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"Come follow me and I will make you fishers of men." Matthew 4:19

Category: Preparation (Page 7 of 7)

He Is Doing A “New Thing.” Isa. 43:18-19

January 8, 2017 /

                                                                                                                           “Do not remember the former things,Or ponder the things of the past. “Listen carefully, I am about to do a new thing, Now it will spring forth; Will you not be aware of it? I will even put a road in the wilderness, Rivers in the desert.”  Isaiah 43:18-19 (Amp)

   Living in Hawaii is a blessing. At any given morning you can wake up before the sun rises and drive to any beach and watch this beautiful art piece come alive that God creates for us every morning called the Sunrise. The sunrise is visible almost anywhere. But, there are several spots on the island that bring you closer to this special experience; where you can actually feel the sun as it’s coming up over the horizon. Experience it, brushing across your face like a warm gentle hand. Enlivening you, as it Ignites your senses. All the while its warmth runs from the top of your head. Resting, it kisses your checks. Finally, it moves its way down to the tips of your toes, and you are one…

Can you hear the waves pounding on the shore? Their rhythmic worship?And can you taste the tang of salt from the oceans mist… ?

I can feel it now as I write. All of it! All my senses coming alive. Every cell in my body awakened and I stand in awe of God’s glory…

You can worship anywhere, at any given time on this island. Anywhere in the world for that matter…

But, some worship experiences are as unique, as glorious, as my special spot on the eastern point here in Oahu. A place where the sunrise is clearer and far more majestic than on any other place on the island at that moment.

     Isaiah was writing a prophetic word to the Israelite’s in the verses above. They were not only cast out of Israel but now were being held captive by the Babylonians. In the above verses, Isaiah leads the Israelite’s into the realization that they are to, “forget the former things and do not dwell on the past.”

He instructs them that If they continued to hold on to their old way of doing things or seeing only how the Lord had once brought them out of Egypt, then, they will miss the “New Thing” that God was going to do now.

If I hold on to the memory of the way the sunrise looked yesterday, and I go expecting it to look the same way the next time I go to that same spot, I won’t appreciate and/or see the sunrise doing a new thing.

Every morning the sun will rise. I know this. I am sure that nothing will stop the sun from rising unless something extreme has happened to the earth’s natural order.

Yet, every morning, the sun is new. Every morning it offers a different experience…

God was not only delivering the Israelite’s from captivity, He was, also, sending His only Son. He was sending a permanent solution for the Israelite’s sins. For our sins.

The end of the verse 19 says, “Will you not be aware of it? I will even put a road in the wilderness, rivers in the desert.” It wasn’t a condition of something they did.

Nor is it anything you and I have done that merits us this grace. It is who God is naturally. He wanted to create that road from sin to salvation in the wilderness. He said He would. Not could. Nor, would He possibly do it…

He said, “I WILL even put a road in the wilderness, rivers in the desert.”

Imagine that.

Close your eyes for a moment and visualize this…

Your lost in the wilderness and you can’t find your way out of it. After searching, being tired and afraid, you find a road…

Wouldn’t you feel excited? Wouldn’t you think, “Okay now there’s hope!”

Jesus is our road to salvation. Our road to hope. Our verses also tell us that He will send rivers in the desert. And, that this river in the desert is the Spirit that God gives to us when we accept Jesus as Lord and Savior.

Jesus is referred to as, “Living Water” (John 4:10-15).

Jesus, Himself, told the Samaritan woman at the well that He had living water. He was offering her this water that would quench her thirst always. He told her that the water He was giving her would spring forth from within her to eternal life…

As we enter this new year, may you realize that God wants to offer you that very same hope…

That new way of looking towards Jesus. Of seeing, anticipating, expecting, the “new thing” that He is doing in your life.

Isaiah 49:8-10: This is what the Lord says, “In a favorable time I have answered you, And in a day of salvation I have helped You; And I will keep watch over You and give You for a covenant of the people, To restore the land [from its present state of ruin] and to apportion and give as inheritances the deserted hereditary lands, Saying to those who are bound and captured, ‘Go forth,’ And to those who are in [spiritual] darkness, ‘Show yourselves [come into the light of the Savior]. ’They will feed along the roads [on which they travel], And their pastures will be on all the bare heights. “They will not hunger or thirst, Nor will the scorching heat or sun strike them down; For He who has compassion on them will lead them, And He will guide them to springs of water.”

I just love what verse nine says above, “to those who are bound, come forth, and to those who are in [spiritual]darkness, show yourselves [come into the light of the sun of righteousness.”

Wherever you are in your walk with Him, wherever you are in the world. Whatever bondage has you hostage….

TODAY a “New Thing” can happen. Will you not recognize it?

The Lord is holding out his hand and asking you to Step into the Sunlight and see that He is doing a “New Thing.”

Written by: Angelica Kauhako

“It’s Time for A Revolution!” Ezek. 18:27-32

October 29, 2016 /

graffiti-156018_960_720 Before we can do a thing—take part in it, we first must understand what “it” is. So, along that bent, what is this revolution of the heart, mind, and, way of living God is detailing to Ezekiel? What news will he share with the Israelite’s—with us?

Simply put—you will be judged according to how you live. Not how your mother or father, nor any others before you chose to live…

Here’s how Webster’s defines revolution: A sudden, radical, or complete change; a fundamental change in the way of thinking about or visualizing something.

Revolution begins with personal—individual responsibility. It begins and ends there. God is telling Ezekiel that each man is responsible for his life—his actions, and their subsequent consequences.

You did it, you own it!

This thinking held by the Israelite’s, that they were judged for what their fathers did, was flawed (Ezek.18:20)—unless, and only,  as children often do, they were mimicking their parent’s sinful behaviors.

Then, assuredly, they should rightfully expect to suffer the consequences of their own sins and rebellion, just as their fathers will suffer their own…

It is in this way only that they, and in succession, we, share in the generational sins of our fathers…” You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, punishing the children for the sin of the parents to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me” (Exo.20:5) … this concerning the sin of idolatry. Anything we put in front, in place, of God…

It is only through Adam that every man shares in sin—and subsequently, the curse that was introduced into the world thus. And, like our first parent, we, like the Israelite’s, have learned well, how to play the blame game…(Gen.3:17-23).

Adam was the first to play the game—to attempt to sidestep his sin—his culpability…

The man said, “The woman you put here with me—she gave me some fruit from the tree, and I ate it” (Gen.3:12). Emphasis my own.

Did you catch it? He is telling God; you did this to me. It’s all that woman’s fault. If it hadn’t been for her, I wouldn’t have done it! Why did you put her here?

It is a commonly shared— human trait to lay blame on others for our wrong, sinful, behaviors and choices. We will even go so far as to assign blame to God! Solomon told us there is nothing new under the sun (Ecc. 1:9)!

Adam completely glossed over his guilt—his choice. And so it was with the Israelite’s. They falsely blamed God for being punished for their forefather’s sins. The truth of the matter is, they were being punished for their own sins and rebellion against God.

And so will each of us, today, unless we break the cycle of blame and take responsibility for our sins against God. And, if you’re thinking; I’m okay, I’m a good person, I’m not like_____, I don’t need to confess and ask forgiveness of God—let His Word speak correction to you, listen; “For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard” (Rom.3:23).

Don’t miss that—the everyone and all. None of us are sinless or exempt from God’s just judgement…

That is the point of—the actual heading of, today’s chapter from which our verses are taken. “The Soul Who Sins Will Die.” Not because of what your mother or father, grandfather or grandmother did, not because of some supposed on-going family sin, but because you choose to do what is wrong in the eyes of God…

Until we take a revolutionary stance and say enough—no more! No more lies, no more blaming, and playing the victim, we will continue in our current behaviors—hardened by our sin, blinded in our rebellion, and we’ll miss the heart of God. “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Rom.6:23).

And for those who profess to know God, profess salvation through His saving grace, no more taking one step forward to take two back using the excuse; but it’s what I know, I’ve been doing it for so long, I can’t seem to break free of it…

God is not pleased with that thinking and certainly not with the behaviors that are birthed from it, listen; “Like a dog that returns to its vomit Is a fool who repeats his folly” (Prov.26:11).

More to the point still for those who profess to know the Lord; “If we give up and turn our backs on all we’ve learned, all we’ve been given, all the truth we now know, we repudiate Christ’s sacrifice and are left on our own to face the Judgment—and a mighty fierce judgment it will be! If the penalty for breaking the law of Moses is physical death, what do you think will happen if you turn on God’s Son, spit on the sacrifice that made you whole, and insult this most gracious Spirit? This is no light matter. God has warned us that he’ll hold us to account and make us pay. He was quite explicit: “Vengeance is mine, and I won’t overlook a thing” and “God will judge his people.” Nobody’s getting by with anything, believe me” (Heb.10:30-31 Msg.).

So how do we start this Revolution? Humility…

Before anything in us can change—we must acknowledge we need to change. We must admit that all of our, “self-help” attempts to change our condition, our lives  have done little or nothing of lasting effect. And we’ve abandoned them in disappointment. Heaps of frustration, shame and self-loathing piled high on the floor of our lives.

While in front us , all we have left to face tomorrow with, our only remaining hope is…  whatever the next-best-thing might hand us…

Truth is, in-and-of ourselves, we are powerless to change—powerless to break the chains of sin, compulsion, rebellion, and, blame. We like the Israelite’s, and all those that have gone before us, must humble ourselves, acknowledge—own up, take responsibility for, our sins and cry out to the only one who can ignite this change, this revolution within…

It’s the only way to start a personal, powerful—truly life changing revolution!

And the wonderful news is you can start yours today—now, without delay, wherever you are.

How?

Here, let me help you…It all starts with you and God.

… “Who then can be saved? Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.” (Matt.19:26). 

Salvation is not self-help.

Let me repeat that, salvation is not self-help. Don’t get it twisted! Salvation is not just another thing you do—or try, in some fickle-minded attempt to fix what you believe to be broken in your life. It’s not a magic wand.

Salvation is submission to a Divine decree—surrender to the undeserved saving grace of Jesus Christ. It is God first choosing you, loving you. It is Him on your cross dying in your place, for your sin…

So yes, true revolution begins with your surrender! your surrendering of your will for His will. Your plans, for His plans for you. Your timing for His timing. Self for service. Sounds contrary doesn’t it? That’s because what you need for a successful revolution will never, cannot be— found in this world…

Colossians says it like this; “Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth” (Col.3:2). Jesus came to this world for one specific purpose. You. The work He did on His Cross—His choosing to die in your place, gave you the necessary tools, that if used correctly, can enable you to humble yourself and ask Him to come into your life, both as your Lord and your Savior…

Doing for you what He intended when He created you… “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future” (Jer. 29:11).

Revolutions don’t start accidentally, nor are they unplanned—willy-nilly, they require purpose, decision—planning. True revolution requires a blazing spark from a heart that has said—enough! Change—whatever the cost!

The thing about revolution—there’s never a right time to start one…

The right time is always today, now!

If you don’t know Jesus as your Lord and Savior, ask Him in your heart—your life! “But as for me, my prayer is to You, O LORD, at an acceptable time; O God, in the greatness of Your loving kindness, Answer me with Your saving truth” (Ps.69:13).

Until next time beloved…Blessings.

“Copycats” 2 Cor.4:17-18

October 22, 2016 /

identity-801212_960_720 Unlike Christ who is the exact image of God—the spitting image, One in Trinity, spotless, pure, and perfect in all His ways—we are copy cats. Now before you go quoting Genesis to me, before you start shouting that we are in fact created in the image—the likeness of God, let me make clear my point—the thing that makes us copycats—what separates us—it’s sin. God doesn’t have any. We do…

So, while we are on this side of eternity—living in our mortal coil still, we are imitators (Eph. 5:1-2). Yes, if saved, we have been made new in Christ. Yes, we’re seen by God through Jesus’s Blood shed on our behalf—in our stead. Yes, we’re seated with Christ in heavenly places, having access to perfection—while still being housed in our tents of tainted flesh—a mystery…

But, we are not made perfect as He is perfect—wholly, not yet. That is our hope—it’s why we press on, daily, like Paul, towards our high calling… (1 Jn.3:2; Phil.3:12-14).

Paul is instructing those in Corinth not to fall for the counterfeits among them—those with smooth words and catchy phrases. Wolves in sheep’s clothing, Jesus warned of them as well! Beware of those who point to themselves—their abilities, and not toward the Cross—towards the finished work of Christ Jesus, as Paul does—unadorned, in plain speak. Don’t buy into what they’re selling—it isn’t Christ (Matt.7:15; 2Cor.4:5).

Christ alone went before us proving that with God all things can be done (Phil.4:13). Even to the overcoming—the survival of, a savage, barbaric scourging that ended in His crucifixion. It should have killed Him—the scourging alone, it should have killed Him. Think the Passion of the Christ…

But it didn’t. Why? Simply put, you, me, them—the whole of a sin-soaked world destined for—deserving of death…

Paul is pointing us towards Hebrews 12. The how of Jesus’s ability to endure—and the why.

Let’s pause for a moment. Allow me to remind you here of where we started a moment ago—about being copycats and not exact images of—not the splitting image of, our Father.

Yet He—God, allows us to share in afflictions, trials and tribulations, in our walk with Him. We, mere flesh, are deigned worthy through this same Jesus. Take Paul . Listen to him stress to the Corinthians, and to us, how minor, how unimportant, his troubles—our troubles, are? How light, when weighed against the gain of Jesus? And what a privilege they are, these trials and tribulations—these sufferings of our flesh and Spirit, mind and soul (vs’s. 8-11).

These, each, afford us the blessed opportunity to share in Christ’s suffering!

Yes. It is blessed to suffer for Christ’s sake…

And this coming from a man of God who knew what suffering for Christ meant, what suffering for the sake of the Gospel was about! Paul saw far more of suffering than many of us have ever or might ever, encounter…

Hunted, in Acts, by men who agreed to fast until they had killed him. And, in 1&2 Corinthians, Paul himself tells us that he was beaten by the Jews five times, endured three Roman scourging’s with rods, one stoning at the hands of a blood-thirsty mob, three ship-wrecks, and multiple imprisonments!

So how is it that Paul can stress to the Corinthians, and to us, how minor, how unimportant, his troubles—our troubles are? How light, when weighed against the gain of Jesus? And what a privilege they are? How it is they afford us the blessed opportunity to share in Christ’s suffering!

Why? Because he knew that the greatest of our afflictions—however painful, however life altering—however they may have broken our hearts, Spirits, minds or bodies, don’t compare—will never compare to what Jesus endured for you and I. Period. Plain-speak…it just doesn’t compare. And that they would help to mold and shape us—in preparation, for the world to come. We must die to our flesh…

We are sinful man, born into a sinful world, where the unthinkable happens around us daily. And we struggle—and often fail, to make sense of a thing. To understand the “why” of it. The terribly insufficient answer is because we live in a world riddled with—corrupted by sin.

Hate, sickness—physical, spiritual or emotional. Financial loss—loss of anything, addiction, is part of the human condition brought on through sin. And yes, as we see via our example in Paul, it happens to Christians also—those used mightily by God, are not exempt. Often the very opposite is true… (Jn. 16:33).

But how Paul? How do we endure when we are drowning in pain, in loss? How do these mere jars of clay, these vapors, press on when our spouse walks out—or dies suddenly? Our child gets sick, turns to the streets or drugs—or dies also? How do we fix our eyes on the very Jesus that is watching us shoot-up, sleep around, get drunk? In our relationship-less-state… How?

Paul says —we must look to Jesus none-the-less. Through the pain, He understands our pain. Through the shame, He underwent shame and understands all too well. We must turn to the one whom Paul has laid it all down for, the One who—endured The Cross so we would not have to. Who said, “I’ll go for you, I love you too much to lose you, even in your sin-stained situation—no, because of it, you’re not ready…I’ll go….”

We must turn to Jesus, the Teacher and Guide. He already knows—and He’s waiting. For you to come, just as you are—now, today, it’s why He endured—the scourging, the desertion and humiliation, the abandonment at the hands of those He loved. Why He didn’t run from the loneliness, separation from The Father, and His shame…

Rather He held His Cross like a precious lover—because it was…

He held it tight for our sins and shame, for our angry, drunken, drug-induced states. For our divorces and abortions, He held that Cross tight. When He knew the time of that Cross was coming near, He locked on to Jerusalem –set, laser-focused, all His attention towards what must happen.

It’s why He was born—It was, is, His purpose. For the weighty—the eternal. The Cross was for but a moment…

And, we, like Paul, must model Jesus. And fix—set our eyes on things eternal. We must endure our light and temporary troubles by always—despite, contrary to—whatever we may encounter, in faith. We must look past our crosses, yet, holding tight to them—for they are our sacrifice, our blessing, our Joy… And we must look, as Jesus did, as Paul did—toward the One who promised to finish the work in us that He started, if we would just hold on!

“Behold, I have refined you, but not as silver; I have tested you in the furnace of affliction” (Isa.48:10).

 

…Many have been brought home to God as chosen vessels, and a good work of grace begun in them, in the furnace of affliction. It is comfort to God’s people, that God will secure his own honor, therefore work deliverance for them. And if God delivers his people, he cannot be at a loss for instruments to be employed. God has formed a plan, in which, for his own sake, and the glory of his grace, he saves all that come to Him.

Matthew Henry.

“Dead Men Speaking?” Heb.11

October 15, 2016 /

people-1099783_960_720 “[Prompted, actuated] by faith Abel brought God a better and more acceptable sacrifice than Cain, because of which it was testified of him that he was righteous [that he was upright and in right standing with God], and God bore witness by accepting and acknowledging his gifts. And though he died, yet [through the incident] he is still speaking” (Heb.11:4). Emphasis my own.

These men of God, these stalwarts of the faith—eternal voices, esteemed each, and found in the Christian Hall of Fame, Hebrews Chapter Eleven, are no more dead—no more silent, than is Jesus. And Jesus is most certainly not dead! He is alive and speaking still, as are they—always, to His children—to the world!

There are times, that in order for us to understand where we are now and how it is we got there, we must look over our shoulder for a moment and evaluate—take stock of, our path, our journey. This is  what Paul, I believe, is reminding us to do in Chapter Ten’s conclusion. He signals us to remember those moments when we first believed, when we were on fire for the Truth—for God. We must rekindle those moments, afresh, again and again.

There is no price too great to pay to follow what burns in our hearts—what we hunger for, thirst after.  Paul reminds us that though time has passed—and with it’s passing, perhaps it’s taken some of our ardor also. Nevertheless, we must hold on, hold fast to, our passion for God. We must remain steadfast in faith. We must persevere…

He reminds us that none of us is promised a smooth path to follow. But he also states plainly that the one who went before us is coming back for us as well—and He won’t delay! That is our Hope delayed, but not denied! Yet this Jesus is not looking for—is not pleased with us when we shrink away from our walk with Him simply because it’s gotten hard…

Think how hard it was for Him. How hard it was for Abraham, Moses and Noah. For David, Mary, His mother, and Rahab, the prostitute. For Peter and John, Matthew the tax collector and Simon the Zealot. Even for Paul himself. How difficult it was for all those who choose to follow the call they knew came from God in the midst of a pagan world who wanted nothing to do with their Jesus…

Sound familiar?

Yet we, like they, gain our strength through The Holy Spirit, so that, we too may endure until the end. If we will turn our hearts to Him—crying out to the only One who can sustain us in our hours of weakness, our times of trials and loss and testing. And there will be testing. Jesus did not escape it, and we certainly won’t either. Like Master—like servant. We must hold firm to our faith. It was this very thing—this faith, this elementary foundational building block, which straightened their spines, these stalwarts, and aided them in putting one foot in front of the other when persecution, uncertainty and yes, fear, hunted them.

We, like with those who’ve gone before us, who’ve finished their race and received their crown, have been bought for a price. The ultimate price, The Atoning  Blood of Jesus. Christ’s sacrificial giving of His life in exchange for our own. Least we never forget!

Now,echoing across this Hall of Fame, we hear the footsteps of Abel—out first dead man speaking. “By faith Abel brought God a better offering than Cain did. By faith he was commended as righteous, when God spoke well of his offerings. And by faith Abel still speaks, even though he is dead.”

As we continue to listen to Paul’s naming of those found in this encouraging—life affirming, faith building chapter, next we hear of Enoch…

Enoch, Noah’s great-grandfather. Much like Elijah in Kings 2:11, Enoch too, was taken up to heaven, never to have tasted physical death (vs.5). Then comes Noah. Noah who in holy fear built the Ark that God instructed him to build—and he built it precisely as he was told…

He built it in the midst of persecution and torment. He built it though he had never seen rain. God had told Noah to build a boat—and he did it, by faith, in obedience. And as a result, he, his whole family, and those animals the Lord chose to enter this boat, were all saved from the coming flood. Through Noah’s faithfulness, God ushered in His judgement on a sinful world. You see, Noah was a type of the Christ to come—and Christ, through His obedience to the Father—offers Salvation for all who will…

An Ark…safety.

Concerning Noah and us all: Faith moves us to do those things we have no foreknowledge of—no reference point from which to spring forward. We are made to be solely reliant on the Christ whom we confess… (James 2:14-26).

And when we think faith, how can our minds not go straight to Father Abraham. Not only did he leave home and country when called to by God, also, when he was nearly 100 years old, he had the faith to believe a promise given him by the Lord under a starry, night sky. A promise which stated that from his withered, and all but dried-up body he would sire a child, Father a nation. And this promise would be fulfilled through the womb of his equally dried-up, and barren wife! It is never too late for God…

Faith is the evidence of things unseen, yet hoped for… (Heb.11:1).

Our Hall of Fame list goes on to mention such memorable names as, Isaac and Jacob and Joseph of the multi-colored coat. Who would save his entire family from famine—because by faith he endured pits and slavery, false accusations, deceptions and treachery, attempts on his life, and abuse at the hands of those he thought loved him—those whom he loved…

In this world you will have trials and tribulations, but fear not, take heart, for I have overcome this world… (Jn.16:33).

And, as I stated earlier, sometimes, in order for us to know how best to move forward we must look back to where we started—for the purposes of re-calibration, not in sorrow or longing for things past, God forbid! If we have been made new creations in Christ Jesus, why would we ever long to unite our new selves to the corpse of the dead selves we left floating about in our Baptismal waters? Though we are—and will be until Christ’s return, working out—learning this new self, this new relationship; it’s thinking and resulting actions.Each of these things will never be made complete should we continue to reach behind…

Paul says it this way, “Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus” (Phil.3:13-14).

Each of those found in our Hall of Fame, as well as every Christian that’s gone before us, knew of one trait in our arsenal that was essential to or faith walk. Needed like air and water…

Perseverance.

Paul knew it. Paul’s faith, along with those mentioned in Hebrews 11, was fashioned in trials, made sure through perseverance. In faith believing that the One who started this new thing—this good work, would do just as He said He would, and complete it. That was His part—His promise to them, to us. Our part is the persevering through whatever comes. Through the fiery furnaces, through so much we’ll never understand this side of eternity. That is what Paul is teaching us—back there, in Chapter 10…

Paul says it this way: “But we are not of those who shrink away and are destroyed, but of those who believe and are saved” (Heb.10:39). And not because of anything we’ve done…

Perseverance is the take-away when we look to God’s Word for how it is we’ll get through this world and all of its many trials and woes. It’s what lead us into Chapter 11, into Faith—the how of perseverance, its partner.

Why perseverance? Why Faith? The closing verses of our chapter gives us a glimpse—and sets us up for what is yet to come. Jesus. It was Jesus these stalwarts in our Hall of Fame wanted, served—yet did not know by name. They knew only the God of Laws and the Prophets. Paul tells us that, “These were all commended for their faith, yet none of them received what had been promised, since God had planned something better for us so that only together with us would they be made perfect” (Heb.11:39-40).

Jesus.

And how much more than Paul and Peter and John and Mark are we—witnesses to the fulfillment of the promise each of these Hall of Famer’s clung to. If we, like those before us, will continue to persevere in faith—in spite of, regardless of—come what may. Our joy too will be made complete! Our Faith rewarded…that we may see Him coming on the clouds, returning to bring us to Himself in glory!

“And I heard a great voice out of the throne saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he shall dwell with them, and they shall be his peoples, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God: and he shall wipe away every tear from their eyes; and death shall be no more; neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain, any more: the first things are passed away. And he that sitteth on the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. And he saith, Write: for these words are faithful and true” (Rev. 21:3-5).

 

 

 

“Free or Freedom?” Jn. 8:36

October 8, 2016 /

by-wlodek-428549_960_720  Moses was instructing the Israelite’s in the tenets of the new covenant and its oaths. A New Covenant they were about to enter with God—after their long sojourn through the wilderness. Moses makes plain to the Israelite’s in Deuteronomy 30, that a choice to follow God, and all He asks of them, must be set in their hearts—chosen by them—fixed…

Also, in Chapter 29, Moses, during this same instructing, says this, “Someone may hear the conditions of this promise. He may think that he is so blessed that he can say, “I’ll be safe even if I go my own stubborn way. After all, [the LORD would never] sweep away well-watered ground along with dry ground” (Duet.29:19).

Plain speak. Don’t think to yourselves, “I believe in God, I’m his, after all, He is the God of my father’s—He’s got my back, I’m not like those people.” (the world, the unsaved) those that may know of the Lord—yet presume upon, take for granted, His grace, His patient mercy…because what they actually have is religious knowledge, not true relationship.

For those that may say, but that’s what the Old Testament says with it’s dark, negative speak…listen to what the Apostle Paul tells us in the New Testament. Listen to what he has to say about taking such liberties with God’s  mercy and grace, “What shall we say then? shall we continue in sin, that there may be abundance of grace? God forbid! How shall we that are dead as touching sin live any longer therein” (Rom. 6:1-2).

You may be asking what this has to do with today’s verse? Everything, would be the short answer…

Allow me to elaborate. There is an eternal difference between having freedom’s and being—free…

It is the theme—the fact stated, by our above mentioned principles, Moses and Paul. Each a witness to the Truth, Jesus, who alone is able to set men free.

Solomon informs us in Ecclesiastes that there’s nothing new under the sun, listen: “History merely repeats itself. It has all been done before. Nothing under the sun is truly new.” (Emphasis mine.) As it was then, so it is today…

Culture, technology, fashions, foods, appearances…all of these certainly are different—unarguably. But the heart of man, his core, remains unchanged. The sin-nature that drives him to chase after the illusive “anything” that will offer him the slightest whiff of supposed freedom—his right to choose, that has not changed one iota in man…

And that friends, that searching, that rebellious selfish want is what drives a man to serve the masters of his flesh, his thoughts, plans, needs and wants—his, what’s best for me. That is what this world and the father of it calls—offers as, supposed freedom. Freedom to choose—my choice, I get to pick, I get to say…Me.

Think of the Israelite’s and the golden calf here…Me, what I want. And I’ll give everything I have and own to get it! They forgot all about Moses on the mountain, weren’t giving a second thought to the fact that he was up there seeking God on their behalf—now, I want it now…(Ex.32:1-3).

Think Pharisees…Me, I deserve the best. All roads point to what I want, what best serves what my flesh is screaming out for. Recognition, accumulation, stature. Don’t I deserve that, after all… (Matt.23:4-7).

Concerning this freedom, how can the world give you something it does not possess? Doesn’t have to give? (Matt.4:9),

Only Jesus has the power and the authority to set a captive soul free (Lk.4:18-19).

There is no better evidence of the false freedoms this world offers, no greater evidence of its lie, and the father of its lies, than what we witness in the dialogue between Jesus and satan. Concerning the temptation of Jesus in the wilderness, listen as satan tries to offer Jesus the very things  which Jesus himself created! “Again, the devil took Him to a very high mountain and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory; and he said to Him, “All these things I will give You, if You fall down and worship me.” (Matt.4:8-9).

Why would anyone ever choose a counterfeit over an original? The world—satan and what he does not have to offer—his temporary smoke screens, over God the creator of heaven and earth and satan as well?  satan, known from the beginning as Lucifer, was a high-ranking angel allowed to choose sin, choose selfishness. He was cast to earth and away from God where he was given dominion to rule temporarily—but never is he, nor will he ever be, mightier than God…

And both he and his illusions of freedom will one day be cast into hell for all eternity… (Rev. 20:1-3).

Regarding this false freedom: it was this-worldly, prideful, sin-soaked freedom, that the Lord allowed one of His creations to choose. And in his choosing, he became the father of lies. The father of those he whispers to—lures, with false promises, stroking their prideful ego’s. Just as he tried to do to Jesus. It failed—he failed. Because it is written—Truth, true freedom, will always, always, expose the darkest of lies—illusions of freedom.

Now let’s hold that idea of freedom—satan’s lies, and contrast, compare them to, the Freedom found in Christ…

God’s Word clearly states, “So if the Son sets you free, you are free through and through.” (Jn.8:36). Completely free—nothing held back from you.

Being free is found only through submission—selflessness. It’s the choice we make to relinquish the freedom to choose our own way for God’s…Sounds backward right? It’s certainly a-not-of-this world thinking—not man’s logic.

The best known Bible figures each referred to themselves as, ‘bondservants” of Jesus Christ and claimed to be free through His ownership of them and through their service to others, seflessness…

The term “bondservant” in the New Testament (bond-servant or slave in some translations) is a translation of the Greek word doulos. Unlike perceptions of modern slavery, bondservant or doulos is a relatively broad term with a wider range of usage. In the time of the New Testament a bondservant could refer at times to someone who voluntarily served others. In most cases, however, the term referred to a person in a permanent role of service. The importance of these New Testament authors referring to themselves as bondservants should not be overlooked. Despite proclaiming a message of freedom from sin in Jesus Christ, these writers were dedicated to Jesus as their one master. Further, their service to the Lord was not one they could consider leaving. Most importantly, the image of the bondservant became one of great importance for Christians, who are called to live as bondservants of Christ Jesus…

Just as a bondservant was more than an employee who could leave for another job, the true Christian is a servant who can never leave their master for another. As Christ belonged to the Father and submitted His will to Him, and unto death for us, so we too must submit to Jesus—via our death to self.

Being free is found only in surrendering our wills—wants, desires, those temper tantrums of the flesh, to a higher calling—the common good. Service to another—others. Being free is found only in the resurrected self.  Made alive through Christ’s life, death and resurrection… “Truly, truly, I tell you, no servant is greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him” (Jn.13:16).

Freedom to do it my way….  It’s a lie. It was born from the father of lies. A poisonous brew concocted from the twisted mind of the father of lies—worldly. Offered to all who will as a sweet drink that promises to please. And it does, for a time…but ultimately it ravages, destroys—takes captive, the mind—soul, body, emotions, of the one who drinks it in. It, like its slithering originator, will squeeze the very life from its partaker—one poisonous sip at a time… (Jn.8:43-44; Pro.14:12).

Being truly—eternally free to live a life worthy of—dedicated to God, and service to His people. Will cost you your so-called life…But here’s the thing, since you didn’t create yourself, give live to yourself, it’s not really yours to keep after all… is it (Matt.10:24)?

And unless your life is given in loving surrender to the One who died to purchase your opportunity—the chance for you to be free, the moment you exhale that last breath, His gift to you—it is to your father you will go to partake in a final—eternal glass, of his poisonous brew…

I beseech you today to choose being free in Christ Jesus…As long as you have breath in your lungs there is time…

Listen to Jesus as He shares this same Truth with the Israelite’s gathered around Him: “Jesus replied, “Very truly I tell you, everyone who sins is a slave to sin. Now a slave has no permanent place in the family, but a son belongs to it forever. 36 So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed’” (Jn.8:34-36).

 

 

 

“I’m Coming Back.”Lk. 13:6-9

October 1, 2016 /

revelation-981662_960_720 Friends, what do the Words of Jesus spoken to a crowd of Jews 2000 plus years ago have to do with us today?

Simply put, “The Word of God is the same yesterday today and forever” (Heb.13:8 NIV). That is a rudimentary Biblical Truth.

As such, it makes what Jesus said to that crowd quite relevant to us today. Put Scripturally, “The heaven and the earth will pass away, but My words will certainly not pass away.” (Mark 13:31 BLB).

I am laying this foundational Truth in preparation for our text today. The sub-heading of which is, “Repent or Perish” (Lk. 13:6-9 NIV).

That statement—those three words, “I’m coming back,”however unpopular in our current culture, are, and will stay, fundamental Truth… believe it or not.

Beginning in Chapter 12 of Luke we witness Jesus revealing certainties that lead us into today’s teaching. Follow along as Jesus walks those who would seek Him through those Truths. While on this walk, notice too that Jesus clearly lays out the costs of following Him, discipleship, as well as the promises—or gains that being a true disciple affords those willing to lay down their life and take up their personal Cross… (Lk. 14:25-34).

Jesus asked his disciples first, then, those standing in that gathering—that mob, just as He asks each of us today, these, and other, questions:

#1. What motivates you to want to follow Me? To serve Me?…

Are you, like the Pharisees? Are you motivated by attention and material gain? Those passing trappings that so often end up owning those who have take-up the profession, the job of preacher or teacher of His Word? Notice I said, taken up, not all those who stand in our pulpits today, who call themselves preachers and teachers have been called, chosen or appointed by God to do so. How do I know this? Scripture tells me. “You will recognize them by their fruit.” (Matt.7:15-20).

Anyone can do anything for a time, but no one can do it for a life time unless it is authentic, a  true, pure calling, an appointment—you’re chosen.  Think Peter and Paul here, think John the Baptist. Called each. Your heart is, must be consumed—your mind flooded with the ever-present LORDSHIP of Jesus Christ, the burning in your belly to share that Truth, Him… with everyone, and not solely for the benefits promised you if you do… or you will fall away. Think Pharisee’s here…

Again, not my words but His, The Word, listen: “Not everyone who says to Me, “Lord, Lord,” shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. Many will say to Me in that day, “Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?” And then I will declare to them, “I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness”(Matt. 7:21-23NLT).

#2. You’re not getting away with anything!…

Tying into the above statement, think Pharisees here, we too make think or feel that we are getting away with something… Example, we go to church every week, read our Bibles faithfully, give our tithes regularly and practice charity just the like those mentioned in the above Scripture. Yet in private, in our secret place, away from the eyes of onlookers, we are acting as ungodly as one who doesn’t know God! Shame the devil and tell the Truth! I know I’ve been guilty of this sin in my walk with the Lord. Thinking because a man didn’t know, I was okay, I got away with something! Let me share with you a Truth the Holy One hit me with… “No creature can hide from him, but everyone is exposed and helpless before the eyes of the one to whom we must give a word of explanation” (Heb.4:3 ISV).

God is Holy and cannot look upon sin. So if we truly desire to follow God, we too must strive—press in towards, stretch, towards Holiness…

“This is the message he has given us to announce to you: God is light and there is no darkness in him at all. So we are lying if we say we have fellowship with God but go on living in spiritual darkness. We are not living in the truth. But if we are living in the light of God’s presence, just as Christ is, then we have fellowship with each other, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, cleanses us from every sin. If we say we have no sin, we are only fooling ourselves and refusing to accept the truth. But if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us and to cleanse us from every wrong. If we claim we have not sinned, we are calling God a liar and showing that his word has no place in our hearts” (1Jn 1:5-10).

#3. Fear the One who can not only kill the body, more the One who when the body is dead can send you to hell.

Jesus was straight-forward with all those who wanted to run after Him concerning the cost they would pay to have right relationship with Him. Notice I did not say to have salvation alone in Him, but, right relationship (Mk.10:17-27). Jesus must be Lord and Savior in our lives. We must be completely submitted to His will and abandoned to our own. We must wholly recognize the ultimate price He paid to redeem us, He is no mere gain in our life’s pursuit of getting more (John 3:16 ESV)!

Let me pause here a moment to ask if you know Jesus as Lord and Savior of your life?

Lord. The One to whom you’ve given unfettered access. The one who now controls every aspect of your life. From a heart filled with loved you’ve surrender yourself to Him…” Yes, to your will, yes to your way, yes to more, deeper, wider, less of me and more of you…yes, yes.

Your will for His will. Your thoughts for His thoughts. Your life—no longer your own…. Lord of all—everything—it’s yours. Period.

Savior. The sinless, spotless Lamb of God who from an unfathomable depth of love for you and I, while we were yet filthy in our sins, looked across time and eternity and said to each of us, I believe you are worth dying for. And with that He held His cross like a dear lover—tight, and laid Himself on it—willingly, until it was finished. The sin debt, yours and mine, theirs too…was stamped, paid in full! God split the veil—His Pure Flesh—Jesus’s…access. Unworthy.

Let’s continue on, shall we…

#4. Do not Blasphemy the Holy Spirit.

He comes to us politely. He’s never rude or intrusive. Recurrently, He will knock at the door of our hearts seeking entry. Offering us knowledge of the Christ—His will, and reconciliation through Him to the Father. Blasphemy against the Holy Spirit occurs when we blatantly refuse to acknowledge His gracious offer of a life reconciled to God, we choose to hold fast to what His gentle promptings are asking us to release to Him. The god of our sin, our sins… (1 Tim. 4:1-2).  Jesus tells us that we may sin against Him and be forgiven, but sinning against the Holy Spirit is unforgivable (Matt. 12:32 NIV)!

And why is that? We are being given, offered—freely, the opportunity to choose God—choose reconciliation, choose life, eternal, yet we willingly—hardheartedly, stay in our sin. We choose to cling to it them, our gods, and stay at odds with, push away The God. The I Am that I Am… again, let’s hold it up to our above Scripture, “And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness” (Matt.7:23 ESV).

In closing, picture this…. we’re standing at the entrance of a lush vineyard. Shhh, listen, the Owner and Manager are speaking. They’re talking about one of us. They’re discussing the outcome of—the fate of, that fig tree over there… Metaphorical. It’s You, me—one of the others maybe standing just there…it’s our fate.

The owner of the vineyard is telling His manager to cut the thing down, it’s worthless!

What? Wait!

Throw it in the fire with all the other useless wood! It’s simply taking up a space that something with far more value—productive something fruit-bearing, could be planted in. It’s been three years since its planting—yet no fruit. Now everyone knows if a fig tree is going to produce fruit typically it happens within the first three season…

Not our little tree… how? It’s been well-tended, planted in the riches of soils, watered regularly—looked after with the greatest of care—with the greatest of attention to every detail of the thing… Yet nada—nothing! Not one single fig…

The owner wants to turn it into firewood, but the manager intercedes…After all, that’s why He was hired—the welfare of the Owner’s vineyard… (Rom. 8:34; Heb.12:2).

Friends, the Word of God tells us—you, the one who is here, now…seeking, that if you do not know Jesus: “God again designated a certain day as “Today,” when a long time later He spoke through David, as was already stated: “Today, if you hear His voice, do not harden your hearts” (Heb.3:7).

Friends, a thing is true whether you believe it or not. Jesus is coming back. He loves you and wants to return you into the loving arms of Father God. Won’t you pray along with me—please? If you ask Him, He’ll let you, come to Him. He’s right here, now, waiting for you to ask…Promise.

It’s not complicated—like this, ready?

 Dear Jesus, come into my heart, I can’t do this anymore, it’s not working. It hasn’t worked in a long time. I’m told you’ll come to me if I ask—if I mean it from my heart… So I’m asking, as messed up as I am. With all of my sin, shame, hurts and hang-ups, with no clue how to do this…I’m asking you into my life, my heart. Today, now—forever. Amen.

“Atom to Adam and Beyond…” Col. 1:15

September 3, 2016 /

hand-898232_960_720 “He is the exact living image [the essential manifestation] of the unseen God [the visible representation of the invisible], the firstborn [the preeminent one, the sovereign, and the originator] of all creation” (Col.1:15).

Originator of all creation? Wait. Does that mean that the same God that created me, created the salamander and the snail? The sea and slime? What about the milky way and neutrons? Oxygen and sunshine? Souls and Spirits and intelligence too? Abilities and ideas? Even my desire to do or be a thing?

Yes. Categorically—without equivocation. Yes (Acts 17:27-28).

Our Scripture today plainly attests to this fact—this reality.

Jesus is not only (as in simply, merely or just) our Lord and Savior, not just God’s substantive equal, in that He is not solely the firstborn human fathered by God—literally (Phil.2:6-7). He is the God of the Trinity.

Think the Holy Spirit over-shadowing Mary here…

She, by the power of the Holy Spirit, would conceive and give birth to God’s only begotten Son—Jesus the Christ (Lk.1:35). Three in One, the Godhead.

He is inestimable—boundless. Omnipresent. All of creation—all of it, contains His essence. His Word, thought and will (Ps.33:6-9).

He is God with us—permeating His creation, Immanuel. The very templet of the New Creation, the New Adam. Pure—undefiled, worthy of God. He is Deity wrapped in flesh—man as God intended, perfect. He is in intimate relationship with—gnosis with, the Father God. (Rom.5:12-18).

Creator of all, over all—atom to Adam. In Jesus is found the very definition of fullness—the sum total of all. Both Alpha and Omega, babe and man, lamb—spotless, and lion—roaring, all-powerful, eternal (Col.1:19).

This Jesus is the greatest author, the most prolific of artist. He is the creator of mechanics and all things mechanical, designer, and engineer. Gravitational pull, magnetic poles, the very site of, placement of our galaxy, temperate zones and lightening—tectonics and solar nebula’s (Job 9:9-10; Amos 5:8; Ps.19:1-6; Rev.4:11).

This Jesus—our Jesus, He is the stuff of Greek myth. Half man, half God. Difference is, He’s no myth. He’s real, authentic, sole, glorious, magnificent, awesome—He is God all by Himself.

Contained within man, animals, aquatic life and yes, even plant life, is a protein known as Laminin. Science has come to bear out the Truth of God’s Word…

After all, He is Creator of all things—science included, it is only fitting that science should confirm His Truth.

The Laminin Protein.

images

What is this stuff?

According to the Journal of Cell Biology: “Lamins line the inside of the nuclear membrane, where they provide a platform for the binding of proteins and chromatin and confer mechanical stability.”

Laminin Protein is the physical proof of—form of, substance of—what we find in Colossians 1:17. “And HE IS before all things and in and through Him the universe is a harmonious whole, all things are held together.”  (Emphasis added).

And, as it is physically impossible for man to be literally held together in the absence of this protein, so it is also, spiritually speaking, to hold together as well—without Jesus we fall apart… (Gen.3:6-7).

We have absolute need of Jesus. Without whom, life is and will always be—without form or substance.

Willy-nilly.

And we, having no true, set form, nothing fixed and unchanging to which we can attach to and sustain our lives—are left to our own inadequate devises—veiled attempts at self-construction.

Thus we build shabby frames and frame-works—pointless, faltering constructs—unable, incapable of successfully sustaining function long-term—our essential static, fixed framework nonexistent.

No God, no life. Simple… (Acts:28 specifically; 17:22-31).

Put Scripturally, “Remain in Me, and I will remain in you. Just as no branch can bear fruit by itself unless it remains in the vine, neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in Me. I am the vine and you are the branches. The one who remains in Me, and I in him, will bear much fruit. For apart from Me you can do nothing” (Jn.15:4-5).

Break off a branch from any vine, tree, plant and what happens? Death. No life-source, no life.

And that leads us into this protein also being present in plants of the field, birds of the air, as well as the fish of the sea.

In “types” of their own of course…

Each type—each protein strand, unique to whom it inhabits. Makes sense right? Man is unique from all other created things. He is the only created article that God formed in His own likeness and blew His Ruach breath into—His Spirit, His life-giving, creative breath. (Gen.1:27; Gen.2:7).

Certainly fish, snails, sea algae, and, cows should not—don’t need to, carry within them the fullness of what man has. They are not called—were not created to be him—man. To follow after his Creator, to co-create with Him…

Yet, even these creatures contain within themselves this life-force—this divine glue, that holds them together. It allows for them to work and flourish, to reproduce, and have dominion over—their little place under the sun… (Ecc. 3:1). All of which Jesus’s hand is in as well—His creations. (John 1:3).

Our God—this Jesus, is far too enormous for us to take in. Trying to ingest this enormity of–the scale of, His person, intelligence and creative abilities is like trying to eat an elephant in a single bite—impossible!

Jesus is too great for our finite minds to even begin to grasp. We try. We wrestle and grapple and stare out into the void—in wonder, with a sense of slack-jawed awe…God! My God!

And we are left still—silent, humbled, incapable. As it should be. How thoroughly disheartening—horrifying, it would be if we could conceive—thoroughly take in—this Lamb, this Lion, this Baby, Child, Man, eternal—what is an eternal God? Inconceivable!

He is One who speaks and things are—poof! (Jer.1:5)

And with that same breath speaks—and they are not. Gone, baby gone… (Lk.12:20).

This Jesus, as we have just witnessed, in part, such a small,small part, is greater, bigger, more far reaching—present in everything we think of, image or remember—daily. He is God present not only with us—but in all things. All of life, every created thing, every situation—He is there in it all.

Since this is fact, it only stands to reason that He is here—now, present with us, in this space and time. The Word of God tells us that no man is promised tomorrow. That today is the acceptable day. Your problem is not too big for this big God. Your mistakes not too great for Him to forgive and more—turn into a lifesaving word for another.

There are no bars that can hold Him back or keep Him out, no addiction He can’t overcome—stomp out beneath His all forgiving feet.

There is no crime unforgivable, ask the thief on the cross, he’ll tell you I’m telling the truth. Jesus told Him at his moment of salvation, as he hung dying next to Jesus, the very same words you will here on your day of –your moment of salvation; “And Jesus replied, “I assure you, today you will be with me in paradise” (Lk.23:43).

But, like with this thief, you must believe that He, Jesus, is who He says that He is. You must ask Him to come into your life and have mercy on you—forgive your sins. We all must, each of us.He won’t just bust in and save you, me, us, from hell.

God’s Word says it like this; “If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say we have not sinned, we make Him out to be a liar, and His word is not in us.…(1Jn.1:8-10).

Today is that acceptable day. Now—right now, this second, is the acceptable time—what are you waiting for. You just received your personal invitation, please respond now to assure your place in heaven.

There is a great big creating God who has—in all His building, all His creating, prepared a place specifically—exclusively, for just you—and Him. All that will, come…

 

“Really, That’s My Miracle?” Jn.11:41-43

July 23, 2016 /

6a00d8341c660253ef00e54f55a29c8834-800wi How do you react, what do you do, when your miracle, your Word from God—comes to you seemingly flat, elementary and, more importantly—too late? When it offers you—no tah-dah moment of right now jubilation! No sharp intake of astounded breath—rather it offers, brings along with it—a heavy, still, disappointing silence. It leaves you staring off befuddled, clueless, blank—in that universally recognized, that’s it? Really? Sort-of-way.

You know the look. Certainly you’ve witnessed it?  it’s disappointment—unfulfilled expectation. Instead of going left, it goes right—way right!

How do you handle disappointment—along with its plethora of emotional fallout?

We all have expectation—all of us. Even the most spiritual. Try as we might to live minus our faulty human ideals—our faultier still ungrounded expectations, we have them—we do.

We even expect things from Jesus. And, to a certain extent, we’re correct in doing so. We, as His kids should expect things. Things like a certain measure of faith, His protection and provision, His presence and the fulfillment of every promise He has ever made—to name a few. Here’s the catch—they’ll come His way not ours.

That aside—don’t allow, you mustn’t allow, foolish expectations—self-serving expectations to lead you down the wrong path. Proverbs 14:12 makes that abundantly clear, listen: “There is a way that appears to be right, but in the end it leads to death.”

Don’t allow presupposition to pervade your relationship with Jesus—a wrong move—bad! It will cause you, most assuredly, to fall—headlong, into sin. And, following quickly behind that sin—comes its cronies—the perils of disaster and heartache.

By allowing for a—He’s my buddy, He’s got this for me—irreverent way of thinking to creep in, to exist between the two of you—you and Jesus that is—the above mentioned attitude has already spelled-out your demise—Spiritually always, perhaps physically. Think the leaven of the Pharisees here—a little of it in your relationship with Jesus can—will eventually, kill it.

Example, Judas Iscariot. He had a definite, my buddy, mindset. From perhaps the outset of his relationship with Jesus he allowed seeds of irreverence to grow—simmer crock-pot slowly within him. He had Jesus all figured out. He, Jesus had come to do Judas will, Judas’s way. Jesus would raise up an army to demolish the tyrannical, brutal, socially unjust Roman reign over His people Israel. He was going to restore home rule, order, power, and, opulence. And Judas would have a hefty slice of the pie—position, and power all for himself. See he forgot he was only an ingredient, not the finished product.

His expectations were very unwise—sinful.

The polar opposite of his fatal mindset, the life-robber, the bandit of reverence—is selflessness and faith.

Examples—think King David. Talk about unfulfilled expectations—talk about selflessness. Twenty plus years of unfulfilled promises and betrayal at the hands of his mentor, waiting. Saul, the king, one akin to a father to David tries to take him out—kill him. And his own son, David’s own Absalom, heir to his throne—plots not only to over throw his Father and take his throne, but more—to kill him also! Check in out—read 2nd Samuel.

Think also about Joseph—not Mary’s—the other one. The dreamer of dreams and owner of a coat of many colors. Joseph—young Joseph. Jacobs son— inexperienced Joseph. Tells not only his eleven brothers but also his Father—the one who wrestled with God and has a limp to prove it. About his dreams—a bit haughtily. Joseph tells them all that according to his dream the sun, moon and eleven stars will all bow down before him. And though he was correct—his presentation of the facts was a bit naïve, foolish. How we present ourselves—matters.

He’s about seventeen when he has this prophetic dream. And now at thirty-something, some thirteen plus years after being sold into slavery at the hands of his jealous brothers, after being falsely accused of crimes and being imprisoned for them—finally, his dream, his promise, comes to pass. Read it for yourself—Genesis 37-44:9. I’ve skimmed over a lot!

Unlike Judas Iscariot, neither David, nor Joseph, nor our upcoming protagonist Martha, viewed their relationship with Jesus as anything but sacred—cherished. Mind you, they each had their faults—we all do, save Jesus. Yet, each in-turn demonstrated great faith in, and reverence for, God. Each demonstrated deference to His will…

So now—finally, at our close we meet Martha. As disappointed and heartbroken as she was—she remained reverential to Jesus in her grief. Who is Martha you’re asking? She’s a friend of Jesus.

She’s also the eldest sister of Mary and Lazarus, friends of Jesus as well. In fact, you may remember Mary as the one some other friends of Jesus scolded for pouring spikenard, an expensive perfume on Jesus’ feet then wiping it off with her hair?

You see Martha, Mary, and Lazarus followed Jesus—were His disciples. Each believed that if they had faith in Him they would see the Glory of God in the world to come. After all, that is what Jesus taught them—and they believed everything He told them. They would not taste death.

So now standing with Jesus days after she had sent for Him, asking Him to come and heal, touch—save her only brother, His friend, from death—she is confused. Had He forgotten what He had said to them? Did He forget His love for His friend, her brother? Maybe He didn’t hear her say that her brother has been dead for four days now and his body must, well—stink?

That’s it. That must be it. He didn’t hear her. Why else would was He instructing these men to roll away her brothers grave stone? Surely He knows…not in front of all these people…

What will they think? He must be irrational from grief…

What’s the use now? What can come of His being here—too late. It’s too late! Her brother is, in fact—dead. This makes no sense…

Wait! What is He doing? Why is He shouting out Lazarus’ name—as if a dead man can hear…

Before we go forward, I want to remind you here, now, of the question I initially asked—way back in the beginning of this blog. How do you react, what do you do, when your miracle, your Word from God—comes to you seemingly flat, elementary and, more importantly—too late?

Do you like myself—like these brothers and these sisters mentioned above, ever forget that we are not in charge—not our own? We are ingredients in the making of—the construction of something far greater than we will ever know or understand—this side of heaven. And that as ingredients we offer only what it is we created to add to the outcome of the overall product we’re part of—Gods will, His divine plan?

Martha knew that, so did David and Joseph.  Unfortunately, Judas didn’t and it cost him—his life.

Never forget that we are mere ingredients—imbibed with power certainly, but ingredients none-the-less. We are not the Maker, the Originator—not the finished product. That is Gods alone—created for, meant for—His glory.

We are but pieces of our Father—of Him, but not Him. We don’t possess His knowledge. We, unlike Him are not omniscient. We can’t possibly see the outcome—the end of anyone journey, or anything’s purpose. Never mind the thousand little reasons why things are allowed in the first place—why their allowed to exist at all!

And so it was with Martha and Mary and most of their little town for that matter. They were all knocked-out by Lazarus’ death. After all, this was their only brother, Martha and Mary’s—and the towns beloved friend. All they saw—could see, was that Lazarus was dead. And the pointlessness of his death.

Martha had sent news to Jesus days before to come right-away—posthaste! So why did He wait days, two in fact—before going to save His friend?  Why let Him die? As with every other answer to a believer’s questions, the answers are found in God’s Holy Word.

Since the Second Chapter of John a foundation has been laid by Jesus. Clues left like a proverbial bread-crumb trail that we might see the big picture—the finished product if you will. Yet even when answers are right before us—in our blindness, we miss them. It is not until Jesus opens our eyes that we are able to see what has been before us all along—His purpose for it all.

Where Martha, Mary, and everyone gathered at that tomb saw only death—Jesus saw life. Ingredients are not meant to be the final product—rather their use is to it bring about—a perfect, complete product that is.

Jesus knew what His disciples did not. Lazarus would live—and his physical resurrection would help to usher in Jesus’ own necessary—impending death. Lazarus was one of the necessary final ingredients needed to accomplish a perfect end product—The Cross.

And that—The Cross of Christ, the reason for it all, our only hope, did not look anything like what anyone would expect from a merciful, loving, forgiving Father…

Watch out for your faulty expectations… There’s a saying that goes; things may not always be what they look like!

When you focus on what you see, the tangible—what things seem to be, rather than using eyes of faith, the potential, the possible— you will always—always feel disappointment…

Seldom does anything ever end-up lining up exactly in the fanciful way you’ve expected it to—your visions, your way.

See that’s the thing about this faith—you’re called to walk by it—not by your sight, not your own way. That’s the way of Judas—not Jesus.

 

“Get Set” 1Pt.1:13-14

June 25, 2016 /

road-908176_960_720 “So roll up your sleeves, put your mind in gear, be totally ready to receive the gift that’s coming when Jesus arrives. Don’t lazily slip back into those old grooves of evil, doing just what you feel like doing. You didn’t know any better then; you do now” (1Pt.1:13-14)

Let’s talk about grace—yes I know, the Scripture verse speaks to us about Holiness. But without grace, prevenient grace, it is impossible to achieve holiness! As impossible as achieving salvation on our own accord—ridiculous.

Our brother Peter, that great Apostle, addresses the bewildering, unmerited, inconceivable gift of our salvation within the opening of his Epistle. He writes to you expounding on the glorious future reserved for the chosen of God!

Straight-away in verse two he addresses God’s elect.  If you have received Jesus as your Lord and Savior, he’s talking to you, personally!

Amazing right? Listen: “Chosen by the foreknowledge of God the Father and sanctified by the Spirit for obedience to Jesus Christ and sprinkling by His blood” (1:2) He goes on to say that in His great mercy He has given you new birth into a living hope.

Now if into a living hope, what was the state of that hope before it became alive? None. No hope—zilch !

You had no hope in Him. Until grace, amazing grace, astonishing grace, unmerited grace came and rescued you from the pig-pen, the death-snare, the extreme disconnectedness from God—certain death is what your so-called life looked like!

Mind you, God was never disconnected from you. Get that into your inner-most being. Not for one second did God not know what was happening in your life. Let me take that one step further to demonstrate the extent of His awareness—He was orchestrating your every step! “You scrutinize my path and my lying down, And are intimately acquainted with all my ways. Even before there is a word on my tongue, Behold, O LORD, You know it all. You have enclosed me behind and before, and laid Your hand upon me” (Ps.139:3-5).

Yup, even those days you thought were going to kill you—God knew about those, grace upon grace. It’s why your still here!

So let’s get on with it, shall we?

Now that you know that you’re His, chosen before the world was even formed! And, that the work of sanctification is working within you via the power of the Spirit you received the very second Jesus sealed you as His own…now you can focus, with laser-beam intensity on Kingdom work! but don’t miss that…

Sealed as His own!

Listen to how the Apostle Paul, the one responsible for writing Thirteen Books of the Old Testament explains it to you: “Now it is God who establishes both us and you in Christ. He anointed us, placed His seal on us, and put His Spirit in our hearts as a pledge of what is to come” (2Cor.1:22).

Is that a promise I hear sprinkled within his words? A deposit given you toward a future inheritance? If a deposit, that surely means there is more to come…grace upon grace.

It is to this grace that Peter transitions when he hits verse thirteen. Moving us from salvation he now elucidates holiness. He is teaching you a great theological truth… Holy living.

He speaks to the need of your preparedness. To the  actions required on your part. That you, in our mission to live holy, must be self-controlled. That you must establish, regulate, affix our hope unwaveringly on the grace to be given when Jesus Christ is revealed. (1:13). Though a free gift, you must choose to receive it. Positioning yourself to bring God glory.

Wait, what did he just say? Grace to be given you? You mean in addition to what you have now—there’s more grace coming to you?

Yes! Peter is trying to tell you that there is grace, upon grace, upon grace…endless grace. Necessary grace. Merciful grace. Saving grace…poured out on you to help strengthen you to live Holy, worthy, radical lives! (Jn.15:5).

Is grace a license? As Paul says, God forbid (2Cor. 2:10)!

When you were ignorant in your sin, living unenlightened lives, you had no knowledge that God’s grace was already at work in you, willing His way be done (2 Pt.3:9). You were blinded by your selfishness and—your have it my way mentality! For many, it was only after they received salvation that they were taught that it was by His grace, His unmerited favor, that this salvation came to them at all. Not until They had experienced His dawning—imbibing illumination from The Holy Spirit did they understand their salvation (Phil.2:12-13; 2Pt.1;10; Gal. 2:20).

Before I go on, let that sink in. Indulge me here…Visualize a feather, like in the opening scene of Forrest Gump. See it floating about on the air, languidly drifting along the unseen current—with seeming aimlessness. It almost touches down on one fellow, but wait…nope. A sudden updraft and it’s off again. Watch it land ever so gently, intentionally, at the feet of Forrest as he sits at a bus stop.

And so it was with you and I… “And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting” (Acts 2:2). You may not have heard His mighty arrival, but if you’re His—surely you felt Him! In the pew or at your bus stop…that tiny tremor whose after shocks are still toppling mountains in your life.

The Holy Spirit is laser-focused, locked on—to awakening in you Christ-like obedience. And just as Forrest picked up that seemingly random feather and placed it safely in his suitcase, so too must you, with great care and determined resolve, take hold of and follow the promptings of the Holy Spirit (2 Cor.3:18). Grace, and more grace will be given…

How do you receive this grace? You set our hope. This is not a fanciful suggestion, rather a challenging command. Peter is your General in the Army of the Lord and he is training you to—set your hope. Fix it, cement it, tie it down as with blocks. You must focus unshakable faith, your complete, whole, entire hope on the grace that awaits you when Jesus returns. As a soldier prepares for battle, so too you must prepare (Eph.6:10-18).

Your example?

As always—Jesus. Allow the Master to teach by example just how it is you are to set your hope—your faith.

Luke’s Gospel tells you that shortly after Jesus’ transfiguration, as His time was drawing near to face His death, burial and resurrection Jesus; “Resolutely set out for Jerusalem” (Lk. 9:51). With foreknowledge, and strong-willed purpose.

Had Jesus taken-up His Earthly Throne then and there, at that first Palm Sunday, the work of the cross wouldn’t have been completed. And salvation and grace would be an unknown to us. That is what His disciples thought was about to happen. But Jesus had you and I in mind when He set His face toward Jerusalem that day. And you too, should always be looking ahead—eyes fixed on things eternal (Col. 3:2).

He was looking toward a future He would make available to those that would follow Him. And with it, the grace necessary to run their race faithfully, effectively—until His return for them, you, and I.

So what is this faith you are to have? faith is hope. Hope in an unseen, unknown future. Trusting. What distinguishes faith and hope? Little actually. faith is a now thing—your motivating force. You need faith in action to believe, today, moment to moment, that God is going to do what He said He would do (Heb. 11:1).

Hope is something you cast into the future. You attach faith to your line of hope and toss it forward. And what is it you’re hoping to catch? First, always—the strength needed to bring glory to God. After, eternity with Jesus! The crown of life, the, “Well done my good and faithful servant!”  That is your hope. Your expectation… grace upon grace.

You witness faith and hope linked explicitly in Father Abraham. In faith He believed God (now) when God promised Him a child and from him, a nation. Even when he knew that his body was a withered vine incapable of producing fruit! That’s hope in action. (Gen.17:21). Again we see faith and hope united in Caleb. He had the faith necessary to believe that they, (the Israelite’s) could overcome fortified cities and giants and takes possession of the land the Lord promised them? What land? The Promised Land …Caleb’s now faith, (Jos.14:7-8). His hope, (Jos.14:14).

I keep repeating this phrase—grace upon grace. Why? Because just as surely as it was grace that reached His All-Powerful Hand across time and eternity to saves you; it is and will continually be grace upon grace that continually lavishes you, undeservedly… until the Day of His coming (Jud.1:24).

Solely by the saving power of His unmerited grace is how you will accomplish what Peter is exhorting in verse fourteen. Be obedient children…

Now that you have obtained His amazing, glorious, transformative gift of salvation, you are not to be like a dog that returns to its own vomit. Don’t return to the evil desires of the flesh you had when you lived in ignorance, darkness—as the living dead…

Rather, wrap yourself in a cocoon, a shield of hope and faith. Separating yourself from the world. Because as John 3:3 tells us; “He that hath this hope in him purifies himself.” 

God is Omniscient. He knew you would require this grace upon grace, not only for our salvation but also—to finish your race. (Eph. 1:7-10)

Beloved, you need to jump head long, unabashed, into the promises of God. Boldly, confidently, steadfastly chasing after God, His will and good-pleasure! Until that day mentioned in Philippians.

“And I am convinced and sure of this very thing, that He Who began a good work in you will continue until the day of Jesus Christ [right up to the time of His return], developing [that good work] and perfecting and bringing it to full completion in you” (1:6).

Be Holy as He is Holy Beloved…How? Set your face. And hold tight to grace upon grace. Be a light in this present darkness!

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