus said, "This sickness will not end in death. No, it is for God's glory so that God's Son may be glorified through it."

[11] After he had said this, he went on to tell them, "Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep; but I am going there to wake him up."

[12] His disciples replied, "Lord, if he sleeps, he will get better."

[13] Jesus had been speaking of his death, but his disciples thought he meant natural sleep. [14] So then he told them plainly, "Lazarus is dead, [15] and for your sake I am glad I was not there, so that you may believe. But let us go to him."

[23] Jesus said to her, "Your brother will rise again."

[24] Martha answered, "I know he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day."

[25] Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die; [26] and whoever lives by believing in me will never die. Do you believe this?"

[27] "Yes, Lord," she replied, "I believe that you are the Messiah, the Son of God, who is to come into the world."

[40] Then Jesus said, "Did I not tell you that if you believe, you will see the glory of God?" [41] So they took away the stone. Then Jesus looked up and said, "Father, I thank you that you have heard me. [42] I knew that you always hear me, but I said this for the benefit of the people standing here, that they may believe that you sent me."

[43] When he had said this, Jesus called in a loud voice, "Lazarus, come out!"

[44] The dead man came out, his hands and feet wrapped with strips of linen, and a cloth around his face. Jesus said to them, "Take off the grave clothes and let him go."

As I read these familiar verses the first thing that popped into my head was the statement that Jesus is Lord of both the living and the dead! In other words, He is Lord over everything, regardless of its state. He is not dependent on our belief to be Lord, He is Lord and nothing can change that.

The second thought that ran through my mind was that nothing is hopeless for those who believe in Him. There is nothing and nobody that is too far gone to experience His touch, to hear His voice, to respond to His command. We may lose hope, we may think there is nothing anybody can do, but at His word and at His command all heaven and earth respond, regardless of whether they are alive or dead.

Thirdly, I was thinking about Lazarus. So often we hear messages about the sisters, but I am thinking about Lazarus this morning. He was loved by Jesus, and thus we can conclude that he knew Him well, well enough to know that He could heal him. I am sure He encouraged his sisters to send word to Jesus, asking that He come. I imagine his last days were filled with hope that Jesus would come, and fear that He wouldn't get the message in time. I am sure that as his condition worsened, his hope became more desperate. I can almost see him waiting every day for any sign from the Lord that He was coming, yet Jesus waited.

I am also aware this morning of how conscious Jesus was of the situation. He knew from the moment He was summoned what the Father was planning. He had no fear, no doubt, and was fully trusting in His Father's plan, even though He knew it would be personally painful. Lazarus was His friend and He had personal investment in his life and the life of his sisters. Regardless of the pain that would result, He knew that God's greater glory would be the final result. He tried to tell His disciples, but they were limited in their understanding.

Jesus statement that He is the resurrection and the life is really significant as this was before His own resurrection. I looked at the original Greek and His words are quite clear - He IS Anastasis and Zoe - Resurrection and Life. We could also say He IS healing, He IS Miracles, He IS forgiveness, mercy and love. These are not just His personality or words that describe Him. No, it is the other way around, He defines the words.

My encouragement today is that we need Jesus! Whatever we need in life, whether it be hope, love, joy, healing, miracles, or forgiveness, what we really need is Him! It is never too late for Him to move, to give a command, to respond. He IS aware of our situation and fully engaged and invested personally. Lord, I pray that You would fill me and all those in need with hope today, for You are the resurrection and the life!

###

### Experiencing Mercy, Leads to Worship and Transformation

## 09-10

This morning I was asking the Lord where I should read in the Bible and the following thought ran through my head - "Romans, eleveny-twelve". Now that may just be one of the weirder things I have thought I heard from the Lord, or maybe just proof that He has a funny sense of humor, but it makes sense now that I have read the last bit of chapter 11 and the beginning of chapter 12.

Romans 11:32-36 - 12:1-2 NIV:

[32] "For God has bound everyone over to disobedience so that he may have mercy on them all."

[33] "Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable his judgments, and his paths beyond tracing out!"  
[34] "Who has known the mind of the Lord? Or who has been his counselor?"  
[35] "Who has ever given to God, that God should repay them?"  
[36] "For from him and through him and for him are all things. To him be the glory forever! Amen."

[12:1]"Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God---this is your true and proper worship. [2] Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is---his good, pleasing and perfect will."

I sometimes forget to read the Bible, especially the letters, like they are actual letters. I am so numbers and verse centric, that sometimes I just won't read the next chapter, even though they usually flow directly from the previous chapter. These verses are a good example of that, for Paul's opening line in Chapter 12 is directly flowing from what he was writing in verses at the end of Chapter 11.

I like that Paul, as he was writing on God's mercy towards Jew and Gentile alike, was so overwhelmed by God's mercy that he basically breaks into song. God's mercy is amazing, unmerited, and complete. Paul spent most of chapter 11 writing about the Jews and the fact that it was God's plan that they might be saved, just like the Gentiles, and that we Gentiles were in-grafted into the promises God had made to the patriarchs, etc. He saw this as a perfect example of God's mercy, for we were all in the same state (bound together or closed up together), that of needing God's salvation and help.

Paul continues into thought - who would ever have thought those thoughts? Who would ever have planned this all out and set those plans into motion except God. God's thoughts are clearly not like ours! He has given us that which we could never repay or earn. He has wrapped us all up in His mercy, and it is through Him, for Him and from Him! He is amazing and worthy of Glory!

Paul then writes that in light of all of this wonder and these gifts, we should respond in worship of God by offering ourselves as a living sacrifice, by being transformed by the renewing of our minds, rather than being conformed to the pattern of this world (at least that is the way I read it). I find it interesting that Paul would potentially define part of worship as transformation through the renewing of our mind. I wrote earlier on changing our mindset which is pretty much the same as renewing our mind (see: http://amomentwithgod-srh.blogspot.com/2015/08/changing-our-mindset-great-challenge.html). I can almost see a Sunday "worship" service devoted to renewing our mind - taking on the mindset of Christ (Phil 2:5), literally devoted to thinking differently.

I am taking some liberty in connecting these verses, but I think it makes sense. We are encouraged to be Christ-like, and what would be more Christ-like then to have our minds set on the same things He did, which would then enable us to act like He acted? We would be transformed as our minds were renewed, or made new. The Greek word Paul uses here is Anakainosis and its definition is "a renewal, renovation, complete change for the better". We are encouraged to become like Christ, rather than conforming to the pattern of this world. Webster's defines conform as: 1) to be similar to or the same as something: 2) to obey or agree with something: 3) to do what other people do : 4) to behave in a way that is accepted by most people. So on one hand we have the mindset of Christ and the other we have the pattern of the world, and we get to choose daily.

It is clear, in light of what Paul writes here, that it takes effort to be renewed in our minds, to take on the mind of Christ, to swim against the flow of worldly thought and action. This effort is received by God as worship! We are effectively running to God, looking up into His eyes and saying, "I want to be like You"! My operative definition of worship is running into the arms of my loving Father, and this is just like that!

As we are renewed in our minds, and we start to think like Christ, we obviously will be better at discerning His will, testing thoughts to see if they line up with His mind and heart! As we grow in this ability, our actions and words to others will be transformed into the very words and actions of the Father. This was the way Jesus operated (John 14:1), and what we are invited into through the prayers of Jesus (John 17:20-23).

I am greatly encouraged this morning to press forward to swim against the flow of thought and action that is the pattern of this world, that I might be like Christ. It is because of His great mercy that I can even attempt this. I want to be like Him, and that makes Him happy and brings Him glory!

Amen!

### The Wave of Revival and the Response of Leaders

## 09-11

This morning I am going back to John's Gospel, to the aftermath of the raising of Lazarus from the dead. This was not an insignificant event, and was in many ways responsible for the culmination of Jesus' purpose, for it was after this that the Pharisees started planning in earnest to kill Him. Here are some verses that describe the situation - John 11:45, 47-48, 54-57 NIV:

[45] "Therefore many of the Jews who had come to visit Mary, and had seen what Jesus did, believed in him."

[47] Then the chief priests and the Pharisees called a meeting of the Sanhedrin. "What are we accomplishing?" they asked. "Here is this man performing many signs. [48] If we let him go on like this, everyone will believe in him, and then the Romans will come and take away both our temple and our nation."

[54] Therefore Jesus no longer moved about publicly among the people of Judea. Instead he withdrew to a region near the wilderness, to a village called Ephraim, where he stayed with his disciples.

[55] When it was almost time for the Jewish Passover, many went up from the country to Jerusalem for their ceremonial cleansing before the Passover. [56] They kept looking for Jesus, and as they stood in the temple courts they asked one another, "What do you think? Isn't he coming to the festival at all?" [57] But the chief priests and the Pharisees had given orders that anyone who found out where Jesus was should report it so that they might arrest him."

Continuing on into the next chapter - John 12:1-2, 9-13, 17-19, 37 NIV:

[1] "Six days before the Passover, Jesus came to Bethany, where Lazarus lived, whom Jesus had raised from the dead. [2] Here a dinner was given in Jesus' honor. Martha served, while Lazarus was among those reclining at the table with him.

[9] Meanwhile a large crowd of Jews found out that Jesus was there and came, not only because of him but also to see Lazarus, whom he had raised from the dead. [10] So the chief priests made plans to kill Lazarus as well, [11] for on account of him many of the Jews were going over to Jesus and believing in him.

[12] The next day the great crowd that had come for the festival heard that Jesus was on his way to Jerusalem. [13] They took palm branches and went out to meet him, shouting, "Hosanna! " "Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!" "Blessed is the king of Israel!"

[17] Now the crowd that was with him when he called Lazarus from the tomb and raised him from the dead continued to spread the word. [18] Many people, because they had heard that he had performed this sign, went out to meet him. [19] So the Pharisees said to one another, "See, this is getting us nowhere. Look how the whole world has gone after him!"

[37] Even after Jesus had performed so many signs in their presence, they still would not believe in him."

I know that is quite a few verses to work through, but overall they paint a picture of the scene that was unfolding immediately after the raising of Lazarus from the dead. It is clear that Lazarus, Martha and Mary were people of significance, just from the number of people that had gathered to mourn for Lazarus after he died. It is because these people were all gathered and believed in Him that Jesus' impact on the nation was increasing.

I find the response of the Pharisees and chief priests completely understandable, for they recognized that their positions of power were in danger. Their unbelief appeared to have more to do with politics and power than it did with anything else. If there was ever a good example of how the spirit behind politics and religion is not from God, this situation exemplifies it. Instead of rejoicing that the Messiah had come, the one they had been waiting hundreds of years to see, they are concerned about losing "our temple and our nation" (John 11:48). The very thing the people were longing for, the leaders feared. A new order, a new Kingdom would threaten their positions of power and influence and they we determined to put a stop to this.

I think this is a great example of the "old wine-skin" mentality. They were unwilling to look at the new opportunities, the new life that was being breathed into their nation, they only saw how it would destroy their world. I believe that this is the reason many moves of God are quenched, not from lack of desire on the people's part, but rather the fear of losing power and influence that comes from the present people in power and with influence. So often we see the very people who should be jumping in whole-heartedly, instead casting doubt on any new "move of God". They want the move of God, but they want it under their control and influence. Anytime large numbers of existing congregations get caught up in believing God for more, I think the leadership is tempted to pull back on the reins so they can keep things "under control", meaning under their control. They use all sorts of fine sounding arguments about protecting the people, the church, and steering wide of trouble, but at the end of the day, they are killing that which the Holy Spirit is birthing.

When God comes in power, revealing His presence and heart through the miraculous, people are moved, people believe! This is exactly what we long for, what we look for, a people embracing God and His interactions in their lives. God is glorified through this all, and people begin to realize that there is more to their faith than just going to service once a week.

The Jews were all stirred up and everyone was talking about Jesus. They can't even wait for Him to arrive in Jerusalem, instead they rush out to meet Him as He is making His way into the city. They cry out praises to God, they proclaim Jesus as the King, for they have seen with their own eyes the miracles He did in their midst. The people longed for the coming of the Messiah, and now that He was there in their midst they ran to Him. What an awesome environment that must have been, people cheering, people waving, all believing that Jesus was from God!

I look forward to the day the church experiences the outpouring of the Holy Spirit in such ways again! People will be moved, and people will believe, and I am sure that some large number of existing leaders will instead try to kill the move of God because it doesn't fit their agenda. Lord, we pray for mercy, we pray for Your guidance, and we pray that the men You entrust with leadership will bring the people to You, the true source of life, rather than trying to shut down the move. Lord help us to all have hearts that are for You and for Your ways, even if it threatens our agendas and ideas and position.

I have heard recently that some of the prophetic voices are speaking about a coming revival wave that will hit the church (See \- http://www.generals.org/articles/single/prophetic-encouragement-for-fall-2015/). If this is the case, then my prayer for the church and specifically for its leaders, is that we will embrace the revival, this out-pouring of the Holy Spirit, as well as the grace, mercy and compassion of the Lord. I pray the leaders will be the first to run out and welcome the Lord when He comes. I pray that the political and religious powers will be shaken and the Kingdom of God established! I pray that God will be glorified and many who don't know God will come to believe!

Amen!

###

### An Apology

## 09-13

So I this morning while waiting for my allergy medicine to take effect so I could go back to sleep, I was reading through an article written about IHOP (International House of Prayer), where a young man wrote about his experience, his questions, and how IHOP responded to many of things that have been written (see - http://www.charismanews.com/opinion/51909-the-truth-about-ihopkc). I also read through my last blog entry about the response of leaders to "move of God", and I realized that I have been attacking parts of the church in a generic sort of way quite often in my blog, and I have exhibited the very critical spirit that I abhor.

Lord, I ask Your forgiveness for giving any air-time in my own mind and especially in my blog, to things that are critical of the Church. Lord, I pray that You would help me to learn from You. Help me to learn how to respond, how to create hope and life without critiquing the Church or ministries or individuals, regardless of how generic I word things. Lord, I don't want to be known for my ability to think critically, but rather for my ability to think like You, creatively.

Lord, my question is how to present a new perspective possibly giving a contrasting perspective without being critical? This is actually a tough question for me, for I know my mind quickly goes to criticalness as my default. I think this attitude is based in spiritual pride, namely thinking I know better than others. Lord, please help me; help me to root out pride. I know that often I think I am about "defending the faith" and thinking that I am helping to build right culture or attitudes, but the reality is that I am being critical. Lord, I believe that You can fully defend Your church without my help! My desire is to speak about what You are showing me, without being negative or critical of others, especially those who are my brothers and sisters. Lord, I desire to repent, to change the way I think, and the way I act! Please help me and guide me and direct me in changing and reshaping my mind, to be more like You.

I would ask anyone that reads this to forgive me of my critical attitude, and pray for me and all brothers and sisters that we might work to build the Church, and not tear each other down.

###

### Embracing Repentance

## 09-13

I am reading from Paul's letter to the Colossians 1:9-14 NIV:

[9] "For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you. We continually ask God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all the wisdom and understanding that the Spirit gives, [10] so that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God, [11] being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience, [12] and giving joyful thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of his holy people in the kingdom of light. [13] For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, [14] in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins."

What a great set of verses, what a great encouragement! Oh, that we would offer continual prayer asking for God to fill us with His wisdom, the knowledge of His will, and the understanding brought by the Holy Spirit. Being filled with His wisdom means learning to think like He thinks. When that occurs, we start to understand His will, which is exactly what the Holy Spirit does - He provides understanding of the deep things of God.

When we take on the mind of God, our actions will change. Again, this is the very definition of repentance - changing the way we think and act. So often we associate repentance with bad behavior and sin, and it is applicable there, but it is probably more applicable to learning to think and act like Christ, that which we are called to do. Repentance should become a positive word in our vocabulary, for it should mean that we are working to become like Christ in all things, and recognizing that we need to change, which is a good thing.

The more we think and act like Him, the more fruit we will bear, the more we will know Him. The more we know Him, the more He will release to us authority and power, for He knows that we will represent Him accurately. His desire is that we all operate in the same mode that He did, and in the same attitude. We are called to join Him, who is our first-born brother (Col 1:18), taking our place in the Body of Christ, and representing Him to all we meet.

The more power and authority He releases, the greater our endurance and patience. We realize that He is our source of strength and power, allowing us to tap into Eternal Life, and the power that flows from His very throne. When we see God move in power through us our right response should be thanksgiving to God. It is amazing to me that God allows us to be important and critical parts of His on-going ministry on the Earth. We don't just get to do this here on Earth, but in all of eternity!

Finally, we are all, each and every one of us, rescued from the dominion of darkness. We all have sinfulness in common (Romans 11:32), but rather than allowing that to be a point of shame, we should recognize that we are all in the exact same state. Absent of our redemption we would still be there trapped in the enemie's camp. We are called to embrace the Kingdom of God made available to us in Christ.

Let us all encourage one another today, seeking to build one another up in our identities and purpose. Let us embrace repentance, becoming like Christ!

Amen and Amen!

###

### Suffering - A Different Perspective

## 09-14

This morning I am reading from Paul's letter to the Philippians 1:27-30 NIV

[27] "Whatever happens, conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ. Then, whether I come and see you or only hear about you in my absence, I will know that you stand firm in the one Spirit, striving together as one for the faith of the gospel [28] without being frightened in any way by those who oppose you. This is a sign to them that they will be destroyed, but that you will be saved---and that by God. [29] For it has been granted to you on behalf of Christ not only to believe in him, but also to suffer for him, [30] since you are going through the same struggle you saw I had, and now hear that I still have."

This is clearly another one of those sets of verses where it is much more comfortable to stop after reading the first two. I love the fact the fact that Paul doesn't candy-coat things. He recognizes that there is legitimate struggle and difficulty in pursuing a life devoted to Christ. This is just something I don't like to hear. I want to hear about all the glorious and awesome stuff, not the difficulty and struggle, opposition or persecution. Verse 29 is particularly unpopular in my mind - being granted the opportunity on behalf of Christ to suffer for Him. Now is a good time to look to the Greek and see what Paul was saying. The word that is translated suffer is the Greek word Pascho, which is defined as follows:

1) to be affected or have been affected, to feel, have a sensible experience, to undergo  
a) in a good sense, to be well off, in good case  
b) in a bad sense, to suffer sadly, be in a bad plight

Now the majority of times it is used in scripture it is translated suffer or suffering (39 out of 40) the other time it is translated endure. It is interesting how different that could read if we used the first definition. The word used for 'believe' could also be translated entrust oneself, and the word translated 'granted' could be also translated to do someone a pleasant favor. I am no linguist, nor do I read Greek at all, but it strikes me at times that things could be translated significantly different. Replacing the existing translations with those I just listed, verse 29 would read - for you have received the pleasant favor, on behalf of Christ, not only to entrust yourself to Him, but in addition to that to be affected or changed by Him.

I believe the reason we receive the negative version of the translation is that Paul is speaking about being in chains in the earlier part of the chapter, and follows up the sentence talking about a struggle. The word translated struggle, is actually the word Agon and it indicated something like the Olympic games, in other words not necessarily a negative struggle but rather a contest of significance, for a national prize. Wow, that whole section could sure read differently.

The point of all of this, is not so much that we are going to have to suffer, per se, but that our life in Christ is going to take effort, it's going to challenge us and change us. We will be changed; we will have to work hard; we will need to persevere. All of those things apply to both difficulty and to accomplishing great things. Olympic champions don't achieve that level of success without sacrifice and great effort, in the same way that those who are pressing through difficult circumstances don't get to the other side without effort and sacrifice.

Recently the theme of my study has been repentance, and that is exactly what Paul is talking about here, but at a deeper level. The sense I get is that Paul is saying that following Christ will affect us to our core. We will be changed, and we will have to sacrifice. Jesus talked about denying oneself and taking up our cross and following Him daily (Luke 9:23). that sounds exactly like these two verses from Paul. We will all be given the opportunity to lay down our lives, to press into Christ Jesus and see our lives changed by this pursuit.

None of this is bad, for in the process we become like Him, the greatest human who ever lived. However, we will have to sacrifice. The one who would be an Olympian must exercise, must work diligently, must manage their diet, must often times go somewhere to train leaving family behind, all of which in the end are worthwhile for the glory of the prize. As Christians, our prize is Christ and eternal life. Our efforts are worthwhile, even more so than a prospective Olympian. If someone was chosen to be part of the Olympic team, we would see that as being granted a hugely favorable opportunity. We have been given a better opportunity in Christ! We are encouraged to live a life worthy of our calling, worthy of our prize. We are encouraged to help each other achieve that prize. We are encouraged to not fear the opposition (Phil 1:28), but to focus on the prize, that for which Christ Jesus took hold of us (Phil 3:12-14).

Wow, I don't feel nearly so bad about those verses now!

Lord, I pray that You will help me to live a life worthy of my calling, to pursue You above all else. Help me to be willing to lay down my life and take up the challenge of becoming like You. I know the effort, the struggle and work will be worth it in the end! What a glorious opportunity we have!

###

### My Life, In Short!

## 09-15

On Sunday I saw this quote from Bill Johnson:

"Royalty is my identity  
Servanthood is my assignment  
Intimacy with God is my life source"

This concisely describes what the Lord has been establishing in me these last few years. In my experience, Bill seems to be able to speak concisely what I have been hearing, thinking and understanding but don't have a clear way of communicating yet. I am so grateful for him and for others that show us the way, and give us understanding of how to live this life of following Christ.

The development (in my mind and heart) of my true identity is one of the chief works of Christ in my life. So much of the struggle I have is related to figuring out who I am, and whose I am. Being the son of the King, being called to represent Him, being called to think like Him, being called to act like Him are the things I am working into my life at present. Like Paul said in his letter to the Philippians 3:12-14 NIV:

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

Secondly, servanthood is how I am called to relate to others. I am being called to see others as significant, to identify their value to the Lord and to treat them that way. I am called to walk in humility, looking to others, thinking about them and their needs. This really is a radical call, for selflessness does not come naturally to me. I am constantly being encouraged to renew my mind, to think differently, to daily lay down my life and choose to love others, even as Christ loved me. Christ's new commandment, to love one another, as He loved us (John 13:34) is my constant beacon of direction and guidance. As Paul said in his letter to the Philippians 2:3-7 NIV:

[3] "Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, [4] not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others. [5] In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus:

[6] Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; [7] rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness."

Finally, my call forward is all within the context of relationship with Him. He is the great treasure, and spending time with Him is the only way to dive deeper into this vast ocean of love and affection. All I that I am, all my gifts talents and abilities come from Him, for He is my creator. Every thought, every deed is possible because He loved me into existence. My pursuit of righteousness, and anything good is really just a pursuit of Him. In fact, in comparison to Him, everything is pretty much garbage. Paul nailed it on the head when He wrote the following:

Philippians 3:8-9 NIV:

[8] "What is more, I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them garbage, that I may gain Christ [9] and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ---the righteousness that comes from God on the basis of faith."

So this morning I am encouraged to pursue God, to continue to push into the things He shows me, into relationship with Him. He is the way, the truth and the life! (John 14:6). I find my way in Him; I find my truth in Him; I find my life in Him! What more do I need?

Amen Lord!

###

### Our Thoughts - Standing Firm

## 09-17

This morning I am continuing my reading of Paul's letter to the Philippians 3:15-21 NIV:

[15] "All of us, then, who are mature should take such a view of things. And if on some point you think differently, that too God will make clear to you. [16] Only let us live up to what we have already attained."

[17] "Join together in following my example, brothers and sisters, and just as you have us as a model, keep your eyes on those who live as we do. [18] For, as I have often told you before and now tell you again even with tears, many live as enemies of the cross of Christ. [19] Their destiny is destruction, their god is their stomach, and their glory is in their shame. Their mind is set on earthly things. [20] But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, [21] who, by the power that enables him to bring everything under his control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body."

-and-

Philippians 4:1, 8-9 NIV:

[1] "Therefore, my brothers and sisters, you whom I love and long for, my joy and crown, stand firm in the Lord in this way, dear friends!"

[8] "Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable---if anything is excellent or praiseworthy---think about such things. [9] Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me---put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you."

As I was reading through Paul's letter this morning the theme of our thoughts and thinking stood out to me. Paul, actually discusses our thinking or our mindset in several of his letters, and I believe that this is such a critical area for all of us. Another of my favorite authors, A.W.Tozer writes, "What comes into our minds when we think about God is the most important thing about us." (The Knowledge of the Holy, A.W.Tozer). The more I have thought about the Lord, the more I agree with that statement. Our thoughts drive our actions. Our thoughts, and how we think about something, influences greatly our perception of that which occurs in our life and becomes the basis of our reality.

Thinking and how we think about certain things will undoubtedly affect how we think about other things, and how we interpret new data. I read a good book several years ago that discussed this whole topic. In it the author talks about some of the ways we develop a world view based on our experiences and how that influences how we view everything else. This is exactly the point, relating to our faith, that A. W. Tozer made, and Paul is making here in these verses. What we think affects our ability to stand in our belief, in our faith, for our thoughts affect our perception, and that affects our actions.

Paul encourages them to stand firm in the Lord, to think about such things, to take such a view (think about it this way) of things and to allow God to show them where they think differently than they should. He is effectively encouraging them to set their minds on God, and the truth about God, for in doing so, their perception and understanding of God's purposes changes. When we start to think the way God thinks, our whole understanding of the situation changes. When we stop thinking about ourselves, we begin to see opportunities for God to move all around us.

Paul's warning about having our minds set on earthly things is important to heed. He identifies two areas specifically - appetites (here translated stomach), and giving glory to shameful things. The Greek word translated stomach can mean appetites for all things, not just food. It can also mean the innermost part of a man, the soul, heart as the seat of thought, feeling, choice. Here Paul warns against making that our god. In other words ,letting out appetites and desires, our own humanistic perspectives become that which we serve. The modern line of thought is "if it feels good, do it!" There is no sense of moral truth in this mindset, our only focus is on our own desires and appetites. As we run down that path, we begin to hold up things that would be considered shameful, as honorable and worthy of adulation. I think I just described a standard night of television programming and news.

Paul's encouragement again is to think about those things that are beneficial. He encourages us to think about "whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable---if anything is excellent or praiseworthy" (Phil 4:8). I think our lives would be significantly affected if we would learn to have such a mindset, if we could set our minds to this channel, rather than to the worldly or fleshly channel. If we think on such positive things, we will find our minds less affected by the negative things we see around us. If we focus on God's perspective and allow Him to correct our thinking, we will begin to understand more about His goodness and His perfect will.

Last evening, I had the opportunity to share stories of God's blessing and interaction with a good brother in the Lord. It is amazing to see how the Lord is able to work in our lives, if we listen, if we enable Him to speak and direct our lives. Believing that God is good, does good, and has a good plan for one's life, really changes how we approach what could be difficult circumstances. If we experience bad things, we can hold onto the truth that God is good, loving, merciful and in control. We can trust that He has a purpose and plan and He will see us through, and on the other side we will have encountered God's provision and blessing. Graham Cooke says that in every difficult circumstance there is the opportunity for God to show up with an even greater provision. If we focus on God's greatness rather than the circumstances in front of us, then we can stand firm. I am reminded of David as he confronted Goliath, he wasn't focused on how big Goliath was, but rather he was focused on how huge God was, on the promises that God had spoken over his life. He was thinking about the situation from God's perspective and was able to stand his ground in his faith.

I am encouraged this morning to work to set my mind on the things of God, on good things, things that are pleasing and helpful in my pursuit of Him. I am encouraged to look at my life and see opportunities for growth and embracing of His truth, that I might stand firm.

###

### Being Content In All Things

## 09-18

This morning I am continuing my reading from Paul's letter to the Philippians. I am so encouraged and challenged by his grasp of the Gospel and ability to apply this to his own life. He is able to maintain right perspective in spite of much that would seek to throw him off course. These few verses are so good - Philippians 4:11-13 NIV:

[11] "I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. [12] I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. [13] I can do all this through him who gives me strength."

Paul writes that he has "learned the secret of being content in any and every situation" and this is possible through Christ who gives him strength. There is no room for misunderstanding the Greek here, for that is exactly what Paul says. What is translated "learned the secret" might also be translated:  
1) to initiate into the mysteries  
a) to teach fully, instruct  
b) to accustom one to a thing  
2) to give one an intimate acquaintance with a thing

The sense I get is that it isn't so much that Paul learned some special secret but rather that he was intimately acquainted with the Lord being there for him in every circumstance and situation. The secret, if there is one, is real relationship with the living Savior, being filled with the Holy Spirit, and receiving guidance and direction, reassurance and peace. Paul understood God's character, and he had immersed himself in Christ, fully entrusting himself to the Lord. He knew that He would be well cared for and would be given ample time and opportunity to fulfill all the Lord had planned for him. He was unconcerned about difficulty and struggles, seeing in them the opportunity to become more and more like Christ.

His perspective was that God is firmly in control, capable of the impossible in the direst of circumstances, so why should he fear and fret. He believed that God loved him and had a good plan for his life, and he was thus not concerned greatly when circumstances did not align with his own desires and wishes. He knew that in all things God could and would provide and care for him, and lead him forward into deeper relationship, which is the real reward. He wasn't a Christian because he wanted a perfect life, he was a Christian because he wanted relationship with Christ Jesus.

If the goal of all of this, our lives and our faith, is to know Christ more, not to have perfect and pain free lives, then we too can learn how to be content in all circumstances. It is all about our perspective, our own understanding and beliefs. When we learn to see ourselves through God's eyes, we see how much He loves us, how much He cares for us, how much He provides us, how much He favors us and how much we can trust Him completely. When this becomes our reality, all else just doesn't matter that much, for we have our treasure in Him, in that deep and intimate relationship.

This is unfortunately an unusual perspective in our day, for we are taught in our society that relationships are about what we get out of them. For example, how many marriages start with agreements about what they will get out of the relationship, should the marriage not last? This whole perspective, concerned about what one will get, is almost a guarantee of failure, for waiting to give until one receives is a good way to starve relationally. It is actually the exact opposite in relationships, it is when we give that we receive. We definitely do receive, but it is the benefit of giving, not an expectation that must be met first.

I just thought of another example - that of a sports fan. There are fair-weather fans and die-hard fans. The difference is that the die-hard fan is a fan whether or not their team wins, while the fair-weather fan is only a fan when the team is winning. This is a great example of how we tend to view many relationships, if we aren't getting what we want (wins), then we have no time for relationship with that individual (team). I think this is a splendid example of many people's faith, when they are experiencing good things, it is easy to believe that God loves them, and even to embrace Him. However, when a time of difficulty is encountered, they are shaken to the core in their faith, often time choosing to walk away from God. We see the same thing in many marriages, when things are good, life is grand, but when difficulty is encountered, divorce is the popular solution.

Going back to Paul's original statements, put in relational terms, Paul is committed and content in relationship with the Lord, regardless of the circumstances. Whether the external circumstance of food, clothing, shelter or provision is abundant or not, Paul is secure in his relationship with Christ Jesus, and receives from Him strength and the ability to endure, because he is walking through it all with the Lord by his side. What a great example for us to embrace, that of intimate committed relationships, with the Lord and with each other.

This morning I am encouraged to trust more fully in the Lord, to pursue that which is really the greatest treasure, relationship with Him. In doing so, I will be strengthened and empowered to endure and to enjoy, to overcome and to embrace all that I experience because it all leads me deeper into relationship with Him.

###

### Don't Judge or Condemn, Rather Forgive and Give

## 09-20

This morning I am reading from Luke's Gospel another one of those challenging verses, the kind we normally like to skip. Here are the verses - Luke 6:35-38 NIV:

[35] But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great, and you will be children of the Most High, because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked. [36] Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful."

[37] "Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven. [38] Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you."

As I read these verses, the most important thing is the perspective of the Father's heart. Jesus is speaking the Father's heart, and He is describing His actions. He does love His enemies. He does good to them. He gives to them without expecting anything back, He is merciful and kind to all, regardless of their alignment or affinity to Him. That is such an amazing truth.

So many try to paint a picture of God as an angry God, waiting to punish us for our sins. Here we have His very Son describing Him and, according to Him, the Father isn't like that at all. In fact, He loves and cares for His enemies, rather than destroying them or punishing them. He is merciful to those that are ungrateful and unappreciative, just as much as He is to those that love Him.

Often times we hear all these religious rules, about how to live pure and righteous lives. We hear all these "do not" rules, but rarely are the two that Jesus lists, put on that list - "do not judge" and "do not condemn"! Those are a couple of "do nots" that I can actually embrace, for they directly impact my own experience. Jesus calls us to the much more difficult action, forgiveness. Being able to truly forgive, to lead with forgiveness takes amazing strength and humility. I know for me the only way I can do that is to walk in the embrace of the Lord, for I don't have the strength or ability to treat people the way the Father does.

I am not sure why it's so easy to judge and condemn, but I know that for me they both come pretty naturally. I know in my life I am always comparing myself to others, I guess this is the fruit of a poor self-esteem. Regardless of the source in my life, Jesus makes it pretty clear here, we are not to judge, nor condemn others.

Finally, the good news of these last few sentences is amazing. Forgive and we will be forgiven, give and we will receive abundantly. If we want to be blessed, the way to do that is to give, if we want to be forgiven then we need to give that as well. This is so true in pretty much any area of our lives, we are called to act first, before we receive.

I remember a time in college where I felt like all I had been doing was giving, and I decided to just stop and see who really cared. It was an interesting experiment for I found that the moment I stopped giving, I stopped receiving. If I remember correctly, the Lord pretty much said these same words to my heart. If I want to receive, I have to give. I guess it's just like a door that only opens from my side. If I swing it open from my side, the Lord is able to bring much through that open door, once its opened. But if I don't open that door, nothing can come in.

Imagine how different our society would look if the church was able to fully embrace these verses. Imagine if we all did not judge or condemn, and instead we all gave and forgave. Imagine if the four things written in the foyer of all our churches were the following:

1) Do Not Judge  
2) Do Not Condemn  
3) Do forgive  
4) Do give

Wow, that would be awesome! Lord, I pray that You will help us all to embrace these simple but difficult truths. Lord help us to emulate the Father's heart in everything we do! Amen and Amen!

###

### Of Worry and Peace

## 09-21

This morning I am thinking about the subject of worry and worrying. I read an article (  https://www.yahoo.com/finance/news/americans-over-65-shared-greatest-120000285.html) that described the number one regret amongst a population of people over 65. The author stated that rather than the larger things that he thought people would regret, he heard people regretting the amount of time they spent worrying. He describes the reason in the following statement - " ...the experts view time as one of our most precious resources, and worrying about events that may not occur or that we have no control over is an inexcusable waste of this resource."

When I read this, I was reminded of some famous verses - Matthew 6:25-27, 31-34 NIV:

[25] "Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? [26] Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? [27] Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?

[31] So do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' [32] For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. [33] But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. [34] Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own."

It is interesting that Jesus specifically addressed the topic of worry a few different times during His ministry. I don't struggle significantly with worry, but I know many people who do. This study that I quoted earlier is actually in agreement with Jesus' teaching that worrying will not add even an hour to one's life, instead it will waste time. Not only does worry waste time, but I think it is actually a form of unbelief. Jesus ties worry to belief in our own value and in the goodness of the Father.

Yesterday, in church, we were talking about both of these topics, in a roundabout way. Understanding our value to the Father is directly related to understanding our true identity, in Him. Our relationship with God is the conduit through which identity is revealed. It is one thing to hear someone say you are His son or daughter, it is a whole other thing to experience that reality relationally. Jesus says simply, "Seek first His (The Father's) Kingdom, and all these things will be given to you as well." He is speaking about provision as if it is almost an afterthought, putting relationship with the Father in His kingdom as the primary concern. When we discover our standing and identity as a daughter or son of the King, living in His Kingdom, our concern about daily provision should cease, for He is a good King who loves His children.

I have the opportunity to work with children in the foster care program and one of the things that many of these children worry about is food, for many of them have not experienced good parenting. We had one young girl who was constantly wondering when the next meal was, another young man who hoarded food at meal times, trying to make sure he had something in case the next meal or two wasn't served. I am not the greatest parent in the world, but I am pretty sure my kids never worried about when they might get food, nor hoarded it in their rooms in case we forgot to feed them. Jesus is directing us to look to the Father, and believe that He is a good Father who loves and values His children. We are not foster children, orphans, or step-children. We are all the children of His choice, created and loved, a part of His family!

I believe that God wants us to live in the place of constant relationship with Him, knowing that we are loved and valued highly by Him. As I wrote a couple of days ago, Paul said he discovered the secret of being content in any and every circumstance (Philippians 4:12). I believe that secret was not a method of thinking, but rather recognizing and experiencing the real and constant relationship with the Lord. Earlier in that same chapter, Paul wrote the following - [6] "Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. [7] And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." (Philippians 4:6-7).

I imagine something like this following exchange when reading those verses. I am walking with the Lord by my side, and I think about something that could cause me to be anxious, say my job. I turn to the Lord and say, "I am worried about my job, and I think I might get laid-off!" Jesus, who is listening intently to me, turns to me and says, "Don't worry, I have seen the future and I am taking care of everything!" When I hear Jesus, the Son of God, the one who has all authority on earth and in Heaven (Matt 28:18), say those words, my worry and anxiousness vanishes, for I know He is good to fulfill His word. This is what Paul was talking about and what Jesus was talking about in those verses from Matthew's Gospel. When we seek first His Kingdom, where He has ALL authority, the worry and anxiousness about anything else should vanish, being replaced with His peace.

God has perfect peace, because He has all authority and power, and sees the beginning and the end! This is like the author of a scary movie watching the movie, He isn't anxious because He knows exactly what is going to happen! God is never surprised, nor worried about His ability to be God in any situation.

Going back to Paul's statement, His prescription to overcome anxiousness is to take all of our cares, concerns, worries and anxiousness to the Lord. This is something we can actively do, delivering our requests to Him. In the study I mentioned earlier, the author said that the solution was that rather than worry, we should take active steps towards problem solving. Taking our requests to God is an active step. What I have learned to do is to take my concerns to Him and ask for His guidance, advice, and His perspective. Once I get His perspective, I am at peace, for I know He has a good and perfect plan. Often times He will give me direct guidance and advice on how to approach the situation that is troubling me, and that too brings me peace.

In summary, I am encouraged this day to press into relationship with God recognizing that I am His son. I am encouraged to bring those things that cause me concern and hand them over to Him, trusting Him and believing in Him. I am encouraged to listen to Him and to seek Him and His Kingdom, recognizing that He has all authority and power. I am encouraged to take control of my thoughts, and to let His words be the final word, embracing the peace that flows from Him.

###

### The Old Covenant is Obsolete (Heb 8:13)

## 09-23

I have been reading around several different areas of scripture this morning. Finally, I settled into the Letter to the Hebrews. This is such a great book to study for it takes the Old Testament symbolism and explains how this all pointed to Christ. The following verses are about the New Covenant - Hebrews 8:6-13 NIV:

[6] "But in fact the ministry Jesus has received is as superior to theirs as the covenant of which he is mediator is superior to the old one, since the new covenant is established on better promises. [7] For if there had been nothing wrong with that first covenant, no place would have been sought for another.

[8] But God found fault with the people and said : "The days are coming, declares the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the people of Israel and with the people of Judah. [9] It will not be like the covenant I made with their ancestors when I took them by the hand to lead them out of Egypt, because they did not remain faithful to my covenant, and I turned away from them, declares the Lord.

[10] This is the covenant I will establish with the people of Israel after that time, declares the Lord. I will put my laws in their minds and write them on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people. [11] No longer will they teach their neighbor, or say to one another, 'Know the Lord,' because they will all know me, from the least of them to the greatest. [12] For I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more. "

[13] By calling this covenant "new," he has made the first one obsolete; and what is obsolete and outdated will soon disappear."

It seems that recently there is much discussion in the church about Old Testament patterns and prophesies, judgments taken from the Old Covenant and applied to us, to America, to this day. I find the last sentence of this section very interesting - by establishing a New Covenant, He (Jesus) made the first covenant (Old Covenant) obsolete! In other words, the Old Covenant is no longer in force! So, if it is obsolete, why do we apply its judgments and its laws to us today? Why do we prophesy judgment, based on the Old Testament law?

It is good and right to understand what is in the Old Testament, for it is truth and God's word, but it all points to a new and superior revelation found in Christ Jesus. The whole of the Old Testament contained revelation about God, about His plans, about His character, and established patterns that were to be followed until the actual reality was revealed. The author of the letter states, "The law is only a shadow of the good things that are coming---not the realities themselves." (Heb 10:1)

The perfect revelation of God the Father is seen in Jesus Christ (Heb 1:3). Jesus established a New Covenant, through His blood (Luke 22:20) and in doing so, made the previous covenant obsolete. We are no longer under the rules and regulations, the judgments of the Old Covenant, and they do not apply any longer! We have a New Covenant, a better Covenant, established by the very blood of Jesus!

Let us not worry about teachings and prophecies, harbingers of judgment that are based on patterns found in the Old Testament and the Old Covenant, for this is no longer in force, for it was made obsolete by the sacrifice of Jesus. Let us hold to His words, His commands and follow the pattern of life He gave us, for they are far superior to that which was previously revealed.

###

### Wait For The Lord!

## 09-24

This morning I was reading through the Psalms and came across one of my favorites, Psalm 27. Here are a couple of verses from that Psalm that are good to meditate upon - Psalm 27:1, 7-8, 13-14 NIV:

[1]"The Lord is my light and my salvation---whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life---of whom shall I be afraid?"

[7] "Hear my voice when I call, Lord; be merciful to me and answer me. [8] My heart says of you, "Seek his face! " Your face, Lord, I will seek."

[13] "I remain confident of this: I will see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. [14] Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord."

I was just thinking how the last verse is really a reflection of the first verse. If the Lord is our light and salvation, our stronghold, then waiting for the Lord to show up is the logical thing to do. Our heart says to seek His face, to be in the place of relationship with Him. It is in the place of relationship that we experience His love and affection, that we become settled in our identity.

I was thinking about the last statement as a direction of what to do when we feel lost. If we are hiking in the wilderness and become lost, or separated from our party, we are encouraged to stop and wait, rather than continuing to walk. The idea is that if we are lost our sense of where we are has become confused and continuing to walk could cause us to go farther and farther from those who would rescue us.

In the same way, if we are feeling lost, disconnected, in the wilderness or worn-out and unable to continue, the best thing we can do is wait for the Lord. He loves us, He knows where we are and He is all about seeking and saving the lost (Luke 19:10). Let us put our trust in the One who loves us and who is able to rescue us. Let us seek His face, let us rest in Him and not be afraid!

Be strong and wait for the Lord!

Amen!

###

### Of Sin and Selfishness...

## 09-25

Recently, I have been doing some thinking about sin and the way the enemy works to divide us, destroy us, steal our joy and ultimately keep us from God. The more I have studied the clearer it has become that the vehicle he uses for much of this is our own selfishness. This morning I guess I want to look at the theme of selfishness, and what scripture says. Here are several verses related to this topic:

Psalm 119:36 NIV  
"Turn my heart toward your statutes and not toward selfish gain."

2 Corinthians 12:20 NIV  
"For I am afraid that when I come I may not find you as I want you to be, and you may not find me as you want me to be. I fear that there may be discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, slander, gossip, arrogance and disorder."

Galatians 5:19-21 NIV  
[19] "The acts of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; [20] idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions [21] and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God."

Philippians 2:3-4 NIV  
[3] "Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, [4] not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others."

James 3:14-16 NIV  
[14] "But if you harbor bitter envy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast about it or deny the truth. [15] Such "wisdom" does not come down from heaven but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic. [16] For where you have envy and selfish ambition, there you find disorder and every evil practice."

The Greek word translated selfish ambition is Eritheia:

Definition  
1) electioneering or intriguing for office  
a) apparently, in the NT a courting distinction, a desire to put one's self forward, a partisan and fractious spirit which does not disdain low arts  
b) partisanship, fractiousness

Note: This word is found before NT times only in Aristotle where it denotes a self-seeking pursuit of political office by unfair means. (A&G) Paul exhorts to be one in the mind of Christ not putting self forward, or being selfish

This is an interesting group of scriptures, for all of them associate selfishness with some serious sins, and even calling its source demonic. In the Psalms, it is used as the polar opposite of obedience to God's statutes. Paul groups it with all sorts of ugliness. The point is that this is not of God, nor Godly. It is based on our efforts to raise ourselves up, at the expense of others or of obedience.

When I go back to the original sin, it is apparent that this selfish focus, trying to raise oneself up to attain something that we don't have at the expense of others or of obedience was the very motivation of Eve. Here is the story from Genesis 3:1-6 NIV:

[1] "Now the serpent was more crafty than any of the wild animals the Lord God had made. He said to the woman, "Did God really say, 'You must not eat from any tree in the garden'? "

[2] The woman said to the serpent, "We may eat fruit from the trees in the garden, [3] but God did say, 'You must not eat fruit from the tree that is in the middle of the garden, and you must not touch it, or you will die.' "

[4] "You will not certainly die," the serpent said to the woman. [5] "For God knows that when you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil."

[6] When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it. She also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it."

Looking at the actual temptation, the first thing the serpent asks is if it was true that she couldn't eat from any tree. This question is completely wrong for God had told Adam he could eat from any tree except the one, but what it does is create a selfish desire. It gets the woman thinking about what she wants. Secondly the serpent tells her that which she can't have is good for her, and will lift her up in status telling her "you will be like God".

I find it interesting that Eve ate first and then gave it to Adam. I wonder if there was a desire to be better than Adam? What would have happened if when she ate the apple, she suddenly gained some power or authority, higher than Adam? Would she have still given him the fruit to eat?

She was enticed by the fact the fruit was "good for food, and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom." That sounds like rationalization to me, the convincing of oneself that something is worth doing, even when we have been told not to do it. She lost sight of the command of God, because her vision was clouded by her own selfish ambition. She wanted to gain something, wanted to experience something, and felt hunger for that which she didn't have. She had all the fruit of all the other trees in the garden available to her, but she wanted more. She allowed her desire for her own self to override God's will for her.

When I think about most of the sin I struggle with, I struggle with much the same mentality. I lose sight of who I am, and what God has already given me. I allow my grasp of my identity (son of God) to be clouded over and I lose focus and instead I listen to the siren song of the forbidden fruit. This is specifically true of those sins I willfully commit. I will say that there are many sins that I am not even aware I am committing, for sin can be described as missing the perfect will of God, and I am sure that most days I am not fully aware of God's perfect will for me, in many areas of my life. I am more aware today than I was 20 years ago, and I hope that 20 year from now I will be more sensitive and aware of God's will than I am now.

In all of this, my desire is to stop focusing on myself and instead focus on God and those around me. My prayer is that I might live as Paul encourages the Philippians 2:1-5 NIV:

[1] "Therefore if you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any common sharing in the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, [2] then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and of one mind. [3] Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, [4] not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others."

[5] "In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus:"

Amen Lord!

###

### His Harvest of Righteousness

## 09-26

This morning I am reading from Psalm 61:1-8 NIV:

[1] "Hear my cry, O God; listen to my prayer.  
[2] From the ends of the earth I call to you, I call as my heart grows faint; lead me to the rock that is higher than I.  
[3] For you have been my refuge, a strong tower against the foe.  
[4] I long to dwell in your tent forever and take refuge in the shelter of your wings.  
[5] For you, God, have heard my vows; you have given me the heritage of those who fear your name.  
[6] Increase the days of the king's life, his years for many generations.  
[7] May he be enthroned in God's presence forever; appoint your love and faithfulness to protect him.  
[8] Then I will ever sing in praise of your name and fulfill my vows day after day."

\- and from -

Isaiah 61:1-11 NIV:

[1] "The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me, because the Lord has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor.  
He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners,  
[2] to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor and the day of vengeance of our God, to comfort all who mourn,  
[3] and provide for those who grieve in Zion---to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes,  
the oil of joy instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair.  
They will be called oaks of righteousness, a planting of the Lord for the display of his splendor.  
[4] They will rebuild the ancient ruins and restore the places long devastated;  
they will renew the ruined cities that have been devastated for generations.  
[5] Strangers will shepherd your flocks; foreigners will work your fields and vineyards.  
[6] And you will be called priests of the Lord, you will be named ministers of our God.  
You will feed on the wealth of nations, and in their riches you will boast.  
[7] Instead of your shame you will receive a double portion, and instead of disgrace you will rejoice in your inheritance.  
And so you will inherit a double portion in your land, and everlasting joy will be yours.  
[8] "For I, the Lord, love justice; I hate robbery and wrongdoing.  
In my faithfulness I will reward my people and make an everlasting covenant with them.  
[9] Their descendants will be known among the nations and their offspring among the peoples.  
All who see them will acknowledge that they are a people the Lord has blessed."  
[10] I delight greatly in the Lord; my soul rejoices in my God.  
For he has clothed me with garments of salvation and arrayed me in a robe of his righteousness,  
as a bridegroom adorns his head like a priest, and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels.  
[11] For as the soil makes the sprout come up and a garden causes seeds to grow,  
so the Sovereign Lord will make righteousness and praise spring up before all nations."

I just love both of these passages. The Lord has spoken from both into my life at different times. I love the imagery of God as a strong tower, a rock on which I can stand. He is unchanging and always faithful. He is completely dependable, and He is merciful and gracious.

I love the verses from Isaiah as well, for they are a proclamation of hope and restoration! God is all about establishing hope, bringing joy to the sorrowful, restoring the lost, the wounded and the weak. He calls us out of our weakness and establishes us in His strength. He has plans and times for everything and everybody. He remembers His promises through all generations, He restores and rebuilds those that seem lost and long forgotten. He is not willing to just restore, but adds a double portion as well.

I like the last line - "the Sovereign Lord will make righteousness and praise spring up before all nations." This reminds me of a verse from Isaiah 45:8 NIV: "You heavens above, rain down my righteousness; let the clouds shower it down. Let the earth open wide, let salvation spring up, let righteousness flourish with it; I, the Lord, have created it."

These particular verses actually explain much of the Gospel. Righteousness comes from God, not from man's efforts. He showed us righteousness, in Jesus, and then poured forth the Holy Spirit into our lives that we might produce a harvest of righteousness. He has planted righteousness in our lives and is causing it to grow!

Yes Lord, we pray that there might be a great harvest in our lives and the lives of those we love.

### The Signs Affirm the Truth!

## 09-30

This morning I felt led to read from Matthew's Gospel. As I was reading the following verses caught my eye - Matthew 11:2-6 NIV:

[2] "When John, who was in prison, heard about the deeds of the Messiah, he sent his disciples [3] to ask him, "Are you the one who is to come, or should we expect someone else?"

[4] Jesus replied, "Go back and report to John what you hear and see: [5] The blind receive sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosy are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the good news is proclaimed to the poor. [6] Blessed is anyone who does not stumble on account of me."

It has been a while since I was last reflecting on these verses, but they continue to drive me deeper into the Lord, for the argument Jesus makes for Himself is the very argument I think we should be able to make for the church, that of miracles and signs and wonders. This is the true sign, the one dependable sign that Jesus was who He said He was. He points to nothing else, not to the number of followers, not to the great sermons or messages. He points to the miracles. Many people can move people, can gather followers, can attract funding, can give great sermons, can woo people with their words, but it is only God who can restore sight to men born blind (John 9:1-6), heal legs that have been crippled for 38 years (John 5:1-8), cleanse leprosy (Matt 8:2-4), give hearing to those who are deaf (Mark 7:32-37), and lastly raise the dead (John 11:1-43). Today, due to the advances of science and medicine we can replicate some of these, but not all. To my knowledge, sight has not been given to a man born blind; legs that have been crippled and atrophied for 38 years are not restorable, save through bionics; people who have been dead 4 days have not been brought back to life; leprosy can be stopped, but not reversed and cleansed as if it never was there; some deafness can be overcome using hearing aids and implants. Even today after 2000+ years of advancement and billions in funding, these miracles are not reproducible.

In addition to this passage in Matthew and similar passages in Luke, Jesus has a very similar reply to His own disciples in John's Gospel. Here is the section - John 14:8-14 NIV:

[8] Philip said, "Lord, show us the Father and that will be enough for us."

[9] Jesus answered: "Don't you know me, Philip, even after I have been among you such a long time? Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, 'Show us the Father'? [10] Don't you believe that I am in the Father, and that the Father is in me? The words I say to you I do not speak on my own authority. Rather, it is the Father, living in me, who is doing his work. [11] Believe me when I say that I am in the Father and the Father is in me; or at least believe on the evidence of the works themselves. [12] Very truly I tell you, whoever believes in me will do the works I have been doing, and they will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father. [13] And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. [14] You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it."

Jesus tells his disciples that the evidence of the works (miracles they witnessed) is proof that He comes from God the Father. This was again His main point in proving that He was who He said He was - the Son of God, the Messiah. These verses stir up my spirit like no other verses! I believe that we must learn to walk in the ministry of healing, miracles, signs and wonders for the Gospel to be more effectively preached. It is impossible to argue with a man born blind, who can now see. Try telling a man whose fingers have been eaten away by leprosy that those new fingers and perfect flesh over his entire body are not real and that He hasn't been touched by God. Tell the man whose legs were withered and wasted that the new muscles and ability to walk and run and leap are not from God. Try telling the people that have witnessed these miracles that God does not exist. The interaction of God with man is supposed to affect us! Once something like this is witnessed, the Gospel of the Kingdom of God present and Jesus as our Lord and Savior becomes very relevant, for the truth of those is proved by the experience.

I am not saying that the Gospel has no power to change people's lives without miracles, signs and wonders, for that is clearly not true. However, I am saying the Gospel is advanced more rapidly when such signs are present and is proved without the need of logical discussion and discourse. Jesus told us that we would minister in the same ways, doing even greater things (Matt 14:12), so why would we ever settle for less than that? Jesus effectively ministered in this way, proclamation coupled with miracles. He told the disciples to do the same - Matthew 10:7-8 NIV: "As you go, proclaim this message: 'The kingdom of heaven has come near.' [8] Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those who have leprosy, drive out demons. Freely you have received; freely give." The apostles ministered in the same way after Jesus ascended (See Acts 3:10; Acts 5:12-16; Acts 14:8-11). We are called, as the Church, to continue the ministry began by Jesus, and we are called to effectively represent Him. I can see no other way than to include, and press forward to see miracles, healings, signs and wonders in addition to proclaiming the Good News.

This morning I am encouraged to press into God, to believe His word, to pursue Him, and in encountering Him to see His affects in me and through me. I desire to minister effectively and believe Jesus demonstrated the Heart of Father towards us all in the healings and miracles. The Father is the same today, and He longs for all people to come to know Him, Jesus the Son and the Holy Spirit.

Lord help me, teach me and empower me to be more effective! Amen!

###

### Our Significance & Purpose

## 10-01

This morning the Lord led me back to the day and scripture that He used to speak about my calling. My commission is what He called it. I am reminded this morning of how important it is to understand our significance to God. He loves us all deeply and has a purpose and calling for us all. I was thinking about the fact that there are some individuals in scripture who were dedicated to the Lord by their parents at a young age. The story of Samuel is of one individual who was dedicated to the even before He was conceived (See 1 Sam 1:1-28).

As I was thinking about Samuel's early life, I felt like the Lord said that He has dedicated each and every one of us, whether our parents did or not. He is intimately aware of us, knows everything about us, and has a specific plan and call for each of us. There are many people who are searching for their place, for significance, for lives of consequence, and the Lord would say to us all, our deepest call, our deepest understanding of our purpose and significance can only be found in Him.

There are many men who desire to have their names on buildings and companies. Men who essentially build their own monuments to their own significance. I believe the Lord desires us to have our true significance in Him first and then in the lives of people that we touch, in the lives of the people around us, our families and friends. The Lord's command is to love Him first, and to love one another, as He loved us. He desires those that lead by service, through humility and through relationship with others (see Phil. 2).

Paul talked about His purpose and significance this way - Philippians 3:12-14 NIV:

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

When I think about my life, I believe the Lord has been there for me every day. He is aware of who I am, where I live, what I do, who I relate with, who I meet, and all of that matters to Him. In Acts 17:26, Paul was speaking to the Athenians about every person in creation and he said the following, "...and he (God) determined the times set for them and the exact places where they should live." None of our experience is by chance, but is part of God's plan for us. If our times and places are set by God, then with those circumstances, we also find Him at work, for we are part of families and have relationships within those places. No one and nothing is inconsequential.

When I was a child we used to play hide-and-seek quite regularly. In the game, we played you could move during the game, as long as you weren't seen. I found that the best place to hide, was where someone already looked, for they were always convinced that you were hiding somewhere else, and thus they never looked at where they already were. In the same way, many of us are so convinced that our significance lies out there somewhere, that we never look at the place we already have been our whole life. We seek after significance, and yet the first and most vital connections for truly understanding who we are and what we are called to do has been in front of our eyes the whole time.

So, I guess in summary, I am encouraged today to see and understand that I am significant to the Lord, and to those around me. I need to rest in those relationships and invest in those relationships first, before I set my sights on other grand adventures and schemes. God has purpose for me, and it involves where I live, when I live, and who I live with, in addition to being in relationship with Him! The great adventure of our lives, the great treasure is found in our relationships with God and with those people we have been connected to through His plan and purpose.

###

### The Joy of Revelation

## 10-05

This morning I am reading from Luke's Gospel, the tenth chapter. There are some significant sections of scripture in this chapter - the story of the good Samaritan, the sending of the 72, the questioning of the most important commandments, but that which caught my heart this morning were the following verses - Luke 10:21-24 NIV:

[21] "At that time Jesus, full of joy through the Holy Spirit, said, "I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and learned, and revealed them to little children. Yes, Father, for this is what you were pleased to do.

[22] "All things have been committed to me by my Father. No one knows who the Son is except the Father, and no one knows who the Father is except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal him."

[23] Then he turned to his disciples and said privately, "Blessed are the eyes that see what you see. [24] For I tell you that many prophets and kings wanted to see what you see but did not see it, and to hear what you hear but did not hear it."

The common theme here is one of revelation - The Father revealing things hidden to the children; The Son revealing the Father; those to whom all of this was revealed, namely those that see and hear these things in the present tense being blessed!

It is interesting that revelation, revealing things that were hidden, or things that are new, is something that pleases the Father and brings joy to the Holy Spirit. It is also interesting that God doesn't just come out and blaze His glory to everyone, but rather uses people like us to bring it forth. There is something about this hidden nature, this seeking out and revealing that is part of God. He always has new and more revelation and delights in inviting us into the experience of that revelation in our lives.

As Jesus says in verse 22, it is always through relationship that the Father is revealed to us, relationship with the Son. We can have experiences without relationship, but true revelation comes through relationship. The word translated "reveal" is the Greek word Apokalupto. It means to uncover, lay open what has been veiled or covered up; disclose, make bare; to make known, make manifest, disclose what before was unknown. Jesus says that is what He does concerning the Father, He shows us things that have been veiled, previously unknown.

This is the nature of all deep relationships, for we are always growing, understanding more, seeing new things, and experiencing each other at deepening levels. I have been married 29+ years and I continue to experience new revelation in my relationship with my honey. Our relationship is always evolving and changing; growing deeper and more thorough.

This is our opportunity in Christ Jesus. All things have been committed to Him by the Father, including the knowing of the Father. Another way to say this is that apart from Jesus we only know the Father partially. It is impossible to have a full revelation of the Father except through Jesus.

Finally, we are blessed if we are invited into this revelation, and begin to experience this relationship and its accompanying miracles, signs, wonders, healings and empowering. Many a prophet of old, many a king desired to experience the fullness of what's available to us. It is our hope and prayer that we will experience the same and more. It brings the Holy Spirit joy to reveal these things too such as us!

Amen Lord, we want to see more, and know You more!

###

### Proclaim the Kingdom!

## 10-07

This morning I was reading through Luke's Gospel and was once again struck by fact that Jesus spoke constantly about the Kingdom of God. Here are a few verses:

Luke 8:1 NIV: "After this, Jesus traveled about from one town and village to another, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom of God. The Twelve were with him,..."

Luke 9:1-2, 6 NIV:  
[1] "When Jesus had called the Twelve together, he gave them power and authority to drive out all demons and to cure diseases, [2] and he sent them out to proclaim the kingdom of God and to heal the sick."

[6] "So they set out and went from village to village, proclaiming the good news (of the Kingdom of God) and healing people everywhere."

Luke 9:11 NIV: "...but the crowds learned about it and followed him. He welcomed them and spoke to them about the kingdom of God, and healed those who needed healing."

The Kingdom of God present on earth was one of the primary messages of Jesus. He was always speaking about it; He told the Apostles to speak about it; He demonstrated the reality of it by healing the sick, raising the dead, casting out demons. This was the "Good News" and He delivered it with demonstration. Here is how Matthew describes Jesus' ministry - Matthew 4:23-24 NIV:

[23] "Jesus went throughout Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom, and healing every disease and sickness among the people. [24] News about him spread all over Syria, and people brought to him all who were ill with various diseases, those suffering severe pain, the demon-possessed, those having seizures, and the paralyzed; and he healed them."

When I think about the Kingdom of God, I am reminded that if this was true then, it is still true now, the Kingdom of God is the good news. This means that Jesus established a "New" kingdom on earth, which means there is a "New" king. This "New" King demonstrated His authority and power over the old by proclaiming and demonstrating His ability to destroy the works of the old king \- which include sickness and disease, death, and demonic influence. He showed His authority by influencing nature, the winds, water and even cultivated goods were all subject to His authority and His command.

His Kingdom is a Kingdom of love and selfless service, as well as power. He calls us to love one another the way He loved us (John 13:34). He calls us to lay down our lives and take up our cross daily and follow Him (Luke 9:23-24). He calls us to be concerned about others, to love them and put their concerns before our own (John 15:12-13). He calls us to love God first and then to love our neighbors (Matt 22:37-40).

He called the disciples to proclaim this Kingdom and then demonstrate the Kingdom. Here is the charge He gave the initial 12 He sent out, "As you go, proclaim this message: 'The kingdom of heaven has come near.' [8] Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those who have leprosy, drive out demons. Freely you have received; freely give." (Matt 10:7-8). In the same way, we are called to proclaim and demonstrate His Kingdom. It may not be fun, at times it might even be difficult. As Jesus said in John 16:33 NIV: "I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble (tribulation and pressing in). But take heart! I have overcome the world."

Lord, I am encouraged this morning in my pursuit of You, and the ability to faithfully proclaim and demonstrate the reality of the Kingdom. You established it and it continues to this day! Help me to follow You!

Amen!

###

### Dealing With Frustration

## 10-08

This morning I was reading from Graham Cooke's book, "Manifesting Your Spirit" and came across something on that he wrote concerning frustration that was very helpful and thought provoking. It is definitely worth sharing and thinking about in depth and getting this into our personal perspective of life.

Frustration does not exist  
in the Kingdom.  
It is a device of the world,  
a negative construct contrary  
to the nature of the Bright One.

Frustration is an admission that we  
are baffled, checked, blocked,  
neutralized in faith -  
by people, circumstances, and opposition.  
Frustration legitimizes negative emotions,  
giving them a place in our experience.

Frustration is discontent  
opening our heart to lethargy.  
We become irked, resentful, disappointed,  
gullible to defeat -  
owned by pessimism.

We must learn how to use frustration  
and not be used by it.  
To be frustrated is to admit  
that I do not possess at this moment  
the required amount of patience, peace,  
and joy for the circumstances of my life.

If I focus on frustration,  
the core of my attention  
is the opposite of who God is for me.

Frustration is an emotional sign  
that I need an upgrade.  
It points to an available increase,  
raising my awareness of God's provision.  
Therefore, frustration must turn to  
celebration of God's intent.

In the hands of the enemy  
it robs me of enthusiasm.  
It blinds me to all the possibilities  
of the one true Spirit.

I become disheartened, looking for  
pity, sympathy -  
seeking fellow victims of discouragement  
I give permission to be afflicted.  
Frustration causes negative fellowship  
as I move in the opposite spirit  
to Christ within.

In the hands of the Shining One  
it points towards fullness,  
the reality of something more -  
greater success unfolding.  
Frustration is turned into confession  
in one stroke of happy thinking.

"Thank you, Father, that frustration  
reveals my lack of Your fullness.  
It points me to the upgrade available.  
It releases Your permission to become more.

Patience, peace, and joy abound  
constantly in Your presence.  
Grace follows the upgrade;  
love flows more powerfully.

I am renewed, restored, made bigger,  
enabled to see from a greater height  
of Your affection.  
Everything must bow  
to patience, peace, and joy.  
They are Heaven's true reality."

Frustration is earthly, one dimensional,  
and destructive.  
It reduces everything it touches.  
It makes us start everything  
from a place of deficit.  
We struggle to catch up  
with God's reality.  
Frustration is reality  
from a wrong dimension.

To fight frustration we must turn  
our back on it,  
look into the heart of the One  
committed to our development,  
trade our sorrows for His joy.  
Frustration must turn to celebration.

Patience is the fast track to greater heights.  
Joy is the welcoming party to Presence.  
Wisdom releases the focus of Heaven.  
Peace releases the angst,  
causing us to smile, be carefree.  
Contentment with godliness -  
.... a sure winner.

By Graham Cooke

As I read through this, I see so much that causes me to stop and meditate. I am convinced of the truth of these statements, and they provide me a perspective that provides leverage for my mind and heart. At times I can be overwhelmed, stuck in circumstances and situations with no sense of how to extract myself. This shows me the way to view things from God's perspective, from a heavenly perspective. If it doesn't exist in Heaven, then it is not part of God's provision, nor His perspective. If I can gain His perspective, not only can I see the way out, but I can get a sense of His real provision and purpose. I love the line, " In the hands of the Shining One it points towards fullness, the reality of something more - greater success unfolding." That is the way of God, the one who loves us and has made a way for us. I have found that the places of my greatest frustration seem to be the places where God has the most planned for me. It is almost like I know in my spirit that there must be more. There is a hunger for something I can't even put words to at times.

I know there is more.  
I know there must be more.  
I know this can't be the fullness of all God has for me, so there must be more!

Amen Lord, help me to turn frustration into expectation of more! Help me to turn my back on frustration and instead look at You as the one who loves me and desires me to experience all You have planned for me, in the depths of Your goodness and Love.

###

### Pursuing That Which Matters

## 10-11

This morning I have been looking at and thinking about the following passages from Paul's letter to the Colossians 2:16-23 NIV:

[16] "Therefore do not let anyone judge you by what you eat or drink, or with regard to a religious festival, a New Moon celebration or a Sabbath day. [17] These are a shadow of the things that were to come; the reality, however, is found in Christ. [18] Do not let anyone who delights in false humility and the worship of angels disqualify you. Such a person also goes into great detail about what they have seen; they are puffed up with idle notions by their unspiritual mind. [19] They have lost connection with the head, from whom the whole body, supported and held together by its ligaments and sinews, grows as God causes it to grow."

[20] "Since you died with Christ to the elemental spiritual forces of this world, why, as though you still belonged to the world, do you submit to its rules: [21] "Do not handle! Do not taste! Do not touch!"? [22] These rules, which have to do with things that are all destined to perish with use, are based on merely human commands and teachings. [23] Such regulations indeed have an appearance of wisdom, with their self-imposed worship, their false humility and their harsh treatment of the body, but they lack any value in restraining sensual indulgence."

These verses are such an interesting study, especially when we have been looking at the paradigms we have been raised in within the Church. A few months ago, the Lord took me through an examination of that which is required and that which is optional or man-made in our worship of Him, as defined by many churches. Paul is commenting on something very similar here, for many of the expressions of Christianity were being combined with Jewish observances, and he was trying to help the people in Colossae identify those things that were not necessary, and in some cases even harmful.

Paul identifies several things as harmful - strict rules for living, strict rules for gatherings, false humility, worship of angels, (I think we could add here super-spirituality), the "don't" lists, self-imposed worship, harsh treatment of the body (ascetics such as severe fasting), and the like. As I look at all these, they seem to me to be self-focused, rather than Christ-focused. The people are either trying to please others (not Christ) or compare themselves to others in the quest to appear holy. Paul correctly ascribes no real value to these things, for they gain us nothing in a relationship and faith based pursuit of God. Intimacy with Christ Jesus is our goal, not attendance, not observances, not programs, not fasting, not visions and special knowledge. There are some who are always trying to understand the secret things that God is speaking to a few select individuals, as if He favors them, and by understanding these things becoming a member of a select group that are "in the know".

Paul calls the church back to the reality that is found in Christ. Again, it is intimacy with Him, real relationship that is the goal. We are called to experience and understand connectedness to the head (Christ) and each other as members of the Body of Christ. Intimacy with Him and unity with each other. I am reminded of the following verses from Matthew 22:37-39 NIV:

[37] "Jesus replied: " 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.' [38] This is the first and greatest commandment. [39] And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.'"

Let us not make this complicated, nor allow ourselves to buy into the comparative mindset of many. Christ desires us to be in relationship with Him, first and foremost. Secondly, He desires us to be in relationship with each other, learning to love and encourage, embrace, empathize, and celebrate each other's uniqueness and significance. We are not in a race, nor in a competition, we are in relationships. We think that our external actions can cover over or make up for our internal lack, and in personal relationships this can work for a while, but in the end, activity is not a lasting foundation for relationship.

So this morning, I am encouraged to look at my life, to consider what I am doing, and how I think about my relationship with Christ, and with others. Am I pursuing actual relationship or am I just going through activities and acting a certain way to maintain my status in other's eyes?

###

### Love God = Love One Another

## 10-13

This morning I have been thinking about how significant each of us is to the Lord. I was reading a biography of Brother Lawrence and in it the author said that Brother Lawrence saw loving those around Him as an extension of loving God. Each of us is precious to God, and when we love others, we are effectively loving God. I was reminded of a couple of different verses that explain this theme.

Mark 12:29-31 NIV:  
[29] "The most important one," answered Jesus, "is this: 'Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. [30] Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.' [31] The second is this: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' There is no commandment greater than these."

\- and -

Matthew 25:34-40 NIV:

[34] "Then the King will say to those on his right, 'Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. [35] For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, [36] I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.'

[37] "Then the righteous will answer him, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? [38] When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? [39] When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?'

[40] "The King will reply, 'Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.'"

I find it so interesting that the greatest commandments are to love God and love others, and that Jesus says they are effectively the exact same thing! In our Western mindset of selfish focus, everything having to be "my way" or all about me, we lose sight of this fundamental truth. We are called to love God and to love others - and in doing so to not worry about ourselves. As Jesus said, "Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes?... For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well." (Matthew 6:25, 32-33) NIV.

Lord, I pray that You would help me to live un-selfishly, seeing the opportunity to love You and love others, and embracing this greatest call. I know that You love me and love all those around me equally as much as You love me. Help me to reflect that in my life, and by my actions.

###

### 10 Questions to Think On

## 10-16

This morning I was thinking about people in my life that I love, people who I desire to engage in deep conversation about the Lord. I was thinking about how best to engage in deep meaningful conversation in a non-threatening manner, and I thought about putting together a list of questions that one could ask and answer honestly.

There are no right or wrong answers, only soul-searching required. Hopefully these questions provide the opportunity to think about one's life at a deeper level. Here are the 10 questions I wrote down:

1. Do you have a relationship with God? If yes, why? If no, why not?

2. If yes, how would you describe this relationship?

3. If you feel you have a relationship, do you desire to deepen this relationship? If no, why?

4. If yes, how are you deepening it, or how are you planning to deepen it?

5. Who do you think God sees you as? Why?

6. What does God think about you? Why?

7. Have you had an experience where you know there is a God? What happened?

8. What was your most alive or intimate interaction with God?

9. What does God want to say to you right now?

10. What do you want to say to God right now?

###

### Finishing His Work in Me - Help Needed

## 10-18

I am really struggling this morning to stay awake. Sorry Lord, I quiet myself and the next thing I know I am snoozing. I was kind of drifting this morning and heard the phrase "finishing my work". I happened to be open to James' letter and saw the following verses:

James 1:2-5 NIV:

[2] "Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, [3] because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. [4] Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. [5] If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you."

I am pretty sure that I would rather suffer through immaturity and incompleteness than face trials of many kinds. It's probably just me, but there are times that I struggle to have good thoughts, let alone good actions. Testing and trials produce perseverance but my flesh would rather just give up, or give in. I usually have good intentions, but somewhere along the way, the intentionality gets lost in laziness and distraction.

I am so grateful that the Lord knows my heart, and everything about me, because then He knows my heart and intentions and does not just observe my outward expressions of belief and obedience. I know that my actions are often not in line with my heart, but I am getting better. Because He walked among us as a human, He understands our limitations and struggles. I believe that is one of the reasons He has provided us the Holy Spirit, who lives in us and helps, strengthens and guides us.

I know I need His help and His perspective (Wisdom) and I am grateful that God gives that to me without finding fault. I know I just asked for it yesterday and I need a fresh dose today. I do need Your help, Your wisdom, Your power, and Your guidance. I desire to persevere, to run the race, to follow-through, and I know on my own I am not capable.

Thank You Lord, that You know that about me and still love me. I pray that You will complete Your work in me, that I might be mature and complete, not lacking anything!

Amen!

###

### Our Posture Before the Lord

## 10-19

This morning I am reading from Mark's Gospel, and am focused on a single verse - Mark 9:7 NIV: "Then a cloud appeared and covered them, and a voice came from the cloud: "This is my Son, whom I love. Listen to him!"

As I read this verse, I felt that this charge to listen to Jesus was really important. I felt like the Lord wanted to address our posture before Him. So often, my posture is one of telling Him all my issues and what I need Him to do about them. I am not listening, I am complaining, passionately pleading my cause, telling Him about people who need His help. I am doing pretty much everything but listening! Do you have friends who talk so much, you never can get a word in edge-wise? At times, I find myself as that individual with the Lord, I barely shut my mouth long enough for Him to say something.

Listening to Christ, should be our primary focus, our primary goal. In prayer, we should spend more time listening then talking. He is the one who knows us best, everything about us, every thought we have ever had, everything we have ever done, all things we are concerned with, all that we love. He knows everything already, so we really don't need to spend lots of time going back over everything to make sure He has understood our concerns fully. I think He wants to speak, and wants to be heard. That means we need to listen, and develop our ability to listen.

Yesterday at church, one of our little friends came running alerting us to a situation that was unfolding with one of her siblings. She is three and she came running repeating the same thing over and over, even though we answered her the first time. She was so intent on making sure we heard her report, that she never even stopped to hear our response. Sometimes, I think we are like that with the Lord. We just keep bringing the same thing to Him over and over, and we never stop and listen.

This morning, I am aware of my need to listen, and hear. It is not enough to listen, but the Lord is actually expecting us to be hearing and then doing, He calls that obedience. :-)

He has the best perspective in the world. He sees and knows everything about everyone, and every situation. He is never surprised nor caught unprepared. He has unlimited resources, all authority on Heaven and earth. Why wouldn't we want to stop and take His advice and guidance to heart? He loves us, has given His life for us, and is the author of all things good. He is the right guy to listen too. So, let us embrace the Father's direction and posture ourselves to listen to Jesus.

###

### Believe In Yourself, In Him!

## 10-21

Yesterday while flying back I was reading Graham Cooke's book: "Manifesting Your Spirit" listening to Jesus Culture. As I was reading, it was like I hit a catalytic thought and just took off. Here is what I wrote in the book, as my pad was completely out of battery.

As I was reading, I thought about Byron Easterling's charge to start thinking about how God sees you. This is what I heard - feeling like there was something God saw in each of us that was so much bigger than we ever thought:

There was an invitation -  
1) Will You Dare to Believe?  
2) Will You Step into His call?  
3) What Does it look like?

What does God think about you? Nothing negative! God is always positive even when He is calling us to better behavior, and better understanding. God does not have a negative thought about you, neither should you! When the Father sees us, He sees us hidden in Christ - how can He have a negative thought about Christ Jesus?

What would your life be like if you never listened to a negative thought about yourself? What could You do?

In God, there is no negative balance, nothing to pay back - He has cancelled the complete debt of sin! It does not exist in our life! This is why Paul encourages us to forget what is behind us (Phil 3:13).

Negative thoughts or beliefs about God or ourselves are like blockages in our arteries and veins, they keep the life blood of the Holy Spirit from breathing life, bringing life, giving life to us. Repentance is like Angioplasty, it allows us to get rid of those things (thoughts and beliefs) that are limiting our life in God!

\-----------------------------

God can inhabit our weakness with His strength. Do you feel broken? You are ripe for God's power to be released in you in the very place you feel broken, beaten, destroyed. With man it is impossible, but with God ALL things are possible (Matt 19:26).

Listen to those words above, do you believe them? Do you think God can turn your greatest weakness, your most broken situation into something that brings Him glory? Now think about what He accomplished through the cross and resurrection. He completely turned the tables on the enemy who thought he had won complete victory! He (Jesus) was dead, but He is now alive! He is stronger than death, is stronger than sin, is now seated on the Throne, is there anything He can't do? It is never too late!

\------------------------------

You are all capable, empowered, inhabited by the same Holy Spirit that empowered Jesus in His earthly ministry, the same Holy Spirit that was poured out on Pentecost and powered the birth of the church. This is the same Holy Spirit! There is no lack in Him! No lack of gifting, no lack of Power!

What limits us - unbelief. It is like a governor in an automobile, it only allows one to go only so fast, or so far. It limits us in what we can do and how far we can go. What is unbelief? It is essentially negative thinking about God, our situation, and our own capabilities, and God's plans for us. It is critical that we recognize unbelief in our life and stand up to it, cast it out of our life, for it is limiting who we are and what we become in Him.

There is an invitation from God to you - to dare to think about your life in His terms. He does not think negative things about you. He thinks you are brilliant, perfectly fashioned, uniquely gifted and designed for a specific purpose. He has no negative thoughts about You! He knows what you are capable of, what you have been called to do! Can you believe this? Can you see what He sees? Can you take one step in that direction today?

###

### The Fruit of Repentance

## 10-23

This morning I am reading from the letter of James. As is often the case I saw something that caught my attention and started doing some research and thinking about what was written. James was speaking about the importance of our actions being aligned with our beliefs, and specifically how belief without action is actually not worthwhile to the Lord. Here are the verses in particular - James 2:24-26 NIV:

[24] "You see that a person is considered righteous by what they do and not by faith alone."

[25] "In the same way, was not even Rahab the prostitute considered righteous for what she did when she gave lodging to the spies and sent them off in a different direction? [26] As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead."

I find it quite interesting that James uses Rahab as an example of righteousness, right after he was speaking about Abraham. The author of the letter to the Hebrews also lists Rahab as one of the great examples of faith in the list of those that were examples of faith in their history (See Heb 11: 31). What I gather from this is that her "actions", which were the result of her understanding what God was apparently doing and deciding to be on His side, qualified her as someone who was considered righteous, despite her previous occupation that would seem the opposite. Her "actions" which were based on her unqualified and uneducated faith, were key to the Israelites stepping into their inheritance in the promised land. She and her family were the only people spared in Jericho, and they were added to the people of Israel, and apparently very highly thought of by the people. In fact, when you read the lineage of Jesus in Matthew, chapter 1, you find that Rahab was the great-great grandmother of King David.

So I wanted to know exactly what she did and went back to the account in the Book of Joshua. Here is the account - Joshua 2:1, 8-13 NIV:

[1] "Then Joshua son of Nun secretly sent two spies from Shittim. "Go, look over the land," he said, "especially Jericho. " So they went and entered the house of a prostitute named Rahab and stayed there.

\- The king sent people looking for the spies but Rahab hid them on her roof...

[8] Before the spies lay down for the night, she went up on the roof [9] and said to them, "I know that the Lord has given you this land and that a great fear of you has fallen on us, so that all who live in this country are melting in fear because of you. [10] We have heard how the Lord dried up the water of the Red Sea for you when you came out of Egypt, and what you did to Sihon and Og, the two kings of the Amorites east of the Jordan, whom you completely destroyed. [11] When we heard of it, our hearts melted in fear and everyone's courage failed because of you, for the Lord your God is God in heaven above and on the earth below.

[12] "Now then, please swear to me by the Lord that you will show kindness to my family, because I have shown kindness to you. Give me a sure sign [13] that you will spare the lives of my father and mother, my brothers and sisters, and all who belong to them---and that you will save us from death."

So basically Her actions were to save the spies from the king's search, and her confession that the fear of the Lord had fallen on all of them, and that God was the one true God. The spies took their report back to Joshua and said that clearly the Lord had delivered this land into their hands, because of what Rahab had said and done. She actually is a great example of repentance. She observed what the Lord was doing, changed her mind about what she thought of God, for prior to that she was evidently not a believing individual, and then she changed her actions to line up with her new beliefs.

God apparently wasn't worried about her previous state or sins, He honored her for her repentance which culminated in her helping the spies. In addition, she and her family were added to the Hebrew people, and evidentially married into the tribe of Judah. This no small point, for the Lord had specifically forbidden the Israelites from marrying foreign women (Deut 7:1-4) or adding any of the people from the people they conquer to their families. So, God allowed her to be joined to Israel and enjoy the blessing of God upon them! He forgave her previous sins and godlessness and welcomed her into His promises because of her faith and actions.

In summary, this is a pretty encouraging word, in spite of her previous life, God saw her heart and recognized her repentance, and acted as if her whole previous life didn't matter. He honored her repentance, and rewarded her and her family with blessing and honor, because she trusted Him and believed. I love how her whole family was impacted by her repentance! I think it is good to know that no small feat of belief and action will go unnoticed by the Lord, and He will reward it with His favor. So regardless of our own pasts, our own mistakes, there is always an opportunity to repent, to change the way we think and act and receive righteousness in return, through our Savior Jesus Christ.

### 

### My Dad - His Motivation and Legacy

## 10-31

This past week, one of the greatest men I have ever known passed over into eternity, and his life and memory is worth noting. My Dad was one of those guys who loved so many people that is hard to even count. He knew what he believed and lived his life with those beliefs out front. He was an educator, a devoted family man, a great Dad, a fantastic Grandfather. He was always talking to people, interested in their lives, showing them their importance by His conversation and time. He always had a smile on his face, and in the photos I look back over, his embrace of life is evident.

I wanted to highlight one of the most significant events of his life, and its impact on his life from that moment on. His marriage to Mom, and the subsequent births of his 6 children were all highly impactful, but the event I think that changed his life was the day he heard the Lord speak to him. My Dad was a great guy to start with, he was raised well and knew what it meant to be a loving husband and father. He was raised Catholic and had a deep faith, but one day his world was changed when He heard the Lord say, "I love you, Gene Hall!"

He said it wasn't an audible voice, but it was clear in his heart and mind. He knew that He had heard the Lord speak and the thought that God actually loved him, and knew him was transformational. He knew from his upbringing that God loved us all, that Jesus had come to earth because of His love for us all (John 3:16), but this was something different, something very personal. It was like the first time my mother told him she loved him, but this was God saying the same thing. God loved him, knew him, chose him, and loved him for who he was.

My dad's last journal entry from 3 days before he entered Heaven so suddenly and unexpectedly included this same language and it was something he never forgot and was always at the forefront of his mind. In his prayer, written out that day he said (while reflecting on the fact that God loves each and every one of us), "It's beyond my understanding as to how you know, care for, love and help each one who accepts that love - to me individually, an intimate relationship. You love me, Gene Hall, and care for me as much as I let you - a one to one relationship, and because you are God - you are able to do that with each individual - Wow! Thank you God for loving me - Gene Hall - here and now..."

This fact that God had personal love for him, and desired a one to one relationship with him was something that fueled the remainder of his life. From what I can tell, Dad heard the Lord speak to him sometime in the late 60's or early 70's and thus spent the remaining 45-50 years pursuing a deeper relationship with this God, who loved him personally. This personal relationship with God drove him into prayer, into reading of others who had experienced this revelation of personal love from God. He pursued God in every way He could think to pursue him. His pursuit of God and personal relationship with him became something that we all understood and emulated, accepting from his example that such a relationship with God was possible, and desired by God.

This relationship with God motivated Dad to do things that would seem foolish to others. He quit his job teaching in one of the best school districts in the state to move His family up north to a small A-frame that we had built, in part because all our faith was increased and positively impacted by the move. He went from a tenured position at one of the best schools to teaching part time at a much smaller school and district. He trusted that God would not lead him astray. He put God first and always tried to follow his direction. In time, all of us came to know God this way as well, each establishing and enjoying a personal one on one relationship with the Lord.

In a more normal ministry sense, He became involved in Cursillo and eventually was the National director for years, all in an effort to help others understand this personal relationship with God. He served the local church as a song-leader, in the choir, as a reader, a Eucharistic minister, and volunteer. He always served with a desire to deepen his relationship, and because of His love for God. His love for God, developed in the day to day interaction and personal prayer, was what motivated him in all things.

As his children, we learned from Him and all of us went on to serve the church, and spread the message of God's love in one place or another. Many of us served on N.E.T. (National Evangelization Teams) as a team member traveling around the US, sharing with young people the message of God's love. In a very real sense, part of the legacy of my Dad's life are the thousands of young people that have heard about the Lord, through that ministry. Many of Dad's grandchildren have continued this tradition and served on NET teams as well. Overall there have been tens of thousands of people who have heard about the Love of God through his children and grandchildren. Wow! What an impact a single life can have!

Throughout his life, my Dad was unrelenting in his pursuit of God, and it is fitting that the very last thing he did on earth was take his daily prayer. He passed away sitting in his prayer chair, reading through the scriptures that would be shared that day at Mass, his journal and bible by his side. He pursued God to the very end of his life and was clearly successful in that pursuit. What a way to go! As I have written before, I believe that He closed his eyes in prayer and when he next opened his eyes he was in Heaven. He suffered no trauma, and it appears his passing into eternity was instantaneous.

I believe with all my heart that when he saw Jesus he heard Him say, "Well done my good and faithful son! I love you Gene!

It is my prayer, and I know it was my Dad's, that each of us would come to know the love of God, intimately in a one on one relationship, just like my Dad experienced. He was an exceptional man, but it was His love for God and from God that made him who he was, and that love is available to us all.

Dad, I love you and will miss you every day, but I know that Your legacy continues in each of us, your children and grandchildren. We are all better people and have experienced this same personal relationship with God, because of your example.

###

### Fruitfulness and The Kingdom

## 11-01

This morning I was reading from Mark's Gospel. I just needed to read some familiar verses and set my heart at peace. I love the parable of the sower and today it seemed applicable to me. Here are the particular verses - Mark 4:18-20 NIV:

[18] "Still others, like seed sown among thorns, hear the word; [19] but the worries of this life, the deceitfulness of wealth and the desires for other things come in and choke the word, making it unfruitful. [20] Others, like seed sown on good soil, hear the word, accept it, and produce a crop---some thirty, some sixty, some a hundred times what was sown."

I think for me the point of focus is fruitfulness. The people who receive the word, but then allow the worries of this life to make them unfruitful are responsive to the word. It would be important to note that they still grow and mature, they just don't have any ability to reproduce, for that is what fruitfulness really enables. The whole purpose of fruit, whether it is grain or an actual piece of fruit is to reproduce.

The very next verses talk about putting one's light on a stand that it might give light, and I guess that is the purpose of Jesus' statements about fruitfulness. Our call is to reproduce that which is planted into us, which is the word of God, the message of the Kingdom. We are called to reproduce that which can be planted in other's lives, to do so our fruit must be spread or scattered about. When we are concerned about the worries of this world, we tend to hold onto everything, and have wrong perspective about what is important. We invest in things other than the Kingdom and, thus, have no real fruit (related to the word that was planted in us).

My encouragement this day is to look at the things I am investing in and allowing to concern me. I am encouraged to look at my life and choose to produce a crop, to be fruitful to reproduce the word of God that has been planted in me. I had a great example in my father, and I can work to produce fruit the remainder of my life even as he did. Amen!

###

### Of Death, Separation and Eternal Destiny

## 11-03

This morning I opened my Bible to John 16:16 NIV:

[16] "Jesus went on to say, "In a little while you will see me no more, and then after a little while you will see me."

For me this is a timely word with the recent death of my Dad. The last time I saw him, I didn't realize these words from Jesus would be true, that in just a little while I would see him no more. However, that is one of the wonderful promises of eternal life in Heaven that we will see them again.

There is a peace in knowing, a hope that I will see him again that heals some of the wounds of separation. His earthly body has passed away, but He still lives hidden now with Christ in Heaven. Jesus said that He was going to the Father to prepare a place for his followers (John 14:2) and that is where Dad now dwells.

I am reminded of Paul's thoughts concerning death from his letter to the Philippians 1:20-24 NIV:

[20] "I eagerly expect and hope that I will in no way be ashamed, but will have sufficient courage so that now as always Christ will be exalted in my body, whether by life or by death. [21] For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain. [22] If I am to go on living in the body, this will mean fruitful labor for me. Yet what shall I choose? I do not know! [23] I am torn between the two: I desire to depart and be with Christ, which is better by far; [24] but it is more necessary for you that I remain in the body."

Paul, understood the upward call, the eternal reality to which he was called. He was unafraid, even in joyful anticipation of that reality. He understood the richness of God, His glorious majesty and eternal love that overflows in that heavenly reality. He also knew that his time on earth was not complete, that he still needed to remain for the sake of all the people he wrote to. I guess I can take solace in the fact that Dad's efforts here on earth were complete, that his purpose was fulfilled. He had run the race and finished strong.

I am so grateful for the example of his life, a life lived with purpose and calling. I am hopefully a better man because of his example and life. I pray that one of these days, when I have finished my race, and fulfilled God's purposes and callings that I will see him again. I am confident of the Lord's promises and I will rest on them. My desire is to hear as I am sure he heard, "Well done, good and faithful servant!" Until that time, I will honor him and our Lord with my life. I will pursue the Lord in relationship even as he did, and embrace all the glorious hope for eternal life.

Amen!

###

### Seeking the Lord in the Midst of Pain

## 11-10

So, this morning I felt like reading from Matthew's. I must say it's hard to press into the Lord right now, but He does have compassion, mercy, peace and joy and I need all of those in my life. I am meditating on the following verses - Matthew 14:12-14, 22-23 NIV:

[12] "John's disciples came and took his body and buried it. Then they went and told Jesus."

[13] "When Jesus heard what had happened, he withdrew by boat privately to a solitary place. Hearing of this, the crowds followed him on foot from the towns. [14] When Jesus landed and saw a large crowd, he had compassion on them and healed their sick."

[22] "Immediately Jesus made the disciples get into the boat and go on ahead of him to the other side, while he dismissed the crowd. [23] After he had dismissed them, he went up on a mountainside by himself to pray."

I find solace in the fact that Jesus understands grief and the pain of losing a loved one. His first response was to withdraw, desiring to be with His Father. He needed time with His Heavenly Father. He, however, did not turn totally introspective, but kept his eyes open to those around him and when he saw the crowd he was moved with compassion for them. I know my experiences of late have made me more sensitive, given me a greater heart for those who are hurting and in need, and I am sure Jesus was likewise affected by the death of His cousin John. I like the fact that Jesus was unaffected in his ability to care for, love and heal the sick. He knew the power to do so came from the Holy Spirit anyway, and although Jesus was hurting, the Holy Spirit was capable. I was reminded of Paul's statement that it was in his weakness that the Holy Spirit was strong (paraphrase of 2 Cor 12:9-10).

Finally after feeding 5000+ people, Jesus got back to His main focus, that of spending time with the Father. There is no substitute for conversation and intimate relationship with the Father. Jesus knew his relationship with the Father was foundational, and the source of all He said and did, and being in His presence and reconnecting was critical to His ability to continue moving forward.

I know that many people, after the loss of a loved one, will often feel like walking away from the Father, in some way blaming Him. It is a time of pain, and sorrow and in that place, there is often anger and denial. In walking away from God though, we lose the opportunity to gain perspective, and experience His mercy and compassion. He knows the pain of loss, and understands our hearts like no one else. I find that in the place of my relationship with Him, I find one who understands me completely and can comfort me like no one else. I am choosing to run to the Lord, rather than away from Him in my grief.

I pray for all those that are in similar positions, that they might understand and experience the intimate love, mercy and compassion of the Lord. That their lives might be refilled with hope, peace and joy.

###

### That Which Really Matters

## 11-11

This morning I felt like I should read from Luke's Gospel, in the twelfth chapter. This chapter is full of much teaching and statements from Jesus, but as I was reading the following two sections stood out to me, clearly partly due to my recent loss of my father.

Luke 12:14-21, 29-34 NIV

[14] "Jesus replied, "Man, who appointed me a judge or an arbiter between you?" [15] Then he said to them, "Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; life does not consist in an abundance of possessions."

[16] And he told them this parable: "The ground of a certain rich man yielded an abundant harvest. [17] He thought to himself, 'What shall I do? I have no place to store my crops.' [18] "Then he said, 'This is what I'll do. I will tear down my barns and build bigger ones, and there I will store my surplus grain. [19] And I'll say to myself, "You have plenty of grain laid up for many years. Take life easy; eat, drink and be merry." '

[20] "But God said to him, 'You fool! This very night your life will be demanded from you. Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself?'

[21] "This is how it will be with whoever stores up things for themselves but is not rich toward God."

[29] "And do not set your heart on what you will eat or drink; do not worry about it. [30] For the pagan world runs after all such things, and your Father knows that you need them. [31] But seek his kingdom, and these things will be given to you as well."

[32] "Do not be afraid, little flock, for your Father has been pleased to give you the kingdom. [33] Sell your possessions and give to the poor. Provide purses for yourselves that will not wear out, a treasure in heaven that will never fail, where no thief comes near and no moth destroys. [34] For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also."

I have been thinking quite a bit about our mortality, our purpose, and how we can make a difference in the lives of those around us. I am encouraged by Jesus' words this morning, directing us to look beyond material possessions, to the greater reality, our eternal destiny. We are called to consider our life from a different perspective, not as it relates to our time here on earth, but rather our time afterwards in eternity.

I believe that our lives here do matter in eternity, as Jesus clearly indicates in these verses. Our focus can be on amassing things here, or in preparing our lives for our heavenly embrace. Jesus talks about storing up treasures for ourselves in heaven, and relates it to giving to the poor, then goes on to say that we shouldn't be worried about possessions here on earth. He preceded these statements calling us to seek first His kingdom, to not worry about possessions. He urges us to seek His Kingdom, to invest in this with our lives. I find it interesting that He also says His Kingdom is in us (Luke 17:21), literally in our very midst, as in people. If we are seeking first His Kingdom, and it exists in each other, then our focus would be on each other, not on our possessions. I think that the message, at its core, is we should be putting people before possessions.

I was talking to my Mom about relationships and our future heavenly experience. It is my belief that the foundational value in the Kingdom of God is in relationships. Jesus came to earth to restore our ability to have a direct relationship with the Father, becoming the Way (John 14:6). He and the Holy Spirit desire to be with us, in relationship always (John 15-17). We are called to be a part of the Body of Christ, through our relationships with one another (1 Cor 12). When a man and woman marry they become one in God's eyes (Matt 19:4-6), clearly demonstrating God's perspective about relationships. All of this is to say that it seems to me that our treasure in heaven must be related to our relationships.

Thinking further about this, if we are called to seek His Kingdom first, and it is in people (for it is clearly not delineated by geography), then the most important thing here on earth, besides out relationship with the Lord, is our relationships with one another. Jesus says basically this same thing in answering the question about the greatest commandments - Matthew 22:37-39 NIV: "Jesus replied: " 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.' This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.'" Another way to refer to the greatest commandments would be to call them the most important things to focus on - loving God and loving each other. Thus, we come full circle for our focus on relationship with God and others is supposed to be the most important thing in all our lives. We are supposed to put these before all else, and in so doing are adding to our treasure in heaven. Our hearts are where our treasure is, and if our treasure is relationships with God and one another, then our hearts would be with them. Our natural proclivity would be to care for those that we treasure, which is the exactly what Jesus was talking about.

So, I am encouraged today to look at and assess the true value of the treasures in my life, namely my relationships with God and with those around me. These are the things I should be investing in, the things that really matter, the things that are the most important in life, the greatest commandments.

Amen!

###

### My Heart's Condition & Finances

## 11-12

This morning I felt led to read from Malachi. This book is quite familiar to me, but not one I frequent, so I was wondering why the Lord would direct me there. Here are the verses I am focused on - Malachi 3:7-15 NIV:

[7] "Ever since the time of your ancestors you have turned away from my decrees and have not kept them. Return to me, and I will return to you," says the Lord Almighty."

But you ask, 'How are we to return?'

[8] "Will a mere mortal rob God? Yet you rob me."

But you ask, 'How are we robbing you?'

"In tithes and offerings. [9] You are under a curse---your whole nation---because you are robbing me. [10] Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this," says the Lord Almighty, "and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that there will not be room enough to store it. [11] I will prevent pests from devouring your crops, and the vines in your fields will not drop their fruit before it is ripe, " says the Lord Almighty. [12] "Then all the nations will call you blessed, for yours will be a delightful land," says the Lord Almighty.

[13] "You have spoken arrogantly against me," says the Lord."

Yet you ask, 'What have we said against you?'

[14] "You have said, 'It is futile to serve God. What do we gain by carrying out his requirements and going about like mourners before the Lord Almighty? [15] But now we call the arrogant blessed. Certainly evildoers prosper, and even when they put God to the test, they get away with it.' "

Clearly the Lord is after something in my heart concerning finances, and after reading these verses I understand what He is pointing at in my life. Yesterday, I got some disappointing news at work, that will likely impact me negatively in the financial realm. Needless to say, this type of news is not welcomed in any house, and especially here as we continue to work to dig out from a few very tight years, and try to save for our retirement. My immediate thought was all about me, feeling sorry for myself, disappointed in the lost opportunities that this represented.

I found myself sliding into thoughts similar to those described in verses 14 and 15. I was allowing the enemy to fill my head with negative thoughts, even listening to some of his accusations against the Father. I believe that the Lord clearly led me to this job, and all of the jobs I have had over the last several years. Even though I have followed the Lord, it seems true financial success has not come to pass. Rather than looking at the myriad of blessings the Lord has poured into my life, I was focused only on my disappointment. At the heart of the issue is a small amount of unbelief still in my life, and I have allowed this to influence my thoughts and ultimately my actions.

I am encouraged this morning to repent and change the way I think, and what I think about. God is the source of all good things, and He loves me dearly and has provided abundantly. He is not punishing me, nor angry with me, and He has a plan for me. His provision and blessing will follow me every day of my life. I will continue to believe His word, and trust in His promises and weather the present situation with grace, peace and joy from Him.

Lord, you know the weakness in me, I ask that You help me press into You, for in my weakness You are strong.

###

### Wealth and Our Heart's Focus

## 11-16

This morning I was reading in Mark's Gospel and as I read the following verses, I was reminded of a couple other verses. The first set is the story of the rich young man, as follows - Mark 10:17-23 NIV:

[17] As Jesus started on his way, a man ran up to him and fell on his knees before him. "Good teacher," he asked, "what must I do to inherit eternal life?"

[18] "Why do you call me good?" Jesus answered. "No one is good---except God alone. [19] You know the commandments: 'You shall not murder, you shall not commit adultery, you shall not steal, you shall not give false testimony, you shall not defraud, honor your father and mother.' "

[20] "Teacher," he declared, "all these I have kept since I was a boy."

[21] Jesus looked at him and loved him. "One thing you lack," he said. "Go, sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me."

[22] At this the man's face fell. He went away sad, because he had great wealth. [23] Jesus looked around and said to his disciples, "How hard it is for the rich to enter the kingdom of God!"

As I read those verse, two things stood out. First, the young man RAN up to Jesus. This was not a chance encounter, by a moderately interested individual. This young man had passion, desire and a hunger for the things of God. Second, Jesus looked at him and loved him. He didn't look at him with disdain. He didn't judge him for what was in his heart, He Loved him. The Lord knew what was in his heart, yet Jesus loved him. Jesus gave him an opportunity to step free of those things that kept him bound, those things he had given his heart to, and the whole time Jesus loved him.

When I read those verses, I was immediately reminded of the parable of the sower and the seeds. The following is the description the Lord gives of one of the types of soil - Matthew 13:22 NIV: "The seed falling among the thorns refers to someone who hears the word, but the worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth choke the word, making it unfruitful."

When I look at the young man's reaction, I see exactly what Jesus described. The young man welcomed the word, took it in and wanted to follow Jesus. However, he had given his heart to his wealth, to the good things, to pursuing more wealth. Now instead of being free to do what he wanted because he had the money to do so, he was actually bound by the worries, concerns and desires for wealth. He was unable to free himself so that he could be concerned with the proclamation of the Gospel, and following Jesus, producing much fruit. That is exactly what Jesus talked about, for the deceitfulness of wealth is that it will bring you freedom, when in reality it can cause a bit of a black-hole that draws you deeper in, taking your heart focus away from the things of God.

In our modern day, this can look like a desire to have nice things, a nice house and car, and such, but then needing to work constantly to pay for those things. No freedom to pick up and go where the Lord might call. Many of us can become enslaved to our needs and wants, always desiring more, and having to work harder and harder to get those things. When I look at my own life, I see so many things I need to take care of, that I need to be about, including my job which requires much focus and work. I realize that I am not nearly as free as I could be, or might desire to be.

The challenge is to hold those things lightly, to be willing to change our life-style or part ways with those things that hold us back, or make us less fruitful than we might desire. A good question to consider is, 'are we willing to lay aside our trappings of wealth and luxury to pursue the things of God?' If our hearts struggle with that question, then we are pretty much like the young man in the story from Mark. The good news is that Jesus sees our heart, and loves us. He invites us into relationship with Him, and He will help us.

In a final reflection, my Dad did exactly what the young man was challenged to do. He sold most everything we had, leaving a very comfortable life, a great job, and moved up to Northern Minnesota to live in a much smaller house, with far fewer nice things, and much less money, all so that he could follow God more closely. As a teenager I was significantly affected, but I have to say, my life was never happier nor more free. We had much less, but we had joy and each other. This is certainly not the call for all people, nor is Jesus' invitation to the first young man, but my experience certainly demonstrated the truth of Jesus' words in these two stories.

My encouragement this day is to consider the state of my heart and life and what I am focused on. Am I constrained by my lifestyle and "wealth" in such a way that I am unfruitful, or less fruitful than I might be otherwise? Have I turned down the invitation of the Lord out of concern for my things, my lifestyle? Am I good soil, bearing much fruit?

Lord, help me to see myself clearly.

###

### A Love Note From Your Heavenly Father

## 11-18

From the Father : To begin with, let me say I am so happy that you decided to read this. You may not know it, but I think that You are absolutely fantastic, and I just wanted to take a moment to tell you that. You see, many people misunderstand me, misquote me, and just don't represent me very well, so I thought I would cut through all that stuff and just tell you myself.

First, I am not kidding, I think you are fantastic. No kidding. In fact, you are exactly how I imagined you would be. You look quite a bit like me, act quite a bit like me, and have many of my good character traits. When I look at you, I see only positive, awesome and beautiful things. In fact, I don't have a negative thought about you.

Secondly, I am not mad at you, not even a little miffed. You see I have this great plan and you are part of it, and your life up to now all fits perfectly into that plan. How is that possible you might ask? Well let's just say we already took care of the all the bad stuff, and when I look at you I see you as you are going to be in the future, not just as you are now. Did I mention the fact that I think you are fantastic?

Third, I am not an angry guy. I mean who wants their father to be an angry guy? Think about it this way, if you were the perfect definition of love, would you be angry? If you were in complete control, surrounded by those you love and love you the most, would you be angry? Let's just say that lots of people get this part wrong about me, and I want to set the record straight. Everything good, everything beautiful, everything majestic, everything that is awe-inspiring came from me. I am overwhelmingly and eternally good.

Fourthly, I want you to know that I want a relationship with you. Yep, a real live relationship just like you have with other people, only with me. I want to know you and to help you to know me. I think you are fantastic, one of the best ever, and I want to talk and share and express my deep love for you. I absolutely think the world of you and think you are one of the most significant people ever. Everything about you is wonderful and I want to enjoy time together with you. I have made a perfect way for us to be able to have a relationship, and my son Jesus made it all possible.

I want you to be able hear me and understand what I am thinking. I want to hear from you, understanding what you are thinking. I want to be with you all the time, every day, experiencing life together. I want to show you all the best things, and encourage you in all your gifts, talents and uniqueness. I want to introduce you to others who think the same way about you and surround you with love and affection.

When I look at you, I am just so proud of who you are, and who you become. I need to be honest, it does help that I can see the whole of time, and I see how everything ends up, including you. Don't miss the significance of that - I am seeing you both now and in the future as well as all of your past, and my opinion of you hasn't changed a bit, I still think you are awesome, fantastic and positively brilliant.

What's the catch you might ask? That's the best part, there isn't one. This is free, provided through my son Jesus. You don't have to earn it, change yourself to qualify, nothing. That really is the good news. I have done everything necessary, all you have to do is decide to give me a chance. I am not concerned about anything you might have done, anything you might have said, anything at all. My love for you overcomes all of that. All you need to do is say yes, because that is the one thing I would never do, force myself on you or force you to decide. I am eternally patient. Again, it helps when you see the whole of time and know how everything turns out.

Why now you ask? It is simply because I know that your life will better with me in it. I know the help and encouragement, love and support that I can provide you. I want everyone to experience the very best life possible, and when you are walking with me, in relationship with me, that is possible.

I really do think you are fantastic, and I wanted to extend this personal invitation to relationship with me. I could go on and on, and I am sure you have lots of questions which we can get to later, but let me just say again, I love you and I have some awesome plans for our life together. I hope that you say yes, but even if you don't now, I still love you and think you are awesome. I am the most patient individual in the world. I will be here with the same invitation when you decide to say yes. It really does help when you can see how everything turns out.

Lastly, you really are an awesome person, don't let anyone tell you differently. I have seen everyone ever created, and there is no one quite like you! You are one of the best ever, and I am very excited about the opportunity to have a deep and abiding relationship. I can't wait to tell you how proud I am of you!

I love you,

Your Father

p.s. If you want to do a little background check, take a bit of time to read my friend John's account of my son Jesus' life. My son came to earth not only to pay for everything, but to show the world what I am really like. In fact, everything he did and said were directly from me. You can find this account of Jesus' life in the Bible, in the Gospel of John, and it should give you a better idea of who I am.

###

### Making Every Effort to Grow...

## 11-18

This morning I opened my Bible to Peter's second letter. I like his writing, it's simple and to the point. Here are the verses I am meditating on today - 2 Peter 1:5-13 NIV:

[5] "For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; [6] and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; [7] and to godliness, mutual affection; and to mutual affection, love. [8] For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. [9] But whoever does not have them is nearsighted and blind, forgetting that they have been cleansed from their past sins. [10] Therefore, my brothers and sisters, make every effort to confirm your calling and election. For if you do these things, you will never stumble, [11] and you will receive a rich welcome into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ."

[12] "So I will always remind you of these things, even though you know them and are firmly established in the truth you now have. [13] I think it is right to refresh your memory as long as I live in the tent of this body,.."

I remember when I first read this list of things to add to my life, I was thinking about them like there was an order to them. I thought that you got one figured out and moved onto the next one. Now, not so much, for clearly, we want them all in our lives, and need to be working on them in parallel. When I look at that list I see very admirable character qualities, things I would want said about me. They seem related to the fruit of the Holy Spirit listed in Galatians 5:22-23, but I notice that Peter says that these are things we can add by our efforts. I don't think this is a one source (my effort) or the other (Holy Spirit) situation, but rather a joining and embracing what He is doing and saying, adding our own will to accelerate and focus our efforts. It is recognizing that these are good and beneficial and worthy of effort.

I was thinking about how many of us (myself not included) have regular physical exercise regimens, where we "make every effort" to stay in shape, to grow stronger, to lose weight, whatever the goal is individually (I need to do all three). What I am wondering is if we have ever put together a spiritual and character exercise plan, that would enable us to "make every effort" to grow in these areas?

I think that similar realities apply here. First, it takes regular, more than once a week, effort. Many people who work out physically do so daily, especially the ones who really want to make progress. Secondly, it takes consistency, as in a regular schedule that builds the time into your day or weekly regimen. Thirdly, it helps to talk to others, to read what others say, and to try and find what works for you. What I do is right for me, and it took me a while to find that correct mix, and it's very different from what my wife Tina does. Fourth, it requires a healthy diet, not necessarily the food we eat, but what we consume in other areas, as in media and such. I find that my spirit is very sensitive to the music I listen to and the TV or movies I watch. If I am filling myself with stuff that is encouraging to my spirit, I find my efforts to stay on track and focused on the Lord are easier. Lastly, it is always good to train with someone else, to find someone to partner with, to go through a similar regimen. Some people will work through a book or Bible study with someone else, or even a small group.

I like that Peter says that he will always remind them of these things, even though they already know them all. Being humble and recognizing that we can always use a review, always benefit from being reminded is a very good thing. I regularly read back through my journal, refreshing those things that the Lord has been showing me or speaking to me. In the same way, it is good to go back over and over again the scriptures, for so often the Lord might emphasize something completely different each time you read sections of scripture. I have read through Matthew's Gospel probably hundreds of times, yet I always see something that seems new or fresh.

So this morning, I am reminded and renewed in my daily efforts to grow in my faith and godly character. Lord, please help me to persevere and actually grow.

###

### Yes, I Know You...

## 11-20

Lately I have been all over the place in scripture, and just trying to stay engaged. I decided to read some in Matthew's Gospel, which just feels comfortable to me, as I have read it so many times. The verses that I am thinking about this morning are the following - Matthew 7:21-23 NIV:

[21] "Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. [22] Many will say to me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles?' [23] Then I will tell them plainly, 'I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!'

The last sentence kind of grabs your attention, and is the focus of my deeper digging today. The NASB translates that sentence as follows: "And then I will declare to them, `I never knew you; DEPART FROM ME, YOU WHO PRACTICE LAWLESSNESS." Looking at the original Greek, the NASB translation is more accurate.

Two things stand out to me in this sentence. First, the reason Jesus tells them to depart is because He never knew them, as in He didn't have relationship with them. The Greek word Ginosko is quite specific, and it means - to learn to know, come to know, get a knowledge of perceive, feel. This word is also a Jewish idiom for sexual intercourse between a man and a woman. In other words, this is not a casual knowing, but is representative of an intimate knowledge, a deeper understanding of someone. Jesus is quite specific, He isn't impressed with the actions in His name, He is interested in relationship. He isn't interested in people knowing His name, His title, what He likes, or trying to imitate Him - He is interested in relationship.

Secondly, He appears to equate a lack of relationship with practicing lawlessness. The two Greek words used here are also quite specific. This is not casual or accidental breaking of the law, but rather people who make an effort and labor in order to profit from this lawlessness. That is a very interesting statement, and one I am sure I don't fully grasp. I don't think Jesus is speaking to everyone in this statement, but is focused on people who are practicing religion for gain, and without real relationship with Him. I could never understand how something like that could occur, but have read different things about the amazing number of pastors and preachers who don't pray, and who don't seem to have a real relationship with the Lord. There are many who love the idea of religion, who love the church, who love leading people, who love being in charge, or positions of honor or authority but who don't know Him. In His day, this would likely have been many of the Pharisees. In our day, this might represent not just some pastors and churchmen, but also those people who say and do things in the name of God, or religion, yet don't really have a real relationship with the Lord.

I will be the first to say that judging someone else's relationship with the Lord is dangerous waters. Judgment is the Lord's role, not ours. I can only look at my own life, and identify whether His statement is true for me, whether I know Him and He knows me. The encouragement is clear, we want Him to be able to say, "yes, I know you!" What that looks like for me is time in prayer, making an effort to know Him, converse with Him, listen to Him, read about Him, and trying to live my life following Him, doing those things He tells me to do. I try to understand who I am in Him, how He sees me, what He thinks about me. I believe that I continue to grow in relationship with Him every day. I am grateful that my desire for relationship with Him is reciprocated, and He has made a way for us to be in relationship with Him, through the Holy Spirit living within us. I am so encouraged that He actually takes an interest in me and desires to guide, direct, empower and help me.

Amen!

###

### Dealing With Doubt

## 11-22

This morning as I was quieting myself I heard the word "doubt". I know this is sometimes coupled with unbelief, and fear. However, I wanted to take some time to look its use in scripture. I looked up the different uses of it in the New Testament and saw the following verses in the Letter from Jude, the apostle James' brother.

Jude 1:17-23 NIV:

[17] "But, dear friends, remember what the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ foretold. [18] They said to you, "In the last times there will be scoffers who will follow their own ungodly desires." [19] These are the people who divide you, who follow mere natural instincts and do not have the Spirit.

[20] But you, dear friends, by building yourselves up in your most holy faith and praying in the Holy Spirit, [21] keep yourselves in God's love as you wait for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to bring you to eternal life.

[22] Be merciful to those who doubt; [23] save others by snatching them from the fire; to others show mercy, mixed with fear---hating even the clothing stained by corrupted flesh."

As we look at these verses, I am encouraged by the heart expressed by Jude. It seems to me that we often lose our kind, gentle and compassionate heart when we deal with other members of the Body of Christ that are struggling. Jude doesn't say anything about judging here, but he certainly expresses an ability to identify and help those who are struggling.

David Guzik had these comments in his Bible commentary:

"And on some have compassion, making a distinction; but others save with fear, pulling them out of the fire, hating even the garment defiled by the flesh.

a. On some have compassion: What do we do with those who have been influenced by these certain men? We need to make a distinction, based on where they are coming from. Certainly, on some have compassion.

i. Using wisdom, we approach different people in different manners. By being sensitive to the Holy Spirit, we can know when we should comfort, and when we should rebuke. Christians should not abandon a friend flirting with false teaching. They should help him through it in love.

ii. The means we keep loving them. No matter how bad a person is, or how misleading and terrible their doctrine, we are not allowed to hate them - or to be unconcerned for their salvation.

iii. Compassion often means watching over someone, helping them with accountability. "Meantime watch over others as well as yourselves; and give them such help as their various needs require." (Wesley)

b. Others save with fear: This second group must be confronted more strongly - but in fear, not in a sanctimonious superiority. You may need to pull them out of the fire, but never do it in pride.

c. This outward look is important. Are you only concerned for your own spiritual welfare? Or do you care about other Christians who may be edging towards significant error?"

It is right for us to be concerned with one another. It is right to love one another. It is right and good to converse and discuss our beliefs and ideas and concerns. It is important that we maintain a heart of mercy and compassion for our brothers and sisters. As I write this I am reminded of the many times it said the disciples and Apostles didn't understand what Jesus was saying. He didn't blast them for their inability, but rather entrusted them to the Holy Spirit, knowing that He is very capable of helping them to understand in time.

We who have more experience in the Lord must not look down on those new believers. We need to make sure that we are ready to help however much is needed. Let us love one another, for love covers over a multitude of sins (1 Peter 4:8). Let us deal gently with those that doubt, those that struggle, those that are young in their faith, and those who have been raised with different beliefs. This includes ourselves.

Amen.

###

### The Kingdom of God - Jesus' Foundational Message

## 11-23

This morning I am thinking about Jesus' core message. I was reading about the start of His ministry in Luke's Gospel. Here are three short verses that caught my eye \- Luke 4:42-44 NIV:

[42] "At daybreak, Jesus went out to a solitary place. The people were looking for him and when they came to where he was, they tried to keep him from leaving them. [43] But he said, "I must proclaim the good news of the kingdom of God to the other towns also, because that is why I was sent." [44] And he kept on preaching in the synagogues of Judea."

Here are similar verse from Matthew's Gospel - Matthew 4:12-13, 17 NIV:

[12] "When Jesus heard that John had been put in prison, he withdrew to Galilee. [13] Leaving Nazareth, he went and lived in Capernaum, which was by the lake in the area of Zebulun and Naphtali--- "

[17] "From that time on Jesus began to preach, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near."

And finally a few verses from the Acts of the Apostles - Acts 1:1-3 NIV:

[1] "In my former book, Theophilus, I wrote about all that Jesus began to do and to teach [2] until the day he was taken up to heaven, after giving instructions through the Holy Spirit to the apostles he had chosen. [3] After his suffering, he presented himself to them and gave many convincing proofs that he was alive. He appeared to them over a period of forty days and spoke about the kingdom of God."

It is pretty clear what Jesus' primary message was all about, namely the Kingdom of God (Heaven). This was pretty much the first thing He talked about and pretty much the last thing He talked about, after having risen from the dead. He spoke about the establishment of God's Kingdom multiple times and yet I had rarely if ever heard anyone do much teaching on this topic. Paul spent his final days, as recorded in the last verses from Acts, speaking about the Kingdom - Acts 28:31 NIV: "He proclaimed the kingdom of God and taught about the Lord Jesus Christ---with all boldness and without hindrance!"

I remember a particular day where I was reading one of the Gospels through in a single sitting (it was either Matthew or Luke) and the consistency of His speaking about the Kingdom finally sank in, as I read over and over about Him speaking and teaching about the Kingdom. I remember thinking, how is it that I have never heard, nor ever realized that this is probably the foundational message of Jesus' ministry, and apparently the Apostles as well?

That day I started reading and thinking about the Kingdom of God consistently, trying to work through and understand this core message. Between the two (Kingdom of God/Heaven) there are 112 mentions in the New Testament. It is interesting that although Jesus spoke about it numerous times, it also seemed to be something that people just didn't understand. The apostles pretty much misunderstood Jesus right up to the day He ascended into Heaven (See Acts 1: 6), for they thought it meant an earthly kingdom, like Israel experienced under David and Solomon. The Apostles weren't the only ones who misunderstood, for the Pharisees and Sadducees were all expecting the same earthly kingdom, and one of the reasons they didn't recognize Jesus was that He didn't act like someone who was going to establish a kingdom here on earth. He wasn't trying to gather followers or unite the people for a populous uprising!

So if this was one of Jesus' and the Apostle's foundational themes, and something that was consistently misunderstood or missed, I think it is critical for us to understand and embrace this message. We should endeavor to grasp what Jesus was talking about, and figure out how it applies to our lives here and now. It is my prayer that I fully live out this message in my life, for this is the Good News (Luke 4:43).

###

### Walking In The Light

## 11-30

This morning I thought I would start working through John's first letter. It's been a while since I worked through John's letters. I like John's uniquely personal perspective. This morning I am meditating on the following passages - 1 John 1:5-7 NIV:

[5] This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light; in him there is no darkness at all. [6] If we claim to have fellowship with him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live out the truth. [7] But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin."

You could probably write a book about these three verses, as the richness of the metaphor of light vs. dark just can go on and on. John's language here proclaims the nature of God in very simple yet profound terms. He is primarily talking about sin, and God's sinless nature. the Greek word translated sin is the work Hamartia or Hamartano (in this verse the first) and the word is defined as follows:

1. to be without a share in  
2. to miss the mark  
3. to err, be mistaken  
4. to miss or wander from the path of uprightness and honour, to do or go wrong  
5. to wander from the law of God, violate God's law, sin

The question, when I read the definition (first three entries), is what am I missing, without share in or mistaken about? I believe the answer is God's will for our lives, which is quite a bit more than just the Law. Jesus explained in Matt 5-7 how you can follow the Law, but still be sinning, as sin and God's will involve our heart and mind as well, not just our actions. In John's Gospel, Jesus talks about obeying His commands and maintaining relationship with Him, "remaining in Him" as critical to our walk and acceptance by the Father. The whole of this theme swirls around relationship, God's character and our lives.

If I define the goal or the target as "God's perfect will for my life" then the first three definitions make decent sense. I can be totally outside of God's will for my life, I can miss that target by a little or by much, I can be mistaken or erred in my understanding of His perfect will. Continuing, I can miss or wander away from that path, and ultimately be in violation of God's law.

If the goal is God's perfect will, and this is the measure, than it is impossible for there to be any "sin" in God, for His will IS His will. Nothing and no one can make God do anything other than His will. He is perfect in that measure, thus there is no darkness or sin at all.

John goes on and says if we claim to have fellowship (relationship) with God but are walking totally outside of His will, we are lying, and do not live out of the truth (which incidentally IS Jesus - John 10:10). If I don't know God, how is it possible to live my life according to His will and purpose? Relationship is much more than knowing about someone, it is actually based on interaction with that other individual. If I never talk to another, or listen to them, how can I be in their will?

Moving on, if we walk in the light (in relationship and trying to follow His will) then the Blood of Jesus cleanses us of all of our sin (missing the mark, erring, wandering, missing our share, etc). In other words, if we are working to really be in relationship with Him, His love for us, as demonstrated by Jesus' death and spilling of His own blood, will provide forgiveness for any time we don't obey His perfect will for our lives, past, present and future. Not only that but we are joined into true fellowship with one another (Father, Son and Holy Spirit) and each other.

So, in my mind, sin is all about missing God's will for my life. The invitation is to relationship with Him, and in relationship Jesus' blood is applied to the totality of my life and cleanses me of my sins (missing the mark, etc). Relationship is something that is continual, regular and willful. I can't say a prayer one time and think that I am in relationship. In fact, I think that would be a good example of verse 6. We can't just take the name of Christian and then do what we want (See Matt 7: 21-23). We must endeavor to follow His will to the best of our ability, and maintain relationship with Him.

I am encouraged today to continue to press into God, walking in the Light, uncovering the riches of relationship that are available, and working hard to follow His will in my life, as I understand it. His perfect will is the best possible path for my life and I would be foolish to do anything else.

###

### Blessed Forgiveness

## 12-02

This morning I am continuing my read and think approach on John's first letter. On Monday I spent some time on sin, looking at how the word is defined and applied by John. Today I continue that theme with the addition of forgiveness. Here are the verses I am thinking on - 1 John 1:8-10 NIV:

[8] "If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. [9] If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. [10] If we claim we have not sinned, we make him out to be a liar and his word is not in us."

Going back to the definition of the Sin - the Greek word translated sin is the word Hamartia or Hamartano (in this verse the first) and the word is defined as follows:

1. to be without a share in  
2. to miss the mark  
3. to err, be mistaken  
4. to miss or wander from the path of uprightness and honour, to do or go wrong  
5. to wander from the law of God, violate God's law, sin

In my mind, I define sin as anything that misses the mark of God's perfect will for my life. Jesus talks about relationship, obedience and ultimately intimacy in being united with Him and the Father, as the result of being in His will. So in a very real sense, if we take the definition of sin as missing the path which leads to intimacy and relationship, then sin causes us to move away from relationship and intimacy and brings separation from God.

If I am walking in His perfect will for my life I am in unity with His mind and heart for me. I am perfectly obeying His commands, and I am experiencing intimate relationship for that is the promise of Jesus - John 14:23 NIV: "Jesus replied, "Anyone who loves me will obey my teaching. My Father will love them, and we will come to them and make our home with them."

Sin causes us to miss this perfect relationship (walking in God's perfect will) to some degree, for we are all sinners. To think any differently, we are deceiving ourselves, and the truth (who is Jesus) is not in us (1 John 1:8). If we confess (this as truth) agree with the word (Greek - Homologeo), He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and also purify us from all unrighteousness (1 John 1:9). The Greek word, here translated forgive is the word aphiemi, and it is defined as follows:

1) to send away  
a) to bid going away or depart  
b) to send forth, yield up, to expire  
c) to let go, let alone, let be  
1. to disregard  
2. to leave, not to discuss now, (a topic)  
2) of teachers, writers and speakers  
1.to omit, neglect  
a) to let go, give up a debt, forgive, to remit  
b) to give up, keep no longer  
3) to permit, allow, not to hinder, to give up a thing to a person  
4) to leave, go way from one

Summarizing these, there is an idea that whatever wrong was done, that is it cancelled, no longer called to mind, literally no longer there. If we are speaking about relationship with the Lord, than this would basically mean that He acts as if nothing happened, and He is still in relationship with us, and we are walking in intimacy and His perfect will. It is completely illogical to our human minds, but God is quite clear. If we go back to the Old Testament there a couple of scriptures that help us understand forgiveness from God's perspective.

Isaiah 1:18 NIV:  
"Come now, let us settle the matter," says the Lord. "Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red as crimson, they shall be like wool."

Psalm 103:11-12 NIV:  
[11] "For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his love for those who fear him; [12] as far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us."

There is a sense of complete cleansing (Isaiah 1) and separation from the sin (Psalms 103). When God forgives us, He washes our sins away with His own blood, which according to scripture is what purchased forgiveness. The author of the letter to the Hebrews said it this way - Hebrews 9:14, 22 NIV:

[14] "How much more, then, will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself unblemished to God, cleanse our consciences from acts that lead to death, so that we may serve the living God!"

[22] "In fact, the law requires that nearly everything be cleansed with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness."

Going back to our goal - walking in God's perfect will, in the intimacy of relationship - then the Blood of Jesus is what allows us to experience this, for that is what provides forgiveness. It is as if His precious blood is the bridge across which we are constantly brought back into relationship with the Lord. His Blood brings us back into His perfect will, into relationship, because once applied to our lives, it is as if our sin(s) never happened as far as God is concerned. That is just amazing to me...clearly too good to be true, but it is!

Once we step into the place of forgiveness, God is also faithful to purify us from our unrighteousness. Only He can make us righteous, for only in Jesus, hidden in Him in intimate relationship, are we made righteous. Righteousness is only possible via faith, never through our own works (Rom 3:21-28). What amazingly good news! If we confess our sin (the fact that we have missed the mark, lived a life embracing less than His perfect will) then He forgives us and declares us righteous! Because He forgives our sin and declares us righteous, we can now walk in intimate relationship with Him. Our job is to recognize and confess our sins, He does all rest!

Finally, going back to John's letter - if we claim we have never sinned, we make God out to be a liar (1 John 1:10). That is a very scary statement - for in that place we are agreeing with the accusations of satan, saying that God is not true, just, perfect, faithful, holy, loving, merciful and compassionate. We are saying that we don't need God, or that our will is the as same God's perfect will because we say so. Clearly in this place we are not intimate relationship with Him, and His word (Jesus) is not in us.

This morning I am very grateful for the gift of forgiveness through the Blood of Jesus, by which I am restored to intimate relationship with God. In that place I experience the joys of relationship as if I have never missed His will, or sinned. Simply Amazing!

Thank You Lord!

###

### More on Sin, and God's Response

## 12-03

Yesterday I spent a bit of time looking at John's first letter, and thinking about sin and its effects, and the amazing good news of God's plan for our salvation and relationship and forgiveness. I was thinking about what I wrote the last couple of days and thinking that it seems like a pretty minimal perspective on sin, almost too easy, and God's forgiveness so complete. I was thinking it seemed too good to be true.

Could sin really be about relationship? Could the reason that God is so against sin be that it means that the sinner is embracing life outside of His perfect will, and that by definition means we are experiencing less than He desires for us? If we go back to the story of Adam and Eve, their choosing to disobey God cost them a loss of intimacy with God. Prior to their sin they were able to walk in the garden with God in the cool of the day, afterwards they were cast out, away from His presence (Gen. 3) and lost that intimacy with God. Prior to their sin, they didn't have to work for food or provision, for everything was available to them. Afterwards they had to work and toil, experience pain and difficulty. They were clearly no longer experiencing the joys and benefits of God's perfect will for them - symbolized by their life in the Garden.

If I look at this from a loving Father's perspective I imagine the sadness over the poor choice, the perfect provision that is not enjoyed, and the choosing of something less than had been provided for your child. Putting it in a modern context - imagine a father who purchases a brand new Maserati for his child's 21st birthday, and instead the child chooses to keep riding their old broken down bicycle, rejecting the father's extravagant gift. Now imagine that in the choosing the child had believed that the gift of the Maserati was really just a means for the father to control the child from that point forward. So not only was the child choosing to reject the father's gift but was also believing wrongly about the father's character. Now think about the father's reaction to this, in his heart. If I were the father, I would be quite angry with the source of the lie about my character, and greatly saddened that my child so clearly misunderstood me and my intentions.

I believe that Jesus described the Father's heart towards us sinners (those who chose poorly) in His story of the wayward son (Luke 15:11-32). The Father is clearly saddened by his son's choices, and every day is waiting for him to come home, and when he does, restores him to rightful relationship and his status as a son. In the story, it does not matter to the father what the son did, only that he is home and restored to relationship and intimacy with the Father - for the first thing the Father does is embrace him. There is no call for restitution, penance, or anything other than love and acceptance. Again, in my mind, this just doesn't seem like a hard enough line for the Father to take, but it is exactly what Jesus describes.

In summary, I am encouraged that the Father loves us and has made a way for us to walk in relationship, through the forgiveness of our sins by the Blood of Jesus. I am so amazed that this offer is even available! Thank You Lord!

###

### The Father's Heart Towards Sinners

## 12-05

Recently, I spent some time looking at sin and forgiveness, God's attitude towards sin, etc. I was conjecturing that sin is primarily about relationship with God and intimacy with Him. Afterwards I was thinking some more about the story of the wayward or prodigal son found in Luke 15. I realized that it wasn't just relationship and intimacy with the Father that was restored upon the son's return home, but also his true identity. In the story, the young man thought that he no longer qualified as a son, so was going to offer to be a servant in his Father's house. However, the Father would not even allow him to think that way, and immediately called for his robe and ring, both symbols of his identity as a son (Luke 15:21-22).

This is so significant - what we have done, or are even still doing, cannot cause us to lose our identity as sons and daughters of the Father! In the Father's mind and heart He never stopped loving the son, never considered him to have lost his identity or relationship. The Father still loved him, still considered him His son, still welcomed him back home, still extended to him His authority, and still welcomed him warmly back into intimate relationship.

The Father's statement about why He was throwing a party for the son who returned is very interesting. He says, "...For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found." (Luke 15:24NIV). He was speaking about the effect of the son's decisions on their relationship, not his attitude towards his son. The son had caused all of the separation and relational loss, not the Father. The Father never stopped looking for him, waiting for him, and longing for him because of His love for His son. This is the Father's heart towards all of those who are walking a path of separation from Him, missing the opportunities for intimacy and relationship with Him.

I believe Jesus told this story to illuminate to us the Father's heart towards sinners. The young man broke tons of laws, many, if not all of the commandments, and yet the Father's heart towards the son was full of love, mercy and compassion. There is no angry Father waiting to punish the son for his sins, assigning him tons of penance or some subservient role or limited relationship as just punishment! Jesus was giving us a clear picture of the Father's heart towards sinners. Everything Jesus said and did was directly from the Father (John 12:49), so we know that the Father had Jesus tell this story to reveal His Heart to us.

This is what our Father in heaven is like; this is what His heart is like towards us, even if we are sinners. He is waiting for us to return to Him, waiting with His arms open wide, ready to welcome us back into intimate relationship and restoration of our true identity as His son or daughter. He is not angry at us or repulsed by our sins. He desires more than anything for us to come into relationship with Him that we might experience His marvelously perfect will and His overwhelming love. What a great God we serve!

### Jesus Our Advocate and Propitiation

## 12-06

This morning I am continuing my reading from John's first letter. He is continuing to address sin and forgiveness.

1 John 2:1-2 NIV:

[1] "My dear children, I write this to you so that you will not sin. But if anybody does sin, we have an advocate with the Father---Jesus Christ, the Righteous One. [2] He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world."

John describes Jesus as our advocate with the Father. The word translated advocate is the Greek word Parakletos, and is defined as:

1. summoned, called to one's side, esp. called to one's aid  
a. one who pleads another's cause before a judge, a pleader, counsel for defense, legal assistant, an advocate  
b. one who pleads another's cause with one, an intercessor  
2. of Christ in his exaltation at God's right hand, pleading with God the Father for the pardon of our sins  
a. in the widest sense, a helper, succourer, aider, assistant  
3. of the Holy Spirit destined to take the place of Christ with the apostles (after his ascension to the Father), to lead them to a deeper knowledge of the gospel truth, and give them divine strength needed to enable them to undergo trials and persecutions on behalf of the divine kingdom

John also describes Jesus as the atoning sacrifice for our sins. The Greek word used by him, here translated atoning sacrifice, is Hilasmos and its meaning is better translated propitiation. Webster's dictionary defines this as "to gain or regain the favor or goodwill of".

In both of these definitions I noticed something interesting, if we sin, whose side (if you imagined a courtroom) is Jesus on? He is our advocate, our intercessor pleading OUR cause, for OUR pardon. He is the one who helps us gain or regain the Father's favor. We know that sin causes relational separation, and yet when we sin, Jesus is our advocate, effectively right there by our side, on our side. It is clear that the relational separation is on our part, not on God's. He does not take away His help when we sin, leaving us to justify or defend ourselves! Rather He provides us the best advocate possible, Christ Jesus.

Paul writes that once we are saved we are hidden with Christ in God (Col 3:3). As one who is hidden in Christ, our actions are always viewed by God the Father in that context. If we are hidden in Christ, it would make sense that He is our propitiation, the reason we gain and regain the Father's favor. He is perfect in obedience to the Father, always does exactly what the Father wills, so how could the Father ever look with anything other than favor. If we are hidden in Jesus, His favor (and righteousness) is extended to us as well.

Nowhere in these two sentences, or in the Greek language used by John, is there any mention of penance, paying God back through some works, etc. That makes perfect sense if from God's side there was never any separation or loss of favor cause by our sin.

Wow! Thank You Lord for Your never-ending mercy and grace. Thank You for allowing me to be hidden in You.

###

### Living As Jesus Did...

## 12-07

This morning I am continuing my working through John's first letter. His letter is loaded with good stuff, and this morning's verses are no exception - 1 John 2:3-6 NIV:

[3] "We know that we have come to know him if we keep his commands. [4] Whoever says, "I know him," but does not do what he commands is a liar, and the truth is not in that person. [5] But if anyone obeys his word, love for God is truly made complete in them. This is how we know we are in him: [6] Whoever claims to live in him must live as Jesus did."

Again, the context for these comments is clearly relationship, for he talks about coming to know Jesus. The Greek word in use is Ginosko and it means the following:

1. to learn to know, come to know, get a knowledge of perceive, feel  
a. to become known  
2. to know, understand, perceive, have knowledge of  
a. to understand  
3. to know, Jewish idiom for sexual intercourse between a man and a woman  
4. to become acquainted with, to know

So often when people read these sentences, I think they might get caught up on the word "commands" and think that this is all about obedience, and such. When I read these sentences I understand it to mean that if we really enter into relationship with the Lord, we are changed, and start to become more like Him. Relationships are based on relational paradigms, not commands and obedience, as in a ruler and subject where the subject has no choice but to obey.

I believe that what John is getting at here is that when we come to really know Jesus, we start understanding His incredible love for us, the fact that He is our advocate and helper, and the fact that He has paid the price for our sins that we might have relationship. It is in that context that we begin to understand His love for us includes His plans and purposes, His perfect will which is for our absolutely best life possible. As we get to know Him, we begin to love Him, and that love is what opens our life to His "commands" which are His desires for us, His hopes for us, His plans for us, which we are free to embrace because we understand His love.

The bottom line is that when we come into relationship with the Lord, we are affected and our lives bear witness to that change. It is just like when I fell in love with my soon-to-be wife, my life was changed, and others could observe that change. To say that I was in love with her, but to not change my lifestyle, and not desire to spend time with her, and not begin to live my live in such a way to bring her pleasure and joy would indicate the opposite, and I would be lying. That is John's point here - if we say we are in relationship with Jesus, but our lives are not affected, then we are lying. The effect of relationship with Jesus is that we become more and more like Him, for His life becomes our life (Col 3:3).

John says this very clearly in verse six. "Whoever claims to live in him must live as Jesus did." (1 John 2:6 NIV) Jesus' two primary commands are to live our lives the way He lived. We are to love God and love one another. This is the model for our life that Jesus passed to us, loving Him and loving each other. The two are inseparable and are supposed to be the foundations of our lives. If we live a life of love, mercy, compassion, and grace towards one another we are living like Jesus did. If we live a life of relationship with Him, we live like He lived, for His was a life of embracing relationship with the Father.

So let us embrace relationship with the One who loves us! Let us allow His love to wash over into our lives, changing us as we reflect His Glory and love Him and one another!

Amen!

###

### Manifest Presence and Pageantry

## 12-09

Last night as I was sitting at church (Catholic Feast Day of Mary's Immaculate Conception) I was thinking about the rich liturgical expression that has developed over the centuries, and how much of it is to honor God and His greatness. I was thinking about how much of that can now be empty ritual that can tend to get in the way of our understanding God's desire for relationship with each of us. The rich and extravagant ceremony can cause us to think that God is far off and unapproachable, when the opposite is true - when we gather we are in His presence and all are welcome.

There is a rightful place for ceremony and honoring God's glory - in fact nothing we could ever do here with music and song, or anything else we would consider extravagant could ever come close to giving God the glory He deserves. God is majestic and Glorious and His very presence is overwhelming. We try to create masterpieces of liturgy to inject some awe into our church experiences. I would much rather experience the awe of God's manifest presence than be wowed by beautiful music and pageantry, the problem is that I think much of the Church has no idea what that really feels like, nor have they ever experienced it.

We don't want to give up on worship, song and pageantry, for they are meant to draw our minds and hearts towards the Lord, but they are no substitute for His real presence! The problem for us all is that God is God and while He is always present when we gather, He is not always manifestly present and thus, we try to work up an approximation of that, or something that reminds us of His presence. However, if it has been long enough, or enough generations have passed, we forget what God's presence really feels like and settle for the man-made version.

My prayer for the whole of the church is that we would not settle for anything less than the real manifest presence of God, and that we would all experience His manifest presence in our lifetime, and that there would be a fresh awakening of hearts and souls to the greatness of God.

Here is an excerpt describing one example of what the manifest presence of God can look like - a revival that took place on Azusa Street in LA, California as described by Dr. Reve' M. Pete ( http://www.revempete.us/research/holiness/azusa.html)

"Services were not prearranged. No subjects were announced in advance. The Holy Ghost ordered the service in meekness and humility. Most of the time, Seymour sat with his head in the makeshift box pulpit – praying. The message of the meeting was love.

After Seymour began preaching at the "Azusa Stable", "a monumental revival began". People fell under the power of God and rose speaking in tongues. Worshippers, both men and women, shouted, wept, danced, fell into trances, spoke and sang in tongues and interpreted [what had been said in tongues] into English. The Holy Ghost was so powerful at "Azusa Stable", men would come under conviction within two or three blocks of the mission. Persons were baptized in the Holy Ghost on their seats in the assembly room as well as in the "tarrying room" upstairs. When the Holy Ghost would make an altar call, men all over the building would be slain in the Spirit.

Service attendance grew from approximately a dozen persons – African-American and Caucasian-American – to hundreds and thousands from the Los Angeles area. People of every race and nationality were found in the crowds that converged on the mission. No respect of persons was found among the worshippers. The rich and educated were the same as the poor and uneducated. Pride, self-assertion and self-importance could not survive there. Races were completely integrated. There was no racial prejudice in the service. African-Americans, Caucasian-Americans, Chinese and Jews attended the services. Because of this, Frank Bartleman believed and exclaimed, "The color line is washed away in the blood!"

Eventually, the services ran day and night. The building was never closed or locked. Each night service was packed out. Holiness meetings, tents and missions closed for lack of attendance. Special prayer meetings broke out everywhere. People would meet early in the morning and start singing. S. Henry McGowan, son of Seymour's friend, W. H. McGowan, recalled of the singing, "...oh what singing!"

People were excited about what God was doing in their midst. Those who had been filled with the Holy Ghost testified about it. They said how wonderful it was. After the testimonies, someone would preach and tell what God had promised. The meetings would go on almost all night. If people were hungry, they would leave and get something to eat and return as soon as possible. W. H. McGowan hauled bricks as an occupation. Often he would stop and listen to the service while working. Sometimes, he would get so caught up in what was going on, he would forget to go back to work! McGowan characterized the meetings as the "love of God".

Oh, that we would once again experience the indwelling and infilling of the Holy Spirit in all of our churches and gatherings. We pray for a great outpouring, that once again the church would understand experientially what God's manifest presence really feels like.

Amen!

###

### Secure in Your Love

## 12-15

This morning I am just reflecting on the amazing message of hope found in these verses from Paul's letter to the Romans.

Romans 8:28-39 NIV:

[28] "And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. [29] For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters. [30] And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified.

[31] What, then, shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? [32] He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all---how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things? [33] Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies. [34] Who then is the one who condemns? No one. Christ Jesus who died---more than that, who was raised to life---is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us. [35] Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword?

[36] As it is written: "For your sake we face death all day long; we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered."

[37] No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. [38] For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, [39] neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord."

My heart settles on verses 31 and 34 and just rests in these truths. If God is for us, who can be against us (of any consequence)? If God will not condemn us, but has called us to life, then who would condemn us?

We may become convinced through the forces of religion (those who sell a works mentality) that we stand condemned and our only hope is through constant purification, sacrifice and penance. Yet the message of these verses is quite clear. God has done all the work. God is the only one who judges and whose condemnation we need worry about, for His is eternal, and He is the very one who defends us and has chosen us. This is the very message of the Gospel of grace! It is a free gift not because of anything we have accomplished, but because of God's love for us, and His actions on our behalf.

The bookends of these verses are love, us loving God (verse 28) and God loving us (verse 39). God is Love (1 John 4:8) and if we embrace Love for Him, and for each other, we live in Him and He in us (1 John 4:12). How then could we ever be separated from Him?

Lord, help me to Love all. Help me to rest in the truth of these verses. In Your love I am secure.

### Revival Fire & God's Glorious Move

## 12-17

This morning I was reading in Luke 7 about Jesus' answer to John's inquiry about him - Luke 7: 22 NIV: "So he replied to the messengers, "Go back and report to John what you have seen and heard: The blind receive sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosy are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the good news is proclaimed to the poor."

I was thinking about the fact that we need to see and experience these types of miracles in the church, in our church as part of the witness of Jesus' Lordship. I was thinking about the fact that often revival is carried from one place to another by those who visit the place where revival is starting and carry it back with them.

It is an interesting Spiritual reality that people can be carriers of the Spiritual fire of revival. It has been shown to occur over and over again, and this why they call it revival fire, for people, often time, without saying anything, will see the very same things occurring in their churches once they return from the revival, as the Holy Spirit comes with them and releases His fire upon their congregation the next Sunday or meeting they attend. I have heard many testimonies and had personal experiences that align with this. Lord, we pray that You will let Your fire fall upon us as well, for we want to testify to Your Lordship and Glory in our lives. Lord you have planted burning embers in my life many times; I pray that you would blow upon them and ignite me that I may burn for You.

One of the other verses that struck me was the following - Luke 7:47 NIV: "Therefore, I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven---as her great love has shown. But whoever has been forgiven little loves little."

I was thinking about this in light of the recent study I have been making regarding sin, and how we don't ever want to consider sin as light or little consequence, although in God's eyes it is, for He has dealt with sin completely. Sin, to God, is a vanquished foe. To us though, sin can separate us from relationship with God, our Lord and Savior, causing us to live our lives devoid of His input, interaction and inheritance. God desires for us to live the best possible life, and He desires us to understand His will for us. His love is what motivates Him, for He is love.

I was thinking about how one of the key indicators of true revival is the deep repentance that flows over people as they come into contact with the Lord. People are overwhelmed by their sinfulness, weeping for their sins, and lives are radically changed. So often we view this from a sin perspective, that people are so convicted by their sin that they respond accordingly. That may very well be true, but I want to add a second perspective - that of an awareness of God's love for them. I think that people actually become aware of how good God is, how much He loves them, and how wrongly they have acted in this light. They have made wrong judgments about God, have chosen to live their lives devoid of His love and light and are now recognizing what they have missed, and are choosing to live differently going forward.

Here is a quote from the history of the Azusa Street revival:

"People were excited about what God was doing in their midst. Those who had been filled with the Holy Ghost testified about it. They said how wonderful it was. After the testimonies, someone would preach and tell what God had promised. The meetings would go on almost all night. If people were hungry, they would leave and get something to eat and return as soon as possible. W. H. McGowan hauled bricks as an occupation. Often he would stop and listen to the service while working. Sometimes, he would get so caught up in what was going on, he would forget to go back to work! McGowan characterized the meetings as the "love of God".

I was also reading the account of the New Hebrides revival from the 1950's - at the following link:  http://www.born-again-christian.info/scottish.hebrides.revival.duncan.campbell.testimony.htm

That whole article is definitely worth reading, what an awesome move of God!

Lord, I pray that we will once again see You move in power and Glory upon Your church and upon our towns and cities!

Amen!

###

### Power & Authority

## 12-18

This morning I was reading through Luke, chapter 9, and although this is an incredible chapter full of things like the Transfiguration, I felt drawn to meditate on the first few passages of the chapter.

Luke 9:1-6 NIV:

[1] "When Jesus had called the Twelve together, he gave them power and authority to drive out all demons and to cure diseases, [2] and he sent them out to proclaim the kingdom of God and to heal the sick. [3] He told them: "Take nothing for the journey---no staff, no bag, no bread, no money, no extra shirt. [4] Whatever house you enter, stay there until you leave that town. [5] If people do not welcome you, leave their town and shake the dust off your feet as a testimony against them." [6] So they set out and went from village to village, proclaiming the good news and healing people everywhere."

I love the first sentence - "he gave them power (dunamis) and authority (exousia) to drive out all demons and to cure diseases."

Dunamis:

1. strength power, ability  
a. inherent power, power residing in a thing by virtue of its nature, or which a person or thing exerts and puts forth  
b. power for performing miracles  
c. moral power and excellence of soul  
d. the power and influence which belong to riches and wealth  
e. power and resources arising from numbers  
f. power consisting in or resting upon armies, forces, hosts

Exousia:

1. power of choice, liberty of doing as one pleases  
a. leave or permission  
2. physical and mental power  
a. the ability or strength with which one is endued, which he either possesses or exercises  
3. the power of authority (influence) and of right (privilege)  
4. the power of rule or government (the power of him whose will and commands must be submitted to by others and obeyed)

When I look at the definitions of those two Greek words, I can't help but notice that there is not much room to misunderstand them, they really mean power and authority, the strength and right or authority to do something. In this case the power and authority was being directed at two things which were against the Good News of the Kingdom of God. Apparently in the Kingdom of God, sickness and disease and demonic forces do not have power to affect people's lives, and that is part of the proclamation, and then part of the demonstration of the Good News.

The original Greek does not say "drive out demons" but rather power and authority over demons individually and collectively. I think the language used in the NIV reflects the fact that this is what Jesus did when He confronted demonic entities; He drove them out of the affected person. Finally, they were also given the power and authority to heal or cure sickness and diseases. The Greek word for healing used here is therapeuo:

1. to serve, do service (as in serving God, being a servant of God)  
2. to heal, cure, restore to health

The word for demons is the Greek word daimonion:

1. the divine power, deity, divinity  
2. a spirit, a being inferior to God, superior to men  
3. evil spirits or the messengers and ministers of the devil

Thus, when reading these verses, we should understand that this is not a misinterpretation, nor something that was optional. Jesus specifically addressed them and gave them the ability to do what He did, He passed to them both the power and authority to proclaim the Good News and then demonstrate the same. This power and authority to serve God and act as His representative is supposed to be coupled with the proclamation.

Jesus didn't come just to tell us what the Father is like, but also to show us through demonstration what He is like! The Father is so good, and wants us to be able to live in freedom from sickness and disease, as well as from inferior spiritual forces. He desires us to live in alignment with His will, and that is for our good and salvation. He demonstrates, first through Jesus, and then through the Apostles and disciples His ability to set us free from both types of oppression.

So, today I am encouraged to believe in and learn to exercise these things (power and authority) that Jesus gave us.

Amen!

###

### Carrying God's Presence

## 12-21

So this morning I am reading through 1 Chronicles, which is definitely not my normal reading selection. When I am considering what to read in the morning, I try and reflect and ask the Lord to direct me as to what I should read. This morning as I waited on the Lord, I remembered in the middle of the night looking at the clock at 1:31am. For some reason I thought it said 13:13. In the past the Lord has directed my reading through highlighting numbers, either a page number or chapter and verse combination, and I thought when I remembered this strange occurrence that maybe this was one of those times. When I opened my bible I thought I would read the 13th chapter of the 13th book, which happens to be 1 Chronicles.

That explanation might seem strange, but historically I have found that the Lord speaks to me in many different ways. I want to be listening and learning how He speaks, so that I can be directed by Him daily. He often highlights numbers, either in my mind, or through some external source, and when I follow what appears to be His leading, more often than not it is to a significant or helpful word. Almost always, I feel that He is directing me into His word, as the foundation for any revelation, and today this would be an accurate description.

Over the last few days, weeks and even years, I have been reflecting on the manifest presence of the Lord, the Glory of the Lord, His presence bringing true revival, the power and authority to heal, and such topics. I have been reflecting upon how much of the church does not see the power or Glory of God evident in their daily lives and experiences, and I am longing to see that changed. When God visits His people with His presence, they are affected powerfully. This is the foundation upon which I reflect upon the scriptures this morning.

In 1 Chron 13, we find the story of David's first effort to return the Ark of God back to Israel, for it had been captured by the Philistines (1 Samuel 4). The Ark of God represented the very presence of God in the midst of Israel, His awesome Glory, and Israel had lost it. It had been lost and Israel had not sought it out for many years, instead relying on their new King, Saul to lead them and guide them, this is the backdrop for these verses - 1 Chronicles 13:1-10 NIV:

[1] "David conferred with each of his officers, the commanders of thousands and commanders of hundreds. [2] He then said to the whole assembly of Israel, "If it seems good to you and if it is the will of the Lord our God, let us send word far and wide to the rest of our people throughout the territories of Israel, and also to the priests and Levites who are with them in their towns and pasturelands, to come and join us. [3] Let us bring the ark of our God back to us, for we did not inquire of it during the reign of Saul." [4] The whole assembly agreed to do this, because it seemed right to all the people.

[5] So David assembled all Israel, from the Shihor River in Egypt to Lebo Hamath, to bring the ark of God from Kiriath Jearim. [6] David and all Israel went to Baalah of Judah (Kiriath Jearim) to bring up from there the ark of God the Lord, who is enthroned between the cherubim---the ark that is called by the Name.

[7] They moved the ark of God from Abinadab's house on a new cart, with Uzzah and Ahio guiding it. [8] David and all the Israelites were celebrating with all their might before God, with songs and with harps, lyres, timbrels, cymbals and trumpets.

[9] When they came to the threshing floor of Kidon, Uzzah reached out his hand to steady the ark, because the oxen stumbled. [10] The Lord's anger burned against Uzzah, and he struck him down because he had put his hand on the ark. So he died there before God."

There are many commentaries on these verses, and many of them seek to explain why God struck down Uzzah for touching the Ark. This morning I just want to consider these verses from the perspective of trying to return the Glory of God to Israel, for that is literally what they were about, and that is essentially what I have been reflecting on these past days, weeks and years.

Firstly, David's desire to return the Ark of the Covenant is clearly a good thing, even God inspired. The Ark of the Covenant was where God chose to dwell "enthroned between the cherubim" and David knew that God's presence and Glory were critical to Israel's future. I think the first mistake is that He inquired of the people and his military commanders, not the prophets of God, nor the book of the Law, both representative of the Word of God. So rather than asking of God, he asks the people what they think.

Secondly, because they did not confer with the Word of God, they decided they could move the ark faster in a wagon pulled by oxen. The directions for moving the Ark of the Covenant are very clearly laid out in Numbers 4 and Exodus 25, Deuteronomy 10, and it was to be carried by men of the tribe of Levi, members of the priesthood. In Numbers 4:15 there was a clear warning against touching anything belonging to the Holy Things resulting in death, so the priests should have known that they were supposed to carry the ark and no one should touch it at all.

Thus, the approach they took to returning the Ark was wrong from the start. They were using a cart to move the Ark, something that man had built, rather than bearing the Ark of His Presence upon their own shoulders. I would imagine they chose the cart as a quicker way to move the Ark, and it was obviously easier as well.

Thirdly, it seemed they were so busy celebrating the soon return of God's Glory, they totally didn't give His presence the respect and significance it deserved. The Ark was meant to be carried by 8 men, walking in unison. Two men walking beside the cart upon which it was loaded is not ascribing the correct significance to the presence of God. I think they were looking to the affects the Ark would have for them (Military victories and such), rather than rejoicing in the presence of God. God's presence is meant to be borne by men, it is not meant to be accelerated by the conveyances of man, nor taken lightly.

Finally, David becomes angry and frightened of God after Uzzah dies. He leaves the Ark in the house of Odeb-Edom and returns to Jerusalem (1 Chron 13:11-14). The good news is that David learned from His mistakes over the next three months. He starts inquiring of the Lord rather than the people, he researches the right way to bring the Ark of God back to Israel. In 1 Chron 15, we see David applying that which he learned and directing the people and priests correctly in the bringing the Ark back to Jerusalem on the shoulders of 8 priests.

Summarizing my learning this morning -

1) God desires His Glory to be with His people  
2) His presence is meant to be carried by men (people) not machines or conveyances  
3) We must ascribe the correct significance to Him and His presence, desiring Him present not for the affects of His presence, but to simply be in His presence. His presence causes blessing (1 Chron 13: 14) but the blessing should not be the reason we seek His presence.

Lord, I pray that You will guide us and direct us as to how to return Your Glory to the church! We desire to see You present once again!

###

### Does Sin Cause Sickness?

## 12-23

So, yesterday as I was driving to breakfast with a friend I had a thought that needs some fleshing out. Basically, it relates to the thinking that is described in John 9:1-2 NIV: "As he went along, he saw a man blind from birth. His disciples asked him, "Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?"

This thinking that sickness and disease were caused by sin were apparently common thoughts in the Jewish society. This thinking is roughly based on the law and the idea that God punishes law-breakers (sinners). Here are some of the main passages that talk about this thinking:

Exodus 20:4-6 NIV:  
"You shall not make for yourself an image in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below. [5] You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, punishing the children for the sin of the parents to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me, [6] but showing love to a thousand generations of those who love me and keep my commandments."

Leviticus 26:14-16 NIV:  
" 'But if you will not listen to me and carry out all these commands, [15] and if you reject my decrees and abhor my laws and fail to carry out all my commands and so violate my covenant, [16] then I will do this to you: I will bring on you sudden terror, wasting diseases and fever that will destroy your sight and sap your strength..."

What I also find interesting is how common this thinking is in our society today, especially in the church. I must say it is present even in my own life, for one of the first things I think when I get sick is whether this is the result of some sin in my life.

Before I go on, let me say that I do NOT believe this thinking is true, even though I think that way at times. I believe that disease and sickness are in the world as a result of our fallen nature which was the result of sin, but not that the two are directly related in our individual lives. I believe that God is first and foremost a loving Father, and that He sent Jesus to save us, not to condemn us and punish us. I could spend a bunch of time looking at the other passages and developing the logic to say this thinking isn't correct, but instead I am just going to jump to the thought I had yesterday.

So, the thought I had yesterday was that Jesus demonstrated that God the Father (for He came to reveal the Father to us) does not cause sickness because of sin. He demonstrated this through healing every sick person that was brought to Him. There were only a few times that He addressed sin after healing someone, the rest of the time He just healed them! He healed them but He didn't address their sins because apparently they weren't related! Jesus addressed sin several times, but never said it caused their sickness or diseases.

Now imagine thinking to yourself that your sickness was caused by sin and was the result of God's attitude towards you as a sinner. Imagine how you would feel about your life, especially if you couldn't put your finger on the specific sin that was the cause of your punishment. Now imagine all the people around you having the same perspective, imagine how they would look at you, thinking you were clearly a sinner because you were sick. The book of Job is great example of this type of thinking played out in excruciating detail.

Now imagine how you would feel if you met Jesus, the very Son of God, and rather than punishing you for your sin(s) He looked at you with love and healed you!

Imagine the impact on your self-esteem!

Imagine the relief that would sweep over you!

Now consider the fact that Jesus healed thousands and thousands of people! He was setting them free from the accusations and judgments of their fellow men, and the enemy! There must have been a huge uplift in in the regional psyche as thousands of people were set free of the "sinner" label.

The simple fact is that we all are sinners, and if sin and sickness were directly related we would all be sick, all the time. Jesus, in the story from John 9, specifically says that the man's blindness was not caused by sin, and certainly alluded to that during the thousands of healings He performed without mentioning their sins.

We obviously don't have records of all of those healings, but in the vast majority of specific healings mentioned in scripture, He does not address their sin or need for forgiveness. In His directions to the twelve He sent out to minister, He does not reference sin - Matthew 10:6-8 NIV: "Go rather to the lost sheep of Israel. As you go, proclaim this message: 'The kingdom of heaven has come near.' Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those who have leprosy, drive out demons. Freely you have received; freely give." Not a single mention of sin!

In summary, I believe that the Lord wants to set us free from this wrong thinking. I believe He wants those who are presently sick to know that they are not being punished for their sin. I believe He wants to set us all free from this accusation and Old Testament thinking about sickness and disease. I believe the Lord wants to reveal to us His true heart for us, because He loves us and desires the very best for us. I believe the Lord continues to heal people even today, AND has defeated sin and death.

Finally, in closing I thought this was appropriate - Quoting Psalm 103:1-5 NIV:

[1] "Praise the Lord, my soul; all my inmost being, praise his holy name.  
[2] Praise the Lord, my soul, and forget not all his benefits---  
[3] who forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases,  
[4] who redeems your life from the pit and crowns you with love and compassion,  
[5] who satisfies your desires with good things so that your youth is renewed like the eagle's."

###

### God Moves in Unexpected Ways

## 12-24

This morning I am reflecting on the story of Jesus' birth, from Luke's Gospel - Luke 2:1-7 NIV:

[1] "In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. [2] (This was the first census that took place while Quirinius was governor of Syria.) [3] And everyone went to their own town to register.

[4] So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. [5] He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child. [6] While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, [7] and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no guest room available for them."

I was thinking recently that this is just a very interesting story and tells us much about God's character. The first thing that strikes me is that God doesn't do things the way we would think He would do them. Rather than a kingly birth, He is born in a stable. Rather than a royal family, He is born to a carpenter and his young wife, who aren't even married yet. Rather than being able to rest at home and enjoy His birth, Mary is forced to ride a donkey many miles (almost 100 miles), in the 9th month of her pregnancy. Rather than coming as a powerful leader, Jesus comes to us as a helpless human baby. God picks this time for His Son to appear. He is born to a lowly unmarried couple, who live in a small town far the center of the nation, and who are part of a conquered people living under Roman rule. This is just not what you would think God would arrange for His Son!

This tells me a few things:

1) God isn't worried about pomp and regality, drawing attention to Himself or what He is doing  
2) God works in ways that are sometimes uncomfortable, illogical, and out of our comfort-zone  
3) God isn't worried about the rules or laws of religion, those are made for us, not for Him  
4) God isn't worried about our opinions or thoughts about how He should do things  
5) God is capable of making any circumstance work to His Glory and purposes  
6) God is willing to entrust great things and purposes to people like you and me

This morning I am encouraged that God can be at work in my life in many ways, especially in ways I would not expect. He is not like me, does not think like me, yet loves me and has purposes for me. I must not limit myself to my understandings or expectations, but rather be open to the Lord moving in quiet, unseen, even hidden ways. I must recognize that God sometimes, maybe often times, chooses the lowly and down-trodden, out of the way people to birth huge changes and moves of God!

###

### Christmas Meditation

## 12-25

I was thinking about the best verses for Christmas and the following two came to mind - John 3:16-17 NIV:

[16] "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. [17] For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him."

This is the reality we celebrate at Christmas. The Father loved us so much, and desired relationship with us once again (something lost in the Garden of Eden) so He sent us His one and only Son, to save us from our condition (sin and separation from God). Whoever believes in Him will receive eternal life which is found in relationship with Him. As Jesus said, "Now this is eternal life: that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent." (John 17:3)

So let us celebrate our God's love, His greatest gift Jesus, our salvation and eternal life, found in Him!

Merry Christmas! May You be greatly Blessed!

###

### Water From the Rock

## 12-26

This morning I felt like I should reflect on the story of 'the water from the rock' found in Exodus 17:1-7 NIV:

[1] "The whole Israelite community set out from the Desert of Sin, traveling from place to place as the Lord commanded. They camped at Rephidim, but there was no water for the people to drink. [2] So they quarreled with Moses and said, "Give us water to drink." Moses replied, "Why do you quarrel with me? Why do you put the Lord to the test?"

[3] But the people were thirsty for water there, and they grumbled against Moses. They said, "Why did you bring us up out of Egypt to make us and our children and livestock die of thirst?"

[4] Then Moses cried out to the Lord, "What am I to do with these people? They are almost ready to stone me."

[5] The Lord answered Moses, "Go out in front of the people. Take with you some of the elders of Israel and take in your hand the staff with which you struck the Nile, and go. [6] I will stand there before you by the rock at Horeb. Strike the rock, and water will come out of it for the people to drink." So Moses did this in the sight of the elders of Israel. [7] And he called the place Massah and Meribah because the Israelites quarreled and because they tested the Lord saying, "Is the Lord among us or not?"

A couple of things pop into my mind immediately:

First, the Hebrew people were persistent in their unbelief and ungratefulness. They were always more worried about what God was going to do today, rather than thinking about what God did yesterday and how that revealed His character and faithfulness in caring for them. I am reminded of how often I am exactly like this, immediately starting to complain if something doesn't go my way.

Secondly, they were in this place because they were following God as He directed them. God had a plan. He always does, and He was going to provide for them, as He promised He would, but the people weren't willing to wait on God.

Their perspective, once again was limited by the present situation, not having learned about God's blessing and provision from His previous acts and interactions. He had previously provided manna and quail, had purified poisoned water, and safely protected them from the pursuing Egyptian army, a location without water was not going to be a problem for God. The people, however, were quick to complain and grumble.

I know that by following the Lord, I have several times found myself in apparently difficult situations, and in those times I am quick to follow the Hebrew people's example of grumbling and complaining. As I think about this, I realize that this is a symptom of an unrenewed mindset, and wrong identity. The Hebrew people were no longer slaves, they were God's chosen people, the people of His promise, but their mind-set was still slave-like. Slaves have no choice and no freedom, and when things are difficult they complain and grumble, for that is all they can do. Slaves are justified in their complaints against unfair and cruel masters.

The problem is that God isn't like their former masters and they were no longer slaves, they were His chosen people. He loved them, chose them and promised to take care of them and protect them. The people didn't trust God, didn't trust Moses, and were convinced they would have been better off to have stayed in Egypt. They were deluded in their thinking, as we can clearly see from our perspective, but in the midst of it all, they could not see their wrong perspective.

In the same way, my sometime struggles in believing God are the result of an unrenewed mind, and wrong identity. I am thinking like someone who hasn't met or experienced God's love, and I am not embracing my identity as His son, whom He greatly loves. As Paul says in his letter to Colossians 3:1-14 NIV:

[1] "Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. [2] Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. [3] For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. [4] When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory."

[5] "Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry. [6] Because of these, the wrath of God is coming. [7] You used to walk in these ways, in the life you once lived. [8] But now you must also rid yourselves of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language from your lips. [9] Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices [10] and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator. [11] Here there is no Gentile or Jew, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave or free, but Christ is all, and is in all."

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

Amen! Help me Lord to clothe myself in what is from You, embracing my new identity as Your son, holy and dearly loved. Help me to fully believe in You, Your Word, Your promise and Your timing.

###

### End Things:

Thank you for spending time experiencing some little of my relationship with the Lord. I pray that you have been encouraged, have been challenged to press in deeper and have grown in your own walk with the Lord.

In Him,

Sam

About the Author:

I have been pursuing relationship with the Lord since my 9th grade year. I have had ups and downs, but have been able to maintain some consistency in my time with God for the last 30+ years. In the midst of that time, I have met and married the love of my life, and we have raised 2 awesome children who have become wonderful adults raising their own families. I have lived a full and blessed life.

Discover my other Devotionals:

A Moment With God - Year 1

A Moment With God – Year 2

A Moment With God – Year 3

All are available via Smashwords

