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

Tag: Connection (Page 5 of 5)

Such Love. 1 John 4:17-18.

August 24, 2019 /
“And as we live in God, our love grows more perfect. So we will not be afraid on the day of judgment, but we can face him with confidence because we live like Jesus here in this world. Such love has no fear, because perfect love expels all fear. If we are afraid, it is for fear of punishment, and this shows that we have not fully experienced his perfect love.”

What is our brother John saying to us? What is it he is trying to open our eyes to see—more, our lives to be filled with and built upon? Verses 17 &18 answers this, in part. Our ability to have confidence in the day of judgment. And that perfect love, faith in the finished work of Christ, in His complete, benevolent love for us will dispel all of our fears.

Whether or not we believe it, the day of God’s judgment is coming. More, whether you believe this or not, you will face God and give an account for your life. Perhaps the greatest part of that account being why you chose not to believe in His Son? Yet John does not leave us alone with this knowledge of the coming judgement. Equally, verse 17 also instructs believers on just how to have this confidence or boldness on the day of judgment. And in verse 18 he instructs us how to cast fear out of our lives.

John Piper summarises these 2 verses this way: “These are simply positive and negative ways of saying the same thing: getting rid of fear is the negative way of saying become confident. I hope we all take the day of judgment as seriously as John does. So the main point of the text is clear: John wants to help us enjoy confidence before God. He does not want us to be paralyzed or depressed by fear of judgment. Nothing would make John happier (1 John 1:4) than to produce a generation of Christians who were utterly confident that God would accept them on the judgment day.”

Yet verses 17 and 18 are somehow wanting minus the glue that binds them together. The Truth found in verse 16 that girds them. God is love, and the one who abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him –1 John 4:16. This gem is key to understanding just where this ability we must have to gain this confidence John speaks of, comes from.

Yet what does this love look like? And, how do we, as mere men, mange to love as God loves?

The Apostle John makes it clear that if we do not have a relationship—not a head knowledge, not our parents passed on religion, but an authentic relationship with Jesus—we cannot abide with God. More, we will not be able to love as God loves because it is the perfect love of God in us, at work in us, and not our own anemic, flawed love, that enables us to love as God has commanded us. You see that faith was active along with his works, and faith was completed by his works—James 2:22.

With this in mind, let’s follow along with John as he lays out how it is, we must take in, pattern ourselves after, and, have full, fixed confidence in—this love…

1). As we live in God…
That is, firstly, accepting in our hearts that God’s love for us is indisputable. Believing too, in the proof of His love. That this same God sent His only Son, Jesus, to die for us—literally in our place. And, that, finally, because of Jesus’ sacrifice, if we accept Him, God places His righteousness over us—covering our sin, eradicating our shame. Just as surely as He placed the bloodied skins of animals over a naked Adam and Eve –Genesis 3:21. We are made clean then, in His Pure, Spotless Blood, shed on our behalf. This acceptance is the nascent beginnings of our faith walk. For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life—John 3:16.

I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing—John 15:5.

2) Our love grows more perfect…
The perfecting of our love for God and, conversely, for His people, is accomplished and grows in the crucible of relationship. In the friction of the day-to-day. Firstly, in our relationship with God. And, then, from its foundation springs our relationship with our neighbor. It is in our everyday walk with God, in the smallest of moments, of details, that He graciously reveals Himself. Demonstrates His great love and providential care for us. These tiny, at times seemingly insignificant, and easily overlooked moments string together forming our trust in Him. Our lifeline. An abiding love and trust we may not realize we have until life happens and then bam! Suddenly there they are; having been being built-up within us—unawares.

Our foundational relationship is with Christ Jesus. A lifelong, stabilizing gift crafted by God upon which our walk with Him begins. And, then, from this shoots grow; our love takes action and we desire to see others love Him as we do. “In this, that is in your love for each other, God’s love is put into action and so reaches its appointed goal. It does not remain at the imperfect stage of mere talk but reaches the stage of action. Perfect love is love that does not die on the vine. It’s love that comes to fruition”—John Piper.

No man has ever seen God; if we love one another, God abides in us and his love is perfected in us –1 John 4:12

3) So we will not be afraid on the day of judgment...

Fear implies judgment. That is all fear outside of deferential fear. More accurately, respect for God. Being awed by Him—to our very core. Overcome, undone by who He is. His majesty. His splendor. His unfathomable love. His being all-powerful and all-knowing. Creator of all things. All of them. The knowledge that our next breath and heartbeat are afforded us at His discretion. Reverential fear is not only healthy, more, it is also fundamental in the life of every believer. Least we get so puffed up and proud, thinking all that we have and do and accomplish is by our wit and hand. It is this reverential fear in us, in part, that produces both our humility to bow low before the Lord while propelling us to also go boldly before Him. Lowly in our reverence and boldly in the full confidence we have that when God sees us—He is looking at the finished work of His Son. He is looking straight at Jesus, we being hidden in Him.

On the other hand, to fear God on the day of judgment, to feel afraid, would imply that we have not loved as we ought. That some doubt lingers in us. That we do not look like Jesus. Are not clothed in His righteousness. We do not have His perfect Love as our garment. Remember, perfect love cast out fear. Our fear (doubt) before God reveals that we have not loved as we have been commanded to love—purely without reservation nor judgment. We need Jesus! Beloved, we are God’s children now; it does not yet appear what we shall be, but we know that when he appears we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is. And everyone who thus hopes in him purifies himself as he is pure—1 John 3:2–3.

4) …perfect love expels such fear:
Our confidence in the finished work of the Cross, in Christ abiding in us—His Spirit residing in us, and, in Gods perfect love living and flowing from us; empowering us to love others as He would have us to love them, has commanded us to love them, demonstrates the perfected love of God at work in our lives. In everyday words—the more we surrender to the will of God, the closer we draw to Him, the more we are being shaped into the image and likeness of His Son; day after day after day. This change in us breeds lasting confidence that when we finally stand before the Throne of God, it is Jesus that The Father will see. His perfection—and not our sins and shame and short-comings. Not our sullied, flawed, imperfect selves—rather His Spotless, Perfect Son. And so we come boldly before Him. Trusting completely in the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.

Because of who God is and what He has done our lives, we can entrust ourselves into His Hands—just as Jesus has. God is not a man, that he should lie; neither the son of man, that he should repent: hath he said, and shall he not do it? or hath he spoken, and shall he not make it good—Numbers 23:19?

If we are afraid, it is for fear of punishment, and this shows that we have not fully experienced his perfect love — 1 John 4:18. Friend if you have read through until now and know that do not have the relationship with Jesus described above—a personal, intimate, loving relationship; then please, don’t let the sun go down on this day without asking Jesus to come into your life. Don’t go one more day without Jesus as your friend, your guide, your Lord. Ask Him to come and live in you—and you with Him. No man is promised tomorrow. And, truth be told, aren’t you hungry for more than you have right now? Jesus wants to love you, to help fill your life with everything its been missing—starting with, and most importantly, Himself.

And, now, to my brothers in Christ. Allow me, please, to encourage you. If there was some check in your Spirit as you read, some doubt that lingers in you, some sin that weighs you down, go before your Father and confess. Ask the Holy Spirit to reveal anything in you that is not of Him. Then, take courage and turn from it, beloved, regardless of the cost. Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us —Hebrews 12:1

Three Crosses Part 2. Matthew 6:33

August 5, 2018 /

  “But first and most importantly seek (aim at, strive after) His kingdom and His righteousness [His way of doing and being right—the attitude and character of God], and all these things will be given to you also.”

The Cross of Christ. There is only One…

So why is this teaching entitled, “Three crosses?” Allow me to explain. The “Three crosses” we’ll explore over the next few weeks are pathways created by God to both draw us into and to refine, as with gold, our relationship with Him. Leading us, ultimately, to our final cross—the Cross of Christ which we are blessed to share in—to carry.

Last week we looked at the how God established—laid out, His Laws in such a way that they lead us first, into a vertical relationship with Him—our firm foundation from which all else is built, then secondly, horizontally into relationship with each other.

Next week we will explore our final Cross. The Cross of Christ.

This week, however, we’ll find our second Cross of meeting and refinement in the teaching of a prayer…

Today, as we stand at the foot our second Cross—this simple yet profound prayer, this model, this exchange—let’s peek behind its surface, shall we?

Let’s look towards—take in, examine, challenge each other with, its lessons…

In the age of the patriarchs, each man understood that he was the priest of his household. He was responsible for all those he covered . He knew too, that his name stood as more than a mere title used to identify him. His name was attached to his identity, his character. It was cultural, part of the fiber of who he was, or would become. Jesus, our High Priest, is no different. He couldn’t be. That He might atone for our sins, empathize with our weaknesses, it was necessary for Him to take on human flesh, becoming “like us in every way”. It was necessary for God to take on flesh in the person of Christ Jesus and walk among us—yet being fully God still—He remains nonetheless, sinless. “Therefore, it was essential that He had to be made like His brothers (mankind) in every respect, so that He might [by experience] become a merciful and faithful High Priest in things related to God, to make atonement (propitiation) for the people’s sins [thereby wiping away the sin, satisfying divine justice, and providing a way of reconciliation between God and mankind]” Hebrews 2:17

It is this God, The Only Begotten of the Father, who is teaching our brothers—teaching us. His Character our model.

Let that sink in a moment…

Let’s head over to listen to how Matthew describes the way Jesus instructed him and his brothers—and through them, us—to pray.

Jesus says, pray like this: “Our Father in heaven, may your name be kept holy. May your Kingdom come soon. May your will be done on earth, as it is in heaven. Give us today the food we need, and forgive us our sins, as we have forgiven those who sin against us. And don’t let us yield to temptation, but rescue us from the evil one.” –Mathew 6:10-13

 

“Our Father in heaven”: Jesus straightaway leaves no room for doubt about who it is we must pray to. He points His disciples towards—and through them us, this revolutionary new way to address God. More, this new way to understand and enter into relationship with Him. Now, instead of calling on God by title only, as His creation— as El Shaddai, Yahweh, or G_d, as was custom, Jesus is teaching His friends to see themselves as His child, as personally connected—intimately connected to God, as a child is to their Father. His friends had witnessed Jesus taking time away to pray to His Father this way. Now they wanted this for themselves. There is a great lesson in their desire for us all… “The Spirit you received does not make you slaves, so that you live in fear again; rather, the Spirit you received brought about your adoption to son-ship. And by him we cry, “Abba, Father” –Romans 8:15.

“May your name be kept holy.” Some versions rend this as “Hallowed by thine name.” Your name isn’t like any other. Your name, as is your person, is, “sanctified; consecrated; sacrosanct—set-apart.” Jesus, in part, teaches His friends the proper awe and reverence one should always have—even as a friend, even as a child must have when interacting with their Holy Father God. This is a Name that should not slip unguarded from colorful lips set on calling down curse on themselves or others. This Name is Holy. And, as with all things holy, it must be set apart for sacred use—not common. “And one called to another and said: “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts; the whole earth is full of his glory!” Isaiah 6:3

“May your Kingdom come soon.” The Tabernacle of God—The Lamb who was from the beginning of the world. Slain for their sins and the sins of the whole world, was teaching them to pray for heaven to dwell on earth. For Gods perfect rule—a world without sin—to become a reality. They were all too familiar with evil and murder and persecution and lies and treachery. Jesus is teaching them—us, to pray for Gods perfection to be manifested. Firstly, in our own hearts. As our deepest desire. As we patiently await that glorious time when heaven will come in all its fullness. “They shall speak of the glory of Your kingdom And talk of Your power; To make known to the sons of men Your mighty acts And the glory of the majesty of Your kingdom. Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, And Your dominion endures throughout all generations” –Psalm 145:11-13.

“May your will be done on earth, as it is in heaven.” Jesus is, in part, teaching His friends to set aside their way of doing things. Set aside their feelings, our feelings and wants and ought to be’s—our ways of wanting God to show up and act and do. Stop asking God to bless our plans—our “golden calf”. Stop speaking to God in redundant, empty, ritualistic words. Pray instead that the will of The One who created you and everything in this world be sought after by every man—desired by all. That none miss out on heavens plan for their lives. That Gods perfect will—as it is in heaven—be done, lived out, strived for, shared, hungered after, here and now, on earth. God is seeking those who are willing to empty themselves of their will that He might manifest His own through them. The One who willingly laid down His life is teaching us this lesson. “No one can take my life from me. I sacrifice it voluntarily. For I have the authority to lay it down when I want to and also to take it up again. For this is what my Father has commanded” –John 10:18.

“Give us today the food we need…” Father, as with any good dad, we are trusting you to take care of us today. We’re resting in you. Firstly, give us more of you. Give us the spiritual milk we thirst after, the Living Water we need, and fill our bellies with your Life-giving Word. And shelter us and cloth us and protect us from harm. Then, please, meet our physical needs as well. We come to you in humble reliance daily—minute by minute, that you alone might nourish and sustain us rather than us looking to make it happen our way for ourselves. “But Jesus told him, “No! The Scriptures say, ‘People do not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God”’ –Matthew 4:4.

“And forgive us our sins, as we have forgiven those who sin against us.” His disciples had experienced firsthand how often Jesus flipped the proverbial script on them—commanding them to do, live, be, exactly opposite of what the world taught them. To love, to forgive their Roman oppressors and those who persecuted them. And, this forgiveness of those that sinned against them business was no different. Jesus teaches in order that they be forgiven their continued sinning, their daily sins, their guilt, and offenses, they must first forgive everyone else to the full measure they would hope to be forgiven of God. No exceptions. Least the pride of unforgiveness cause a chasm to form between them and the Father who wants desperately to bless His children with every good thing. This God, in His Perfect justice, cannot however, forgive us of our sins if we choose to close Him out and harden our hearts by hanging on to—nurturing an offense rather than forgiving it. “For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins” –Matthew 6:14-15.

“And don’t let us yield to temptation, but rescue us from the evil one.” Again, Jesus is, in part, teaching our brothers what they—and we, will hear from our brother Paul later on in his letter to the Philippians. Jesus, unbeknownst to them in that moment, is teaching them to allow the nascent roots of their faith in this “Father”, this “Abba God”, to go deep. To fully believe that the One who called them to Himself, the One that is teaching them how to communicate with Himself, will keep them safe from the enemy of their soul. Will provide a way out when the flood of temptation threatens to overtake them. And it will threaten to overtake them. Being His child did not  not exempt them and it does not exempt us from temptation—from falling, face first, into sin. Often actually, temptation singles us out as targets. “The temptations in your life are no different from what others experience. And God is faithful. He will not allow the temptation to be more than you can stand. When you are tempted, he will show you a way out so that you can endure” –1 Corinthians 10:13.

Friends, our second cross, this simple, powerful, pure prayer is yet another way that God—our Father, our Daddy, Poppa, has paved the way for us to come to Him—to get to know Him, to enter into communion with Him. He has taken us from His Laws, which must never be forgotten, into relationship. He offers us this simple prayer as a model, a guide. He lovingly takes time to teach us to abandoned ourselves into His care. “Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is within you, whom you have [received as a gift] from God, and that you are not your own [property]?” 1 Corinthians 6:19. He sets our feet on a path that strengthens us each time we walk on it—which each new step on it. Trusting in its straightness and its solid foundation to keep us safe. But never, I beseech you, lose sight of, reverence for the fact, that “Our Father” is the Sovereign God of the universe. The Great I Am. Your Creator ,and the Creator of all heaven and earth. The Bright and Morning Star. The Lion of the Tribe of Judah. The King of Kings and the Lord of Lords. “Let all the earth fear and worship the Lord; Let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of Him.” “Then you will understand the [reverent] fear of the Lord [that is, worshiping Him and regarding Him as truly awesome]
And discover the knowledge of God” Psalm 33:8;Proverbs 2:5.

Never forget to whom it is you have been given the awesome, unfathomable honor of praying to—of communicating with. And, the price the One teaching this simple prayer paid that you might be afforded that honor. “But we have this precious treasure [the good news about salvation] in [unworthy] earthen vessels [of human frailty], so that the grandeur and surpassing greatness of the power will be [shown to be] from God [His sufficiency] and not from ourselves. We are pressured in every way [hedged in], but not crushed; perplexed [unsure of finding a way out], but not driven to despair; hunted down and persecuted, but not deserted [to stand alone]; struck down, but never destroyed…” Corinthians 4:7-9.

Friend, if you find yourself here today not knowing this Father God, I ask that you take a moment as Jesus’s friends did, and ask Him for yourself how to pray. Ask Him first to come into your heart, if you haven’t already; to forgive you of your sins that He might come in and show you how to have ongoing communion with Our Father…

Three Crosses. Matthew 6:33.

July 29, 2018 /

 “But first and most importantly seek (aim at, strive after) His kingdom and His righteousness [His way of doing and being right—the attitude and character of God], and all these things will be given to you also.”

The Cross of Christ. There is only One. So why is this teaching entitled, “Three Crosses?” Allow me to explain.

The “three crosses” we’ll explore over the next few weeks are pathways created by God to both draw us into and to refine our relationship with Him. Leading us, ultimately, to our final cross—the Cross of Christ which we are blessed to share in—to carry….

A Cross is formed where the vertical meets the horizontal.

Before we can be used of God outwardly, we must first be called into relationship with Him inwardly…

Over the next three weeks we will be exploring three distinct yet interconnected areas where our vertical relationship with God intersects our horizontal service to produce the fruits of sacrifice and service. The place where our primary relationship with God moves us away from our selfishness, our comfort zones, demanding sacrifice. And calls us into that place where He begins the work of stretching us towards relationship, service, calling. Stretching us ever towards reflecting Christ to a lost and dying world.

At its height, a life lived in absolute surrender— its width, a picture of perfect submission and humility…

A task only One Man is fully able to surrender to—to embrace, as one embraces a lover; Jesus—our Teacher, our Guide, our Lord. Yet, if we’re a believer, then we too are called to follow Jesus’s sacrificial example—even if following that example leads us to our deaths. Not popular I know—but True nonetheless. His Cross stands as the pure Light which tries us, tests us, illuminates our darkest recesses, exposing us for what we are—sinners in need of salvation—in need of restoration—in need of God. Of the vertical relationship that ultimately will stretch us horizontally—enabling us, empowering us, willing within us, the desire to follow His example, His will, His laws…

In order that we might understand both the power and the purpose of The Cross of Christ—we must first understand all that God did to pave the way to the one place – towards the One person, who connects, bridges, advocates between Heaven and earth. God shows us—lays out for us, the way to the Cross. And, one of the ways in which He did this was through the Law. Yet, in giving us these laws God knew not one of His creation could keep them perfectly—wholly, as His Righteousness requires, demands, so, out of His great love for us, He chose to leave behind the glory of heaven and donned human flesh with all its needs and constraints. The Omnipresent One chose to be bound by what He created and sits above. The Bread of Life chose to have to eat bread that He might live. God chose to need what we need: sleep, rest, food, shelter—to feel what we feel: hunger, tiredness, loneliness, rejection, and physical pain. It was, after all, a man’s hands and feet that were nailed to His Cross. His physical body whose side was pierced by the Roman spear. Human Blood was spilled, staining the Cross He was nailed to; it was not stained with the sacrificial blood of bulls, goats, or sheep…

The first three of Gods Laws—His Commandments, are vertical. They point us towards Him. Towards the supremacy of the One True God. Jesus, in Matthew 22:37, confirms this for us as He points us towards the central teaching, the heart of the Law found in Deuteronomy: “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind” –Deut. 6:5. This first Commandment, declares—makes plain, there is only One God.

Everything else we need to know flows down from that Triune foundational Truth. That One Source…

The law then goes on to instruct us how it is we must approach, revere, honor, exalt this Sovereign God of the universe. We are to have no other gods before Him, not make for ourselves graven images. Don’t exalt an image of what was created over the One who created it. Don’t take the Lord’s name in vain. Don’t toss around the Name of the Sovereign God of the universe like it was some common, everyday name—don’t abuse or defame His Holy Name. We’re to remember the sabbath day, keeping it holy. You have six days a week to work, as God did at creation, this sabbath day is intended as a time to be spent with Him, allowing Him to refresh you. The rest of the Law is horizontal in nature—teaching us, pointing us towards our responsibilities towards others, as well as those actions and desires we are to run from—disavow.

We were created in God’s image, to serve and honor Him. He alone sustains us, and, within these three commands He establishes His dominion—His Sovereignty, over our lives. They are a perfect list of our vertical duties—requirements, for serving a Holy God. Yet, even in having these we will still, forever, fall short of their perfect standard.

Enter Christ Jesus the Sinless Sacrifice ready to die for our sins and failures…

Yet Christ never came to abolish these Laws, rather to fulfill them. To do for us what the law couldn’t. Nonetheless, the law will forever have its place in our lives both as guideposts and as a stark reminder; mirrors both that reflect back to us our need for Jesus in our lives…

In Hebrews Chapter 10 Paul assures us that that the laws of Moses were only a dim preview of the good things to come—they weren’t, nor did they contain, the Power of the good things themselves. Under the Law a sacrifice needed to be made repeatedly as the shed blood of bulls and goats couldn’t bring about perfect cleansing. Rather, these very sacrifices reminded the one offering them of their sin and guilt—of their continual need for sacrifice and forgiveness. Paul goes on to assure us that the law’s requirements for the blood of bulls and goats could never, was never intended to be a permanent solution for absolving man of his sin. It was a mere shadow, a ‘first-step” on the path that would eventually lead to the beckoning Cross of Christ that is ever before us…

We witness the Truth of this in the life of Father Abraham. A man made righteous by his faith, by the will of God—not by blood sacrifices or works. How? A mystery. In the Beginning the Word already existed…

The Cross, and the salvation it affords, has always been Gods plan for His creation…

“Therefore, when Christ enters into the world, He says, “Sacrifice and offering You have not desired, But [instead] You have prepared a body for Me [to offer] In burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin You have taken no delight. “Then I said, ‘Behold, I have come To do Your will, O God— [To fulfill] what is written of Me in the scroll of the book.’” –Hebrews 10:5-7

Join us next week when we will examine the effects of our second cross—The Lord’s Prayer. (for a deeper, more complete understanding of Christ and the law reading through Chapters 7-10 found in the Book of Hebrews, Romans Chapters 4 & 7, and Genesis 14:17 through 15:17, among other Scriptures, would help fill in the gaps for you).

And Friend, if you’re here today and have read through this but have not yet asked this Jesus into your life as your Lord and Savior, I believe today is your day for salvation to visit you! Stop now and pray, just simply ask Jesus into your life as Lord and Savior, then trust Him as He begins a good work in you that He alone is faithful to complete… ”because if you acknowledge and confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord [recognizing His power, authority, and majesty as God], and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart a person believes [in Christ as Savior] resulting in his justification [that is, being made righteous—being freed of the guilt of sin and made acceptable to God]; and with the mouth he acknowledges and confesses [his faith openly], resulting in and confirming [his] salvation.” –Romans 10:9-10

 

Stand-in Faith. Mark 2:3-12

June 10, 2018 /

 “Then they came, bringing to Him a paralyzed man, who was being carried by four men.  When they were unable to get to Him because of the crowd, they removed the roof above Jesus; and when they had dug out an opening, they let down the mat on which the paralyzed man was lying.  When Jesus saw their [active] faith [springing from confidence in Him], He said to the paralyzed man, “Son, your sins are forgiven.”  vs’s 3-5.

What might stand-in faith look like?

Along with the example of 4 faith-filled friends offered in our Scripture verses, we also see stand-in faith demonstrated in Queen Esther; Esther 8:3-5 and, in Father Abraham; Genesis 18:23-33. Yet most  certainly our greatest example of stand-in faith is witnessed in the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. God’s only begotten Son. Unique in Being, fully God yet fully man.(John 1:1;1:14;3:16;1 John 4:9; Colossians 2:9;1 Corinthians 15:4-5; 1 Peter 1:20). The Scriptures tell us He willingly left Heaven—stepped across time and eternity, donned a human body, all that He might offer Himself as a stand-in.

The Sinless Substitute standing in for a sinful world; a world He foreknew would reject Him –Hebrews 2:5-18. His Perfect example now established, let’s turn our attention to everyday men created in his image. Let’s examine the 4 friends mentioned in today’s Scripture. Those no different from Esther, Abraham, and others whose faith God recognized.

We’re told only that their friend is paralyzed…

That’s why they’re carrying him to see Jesus. Had his paralysis been from birth, as it was with the beggar outside the Temple (Acts 3:2), or was it the result of an accident as with Mephibosheth (2 Samuel 4:4)? In this instance, Scripture doesn’t mention the how or why of it so it’s obviously not something we need to spend a lot of time thinking about. He was paralyzed—whatever the reason. Rather, let’s focus our attention on his 4 friends. After all, they are the ones Jesus chose to focus on.  It’s safe to believe that at some point God had laid it on the hearts of these 4 friends to get this one in need of healing in front of Jesus the only One they believed would heal their friend. It’s also fair to imagine, it’s implied even, that each of these 4 were men of faith.

They believed God…

Surely as young Jewish boys they had spent time in the Temple? It’s also reasonable to say that they’d been exposed to the telling of many of the familial stories concerning the coming of Messiah? And, it’s also possible they had witnessed Jesus healing others the last time He was there in Capernaum? Perhaps they, like so many, had heard all about this Jesus bringing Peter’s mother-in-law back from the edge of death (Matthew 8:14-15)? Perhaps all of this, combined with witnessing their friend—one they obviously cared greatly for, wasting away, motivated them into action? The truth is we don’t know for certain the whole of why they came. Scripture doesn’t always explain every detail to us. It may have been a perfect storm of faith. A simultaneous collision of all the above at play in their lives that caused them to lower their friend to the feet of Jesus.

What is certain is this: God moved on each of their hearts to get their friend in front of Jesus. And they obeyed…

Jesus let nothing stand in His way of leaving heaven and coming to earth that He might open the way that leads us back into right relationship with the Father—back into the loving arms of God (Matthew 27:51). And, when reading this account concerning our paralytic friend—it appears his friends too, wouldn’t allow anything to stand in the way of getting their friend in front of Jesus.

Let those who have ears hear…

They had fixed their eyes on Jesus. And, if it took ripping  the roof off to get their friend in front of Him, well, so-be-it! Off it would have to come!

And it did…

While Jesus was busy sharing God’s Word— 4 friends were busy hoisting their friend, mat and all, up onto the roof.  Get that image in your mind.  They hoisted a grown man tied to a cot up on to a roof. Jesus is preaching in the room below where, Scripture tells us a, “throng of people” are packed in—shoulder to shoulder. These 4 men approach the house with their friend in tow and realize— “this isn’t going work. These people won’t budge—no one will make room for us to get to Jesus!” Yet, they weren’t deterred. Why? The burning in their hearts wouldn’t allow for it. That very burning is what had prompted this entire journey of faith!

And then it hit them, “the roof, we’ll get him in through the roof!”

Have you ever been so moved by the leading of the Holy Spirit of God that, come what may, you were determined to do what you know He was leading you to do? Even if doing it meant doing something as unorthodox, as risky, as bold as taking the roof off a place ?

These 4 had been so moved…

While Jesus was sharing God’s Truth with this room full of people—these 4 were busy digging up the mud roof.

Shards of ceiling were falling on the crowd—on Jesus, yet, there is no rebuke mentioned. No one looks up and cries out, “have you guys lost your minds, stop it! Where trying to focus on what Jesus is saying! Nor does Scripture mention a rebuke of any kind coming from Jesus. Rather, we witness Jesus recognizing a reflection of Himself in these 4 friends. He recognizes a “reflection”, a type, of His own inextinguishable faith. Faith that says, “come what may, I’ll do it, I’ll make a way…”

And, in that second of recognition—a miracle occurred.

The one they had carried all these years—the one they had cared for and fed, helped provide for and shared with—Jesus now looked at and said, “you’re forgiven!”, and he was. He was now healed, made whole.

He was made new…

That’s what happens when we have an authentic encounter with Jesus. We are made new, washed clean—restored.

Whatever sin had held him to his mat, for however long it had had a grip on him—it was gone now; eternally forgiven. God had used the stand-in faith of his 4 faith-filled friends that He might deliver , restore, make new this one who couldn’t quite get there on His own…

If you’ve been praying for—interceding for, a friend or loved one, you should be excited right now! If Jesus honored their faith—surely, He will honor yours too! Just keep on taking that roof off!

God has asked each of us to be a stand-in. Jesus commissioned us all—all who believe on His name, to be stand-in’s. “He said to them, “Go throughout the whole world and preach the gospel to all people.” –Mark 16:15.

Friend, if you claim faith like one of today’s 4,  here’s my question to you: how far will you carry the one that isn’t quite able to get to Jesus without your help?

And, if you’ve not yet asked Jesus into your heart—to heal what may be “paralyzed” in your life, do it now. My faith has carried you this far, I’ve now laid you safely at Jesus’ feet—don’t let this opportunity pass you by.

Ask Jesus into your heart now…

“If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved” Romans 10:9.

 

 

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