Romans 5:8
But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.
Do you know what the word “commendeth” means? Commendeth is the third person singular simple present indicative form of the word commend. In simple terms, it means “God Himself, right now, is giving us His love” (as it applies to this verse). That’s pretty powerful. But of course there is more. The word “commend” has three definitions. These definitions are as follows:
1-to present, mention, or praise as worthy of confidence
2-to entrust, give in charge, give in confidence
3-to name with approval with special praise
I’m not sure if you’re excited yet, but I know that I am. Let’s just get into each one of these and see how they fit into this verse. One: to mention or praise as worthy of confidence. God talks with confidence about His love toward us. He’s not ashamed to be associated with us. He’s proud to say that He loves us. He boasts among the stars and heavens about how much He loves us.
Two: to entrust, charge, and give in confidence. God gives us His love with confidence. He’s confident that, because of His love for us, we will return to Him praise and glory and honor. He’s confident that His love for us will sustain us through times of trouble and times of rest. He’s confident that we’ll use His love to encourage the poor in spirit and lead the lost to righteousness. He’s confident that we’ll use His love to bring the focus of hearts and minds to Jesus Christ.
Three: to name with approval with special praise. I’ve got to be honest with you, this is my favorite. God names us as worthy of confidence and entrusts us, with confidence, with His love so that He can name us approved with special praise! (If you’re not smiling right now, you need to slap your mouth for not obeying your heart!) Do you know what that means? God has not only approved of you, He’s given you special praise. His view of you is through the blood of Jesus Christ. When He looks at you, He loves you as His son (daughter) because He sees you as His Son, PERFECT! Christian, when God looks at you, He sees only good. He sees only perfection. He does not see sin, flaws, bad thoughts, or nasty habits; He sees only good, and He loves you!
But there is still more!
The second half of this verse states, “...while we were yet sinners...”. The first half is in present tense, but the second half is past tense. This is just a tag to what’s already been explained about how God sees you presently. God no longer sees you as a sinner. He sees you as righteous because of the blood of Christ. Notice that the verse doesn’t say, “...while we are still sinners, Christ died for us.” If that were the translation, it would most certainly be true, but that isn’t what the Bible says. The Bible clearly points out that God views us as “has-beens” when in comes to sin. We were sinners, we are loved, past and present tense.
The point of all of this is understanding that whatever sin you may commit, have committed, or will be committing, God will not see it. Because of the atonement sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the cross God, in all His perfect glory, has no choice but to see you, the believer, as righteous. He continually imparts, commends, gives, shows, demonstrates, or whatever word your Bible translation uses, His love to you, for you, for Him. His love for you, through Christ, has named you approved and worthy in His eyes.
Saturday, April 30, 2011
Friday, April 29, 2011
Ooooh a lion...
1 Peter 5:8
Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:
Proverbs 28:15
As a roaring lion, and a ranging bear; so is a wicked ruler over the poor people.
The key to understanding scripture isn’t based on the amount of doctrinal education that a person has, but rather on the simple ability to read scripture. Sometimes we get all caught up in searching out some deep hidden spiritual message supposedly hidden, secretively, within the confines of the verse. We know it’s there, but we think only the well educated, Biblically astute, theological masterminds can draw it out. Wrong! It’s there in plain English (in this case it’s in King James English), ready to be read. You see, sometimes all we need to do is slow down and read the words on the page.
Sure, it’s true that I’ve said that Jesus is concealed in the Old Testament of the Bible. I’ve made mention of His hidden fingerprints all over in the text. But Jesus is revealed in the New Testament. Since we have the New, we can look in the Old to find Him. We know exactly Who we are seeking. It’s not a mystery. But when we read scripture for a spiritual lesson, we act as though we have no idea what we’re seeking. We pray Bible-starter prayers like, “God, reveal to me Your hidden mystery in this text. Show me what spiritual secret is hidden here.” I think sometimes God just wants to reply, “HEY!! Why don’t you just read what is written? I didn’t put it in words to confuse you!”
Allow me to use the above referenced scripture to illustrate my point. First, the proverb. “As a roaring lion...” Let’s just analyze this small section. In this case we have the word “as”. We could (as some translations do) substitute the word “like”. Take away “as” and you have “A roaring lion...”, but with as you have “Like a roaring lion.” Meaning, similar to one, but not really a roaring lion. So a wicked ruler over the poor people isn’t really a roaring lion, but he’s like one. Well, what does a roaring lion do? He ROARS! He’s always making demands, yelling and screaming, telling them what they have to do. Pretty simple, right?
But what doesn’t the verse say? It doesn’t say “As an eating lion...” it certainly doesn’t say, “An eating lion.” That would be some scary stuff, and that would lend a whole new meaning to the verse! If he were an eating lion, he’d be consuming the poor, and that’s not good at all. But, alas, he isn’t. He’s simply a roaring lion. Well, he’s not even that. He’s like a roaring lion. He’s loud and scary, but not a real threat.
Well, what about 1 Peter? The same holds true. Only in this case we’re discussing the Devil. Peter refers to him “as a roaring lion”, just like in our proverb. So, the same holds true. He’s not really a roaring lion, but he’s like one. Well what does that mean? It means the Devil likes to go around yelling things at us to make us think he’s all that and a bag of chips, when here’s the truth: he isn’t! Again, Peter doesn’t say he is a roaring lion and he certainly doesn’t refer to him as an eating lion. Peter makes the devil out to be just a nuisance. Peter tells us that the Devil wanders around looking for someone he may devour. If he may, then it stands to reason that he may not! He’s all talk (or roar!), no action. The only thing he can do is make noise. Well, that’s not really scary now, is it? Why isn’t he an eating lion? Because Jesus knocked his teeth out at the cross! So really there is nothing to be afraid of.
But wait; like a bad infomercial, there’s more!
Our Proverb said something about poor people. Well, are we poor? Certainly not. Philippians 4:19 tells us, “And this same God who takes care of me will supply all your needs from his glorious riches, which have been given to us in Christ Jesus.” I’ve made a point to highlight HAVE BEEN GIVEN TO US. Past tense for the future people. What Christ did at the cross was outside of time. He will supply our needs from His riches which HAVE BEEN GIVEN to us through Christ. That’s a blessing in and of itself, never mind this whole lion thing! But anyway, the point is that we’re not the poor to be lorded over by a wicked ruler (Devil) who screams negativity and horrible things all the time. We are heirs to the Kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and as such we have nothing to fear!
Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:
Proverbs 28:15
As a roaring lion, and a ranging bear; so is a wicked ruler over the poor people.
The key to understanding scripture isn’t based on the amount of doctrinal education that a person has, but rather on the simple ability to read scripture. Sometimes we get all caught up in searching out some deep hidden spiritual message supposedly hidden, secretively, within the confines of the verse. We know it’s there, but we think only the well educated, Biblically astute, theological masterminds can draw it out. Wrong! It’s there in plain English (in this case it’s in King James English), ready to be read. You see, sometimes all we need to do is slow down and read the words on the page.
Sure, it’s true that I’ve said that Jesus is concealed in the Old Testament of the Bible. I’ve made mention of His hidden fingerprints all over in the text. But Jesus is revealed in the New Testament. Since we have the New, we can look in the Old to find Him. We know exactly Who we are seeking. It’s not a mystery. But when we read scripture for a spiritual lesson, we act as though we have no idea what we’re seeking. We pray Bible-starter prayers like, “God, reveal to me Your hidden mystery in this text. Show me what spiritual secret is hidden here.” I think sometimes God just wants to reply, “HEY!! Why don’t you just read what is written? I didn’t put it in words to confuse you!”
Allow me to use the above referenced scripture to illustrate my point. First, the proverb. “As a roaring lion...” Let’s just analyze this small section. In this case we have the word “as”. We could (as some translations do) substitute the word “like”. Take away “as” and you have “A roaring lion...”, but with as you have “Like a roaring lion.” Meaning, similar to one, but not really a roaring lion. So a wicked ruler over the poor people isn’t really a roaring lion, but he’s like one. Well, what does a roaring lion do? He ROARS! He’s always making demands, yelling and screaming, telling them what they have to do. Pretty simple, right?
But what doesn’t the verse say? It doesn’t say “As an eating lion...” it certainly doesn’t say, “An eating lion.” That would be some scary stuff, and that would lend a whole new meaning to the verse! If he were an eating lion, he’d be consuming the poor, and that’s not good at all. But, alas, he isn’t. He’s simply a roaring lion. Well, he’s not even that. He’s like a roaring lion. He’s loud and scary, but not a real threat.
Well, what about 1 Peter? The same holds true. Only in this case we’re discussing the Devil. Peter refers to him “as a roaring lion”, just like in our proverb. So, the same holds true. He’s not really a roaring lion, but he’s like one. Well what does that mean? It means the Devil likes to go around yelling things at us to make us think he’s all that and a bag of chips, when here’s the truth: he isn’t! Again, Peter doesn’t say he is a roaring lion and he certainly doesn’t refer to him as an eating lion. Peter makes the devil out to be just a nuisance. Peter tells us that the Devil wanders around looking for someone he may devour. If he may, then it stands to reason that he may not! He’s all talk (or roar!), no action. The only thing he can do is make noise. Well, that’s not really scary now, is it? Why isn’t he an eating lion? Because Jesus knocked his teeth out at the cross! So really there is nothing to be afraid of.
But wait; like a bad infomercial, there’s more!
Our Proverb said something about poor people. Well, are we poor? Certainly not. Philippians 4:19 tells us, “And this same God who takes care of me will supply all your needs from his glorious riches, which have been given to us in Christ Jesus.” I’ve made a point to highlight HAVE BEEN GIVEN TO US. Past tense for the future people. What Christ did at the cross was outside of time. He will supply our needs from His riches which HAVE BEEN GIVEN to us through Christ. That’s a blessing in and of itself, never mind this whole lion thing! But anyway, the point is that we’re not the poor to be lorded over by a wicked ruler (Devil) who screams negativity and horrible things all the time. We are heirs to the Kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and as such we have nothing to fear!
Saturday, April 23, 2011
Simon of Cyrene
Matthew 27:32
As they were going out, they met a man from Cyrene, named Simon, and they forced him to carry the cross.
As they, that is, the Roman guard assigned to crucify the thieves and Jesus, left the city along with their condemned prisoners, something compelled them to stop and force this man, Simon, to carry the cross of Christ. What was it that would cause them to do this? Certainly it was not their sudden overflow of compassion for the man they just tore to shreds with a whip. I don’t believe it was a sudden desire to get Him up the mountain faster so they could get on with the execution. (Remember, crucifixion was supposed to be long and drawn out, exacting as much pain and suffering as possible before death.) Perhaps the soldiers were worried that Christ might die before they could even reach the place of crucifixion, and they couldn’t have that. Whatever it was, I’m going all in and saying God had something to do with it.
I have heard a number of sermons about Simon carrying the cross for Christ. Most of them use Simon to illustrate how we as Christians should act. They teach, “See, even Jesus needed help...” Teaching like that is doctrinally unsound. Christ came to carry away our sins (John 1:29), not get halfway there and tell us to come and carry them again! Are we to believe that Christ, God in the flesh, actually needed the help of a mere man to carry out His mission? What kind of God would we serve if He couldn’t even accomplish His own will without the assistance of His creation, the very creation for whom He had come to redeem through His work and sacrifice?! Not one version of the Bible even hints that Christ couldn’t go on. It is man’s assumption and interpretation of the verse that has led us to believe Christ was in a weakened state, but I’m telling you, my Jesus could have carried all three crosses up that mountain (His and those of the thieves). That’s my Jesus!
I think God had something entirely different in mind when He prompted the Roman soldiers to compel Simon to carry the cross for Christ. Simon’s actions were a direct result of compulsion under the law. This is, what I believe to be, the whole point in this short little intermission during the crucifixion and suffering of Christ. God, through Simon, was showing all of us our unwillingness and apparent inability to voluntarily submit to, and fulfill, the letter of the law. Simon, a representation of all mankind, was forced to submit. It wasn’t out of love for Christ or a need to serve that he bore the cross; it was out of duty to the law and fear of punishment.
The name Simon means obedience. It was his obedience to Roman law that got Simon a few mentions in the Bible; more importantly, it was Christ’s complete obedience to God’s law that got us into heaven. And here you have the whole point: God doesn’t want fearful service out of duty and compulsion. Instead, He desires a relationship based on freedom (through grace) and love. So He went to the cross for us to remove the need for fear. Now, thanks to Jesus, we have the freedom that God always intended for us. We don’t have to be subject to the “gotta do’s” of the law anymore because we live in an age of “already done” by grace.
As they were going out, they met a man from Cyrene, named Simon, and they forced him to carry the cross.
As they, that is, the Roman guard assigned to crucify the thieves and Jesus, left the city along with their condemned prisoners, something compelled them to stop and force this man, Simon, to carry the cross of Christ. What was it that would cause them to do this? Certainly it was not their sudden overflow of compassion for the man they just tore to shreds with a whip. I don’t believe it was a sudden desire to get Him up the mountain faster so they could get on with the execution. (Remember, crucifixion was supposed to be long and drawn out, exacting as much pain and suffering as possible before death.) Perhaps the soldiers were worried that Christ might die before they could even reach the place of crucifixion, and they couldn’t have that. Whatever it was, I’m going all in and saying God had something to do with it.
I have heard a number of sermons about Simon carrying the cross for Christ. Most of them use Simon to illustrate how we as Christians should act. They teach, “See, even Jesus needed help...” Teaching like that is doctrinally unsound. Christ came to carry away our sins (John 1:29), not get halfway there and tell us to come and carry them again! Are we to believe that Christ, God in the flesh, actually needed the help of a mere man to carry out His mission? What kind of God would we serve if He couldn’t even accomplish His own will without the assistance of His creation, the very creation for whom He had come to redeem through His work and sacrifice?! Not one version of the Bible even hints that Christ couldn’t go on. It is man’s assumption and interpretation of the verse that has led us to believe Christ was in a weakened state, but I’m telling you, my Jesus could have carried all three crosses up that mountain (His and those of the thieves). That’s my Jesus!
I think God had something entirely different in mind when He prompted the Roman soldiers to compel Simon to carry the cross for Christ. Simon’s actions were a direct result of compulsion under the law. This is, what I believe to be, the whole point in this short little intermission during the crucifixion and suffering of Christ. God, through Simon, was showing all of us our unwillingness and apparent inability to voluntarily submit to, and fulfill, the letter of the law. Simon, a representation of all mankind, was forced to submit. It wasn’t out of love for Christ or a need to serve that he bore the cross; it was out of duty to the law and fear of punishment.
The name Simon means obedience. It was his obedience to Roman law that got Simon a few mentions in the Bible; more importantly, it was Christ’s complete obedience to God’s law that got us into heaven. And here you have the whole point: God doesn’t want fearful service out of duty and compulsion. Instead, He desires a relationship based on freedom (through grace) and love. So He went to the cross for us to remove the need for fear. Now, thanks to Jesus, we have the freedom that God always intended for us. We don’t have to be subject to the “gotta do’s” of the law anymore because we live in an age of “already done” by grace.
Ignorance is bliss...
Romans 5:13
For until the law sin was in the world, but sin is not imputed when there is no law.
This very scripture is contrary to our worldly belief system. We live in a legalistic, justice-driven society, one that has set rules and regulations as parameters to keep individuals from getting out of control. But, we also hold those who are unaware of these laws (rules) accountable even if they claim to have no knowledge of the law.
(“Ignorance of the law excuses no man; not that all men know the law, but because it is an excuse every man will plead, and no man can tell how to confute (prove to be wrong) him.”-John Selden)
God, on the other hand, operates in a perfect justice system. His isn’t one created by man, but rather created for man. When God created man and woman (Adam and Eve), mankind, He placed them in the Garden with only one rule: don’t eat from the tree of knowledge of good and evil. (Genesis 3:3) Are we to believe, then, that because mankind did not have knowledge of good and evil, they also did not “sin”? (Put whatever you want here for sin. Swearing, name calling, hitting, stealing, etc. They’re all acceptable and what we today would call “sin”.) I personally question this concept.
I think that mankind has been “sinning” since day one, but until they committed the one Sin that God had told them not to, their sins were not held against them. The real Sin committed in the Garden, the real Sin that there is today, is simply idolatry. It was man’s selfish desire to become his own god, to put himself above his Creator, that caused all the problems. I think that Adam called Eve names. I think they argued. I think they stormed off in anger. I think Adam broke stuff when he got mad and Eve did the same. I think they did all of the things that we do today prior to eating the forbidden fruit. It was only God who saw what they were doing as wrong, and since He had only established one rule, He did not hold it against them. He graciously allowed them to “sin” because He had not given them laws against it, nor had He given them a consciousness of what “sin” was.
This verse from Romans 5 indicates that sin was in the world before God gave the law but was not imputed on mankind. Another way to put it would be, sin was not attributed to a person’s character before the knowledge of the law was given. Still another way to put it would be that a person was not judged according to his or her deeds before the knowledge of the law, but rather was extended perfect grace for every unholy (unknown) act that was committed. But, as the Bible clearly states, as soon as they ate, their eyes were opened and they knew they were naked! (Genesis 3:7) We consider it a “sin” today to run around naked. We have laws in every state that cover what is decent and what is indecent exposure.
Based on just reading the Bible for what it says, I am under the impression that as soon as mankind ate the forbidden fruit, knowledge of the law entered their hearts and minds. They knew they were naked. How? Did God tell them? Did the Devil tell them? NO! They had an instant conscious awakening to all that they had been doing. They had a supernatural awakening to what God had known all along to be sinful activity. And because they had become aware of their sin, grace was removed. Instantly, sin was imputed on mankind. Instantly, mankind became aware of the Law (well before Mount Sinai) and was judged according to the Law!
Where on Earth is the good news? Here it comes, folks. On the cross Jesus said, “Father forgive them, for they know not what they do!” (Luke 23:34) At that very moment He was restoring God’s view of us. When Jesus Christ became Sin on the cross He immediately restored us to an age of perfect grace under which law has no control. It is as though we who are in Christ are as Adam and Eve prior to the consumption of the fruit. What we’re doing, did, or are planning to do will NOT be held against us by God. He, because of the blood of His Son, Jesus, is blind to our sins. He sees only the perfect work of Christ when He looks at us now. In the same way, we no longer have to say, “Oh crap, I’m naked!” but instead we are covered in the robe of Jesus’ righteousness.
Praise God. Thank you, Jesus. Amen!
For until the law sin was in the world, but sin is not imputed when there is no law.
This very scripture is contrary to our worldly belief system. We live in a legalistic, justice-driven society, one that has set rules and regulations as parameters to keep individuals from getting out of control. But, we also hold those who are unaware of these laws (rules) accountable even if they claim to have no knowledge of the law.
(“Ignorance of the law excuses no man; not that all men know the law, but because it is an excuse every man will plead, and no man can tell how to confute (prove to be wrong) him.”-John Selden)
God, on the other hand, operates in a perfect justice system. His isn’t one created by man, but rather created for man. When God created man and woman (Adam and Eve), mankind, He placed them in the Garden with only one rule: don’t eat from the tree of knowledge of good and evil. (Genesis 3:3) Are we to believe, then, that because mankind did not have knowledge of good and evil, they also did not “sin”? (Put whatever you want here for sin. Swearing, name calling, hitting, stealing, etc. They’re all acceptable and what we today would call “sin”.) I personally question this concept.
I think that mankind has been “sinning” since day one, but until they committed the one Sin that God had told them not to, their sins were not held against them. The real Sin committed in the Garden, the real Sin that there is today, is simply idolatry. It was man’s selfish desire to become his own god, to put himself above his Creator, that caused all the problems. I think that Adam called Eve names. I think they argued. I think they stormed off in anger. I think Adam broke stuff when he got mad and Eve did the same. I think they did all of the things that we do today prior to eating the forbidden fruit. It was only God who saw what they were doing as wrong, and since He had only established one rule, He did not hold it against them. He graciously allowed them to “sin” because He had not given them laws against it, nor had He given them a consciousness of what “sin” was.
This verse from Romans 5 indicates that sin was in the world before God gave the law but was not imputed on mankind. Another way to put it would be, sin was not attributed to a person’s character before the knowledge of the law was given. Still another way to put it would be that a person was not judged according to his or her deeds before the knowledge of the law, but rather was extended perfect grace for every unholy (unknown) act that was committed. But, as the Bible clearly states, as soon as they ate, their eyes were opened and they knew they were naked! (Genesis 3:7) We consider it a “sin” today to run around naked. We have laws in every state that cover what is decent and what is indecent exposure.
Based on just reading the Bible for what it says, I am under the impression that as soon as mankind ate the forbidden fruit, knowledge of the law entered their hearts and minds. They knew they were naked. How? Did God tell them? Did the Devil tell them? NO! They had an instant conscious awakening to all that they had been doing. They had a supernatural awakening to what God had known all along to be sinful activity. And because they had become aware of their sin, grace was removed. Instantly, sin was imputed on mankind. Instantly, mankind became aware of the Law (well before Mount Sinai) and was judged according to the Law!
Where on Earth is the good news? Here it comes, folks. On the cross Jesus said, “Father forgive them, for they know not what they do!” (Luke 23:34) At that very moment He was restoring God’s view of us. When Jesus Christ became Sin on the cross He immediately restored us to an age of perfect grace under which law has no control. It is as though we who are in Christ are as Adam and Eve prior to the consumption of the fruit. What we’re doing, did, or are planning to do will NOT be held against us by God. He, because of the blood of His Son, Jesus, is blind to our sins. He sees only the perfect work of Christ when He looks at us now. In the same way, we no longer have to say, “Oh crap, I’m naked!” but instead we are covered in the robe of Jesus’ righteousness.
Praise God. Thank you, Jesus. Amen!
Friday, April 22, 2011
Claimin' it!
Joshua 18:3
Then Joshua said to the children of Israel: “How long will you neglect to go and possess the land which the LORD God of your fathers has given you?
“...How long will you neglect...”; it’s a pretty good question to ask, especially given all that the Israelites had been through. Some translations use the word “remiss” instead of neglect while others use “be slack”; whichever version of the Bible you are reading the question and its implied meaning are pretty much the same. How long will you be lazy and unmotivated to go and possess the land which the LORD God of your fathers has given you?
My wife came up with a great motto for our family this year, “Claimin’ it!” (It’s pronounced as if it were all one word [kah-lame-in-it].) But living into that saying isn’t as easy as just letting it roll off the tongue. There is work involved. She’s claimed financial freedom, but in order to succeed in it we’ve had to buckle down on our spending habits. (I’m not good at that.) I’ve claimed health and wellness for us all, but there’s work involved with that too. Things like eating right and exercising are a big part of the equation. We’ve both claimed prosperity and spiritual growth, but there’s work involved there as well.
You may be asking yourself, “I thought Jesus finished all the work at the cross? At least that’s what you’ve been blogging about for the past year! Why are you suddenly telling us we have to work in order to receive?” I am so thankful that you have asked these questions. Now I get the opportunity to answer them.
Jesus did finish all of the work at the cross. He fulfilled all of the Ten Commandments as well as the rules concerning all of the Levitical sacrifices, cleanliness of the body, etc. He became all of our sins, diseases, problems, and burdens as he suffered and died. But herein lies the paradox of grace: the blood of Christ at the cross removed us from the curse of the Law and the punishment it brought. But, because we still live in this world, we are still subject to the laws of nature and of this world. For while we are no longer citizens of this world (John 17:14), but rather we are foreign nationals, we are still subject to the rules and regulations imposed on our physical bodies based on the science that God Himself created. What? Jesus Himself says that His kingdom isn’t of this world (John 18:36). He sets the example of how to be in the world (subject to physical and scientific “laws”) while at the same time being totally out of this world!
In short, every action has an equal and opposite reaction (thank you, Sir Isaac Newton). If I spend all of my money I’m going to no longer have money (rich / poor). If I eat like a pig and sit on the couch I will not retain my youthful (ha) figure and will become a large, sickly individual (healthy / unhealthy). If I choose to stop searching the scriptures for Jesus Christ, then I will cease to be as close with Jesus Christ (spiritually satisfied / spiritually malnourished). It’s really pretty simple. There are specific consequences for our actions. Let me be very, very, very, very, very clear: these are NOT punishments from God, but consequences based on His perfect design and our imperfect nature.
The choice to follow Christ is ours. Likewise, other choices are ours, such as the choice to be in debt or get out of debt. We are blessed, loved, and highly favored by the King of Kings. We are restored to a right relationship with God through the blood of Christ that was shed on the cross. All the sins of all mankind were borne upon his shoulders. All of our sicknesses and infirmities were placed in Him as each stripe was laid across His back. All of our troubles and worries, our discouraging thoughts and foolish habits, were driven into His head as the soldiers pounded the crown of thorns on Him.
You see, we’ve been given it all though Him, but in some cases we’ve just neglected to go and possess it! We’re quick to latch onto the “gonna go to heaven when I die because of the Blood” part, but we’re not going out to get all of the rest that Christ died for. In essence, we’re insulting the sacrifice He made by not “claimin’ it”. Just like in the Garden of Eden, where God graciously provided all of the fruits and vegetables ready to go for man’s taking, and the only work that needed to be done on their part was reaching out and “claimin’ it”, the same holds true for us. Everything was already prepared and ready to go when Christ said “It is finished!” The relationship was restored, the disease was cured, the financial bondage was erased, whatever struggle existed was washed away in a deluge of Holy Blood. All we have to do is accept that fact, reach out, and claim it. I don’t know about you, but I’m “CLAIMIN’ IT!”
Here is a list of scripture that will help you understand:
Genesis 1:26-30
Isaiah 53:4-5
Matthew 19:23-26, Matthew 21:22
John 1:29, John 10:10, John 19:30
Romans 10:9-10
Philippians 4:13
Revelation 21:5
I know that there are plenty more scripture references out there to illustrate this point, but hey, just get a Bible and get to know Jesus. Discover His encouraging words on a daily basis. Recognize His love for you and His desire for you to have a more abundant life. Claim it; claim it all in His name!
Then Joshua said to the children of Israel: “How long will you neglect to go and possess the land which the LORD God of your fathers has given you?
“...How long will you neglect...”; it’s a pretty good question to ask, especially given all that the Israelites had been through. Some translations use the word “remiss” instead of neglect while others use “be slack”; whichever version of the Bible you are reading the question and its implied meaning are pretty much the same. How long will you be lazy and unmotivated to go and possess the land which the LORD God of your fathers has given you?
My wife came up with a great motto for our family this year, “Claimin’ it!” (It’s pronounced as if it were all one word [kah-lame-in-it].) But living into that saying isn’t as easy as just letting it roll off the tongue. There is work involved. She’s claimed financial freedom, but in order to succeed in it we’ve had to buckle down on our spending habits. (I’m not good at that.) I’ve claimed health and wellness for us all, but there’s work involved with that too. Things like eating right and exercising are a big part of the equation. We’ve both claimed prosperity and spiritual growth, but there’s work involved there as well.
You may be asking yourself, “I thought Jesus finished all the work at the cross? At least that’s what you’ve been blogging about for the past year! Why are you suddenly telling us we have to work in order to receive?” I am so thankful that you have asked these questions. Now I get the opportunity to answer them.
Jesus did finish all of the work at the cross. He fulfilled all of the Ten Commandments as well as the rules concerning all of the Levitical sacrifices, cleanliness of the body, etc. He became all of our sins, diseases, problems, and burdens as he suffered and died. But herein lies the paradox of grace: the blood of Christ at the cross removed us from the curse of the Law and the punishment it brought. But, because we still live in this world, we are still subject to the laws of nature and of this world. For while we are no longer citizens of this world (John 17:14), but rather we are foreign nationals, we are still subject to the rules and regulations imposed on our physical bodies based on the science that God Himself created. What? Jesus Himself says that His kingdom isn’t of this world (John 18:36). He sets the example of how to be in the world (subject to physical and scientific “laws”) while at the same time being totally out of this world!
In short, every action has an equal and opposite reaction (thank you, Sir Isaac Newton). If I spend all of my money I’m going to no longer have money (rich / poor). If I eat like a pig and sit on the couch I will not retain my youthful (ha) figure and will become a large, sickly individual (healthy / unhealthy). If I choose to stop searching the scriptures for Jesus Christ, then I will cease to be as close with Jesus Christ (spiritually satisfied / spiritually malnourished). It’s really pretty simple. There are specific consequences for our actions. Let me be very, very, very, very, very clear: these are NOT punishments from God, but consequences based on His perfect design and our imperfect nature.
The choice to follow Christ is ours. Likewise, other choices are ours, such as the choice to be in debt or get out of debt. We are blessed, loved, and highly favored by the King of Kings. We are restored to a right relationship with God through the blood of Christ that was shed on the cross. All the sins of all mankind were borne upon his shoulders. All of our sicknesses and infirmities were placed in Him as each stripe was laid across His back. All of our troubles and worries, our discouraging thoughts and foolish habits, were driven into His head as the soldiers pounded the crown of thorns on Him.
You see, we’ve been given it all though Him, but in some cases we’ve just neglected to go and possess it! We’re quick to latch onto the “gonna go to heaven when I die because of the Blood” part, but we’re not going out to get all of the rest that Christ died for. In essence, we’re insulting the sacrifice He made by not “claimin’ it”. Just like in the Garden of Eden, where God graciously provided all of the fruits and vegetables ready to go for man’s taking, and the only work that needed to be done on their part was reaching out and “claimin’ it”, the same holds true for us. Everything was already prepared and ready to go when Christ said “It is finished!” The relationship was restored, the disease was cured, the financial bondage was erased, whatever struggle existed was washed away in a deluge of Holy Blood. All we have to do is accept that fact, reach out, and claim it. I don’t know about you, but I’m “CLAIMIN’ IT!”
Here is a list of scripture that will help you understand:
Genesis 1:26-30
Isaiah 53:4-5
Matthew 19:23-26, Matthew 21:22
John 1:29, John 10:10, John 19:30
Romans 10:9-10
Philippians 4:13
Revelation 21:5
I know that there are plenty more scripture references out there to illustrate this point, but hey, just get a Bible and get to know Jesus. Discover His encouraging words on a daily basis. Recognize His love for you and His desire for you to have a more abundant life. Claim it; claim it all in His name!
Wednesday, April 20, 2011
Ambush
1 Kings 17:9
“Go at once to Zarephath in the region of Sidon and stay there. I have directed a widow there to supply you with food.”
Oh, the lessons to be learned from Elijah and the poor widow. She and her son were suffering and almost out of food. There had been no rain for quite some time. A severe drought was upon the land. They were down to their last bit of flour and oil. After it was used to make the last cake of bread, they would wait around to starve and die. What a grim outlook on life until Elijah arrived on the scene.
God sent Elijah to this widow, who was poor and without hope for salvation, to bless her. He (God) told Elijah to go to her and she would provide him with food. God wasn’t only preparing the way for the woman and her son, but He was also providing for His servant, Elijah. He sent Elijah to ambush her with his words. How would you feel if some guy came up and told you to give your last bit of food to him? That’s pretty bold, wouldn’t you say?
There are a lot of interesting facts about this story. The first is that God told Elijah that He’d already directed the widow to supply the food for him. Apparently, given her response when Elijah asked for the bread, she was unaware of God’s prompting in her heart! (“As surely as the LORD your God lives,” she replied, “I don’t have any bread—only a handful of flour in a jar and a little olive oil in a jug. I am gathering a few sticks to take home and make a meal for myself and my son, that we may eat it—and die.” 1 Kings 17:12) The second interesting fact is this: God sent Elijah to Zarephath, which means “ambush of the mouth”, to throw this lady a curveball with his words. Not only did He send him to that specific place (Zarephath), but it was located in the region of Sidon which means “provision, food”. Sometimes God is funny!
But none of that is my point! All to often in church we, the body of Christ, are portrayed as the widow in this story. We are told of our hopelessness and our poor state of life. We are told that if we would only give up what we had, God would release His blessings upon us. We’d never be without, but we have to be willing, like this widow, to surrender even our last bit for it. I, however, like to look at it from the other side.
Folks, we are Elijah in this story, not the widow without hope, just waiting to die! We are God’s people. We have been given hope through Jesus Christ and authority in His name over the enemy (Satan) so that he will not harm us (Luke 10:19). Jesus’ words are, “...nothing will harm you.” Why then do we put ourselves back into the widow’s shoes? Christ took our sins, sickness, death, poverty, troubles, weaknesses, famine, and all other issues upon Himself at the cross and in exchange gave us the riches of Heaven!
We need to start being the Elijahs to the world. Jesus went before us to prepare the way, but we act like we’re still cutting our own paths through works and petitions of mercy to God! We need to bring our Blessing, that is, Jesus Christ’s salvation, to the lost and dying. We need to ambush the world with our mouths, just like Elijah ambushed this woman. Only instead of asking for stuff, we need to be providing the Word of God. We need to ambush the world with the provision and food that they need, the Bread of Life, Jesus Christ. We, Christians, are in Christ (our Sidon--provision and food); we have to go out to those who are in need and give them a Blessing! It is simply because we are Christ’s that no matter where we go we can be a blessing to others. We need to realize our station in this world. We are not subjects to the prince of this world (John 12:31), but are heirs to the throne of the Kingdom of Heaven. Where we go, Christ is with us. Where Christ is, there is only hope (elpis [hope in Greek]-a joyful and confident expectation of eternal salvation).
“Go at once to Zarephath in the region of Sidon and stay there. I have directed a widow there to supply you with food.”
Oh, the lessons to be learned from Elijah and the poor widow. She and her son were suffering and almost out of food. There had been no rain for quite some time. A severe drought was upon the land. They were down to their last bit of flour and oil. After it was used to make the last cake of bread, they would wait around to starve and die. What a grim outlook on life until Elijah arrived on the scene.
God sent Elijah to this widow, who was poor and without hope for salvation, to bless her. He (God) told Elijah to go to her and she would provide him with food. God wasn’t only preparing the way for the woman and her son, but He was also providing for His servant, Elijah. He sent Elijah to ambush her with his words. How would you feel if some guy came up and told you to give your last bit of food to him? That’s pretty bold, wouldn’t you say?
There are a lot of interesting facts about this story. The first is that God told Elijah that He’d already directed the widow to supply the food for him. Apparently, given her response when Elijah asked for the bread, she was unaware of God’s prompting in her heart! (“As surely as the LORD your God lives,” she replied, “I don’t have any bread—only a handful of flour in a jar and a little olive oil in a jug. I am gathering a few sticks to take home and make a meal for myself and my son, that we may eat it—and die.” 1 Kings 17:12) The second interesting fact is this: God sent Elijah to Zarephath, which means “ambush of the mouth”, to throw this lady a curveball with his words. Not only did He send him to that specific place (Zarephath), but it was located in the region of Sidon which means “provision, food”. Sometimes God is funny!
But none of that is my point! All to often in church we, the body of Christ, are portrayed as the widow in this story. We are told of our hopelessness and our poor state of life. We are told that if we would only give up what we had, God would release His blessings upon us. We’d never be without, but we have to be willing, like this widow, to surrender even our last bit for it. I, however, like to look at it from the other side.
Folks, we are Elijah in this story, not the widow without hope, just waiting to die! We are God’s people. We have been given hope through Jesus Christ and authority in His name over the enemy (Satan) so that he will not harm us (Luke 10:19). Jesus’ words are, “...nothing will harm you.” Why then do we put ourselves back into the widow’s shoes? Christ took our sins, sickness, death, poverty, troubles, weaknesses, famine, and all other issues upon Himself at the cross and in exchange gave us the riches of Heaven!
We need to start being the Elijahs to the world. Jesus went before us to prepare the way, but we act like we’re still cutting our own paths through works and petitions of mercy to God! We need to bring our Blessing, that is, Jesus Christ’s salvation, to the lost and dying. We need to ambush the world with our mouths, just like Elijah ambushed this woman. Only instead of asking for stuff, we need to be providing the Word of God. We need to ambush the world with the provision and food that they need, the Bread of Life, Jesus Christ. We, Christians, are in Christ (our Sidon--provision and food); we have to go out to those who are in need and give them a Blessing! It is simply because we are Christ’s that no matter where we go we can be a blessing to others. We need to realize our station in this world. We are not subjects to the prince of this world (John 12:31), but are heirs to the throne of the Kingdom of Heaven. Where we go, Christ is with us. Where Christ is, there is only hope (elpis [hope in Greek]-a joyful and confident expectation of eternal salvation).
Tuesday, April 19, 2011
Alphabet soup.
Proverbs 14:4
Where there are no oxen, the manger is empty, but from the strength of an ox come abundant harvests.
Hebrew; it’s an interesting language. Did you know that there are 22 letters in the Hebrew alphabet (27 if you consider the ones that change form when placed at the end of a word)? Were you aware that each letter is assigned a number? Not only that, but each letter of the Hebrew alphabet is also assigned a picture or pictogram and a meaning.
Take, for instance, the first letter of the Hebrew alphabet which is Aleph (א) and the last letter, Tav (ת). The number for Aleph is 1, and the number for Tav is 400. The pictogram for Aleph is the head of an ox and the pictogram for Tav is a cross (Both pictured below). The meaning of Aleph is “ox, strength, or leader” while the meaning of Tav is “mark, sign, or covenant”. When all of these pictures and numbers and meanings are taken into account, the Hebrew language comes to life! It’s not boring and “simple” like English. There’s depth to it.
Moving on. We have a Proverb here that has, what I believe to be, two different meanings. First the obvious: with no beasts of burden, there’s no garden. But, with just one ox you could plow your fields and reap a harvest. Pretty general, pretty factual, very practical. I’ve been ruminating on this verse for about a week now and have come up with a second meaning. It’s a more spiritual meaning and I’ve been looking at it based on my limited knowledge of the Hebrew language.
You see, this verse makes a clear distinction between the first and second half. In the first half the word is oxen, meaning multiple animals. But in the second half it’s clear (in every translation I’ve seen) that the strength of one single ox could bring about an abundant harvest. As I read this verse over and over I began to think about the Hebrew pictographs and letters and thought to myself, “What is special about this ox?”
If you’ve read any of my posts then you know where this is going. I believe the “ox” in the second half of this verse is a reference to Jesus Christ. Jesus Himself uses the analogy of taking our burdens and replacing them with His yoke (something oxen wear to work) so that we can rest (Matthew 11:28-30). Jesus also said that He came to give us abundance of life (John 10:10). So is it that far fetched to associate Him with the ox in this verse?
Friends, Jesus is the only One who has the strength to bring us the abundant harvests. A harvest of salvation, health, happiness, children, prosperity, work; what we call “the good life”. Are you without oxen? Do you lack the tools to bring in the harvest for your family? Realize that there is only need for one Ox; that’s Jesus. He’s the supply that you demand. It is only by His strength that we have life. It is by His finished work at the cross that we can boldly come to the Father and He shall supply all your needs according to His riches in glory in Jesus Christ (Philippians 4:19).
[An interesting sidenote: Aleph-Tav (Read right to left! את) when placed together gives us a picture. The leader, our strong Ox, and the cross where His work was finished. Why is Jesus the Ox in this case and not a goat or lamb? Because to sanctify a priest who had sinned, a bull had to be offered (Leviticus 4:3). We are all priests once we accept Christ and are washed in His blood (Revelation 5:10) and therefore require the bull sacrifice for our atonement. In this case, Christ is the bull. Maybe it just means the beginning and the end. In the Old Testament (the beginning of the Bible) we had sacrifices, but in the New Testament (the end of the Bible) we have just a Cross. Play with it a bit. Look at the meanings. There is only one (Aleph’s number) God who continually waited through 400 year (Tav’s number) cycles to reveal things. For 400 years the Israelites were in bondage. For 400 years God was silent between the last prophet of the Old Testament and the birth of Jesus (who is the One).]
Where there are no oxen, the manger is empty, but from the strength of an ox come abundant harvests.
Hebrew; it’s an interesting language. Did you know that there are 22 letters in the Hebrew alphabet (27 if you consider the ones that change form when placed at the end of a word)? Were you aware that each letter is assigned a number? Not only that, but each letter of the Hebrew alphabet is also assigned a picture or pictogram and a meaning.
Take, for instance, the first letter of the Hebrew alphabet which is Aleph (א) and the last letter, Tav (ת). The number for Aleph is 1, and the number for Tav is 400. The pictogram for Aleph is the head of an ox and the pictogram for Tav is a cross (Both pictured below). The meaning of Aleph is “ox, strength, or leader” while the meaning of Tav is “mark, sign, or covenant”. When all of these pictures and numbers and meanings are taken into account, the Hebrew language comes to life! It’s not boring and “simple” like English. There’s depth to it.
Moving on. We have a Proverb here that has, what I believe to be, two different meanings. First the obvious: with no beasts of burden, there’s no garden. But, with just one ox you could plow your fields and reap a harvest. Pretty general, pretty factual, very practical. I’ve been ruminating on this verse for about a week now and have come up with a second meaning. It’s a more spiritual meaning and I’ve been looking at it based on my limited knowledge of the Hebrew language.
You see, this verse makes a clear distinction between the first and second half. In the first half the word is oxen, meaning multiple animals. But in the second half it’s clear (in every translation I’ve seen) that the strength of one single ox could bring about an abundant harvest. As I read this verse over and over I began to think about the Hebrew pictographs and letters and thought to myself, “What is special about this ox?”
If you’ve read any of my posts then you know where this is going. I believe the “ox” in the second half of this verse is a reference to Jesus Christ. Jesus Himself uses the analogy of taking our burdens and replacing them with His yoke (something oxen wear to work) so that we can rest (Matthew 11:28-30). Jesus also said that He came to give us abundance of life (John 10:10). So is it that far fetched to associate Him with the ox in this verse?
Friends, Jesus is the only One who has the strength to bring us the abundant harvests. A harvest of salvation, health, happiness, children, prosperity, work; what we call “the good life”. Are you without oxen? Do you lack the tools to bring in the harvest for your family? Realize that there is only need for one Ox; that’s Jesus. He’s the supply that you demand. It is only by His strength that we have life. It is by His finished work at the cross that we can boldly come to the Father and He shall supply all your needs according to His riches in glory in Jesus Christ (Philippians 4:19).
[An interesting sidenote: Aleph-Tav (Read right to left! את) when placed together gives us a picture. The leader, our strong Ox, and the cross where His work was finished. Why is Jesus the Ox in this case and not a goat or lamb? Because to sanctify a priest who had sinned, a bull had to be offered (Leviticus 4:3). We are all priests once we accept Christ and are washed in His blood (Revelation 5:10) and therefore require the bull sacrifice for our atonement. In this case, Christ is the bull. Maybe it just means the beginning and the end. In the Old Testament (the beginning of the Bible) we had sacrifices, but in the New Testament (the end of the Bible) we have just a Cross. Play with it a bit. Look at the meanings. There is only one (Aleph’s number) God who continually waited through 400 year (Tav’s number) cycles to reveal things. For 400 years the Israelites were in bondage. For 400 years God was silent between the last prophet of the Old Testament and the birth of Jesus (who is the One).]
Saturday, April 16, 2011
God's generous salvation.
Joshua 11:23
So Joshua took the whole land, according to all that the LORD had said to Moses; and Joshua gave it as an inheritance to Israel according to their divisions by their tribes. Then the land rested from war.
As I’ve alluded to in the past and surely will do again, the Old Testament of the Bible has Jesus concealed while the New Testament is Jesus revealed. When we look in the Bible, it’s not just lessons on how to live a good life we should be seeking. Instead we should be seeking the Life, that is, Jesus Christ. We should be on a mission every time we open up the Bible to seek Jesus in all that we read.
Take this passage as an example. Joshua has been conquering city after city with the Israelite army because that’s what God told him to do. And he did it exactly how he was told. He didn’t change the plans, he didn’t alter the strategy, he didn’t question the mission. Joshua simply yielded to God’s hand of authority and led his people, under that authority, to victory after victory.
I love how Joshua’s conquest of the land of Canaan parallels Jesus’ conquest of the entire world of sin. Joshua, whose name means “God’s generous salvation”, enters the picture just as the patriarch of the Law (Moses) dies. Joshua followed all of the instructions left by Moses and also yielded himself to the authority of God, completing each additional task or assignment as they came up. Jesus also followed all of the instructions (Law) of Moses, and like Joshua, also yielded Himself to the authority of God and His additional plans for winning.
By being a leader who was willing to follow, Joshua brought the Israelite nation through battle after battle with only victory. But really it was God who brought him though each battle. When the army went out to fight, God always went before them to strike fear in the hearts of the enemies. He made sure victory for Israel was inevitable. Jesus did the same thing. He led His disciples, but followed His Father.
When Christ went to the cross, He finished the work. He won the the final battle. He took the whole land, according to all that the Lord had told Moses (He fulfilled the Law). When He was finished conquering, when God’s wrath had been fully poured out on Him at the cross and victory was won, Jesus passed it on to us as an inheritance. Finally, the land rested from war. In Joshua’s case, this was a rest from physical war and fighting with a literal enemy. In our case this is a rest from the spiritual war. The war within us between darkness and light has been won by the spilled blood of Jesus Christ. Jesus, God’s generous salvation, has led us to victory in our battle against the enemy, Satan. He has given us His power and authority over the Devil. He has covered us with His righteousness. He has redeemed us from the curse.
“Come to me, all you are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest”--Jesus Christ
So Joshua took the whole land, according to all that the LORD had said to Moses; and Joshua gave it as an inheritance to Israel according to their divisions by their tribes. Then the land rested from war.
As I’ve alluded to in the past and surely will do again, the Old Testament of the Bible has Jesus concealed while the New Testament is Jesus revealed. When we look in the Bible, it’s not just lessons on how to live a good life we should be seeking. Instead we should be seeking the Life, that is, Jesus Christ. We should be on a mission every time we open up the Bible to seek Jesus in all that we read.
Take this passage as an example. Joshua has been conquering city after city with the Israelite army because that’s what God told him to do. And he did it exactly how he was told. He didn’t change the plans, he didn’t alter the strategy, he didn’t question the mission. Joshua simply yielded to God’s hand of authority and led his people, under that authority, to victory after victory.
I love how Joshua’s conquest of the land of Canaan parallels Jesus’ conquest of the entire world of sin. Joshua, whose name means “God’s generous salvation”, enters the picture just as the patriarch of the Law (Moses) dies. Joshua followed all of the instructions left by Moses and also yielded himself to the authority of God, completing each additional task or assignment as they came up. Jesus also followed all of the instructions (Law) of Moses, and like Joshua, also yielded Himself to the authority of God and His additional plans for winning.
By being a leader who was willing to follow, Joshua brought the Israelite nation through battle after battle with only victory. But really it was God who brought him though each battle. When the army went out to fight, God always went before them to strike fear in the hearts of the enemies. He made sure victory for Israel was inevitable. Jesus did the same thing. He led His disciples, but followed His Father.
When Christ went to the cross, He finished the work. He won the the final battle. He took the whole land, according to all that the Lord had told Moses (He fulfilled the Law). When He was finished conquering, when God’s wrath had been fully poured out on Him at the cross and victory was won, Jesus passed it on to us as an inheritance. Finally, the land rested from war. In Joshua’s case, this was a rest from physical war and fighting with a literal enemy. In our case this is a rest from the spiritual war. The war within us between darkness and light has been won by the spilled blood of Jesus Christ. Jesus, God’s generous salvation, has led us to victory in our battle against the enemy, Satan. He has given us His power and authority over the Devil. He has covered us with His righteousness. He has redeemed us from the curse.
“Come to me, all you are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest”--Jesus Christ
Wednesday, April 13, 2011
Toast
Proverbs 13:25
The righteous eats to the satisfying of his soul, But the stomach of the wicked shall be in want.
I am overjoyed knowing who I am in Christ. It makes reading the Bible much more rewarding. Because I am made righteous in Christ according to His word (2 Corinthians 5:21), then I am free to substitute myself in wherever the Bible generically refers to “the righteous”. And how do I know I am free to do that? Well, the Bible gives me that authority as well (2 Corinthians 3:17).
Now that I’ve laid the foundation, let’s get into this.
In John 6 Jesus refers to Himself as the bread of life. He boldly states that whoever comes to Him will never go hungry and will never go thirsty. So what do we do with that? It seems to me that a lot of times we go to Christ and take away only some crumbs from the bread, rather than taking the whole loaf. It’s our humanness that causes us to do to that. When we do that, we aren’t living into what Christ has told us.
Imagine, if you will, making some toast. Some beautifully buttered, slathered in jelly, perfectly golden, whole grain, nutritious toast. Now are you only going to eat the crumbs left on the counter? Of course not! You are going to put that toast on a plate and carry it with you into the other room, where you’ll sit comfortably in your favorite chair, savoring each and every bite. And if you’re like me, you’ll probably lick the crumbs off the plate when you’re done. (That’s a whole different lesson.)
Anyway, Jesus is our perfect toast. (No intended offense to His awesomeness referring to Christ as toast, it’s just a metaphor.) He is all that we want, could want, or ever will want, but all too often we satisfy ourselves with only crumbs of His Grace. Why do we do that? We fail to take all that He has offered to us. We live under the law that we’re not worthy to receive more than His crumbs, but we forget that He came to give us life, abundant life. Yes, it’s true that we aren’t worthy, but if we were waiting to be worthy of a Savior, we’d never have gotten one. That’s the point of Grace and Jesus dying on the cross.
Brothers and sisters, we are righteous, and according to this Proverb, we eat to the satisfying of our souls. This verb “eat” is in the present tense meaning that we can have it now! It doesn’t say “the righteous will eat to the satisfying of his soul when...” but rather “eats”. Is your soul satisfied with crumbs from the Bread of Life? Or does it desire more? If you desire more, eat more until your soul is satisfied!
But wait, there’s more! The stomach of the wicked is in want. Who are the wicked? Those who have yet to believe. This verse isn’t referring to the Hitlers or the Manson family (the worldly wicked); it’s speaking of those who don’t yet know Christ. They are in want of a Savior. They are in need of satisfaction. Knowing that, we can deliver. We Christians are the dispensers of Christ’s nourishment. We need to bring His Grace to those who have yet to receive it, but first we have to be fully satisfied. So, fill yourself with the blessings of Christ’s grace. Live into His unmerited favor, enjoy the abundant life that He has promised you. And in so doing, offer the nutrition that the wicked so desperately want!
The righteous eats to the satisfying of his soul, But the stomach of the wicked shall be in want.
I am overjoyed knowing who I am in Christ. It makes reading the Bible much more rewarding. Because I am made righteous in Christ according to His word (2 Corinthians 5:21), then I am free to substitute myself in wherever the Bible generically refers to “the righteous”. And how do I know I am free to do that? Well, the Bible gives me that authority as well (2 Corinthians 3:17).
Now that I’ve laid the foundation, let’s get into this.
In John 6 Jesus refers to Himself as the bread of life. He boldly states that whoever comes to Him will never go hungry and will never go thirsty. So what do we do with that? It seems to me that a lot of times we go to Christ and take away only some crumbs from the bread, rather than taking the whole loaf. It’s our humanness that causes us to do to that. When we do that, we aren’t living into what Christ has told us.
Imagine, if you will, making some toast. Some beautifully buttered, slathered in jelly, perfectly golden, whole grain, nutritious toast. Now are you only going to eat the crumbs left on the counter? Of course not! You are going to put that toast on a plate and carry it with you into the other room, where you’ll sit comfortably in your favorite chair, savoring each and every bite. And if you’re like me, you’ll probably lick the crumbs off the plate when you’re done. (That’s a whole different lesson.)
Anyway, Jesus is our perfect toast. (No intended offense to His awesomeness referring to Christ as toast, it’s just a metaphor.) He is all that we want, could want, or ever will want, but all too often we satisfy ourselves with only crumbs of His Grace. Why do we do that? We fail to take all that He has offered to us. We live under the law that we’re not worthy to receive more than His crumbs, but we forget that He came to give us life, abundant life. Yes, it’s true that we aren’t worthy, but if we were waiting to be worthy of a Savior, we’d never have gotten one. That’s the point of Grace and Jesus dying on the cross.
Brothers and sisters, we are righteous, and according to this Proverb, we eat to the satisfying of our souls. This verb “eat” is in the present tense meaning that we can have it now! It doesn’t say “the righteous will eat to the satisfying of his soul when...” but rather “eats”. Is your soul satisfied with crumbs from the Bread of Life? Or does it desire more? If you desire more, eat more until your soul is satisfied!
But wait, there’s more! The stomach of the wicked is in want. Who are the wicked? Those who have yet to believe. This verse isn’t referring to the Hitlers or the Manson family (the worldly wicked); it’s speaking of those who don’t yet know Christ. They are in want of a Savior. They are in need of satisfaction. Knowing that, we can deliver. We Christians are the dispensers of Christ’s nourishment. We need to bring His Grace to those who have yet to receive it, but first we have to be fully satisfied. So, fill yourself with the blessings of Christ’s grace. Live into His unmerited favor, enjoy the abundant life that He has promised you. And in so doing, offer the nutrition that the wicked so desperately want!
Tuesday, April 12, 2011
Got Wisdom?
Proverbs 8:30-31
Then I was beside Him [as] a master craftsman; And I was daily His delight, Rejoicing always before Him, Rejoicing in His inhabited world, And my delight [was] with the sons of men.
The Proverbs are just full of wisdom, that is, discernment, knowledge, or insight, but what is the true Wisdom of Solomon? I’m sure we’re all aware that Solomon is known to have been the wisest man to ever live. His thoughts and sayings are used to this very day in our everyday lives, in fortune cookies, and even in the business world. The ideas he wrote down are amazing, and though they were penned almost 3000 years ago, they still hold true if you practice them with diligence.
But really, what is true wisdom? I’m going to step out on a limb here and dare to say that the true Wisdom Solomon possessed was Christ. That’s right. Solomon’s Wisdom should be spelled with a capital “W”. All of Solomon’s common sense sayings about debt, prosperity, child rearing, and marriage could just as easily have come from Dr. Phil. They’re really quite simple, but the Wisdom written about in Proverbs 8 is a lot different. It’s alive. It has a personality. It has a desire and feelings. It’s Jesus.
Solomon’s Wisdom was present at the beginning of time (Proverbs 8:22/John 1:1). It stands at the entrance to the city calling out to mankind (Proverbs 8:3-4/Revelation 3:20). It brings riches and honor, and abundance of life (Proverbs 8:18/John 10:10). This Wisdom is God’s delight (Proverbs 8:30/Matthew 3:17). Solomon’s Wisdom is the Way, the Truth, and the Life (Proverbs 8:32-36/John 14:6). The Wisdom is Christ.
So now the good part, the part that continually puts a smile on my face. Solomon’s Wisdom, that is to say, Jesus Christ Himself set His delight with the sons of men. Folks, that’s you and me! It should give you great joy and contentment knowing that Jesus, who was there when the earth was formed, sets His delight with us [mankind]. The Creator of everything, the beginning and the end, the owner of all the riches of eternity, is delighted with us, His creation. His joy, His happiness, His love, His riches, His wealth, His health, His prosperity, His abundance, His everlasting life are all freely given to us through His Son, Jesus, the Wisdom that delights in man!
Then I was beside Him [as] a master craftsman; And I was daily His delight, Rejoicing always before Him, Rejoicing in His inhabited world, And my delight [was] with the sons of men.
The Proverbs are just full of wisdom, that is, discernment, knowledge, or insight, but what is the true Wisdom of Solomon? I’m sure we’re all aware that Solomon is known to have been the wisest man to ever live. His thoughts and sayings are used to this very day in our everyday lives, in fortune cookies, and even in the business world. The ideas he wrote down are amazing, and though they were penned almost 3000 years ago, they still hold true if you practice them with diligence.
But really, what is true wisdom? I’m going to step out on a limb here and dare to say that the true Wisdom Solomon possessed was Christ. That’s right. Solomon’s Wisdom should be spelled with a capital “W”. All of Solomon’s common sense sayings about debt, prosperity, child rearing, and marriage could just as easily have come from Dr. Phil. They’re really quite simple, but the Wisdom written about in Proverbs 8 is a lot different. It’s alive. It has a personality. It has a desire and feelings. It’s Jesus.
Solomon’s Wisdom was present at the beginning of time (Proverbs 8:22/John 1:1). It stands at the entrance to the city calling out to mankind (Proverbs 8:3-4/Revelation 3:20). It brings riches and honor, and abundance of life (Proverbs 8:18/John 10:10). This Wisdom is God’s delight (Proverbs 8:30/Matthew 3:17). Solomon’s Wisdom is the Way, the Truth, and the Life (Proverbs 8:32-36/John 14:6). The Wisdom is Christ.
So now the good part, the part that continually puts a smile on my face. Solomon’s Wisdom, that is to say, Jesus Christ Himself set His delight with the sons of men. Folks, that’s you and me! It should give you great joy and contentment knowing that Jesus, who was there when the earth was formed, sets His delight with us [mankind]. The Creator of everything, the beginning and the end, the owner of all the riches of eternity, is delighted with us, His creation. His joy, His happiness, His love, His riches, His wealth, His health, His prosperity, His abundance, His everlasting life are all freely given to us through His Son, Jesus, the Wisdom that delights in man!
Monday, April 11, 2011
Are you trying?
John 5:5-6
One who was there had been an invalid for thirty-eight years. When Jesus saw him lying there and learned that he had been in this condition for a long time, he asked him, “Do you want to get well?”
What are you going to do? Are you just going to lie there and hope that someone will come and help you? You are so lazy. Don’t you have any drive? Don’t you have any will? Don’t you have any desire to get better? If I were you and had been laying there for 38 years I certainly would have figured out a way to slither over and flop myself into that pool in order to get my healing!
These are the common questions and statements made when this scripture is read and taught. He didn’t want healing bad enough. He wasn’t willing to do the work required of him in order to get his healing. He didn’t have the heart to do what needed to be done. All of these are worldly interpretations of what the Bible is telling us.
The fact of the matter is that this man desired beyond our wildest dreams to get into the pool and be made well. He wanted nothing more than to flop into that water when the angel came and receive his deliverance, but he just couldn’t do it. This man wasn’t lazy. He wasn’t unwilling to do the work required; he was simply unable. Yet in church we teach that he should have wriggled his way into the pool. We have preachers that boast how they would have been able to devise a way to flop around in order to get in that pool. They teach a message of “you should have” from a scripture that clearly states you couldn’t.
If we just look further, beyond our own religious agendas, and read the actual text, we can clearly see that this man tells Jesus his desire is to get in the pool, but that on his own he is unable to do it. He says how no one would help him and that year after year he tries with no success. So Jesus does for him what he couldn’t do for himself. Jesus does what no other person was willing to do for him. Jesus says, “Get up! Pick up your mat and walk.” Where no one else was willing, the Lord Jesus Christ was. Where this man’s own desire to make himself well was unable to accomplish the mission, Jesus Christ was.
Friends, we live in a world that constantly tries to twist and manipulate the scripture back into a religious doctrine of “do to get” when the truth of the Word is that Jesus “did” so that we “do get”! The message that Christ brought was that He was going to do it all for us because we simply aren’t capable (no matter how much we desire to be) of achieving righteousness apart from Him. So whether you have been trying for 1 year, 38 years, or an entire lifetime, it’s time to realize that you can’t do it through your own strength. If you’ve tried to quit smoking, drinking, or drugs and failed, realize that Jesus has already done the work for you. If you’re tired of trying to become a better father, spouse, friend, or coworker, realize that Jesus has already done the work for you.
Jesus came to the man by the pool, asked him if he wanted to be healed, and then healed him. How gracious of Him that He didn’t expect the paralyzed man to come to Him! Jesus has come to you too. (Revelation 3:20) He knows your sin, your vice, your struggles; He is simply asking, “Do you want to get well?” There are no strings attached. There is no work involved. No sacrificial offering, no bead-holding prayer, no hoop to jump through. It’s simply a matter of saying “YES!”
One who was there had been an invalid for thirty-eight years. When Jesus saw him lying there and learned that he had been in this condition for a long time, he asked him, “Do you want to get well?”
What are you going to do? Are you just going to lie there and hope that someone will come and help you? You are so lazy. Don’t you have any drive? Don’t you have any will? Don’t you have any desire to get better? If I were you and had been laying there for 38 years I certainly would have figured out a way to slither over and flop myself into that pool in order to get my healing!
These are the common questions and statements made when this scripture is read and taught. He didn’t want healing bad enough. He wasn’t willing to do the work required of him in order to get his healing. He didn’t have the heart to do what needed to be done. All of these are worldly interpretations of what the Bible is telling us.
The fact of the matter is that this man desired beyond our wildest dreams to get into the pool and be made well. He wanted nothing more than to flop into that water when the angel came and receive his deliverance, but he just couldn’t do it. This man wasn’t lazy. He wasn’t unwilling to do the work required; he was simply unable. Yet in church we teach that he should have wriggled his way into the pool. We have preachers that boast how they would have been able to devise a way to flop around in order to get in that pool. They teach a message of “you should have” from a scripture that clearly states you couldn’t.
If we just look further, beyond our own religious agendas, and read the actual text, we can clearly see that this man tells Jesus his desire is to get in the pool, but that on his own he is unable to do it. He says how no one would help him and that year after year he tries with no success. So Jesus does for him what he couldn’t do for himself. Jesus does what no other person was willing to do for him. Jesus says, “Get up! Pick up your mat and walk.” Where no one else was willing, the Lord Jesus Christ was. Where this man’s own desire to make himself well was unable to accomplish the mission, Jesus Christ was.
Friends, we live in a world that constantly tries to twist and manipulate the scripture back into a religious doctrine of “do to get” when the truth of the Word is that Jesus “did” so that we “do get”! The message that Christ brought was that He was going to do it all for us because we simply aren’t capable (no matter how much we desire to be) of achieving righteousness apart from Him. So whether you have been trying for 1 year, 38 years, or an entire lifetime, it’s time to realize that you can’t do it through your own strength. If you’ve tried to quit smoking, drinking, or drugs and failed, realize that Jesus has already done the work for you. If you’re tired of trying to become a better father, spouse, friend, or coworker, realize that Jesus has already done the work for you.
Jesus came to the man by the pool, asked him if he wanted to be healed, and then healed him. How gracious of Him that He didn’t expect the paralyzed man to come to Him! Jesus has come to you too. (Revelation 3:20) He knows your sin, your vice, your struggles; He is simply asking, “Do you want to get well?” There are no strings attached. There is no work involved. No sacrificial offering, no bead-holding prayer, no hoop to jump through. It’s simply a matter of saying “YES!”
Thursday, April 7, 2011
Beatitudes
Matthew 5:2-10
Then He opened His mouth and taught them, saying:
[1] 3 “Blessed [are] the poor in spirit, For theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
[2] 4 Blessed [are] those who mourn, For they shall be comforted.
[3] 5 Blessed [are] the meek, For they shall inherit the earth.
[4] 6 Blessed [are] those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, For they shall be filled.
[5] 7 Blessed [are] the merciful, For they shall obtain mercy.
[6] 8 Blessed [are] the pure in heart, For they shall see God.
[7] 9 Blessed [are] the peacemakers, For they shall be called sons of God.
[8] 10 Blessed [are] those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, For theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Something came to my mind today as I read and meditated on these verses. It’s something that I’m going to share with you. But first, some explaining.
Words written in italics in the Bible did not appear in the original text. They were added during translation in order to give a better understanding. Sometimes, however, we need to read past the words in italics as though they weren’t there at all. That’s why I’ve gone ahead and bracketed them off in this passage. I wanted to fully separate them from the rest of the verse. (Also ignore the bracketed 1-8 for now; we’ll get back to those later.)
In Genesis God created man. Let me be more specific: the Triune God created man. That is, Father, Son, and Spirit all had a part in the creation (Genesis 1:26 Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness;...). God referred to Himself in the plural form “us” when He created man. (Perhaps I’m not as crazy as you thought for talking to myself.) The point I’m getting at is that God has established a pattern from the beginning of His word of referring to Himself in a plural form. So I’ll ask the question: could it be that Jesus was referring to the Trinity when He gave these Beatitudes?
Could it be that at the beginning of His ministry Jesus spoke these words knowing full well that His fulfillment of the law and full exhaustion of God’s wrath would open the floodgates of God’s grace to be imparted on us through His blood? Some of us today are still trying to live into the Beatitudes (however good that would be) as though our goodness will bring about the blessing to follow. But who of us has really done it? Who has been truly persecuted for righteousness’ sake? Who has truly been pure in heart? Not one of us. (It’s okay, you can agree.)
But Jesus? He did all of these things. I’ll show you, in the same order as the scripture above, how Jesus met each one of these requirements.
[1-Poor in spirit] Mark 14:34 Then He said to them, “My soul is exceedingly sorrowful, even to death. Stay here and watch.”
[2-Mourning] Luke 13:34 “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the one who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, but you were not willing!
[3-Meek (strength under control)] Luke 10:17 “Therefore My Father loves Me, because I lay down My life that I may take it again.”
[4-Hunger/thirst for righteousness] John 19:28 After this, Jesus, knowing that all things were now accomplished, that the Scripture might be fulfilled, said, “I thirst!” (having surrendered His righteousness in becoming our sin)
[5-Merciful] John 8:11 ...And Jesus said to her, “Neither do I condemn you; go and sin no more.”
[6-Pure in Heart] John 19:6 Therefore, when the chief priests and officers saw Him, they cried out, saying, “Crucify Him, crucify Him!” Pilate said to them, “You take Him and crucify Him, for I find no fault in Him.”
[7-Peacemakers] John 14:27 “Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.”
[8-Persecuted for Righteousness’ sake] Luke 23:21 But they shouted, saying, “Crucify Him, crucify Him!” (Also 2 Corinthians 5:21 states that Jesus was persecuted for the sake of our righteousness, that is, to make us righteous.)
So what of it? Do the Beatitudes apply to our lives? The answer is a resounding absolutely! But perhaps not as you may have been taught or may believe. Because Jesus imparted His glory on us through His grace at the cross, and became all of our sins, curses, and shortcomings, the blessings of the Beatitudes are ours. And, just like everything else that comes with His favor and His grace, we didn’t work to earn them. His perfect fulfillment of His own teaching opened the abundance of heaven’s riches to the rest of us. Like everything that Jesus did, when He spoke these words about Himself, He was thinking about us. What an awesome and clever God we have. What a wonderful Savior He is.
(Just for fun--The word blessed in this passage literally means envied, happy beyond belief, saved, favored, covered with grace, full of life, spiritually prosperous, and fully satisfied, regardless of outward appearance. Now that’s one heck of a definition!)
Then He opened His mouth and taught them, saying:
[1] 3 “Blessed [are] the poor in spirit, For theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
[2] 4 Blessed [are] those who mourn, For they shall be comforted.
[3] 5 Blessed [are] the meek, For they shall inherit the earth.
[4] 6 Blessed [are] those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, For they shall be filled.
[5] 7 Blessed [are] the merciful, For they shall obtain mercy.
[6] 8 Blessed [are] the pure in heart, For they shall see God.
[7] 9 Blessed [are] the peacemakers, For they shall be called sons of God.
[8] 10 Blessed [are] those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, For theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Something came to my mind today as I read and meditated on these verses. It’s something that I’m going to share with you. But first, some explaining.
Words written in italics in the Bible did not appear in the original text. They were added during translation in order to give a better understanding. Sometimes, however, we need to read past the words in italics as though they weren’t there at all. That’s why I’ve gone ahead and bracketed them off in this passage. I wanted to fully separate them from the rest of the verse. (Also ignore the bracketed 1-8 for now; we’ll get back to those later.)
In Genesis God created man. Let me be more specific: the Triune God created man. That is, Father, Son, and Spirit all had a part in the creation (Genesis 1:26 Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness;...). God referred to Himself in the plural form “us” when He created man. (Perhaps I’m not as crazy as you thought for talking to myself.) The point I’m getting at is that God has established a pattern from the beginning of His word of referring to Himself in a plural form. So I’ll ask the question: could it be that Jesus was referring to the Trinity when He gave these Beatitudes?
Could it be that at the beginning of His ministry Jesus spoke these words knowing full well that His fulfillment of the law and full exhaustion of God’s wrath would open the floodgates of God’s grace to be imparted on us through His blood? Some of us today are still trying to live into the Beatitudes (however good that would be) as though our goodness will bring about the blessing to follow. But who of us has really done it? Who has been truly persecuted for righteousness’ sake? Who has truly been pure in heart? Not one of us. (It’s okay, you can agree.)
But Jesus? He did all of these things. I’ll show you, in the same order as the scripture above, how Jesus met each one of these requirements.
[1-Poor in spirit] Mark 14:34 Then He said to them, “My soul is exceedingly sorrowful, even to death. Stay here and watch.”
[2-Mourning] Luke 13:34 “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the one who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, but you were not willing!
[3-Meek (strength under control)] Luke 10:17 “Therefore My Father loves Me, because I lay down My life that I may take it again.”
[4-Hunger/thirst for righteousness] John 19:28 After this, Jesus, knowing that all things were now accomplished, that the Scripture might be fulfilled, said, “I thirst!” (having surrendered His righteousness in becoming our sin)
[5-Merciful] John 8:11 ...And Jesus said to her, “Neither do I condemn you; go and sin no more.”
[6-Pure in Heart] John 19:6 Therefore, when the chief priests and officers saw Him, they cried out, saying, “Crucify Him, crucify Him!” Pilate said to them, “You take Him and crucify Him, for I find no fault in Him.”
[7-Peacemakers] John 14:27 “Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.”
[8-Persecuted for Righteousness’ sake] Luke 23:21 But they shouted, saying, “Crucify Him, crucify Him!” (Also 2 Corinthians 5:21 states that Jesus was persecuted for the sake of our righteousness, that is, to make us righteous.)
So what of it? Do the Beatitudes apply to our lives? The answer is a resounding absolutely! But perhaps not as you may have been taught or may believe. Because Jesus imparted His glory on us through His grace at the cross, and became all of our sins, curses, and shortcomings, the blessings of the Beatitudes are ours. And, just like everything else that comes with His favor and His grace, we didn’t work to earn them. His perfect fulfillment of His own teaching opened the abundance of heaven’s riches to the rest of us. Like everything that Jesus did, when He spoke these words about Himself, He was thinking about us. What an awesome and clever God we have. What a wonderful Savior He is.
(Just for fun--The word blessed in this passage literally means envied, happy beyond belief, saved, favored, covered with grace, full of life, spiritually prosperous, and fully satisfied, regardless of outward appearance. Now that’s one heck of a definition!)
Wednesday, April 6, 2011
Will Power
2 Peter 3:9
9 The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.
“Where there’s a will, there’s a way.” That’s what we say, isn’t it? You can do anything in life as long as you put your mind to it. Thinking like this is what made Bill Gates the man he is today. It is this type of mindset that brought about manned flight, the Apollo Rocket, 3D television, and the Wii.
This is what the world will tell you: in order to be successful in life, you must be determined; you must have a will. Once you have established your will to be, you will find a way. If there is no way, you will forge one. You’ll grab your machete, your saws-all, your dynamite, and whatever else you can find, to cut a path. You are going to be all that you aspire to become. You have the will, there will be a way! The amount of your success in life depends solely on you and your hard work and effort.
In church, we are taught the same thing. The amount of your success as a Christian depends on your willingness to put in the work. Christ finished His work at the cross, but you’ve only just begun on yours. You’re an alcoholic, habitual porn addict, swearer, liar, cheater, homosexual, etc, etc, etc. Do you honestly think that God’s blessings are going to just come to you, without working for them? God isn’t going to just fix your life, you have to fix it first. God isn’t going to hear your prayers until you do the work to stop and make yourself righteous! Right??
Proverbs 15:29 says, ”The Lord is far from the wicked, but hears the prayers of the righteous.” See, the Bible agrees... NOT!! The truth is this: if you have Jesus, you are made righteous. Whether you sinned in the past, right now, or will in the future, you are righteous because Christ’s blood has made you righteous. Don’t forget; when Christ went to the cross, all of your sins were in the future! 2 Corinthians 5:21 says, “God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.” He became sin so we could be the righteousness of God. Likewise, Romans 3:22 states, “This righteousness is given through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference between Jew and Gentile[.]” That being the case, the Lord will hear your prayers and hold true to His Proverb because despite your sin, He has made you righteous. He isn’t far from you. He’ll never leave you or forsake you (Deuteronomy 31:6). Rest assured that there is no work for you to do; it’s all been done by Jesus at the cross.
But, going back to our initial point, what about the will and the way? If I don’t personally have to do the work, who will? The answer in 3...2...1...JESUS! You see, the saying is 100% true. God’s WILL is that no one should perish, but that all should come to have everlasting life with Him. And how has He made there a way to His will? Jesus is the WAY! (John 14:6 Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.) Don’t spend time worrying about your will and your way; rest and receive under His will through His way. God will supply you with all that you need according to the riches of His glory. If you’re continuing in sin, look to Jesus, not to your own efforts. Remember He has called you to Himself to rest because you have been carrying a heavy burden. Let Him carry it. Look at Christ’s acceptance of all the wrath of God and remember that where your sin abounds, His grace SUPER-abounds!
9 The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.
“Where there’s a will, there’s a way.” That’s what we say, isn’t it? You can do anything in life as long as you put your mind to it. Thinking like this is what made Bill Gates the man he is today. It is this type of mindset that brought about manned flight, the Apollo Rocket, 3D television, and the Wii.
This is what the world will tell you: in order to be successful in life, you must be determined; you must have a will. Once you have established your will to be, you will find a way. If there is no way, you will forge one. You’ll grab your machete, your saws-all, your dynamite, and whatever else you can find, to cut a path. You are going to be all that you aspire to become. You have the will, there will be a way! The amount of your success in life depends solely on you and your hard work and effort.
In church, we are taught the same thing. The amount of your success as a Christian depends on your willingness to put in the work. Christ finished His work at the cross, but you’ve only just begun on yours. You’re an alcoholic, habitual porn addict, swearer, liar, cheater, homosexual, etc, etc, etc. Do you honestly think that God’s blessings are going to just come to you, without working for them? God isn’t going to just fix your life, you have to fix it first. God isn’t going to hear your prayers until you do the work to stop and make yourself righteous! Right??
Proverbs 15:29 says, ”The Lord is far from the wicked, but hears the prayers of the righteous.” See, the Bible agrees... NOT!! The truth is this: if you have Jesus, you are made righteous. Whether you sinned in the past, right now, or will in the future, you are righteous because Christ’s blood has made you righteous. Don’t forget; when Christ went to the cross, all of your sins were in the future! 2 Corinthians 5:21 says, “God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.” He became sin so we could be the righteousness of God. Likewise, Romans 3:22 states, “This righteousness is given through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference between Jew and Gentile[.]” That being the case, the Lord will hear your prayers and hold true to His Proverb because despite your sin, He has made you righteous. He isn’t far from you. He’ll never leave you or forsake you (Deuteronomy 31:6). Rest assured that there is no work for you to do; it’s all been done by Jesus at the cross.
But, going back to our initial point, what about the will and the way? If I don’t personally have to do the work, who will? The answer in 3...2...1...JESUS! You see, the saying is 100% true. God’s WILL is that no one should perish, but that all should come to have everlasting life with Him. And how has He made there a way to His will? Jesus is the WAY! (John 14:6 Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.) Don’t spend time worrying about your will and your way; rest and receive under His will through His way. God will supply you with all that you need according to the riches of His glory. If you’re continuing in sin, look to Jesus, not to your own efforts. Remember He has called you to Himself to rest because you have been carrying a heavy burden. Let Him carry it. Look at Christ’s acceptance of all the wrath of God and remember that where your sin abounds, His grace SUPER-abounds!
Tuesday, April 5, 2011
Bowl of sugar--Cup of Jesus
Proverbs 3:28
Do not say to your neighbor, “Go, and come back, and tomorrow I will give it,” When you have it with you.
I have neighbors. I’m sure you do as well. Mine have come over before and asked to borrow some sugar. No, really, it’s true. My neighbor actually came to the front door one time and asked if she could borrow some sugar. It was just like you see on T.V. You know what? I gave it to her. You want to know something else? I’ve never gone back to her house and said, “Hey. Remember that sugar you borrowed? Yeah, uh....I’m going to need that back now.”
I’m sure if given the opportunity, we’d all respond generously to our neighbor’s request. I’d like to think that if your neighbor came over requesting to borrow or use your tools or sugar that you would say sure. What if your neighbor was in need? Would you recognize the need and act accordingly? Jesus talks about this in the Parable of the Good Samaritan in Luke 10. He tells this story and raises an interesting point: a neighbor isn’t just the person next door, but anyone who is in need.
That brings us back to our Proverb. When your neighbor comes to you in need, don’t withhold what is good for that person; give it to them then and there. Likewise, when you see your neighbor in need, don’t withhold what is needed; go and give it up for them. This doesn’t just apply to physical needs, but to spiritual needs as well. In fact, I would dare to say that the spiritual need supersedes that of the physical need.
If your neighbor is comfortable enough to come to you with a physical need, what’s to say that there isn’t also a spiritual need that you can meet as well? Whether they are a believer or a still-to-become believer, who is it going to hurt to pour out some of the grace that Christ has extended to you on another person? Inspire them with an uplifting scripture while you get the sugar. You don’t have to puke out hell-fire and brimstone on them; just give them, GRACIOUSLY, a positive scripture to reflect on as well as a bowl of sugar. They are both sweet, you know.
“But my neighbor doesn’t come to me with needs.” Then look for them, recognize them, then go to them with the supply to meet their needs. If your neighbor is a single parent, offer to watch their child for a couple of hours just to give them a break. If they’re old and frail, offer to mow the lawn (gently, never insulting their dignity). Be proactive. And just like when they came to you, bring with you a nugget of God’s grace in the form of a simple, uplifting scripture. Again, this holds true whether your neighbor is a Christian or not. Scripture and a helping hand go a long way together.
The point that I’m trying to make here is this: What you have with you today that you are able to give freely is Jesus. If your neighbor comes for help, don’t hold back all the help you can offer them. They may be coming over to borrow the sugar, but perhaps in actuality they are in desperate need of a Savior. Give them TODAY what you have to give, and that is Jesus!
Do not say to your neighbor, “Go, and come back, and tomorrow I will give it,” When you have it with you.
I have neighbors. I’m sure you do as well. Mine have come over before and asked to borrow some sugar. No, really, it’s true. My neighbor actually came to the front door one time and asked if she could borrow some sugar. It was just like you see on T.V. You know what? I gave it to her. You want to know something else? I’ve never gone back to her house and said, “Hey. Remember that sugar you borrowed? Yeah, uh....I’m going to need that back now.”
I’m sure if given the opportunity, we’d all respond generously to our neighbor’s request. I’d like to think that if your neighbor came over requesting to borrow or use your tools or sugar that you would say sure. What if your neighbor was in need? Would you recognize the need and act accordingly? Jesus talks about this in the Parable of the Good Samaritan in Luke 10. He tells this story and raises an interesting point: a neighbor isn’t just the person next door, but anyone who is in need.
That brings us back to our Proverb. When your neighbor comes to you in need, don’t withhold what is good for that person; give it to them then and there. Likewise, when you see your neighbor in need, don’t withhold what is needed; go and give it up for them. This doesn’t just apply to physical needs, but to spiritual needs as well. In fact, I would dare to say that the spiritual need supersedes that of the physical need.
If your neighbor is comfortable enough to come to you with a physical need, what’s to say that there isn’t also a spiritual need that you can meet as well? Whether they are a believer or a still-to-become believer, who is it going to hurt to pour out some of the grace that Christ has extended to you on another person? Inspire them with an uplifting scripture while you get the sugar. You don’t have to puke out hell-fire and brimstone on them; just give them, GRACIOUSLY, a positive scripture to reflect on as well as a bowl of sugar. They are both sweet, you know.
“But my neighbor doesn’t come to me with needs.” Then look for them, recognize them, then go to them with the supply to meet their needs. If your neighbor is a single parent, offer to watch their child for a couple of hours just to give them a break. If they’re old and frail, offer to mow the lawn (gently, never insulting their dignity). Be proactive. And just like when they came to you, bring with you a nugget of God’s grace in the form of a simple, uplifting scripture. Again, this holds true whether your neighbor is a Christian or not. Scripture and a helping hand go a long way together.
The point that I’m trying to make here is this: What you have with you today that you are able to give freely is Jesus. If your neighbor comes for help, don’t hold back all the help you can offer them. They may be coming over to borrow the sugar, but perhaps in actuality they are in desperate need of a Savior. Give them TODAY what you have to give, and that is Jesus!
Saturday, April 2, 2011
Who are you?
John 13:23
One of them, the disciple whom Jesus loved, was reclining next to him.
Why was John the referred to as “the disciple whom Jesus loved”? Was it because Jesus didn’t love the others? Certainly not! I’m just not sure why, but I have an idea.
It is known that the disciple John wrote the Gospel of John. That being the case, he referred to himself as “the disciple whom Jesus loved”. I like this idea because it points to the realization that John didn’t just recognize Jesus loved him; he claimed His love as his greatest and most important defining quality.
It’s easy enough to say, “I know that Christ loved me so much that He went to the cross and died for me.” But it’s entirely different to define your very being by Christ’s love for you. We know that Christ loved all of His disciples, but only one defined himself by that love. Imagine if we, as Christians, labeled ourselves as John did. How different would our lives be? How altered would our perspective be?
John’s life was forever impacted by how he viewed himself in relation to his Jesus. What if we started to put “the disciple whom Jesus loved” as an addition to our names? I can only imagine how conversations and casual introductions at parties would be different!
“Hey Gary, this is my friend Joe.”
“Hi Joe, it’s nice to meet you. I’m Gary, the disciple whom Jesus loved. What’s happening?”
I found it interesting (to say the least) to find out what happened to all the other disciples and apostles after Jesus ascended to the Father, and contrast their lives’ endings to what happened to John, the one who defined himself as loved by Jesus. Let’s see:
Peter-Crucified upside down for Christ
James-Beheaded by Herod for Christ
Andrew-Crucified for Christ
Philip-Martyred for Christ
Bartholomew-Flayed to death for Christ
Thomas-Martyred for Christ
Matthew-Martyred for Christ
James (the other one)-Crucified for Christ
Jude-Martyred for Christ
Simon-Crucified for Christ
Judas (the betrayer)-Killed himself
Matthias-Martyred for Christ
Saul (Paul)-Beheaded for Christ
JOHN-Freed from prison and died a natural death as an old man.
I don’t know about you, but it sure makes me think a little bit. Why did all of the others die horrible deaths for Christ, but John (whose name means Grace) live to be an old man? Why did John die a natural death? Why was John freed from prison when the others were continuously placed in prison? I think it has everything to do with his definition of himself.
The others did wonderful things for Christianity. They started the church (John was there for that), gave great instructions, and preached Jesus throughout the land. They proclaimed Christ’s love for them and His love for the rest of the world, but they forgot to claim Christ’s love for them as their identity. Instead they became known as Paul, the Apostle and Peter, the Rock. But John? He was always John, the disciple whom Jesus loved. I’m not saying that everything was easy for John; he was exiled to Patmos for preaching the Word. But while he was there he was given the Revelation of Jesus Christ, the last book of the Bible, and he was eventually freed!
We need to grab onto our identity. If you want to be known as Bill, the Hell-fire preacher or Jennifer, the Proverbs 31 mom, that’s fine. For me, I’m choosing to be recognized as Gary, the man whom Jesus loved! The other disciples were all blessed by God. They all have their place in Christian history and did amazing things for the church. They all died honorably for the cause (Judas the exception). John was blessed by God too. He has his place in Christian history too. He helped get the church started. He struggled with persecution. But he died a natural death as a free man! I like his outcome better!
One of them, the disciple whom Jesus loved, was reclining next to him.
Why was John the referred to as “the disciple whom Jesus loved”? Was it because Jesus didn’t love the others? Certainly not! I’m just not sure why, but I have an idea.
It is known that the disciple John wrote the Gospel of John. That being the case, he referred to himself as “the disciple whom Jesus loved”. I like this idea because it points to the realization that John didn’t just recognize Jesus loved him; he claimed His love as his greatest and most important defining quality.
It’s easy enough to say, “I know that Christ loved me so much that He went to the cross and died for me.” But it’s entirely different to define your very being by Christ’s love for you. We know that Christ loved all of His disciples, but only one defined himself by that love. Imagine if we, as Christians, labeled ourselves as John did. How different would our lives be? How altered would our perspective be?
John’s life was forever impacted by how he viewed himself in relation to his Jesus. What if we started to put “the disciple whom Jesus loved” as an addition to our names? I can only imagine how conversations and casual introductions at parties would be different!
“Hey Gary, this is my friend Joe.”
“Hi Joe, it’s nice to meet you. I’m Gary, the disciple whom Jesus loved. What’s happening?”
I found it interesting (to say the least) to find out what happened to all the other disciples and apostles after Jesus ascended to the Father, and contrast their lives’ endings to what happened to John, the one who defined himself as loved by Jesus. Let’s see:
Peter-Crucified upside down for Christ
James-Beheaded by Herod for Christ
Andrew-Crucified for Christ
Philip-Martyred for Christ
Bartholomew-Flayed to death for Christ
Thomas-Martyred for Christ
Matthew-Martyred for Christ
James (the other one)-Crucified for Christ
Jude-Martyred for Christ
Simon-Crucified for Christ
Judas (the betrayer)-Killed himself
Matthias-Martyred for Christ
Saul (Paul)-Beheaded for Christ
JOHN-Freed from prison and died a natural death as an old man.
I don’t know about you, but it sure makes me think a little bit. Why did all of the others die horrible deaths for Christ, but John (whose name means Grace) live to be an old man? Why did John die a natural death? Why was John freed from prison when the others were continuously placed in prison? I think it has everything to do with his definition of himself.
The others did wonderful things for Christianity. They started the church (John was there for that), gave great instructions, and preached Jesus throughout the land. They proclaimed Christ’s love for them and His love for the rest of the world, but they forgot to claim Christ’s love for them as their identity. Instead they became known as Paul, the Apostle and Peter, the Rock. But John? He was always John, the disciple whom Jesus loved. I’m not saying that everything was easy for John; he was exiled to Patmos for preaching the Word. But while he was there he was given the Revelation of Jesus Christ, the last book of the Bible, and he was eventually freed!
We need to grab onto our identity. If you want to be known as Bill, the Hell-fire preacher or Jennifer, the Proverbs 31 mom, that’s fine. For me, I’m choosing to be recognized as Gary, the man whom Jesus loved! The other disciples were all blessed by God. They all have their place in Christian history and did amazing things for the church. They all died honorably for the cause (Judas the exception). John was blessed by God too. He has his place in Christian history too. He helped get the church started. He struggled with persecution. But he died a natural death as a free man! I like his outcome better!
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