…for truly I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, no the smallest letter or stroke shall pass away from the Law until all is accomplished. Whoever then annuls one of the least of these commandments and so teaches others, shall be least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever keeps and teaches them, he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven
It would seem that Jesus is laying a load of legalism upon his hearers. Taken out of the very important context of His total statement it could be understood as so, however Jesus immediately proceeded these heavy words with some other extremely liberating words.
Do not think that I came to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I did not come to abolish, but to fulfill.
So there it is: Jesus came as the “fulfillment” of everything contained within the Law and the Prophets. It is only by His fulfillment that we have any chance to missing the judgment of the following message. For those who do not find the Law fulfilled in Him the road is steep and the burden is beyond strength and determination.
Accept the gift of the fulfilled law in Jesus. Celebrate your freedom from the law.
Scripture is taken from Matthew 5:17-19
Monday, August 31, 2009
Sunday, August 23, 2009
Let's Put The Horse Back In Front of the Cart
If I shut up the heavens so that there is no rain, or if I command the locust to devour the land, or if I send pestilence among My people,
Does this sound anything like the world we are living in currently? Oh, sure, we have had literal rain and have avoided actual devastation of locusts and the peril of pestilence but are we not experiencing record financial drought, depleting resources and failing families?
What were the life issues of ages ago are no longer the life issues in our age. No rain (spiritual and financial drought), locusts (lost jobs, homes and cars going without repair) pestilence (marriage commitments broken, political and spiritual leaders that succumb to lust, fame and riches). I know you can think of others that apply. The point is this: that we as a society are bankrupt!
Is there hope?
and My people who are called by My name humble themselves and pray and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, will forgive their sin and will heal their land.
There is great danger here. We are far too familiar with this scripture and that familiarity has dulled our reading of what it really has to say.
II Chronicles 7:13-15
Does this sound anything like the world we are living in currently? Oh, sure, we have had literal rain and have avoided actual devastation of locusts and the peril of pestilence but are we not experiencing record financial drought, depleting resources and failing families?
What were the life issues of ages ago are no longer the life issues in our age. No rain (spiritual and financial drought), locusts (lost jobs, homes and cars going without repair) pestilence (marriage commitments broken, political and spiritual leaders that succumb to lust, fame and riches). I know you can think of others that apply. The point is this: that we as a society are bankrupt!
Is there hope?
and My people who are called by My name humble themselves and pray and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, will forgive their sin and will heal their land.
There is great danger here. We are far too familiar with this scripture and that familiarity has dulled our reading of what it really has to say.
Note that the initial phrase sets the preconditions for the remainder of the statment. My people who are called by My name humble themselves and pray.
Let's not move too fast past this precondition.
It is an absolute requirement that one "humble himself" before he is able to pray. Think of your own prayer life. When do you tend to pray? It is generally, if you are like most Christians, when your life is in crises. It is only in those times that you find the challenge greater than your abilities that you turn to prayer.
God is gracious to inform us that we will not pray if we are not first humbled, either by our choice or by our circumstances. The issue with waiting for our circumstances to bring sufficient humility for us to pray is that, at this point, we are just like non-Christians in that we are reduced to the lowest point of our faith and our prayers are timid.
Our God invites us to humble ourselves and then we will pray!
What then follows is that, since we have prayed in true faith we will hungerily seek His benevolent face and in finding His face we will gladly and eagerly turn from our wicked ways.
Unfortunately, we tend to get this whole process backward. We think that we must first turn form our wicked ways, then we can seek His face and pray. Do you see the folly of that? There is no humility in my mustering up the self-will to abandon my wicked ways even if I were able to do it. Without that humility true faith is impossible.
Now My eyes will be open and My ears attentive to the prayer offered in this place
II Chronicles 7:13-15
Our God hears and sees our humble, faithful prayer. He is so passionate about our prayers offered in faith that He not only hears them He actually sees them as well.
Let's begin again. Step one is: humble yourself and pray. The rest will take care of itself!
Monday, August 17, 2009
True Faith and Real Life
Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us also lay aside every encumbrance and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Hebrews 12:1&2
This last weekend I had the wonderful opportunity to pray for an individual that said the God was leading her into an area that was way out of her comfort zone. She wanted me to pray for her heart to be obedient in following.
Let me ask you a question: What would you do if you knew that there was no possible way to fail?
There is so much misunderstanding today about what faith is. To many Christians think that if they had enough faith they would do certain things: witness to co-workers or to difficult family members. The problem is this: we “get the cart before the horse” regarding faith. We think that if we had sufficient faith we would do such and such.
The reality is that we have exactly as much faith as we need for what we do everyday. The problem with that statement is that it doesn't take much faith to accomplish what we do everyday. We have planned and worked all of the faith out of our lives.
The scripture above tells us that Jesus is the “author and the perfecter” of our faith. We will always have sufficient faith for the challenges that we are willing to face.
Before we go any further, we must deal with the great misunderstanding of faith. Faith does not mean that one has no fears or reservations. As a matter of fact, faith is doing what you should do in the face of fears and reservations.
BUT THE RIGHTEOUS man SHALL LIVE BY FAITH." Romans 1:17
Is your life an exciting adventure or is it day by day routine?
There is a whole new world awaiting you if you will accept the invitation to a life of faith!
Let go and experience the tremendous joy that awaits you!
This last weekend I had the wonderful opportunity to pray for an individual that said the God was leading her into an area that was way out of her comfort zone. She wanted me to pray for her heart to be obedient in following.
Let me ask you a question: What would you do if you knew that there was no possible way to fail?
There is so much misunderstanding today about what faith is. To many Christians think that if they had enough faith they would do certain things: witness to co-workers or to difficult family members. The problem is this: we “get the cart before the horse” regarding faith. We think that if we had sufficient faith we would do such and such.
The reality is that we have exactly as much faith as we need for what we do everyday. The problem with that statement is that it doesn't take much faith to accomplish what we do everyday. We have planned and worked all of the faith out of our lives.
The scripture above tells us that Jesus is the “author and the perfecter” of our faith. We will always have sufficient faith for the challenges that we are willing to face.
Before we go any further, we must deal with the great misunderstanding of faith. Faith does not mean that one has no fears or reservations. As a matter of fact, faith is doing what you should do in the face of fears and reservations.
BUT THE RIGHTEOUS man SHALL LIVE BY FAITH." Romans 1:17
Is your life an exciting adventure or is it day by day routine?
There is a whole new world awaiting you if you will accept the invitation to a life of faith!
Let go and experience the tremendous joy that awaits you!
Monday, August 10, 2009
Two Seas
One of the many ways that our God graciously communicates with us displays His pursuit of us. When there is a critical message that He doesn’t want us to miss, He will send it in multiple ways. A case in point follows:
Within the Promised Land, today called Israel, runs a river from the north to the south. The Jordan River has been used for many messages and many lessons over the years. This time we are not looking at the river but the lakes that exist because of the river.
Traveling from the north, the first lake that we encounter is the Sea of Galilee. This lake is alive with fish and many other water creatures. The Jordan enters the lake from the north and exits to the south.
The next, and last, lake that we come to on the Jordan is the Dead Sea. Unlike the Sea of Galilee there is absolutely no life in or, even, around the lake. The Jordan River enters the Dead Sea from the north and dies in the Dead Sea. The lifeless lake is not due to the water itself but, rather, is due to the minerals that the river has picked up alone its way to the sea. Since there is no outlet these minerals are concentrated and deadly.
There is a profound principle that is communicated by this geographical picture. God has given, into our hands, funds sufficient to do His purposes. He, like the Jordan River, flows funds into our hands. Much of today’s Christianity is lying empty and dead because of positioning themselves as the receiver and the keeper. Like the Dead Sea, we have gathered houses, cars, clothes, dining out experiences and more and more. What God intended, as a blessing has become a burden leading to death.
The designed flow of funds into and through our hands brings life and joy. Attempting to divert the given funds is available to us but brings only the ugly result.
If this message is not difficult enough! Last week I was sharing this thought with a young brother in Jesus. He was quick to point out an application that I had not seen: For years, week after week every Sunday, we have heard message after message but have done very little in releasing the messages to others who don’t know our Jesus! Spiritually alive means taking in and giving out. There are no exceptions. As with the “things” we hold onto, the lack of follow-through with our witness leads only to the Dead Sea experience!
Is it time to reconsider anything?
We all have opted for a little more collecting than disbursing. The only question that is important is: How close are you to your God? Is there life and joy resident or does burden and stress reside?
Within the Promised Land, today called Israel, runs a river from the north to the south. The Jordan River has been used for many messages and many lessons over the years. This time we are not looking at the river but the lakes that exist because of the river.
Traveling from the north, the first lake that we encounter is the Sea of Galilee. This lake is alive with fish and many other water creatures. The Jordan enters the lake from the north and exits to the south.
The next, and last, lake that we come to on the Jordan is the Dead Sea. Unlike the Sea of Galilee there is absolutely no life in or, even, around the lake. The Jordan River enters the Dead Sea from the north and dies in the Dead Sea. The lifeless lake is not due to the water itself but, rather, is due to the minerals that the river has picked up alone its way to the sea. Since there is no outlet these minerals are concentrated and deadly.
There is a profound principle that is communicated by this geographical picture. God has given, into our hands, funds sufficient to do His purposes. He, like the Jordan River, flows funds into our hands. Much of today’s Christianity is lying empty and dead because of positioning themselves as the receiver and the keeper. Like the Dead Sea, we have gathered houses, cars, clothes, dining out experiences and more and more. What God intended, as a blessing has become a burden leading to death.
The designed flow of funds into and through our hands brings life and joy. Attempting to divert the given funds is available to us but brings only the ugly result.
If this message is not difficult enough! Last week I was sharing this thought with a young brother in Jesus. He was quick to point out an application that I had not seen: For years, week after week every Sunday, we have heard message after message but have done very little in releasing the messages to others who don’t know our Jesus! Spiritually alive means taking in and giving out. There are no exceptions. As with the “things” we hold onto, the lack of follow-through with our witness leads only to the Dead Sea experience!
Is it time to reconsider anything?
We all have opted for a little more collecting than disbursing. The only question that is important is: How close are you to your God? Is there life and joy resident or does burden and stress reside?
Monday, August 3, 2009
Summer Fruit Inspection
Take a moment to read through the list:
Love,
Joy,
Peace,
Patience,
Goodness,
Kindness,
Gentleness,
Faithfulness,
Self-control.
Better yet, print this list off or write it down and take a few moment of self-evaluation. Circle the characteristics that are generally present in your life. Which are the areas that are the weak points?
Galations 5: 22&23 states: But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control against such things there is no law.
It isn't about you becoming "better" it is all about your accepting the gifts that the Holy Spirit has already brought into your life.
Take a few moments to thank Him for the gifts that you are displaying and a few more moments to ask Him to remove the obstacles in your life to the display and exercise of the remainder.
Love,
Joy,
Peace,
Patience,
Goodness,
Kindness,
Gentleness,
Faithfulness,
Self-control.
Better yet, print this list off or write it down and take a few moment of self-evaluation. Circle the characteristics that are generally present in your life. Which are the areas that are the weak points?
Galations 5: 22&23 states: But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control against such things there is no law.
It isn't about you becoming "better" it is all about your accepting the gifts that the Holy Spirit has already brought into your life.
Take a few moments to thank Him for the gifts that you are displaying and a few more moments to ask Him to remove the obstacles in your life to the display and exercise of the remainder.
Monday, July 27, 2009
Choose Life
I recently read a book about the life of an amazing basketball player. My time within the basketball world was concurrent with that of “Pistol” Pete Maravich. Pistol Pete is legendary and still holds many records for scoring within both the NCAA and NBA.
Before I go on too long here, this is not a sports story or discussion. There was an interesting parallel that I discovered as I read the story. For year after year, Pistol Pete was famous for his ability to score from any position and against any defense. As his fame for scoring grew so did is dissatisfaction with the game of basketball as well as his discontentment with his life.
There was a far too brief period wherein all of that changed. Many who have played, competitively, any team game will identify with the rare time in which the team ceases to be a collection of individuals and becomes a unit of one. Pistol Pete discovered this far too rare state when he adjusted his attitude toward the game.
It is impossible for a collection of individuals to ever realize the flow and the joy of the team experience. The term “the whole is greater than the sum of its parts” describes this rarefied state.
Jesus knew of the deep, deep nature that moves within us because He chose personally experienced our nature.
As the cross drew imminent, Jesus laid out the desires of His heart in a prayer: I do not (just) as in behalf of these (His disciples) alone but for those who believe in Me through their word: that they may all be one; even as You, Father are in Me and I in You, that they also may be in Us; that the world may believe that You did send Me. And the glory which You have given Me, I have given them; that they may be one, just as WE are one; I in them and You in Me, that they may be perfected in unity…John 17:20-23a
There is a, otherwise impossible to know, glory that exists within the unity of an individual with his Creator; “that they also may be in Us”. Furthermore, in addition to this and not as a separate option, is the glory that comes within the unity of believers who are in unity with the Creator; “that they may all be one; even as You, Father are in Me and I in You”.
The natural urge within each of us is to be independent. We simply desire to follow our own ideas and choose our own destinies. Jesus recognized this “pull” within each of us and warned us about this proclivity and is natural effects. For whoever wishes to save his life shall lose it; but whoever loses his life for My sake and the gospel’s sake shall save it”. Mark 8:35
This “losing one’s life” is not a one-time commitment. The natural bent of our personalities is not eradicated by a one-time decision. No, rather, this is a moment by moment decision. If anyone wishes to come after Me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow Me…Luke 9:23
The implement of death, the cross, must be picked up daily but it is for the sole purpose of carrying this life-giving tool with us throughout the day for us to choose to use on a moment by moment basis.
Moses called us to choose life, I call heaven and earth to witness against you today, that I have set before you life and death, the blessing and the curses. So choose life in order that you may live, you and your descendants, by loving the Lord your God, by obeying His voice and by holding fast to Him; for this is your life and the length of your days, that you may live in the land which the Lord swore to your fathers…Deuteronomy 30:19&20
Choose LIFE!
Before I go on too long here, this is not a sports story or discussion. There was an interesting parallel that I discovered as I read the story. For year after year, Pistol Pete was famous for his ability to score from any position and against any defense. As his fame for scoring grew so did is dissatisfaction with the game of basketball as well as his discontentment with his life.
There was a far too brief period wherein all of that changed. Many who have played, competitively, any team game will identify with the rare time in which the team ceases to be a collection of individuals and becomes a unit of one. Pistol Pete discovered this far too rare state when he adjusted his attitude toward the game.
It is impossible for a collection of individuals to ever realize the flow and the joy of the team experience. The term “the whole is greater than the sum of its parts” describes this rarefied state.
Jesus knew of the deep, deep nature that moves within us because He chose personally experienced our nature.
As the cross drew imminent, Jesus laid out the desires of His heart in a prayer: I do not (just) as in behalf of these (His disciples) alone but for those who believe in Me through their word: that they may all be one; even as You, Father are in Me and I in You, that they also may be in Us; that the world may believe that You did send Me. And the glory which You have given Me, I have given them; that they may be one, just as WE are one; I in them and You in Me, that they may be perfected in unity…John 17:20-23a
There is a, otherwise impossible to know, glory that exists within the unity of an individual with his Creator; “that they also may be in Us”. Furthermore, in addition to this and not as a separate option, is the glory that comes within the unity of believers who are in unity with the Creator; “that they may all be one; even as You, Father are in Me and I in You”.
The natural urge within each of us is to be independent. We simply desire to follow our own ideas and choose our own destinies. Jesus recognized this “pull” within each of us and warned us about this proclivity and is natural effects. For whoever wishes to save his life shall lose it; but whoever loses his life for My sake and the gospel’s sake shall save it”. Mark 8:35
This “losing one’s life” is not a one-time commitment. The natural bent of our personalities is not eradicated by a one-time decision. No, rather, this is a moment by moment decision. If anyone wishes to come after Me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow Me…Luke 9:23
The implement of death, the cross, must be picked up daily but it is for the sole purpose of carrying this life-giving tool with us throughout the day for us to choose to use on a moment by moment basis.
Moses called us to choose life, I call heaven and earth to witness against you today, that I have set before you life and death, the blessing and the curses. So choose life in order that you may live, you and your descendants, by loving the Lord your God, by obeying His voice and by holding fast to Him; for this is your life and the length of your days, that you may live in the land which the Lord swore to your fathers…Deuteronomy 30:19&20
Choose LIFE!
Monday, July 20, 2009
And a Nickel Too!
This morning started off a bit rough due to another long but short night. They seem to come from time to time and I have a deep sense that it is the only way that God can get a message through my thick skull.
You have probably experience the long/short night opportunity as well. Long because something keeps you from sleep; short because once you have finally fallen to sleep it is immediately time to get up.
Well, that was my night and why my morning started off a bit rough. Nevertheless, I soldiered on an drove to the place where I do my workout.
As I began my workout (not as big a deal as it sounds), things seemed different. The work was relatively easy and I actually enjoyed each task. As I was walked out of the door to leave a wonderful young brother in Jesus was approaching the door. His smile was infectious and as we talked his message was salve for my soul.
I continued toward my car considering the blessing of my brother, the beauty of the green grass, the warm sunshine, the cool gentle breeze; just exulting in God's goodness.
Now here is were things really get interesting. As I walked further toward my car I saw a bright glint on the ground. As I looked down I saw a bright, glistening new nickel lying on the ground.
Now, ordinarily, a nickel wouldn't be that meaningful but in this wonderful moment the thought came to my mind: “the grass, the trees, the blue sky, the wonderful breeze and a nickel too!”
God is able to do far more that we ask or imagine!
What a God!
Allow Him to show you your nickel too!
You have probably experience the long/short night opportunity as well. Long because something keeps you from sleep; short because once you have finally fallen to sleep it is immediately time to get up.
Well, that was my night and why my morning started off a bit rough. Nevertheless, I soldiered on an drove to the place where I do my workout.
As I began my workout (not as big a deal as it sounds), things seemed different. The work was relatively easy and I actually enjoyed each task. As I was walked out of the door to leave a wonderful young brother in Jesus was approaching the door. His smile was infectious and as we talked his message was salve for my soul.
I continued toward my car considering the blessing of my brother, the beauty of the green grass, the warm sunshine, the cool gentle breeze; just exulting in God's goodness.
Now here is were things really get interesting. As I walked further toward my car I saw a bright glint on the ground. As I looked down I saw a bright, glistening new nickel lying on the ground.
Now, ordinarily, a nickel wouldn't be that meaningful but in this wonderful moment the thought came to my mind: “the grass, the trees, the blue sky, the wonderful breeze and a nickel too!”
God is able to do far more that we ask or imagine!
What a God!
Allow Him to show you your nickel too!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
