My Easter message is a bit salty and short this year.
I am thinking that most of Christ's disciples thought after the crucifixion, 'Is there something i could have done to stop this.' Some moped, other just felt lost and then some beat themselves up. But then He rose from the grave and later the Spirit fell on them like fire filled with joy and glory.
I've decided not to beat myself up this Easter about what i 'could' have done for the people i have lost and am going to lose this year. I will let the God of all grace lead me. He Is after all the God of resurrection life.
--
Showing posts with label Grace. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Grace. Show all posts
Sunday, April 12, 2020
Tuesday, February 12, 2019
Meal Preparation
"Who then is the faithful and wise servant, whom his master has set over his household, to give them their food at the proper time?" - Matthew 24:45 ESV
I read this passage this morning and it hit me kind of hard.
Access to provision is an important thing and only some people have it. It is granted by someone so that distribution happens and is controlled in some way for timely use. Breakfast is served early. Lunch at midday. Dinner feeds the worker who is finally resting from their labor.
"Blessed is that servant whom his master will find so doing when he comes. Truly, I say to you, he will set him over all his possessions. But if that wicked servant says to himself, 'My master is delayed,' and begins to beat his fellow servants and eats and drinks with drunkards, the master of that servant will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour he does not know and will cut him in pieces and put him with the hypocrites. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth." - Matthew 24:46-51 ESV
The 'faithful and wise servant' part gets me because I don't see myself as either of these things but anyone who has worked in different places has seen how this works with other resources. Sometimes the person who ends up with the keys is just the one who has been around the longest and they landed on their desk. Their 'wisdom' and 'faithfulness' is just 'knowing the ropes' because they have seen it done hundreds of times. In other places, access is guarded fiercely and those who end up with it are not the people who will use it wisely or mercifully.
Grace... I have access to the cupboard of grace... everyone who understands what Jesus is like and what He has done has access but people need meals made. Jesus is the Master who has gone on a trip.
I can go in and make myself a sandwich and leave everyone else to fend for themselves but what will 'He' say when 'He' returns?
I can lord my access over everyone.
I can tell them to go get their provision. It is free after all. They just need to read the book but it isn't that easy is it? People read the book and don't find the cupboard of grace. It isn't the same as a meal cooked by someone who was trained to cook... who has practiced cooking over many years and observed how others have skillfully used the ingredients.
My Pastor was a man who got up in the morning and made breakfast for everyone. Then he made lunch. We always got a very special Sunday dinner. He wasn't a perfect person but those meals were very very good and nourishing. Grace was the main ingredient in all the meals he made. They, along with other things, healed my wounds and got me on a schedule of getting 'what I could never deserve or earn'.
There are always going to be hungry people. There are also going to be people who just don't appreciate the food they are served. It isn't up to their standard. They are critical and make you just want to hang up the apron.
"Who then is the faithful and wise servant, whom his master has set over his household, to give them their food at the proper time?" - Matthew 24:45 ESV
Boom.
Why is the person cooking meals? Is it the hungry people or is it a calling? Maybe at some future date the master might say, 'Wow. Everyone said your meals were always made with great care.' or 'Suzy loved your pancake recipe.' but when He returns the main issue will be what we did with the access we were given. Did we cook on a schedule so that people could be fed or were we occupied with ourselves and the power we had acquired?
--
I read this passage this morning and it hit me kind of hard.
Access to provision is an important thing and only some people have it. It is granted by someone so that distribution happens and is controlled in some way for timely use. Breakfast is served early. Lunch at midday. Dinner feeds the worker who is finally resting from their labor.
"Blessed is that servant whom his master will find so doing when he comes. Truly, I say to you, he will set him over all his possessions. But if that wicked servant says to himself, 'My master is delayed,' and begins to beat his fellow servants and eats and drinks with drunkards, the master of that servant will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour he does not know and will cut him in pieces and put him with the hypocrites. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth." - Matthew 24:46-51 ESV
The 'faithful and wise servant' part gets me because I don't see myself as either of these things but anyone who has worked in different places has seen how this works with other resources. Sometimes the person who ends up with the keys is just the one who has been around the longest and they landed on their desk. Their 'wisdom' and 'faithfulness' is just 'knowing the ropes' because they have seen it done hundreds of times. In other places, access is guarded fiercely and those who end up with it are not the people who will use it wisely or mercifully.
Grace... I have access to the cupboard of grace... everyone who understands what Jesus is like and what He has done has access but people need meals made. Jesus is the Master who has gone on a trip.
I can go in and make myself a sandwich and leave everyone else to fend for themselves but what will 'He' say when 'He' returns?
I can lord my access over everyone.
I can tell them to go get their provision. It is free after all. They just need to read the book but it isn't that easy is it? People read the book and don't find the cupboard of grace. It isn't the same as a meal cooked by someone who was trained to cook... who has practiced cooking over many years and observed how others have skillfully used the ingredients.
My Pastor was a man who got up in the morning and made breakfast for everyone. Then he made lunch. We always got a very special Sunday dinner. He wasn't a perfect person but those meals were very very good and nourishing. Grace was the main ingredient in all the meals he made. They, along with other things, healed my wounds and got me on a schedule of getting 'what I could never deserve or earn'.
There are always going to be hungry people. There are also going to be people who just don't appreciate the food they are served. It isn't up to their standard. They are critical and make you just want to hang up the apron.
"Who then is the faithful and wise servant, whom his master has set over his household, to give them their food at the proper time?" - Matthew 24:45 ESV
Boom.
Why is the person cooking meals? Is it the hungry people or is it a calling? Maybe at some future date the master might say, 'Wow. Everyone said your meals were always made with great care.' or 'Suzy loved your pancake recipe.' but when He returns the main issue will be what we did with the access we were given. Did we cook on a schedule so that people could be fed or were we occupied with ourselves and the power we had acquired?
--
Tuesday, January 8, 2019
A Small Statement From A Holiday Gathering
Two thoughts are on my mind this morning. I am reading and thinking about them.
The first is 'impatience'.
The second is a small phrase that a host of a holiday gathering said that stuck with me. They had serval groups of people in their home. We were at a table and she looked at us as she passed by to greet yet another group as they came in with baked goods and coats that were coming off their bodies.
She said, as she turned to face us, 'I know I'm ignoring you.' and took a coat to find a place to hang it up.
All at once I felt we both knew the opposite was true. She wasn't ignoring any of us. We were known. She cared how we all felt. She wanted everyone to feel at home and get attention. We weren't second-class citizens. I think of this passage.
"Whoever is generous to the poor lends to the LORD, and he will repay him for his deed." - Proverbs 19:17 ESV
In a way, we know God isn't ignoring the poor and He won't ignore us. He considers generosity to others 'a loan' but at the same time, it looks like He has ignored the poor. He hasn't. He isn't. It looks that way but it isn't true.
Ok.
Back to the first idea of impatience. We are to be 'in the world' but not 'of the world' but impatience is an 'of the world' mindset. We want to control, orchestrate or just approve of the way (or speed) something is done but things can often spin out of control. Do we have peace? Peace is an 'out of this world' thing. Calm may be natural but not deep peace. Peace is something of God and 'sourced' in God. It passes understanding.
"Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid." - John 14:27 ESV
Wow.
What did Jesus have? Where did He leave his peace so we can find it?
I think it is in the knowledge of the attention and personal acceptance of our Father in Heaven. It looks like He isn't listening but He Is. We act in love trusted in His love and He sees it and treats it like a loan because He cares.
No one should condemn themselves for being impatient. No one should find a reason to condemn themselves ever but impatience is a symptom that we need to find the peace that Jesus left behind. One we find that peace we can be an oasis of peace and hospitality without striving.
--
The first is 'impatience'.
The second is a small phrase that a host of a holiday gathering said that stuck with me. They had serval groups of people in their home. We were at a table and she looked at us as she passed by to greet yet another group as they came in with baked goods and coats that were coming off their bodies.
She said, as she turned to face us, 'I know I'm ignoring you.' and took a coat to find a place to hang it up.
All at once I felt we both knew the opposite was true. She wasn't ignoring any of us. We were known. She cared how we all felt. She wanted everyone to feel at home and get attention. We weren't second-class citizens. I think of this passage.
"Whoever is generous to the poor lends to the LORD, and he will repay him for his deed." - Proverbs 19:17 ESV
In a way, we know God isn't ignoring the poor and He won't ignore us. He considers generosity to others 'a loan' but at the same time, it looks like He has ignored the poor. He hasn't. He isn't. It looks that way but it isn't true.
Ok.
Back to the first idea of impatience. We are to be 'in the world' but not 'of the world' but impatience is an 'of the world' mindset. We want to control, orchestrate or just approve of the way (or speed) something is done but things can often spin out of control. Do we have peace? Peace is an 'out of this world' thing. Calm may be natural but not deep peace. Peace is something of God and 'sourced' in God. It passes understanding.
"Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid." - John 14:27 ESV
Wow.
What did Jesus have? Where did He leave his peace so we can find it?
I think it is in the knowledge of the attention and personal acceptance of our Father in Heaven. It looks like He isn't listening but He Is. We act in love trusted in His love and He sees it and treats it like a loan because He cares.
No one should condemn themselves for being impatient. No one should find a reason to condemn themselves ever but impatience is a symptom that we need to find the peace that Jesus left behind. One we find that peace we can be an oasis of peace and hospitality without striving.
--
Friday, January 4, 2019
The Long Vacant Job Posting
"And I sought for a man among them who should build up the wall and stand in the breach before me for the land, that I should not destroy it, but I found none." - Ezekiel 22:30 ESV
Yesterday I saw very clearly, in my mind's eye, the role of 'Savior of the World' as a job vacancy. Many times when a job is 'posted' there is already a candidate groomed in the wings to fill this position. Jesus was chosen before the foundation of the world but Adam could have filled the position. All he had to do was resist the temptation to eat the forbidden fruit offered by Eve. He could have waited until the next morning and spoken to God at the appointed time that they met every day. Conceivably, He could have died in her place. He didn't.
"And a ruler asked him, 'Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?' And Jesus said to him, 'Why do you call me good? No one is good except God alone." - Luke 18:18-19 ESV
This wasn't just theoretical. History up until this moment had proven this to be true.
Jesus was challenging this person. Do you know me? I am manna from Heaven but do you see it?
" 'As for me, I have set my King on Zion, my holy hill.' I will tell of the decree: The LORD said to me, 'You are my Son; today I have begotten you. Ask of me, and I will make the nations your heritage, and the ends of the earth your possession. You shall break them with a rod of iron and dash them in pieces like a potter's vessel.' Now therefore, O kings, be wise; be warned, O rulers of the earth. Serve the LORD with fear, and rejoice with trembling. Kiss the Son, lest he be angry, and you perish in the way, for his wrath is quickly kindled. Blessed are all who take refuge in him." - Psalm 2:6-12 ESV
Scholars say this is the Psalmist peering into Heaven after Jesus rose from the grave and ascended to sit at God's right hand. The interviews were over. Jesus had passed the background checks. God was welcoming His Son back to Heaven to take His rightful position as King of Kings and Lord of Lords.
"No one is good except God alone." - Luke 18:19b ESV
Why should we strive to be good? The position of the 'good One' has already been filled.
"Then they said to him, 'What must we do, to be doing the works of God?' Jesus answered them, 'This is the work of God, that you believe in him whom he has sent.' " - John 6:28-29 ESV
Salvation is very simple really. We accept that a position needed to be filled to save our soul and instead of claiming to fill the position ourselves we agree that God chose Jesus for that role and that His work of the cross was enough to accomplish the task.
Simple but also impossible unless God speaks to our heart and brings us to a place of decision and we use our will to decide.
Finding a 'soul mate' isn't going to save us. Raising good children won't. A government can't. We can't. Our own transgressions disqualify us from saving ourselves or anyone else. That position has already been filled.
"In the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried, saying, If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink. He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water. (But this spake he of the Spirit, which they that believe on him should receive: for the Holy Ghost was not yet given; because that Jesus was not yet glorified.)" - John 7:37-39 KJV
Yes. Believe in Jesus and receive the Spirit who will wash you. That is why Christ came. No man or woman met the qualifications of the job that needed to be done but then Jesus came to build a bridge back to the Father and send a cleansing rain to wash your soul and mine.
--
Yesterday I saw very clearly, in my mind's eye, the role of 'Savior of the World' as a job vacancy. Many times when a job is 'posted' there is already a candidate groomed in the wings to fill this position. Jesus was chosen before the foundation of the world but Adam could have filled the position. All he had to do was resist the temptation to eat the forbidden fruit offered by Eve. He could have waited until the next morning and spoken to God at the appointed time that they met every day. Conceivably, He could have died in her place. He didn't.
"And a ruler asked him, 'Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?' And Jesus said to him, 'Why do you call me good? No one is good except God alone." - Luke 18:18-19 ESV
This wasn't just theoretical. History up until this moment had proven this to be true.
Jesus was challenging this person. Do you know me? I am manna from Heaven but do you see it?
" 'As for me, I have set my King on Zion, my holy hill.' I will tell of the decree: The LORD said to me, 'You are my Son; today I have begotten you. Ask of me, and I will make the nations your heritage, and the ends of the earth your possession. You shall break them with a rod of iron and dash them in pieces like a potter's vessel.' Now therefore, O kings, be wise; be warned, O rulers of the earth. Serve the LORD with fear, and rejoice with trembling. Kiss the Son, lest he be angry, and you perish in the way, for his wrath is quickly kindled. Blessed are all who take refuge in him." - Psalm 2:6-12 ESV
Scholars say this is the Psalmist peering into Heaven after Jesus rose from the grave and ascended to sit at God's right hand. The interviews were over. Jesus had passed the background checks. God was welcoming His Son back to Heaven to take His rightful position as King of Kings and Lord of Lords.
"No one is good except God alone." - Luke 18:19b ESV
Why should we strive to be good? The position of the 'good One' has already been filled.
"Then they said to him, 'What must we do, to be doing the works of God?' Jesus answered them, 'This is the work of God, that you believe in him whom he has sent.' " - John 6:28-29 ESV
Salvation is very simple really. We accept that a position needed to be filled to save our soul and instead of claiming to fill the position ourselves we agree that God chose Jesus for that role and that His work of the cross was enough to accomplish the task.
Simple but also impossible unless God speaks to our heart and brings us to a place of decision and we use our will to decide.
Finding a 'soul mate' isn't going to save us. Raising good children won't. A government can't. We can't. Our own transgressions disqualify us from saving ourselves or anyone else. That position has already been filled.
"In the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried, saying, If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink. He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water. (But this spake he of the Spirit, which they that believe on him should receive: for the Holy Ghost was not yet given; because that Jesus was not yet glorified.)" - John 7:37-39 KJV
Yes. Believe in Jesus and receive the Spirit who will wash you. That is why Christ came. No man or woman met the qualifications of the job that needed to be done but then Jesus came to build a bridge back to the Father and send a cleansing rain to wash your soul and mine.
--
Thursday, January 3, 2019
Come Down
Issues from 2018 seem to want to follow me into 2019. I really wish they wouldn't but 'here they are' so I remind myself that there are new mercies this morning. They are not just for the new year. They are new daily and I can choose to respond and not react to these particular circumstances.
I don't feel strong. I am leaning on God's strength.
I don't feel wise. God Is wise and I have access to His objective wisdom in the Bible and it's subjective application by the Holy Spirit.
I don't feel rich but I know that I am rich in 100 ways. I'm free. I have another day. God is my supply.
"O let not the oppressed return ashamed: let the poor and needy praise thy name." - Psalm 74:21 KJV
"But I am poor and needy; yet the Lord thinketh upon me: thou art my help and my deliverer; make no tarrying, O my God." - Psalm 40:17 KJV
"For he delivers the needy when he calls, the poor and him who has no helper. He has pity on the weak and the needy, and saves the lives of the needy. From oppression and violence he redeems their life, and precious is their blood in his sight." - Psalm 72:12-14 ESV
My motivation does not come from what I don't have.
"And behold, there was a man named Zacchaeus. He was a chief tax collector and was rich. And he was seeking to see who Jesus was, but on account of the crowd he could not, because he was small in stature. So he ran on ahead and climbed up into a sycamore tree to see him, for he was about to pass that way. And when Jesus came to the place, he looked up and said to him, 'Zacchaeus, hurry and come down, for I must stay at your house today.' " - Luke 19:2-5 ESV
I am over six foot tall but I often feel like this man. Zacchaeus was the CHIEF tax collector. He 'climbed' into that position just like he climbed that tree. Climbing was his method but Jesus commanded that he descend so that there could be communion. Jesus isn't a climber and in order to meet Him, we need to descend not ascend.
We go low to meet these challenges.
I'll dig in the dirt and sow seeds. I'll ask God to teach me like a person who knows nothing and has to start from scratch. I am confident that the issues that follow me now will be resolved. They are not who I am.
God has and will redeem my life... and your life also. Come down from the tree to meet Him. He is calling for you.
--
I don't feel strong. I am leaning on God's strength.
I don't feel wise. God Is wise and I have access to His objective wisdom in the Bible and it's subjective application by the Holy Spirit.
I don't feel rich but I know that I am rich in 100 ways. I'm free. I have another day. God is my supply.
"O let not the oppressed return ashamed: let the poor and needy praise thy name." - Psalm 74:21 KJV
"But I am poor and needy; yet the Lord thinketh upon me: thou art my help and my deliverer; make no tarrying, O my God." - Psalm 40:17 KJV
"For he delivers the needy when he calls, the poor and him who has no helper. He has pity on the weak and the needy, and saves the lives of the needy. From oppression and violence he redeems their life, and precious is their blood in his sight." - Psalm 72:12-14 ESV
My motivation does not come from what I don't have.
"And behold, there was a man named Zacchaeus. He was a chief tax collector and was rich. And he was seeking to see who Jesus was, but on account of the crowd he could not, because he was small in stature. So he ran on ahead and climbed up into a sycamore tree to see him, for he was about to pass that way. And when Jesus came to the place, he looked up and said to him, 'Zacchaeus, hurry and come down, for I must stay at your house today.' " - Luke 19:2-5 ESV
I am over six foot tall but I often feel like this man. Zacchaeus was the CHIEF tax collector. He 'climbed' into that position just like he climbed that tree. Climbing was his method but Jesus commanded that he descend so that there could be communion. Jesus isn't a climber and in order to meet Him, we need to descend not ascend.
We go low to meet these challenges.
I'll dig in the dirt and sow seeds. I'll ask God to teach me like a person who knows nothing and has to start from scratch. I am confident that the issues that follow me now will be resolved. They are not who I am.
God has and will redeem my life... and your life also. Come down from the tree to meet Him. He is calling for you.
--
Friday, November 2, 2018
Jeroboam And The Man Of God
New Mercies. They are our daily provision. We interpret situations with them. We bring them into each relationship. The believer has newness each and every day. The prophets in the Hebrew scriptures are a great example of this. They lived in the fresh word they received from God in the midst of an often perverse world and culture. They confronted the wrongs in Israel but if they were in their right mind they didn't 'return the way they came in' to the situation.
"And he gave a sign the same day, saying, 'This is the sign that the LORD has spoken: 'Behold, the altar shall be torn down, and the ashes that are on it shall be poured out.'' And when the king heard the saying of the man of God, which he cried against the altar at Bethel, Jeroboam stretched out his hand from the altar, saying, 'Seize him.' And his hand, which he stretched out against him, dried up, so that he could not draw it back to himself. The altar also was torn down, and the ashes poured out from the altar, according to the sign that the man of God had given by the word of the LORD. And the king said to the man of God, 'Entreat now the favor of the LORD your God, and pray for me, that my hand may be restored to me.' And the man of God entreated the LORD, and the king's hand was restored to him and became as it was before. And the king said to the man of God, 'Come home with me, and refresh yourself, and I will give you a reward.' And the man of God said to the king, 'If you give me half your house, I will not go in with you. And I will not eat bread or drink water in this place, for so was it commanded me by the word of the LORD, saying, 'You shall neither eat bread nor drink water nor return by the way that you came.' ' So he went another way and did not return by the way that he came to Bethel." - 1 Kings 13:3-10 ESV
We can't fellowship with the way of compromise. Jeroboam's brother Rehoboam had made bad decisions and those decisions split the Hebrews into two nations. People who were loyal to Jeroboam's family stayed with him but he could not worship in the 'right place' so he set up a new place of worship that God could not and did not endorse.
Still... God had new mercy for Jeroboam. All he had to do was ask for it.
Often times we can look at people in the Bible and see that God gives us an account of them to reveal a mindset or method. I see Jeroboam as the 'old me' who is stuck between a rock and a hard place. Others have made bad decisions and I have to live with the consequences and there are no easy answers. The prophet is the 'new man' or 'new me'. He enters with clarity and mercy and somehow exits another way like the wind.
"The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear its sound, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit." - John 3:8 ESV
One nation became two. Then after many trials and finally captivities the remnant of this nation returned in unity again and rebuilt the wall and temple (see Nehemiah, Ezra and 2 Chronicles 36:22f). We start out innocent but then something happens. The world harasses us and eventually, we are taken captive but Jesus brings us back 'into the land' in newness. We become a remnant. A people that lives in and moves in mercy.
Today is a day where we might be tempted to fellowship with the old but we have a new option. We can enter in mercy and leave in new mercy because we see Jesus. Wow. Thank You God.
--
"And he gave a sign the same day, saying, 'This is the sign that the LORD has spoken: 'Behold, the altar shall be torn down, and the ashes that are on it shall be poured out.'' And when the king heard the saying of the man of God, which he cried against the altar at Bethel, Jeroboam stretched out his hand from the altar, saying, 'Seize him.' And his hand, which he stretched out against him, dried up, so that he could not draw it back to himself. The altar also was torn down, and the ashes poured out from the altar, according to the sign that the man of God had given by the word of the LORD. And the king said to the man of God, 'Entreat now the favor of the LORD your God, and pray for me, that my hand may be restored to me.' And the man of God entreated the LORD, and the king's hand was restored to him and became as it was before. And the king said to the man of God, 'Come home with me, and refresh yourself, and I will give you a reward.' And the man of God said to the king, 'If you give me half your house, I will not go in with you. And I will not eat bread or drink water in this place, for so was it commanded me by the word of the LORD, saying, 'You shall neither eat bread nor drink water nor return by the way that you came.' ' So he went another way and did not return by the way that he came to Bethel." - 1 Kings 13:3-10 ESV
We can't fellowship with the way of compromise. Jeroboam's brother Rehoboam had made bad decisions and those decisions split the Hebrews into two nations. People who were loyal to Jeroboam's family stayed with him but he could not worship in the 'right place' so he set up a new place of worship that God could not and did not endorse.
Still... God had new mercy for Jeroboam. All he had to do was ask for it.
Often times we can look at people in the Bible and see that God gives us an account of them to reveal a mindset or method. I see Jeroboam as the 'old me' who is stuck between a rock and a hard place. Others have made bad decisions and I have to live with the consequences and there are no easy answers. The prophet is the 'new man' or 'new me'. He enters with clarity and mercy and somehow exits another way like the wind.
"The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear its sound, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit." - John 3:8 ESV
One nation became two. Then after many trials and finally captivities the remnant of this nation returned in unity again and rebuilt the wall and temple (see Nehemiah, Ezra and 2 Chronicles 36:22f). We start out innocent but then something happens. The world harasses us and eventually, we are taken captive but Jesus brings us back 'into the land' in newness. We become a remnant. A people that lives in and moves in mercy.
Today is a day where we might be tempted to fellowship with the old but we have a new option. We can enter in mercy and leave in new mercy because we see Jesus. Wow. Thank You God.
--
Wednesday, October 31, 2018
A Look At Submission And Divine Command Ethics
Two concepts are on my mind this morning.
'Divine Command Ethics' - God tells us to do this and not to do that as individuals like He instructed Israel as a nation.
and
What some groups refer to as ESS (The Eternal Subordination of the Son) which paints the Son as eternally submitting to the Father instead of just taking on the role of a servant for a time in the incarnation, then being exalted by the Father and returning to a co-equal role and sitting on the throne with Him.
I see great linkages between these two concepts. Are we submitting for a time so that redemption can happen in time and space or are we submitted forever?
Do we force submission on others?
What kind of submission is expected in marriage and family? How is our Church leadership structured? If you are a man how do you see and treat women?
Big questions aren't they?
Evolution or natural selection says the fittest will survive. The weak will eventually bow down to the strong. Religion forces submission by divine decree but what is spiritual?
"You are severed from Christ, you who would be justified by the law; you have fallen away from grace. For through the Spirit, by faith, we ourselves eagerly wait for the hope of righteousness. For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision counts for anything, but only faith working through love. You were running well. Who hindered you from obeying the truth? This persuasion is not from him who calls you." - Galatians 5:4-8 ESV
"And he sat down and called the twelve. And he said to them, 'If anyone would be first, he must be last of all and servant of all.' " - Mark 9:35 ESV
Freedom is an interesting thing. The Israelites faced a crisis when they left Eygpt. It was a freedom crisis. They didn't have anyone to tell them what to do anymore. They asked for rules and God gave them rules because they had no capacity to look at Him and be led in freedom. That generation died in the wilderness.
"When Jesus had received the sour wine, he said, 'It is finished,' and he bowed his head and gave up his spirit." - John 19:30 ESV
Jesus obeyed the rules for us. He won our salvation and as a last act of submission, He fell backwards into the arms of God trusting that His Father would raise Him up again. Now He sits at the right hand of God and all those who believe sit there also because they are hidden in His victory forever.
"And when the chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the unfading crown of glory. Likewise, you who are younger, be subject to the elders. Clothe yourselves, all of you, with humility toward one another, for 'God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.' Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you, casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you." - 1 Peter 5:4-7 ESV
We now have a capacity to willing humble ourselves also and not lose our dignity doing it. There is a crown waiting for all those who fall backwards into the arms of God in circumstances because Christ has finished the work of mandatory spiritual submission.
--
'Divine Command Ethics' - God tells us to do this and not to do that as individuals like He instructed Israel as a nation.
and
What some groups refer to as ESS (The Eternal Subordination of the Son) which paints the Son as eternally submitting to the Father instead of just taking on the role of a servant for a time in the incarnation, then being exalted by the Father and returning to a co-equal role and sitting on the throne with Him.
I see great linkages between these two concepts. Are we submitting for a time so that redemption can happen in time and space or are we submitted forever?
Do we force submission on others?
What kind of submission is expected in marriage and family? How is our Church leadership structured? If you are a man how do you see and treat women?
Big questions aren't they?
Evolution or natural selection says the fittest will survive. The weak will eventually bow down to the strong. Religion forces submission by divine decree but what is spiritual?
"You are severed from Christ, you who would be justified by the law; you have fallen away from grace. For through the Spirit, by faith, we ourselves eagerly wait for the hope of righteousness. For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision counts for anything, but only faith working through love. You were running well. Who hindered you from obeying the truth? This persuasion is not from him who calls you." - Galatians 5:4-8 ESV
"And he sat down and called the twelve. And he said to them, 'If anyone would be first, he must be last of all and servant of all.' " - Mark 9:35 ESV
Freedom is an interesting thing. The Israelites faced a crisis when they left Eygpt. It was a freedom crisis. They didn't have anyone to tell them what to do anymore. They asked for rules and God gave them rules because they had no capacity to look at Him and be led in freedom. That generation died in the wilderness.
"When Jesus had received the sour wine, he said, 'It is finished,' and he bowed his head and gave up his spirit." - John 19:30 ESV
Jesus obeyed the rules for us. He won our salvation and as a last act of submission, He fell backwards into the arms of God trusting that His Father would raise Him up again. Now He sits at the right hand of God and all those who believe sit there also because they are hidden in His victory forever.
"And when the chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the unfading crown of glory. Likewise, you who are younger, be subject to the elders. Clothe yourselves, all of you, with humility toward one another, for 'God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.' Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you, casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you." - 1 Peter 5:4-7 ESV
We now have a capacity to willing humble ourselves also and not lose our dignity doing it. There is a crown waiting for all those who fall backwards into the arms of God in circumstances because Christ has finished the work of mandatory spiritual submission.
--
Monday, October 22, 2018
He Brings The Party To Us
I really love this picture.
"Stay dressed for action and keep your lamps burning, and be like men who are waiting for their master to come home from the wedding feast, so that they may open the door to him at once when he comes and knocks. Blessed are those servants whom the master finds awake when he comes. Truly, I say to you, he will dress himself for service and have them recline at table, and he will come and serve them. If he comes in the second watch, or in the third, and finds them awake, blessed are those servants!" - Luke 12:35-38 ESV
Can we imagine God this way? Can we see him as a boss who just got married and is full of joy. At the same time can we see our lives like a person working the second or third shift on a job. He visits and brings the party to us and serves us because of a great overflow in His heart.
This is a 'boss' that comes and brings cake. The 'supervisor' must dread when He shows up at work because this 'boss' serves and tells stories and production comes to a halt until He leaves because He has everyone laughing and enjoying themselves when He is there. This is the one person the 'supervisor' has no power over because this is The King of kings and Lord of Lords.
It is Monday and perhaps the urge is to go sleep in back behind the barrels where no one can see us instead of being invested in our own lives. If we do that we will miss this joyous visitation.
God is the 'master' or 'boss' in this passage but it isn't picturing Him this way to emphasize His power to command us. This passage pictures Him that way because God is the one who has the power to bless us and affect our lives for good. He Is rich. He has the power to pause our work cycle. He has the authority to say, 'Celebrate with Me!'
I want to be the person, 'Waiting at the door' to celebrate what Jesus has done and share in His joy. He died on a cross so that He could take a wife. He reconciled humanity to God to bring humanity into His family with joy and fanfare.
--
"Stay dressed for action and keep your lamps burning, and be like men who are waiting for their master to come home from the wedding feast, so that they may open the door to him at once when he comes and knocks. Blessed are those servants whom the master finds awake when he comes. Truly, I say to you, he will dress himself for service and have them recline at table, and he will come and serve them. If he comes in the second watch, or in the third, and finds them awake, blessed are those servants!" - Luke 12:35-38 ESV
Can we imagine God this way? Can we see him as a boss who just got married and is full of joy. At the same time can we see our lives like a person working the second or third shift on a job. He visits and brings the party to us and serves us because of a great overflow in His heart.
This is a 'boss' that comes and brings cake. The 'supervisor' must dread when He shows up at work because this 'boss' serves and tells stories and production comes to a halt until He leaves because He has everyone laughing and enjoying themselves when He is there. This is the one person the 'supervisor' has no power over because this is The King of kings and Lord of Lords.
It is Monday and perhaps the urge is to go sleep in back behind the barrels where no one can see us instead of being invested in our own lives. If we do that we will miss this joyous visitation.
God is the 'master' or 'boss' in this passage but it isn't picturing Him this way to emphasize His power to command us. This passage pictures Him that way because God is the one who has the power to bless us and affect our lives for good. He Is rich. He has the power to pause our work cycle. He has the authority to say, 'Celebrate with Me!'
I want to be the person, 'Waiting at the door' to celebrate what Jesus has done and share in His joy. He died on a cross so that He could take a wife. He reconciled humanity to God to bring humanity into His family with joy and fanfare.
--
Thursday, October 18, 2018
Looking To The House Of Obed-edom
I woke up this morning thinking about the concept of 'estrangement' and I began reading the Gospels and a conversation we had at coffee a few weeks ago came to mind. It brought me to 2 Samuel the sixth chapter.
"And David and all the house of Israel were celebrating before the LORD, with songs and lyres and harps and tambourines and castanets and cymbals. And when they came to the threshing floor of Nacon, Uzzah put out his hand to the ark of God and took hold of it, for the oxen stumbled. And the anger of the LORD was kindled against Uzzah, and God struck him down there because of his error, and he died there beside the ark of God. And David was angry because the LORD had broken out against Uzzah. And that place is called Perez-uzzah to this day. And David was afraid of the LORD that day, and he said, 'How can the ark of the LORD come to me?' So David was not willing to take the ark of the LORD into the city of David. But David took it aside to the house of Obed-edom the Gittite. And the ark of the LORD remained in the house of Obed-edom the Gittite three months, and the LORD blessed Obed-edom and all his household. And it was told King David, 'The LORD has blessed the household of Obed-edom and all that belongs to him, because of the ark of God.' So David went and brought up the ark of God from the house of Obed-edom to the city of David with rejoicing." - 2 Samuel 6:5-12 ESV
Uzzah got killed because he was in the wrong place at the wrong time. David tried to carry the Ark (representing the presence of God) back to Israel incorrectly on a new cart using oxen. The oxen stumbled and Uzzah put out his hand to steady the Ark and got killed.
This tragedy was David's fault. God told Israel how to carry the Ark but David was emotional and got carried away in the moment of zeal.
David was estranged from God for three months.
The correct way to carry the Ark was with two poles. The priests carried the Ark then set it down in the next place.
This brings a couple of things to mind. God wanted human feet touching the ground not wheels. He wanted the presence of God 'suspended in the air' and carried by many people. If one stumbled in would not matter because the others would assume the weight of it for that brief moment.
Secondly, God struck Uzzah down for touching the Ark but He didn't harm David for abandoning the Ark. God just blessed the house of Obed-edom until David noticed the blessing and it dissolved David's fear. David looked in the scripture and found the correct way to bear the presence of God and brought it home again.
I can relate strongly to this account today. That is just how things are in this season of my life.
"And it was told King David, 'The LORD has blessed the household of Obed-edom and all that belongs to him, because of the ark of God.' So David went and brought up the ark of God from the house of Obed-edom to the city of David with rejoicing. And when those who bore the ark of the LORD had gone six steps, he sacrificed an ox and a fattened animal. And David danced before the LORD with all his might. And David was wearing a linen ephod. So David and all the house of Israel brought up the ark of the LORD with shouting and with the sound of the horn." - 2 Samuel 6:12-15 ESV
I see David in two states in this chapter. I see a David who turns his back respectfully on God and moves on not knowing how to proceed and I see dancing David. I have been both men but this morning I look at the house of Obed-edom and I ponder the blessing that dwells there. That is my blessing. The scriptures must guide my enthusiasm. It can't be all zeal. My zeal can dry up in a moment. I must look to God's ways.
"Therefore the LORD waits to be gracious to you, and therefore he exalts himself to show mercy to you. For the LORD is a God of justice; blessed are all those who wait for him." - Isaiah 30:18 ESV
--
"And David and all the house of Israel were celebrating before the LORD, with songs and lyres and harps and tambourines and castanets and cymbals. And when they came to the threshing floor of Nacon, Uzzah put out his hand to the ark of God and took hold of it, for the oxen stumbled. And the anger of the LORD was kindled against Uzzah, and God struck him down there because of his error, and he died there beside the ark of God. And David was angry because the LORD had broken out against Uzzah. And that place is called Perez-uzzah to this day. And David was afraid of the LORD that day, and he said, 'How can the ark of the LORD come to me?' So David was not willing to take the ark of the LORD into the city of David. But David took it aside to the house of Obed-edom the Gittite. And the ark of the LORD remained in the house of Obed-edom the Gittite three months, and the LORD blessed Obed-edom and all his household. And it was told King David, 'The LORD has blessed the household of Obed-edom and all that belongs to him, because of the ark of God.' So David went and brought up the ark of God from the house of Obed-edom to the city of David with rejoicing." - 2 Samuel 6:5-12 ESV
Uzzah got killed because he was in the wrong place at the wrong time. David tried to carry the Ark (representing the presence of God) back to Israel incorrectly on a new cart using oxen. The oxen stumbled and Uzzah put out his hand to steady the Ark and got killed.
This tragedy was David's fault. God told Israel how to carry the Ark but David was emotional and got carried away in the moment of zeal.
David was estranged from God for three months.
The correct way to carry the Ark was with two poles. The priests carried the Ark then set it down in the next place.
This brings a couple of things to mind. God wanted human feet touching the ground not wheels. He wanted the presence of God 'suspended in the air' and carried by many people. If one stumbled in would not matter because the others would assume the weight of it for that brief moment.
Secondly, God struck Uzzah down for touching the Ark but He didn't harm David for abandoning the Ark. God just blessed the house of Obed-edom until David noticed the blessing and it dissolved David's fear. David looked in the scripture and found the correct way to bear the presence of God and brought it home again.
I can relate strongly to this account today. That is just how things are in this season of my life.
"And it was told King David, 'The LORD has blessed the household of Obed-edom and all that belongs to him, because of the ark of God.' So David went and brought up the ark of God from the house of Obed-edom to the city of David with rejoicing. And when those who bore the ark of the LORD had gone six steps, he sacrificed an ox and a fattened animal. And David danced before the LORD with all his might. And David was wearing a linen ephod. So David and all the house of Israel brought up the ark of the LORD with shouting and with the sound of the horn." - 2 Samuel 6:12-15 ESV
I see David in two states in this chapter. I see a David who turns his back respectfully on God and moves on not knowing how to proceed and I see dancing David. I have been both men but this morning I look at the house of Obed-edom and I ponder the blessing that dwells there. That is my blessing. The scriptures must guide my enthusiasm. It can't be all zeal. My zeal can dry up in a moment. I must look to God's ways.
"Therefore the LORD waits to be gracious to you, and therefore he exalts himself to show mercy to you. For the LORD is a God of justice; blessed are all those who wait for him." - Isaiah 30:18 ESV
--
Friday, October 12, 2018
Purchased For Freedom
One little phrase that occurs twice in the new testament in the same book. It reveals a reality that protects us from letting our own desires consume us and from other people claiming ownership over our bodies.
"Flee from sexual immorality. Every other sin a person commits is outside the body, but the sexually immoral person sins against his own body. Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body." - 1 Corinthians 6:18-20 ESV
"Each one should remain in the condition in which he was called. Were you a bondservant when called? Do not be concerned about it. (But if you can gain your freedom, avail yourself of the opportunity.) For he who was called in the Lord as a bondservant is a freedman of the Lord. Likewise he who was free when called is a bondservant of Christ. You were bought with a price; do not become bondservants of men." - 1 Corinthians 7:20-23 ESV
'You were bought with a price.'
Jesus paid for you and me and each individual with His own precious blood. Our lives were very expensive.
If you were a slave to addictions before now you are a 'freedman' of the Lord. We can speak to the thing or person or desire and say, 'You don't own me. I belong to someone else.'
Maybe you don't desire that kind of coverage but it is the truest of coverings.
When peer pressure comes in we can say, 'I need to ask God first. He owns me.'
When the car salesman of lust lays on the pressure and says, 'You deserve to treat yourself. You have been under a lot of pressure lately.' and the offer looks tempting we can say, 'Sorry, I need to sleep on that and get back to you. There is someone at home I need to discuss this with first.'
'...if you can gain your freedom, avail yourself of the opportunity...'
It is a paradox, isn't it? What other owner says this? God is the only one who owns people to set them free.
--
"Flee from sexual immorality. Every other sin a person commits is outside the body, but the sexually immoral person sins against his own body. Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body." - 1 Corinthians 6:18-20 ESV
"Each one should remain in the condition in which he was called. Were you a bondservant when called? Do not be concerned about it. (But if you can gain your freedom, avail yourself of the opportunity.) For he who was called in the Lord as a bondservant is a freedman of the Lord. Likewise he who was free when called is a bondservant of Christ. You were bought with a price; do not become bondservants of men." - 1 Corinthians 7:20-23 ESV
'You were bought with a price.'
Jesus paid for you and me and each individual with His own precious blood. Our lives were very expensive.
If you were a slave to addictions before now you are a 'freedman' of the Lord. We can speak to the thing or person or desire and say, 'You don't own me. I belong to someone else.'
Maybe you don't desire that kind of coverage but it is the truest of coverings.
When peer pressure comes in we can say, 'I need to ask God first. He owns me.'
When the car salesman of lust lays on the pressure and says, 'You deserve to treat yourself. You have been under a lot of pressure lately.' and the offer looks tempting we can say, 'Sorry, I need to sleep on that and get back to you. There is someone at home I need to discuss this with first.'
'...if you can gain your freedom, avail yourself of the opportunity...'
It is a paradox, isn't it? What other owner says this? God is the only one who owns people to set them free.
--
Thursday, October 11, 2018
Absalom's Sister
Just thinking about Absalom today. If you don't know about this man it would be good to read the accounts of Him in the scripture. He was King David's son. He rebelled against his father. Absalom's sister Tamar was raped by his older brother (from a different mother) Amnon. When no one did anything about the rape Absalom had his brother killed at a party that all of David's heirs attended. The news spread quickly but inaccurately to King David's ears that Absalom had killed all his other sons. It wasn't true but it must have wounded the king deeply. That was the method used to take power in those days. It must have looked for a moment like Absalom was power hungry and ruthless.
I don't know why I'm thinking of this today. Maybe because of all the talk lately of Joseph being falsely accused of rape. Joseph was innocent and it was wrong that he went to prison but it was also wrong that Ammon was almost able to get away with what he did and still be first in line to the throne. That scenario happens so much more often.
Absalom named his daughter Tamar that is how much He loved his dear sister.
I love my sisters also. I try to think of all women that way. They are my sisters. Don't hurt them. Don't use them or play with them or terrorize them.
My Savior is the Prince of Peace and murder isn't the answer. Holiness is the answer. That is only going to come in if people are introduced to a holy God.
--
I don't know why I'm thinking of this today. Maybe because of all the talk lately of Joseph being falsely accused of rape. Joseph was innocent and it was wrong that he went to prison but it was also wrong that Ammon was almost able to get away with what he did and still be first in line to the throne. That scenario happens so much more often.
Absalom named his daughter Tamar that is how much He loved his dear sister.
I love my sisters also. I try to think of all women that way. They are my sisters. Don't hurt them. Don't use them or play with them or terrorize them.
My Savior is the Prince of Peace and murder isn't the answer. Holiness is the answer. That is only going to come in if people are introduced to a holy God.
--
Monday, October 8, 2018
Arbitration?
"Someone in the crowd said to him, 'Teacher, tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me.' But he said to him, 'Man, who made me a judge or arbitrator over you?' And he said to them, 'Take care, and be on your guard against all covetousness, for one's life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.' " - Luke 12:13-15 ESV
Interesting. Was Jesus speaking about who He was in the incarnation or was He speaking about God's role in our interactions and transactions with each other? I believe both are true.
This man came to Jesus asking Him to act and make a ruling about an injustice but God didn't act. He made the person who approached Him mindful of his own heart condition.
Perhaps we might say, 'If we have this great relationship why won't you act on my on my behalf when I am in need or treated unjustly?' Earthly friends are 'there for you' when you need them.
If you begin to catalogue God's promises to believers they are mostly about access, not action. He promises unbelievers, nations and fallen angels to act but to those He knows He promises access.
People often pull promises out of a hat and claim that they mean something they don't. Like this one:
"Call to me and I will answer you, and will tell you great and hidden things that you have not known." - Jeremiah 33:3 ESV
They (we) claim the first part of this passage and say, 'Look God will act on my behalf!' but ignore the second part. Doesn't this whole passage describe what Jesus did for those two brothers? God injected divine viewpoint into that argument that was causing a breakdown. That family suddenly had a different option because one of it's members sought out the Lord.
"Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you, casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you. Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. Resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same kinds of suffering are being experienced by your brotherhood throughout the world. And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you." - 1 Peter 5:6-10 ESV
Wow.
Now that is an action promise. If we use our access and heed His heart condition advice God will 'exalt us' in time because grace will have done a work in us.
--
Interesting. Was Jesus speaking about who He was in the incarnation or was He speaking about God's role in our interactions and transactions with each other? I believe both are true.
This man came to Jesus asking Him to act and make a ruling about an injustice but God didn't act. He made the person who approached Him mindful of his own heart condition.
Perhaps we might say, 'If we have this great relationship why won't you act on my on my behalf when I am in need or treated unjustly?' Earthly friends are 'there for you' when you need them.
If you begin to catalogue God's promises to believers they are mostly about access, not action. He promises unbelievers, nations and fallen angels to act but to those He knows He promises access.
People often pull promises out of a hat and claim that they mean something they don't. Like this one:
"Call to me and I will answer you, and will tell you great and hidden things that you have not known." - Jeremiah 33:3 ESV
They (we) claim the first part of this passage and say, 'Look God will act on my behalf!' but ignore the second part. Doesn't this whole passage describe what Jesus did for those two brothers? God injected divine viewpoint into that argument that was causing a breakdown. That family suddenly had a different option because one of it's members sought out the Lord.
"Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you, casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you. Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. Resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same kinds of suffering are being experienced by your brotherhood throughout the world. And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you." - 1 Peter 5:6-10 ESV
Wow.
Now that is an action promise. If we use our access and heed His heart condition advice God will 'exalt us' in time because grace will have done a work in us.
--
Friday, October 5, 2018
Leah's Children And Everyone Else
I firmly believe there are 12 different kinds of people. 4 aspects of humanity that have different variations. I don't think of this very much nor do I categorize different individuals and give them labels. I do however review this idea from time to time because I think it is good to keep in mind that although mankind has shared needs they also have different ways of processing their experiences.
These 12 types of people are characterized by Jacob's 12 children that became (in one form or another) the 12 Hebrew tribes. The family of Messiah was a family that represented all of humanity.
This morning I was looking at the uneven distribution of children in Jacob's family.
- Leah has 6 sons and 1 daughter.
- Zilpah had 2 sons, Bilah had 2 sons and Rachael had 2 sons.
So 6 tribes came from one mother and the other 6 were split between 3 mothers.
In my mind even though there are 12 types of people out there things are not broken out evenly. The majority of Jacob's sons came from Leah and the Bible describes her as a plump, happy and kind of passive baby making kind of person. She wasn't strikingly beautiful. She got a little competitive with her sister Rachael for a season but for the most part, she was a Godly content person and she wasn't out to change the world. The world is filled with Leahs and most of humanity is also. Messiah came from her line. Jesus is descended from Leah.
But then there are the other 6 children they are different. They have the same needs but they have different mothers. They are minorities in the way they think and relate. Every one of us is unique and special but we all know people that are just out there don't we? They are just coming at things from a different direction.
Why am I talking about this? Maybe just because I want to remind myself that we all have different perspectives. Jesus held the title, 'Son of Man' because he represented all of humanity fully. People who study personalities are baffled by the accounts of Him because He manifests the aspects of each known personality type. He was a unique sinless man. He was the second Adam and all of the genetics of all mankind came from the first one. He was the 'finger of God'. God himself taking on human form like a person who puts his finger into a glass of water. That finger enters that realm and God entered our realm of time and space in His incarnation.
We each are 1 of those 12 variants but in Christ each one of us can minister to all 12. He can minister through us. No matter how different or the same we are He Is our common ground. He levels the playing field even if it seems like there is an overwhelming weight on one side slanting everything one way.
--
These 12 types of people are characterized by Jacob's 12 children that became (in one form or another) the 12 Hebrew tribes. The family of Messiah was a family that represented all of humanity.
This morning I was looking at the uneven distribution of children in Jacob's family.
- Leah has 6 sons and 1 daughter.
- Zilpah had 2 sons, Bilah had 2 sons and Rachael had 2 sons.
So 6 tribes came from one mother and the other 6 were split between 3 mothers.
In my mind even though there are 12 types of people out there things are not broken out evenly. The majority of Jacob's sons came from Leah and the Bible describes her as a plump, happy and kind of passive baby making kind of person. She wasn't strikingly beautiful. She got a little competitive with her sister Rachael for a season but for the most part, she was a Godly content person and she wasn't out to change the world. The world is filled with Leahs and most of humanity is also. Messiah came from her line. Jesus is descended from Leah.
But then there are the other 6 children they are different. They have the same needs but they have different mothers. They are minorities in the way they think and relate. Every one of us is unique and special but we all know people that are just out there don't we? They are just coming at things from a different direction.
Why am I talking about this? Maybe just because I want to remind myself that we all have different perspectives. Jesus held the title, 'Son of Man' because he represented all of humanity fully. People who study personalities are baffled by the accounts of Him because He manifests the aspects of each known personality type. He was a unique sinless man. He was the second Adam and all of the genetics of all mankind came from the first one. He was the 'finger of God'. God himself taking on human form like a person who puts his finger into a glass of water. That finger enters that realm and God entered our realm of time and space in His incarnation.
We each are 1 of those 12 variants but in Christ each one of us can minister to all 12. He can minister through us. No matter how different or the same we are He Is our common ground. He levels the playing field even if it seems like there is an overwhelming weight on one side slanting everything one way.
--
Thursday, October 4, 2018
The Second Son
Yesterday I was thinking a lot about 'the birthright' given to the first born son and God's tendency in the Hebrew scriptures to have the blessing fall on the second son instead. The firstborn had responsibilities. Older people tend to be responsible for younger ones. That blessing was a provision to bear that burden. That is right. It is natural. It is important for society.
God's blessing on the second son is supernatural. It is a blessing for a person who isn't responsible. In our new identity in Christ we are this second son. Jesus was the second Adam. We are blessed in grace and by grace. I often struggle with my responsibilities. It is a joy to put on Jesus Christ. We are blessed in Him. In Him we can do 'all things' because He has finished the work of salvation.
Maybe you have heavy things to carry today. Can you stop for a moment and put on Jesus Christ? He wants to bear your burden. He wants to carry your worries and fears and and free you to do what needs to be done.
God's blessing on the second son is supernatural. It is a blessing for a person who isn't responsible. In our new identity in Christ we are this second son. Jesus was the second Adam. We are blessed in grace and by grace. I often struggle with my responsibilities. It is a joy to put on Jesus Christ. We are blessed in Him. In Him we can do 'all things' because He has finished the work of salvation.
Maybe you have heavy things to carry today. Can you stop for a moment and put on Jesus Christ? He wants to bear your burden. He wants to carry your worries and fears and and free you to do what needs to be done.
Tuesday, October 2, 2018
Sent Two By Two
"And he called the twelve and began to send them out two by two, and gave them authority over the unclean spirits." Mark 6:7 ESV
What does this passage say to you? I woke up thinking about this. I think that evangelism works this way today also. It is God pairing together two or more people, sometimes strangers or people who have little in common, and sending them out So that they can bring people back to Him after a witness of power on those two people's lives.
This isn't about me being a nice person at work. That's fine but it isn't necessarily evangelism. I see a structure. I see people going out that have a place... a place where a person is manifested... to bring people home to.
I have seen people leave the structure that allows them to evangelize and then that aspect of their life drys up. I have seasons like that. Let's face it not everyone has the make up to disciple people in faith one on one. Most people need a group or at least the support of a group. I was always taught that winning someone and then leaving them undiscipled is paramount to abandoning a child. You just don't do it and I see the logic of that. A person who believes in Jesus has become new. They have a new identity and they need someone as a guide or it would be very easy to get lost in the woods.
I'm very glad God used a group of people to come and get me. That imperfect team had the power of love. I saw that love and that imperfection. It was a group that could live as imperfect people made perfect in a thinking atmosphere of grace and truth. I go because that group went and I don't have to be perfect to do it. I do however need a place to bring people home to where they can meet Jesus.
I'm not saying that 'place' needs to have a name over the door and a cross on the wall but how else does this 'two by two' dynamic happen? What does that passage say to you? Can you afford to tear it out of your Bible or write it off as being written to some other group of people? There was a power placed on those two people. If we live outside that structure isn't it right to say that we might also be living without that power?
--
What does this passage say to you? I woke up thinking about this. I think that evangelism works this way today also. It is God pairing together two or more people, sometimes strangers or people who have little in common, and sending them out So that they can bring people back to Him after a witness of power on those two people's lives.
This isn't about me being a nice person at work. That's fine but it isn't necessarily evangelism. I see a structure. I see people going out that have a place... a place where a person is manifested... to bring people home to.
I have seen people leave the structure that allows them to evangelize and then that aspect of their life drys up. I have seasons like that. Let's face it not everyone has the make up to disciple people in faith one on one. Most people need a group or at least the support of a group. I was always taught that winning someone and then leaving them undiscipled is paramount to abandoning a child. You just don't do it and I see the logic of that. A person who believes in Jesus has become new. They have a new identity and they need someone as a guide or it would be very easy to get lost in the woods.
I'm very glad God used a group of people to come and get me. That imperfect team had the power of love. I saw that love and that imperfection. It was a group that could live as imperfect people made perfect in a thinking atmosphere of grace and truth. I go because that group went and I don't have to be perfect to do it. I do however need a place to bring people home to where they can meet Jesus.
I'm not saying that 'place' needs to have a name over the door and a cross on the wall but how else does this 'two by two' dynamic happen? What does that passage say to you? Can you afford to tear it out of your Bible or write it off as being written to some other group of people? There was a power placed on those two people. If we live outside that structure isn't it right to say that we might also be living without that power?
--
Monday, October 1, 2018
A Time Of Fellowship With Someone In Revival
I spoke to a very amazing woman yesterday who is having a 'prayer revival' right now and it was a real blessing. God gave me a word for her about angels being worshipers and how we become worshipers when we see the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ and I just felt humbled that God would use me that way. She is a spiritual giant in my eyes and I kind of marvel at what is happening in her life. It challenges me. She has great hardships, great difficulties and great faith.
"Rejoice always,
-
Pray without ceasing,
-
Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.
-
Do not quench the Spirit.
-
Do not despise prophecies, but test everything; hold fast what is good.
-
Abstain from every form of evil." - 1 Thessalonians 5:16-22 ESV
This isn't something that can be manufactured. This isn't 'being good.' This is God manifesting Himself through us.
The Bible provides an entrance into this life but there is a person who greats us at the door and ushers us into His home.
When I was fellowshipping with this woman I felt like it was Christmas night and I was out in the dark cold following her into a warm bright home. The light was shining on her as God opened the door for her to enter and I got to walk in behind her. I was still somewhat in the dark and she was shining with light from the doorway. The smells of dinner and Christmas cookies were in the air. The lights were twinkling inside. The festive music was playing and there was a warm spot on the couch waiting just for me. The host was greeting me warmly. I am special to Him but He opened the door for her. She was in front of me. He heard her knock.
God is listening for our knock on His door. Yes, He comes to find us like a shepherd finds a lost sheep. There is this dual dynamic happening. God seeks us first and then we seek Him and others get ushered into His warm festive home as family members.
--
P.S. Here is a piece of what God gave me to give to her as she was ministering to me...
{I've been reading and thinking about the 'spirituals' that slaves in United States used to sing and the encoded messages in them used to help guide runaway slaves. If the group sang 'Wade in the Water' it was sending the message that the people chasing the runaway had dogs and to get in the river or stream to mask the scent and throw off the dogs. They would sing a series of songs and if one song was sung twice it meant the coast was clear but if they sang a new song it meant there was danger.
Imagine singing to God... singing with all your heart in worship but also singing knowing the message you were sending in the song might mean life or death for someone who just wanted to be free.
The angels are worshippers. I wonder if they get cues about moving or holding back based on our worship. God desires that people would worship Him in spirit and in truth. That kind of worship is Spirit (capital S) led worship. The Trinity is present in the worship of a person who worships God because the glory of God has been revealed in the face of Jesus Christ.
Maybe... just maybe... when our worry turns to worship it signals the next phase of God's plan to bring us or someone else from bondage in to freedom.}
--
"Rejoice always,
-
Pray without ceasing,
-
Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.
-
Do not quench the Spirit.
-
Do not despise prophecies, but test everything; hold fast what is good.
-
Abstain from every form of evil." - 1 Thessalonians 5:16-22 ESV
This isn't something that can be manufactured. This isn't 'being good.' This is God manifesting Himself through us.
The Bible provides an entrance into this life but there is a person who greats us at the door and ushers us into His home.
When I was fellowshipping with this woman I felt like it was Christmas night and I was out in the dark cold following her into a warm bright home. The light was shining on her as God opened the door for her to enter and I got to walk in behind her. I was still somewhat in the dark and she was shining with light from the doorway. The smells of dinner and Christmas cookies were in the air. The lights were twinkling inside. The festive music was playing and there was a warm spot on the couch waiting just for me. The host was greeting me warmly. I am special to Him but He opened the door for her. She was in front of me. He heard her knock.
God is listening for our knock on His door. Yes, He comes to find us like a shepherd finds a lost sheep. There is this dual dynamic happening. God seeks us first and then we seek Him and others get ushered into His warm festive home as family members.
--
P.S. Here is a piece of what God gave me to give to her as she was ministering to me...
{I've been reading and thinking about the 'spirituals' that slaves in United States used to sing and the encoded messages in them used to help guide runaway slaves. If the group sang 'Wade in the Water' it was sending the message that the people chasing the runaway had dogs and to get in the river or stream to mask the scent and throw off the dogs. They would sing a series of songs and if one song was sung twice it meant the coast was clear but if they sang a new song it meant there was danger.
Imagine singing to God... singing with all your heart in worship but also singing knowing the message you were sending in the song might mean life or death for someone who just wanted to be free.
The angels are worshippers. I wonder if they get cues about moving or holding back based on our worship. God desires that people would worship Him in spirit and in truth. That kind of worship is Spirit (capital S) led worship. The Trinity is present in the worship of a person who worships God because the glory of God has been revealed in the face of Jesus Christ.
Maybe... just maybe... when our worry turns to worship it signals the next phase of God's plan to bring us or someone else from bondage in to freedom.}
--
Friday, September 28, 2018
Access To What We Are Standing In
"Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God." - Romans 5:1-2 ESV
This is such a loaded passage.
We have access to the grace we are standing in through (and because of) Jesus Christ.
Because of the fall people get disconnected from things they are standing in all the time. They lack access. They stand in a place but miss the beauty of their surroundings. They stand in a family but they are cut off from the warmth and connection of what a family is (or should be). They stand in marriages but lack intimacy.
We gain access to grace through Jesus Christ. We gain access to the knowledge that God is thinking kind thoughts about us. We are connected to the fact that we have favor with God based on the work and character of His Son. This access causes us to rejoice and have hope that God's 'glory' will be manifested in the world.
I see people get disconnected all the time. If the isolation happens and is sustained for long periods of time people start to get strange in their thinking. It is like they have spiritual oxygen deprivation.
Jesus is our access to intimacy. He is the master key that opens all doors. He is how we can have access to what is real and not imagined. Faith in Him can heal our other connections. Peace and justification come into our lives and we get restored over time.
"For the unbelieving husband is made holy because of his wife, and the unbelieving wife is made holy because of her husband..." - 1 Corinthians 7:14a ESV
Yes. Holiness can enter the home, workplace or nation because of one believing person who has access to what they are standing in.
--
This is such a loaded passage.
We have access to the grace we are standing in through (and because of) Jesus Christ.
Because of the fall people get disconnected from things they are standing in all the time. They lack access. They stand in a place but miss the beauty of their surroundings. They stand in a family but they are cut off from the warmth and connection of what a family is (or should be). They stand in marriages but lack intimacy.
We gain access to grace through Jesus Christ. We gain access to the knowledge that God is thinking kind thoughts about us. We are connected to the fact that we have favor with God based on the work and character of His Son. This access causes us to rejoice and have hope that God's 'glory' will be manifested in the world.
I see people get disconnected all the time. If the isolation happens and is sustained for long periods of time people start to get strange in their thinking. It is like they have spiritual oxygen deprivation.
Jesus is our access to intimacy. He is the master key that opens all doors. He is how we can have access to what is real and not imagined. Faith in Him can heal our other connections. Peace and justification come into our lives and we get restored over time.
"For the unbelieving husband is made holy because of his wife, and the unbelieving wife is made holy because of her husband..." - 1 Corinthians 7:14a ESV
Yes. Holiness can enter the home, workplace or nation because of one believing person who has access to what they are standing in.
--
Monday, September 10, 2018
Who Is My Neighbor?
"But he, desiring to justify himself, said to Jesus, 'And who is my neighbor?' " - Luke 10:29 ESV
What a question. Mercy doesn't ask this question. Here is Jesus' answer.
"Jesus replied, 'A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and he fell among robbers, who stripped him and beat him and departed, leaving him half dead. Now by chance a priest was going down that road, and when he saw him he passed by on the other side. So likewise a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. But a Samaritan, as he journeyed, came to where he was, and when he saw him, he had compassion. He went to him and bound up his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he set him on his own animal and brought him to an inn and took care of him. And the next day he took out two denarii and gave them to the innkeeper, saying, 'Take care of him, and whatever more you spend, I will repay you when I come back.' Which of these three, do you think, proved to be a neighbor to the man who fell among the robbers?' He said, 'The one who showed him mercy.' And Jesus said to him, 'You go, and do likewise.' " - Luke 10:30-37 ESV
Wow.
"...'You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself.' " - Luke 10:27b ESV
Who deserves respect?
Who is more important?
Jesus pointed to a man who was beaten and laying on the road to get this man to answer this question himself.
I am convicted more and more that it is what I do and not just what I talk about that is the measure of my impact on the world around me. I don't want to strive but maybe it would be good if I imagined bloody people laying on the side on the road more instead of having a fine-tuned sense of categorizing people as worthy or deserving based on appearances.
--
What a question. Mercy doesn't ask this question. Here is Jesus' answer.
"Jesus replied, 'A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and he fell among robbers, who stripped him and beat him and departed, leaving him half dead. Now by chance a priest was going down that road, and when he saw him he passed by on the other side. So likewise a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. But a Samaritan, as he journeyed, came to where he was, and when he saw him, he had compassion. He went to him and bound up his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he set him on his own animal and brought him to an inn and took care of him. And the next day he took out two denarii and gave them to the innkeeper, saying, 'Take care of him, and whatever more you spend, I will repay you when I come back.' Which of these three, do you think, proved to be a neighbor to the man who fell among the robbers?' He said, 'The one who showed him mercy.' And Jesus said to him, 'You go, and do likewise.' " - Luke 10:30-37 ESV
Wow.
"...'You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself.' " - Luke 10:27b ESV
Who deserves respect?
Who is more important?
Jesus pointed to a man who was beaten and laying on the road to get this man to answer this question himself.
I am convicted more and more that it is what I do and not just what I talk about that is the measure of my impact on the world around me. I don't want to strive but maybe it would be good if I imagined bloody people laying on the side on the road more instead of having a fine-tuned sense of categorizing people as worthy or deserving based on appearances.
--
Tuesday, September 4, 2018
Destabilization - Part 1
"Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. Resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same kinds of suffering are being experienced by your brotherhood throughout the world. And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you. To him be the dominion forever and ever. Amen." - 1 Peter 5:8-11 ESV
The roar is meant to be 'destabilizing'. The roar is meant to disorient potential prey.
"They that are delivered from the noise of archers in the places of drawing water, there shall they rehearse the righteous acts of the LORD, even the righteous acts toward the inhabitants of his villages in Israel: then shall the people of the LORD go down to the gates." - Judges 5:11 KJV
The sound of arrows passing close to a person's head is meant to be destabilizing. People would drop their water and any other possessions to get to safety but there is a group that is delivered from that noise. The ones that 'rehearse the righteous acts of the LORD' those same people can also understand what Peter is talking about because they have a firm faith that isn't based solely on their present feelings.
"Jesus said to them, 'Have you never read in the Scriptures: 'The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone; this was the Lord's doing, and it is marvelous in our eyes'?' " - Matthew 21:42 ESV
Jesus is the cornerstone that was rejected but has been recognized by a group of people and that knowledge gives them stability. No roar or sound of an arrow will affect them because they have a stability that comes from understanding who Christ Is and what He has done.
Don't get me wrong. That roar is no joke. The roar of cancer. The roar of rejection. It makes a person want to run in a thousand directions at once just to get away but Jesus is above all that. Build on Him.
"For no one can lay a foundation other than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. Now if anyone builds on the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw - each one's work will become manifest, for the Day will disclose it, because it will be revealed by fire, and the fire will test what sort of work each one has done. If the work that anyone has built on the foundation survives, he will receive a reward." - 1 Corinthians 3:11-14 ESV
My faith isn't built on a moral code or even a specific outcome. It rests in a person. Jesus knows me and He loves me anyway.
"At that time his voice shook the earth, but now he has promised, 'Yet once more I will shake not only the earth but also the heavens.' This phrase, 'Yet once more,' indicates the removal of things that are shaken - that is, things that have been made - in order that the things that cannot be shaken may remain. Therefore let us be grateful for receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, and thus let us offer to God acceptable worship, with reverence and awe, for our God is a consuming fire." - Hebrews 12:26-29 ESV
The things that can be destabilized (shaken) will be destabilized. I want to build on the Rock that can't be moved. It is the wise place to build. It doesn't seem like the most convenient place but it is the most stable place. When the storm comes those who built on the Rock will have continued stability.
--
The roar is meant to be 'destabilizing'. The roar is meant to disorient potential prey.
"They that are delivered from the noise of archers in the places of drawing water, there shall they rehearse the righteous acts of the LORD, even the righteous acts toward the inhabitants of his villages in Israel: then shall the people of the LORD go down to the gates." - Judges 5:11 KJV
The sound of arrows passing close to a person's head is meant to be destabilizing. People would drop their water and any other possessions to get to safety but there is a group that is delivered from that noise. The ones that 'rehearse the righteous acts of the LORD' those same people can also understand what Peter is talking about because they have a firm faith that isn't based solely on their present feelings.
"Jesus said to them, 'Have you never read in the Scriptures: 'The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone; this was the Lord's doing, and it is marvelous in our eyes'?' " - Matthew 21:42 ESV
Jesus is the cornerstone that was rejected but has been recognized by a group of people and that knowledge gives them stability. No roar or sound of an arrow will affect them because they have a stability that comes from understanding who Christ Is and what He has done.
Don't get me wrong. That roar is no joke. The roar of cancer. The roar of rejection. It makes a person want to run in a thousand directions at once just to get away but Jesus is above all that. Build on Him.
"For no one can lay a foundation other than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. Now if anyone builds on the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw - each one's work will become manifest, for the Day will disclose it, because it will be revealed by fire, and the fire will test what sort of work each one has done. If the work that anyone has built on the foundation survives, he will receive a reward." - 1 Corinthians 3:11-14 ESV
My faith isn't built on a moral code or even a specific outcome. It rests in a person. Jesus knows me and He loves me anyway.
"At that time his voice shook the earth, but now he has promised, 'Yet once more I will shake not only the earth but also the heavens.' This phrase, 'Yet once more,' indicates the removal of things that are shaken - that is, things that have been made - in order that the things that cannot be shaken may remain. Therefore let us be grateful for receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, and thus let us offer to God acceptable worship, with reverence and awe, for our God is a consuming fire." - Hebrews 12:26-29 ESV
The things that can be destabilized (shaken) will be destabilized. I want to build on the Rock that can't be moved. It is the wise place to build. It doesn't seem like the most convenient place but it is the most stable place. When the storm comes those who built on the Rock will have continued stability.
--
Thursday, August 30, 2018
Sent Ones
"After this the Lord appointed seventy-two others and sent them on ahead of him, two by two, into every town and place where he himself was about to go. And he said to them, 'The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few. Therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest. Go your way; behold, I am sending you out as lambs in the midst of wolves. Carry no moneybag, no knapsack, no sandals, and greet no one on the road. Whatever house you enter, first say, 'Peace be to this house!'... The one who hears you hears me, and the one who rejects you rejects me, and the one who rejects me rejects him who sent me." - Luke 10:1-5, 16 ESV
The 'greet no one on the road' statement got me this morning. The disciples were to treat this like a business trip and not a vacation in that they weren't supposed to get sidetracked by social matters and not get around to talking about Christ.
They said this when they returned...
"The seventy-two returned with joy, saying, 'Lord, even the demons are subject to us in your name!' " - Luke 10:17 ESV
There is power in this focus of being 'sent ahead of Him' like a plough is sent into the fallow ground to get it ready for seed.
--
The 'greet no one on the road' statement got me this morning. The disciples were to treat this like a business trip and not a vacation in that they weren't supposed to get sidetracked by social matters and not get around to talking about Christ.
They said this when they returned...
"The seventy-two returned with joy, saying, 'Lord, even the demons are subject to us in your name!' " - Luke 10:17 ESV
There is power in this focus of being 'sent ahead of Him' like a plough is sent into the fallow ground to get it ready for seed.
--
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