"...and to give His life as a ransom for many." 45b.
God is Love (a). Love is a verb, an action that must be displayed or it is invalid. Love is not self-seeking (b). God so loved the people of this world that He gave His one and only Son (Jesus) (c). Jesus was not, however, a drone given away by God unto death, although He is God, Jesus was also 100% human, this gave Him free will to choose, and He chose to lay down His life and to give it as a ransom for many. God showed His love for us in this, that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us (d). Not waiting for us to fix our lives or to clean up our mess, nor waiting for us to build utopia here on earth, but while we were still enemies of Himself, He gave His own life for us - and this is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins (e).
The Greek word for ransom (lü'-tron) means, "the payment for redeeming or setting a prisoner or slave free." The word 'for' (än-tē') means, "in place of." If you are like me you hear the word 'ransom' and think of kid-nappers who hold their victims for ransom. That is not what is meant here. To say that, we were in need of being set free, is understood, but not from a kid-napper. Christianity is not dualistic, meaning, good and evil are not coexisting eternal forces. God and Satan are not opposites as far as equality can be considered. Satan was a fallen angel, a created being by God, and cast out of heaven by God. Does Satan have power? I suppose you could say he does, but not in the sense that his power is his own, only that what he has is granted him temporarily by our Sovereign God. Anyway, all of this is to say that Satan did not take us from God and hold us captive until a payment was made. We were born in iniquity(f), slaves to our sin (g) because we were obedient to our nature, a thing we could not change on our own.
Then the question remains, to whom then was the ransom paid? The answer; to God, in order that we would be saved from the wrath of God.
Since, therefore, we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God. For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life. More than that, we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation. (h)
Now i ask, do you have peace with God? if you do, REJOICE!
But if you don't, understand that you don't. He is the only way to Heaven and peace with God, will you trust that His death and resurrection have paid the price? Today is the day of salvation, don't put it off.
Thank you Jesus for all that You've done for us, for me. In all that we do, be glorified.
(a) I John 4:16
(b) I Corinthians 13:5
(c) John 3:16
(d) Romans 5:8
(e) I John 4:10
(f) Psalm 51:5
(g) Romans 6:16
(h) Romans 5:9-11
Saturday, August 28, 2010
Thursday, August 26, 2010
106. A Walk With Jesus (Our Example)
"For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve..." 45a.
Our perfect example in Servant Leadership is found in none other than Jesus Christ. I understand how easy it is to take worldly things and use them as substitutes for the Messiah. Be it material, relational or even ideological (the wisdom of man, philosophy, psychology, etc.), it is often easier to replace Jesus than it is to rely on Jesus. We can take this further and begin to worship the theology of the Christ and not Christ Himself, this is usually where religion begins and communion with God ends.
Christian, He is the image of the invisible God... all things were created through Him and for Him(a). Is He the Well from which we draw living water? Or are we relying on things that will change or be gone tomorrow? Is He our Truth? Or do we believe the stupidity of relativism? Is He our ultimate source of wisdom? Or just another good teacher...
Is God the God of the big and complicated things, or is He not also the God of the small and the mundane? Is Jesus Christ your example for teaching, parenting, loving, disciplining, being a husband or wife, a child, a witness, a student, an employee or employer, an enemy or a friend? in all areas is He your everything, your go to man -- your final word? Or does He find Himself at the end of a long list of people or things that you would rather go to first?
What role does God play in my life?
Our perfect example in Servant Leadership is found in none other than Jesus Christ. I understand how easy it is to take worldly things and use them as substitutes for the Messiah. Be it material, relational or even ideological (the wisdom of man, philosophy, psychology, etc.), it is often easier to replace Jesus than it is to rely on Jesus. We can take this further and begin to worship the theology of the Christ and not Christ Himself, this is usually where religion begins and communion with God ends.
Christian, He is the image of the invisible God... all things were created through Him and for Him(a). Is He the Well from which we draw living water? Or are we relying on things that will change or be gone tomorrow? Is He our Truth? Or do we believe the stupidity of relativism? Is He our ultimate source of wisdom? Or just another good teacher...
Is God the God of the big and complicated things, or is He not also the God of the small and the mundane? Is Jesus Christ your example for teaching, parenting, loving, disciplining, being a husband or wife, a child, a witness, a student, an employee or employer, an enemy or a friend? in all areas is He your everything, your go to man -- your final word? Or does He find Himself at the end of a long list of people or things that you would rather go to first?
What role does God play in my life?
Father, You are so patient towards us. Why we still waste our time purchasing the lies of this age is beyond me. Why your word has become a book of fairy tales and bed time stories is a slap in Your face and to our shame. Jesus have Your mercy on us and forgive us the sins of idolatry in our hearts. I pray that You would become everything to those who are sincere towards You, that You would certainly be my everything. In all things, at all times, I want to walk in obedience with You. Forgetting the past, pressing on to the future, You are my hope in tomorrow. Father I don't want anything if it means I diminish our relationship in the process, remove the competition from my heart and make me fully devoted to You. Amen.
(a) Colosians 1:15-17
Wednesday, August 25, 2010
105. A Walk With Jesus (Servant Leaders)
When the ten heard about this, they became indignant with James and John. Jesus called them together and said, "You know that those who are regarded as rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them. (41-42)"
The rulers of the world system exercise lordship over those who are in a lower position. We call it ambition but its greed and selfishness. They step on people on their way to the "top". They use their position to rule over others, they enjoy the power they have over others, if you could call it power. They are the nurses who find it beneath themselves to help the CNAs. The boss who is irate over a cup of coffee not made perfect. Or the manager who uses his position to seduce a naive employee. Its the rich who become snobs, the spoiled who forgot that their position is a gift to be exercised, not a power to rule.
But how often (speaking to myself) do we want to be in the position of greatness? We
want to be recognised as the king of the mountain, the quarterback, the pastor, the master, the manager or boss, the nurse, the worship leader, the ones at the right and left hand of God (last blog). It is not enough to work for a company, we want to run the company. Its not enough to be a part of a team, we want to be the captain. We are told that its the popular ones, the great ones, the esteemed ones that get to rule, and so it is...
But Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be slave of all. (43-44)
Not so with us... not so with me. God's design for a leader is not for someone to stand up on stage and bark orders, it is to lead. Servant leaders are those able to be used by God. No matter what position they are in they are they are ready with a cheerful attitude to give their best. Not by the way of eye-service, as people-pleasers, but as servants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart, rendering service with a good will as to the Lord and not to man (a). So if you want to become great in the eyes of God, than serve Him. Obey what He has already asked you to obey in His revealed word (The Bible). Serve others as greater than yourselves and consider NO ONE beneath you. And when you are obedient to Him and faithful with the little He has given you then you will be exactly where He wants you to be.
Father, give me a desire to serve You and Your kingdom. To be great in Your eyes and not the eyes of man. I want to thank You for putting up with all the selfishness that I have lived through, thank You for the great patients You have shown me these many years. Jesus, I ask for the mindset of an audience of one. To serve You and You alone. Where ever you have me, I desire a heart of humility and servant-hood, to be shaped into the obedient leader you desire me to be. A heart after You is all i ask for ~ Amen.
(a) Ephesians 6:6-7
The rulers of the world system exercise lordship over those who are in a lower position. We call it ambition but its greed and selfishness. They step on people on their way to the "top". They use their position to rule over others, they enjoy the power they have over others, if you could call it power. They are the nurses who find it beneath themselves to help the CNAs. The boss who is irate over a cup of coffee not made perfect. Or the manager who uses his position to seduce a naive employee. Its the rich who become snobs, the spoiled who forgot that their position is a gift to be exercised, not a power to rule.
But how often (speaking to myself) do we want to be in the position of greatness? We
want to be recognised as the king of the mountain, the quarterback, the pastor, the master, the manager or boss, the nurse, the worship leader, the ones at the right and left hand of God (last blog). It is not enough to work for a company, we want to run the company. Its not enough to be a part of a team, we want to be the captain. We are told that its the popular ones, the great ones, the esteemed ones that get to rule, and so it is...But Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be slave of all. (43-44)
Not so with us... not so with me. God's design for a leader is not for someone to stand up on stage and bark orders, it is to lead. Servant leaders are those able to be used by God. No matter what position they are in they are they are ready with a cheerful attitude to give their best. Not by the way of eye-service, as people-pleasers, but as servants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart, rendering service with a good will as to the Lord and not to man (a). So if you want to become great in the eyes of God, than serve Him. Obey what He has already asked you to obey in His revealed word (The Bible). Serve others as greater than yourselves and consider NO ONE beneath you. And when you are obedient to Him and faithful with the little He has given you then you will be exactly where He wants you to be.
Father, give me a desire to serve You and Your kingdom. To be great in Your eyes and not the eyes of man. I want to thank You for putting up with all the selfishness that I have lived through, thank You for the great patients You have shown me these many years. Jesus, I ask for the mindset of an audience of one. To serve You and You alone. Where ever you have me, I desire a heart of humility and servant-hood, to be shaped into the obedient leader you desire me to be. A heart after You is all i ask for ~ Amen.
(a) Ephesians 6:6-7
Sunday, August 22, 2010
104. A Walk With Jesus (Our Requests)
35Then James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came to him. "Teacher," they said, "we want you to do for us whatever we ask." 36"What do you want me to do for you?" he asked.
37They replied, "Let one of us sit at your right and the other at your left in your glory."
In Matthew 20 we read that their mother introduced the topic of conversation to Jesus, here we only read the boys talking. Both are right, each writer only recorded which key information they wanted to include. Note that Jesus is not agreeing to their future request, rather, He is asking what it is they want Him to do.
38"You don't know what you are asking," Jesus said. "Can you drink the cup I drink or be baptized with the baptism I am baptized with?"
Speaking of His death and suffering.
39"We can," they answered. Jesus said to them, "You will drink the cup I drink and be baptized with the baptism I am baptized with, 40but to sit at my right or left is not for me to grant. These places belong to those for whom they have been prepared."
James was beheaded by Herod Agrippa I, king of the Jews, in AD 44. And Tradition has it that the brother John (author of the gospel of John, Revelation and the 3 letters) died of natural causes after his return from captivity and punishment on the Island of Patmos.
Application in regards to prayers and requests.
Negatively:
The country singer sung it right when he said, "I thank God for unanswered prayers." The brothers were not requesting a favor from Jesus, neither were they humbly asking to partake in His Kingdom, rather, they were demanding to be a part of it and have it their way, "we want you to do for us whatever we ask." Siblings, be careful that this is not you. We as Christians have become all too good at praying prayers in our will and then sprinkling it with Christian vocabulary and calling it good. Note, it is not the words or how you say it but the heart from which the words come. We say things like, "Lord please give me this job, but your will be done." When we are really saying, "Lord I want this job, and I want Your will to align with mine." We pray prayers very inconsistent with God's will or character (His nature if you prefer) and we end it with, "in Jesus name, Amen." Did you know that to pray in His name has nothing to do with that phrase? It means that you pray according to His name ~ His name represents all that He is and stands for. So I beseech you, before you make your "requests" known to the Lord, look into your heart and be sure you are asking for His kingdom and His will to be done and not your own.
Positively:
In light of His will, in light of His good and perfect name, pray and make your requests known ~ knowing full well that your prayers will be answered (a). Talking with God is not like wishing on a star, for what hope can superstition bring us? Since He is in existence and does indeed care for us let us cast all of our burdens on Him. We pray to God for wisdom, to handle situations as He would have us handle them. We pray to God for provision, that our needs be provided for (not necessarily our wants). We pray to God for protection, from the ruler of this age and the many ways he temps us to disobey our King. We pray to God that His name would remain holy in our lives, that we would speak of Him in reverence and love, that we would honor Him in our heart and our deeds. We pray for forgiveness, and the strength to forgive others. We pray for His will, in every facet of our lives we want to please God more than anything else and above anyone else, if it makes Him unhappy we want nothing to do with it and we pray for the strength to have nothing to do with it. There is so much more we pray for, so let your prayers be filled with praise to the God who alone saved us from our sins, and let your requests be made known to Him, desiring first of all that His kingdom come and His will be done.
37They replied, "Let one of us sit at your right and the other at your left in your glory."
In Matthew 20 we read that their mother introduced the topic of conversation to Jesus, here we only read the boys talking. Both are right, each writer only recorded which key information they wanted to include. Note that Jesus is not agreeing to their future request, rather, He is asking what it is they want Him to do.
38"You don't know what you are asking," Jesus said. "Can you drink the cup I drink or be baptized with the baptism I am baptized with?"
Speaking of His death and suffering.
39"We can," they answered. Jesus said to them, "You will drink the cup I drink and be baptized with the baptism I am baptized with, 40but to sit at my right or left is not for me to grant. These places belong to those for whom they have been prepared."
James was beheaded by Herod Agrippa I, king of the Jews, in AD 44. And Tradition has it that the brother John (author of the gospel of John, Revelation and the 3 letters) died of natural causes after his return from captivity and punishment on the Island of Patmos.
Application in regards to prayers and requests.
Negatively:
The country singer sung it right when he said, "I thank God for unanswered prayers." The brothers were not requesting a favor from Jesus, neither were they humbly asking to partake in His Kingdom, rather, they were demanding to be a part of it and have it their way, "we want you to do for us whatever we ask." Siblings, be careful that this is not you. We as Christians have become all too good at praying prayers in our will and then sprinkling it with Christian vocabulary and calling it good. Note, it is not the words or how you say it but the heart from which the words come. We say things like, "Lord please give me this job, but your will be done." When we are really saying, "Lord I want this job, and I want Your will to align with mine." We pray prayers very inconsistent with God's will or character (His nature if you prefer) and we end it with, "in Jesus name, Amen." Did you know that to pray in His name has nothing to do with that phrase? It means that you pray according to His name ~ His name represents all that He is and stands for. So I beseech you, before you make your "requests" known to the Lord, look into your heart and be sure you are asking for His kingdom and His will to be done and not your own.
Positively:
In light of His will, in light of His good and perfect name, pray and make your requests known ~ knowing full well that your prayers will be answered (a). Talking with God is not like wishing on a star, for what hope can superstition bring us? Since He is in existence and does indeed care for us let us cast all of our burdens on Him. We pray to God for wisdom, to handle situations as He would have us handle them. We pray to God for provision, that our needs be provided for (not necessarily our wants). We pray to God for protection, from the ruler of this age and the many ways he temps us to disobey our King. We pray to God that His name would remain holy in our lives, that we would speak of Him in reverence and love, that we would honor Him in our heart and our deeds. We pray for forgiveness, and the strength to forgive others. We pray for His will, in every facet of our lives we want to please God more than anything else and above anyone else, if it makes Him unhappy we want nothing to do with it and we pray for the strength to have nothing to do with it. There is so much more we pray for, so let your prayers be filled with praise to the God who alone saved us from our sins, and let your requests be made known to Him, desiring first of all that His kingdom come and His will be done.
Friday, August 20, 2010
103. A Walk With Jesus (Leadership)
32 And they were on the road, going up to Jerusalem, and Jesus was walking ahead of them. And they were amazed, and those who followed were afraid. And taking the twelve again, He began to tell them what was to happen to him, 33saying, "See, we are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be delivered over to the chief priests and the scribes, and they will condemn him to death and deliver him over to the Gentiles. 34And they will mock Him and spit on Him, and flog Him and kill Him. And after three days He will rise."
The qualities of God's leaders are mentioned in the book of Joshua (6th in the Bible). Joshua is commanded by God to take over for Moses and lead the people of Israel into the promised land. Three times the LORD says to Joshua, "Be strong and courageous. (a)" And another time the warriors of Israel are telling their leader to, "be strong and courageous. (b)" To these remain two other qualities. That is that a leader must be obedient (c) and faithful, day and night, trusting in the LORD (d). And now we see these qualities portrayed in our Master and Commander.
Jesus had twice already told his disciples that He was going to die and rise again (e), and now a third time as we just read. Notice that He was, "walking ahead of them." Knowing His eminent death and the torture that awaited Him, He still marched on ahead. You do not even find Him among the people, He was walking before them. He was leading the charge and, "they were amazed." His courage amazed them. Later we see that as the hour approaches Jesus lives out His faithfulness to the Father's will by praying, "not My will but Yours be done (g)." As the Father is so is the Son; faithful.
He never disobeyed God His Father, He never compromised His integrity, He never lied or watered down the truth. He became obedient to death - even the death of a cross (f). Tragically, it was our disobedience that place Him there. He was pierced for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon Him, and by His wounds we are healed (h). He knew that the gruesome death He foretold was the result of what we had done, and He loved us the same. Praise God for the love He has shown us! To call sinners out of their sin in order that we may be considered His children. This is awesome! :)
On a side note. Often when I hear people talk about the love of God it comes across as some sort of emotionalism, that God is somehow all about "happy feelings (love) towards mankind". They replace God's nature as being both righteous and holy with a sort of love that can only be described as worthless tolerance. Love does not rejoice (tolerate) evil, but rejoices in truth (j). Yes God's love is amazing! And if you are in Christ then your sins have been forgotten never to be remembered again. But it is not because God's love ignored our sin, for that is against His nature, but it is because the wrath that was stored up in heaven against us for the crimes we had committed was pored out on Jesus Christ as He hung on that Cross. Praise be to God for such a demonstration of what the purest love looks like.
Beloved, search your heart, stop rushing in life from one fleeting pleasure to the next, sit down and consider, the question is not, "Do you know Jesus?" rather, "Are you known by Jesus?" Can you say that your sins are forgiven, that His Spirit dwells in you, that you stand forgiven readily awaiting our Leaders return? Do not be deceived as I was thinking better of myself not considering the life of sin and rebellion I had chosen. But in light of God's relentless love for you, repent of your sins and place your trust in Jesus Christ. Live as children of God.
(a) Joshua 1:6;7;9
(b) Joshua 1:18
(c) Joshua 1:7
(d) Joshua 1:8;9
(e) Mark 8:31 ; 9:31
(f) Philippians 2:8
(g) Luke 22:42
(h) Isaiah 53:5
(j) I Corinthians 13:6
The qualities of God's leaders are mentioned in the book of Joshua (6th in the Bible). Joshua is commanded by God to take over for Moses and lead the people of Israel into the promised land. Three times the LORD says to Joshua, "Be strong and courageous. (a)" And another time the warriors of Israel are telling their leader to, "be strong and courageous. (b)" To these remain two other qualities. That is that a leader must be obedient (c) and faithful, day and night, trusting in the LORD (d). And now we see these qualities portrayed in our Master and Commander.
Jesus had twice already told his disciples that He was going to die and rise again (e), and now a third time as we just read. Notice that He was, "walking ahead of them." Knowing His eminent death and the torture that awaited Him, He still marched on ahead. You do not even find Him among the people, He was walking before them. He was leading the charge and, "they were amazed." His courage amazed them. Later we see that as the hour approaches Jesus lives out His faithfulness to the Father's will by praying, "not My will but Yours be done (g)." As the Father is so is the Son; faithful.
He never disobeyed God His Father, He never compromised His integrity, He never lied or watered down the truth. He became obedient to death - even the death of a cross (f). Tragically, it was our disobedience that place Him there. He was pierced for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon Him, and by His wounds we are healed (h). He knew that the gruesome death He foretold was the result of what we had done, and He loved us the same. Praise God for the love He has shown us! To call sinners out of their sin in order that we may be considered His children. This is awesome! :)
On a side note. Often when I hear people talk about the love of God it comes across as some sort of emotionalism, that God is somehow all about "happy feelings (love) towards mankind". They replace God's nature as being both righteous and holy with a sort of love that can only be described as worthless tolerance. Love does not rejoice (tolerate) evil, but rejoices in truth (j). Yes God's love is amazing! And if you are in Christ then your sins have been forgotten never to be remembered again. But it is not because God's love ignored our sin, for that is against His nature, but it is because the wrath that was stored up in heaven against us for the crimes we had committed was pored out on Jesus Christ as He hung on that Cross. Praise be to God for such a demonstration of what the purest love looks like.
Beloved, search your heart, stop rushing in life from one fleeting pleasure to the next, sit down and consider, the question is not, "Do you know Jesus?" rather, "Are you known by Jesus?" Can you say that your sins are forgiven, that His Spirit dwells in you, that you stand forgiven readily awaiting our Leaders return? Do not be deceived as I was thinking better of myself not considering the life of sin and rebellion I had chosen. But in light of God's relentless love for you, repent of your sins and place your trust in Jesus Christ. Live as children of God.
(a) Joshua 1:6;7;9
(b) Joshua 1:18
(c) Joshua 1:7
(d) Joshua 1:8;9
(e) Mark 8:31 ; 9:31
(f) Philippians 2:8
(g) Luke 22:42
(h) Isaiah 53:5
(j) I Corinthians 13:6
Tuesday, August 17, 2010
102. A Walk With Jesus (The Rich pt 2)
10:23 And Jesus looked around and said to his disciples, "How difficult it will be for those who have wealth to enter the kingdom of God!" 24And the disciples were amazed at his words. But Jesus said to them again, "Children, how difficult it is to enter the kingdom of God!
"Amazed" that their Master would say it was difficult. Wait, were not the rich those blessed by God? Did they not have more funds and more opportunity to do good for God? Were they not wealthy because of their obedience? and the poor made poor for their disobedience? We have come across these people who sum up the abundant blessings of God in things; Money, Possesions, and Health. And if you are lacking in any of these areas it is because you lack faith. Clearly this prosperity gospel is a lie out of Hell. Do not misquote me, there remains no thing or relationship on earth that is more fulfilling, more rewarding, or more life altering then that of the gospel of Jesus Christ. But He does not promise us these things, He promises us life that never dies, comfort that overcomes all obstacles, peace that transcends all understanding, joy that overflows, security that is unmatched, and hope that does not fade. All our longings and hearts desires, that we waste our time filling with 'stuff' are made complete in Christ Jesus.
25It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God." 26And they were exceedingly astonished, and said to him, "Then who can be saved?"
Lord George Nugent wanted to suggest that the eye of a needle was actually a cite gate known as the Needle's eye and if a camel wanted to pass through it would need to remove its luggage and kneel through the gate. All a fine analogy but there is no record that such a gate ever existed. "exceedingly astonished" They were blown out of their mind. Based on the disciples reaction and that of Jesus it is more easily thought that the eye of a needle is literally as such. "OK Jesus we get that its difficult, but that is absolutely positively impossible! You can't mean that."
27Jesus looked at them and said, "With man it is impossible, but not with God. For all things are possible with God."
It is, it always has been and it always will be God who saves sinners from death. He is the author and perfecter of our faith and the One that works out our salvation in and through us. He alone is Savior. The rich man was the example but the ultimate truth is this, that no one is saved apart from the Love of Jesus Christ. It is impossible for man to save himself, but God can save any, even a rich young man, though this one chose not to be saved, it remains thus that ALL things are possible with God.
28Peter began to say to him, "See, we have left everything and followed you."
29Jesus said, "Truly, I say to you, there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or lands, for my sake and for the gospel, 30who will not receive a hundredfold now in this time, houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and lands, with persecutions, and in the age to come eternal life.
Should you walk away from family, or friends, or a house, or a job, or anything for the sake of following after Jesus you will find a hundredfold of those things here and in Heaven. Its my opinion that Jesus was talking of the Church for that which is here. But as it is we were not created to live for a short period of time, we were designed for eternity and all pleasures here on earth are not so without their difficulties, neither could you ever walk away from the aforementioned and ever expect to be without persecution along the way. But the good and perfect things which are to come when our Lord shall return will be imperishable things, which do not rust and thief can not break in and steal, Heaven is where our treasure should be.
31But many who are first will be last, and the last first."
(This is a difficult sentence to properly explain now, so i will do my best in a later chapter as it is soon explained in parable as well as in context) Note for now, that things in the kingdom of God are always seemingly backwards to our own views of how the world should operate.
"Amazed" that their Master would say it was difficult. Wait, were not the rich those blessed by God? Did they not have more funds and more opportunity to do good for God? Were they not wealthy because of their obedience? and the poor made poor for their disobedience? We have come across these people who sum up the abundant blessings of God in things; Money, Possesions, and Health. And if you are lacking in any of these areas it is because you lack faith. Clearly this prosperity gospel is a lie out of Hell. Do not misquote me, there remains no thing or relationship on earth that is more fulfilling, more rewarding, or more life altering then that of the gospel of Jesus Christ. But He does not promise us these things, He promises us life that never dies, comfort that overcomes all obstacles, peace that transcends all understanding, joy that overflows, security that is unmatched, and hope that does not fade. All our longings and hearts desires, that we waste our time filling with 'stuff' are made complete in Christ Jesus.
25It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God." 26And they were exceedingly astonished, and said to him, "Then who can be saved?"
Lord George Nugent wanted to suggest that the eye of a needle was actually a cite gate known as the Needle's eye and if a camel wanted to pass through it would need to remove its luggage and kneel through the gate. All a fine analogy but there is no record that such a gate ever existed. "exceedingly astonished" They were blown out of their mind. Based on the disciples reaction and that of Jesus it is more easily thought that the eye of a needle is literally as such. "OK Jesus we get that its difficult, but that is absolutely positively impossible! You can't mean that."
27Jesus looked at them and said, "With man it is impossible, but not with God. For all things are possible with God."
It is, it always has been and it always will be God who saves sinners from death. He is the author and perfecter of our faith and the One that works out our salvation in and through us. He alone is Savior. The rich man was the example but the ultimate truth is this, that no one is saved apart from the Love of Jesus Christ. It is impossible for man to save himself, but God can save any, even a rich young man, though this one chose not to be saved, it remains thus that ALL things are possible with God.
28Peter began to say to him, "See, we have left everything and followed you."
29Jesus said, "Truly, I say to you, there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or lands, for my sake and for the gospel, 30who will not receive a hundredfold now in this time, houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and lands, with persecutions, and in the age to come eternal life.
Should you walk away from family, or friends, or a house, or a job, or anything for the sake of following after Jesus you will find a hundredfold of those things here and in Heaven. Its my opinion that Jesus was talking of the Church for that which is here. But as it is we were not created to live for a short period of time, we were designed for eternity and all pleasures here on earth are not so without their difficulties, neither could you ever walk away from the aforementioned and ever expect to be without persecution along the way. But the good and perfect things which are to come when our Lord shall return will be imperishable things, which do not rust and thief can not break in and steal, Heaven is where our treasure should be.
31But many who are first will be last, and the last first."
(This is a difficult sentence to properly explain now, so i will do my best in a later chapter as it is soon explained in parable as well as in context) Note for now, that things in the kingdom of God are always seemingly backwards to our own views of how the world should operate.
Saturday, August 14, 2010
101. A Walk With Jesus (The Rich pt 1)
17As Jesus started on his way, a man ran up to him and fell on his knees before him. "Good teacher," he asked, "what must I do to inherit eternal life?"
What a scene! After, wrapping up a debate on the very important issue of divorce which preceded His rebuking, Jesus is encountered by this man. Know this, that just because someone comes to Jesus, and "falls on their knees before him," it does not mean they are truly believers. Notice the mans choice in words, "good teacher".
People come to Jesus for all sorts of different reasons on their own terms considering Him a great social reformist, or a rabbinical teacher who loved social justice, or a man who really really cared about the poor and helpless, all sort of true, but if that is the end and totality of their view of the nature of Jesus then we are greatly mistaken.
18"Why do you call me good?" Jesus answered. "No one is good—except God alone.
Jesus here is not eluding to any misconception that He Himself was not perfect, for as we know Jesus was tempted in every way as we are -- yet was without sin. This is more or less a clever way of asking, "Are you calling me God?" Jesus continues,
19You know the commandments: 'Do not murder, do not commit adultery, do not steal, do not give false testimony, do not defraud, honor your father and mother.' "
What a scene! After, wrapping up a debate on the very important issue of divorce which preceded His rebuking, Jesus is encountered by this man. Know this, that just because someone comes to Jesus, and "falls on their knees before him," it does not mean they are truly believers. Notice the mans choice in words, "good teacher".
People come to Jesus for all sorts of different reasons on their own terms considering Him a great social reformist, or a rabbinical teacher who loved social justice, or a man who really really cared about the poor and helpless, all sort of true, but if that is the end and totality of their view of the nature of Jesus then we are greatly mistaken.
18"Why do you call me good?" Jesus answered. "No one is good—except God alone.
Jesus here is not eluding to any misconception that He Himself was not perfect, for as we know Jesus was tempted in every way as we are -- yet was without sin. This is more or less a clever way of asking, "Are you calling me God?" Jesus continues,
19You know the commandments: 'Do not murder, do not commit adultery, do not steal, do not give false testimony, do not defraud, honor your father and mother.' "
Do not misunderstand the message here. This is not "Salvation by Works." We know enough of the Doctrine of Grace that our salvation~ being saved from the eternal consequences of our sins while simultaneously being reconciled unto God through Christ Jesus here on earth is completely 100% a gift from God by His nature as being one of unfailing love and perfect justice. Jesus is, instead, quoting Exodus 20 where God gave His people Israel the Decalogue or The Ten Commandments. This was stated not to show the man the way to salvation but to show him his need for a savior. Now if you observe and count the commandments above you notice that Jesus only mentions 5 of the 10. Note, "do not defraud," is not one of The Ten, but is an expounding upon, "do not steal", and "do not give false testimony". More on these later,
20"Teacher," he declared, "all these I have kept since I was a boy."
21Jesus looked at him and loved him.
God in all his mercy had compassion on this young man knowing the condition of his heart, then He spoke,
"One thing you lack," He said. "Go, sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me."
Two of the Ten Commandments Jesus left out were these,1) You shall have no other gods before me.
2) You shall not covet.
While leaving our country a man was asked what he thought, he responded, "I don't like it. Where i come from gods are made of gold or silver or stone but here i cannot see your gods." Like America today the god in this mans life was his wealth, Jesus recognized that and gave him the solution to his dilemma. The solution to the question "How do i inherit eternal life?" is not to live an acetic life style or become poor, money is not good or evil, moral or immoral, it is what we do with it that matters. The answer is this, "You have sin in your life, repent of your sin and follow me."
Listen to a man who lived most his life in sin and rebellion towards God, you are ruining your life. Stop sleeping with your girlfriend or boyfriend, stop cheating and lying, quick fooling around with your eternal destiny, you are not only destroying your life not here on earth, putting death to relationships, death to peace, death to communion with God, you are and will be putting yourself to death later for eternity. Note this! God does not send people to Hell, its a real place, but HE does not send people, we send our selves, He has given us the answer, "Follow me!" and either we chose to submit and obey or we waste our lives and never understand the fullness to why we were put here in the first place. Sadly some will be like the rich man,
22At this the man's face fell. He went away sad, because he had great wealth.
Unwilling to meet God on His terms he walked away and continued his own life, end of story. Don't let this happen to you, His grace is there, He knock on the door of your heart desiring you to answer and put your trust in Him... will you walk away?
Tuesday, August 10, 2010
100. A Walk With Jesus (Like Children)
And they were bringing children to him that he might touch them, and the disciples rebuked them. Mark 10:13
Each of us has at some point been the victim of or seen this situation play out. Maybe dad was too busy with work on the computer asking you to leave him alone. Or perhaps mom was more concerned about her social friends than making time for her children. Adults often get so caught up in whats going on that we neglect the children, ever said or heard, "This is adult (mommy and daddy... big kid... etc.) you kids go along and play."? Jesus is in the middle of a big theological debate and people start randomly bringing him children. Their interrupting! Their being rude! They need rebuking! or so the disciples thought.
But when Jesus saw it, he was indignant and said to them, "Let the children come to me; do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of God. Truly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child shall not enter it." And he took them in his arms and blessed them, laying his hands on them. 10:14-16
A child is many things, but the thing i can most connect with this passage is that a child is dependent. A child can not fend for themselves or "make it" on their own. They do not have the intelligence, or the education, or the maturity to do so even if they wanted to. A child is weak, vulnerable and completely helpless with out a parent or -like figure. In such a way we must be to enter God's kingdom. It's not OUR kingdom so its can't be done our way. It's His kingdom, He set the rules and we need to abide by them. If we come to God thinking we have something to offer we are wrong, no one is righteous not even one. And for those who most consider "good people" well the bible says that all our righteousness is like "filthy rags"... literally menstrual cloths; used tampons. Get the picture, its repulsive. There is only one who was perfect and that was Jesus Christ, if we do not trust in Him then we are hopeless and lost in our sins.
Father, i can't thank you enough for the mercy you have shown me. I am so very much aware of the bad choices i have made in my life, yet i am becoming more aware of the richness of your love and the strength that you give as i continue to see victory in my life. God i am proud to serve a Master who is greater than my short comings, a God who is bigger than me. Let me live Your way, for Your kingdom keeping my eyes fixed on the things above and not on the things on earth. Use me Father i pray, teach me and guide me like a child to desire the love of my Father and my King.
Your servant,
Each of us has at some point been the victim of or seen this situation play out. Maybe dad was too busy with work on the computer asking you to leave him alone. Or perhaps mom was more concerned about her social friends than making time for her children. Adults often get so caught up in whats going on that we neglect the children, ever said or heard, "This is adult (mommy and daddy... big kid... etc.) you kids go along and play."? Jesus is in the middle of a big theological debate and people start randomly bringing him children. Their interrupting! Their being rude! They need rebuking! or so the disciples thought.
But when Jesus saw it, he was indignant and said to them, "Let the children come to me; do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of God. Truly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child shall not enter it." And he took them in his arms and blessed them, laying his hands on them. 10:14-16
A child is many things, but the thing i can most connect with this passage is that a child is dependent. A child can not fend for themselves or "make it" on their own. They do not have the intelligence, or the education, or the maturity to do so even if they wanted to. A child is weak, vulnerable and completely helpless with out a parent or -like figure. In such a way we must be to enter God's kingdom. It's not OUR kingdom so its can't be done our way. It's His kingdom, He set the rules and we need to abide by them. If we come to God thinking we have something to offer we are wrong, no one is righteous not even one. And for those who most consider "good people" well the bible says that all our righteousness is like "filthy rags"... literally menstrual cloths; used tampons. Get the picture, its repulsive. There is only one who was perfect and that was Jesus Christ, if we do not trust in Him then we are hopeless and lost in our sins.
Father, i can't thank you enough for the mercy you have shown me. I am so very much aware of the bad choices i have made in my life, yet i am becoming more aware of the richness of your love and the strength that you give as i continue to see victory in my life. God i am proud to serve a Master who is greater than my short comings, a God who is bigger than me. Let me live Your way, for Your kingdom keeping my eyes fixed on the things above and not on the things on earth. Use me Father i pray, teach me and guide me like a child to desire the love of my Father and my King.
Your servant,
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